XJ9-CS14

XJ9-CS14 was a Viper probe droid in service to the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. Manufactured as a product of Arakyd Industries, XJ9-CS14 began life in a factory on the planet Vulpter sometime after the Clone Wars, designed to be a tenacious and exacting hunter. In 3 ABY, the droid was deployed as part of Project Swarm, a galaxy-wide search for the hidden base of the clandestine Alliance to Restore the Republic. It was sent to the snow planet of Hoth, where it traversed icy dunes and battled a ferocious wampa before discovering a deflector shield generator that secretly powered the headquarters of the Rebel Alliance. Although the droid did not believe that the harsh planet was capable of sustaining life, it still transmitted footage of the generator to the forces of the Imperial Navy.

After relaying its message, XJ9-CS14 was cornered by rebels and engaged in a small fire fight with the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca. Realizing that its mission was compromised, the probe droid activated its self-destruct mechanism, preventing the Alliance from gathering any of its intel. The droid's message was successfully received by the Project Swarm technician Maela who relayed the probot's final transmission up the chain of command all the way to Darth Vader, commander of the Imperial Military. Under his orders, the might of the Galactic Empire fell down on Hoth, scoring a major victory for the Emperor's armies and ensuring that the droid XJ9-CS14 would be famed in the years to come for the part it played in the battle.

The impact of the probe's discovery of the Alliance base was felt even during the time of the First Order-Resistance War, when individuals like Poe Dameron, Gial Ackbar, and Amilyn Holdo recalled the devastating inspiration that XJ9-CS14's success had given to the First Order, who utilized probe droids in much the same way as the Galactic Empire.

Text and facts from the “XJ9-CS14” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.