Zem ( miner ) Zem was a Human male miner who worked on the planet Vanquo around the time of the Mandalorian Wars . Unconcerned by the Mandalorian threat nearing Vanquo , Zem worked the night shift at his outpost ' s comm system . In 3964 BBY , the outpost was visited by a young refugee , whom Zem took pleasure in tormenting — unbeknownst to Zem , the " refugee " was actually fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick , who was engineering a plot to clear the camp so that he and his friends could take their supplies . Carrick and his partner Jarael , through a fake emergency transmission and a timely Jedi mind trick , convinced Zem and the other miners that the Mandalorians were attacking Vanquo , prompting them to evacuate . Biography . A Human male , Zem was , as of the year 3964 BBY , employed as a miner on the Outer Rim world of Vanquo . Zem worked at a mining outpost nestled within Vanquo ' s mountainous terrain , manning the settlement ' s communications system and often exchanging jests and pranks with a miner named Zava at a different outpost . By 3964 BBY , Vanquo had become part of the front lines of the Galactic Republic ' s nascent war with the Mandalorian warrior clans . Although the Mandalorians were not far away , their conquests sending a steady stream of refugees to seek shelter on Vanquo , Zem was completely unconcerned with the Mandalorian threat . One night , a miner caught a young man sneaking around the camp ' s food stores , bringing him into the main tent where Zem was seated at the comm system . Zem delighted in tormenting the stranger , who claimed to be a refugee from Suurja , before the night watch leader took pity on the refugee and offered him food . At that moment , Zem brought up an incoming holograph ic transmission , showing a woman purporting to be Jedi Master Q ' Anilia in combat . " Q ' Anilia " informed the miners that the Mandalorians were landing in force on the other side of the planet , and ordered all present to evacuate immediately . Zem immediately realized that the transmission was fake , as it did not come over the official Republic channel — however , the young refugee , in actuality fugitive former Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick , used the Force to trick Zem into saying it was over the official channel , driving him into a panic over the supposed Mandalorian attack . Zem sounded the evacuation siren as several explosions rocked the area of the camp , fleeing with the rest of the miners in a shuttle . Although Carrick chased after the ship , Zem closed the door and shut the former Padawan out . In truth , Carrick had masterminded the whole affair . He ; his Arkanian Offshoot friend Jarael , or " Q ' Anilia " ; and his other companions had orchestrated the fake attack in order to easily plunder the outpost of its supplies . However , shortly after their false Mandalorian invasion , the Mandalorians attacked Vanquo in earnest , eventually seizing the planet . Personality and traits . A gruff man , Zem enjoyed being cruel to the refugees caught around his camp , seeing them as pests who would interfere with the business being run at the outpost . Although the Mandalorian threat loomed nearby , Zem was completely unconcerned , believing that the Republic and Mandalorians would continue their stalemate indefinitely . Easily bored while working the night shift , Zem often entertained himself by joking with other mining posts over the comm system . He was weak - willed enough to be affected by a Jedi mind trick , and was quick to panic when he believed that the Mandalorians were attacking . Zem had light skin , with brown eyes and hair . Behind the scenes . Zem made his first , and thus far only , appearance in " " , a comic written by John Jackson Miller and released in 2006 . In the issue , Zem was illustrated by Dustin Weaver .