Science vessel
A science vessel, alternatively known as an Imperial research transport, represented a specific class of Imperial transport. These vessels were employed for the purpose of capturing, holding, and moving various cloning experiments undertaken by the Advanced Science Division. The crew consisted of Imperial commandos under the leadership of Imperial royal guards. One such transport, namely transport 904, experienced the escape of its Zillo Beast designated as "Specimen A" while in hyperspace. This resulted in the escaped creature wreaking havoc throughout the ship, devouring the crew, and damaging vital systems. Consequently, the ship was forced to exit hyperspace prematurely, ultimately crash-landing on Silla. The reinforced structure of the vessel managed to confine the beast within its confines until Clone Force 99 arrived with the intention of salvaging any remaining valuable items. Upon their arrival, they encountered the beast, which pursued them and eventually broke free when they inadvertently created an opening in a wall.
Characteristics
The Imperial research vessel functioned as a sizable transport class utilized by the Galactic Empire's cloning program. Its primary function was the transportation of cloned Zillo Beasts from various facilities located across the galaxy to the secure containment area of Tantiss Base on Wayland. The ships were crewed by Imperial commandos overseen by an Imperial royal guard commando, and each vessel included at least one medical droid specifically for the care of the Beast. To maintain optimal operational security, the destination remained unannounced and was not recorded in the ship's computer to prevent the disclosure of Wayland's location to potential adversaries. Furthermore, the vessels were left unmarked to avoid identification in the event of a crash.
To ensure the containment of the creatures during transport, they were kept in a juvenile state within a large glass tube-like cell filled with a transparent liquid that induced stasis. The walls of the laboratory were fortified and engineered to endure the Beast's attacks, maintaining its confinement even if it managed to escape its tube. The troopers were equipped with high-voltage electrostaffs capable of inflicting severe damage on the creature. Given that these ships were also used for recapturing Zillo Beasts in the event of a complete escape, they were armed with a single ventral NNJ-40 "Thunderbolt" long-range ion cannon. This cannon could fire a potent stun beam capable of rendering the beasts unconscious with as few as three successive hits. Specialized intervention teams, consisting of at least three Venator-class Star Destroyers accompanied by numerous Low Altitude Assault Transports and Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters, were kept on standby to subdue the creature until it could be stunned.