Sith scientists, who were essentially scientists employing both alchemy and conventional scientific methods, were responsible for the creation of Project Blackwing. This project, an initiative of the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research focused on achieving immortality, was conducted at a secret research facility located on Dandoran. A catastrophic failure occurred during the project, resulting in the accidental development of a virus referred to as "the Sickness." This virus proved lethal to its hosts, transforming their corpses into sentient, cannibalistic zombies, subsequently classified as Undead Troopers, sometimes called Death Troopers. The Imperial garrison was ultimately overrun and unable to control the spread of the virus. Consequently, both Dandoran and, inadvertently, Tatooine became contaminated following an investigation by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, who dispatched troops to Dandoran and encountered the infected garrison.