Blackstalker The Blackstalker was a genetically - engineered offshoot of the Garral created by Imperial scientists expanding on the work of Luthos Garral . The Galactic Empire intended to use them to assist Human scouts and guard patrols , but they proved to be very aggressive and nearly impossible to train . Their creators attempted to destroy them before they were put into service , but many managed to escape on outbound starships . Biology and appearance . Despite being closely related to Garrals , Blackstalkers only slightly resembled their more common cousins . While both were quadrupedal , with clawed feet , powerful jaws , and tails , Blackstalkers lacked fur . Instead they were covered in tiny black scales , which were strong enough to deflect light blaster fire . They were up to two meters long when fully grown , and could live for as long as fifty years . Unlike Garrals , Blackstalkers were not adversely affected by the ultrasonic noises of repulsorlifts . As a result of the tampering with their genetics they also gained a very basic ability to use the Force . Normally they used this ability to manifest a primitive form of Force Stealth , but when cornered they were also known to use the Force to bolster their combat ability in a way similar to the power of Battlemind . While Garrals possessed a pack mentality , Blackstalkers rarely tolerated any other living beings , even members of their own kind . Normally , they would either attack or avoid any creature except for their mate and offspring . They mated for life , producing one to two cubs at intervals of several years , and defended their young fiercely , attacking any potentially threatening creature that approached . Despite this general hostility , Blackstalkers were known to bond to sentient creatures from time to time . Most such bonds developed when the Blackstalkers were young and impressionable , but sometimes the creatures bonded to those who treated injured Blackstalkers , though they equally often attacked whomever had helped them . Bonded sentients were treated as family members and were even allowed to approach the creatures ' young . Very rarely , toleration would be grudgingly extended to the bonded creature ' s companions . History . After the success of the Garral as a guard beast on frontier worlds , Imperial scientists continued to experiment with the creature ' s genetic code at an unknown facility . The result , an unknown time before the Battle of Endor , was the first Blackstalker . A large number of the creatures were created , but after many attempts , the scientists in charge of the project found it impossible to domesticate or control them by any means . Because of this , they ordered the destruction of all Blackstalkers . Likely using their Force abilities , many Blackstalkers managed to escape the facility and stow away on starships departing from the area , spreading across the galaxy . The Galactic Empire posted significant bounties on the heads of the creatures , drawing the attention of many bounty hunters , but only a few managed to actually catch even one of the deadly beasts . It has been speculated that this is because an unknown organization transported many Blackstalkers to a mostly uninhabited planet where they were unlikely to be found . Though extremely rare due to their aggressive behavior and limited starting numbers , Blackstalkers continued to be sighted throughout the New Jedi Order era .