Assault functioned as one of the two subdivisions that made up the Galactic Empire's CompForce, with Observation being its counterpart. This elite force was deployed for particular assignments, which frequently seemed more like resolving individual feuds than addressing critical threats to the Empire's safety. The Assault subdivision's training program was so rigorous that those who managed to finish it were considered lucky.
The Assault group of CompForce was initially referenced within the new Star Wars canon in Dawn of Rebellion. This was a supplementary roleplaying book for the Star Wars Roleplaying series, brought to the public by Fantasy Flight Games in 2018. The Assault subdivision initially came from the Star Wars Legends continuity. Its initial mention was in Imperial Sourcebook, a sourcebook by West End Games that came out in 1989 for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. Assault initially appeared in "Operation: Shadowstrike," a three-part adventure contained within West End Games' 1996 Instant Adventures roleplaying book.