AA-23

Sometime following the Battle of Hoth, AA-23 found itself stationed on the Imperial XQ6 Platform DX-11a within the Eidoloni system. It participated in an attempted escape along with three other shuttles when Ace Azzameen's squadron launched a deceptive attack on the station. This attack was orchestrated to provide Commander Zaletta, an Imperial officer who had developed sympathies for the Rebel Alliance's cause, with a chance to defect.

Zaletta made his escape aboard shuttle AA-23 once the Rebels successfully deactivated the platform's shields. Azzameen, uncertain about which shuttle carried the defector, received orders to scan each one prior to establishing contact. Following their successful attack, the Rebels retreated to a rendezvous point with the Rebel Nebulon-B Frigate known as the Redemption. Although Zaletta successfully docked with the frigate, the group was ambushed by an Interdictor and its Star Destroyer escort. Zaletta was then imprisoned under suspicion of having lured the Rebels into an ambush, while the Rebels engaged the Interdictor, ultimately forcing its retreat.

However, before the Rebels could decipher the shuttle's crucial data, Commander Kupalo, the Liberty's Tactical Officer and secretly a spy for the Empire, revealed his true allegiance by infiltrating the hangar. He restrained the shuttle's custodian and planted explosives nearby. Ignoring the protests of the deck officer, Kupalo hijacked the shuttle and forcefully exited the hangar, detonating the explosives and causing significant damage in the process.

The Liberty dispatched three X-wings in rapid pursuit of the shuttle, but Kupalo was prepared. He launched three deadly Type-B Homing Mines from a concealed compartment on AA-23's underside. The X-wings, unable to evade the incredibly fast warheads, were destroyed, allowing Kupalo to jump to hyperspace. The Liberty's crew managed to track his destination, but they anticipated multiple jumps to impede pursuit, leaving them with minimal time. Admiral Yamarus deployed pilots Ace Azzameen and Olin Garn in a pair of A-Wings to intercept the traitor.

Azzameen and Garn eventually caught up to Kupalo, who chose to fight rather than surrender. While Garn engaged a squadron of Assault Gunboats, Azzameen attacked AA-23. After sustaining significant damage, Kupalo was forced to shut down the shuttle. A Storm Unit then arrived to retrieve the shuttle and return to the Liberty, while the two pilots battled reinforcements from "Kupalo's ride", the Star Destroyer Imperator. AA-23's databanks were then removed for decryption. Zaletta was exonerated and presented his data to the Rebels, which ultimately led to the Alliance's discovery of the second Death Star orbiting Endor. As a result of the frequent capture of Lambda Shuttles, each one was then equipped with a self-destruct mechanism to prevent the leakage of information or data if captured.

The designation "AA-23" likely alludes to Detention Block AA-23, where Princess Leia was held prisoner aboard the original Death Star.