Cyrillian Cyrillians were a species of tall , sentient reptiles native to the industrialized planet Cyrillia . The species invented the DUM - series pit droid to aid them in vehicle maintenance and made use of it during the reign of the Galactic Republic , when their homeworld became part of the galactic circuit of podracing . The species agreed to give up the rights to the model and produce it for the Serv - O - Droid , Inc . droid - manufacturing company , in return for profits after Cyrillia ceased to be part of the podracing circuit . During the Galactic Civil War , Cyrillia became a fortress world for the Galactic Empire , but the Imperials abandoned it in 6 ABY . Biology and appearance . The Cyrillians were a sentient reptilian species who stood as tall as Wookiees , a species whose males stood around 2 . 1 meters tall on average . History . Cyrillians were native to Cyrillia , an industrialized planet in the Cyrillia system of the Cyrillian Protectorate . The area of the Slice in the Expansion Region within which the species ' homeworld fell was widely explored between 20 , 000 BBY and 15 , 000 BBY . During the Alsakan Conflicts , the planet became a stronghold of the fanatical religious cult known as the Pius Dea , who at the time controlled the Galactic Republic . In around 12 , 700 BBY , during the conflicts and by which time the world was within Republic space , a resistance rose up on Cyrillia , and in 10 , 967 BBY , the Cyrillian homeworld was attacked by Alsakan forces and their allies as part of the Seventh Alsakan Conflict , which aimed to remove the cult from power in the Republic . The Cyrillians began making use of turbine - powered , floating transports on their homeworld prior to 189 BBY , and they developed the small DUM - series pit droid model to help carry out maintenance on the vehicles . The droids were used in particular for jobs requiring small size , such as moving under a hovering vehicle or climbing into a circuitry bay . Cyrillia became a part of the galactic podracing circuit in 189 BBY , and the inhabitants made use of large numbers of pit droids to service and fuel podracers taking part in the competitions . In 122 BBY , Cyrillia ceased to be part of the podracing circuit , but the pit droids had become so popular that the large droid - manufacturing company , Serv - O - Droid , Inc . , made a deal with the Cyrillians to distribute the model . The Cyrillians gave up ownership but agreed to continue making it ; in return , the company financed the building of factories on Cyrillia and handled distribution and advertising , with the Cyrillians also still receiving some profit . By 52 BBY , the region of space including Cyrillia had become part of Hutt Space , an area controlled by members of the Hutt species . It remained in the region until at least 19 BBY , when the Galactic Empire , the successor state to the Republic , claimed the area . By 4 ABY , during the Galactic Civil War , the Cyrillians ' homeworld was considered an Imperial fortress world . However , in 6 ABY the Imperials were forced to abandon the planet after the New Republic won a victory over the Empire in a battle on the nearby fortress world of Reytha . The New Republic made the Cyrillian homeworld a Republic stronghold by 7 ABY , a situation that led to a battle there during Operation Shadow Hand , a bid by the reborn Galactic Emperor Palpatine to reclaim lost Imperial territory between 10 ABY and 11 ABY . The Cyrillia system was attacked again during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy between 26 ABY and 27 ABY , and by 27 ABY , the Yuuzhan Vong controlled the planet . Nevertheless , the Vong lost control of the Cyrillian homeworld by 40 ABY . Behind the scenes . Cyrillians were first mentioned in the entry for the pit droids in " The New Essential Guide to Droids " , a sourcebook released in 2006 and written by Daniel Wallace . They were also included in the entry for pit droids in the 2009 " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .