The Tech Masters were a group of engineers who governed the planet of Trionak within the Kiax Nebula, a secret they maintained for many centuries. To sustain their operations, they employed privateers to seize starships, which were then abandoned on Trionak. There, slaves toiled to dismantle the ships under the harsh supervision of repurposed Clone Wars-era commando droids. Should captured vessels still have a crew, those individuals faced either enslavement or execution. Furthermore, escape was impossible due to the impenetrable force field that enveloped the entire planet.
Using the salvaged components, the Tech Masters fashioned advanced technological devices. These innovations enhanced their comfort and provided protection from external threats. As an example, Ruk, a Keredian Tech Master, was fond of constructing new starfighters from components recovered from TIE fighter series vessels.
Sometime between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth, three transport ships belonging to the Alliance to Restore the Republic vanished within the Kiax Nebula. Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, heroes of the Alliance, decided to conduct their own investigation. When pirates boarded their ship, the Millennium Falcon, the Alliance heroes, along with their astromech droid R2-D2, concealed themselves in a hidden compartment, emerging only upon arriving at Trionak. Together, they brought an end to the Tech Masters' reign by exposing their existence to the Galactic Empire. Upon discovering that the Masters were utilizing stolen Imperial technology, Admiral Rhodes deployed a Star Destroyer to Trionak and successfully deactivated its force field to initiate an assault, simultaneously enabling Skywalker and Organa to flee.