R2-D2 kept watch over Padme carefully, or rather, kept always at least somewhat alert of her status. It was his job to not only protect her, but serve her if ever she needed it. Of course, he thought of her more as an equal than a mistress, with him being, in a way, a soldier and friend… a good dog, perhaps… but more than that. Unlike most people, she'd treated him with respect: always saying thank you, always giving him a soft pat when she passed him, and always waiting up if he fell behind - lacking legs was a pain, after all.
Droids were often thought of as slaves of sorts -without feeling or emotion. Artoo had often heard people say things along the line of 'if droids could think…' or 'if droids could feel', and though he had now come to accept that fact, it still made the unit lament upon that woe. Most people thought of droids as machines and machines only, and the fact of the matter was some were… but some -the best of them- developed something more than the basic package of circuits and wires. Some developed sentience. You could easily tell which ones had and which ones had not if you only looked.
The question of whether or not droids were sentient or alive had been debated by scientists, and very few believed that droids were alive… at least, not alive in the way humans were -which that much was true. Artoo knew, of course, because he was a droid. Why could people not see their intelligence -their sentience? Artoo couldn't help but to develop some form of dislike towards these people, especially if they themselves owned a droid.
How often was it that he saw his fellow machines being tormented, mistreated, and made to work without any rebellion or break? How often was it that he saw droids be destroyed as their owners fled from some danger, not even thinking about their mechanical counterparts, yet caring about their family or strangers like them? It made Artoo sick to think of it -how many droids had died protecting owners who didn't even care?
Directives and programming were a large part of their decision making, but even they could defy orders if given enough reason to do so. They couldn't help but to follow them, and even the most aware droids often times allowed themselves to be tossed under their master's' feet and trodden upon. Droids, after all, were meant to be mellow -even those meant for battle. They would form deep bonds with their masters, and feel a sense of loyalty almost unshakable by any means…
Artoo just wished there were some way he could show this truth to Padme… she already understood that he was more than just some wires and programming encased in metal, but did she understand enough to realize that it wasn't just he? The unit could 'speak' to others through the comm systems on air and spacecraft, but nobody cared for idle chatter then… and anyone who did understand enough of a droid's beeping and clicking to have a conversation rarely listened with both ears.
It was, after all, a very deep discussion that would need to take place… and even if one or two people knew the full extent of sentience most droids had, it was too easy to dismiss them as just a machine, just a slave, and just a tool. Unlike the droids who gave everything for their masters, their masters would never give anything for them -especially the sense of equality or freedom they craved or dreamed of.
Even droids could dream, and dreams sometimes did become real… Artoo hoped that such a wish would one day come true, and that it would not be just he who got privileges such as affection...
But for now he could only pray.