User:Dangerdan97/Transformers

Transformers were a specialized class of vehicles, employed during a period spanning from the Clone Wars to the Galactic Civil War, that were capable of changing configuration to assume the form of a humanoid droid/walker.

Sith origins
The primary inspiration for the creation of the Transformers lay in the ancient Sith art of Mechu-deru, which infused mechanical objects with the Dark side of the Force. It is likely Darth Sidious used some variation of this dark power to effect variable capacity in starfighters, walkers and other vehicles, culimnating in the ultimate power itself, the Death Stars. Employing the skilled craftsmanship of Xi Charrian engineer-cultists, and drawing upon the scarce information he had gleaned form the enigmatic Abominor, the Sith Lord set to work.

Sidious' earliest experiment involved the conversion of a beat-up light freighter that had been acquired in the wake of his manipulation of the Stark Hyperspace War. The resulting transfomation actually split the ship into two gargantuan droids, each capable of being operated by one of the freighter's pilots. Even more impressively, it seemed Force-sensitivity was not a required element to control the transfomation. This led to the cessation of any further study of the cybernetic implant known as the subelectronic converter, though that particular technology would resurface decades later. Satisfied that immense potential existed for this technology, Sidious discarded the ship to its fate.

Sidious next turned his attention to his minions, first granting transformation ability to Darth Maul's Scimitar infiltrator, whose droid form even carried the terrifying visage of Maul himself. This practice of formatting the humanoid configuration with the image or its pilot would persist in all future concepts.

After Maul's failure and the loss of the Scimitar, Sidious shared the secrets of Transformer technology with Dooku, who in turn spread it to his Separatist underlings. For Jango Fett, the conversion turned his Slave 1 into an immense Mandalorian battle droid, a form his son Boba would keep in slightly modified form well into the Galactic Civil War. General Grievous would also oversee the conversion of both his wheel bike and the Soulless One into Transformers bearing his image.

The Clone Wars
With the advent of the Clone Wars, Sidious, under his guise as Supreme Chancellor for the Galactic Republic, introduced transforming technology to the Grand Army of the Republic while Dooku mirrored this action with his armies.

While never employed in large numbers by either side, the effectiveness of the Transformers in battle was unquestioned. Battle droid and clone trooper alike espoused the virtues of transforming hover tanks, turbo tanks, P-38s and V-Wings. Even the Jedi Order, hesitant at first, embraced the modifcations to their starfighters. Pilots such as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Saesee Tiin, Kit Fisto and even Mace Windu adopted transforming versions of their fighters.

The Galactic Civil War
The Republic itself underwent a transformation into the Galactic Empire, and Palpatine's machines of war were updated with the passage of time. Meanwhile, the long-disposed-of YT-1300 frieghter that had seen the dawn of Sidious' Transfomer project had fallen into the hands of smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca. Stumbling on the lost transfomation capabilities the ship possessed, Han and Chewie were more than happy to take advantage of the defensive abilities it afforded them in repelling Imperial pursuit.

Meanwhile,

Independant Transformers
Millenium Falcon (sometime between 44 BBY and 29 BBY) Scimitar Slave 1

Separatist Transformers
Soulless One Hover Tank CIS P-38 Wheel Bike

Republic Transformers
Jedi Starfighter Republic Gunship AT-TE V-19 Torrent ARC-170 Eta-2 Actis V-Wing Turbo Tank

Imperial Transformers
AT-AT Lambda shuttle Death Star TIE Advanced TIE Bomber

Rebellion Transformers
X-Wing Snowspeeder