Force cage A force cage was a device that was designed for and used to contain prisoners , the first examples of which were seen some time prior to 3956 BBY during the Jedi Civil War . Existing through to the era of the New Republic , these types of detention cells were , in essence , energy shields that took the form of a tube . The device itself consisted of a base and cap that was connected by a column at the back that also anchored it to a wall . This assemblage served as a conduit for the energy barrier , keeping it running and anchoring it in place . Force cages were found throughout the galaxy , on worlds ranging from the urbanized city - planet of Taris to the remote and desolate Sith world of Korriban , and even aboard warships such as the " Leviathan " , the flagship of the Sith Empire ' s war fleet . During the years prior to the Galactic Civil War , a portable version of the still - popular device was developed ; these types of cages were often employed by bounty hunters , such as War ' qi and Jango and Boba Fett , who wished to ensure the continued confinement of a live capture until delivery . Description . Most force cages were deceptively simple devices that resembled octagonal tubes when activated . The frame itself , permanently mounted to a wall or bulkhead , stood approximately two meters in height , with the base slightly below floor level in most instances . The force fields that these types of detention cells emitted varied in color from bright blue to orange , and could carry a charge that ranged from a small shock to incapacitation , including the inflicting of minor electrical burns . These apparatuses could also be modified to project a sort of " torture field " that , when activated , sent waves of extremely painful electrical currents into and through those trapped inside ; this effect too could be modulated . Such fields could be ramped up in intensity to lethal proportions , serving as an " ad hoc " execution device . Typical force cages included plenty of room for a detainee to either stand or sit ; some force cages , such as the ones in the Telosian Jedi Academy that had been converted from water regulation pipes , were large enough for a grown Human to sleep in . Later model force cages , particularly those in use during the era of the Galactic Empire , were made of a light yet durable ceramic material ; portable models were typically two meters long , two high , and four wide once erected . Still portable even after assembly , the frame also provided an additional electrical deterrent against attempted breakout . Assembly was usually fairly simple , requiring only basic knowledge of security technology in order to set them up ; however , they were not without flaws . Typical models of portable force cages were considerably weaker than their more permanent counterparts ; incorrect assembly would negate the shocking effect of the device ' s force field , and even if properly set up , a being of sufficient strength could still batter their way through either the field or the frame . History . Although most force cages used nonlethal barriers , they could and often were tweaked to cause minor amounts of pain when uncooperative prisoners attempted to bash their way through the energy barrier . Force cages could also be modified to double as torture devices by installing feedback nodes that would project powerful electric shocks into the victim contained within . Examples of such modifications could be found within the estate of Tarisian crime lord Davik Kang , who used such a device to torture the former pilot of his ship , the " Ebon Hawk " . Other cages that had been modified thusly were located aboard the " Leviathan " , Admiral Saul Karath ' s Sith flagship , in which he tortured the captive Revan , Carth Onasi , and Bastila Shan as the former Republic officer interrogated them about their mission to find the Star Forge . These cells could also be used to perform executions via electrocution or poison gas , such as the ones in the Sith military base located on Taris , or the Republic Embassy on the neutral world of Manaan . Cages of this type were also found within the Sith Academy on Korriban . When they were first developed some time prior to 3956 BBY , force cages were often found in groups contained within a separate , often locked room within police stations , security rooms , and other such places throughout the galaxy . One such place was within offices of the Telos Security Force aboard the massive Citadel Station in orbit over Telos IV , where the Jedi Exile and her companions , Kreia and Atton Rand , were briefly held in the wake of the destruction of the Peragus Mining Facility . These banks of detention cells were typically controlled through a central computer interface terminal , allowing barriers to be raised or lowered in any number of combinations at once ; when an assassin , working for the Exchange criminal syndicate and posing as TSF officer Batu Rem , attempted to kill the Exile and her party , he used a similar console to short out the security holocams as well to shut down the cages in which they were held . The reformed Sith Empire made use of force cages during the Great Galactic War and its aftermath , during which the Sith Imperials installed the devices on Sith warships to transport prisoners of war . One such prisoner was the Togruta Jedi Master Dar ' Nala , who was captured by the forces of Imperial Captain Sivill in 3653 BBY , in the immediate aftermath of the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant . Sivill , under the impression that Dar ' Nala had violated the terms of the treaty , used the cage ' s torture field while interrogating the Jedi Master on her perceived misconduct . Dar ' Nala was adamant in her claims of innocence , and so incurred heavy punishment via electric shock . She was able to withstand most of the torture , but apparently succumbed to the jolts after her Sivill ordered her execution . In truth , Dar ' Nala was able to survive even the lethal electrocution , albeit grievously scarred as a result of the high voltage . During the era of the Galactic Empire , a portable version , with a frame that was manufactured from ceramic compounds , was developed that had been designed to be collapsible for use in the field . Once assembled , these types of portable force cages , similar in form and function to those that could be found within Imperial detention centers located throughout Imperial Space , were still somewhat mobile once they were erected and activated . These devices were often used by bounty hunters , in instances when they needed to secure the live capture of a target , either for rendition to whomever had posted the original bounty , or for other purposes . One popular model , the S - 3 , which was manufactured by Damorind Securities , had been purchased by a bounty hunter by the name of War ' qi and installed in the cargo hold of his ship . One of the six holding cells within the Firespray - 31 - class patrol and attack craft " Slave I " , the vessel of Boba Fett and his father Jango Fett before him , was a force cages . On the planet Questal , the merchant Honest Ellam — owner of Honest Ellam ' s Speeder Lot — utilized a force cage to keep three caniphant s restrained . He would let the predatory creatures out at night to patrol the Speeder Lot to ward off intruders . Behind the scenes . Force cages were first presented in passing in the 1987 West End Games publication " The Star Wars Sourcebook " as an in - universe account of the prison - like cargo hold found in bounty hunter Boba Fett ' s starship , " Slave I " . Subsequent West End Games sourcebooks would reprint this information , without additional elaboration concerning the type of force cage to be found in the vessel . Nonetheless , " " , did expand upon the general characterization , and a force cage was described as a portable detention device similar to fixed installations that could be found within Imperial prisons . The publication of " The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels " introduced a conflict with the established canon by declaring that the cargo hold aboard " Slave 1 " was occupied by prisoner cages , in addition to a force cage that was specifically intended to contain a Force - sensitive individual . Similar information was repeated in " " . This did not match the previous description of a force cage . However , an earlier series of comics , " Dark Empire " , had depicted a type of containment device for Force wielding individuals called an Universal Energy Cage . The continuity was further complicated by , in which it was stated that " Slave I " contained a universal energy cage and prison cages , but no mention of force cages . " The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels " noted that " Slave I " included a Force wielding prisoner cell . Other publications , such as the " " and the " " , did not specify the type of prisoner containment found within " Slave I " . In the " Shadows of the Empire " comic book , there were three story panels that depicted prisoner containment systems aboard " Slave I " , however they were not named , and it was unclear as to the type of prisoner cage they may have been . In contrast to previous depictions , the models of force cages that appear in the " " , " " , and " " are shown to be permanent or semi - permanent constructions that are immobile once built and do not have a collapsible counterpart . Other , similar devices are featured in " Star Wars " canon , such as the Containment field from , and the mobile stockade from " Showdown at Centerpoint " .