During the New Republic era, Kragan Gorr, a notorious pirate, and his gang leveraged a rare weather phenomenon known as "triple darks," characterized by extremely poor visibility, to instigate an assault on the Colossus, a vital refueling station. This attack was orchestrated on behalf of their First Order patrons. Although the Colossus's Ace Squadron defenders demonstrated considerable skill, they were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer number of pirates. The tide turned, however, due to the clandestine actions of Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono, who transmitted a disruptive audio frequency across the pirates' communication network. This interference severely hampered their ability to coordinate, effectively neutralizing their advantage. Despite Xiono's crucial role in safeguarding the Colossus, his contribution remained largely unrecognized. Only Torra Doza of the Aces suspected the victory involved more than just their own abilities, and Xiono's supervisor, Jarek Yeager, dismissed Xiono's account of the events.
The First Order, in preparation for their planned conflict with the New Republic, identified the Colossus, a refueling station situated on the ocean planet of Castilon, as a potentially valuable strategic asset for use as a staging ground. Commander Pyre proposed a scheme to employ pirates to attack the station. The goal was to compel its owner, Captain Imanuel Doza, to seek protection from the First Order. Consequently, Kragan Gorr and his gang were contracted to carry out this plan.
Concurrently, the Resistance had dispatched Kazuda Xiono, a spy, to the Colossus to undertake a mission on the platform. Xiono operated under the guise of a mechanic within Team Fireball, working at Jarek Yeager's repair shop.
Before the attack, Gorr deployed Hallion Nark, a spy of his own, to assess the conditions on the Colossus. This included determining the likelihood of a severe storm, or "triple dark" as it was known locally, which could provide cover for their operation. Nark chose Team Fireball to repair his ship, citing an urgent need for the work to be completed quickly. However, he was unimpressed by the team's apparent lack of professionalism when the inexperienced Xiono inadvertently generated a piercing feedback loop, shocking his colleague, Neeku Vozo.
The repair process proceeded more slowly than Nark desired. Xiono experienced delays in acquiring the necessary components, a result of his clumsy attempt to identify First Order spies and an encounter with Grevel, a con artist who claimed Xiono owed him money from a previous swindle on Xiono's first day on the Colossus. While installing a component on Nark's vessel, Xiono overheard a comlink conversation between Nark and Gorr. Nark mentioned that the triple dark was confirmed and addressed Gorr by name. The secretive nature of this exchange aroused Xiono's suspicions. After the repairs were finished, Xiono accidentally dislodged Nark's comlink, causing it to fall into a crevice in the floor.
Following Nark's departure, Xiono was outside on the Colossus with BB-8 when he was advised by a station worker to seek shelter due to the approaching triple dark. Upon learning the meaning of the term and that pirates frequently exploited such storms for cover, he deduced that Nark was affiliated with pirates and that an attack was imminent. He attempted to reach Yeager's shop to warn everyone, but was confronted by Grevel, who demanded Xiono's valuable aurodium trophy as payment for the debt he claimed Xiono owed him. This confrontation coincided with the commencement of the attack.
Gorr and his co-pilot, Synara San, spearheaded the assault in their ship, supported by the pirates' fleet of starfighters. In response, the Colossus's defensive systems were activated, and the Ace Squadron was mobilized, while the platform's inhabitants were instructed to seek refuge in shelters. After being briefly thrown into the air and onto Gorr's ship, Xiono and Grevel fell back onto the platform and hastily sought entry through a door that BB-8 opened for them. Once inside, Xiono used his trophy to secure the door, enabling a diminutive Aleena to enter, partially damaging the trophy in the process. Xiono and BB-8 then proceeded to Yeager's shop.
The Aces put up a strong fight against the pirates, but were clearly outnumbered, a fact that Xiono observed upon reaching Yeager's shop. Recalling Nark's comlink, he formulated a plan and, with BB-8's assistance, retrieved it from the floor crevice. He then transmitted a loud, irritating feedback signal over the pirates' communication channel, disrupting their starfighter pilots and preventing them from communicating effectively. This forced Gorr to order a retreat, as the Aces now held the upper hand.
Upon returning to their hangar from a shelter, the rest of Team Fireball found Xiono working on the Fireball, claiming he had been doing so throughout the attack. Xiono recounted his role in repelling the attack to Yeager, but Yeager dismissed his claims. Among the Aces, Freya Fenris attributed their success solely to the pilots' skill, but Torra Doza harbored doubts, correctly suspecting that another factor had contributed to the victory.
When Gorr and his gang reported to their First Order superiors, Major Elrik Vonreg and Captain Phasma, he assured them that Nark would be appropriately punished for losing his comlink, a tactical blunder. Vonreg and Phasma were both dissatisfied with the outcome, and Phasma expressed skepticism regarding Pyre's strategy. Vonreg later visited the Colossus while delivering a fuel shipment and met with Captain Doza. During their discussion, he cited the threat of pirate attacks, and the increasing sophistication of pirate equipment, as reasons for Doza to consider placing the Colossus under the First Order's protection.
Gorr and his gang later found an opportunity to infiltrate the Colossus presented to them, as a result of a disastrous raid. San led members of the gang in raiding a Darius G-class freighter located in an asteroid field near Castilon. However, a massive Kowakian ape-lizard, resistant to blaster fire, was unleashed on the starship and began devouring the pirates. San survived only by confining herself in a crate, where she lost consciousness. Resistance pilot Commander Poe Dameron and Xiono, piloting T-70 X-wing starfighters in the asteroid field on an informal training exercise, detected the freighter's distress signal and investigated. They and their droids, BB-8 and CB-23, discovered San and mistakenly identified her as a member of the freighter's crew. They rescued her and transported her back to Castilon, where Xiono and Yeager conveyed her to the Colossus via shuttle. Once alone, San contacted Gorr, informed him of her location, and received instructions to remain undercover until the opportune moment. Her presence on the platform subsequently enabled Gorr and his gang to execute a successful raid on the platform.