The Razor rushes to complete the transfer of the Death Star plans while the Executor bears down
After secret Imperial data was stolen from the freighter Suprosa, in 3.5 ABY, the information was taken to members of the Bothan Spynet on Kothlis, and then transferred to the Razor when the Alliance base Kothlis II, came under attack from Imperial forces. Covered by the fire of Liberty, Razor entered hyperspace to rendezvous with the Independence.
On its way, however, the corvette was ambushed and disabled by a flight of Assault Gunboats. The Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Avenger arrived and caught the corvette in a tractor beam, but not before the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser Mercury showed up in the field to assist. The corvette then launched escape pod V33-1XP from the Razor containing a lone crew member managing to escape with the data, which was received by the friendly civilians.
Following a furious battle between Imperial and Alliance forces, the Rebels managed to retrieve the secret information and escape. Unfortunately, the ship and the rest of its crew became prisoners of the Empire.
The corvette was captured by the Motivator, but Rogue Squadron and the frigate Redemption arrived to recover the data. Although Wedge Antilles and the other Rogues managed to destroy the Motivator, Razor had been drawn into its hangar bay and joined the Star Destroyer in its out-of-control plunge to the surface of Kothlis. Crix Madine and a group of commandos joined the Rogues in reaching the crashed starship and recovered the stolen data before the Motivator's reactor exploded.
Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and X-wing Alliance portray different outcomes as to the Razors fate. While X-wing Alliance shows the Razor leaving the Battle of Kothlis, Rogue Leader shows the destruction of the Razor and its captor, the Motivator (not Avenger), upon the latter's crash-landing on Kothlis.
There has not been an official retcon to reconcile this, but it's possible that Razor was a group of at least two Corvettes, and each game shows the fate of each one.
The fate of the Razor, which was carrying top secret data, pursued by a Star Destroyer and captured by its tractor beam, then ejecting the plans in an escape pod, is nearly identical to that of Tantive IV and the opening scenes of A New Hope.
- Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
- Star Wars PocketModel TCG — Base Set