Zeta 19
Zeta One Nine, a type of armed patrol craft known as a skimmer, was part of Jerec's Vengeance Battle Group during the Imperial invasion of Ruusan.
History
Patrol 341 included this vehicle, crewed by helmsman Sergeant Forley and gunner Leeno. The patrol was led by Lieutenant Aagon and also contained a squad of stormtroopers. Two speeder bikes provided escort.
Against orders, the patrol leader permitted his soldiers to leave their posts and engage in hunting the indigenous bouncers for amusement; however, their activity was interrupted by gunfire from Rebels. The skimmer touched down to deploy the Stormtroopers, then maneuvered around the terrain to suppress the Rebels. It only managed to detonate some rocks, and kill one Rebel. As the skirmish concluded, both Forley and Leeno were ambushed and subdued by bouncers.
By the following morning, Grif Grawley and his group of colonists had gathered all available Imperial weapons and equipment and loaded them onto the skimmer, effectively commandeering it.
Behind the scenes
This vehicle was present, though unnamed, in the Dark Forces: Jedi Knight novella. The designation "Zeta One Nine" is mentioned in the audio adaption. Consequently, the precise spelling of the designation remains uncertain.
The skimmer's depiction varies somewhat between its two appearances. In the novella, it appears to be a small, open-topped skimmer, with the helmsman seated at the rear and a rotating weapon at the front, both exposed. The bouncer that attacks Forley and Leeno jumps out of the vehicle. However, in the audio drama, it is described as an "armed patrol craft," and the dialogue implies a fully enclosed tank (either a hovertank or repulsortank) with landing gear and a landing sequence. When the bouncer assaults the two pilots, it has somehow penetrated the vehicle's hull.