- "I've got five spy-eyes on Skywalker, Blackhole–!"
- ―O-625
AC1 surveillance droids, also called "Spy-eyes," Surveillance remote droids, or security remotes, were essentially mobile, semi-intelligent surveillance holocams.
Characteristics[]
A diagram of an AC1 surveillance droid
They were equipped with a repulsorlift engine, a visual-range holocam (on a 180-degree swivel mount) with simultaneous holotransmitter, and a holo receiver unit. The model moved about as fast as a Human and was very silent, able to move in zig-zag patterns so rapidly that most species would not be able to see them. Within a range of 500 meters, the holotransmitter could continuously feed live images to a security officer's holo display, and within that range the security officer could remotely control the droid by joystick if needed. The droids were not very intelligent and lacked personality. They would record suspects and relay the visual recordings, along with locational information, to a central surveillance station, then hide until they received further instruction or were taken over by remote control. Some at Battle of Hoth were equipped with a light blaster.
History[]
They were deployed by the Empire on the Death Star I and at the Battle of Hoth; they were also used as advance scouts by the Alliance.
While Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa where being ambushed by a group of Catuman warriors on the planet Tirahnn, R2-D2 patched into one of the local security's "spy-eyes" to track them down in the gigantic city; which allowed Han Solo and Chewbacca to find their friends on time to rescue them.[2]
They were also deployed by the Imperial agent known as Blackhole; he used a host of them to track Luke Skywalker in 1 ABY on Vorzyd V without Luke knowing it. They were eventually destroyed by agents of the Vorzydiak president.
An AC1 was modified by Ree Shala and equipped with dual fire-linked DL-44 blasters and reinforced armor plating. It was left at Shala's base to ambush anybody who might be investigating the smuggler.[3]
Appearances[]
- Empire 11 (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Annual (1977) 1 (Mentioned only)
- "Gambler's World" (First appearance)
- Rebel Force: Trapped
- Black Ice (as SpyEye)
- Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
"Desperate Measures" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 10 (Mentioned only) (as spy-eye)- "Harm's Way" — The Kathol Rift (Reprinted and collected in The DarkStryder Campaign, Deluxe)
- "Relic" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 6
Sources[]
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook (as AC1 Surveillance Droid" and "AC1 "Spy-Eye" Surveillance Droid)
- Death Star Technical Companion (as Security Remote)
- Death Star Technical Companion, Second Edition (as Security Remote)
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
- The Essential Guide to Droids
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 41 (ESP5, Espionage Droids)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia