4-LOM

LOM was originally designed as a protocol droid, and was a later model than Threepio's and so more advanced. It was stationed aboard the passenger liner Kuari Princess, where it served as a specialist in human-cyborg relations, and as a valet. It was able to communicate in over seven million languages, with the aid of a TranLang III Communication module. 4-LOM became an interpreter between the liner's computer and the passengers. LOM was already quite self-aware, and knew at all times where what the passengers and their possessions were doing.

On board the liner, the droid did not have much in the way of friends, and used to entertain itself playing the ship's computer at games. One of their favourite games was simulating how to steal belongings and, most important of all, how to get away with it. At first the games were just friendly, but became much more serious when the droids began to alter each other's programming. Shortly thereafter, passengers started to find their things going missing. They suspected everyone, but never 4-LOM. Who would suspect a valet droid, especially one as passive and benevolent as 4-LOM?

After a while, LOM altered its programming itself, and became more sentient than a droid had ever been. It soon became bored with how easy it was to steal from the liner's passengers, and so started to become a thief when off the ship. It also went into the business of information brokering, and kept many of the galaxy's crime lords up to date with what was happening, for the right pay of course. It was while doing this that LOM encountered Jabba. In 4-LOM, Jabba saw a chance to mould a great bounty hunter. But the droid stated that its programming would not allow it to commit any violent actions, and so bounty hunting was out of the question. Not one to be out off, Jabba offered LOM a chance to become something normal droids can only dream of. He offered to reprogram and remodel 4-LOM, in exchange for the droids services. Naturally LOM accepted, making Jabba an extremely happy Hutt; he now had one of the smartest bounty hunters working for him.

Jabba had had a Gand hunter named Zuckuss working for him, and he paired him with 4-LOM. The pair worked perfectly together; Zuckuss could use his intuition to outguess his opponents, while LOM had great analytical skills. For a while, they were Jabba's favourite bounty hunters. But then everything changed a year after the Battle of Yavin.

The pair were present at the Battle of Hoth, orbiting the planet in their ship. They witnessed the Rebel transports fleeing, and nearly destroyed the last one as it tried to hyperspace out of the system. But by this point, 4-LOM was changing, and he told Zuckuss to stop. They helped the ninety or so Rebel soldiers evacuate, and placed them on the planet Darlyn Boda.

Then Vader put out a call for bounty hunters. He wanted them to find Han, whom he planned to use as bait to trap Luke. Jabba dispatched 4-LOM and Zuckuss as 'nonofficial emissaries'. When they arrived on board Vader's ship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor, they found that four other hunters had answered the call. The competition was tough. The bounty hunter pair saw they were up against, Dengar, Bossk, IG-88, and worst of all, Boba Fett. The hunters took off in their ships, all vying to please Lord Vader. Unfortunately for LOM and Zuckuss, Fett found Solo on Bespin, and not only received the bounty from Vader, but also from Jabba for the Han's carbon-frozen body.