Mechu - deru Mechu - deru was a dark side Force power that bestowed an intuitive understanding of mechanical systems upon the user . Invented by the Sith , the technique allowed its practitioners to exert their influence over inanimate and robotic constructs . Through " mechu - deru " , mechanical structures could be bound to the will of the user and imbued with the power of the Force itself . The dark side power of " mechu - deru " also enabled the creation of machine - organic Sithspawn mutant s called technobeast s . The Sith origins of " mechu - deru " led to its avoidance by members of the Jedi Order , relegating its use to a small number of Jedi tech specialists . Even among the followers of the Sith , " mechu - deru " was an obscure technique practised by only a few at the time of its initial discovery . During the New Sith Wars , the Dark Lord Belia Darzu used her own variant of " mechu - deru " — dubbed " mechu - deru vitae " — to create an army of technobeasts by means of a nanogene virus . Centuries later , the secrets of Lord Darzu were unearthed by Cronal , a servant of the Galactic Empire who practised " mechu - deru " on mechanical devices and living subjects — himself included . Description . A dark side technique , " mechu - deru " allowed the user to manipulate mechanical systems through the power of the Force . By means of a specially - designed cybernetic brain implant , it was possible for a Force - sensitive individual to develop a mastery of " mechu - deru " at an accelerated rate . Applications . The application of " mechu - deru " allowed the user to instinctively comprehend the inner workings of machinery and circuitry . Through " mechu - deru " , technology could be upgraded to suit a purpose beyond its original intended role , even allowing mechanical devices — including droids — to detect Force - attuned beings . Users were bestowed the ability to convert robotic machines into extensions of their will , overwhelming their internal circuitry . Attempting to posses the body of a cyborg would drastically transform the victim ' s cybernetics , enlarging them into a mass of tendril - like appendages . Such a practice , however , had the potential to backfire , causing the victim ' s mechanical prostheses to turn against the user . " Mechu - deru " was used to combine both the inanimate and the living , allowing the creation of part machine , part organic hybrids known as technobeast s . Using " mechu - deru " , it was possible to imbue the technobeasts with the dark side of the Force , binding them to the will of their creator . The technique allowed the applicator to rebuild and replace parts of their body with cybernetics . Users . Sith invention . Thousands of years before the Great Sith War , followers of the dark side - worshipping Sith Order discovered a way to manipulate mechanical structures through the power of the Force . This technique — known as " mechu - deru " — was practised by only a small number of Sith magicians at the time , causing its secrets to fade into obscurity . Nonetheless , the Sith practitioners of " mechu - deru " used the ability to create hybrids of metal and flesh known as technobeasts . In 1250 BBY during a subset of the New Sith Wars called the Sictis Wars , a Dark Lord of the Sith known as Belia Darzu researched " mechu - deru " alongside the dark side art of Sith alchemy . In doing so , Lord Darzu created a technovirus capable of transforming living organisms into technobeasts . To produce these Sithspawn creatures , Darzu devised and employed an alternative form of " mechu - deru " called " mechu - deru vitae " . Using the power of " mechu - deru " , Darzu imbued the creatures with the dark side , binding an army of them to her will . During her reign , the Dark Lord recorded her knowledge of " mechu - deru " inside a Sith holocron . The creation of Darzu ' s technobeasts ended when she was assassinated by the Mecrosa Order , after which her secrets were thought to have been lost . In the era succeeding the New Sith Wars , the discipline of " mechu - deru " was practised by a Sith Lord known as Darth Maul . In particular , Maul used the technique to modify a protocol droid designated C - 3PX , transforming it into an assassination droid . Imperial resurgence . Centuries after the New Sith Wars , a number of Sith scroll s containing the knowledge of Belia Darzu entered the possession of Cronal , a dark side practitioner who served the Galactic Empire . Intending to use the scrolls for his own purposes , Cronal practised " mechu - deru " during his tenure as the Emperor ' s Hand , a personal agent of the Galactic Emperor Palpatine . Using his knowledge , Cronal upgraded the thaissen crystal s that were installed into the Force detecting devices used by Imperial Jedi hunters . This allowed the devices to determine the Force - sensitivity and alignment of a specific target . Following Cronal ' s failed Imperial campaign on the planet Mindor , the Dark Side Adept used " mechu - deru " to replace most of his body with cybernetics , leaving his head and neck as the only remaining organic parts . Around this time , Cronal spent years experimenting with both " mechu - deru " and Sith alchemy on the planet Trailia , blending them to form his own method of creation dubbed the Stygian Art . In doing so , Cronal transformed the native inhabitants into technobeasts , eventually traveling away with his creations to the world of Coruscant . At a later date , Cronal resided on the industrial planet of Andooweel , having fully embraced " mechu - deru " under the new identity of " Perek " . While basing his activities in an abandoned droid depot , Cronal was pursued by the Jedi Knight known as Luke Skywalker . During Skywalker ' s brief servitude under the reborn Emperor Palpatine , the Jedi Knight ' s cybernetic hand became polluted with the power of " mechu - deru " . The alchemical alterations made to Skywalker ' s robotic limb ultimately lured him into a confrontation with Cronal . In an attempt to possess the Jedi Knight , Cronal infected the circuitry of Skywalker ' s hand with technobeast nanodroids . This attempt backfired , however , when the cybernetic hand turned against Cronal and strangled him to death . The power of " mechu - deru " was also wielded by Irek Ismaren , the son of another Imperial agent and dark side practitioner known as Roganda Ismaren . In the aftermath of Roganda ' s thwarted scheme against the New Republic , she — like Cronal — would somehow acquire a number of Sith scrolls comprising the knowledge of the deceased Dark Lord Belia Darzu . Around this time , Irek developed an accelerated mastery of " mechu - deru " by means of a cybernetic brain transplant , the subelectronic converter . Left to their own devices , the Ismarens had the potential to create and unleash a horde of part machine , part organic mutant s upon the galaxy . Jedi avoidance . Compared to the Sith , members of the Jedi Order were less willing to blend technology and the Force . Not wishing the tread the same path as the Sith , the Jedi diverted their attention away from " mechu - deru " and the study of droids . Despite this , certain members of the Order would still practise the technique of " mechu - deru " , specifically Jedi Sentinel s operating as tech experts . Such specialists were a rarity among the ranks of the Jedi Order , known for their ability to strip down and reassemble various types of technology . Additionally , details regarding " mechu - deru " were mentioned in " " , a guidebook intended for Initiates of the Jedi Order . In the time of the galactic Yuuzhan Vong invasion , the Jedi Knight Tam Azur - Jamin made references to " mechu - deru " in an essay entitled " " . The document explored the views held by the Jedi regarding " mechu - deru " , as well as the concept of a relationship between mechanical constructs and the Force . Behind the scenes . " Mechu - deru " was introduced as an unidentified Force ability in " Tales of the Jedi Companion " , a roleplaying supplement published by West End Games in 1996 . This reference was later retcon ned by Abel G . Peña , an author who identified " mechu - deru " in an adventure seed — " The Lost Art " — featured in the 2001 article entitled " The Emperor ' s Pawns " . The name of " mechu - deru " was taken from " The Essential Guide to Episode I " , a cancelled addition to the " " series to be written by Daniel Wallace . Additional backstory for " mechu - deru " was detailed by Wallace in " The New Essential Guide to Droids " , a reference book published in 2006 . While " mechu - deru " was named a dark side technique in " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , its use by the Jedi Order was later confirmed in another reference book called " " . " Mechu - deru " was depicted unnamed in " Collapsing New Empires " , a comic featured in the nineteenth issue of the " Star Wars Tales " series . This appearance was retconned in the final part of , a StarWars . com blog series that concluded in 2014 .