Attack on the Zaarin supply convoy

Following Thrawn's intervention, which successfully halted a potentially uncontrollable expansion attempt of TIE Defenders orchestrated by Nami's Crime Lord associate, Ali Tarrak, Emperor Palpatine elevated Thrawn to the prestigious rank of Grand Admiral. This promotion positioned him as one among twelve Grand Admirals, a decision made despite Palpatine's well-documented prejudice against Aliens. Subsequently, Thrawn received the assignment to pursue and eliminate Zaarin, the very Grand Admiral whose position Thrawn now occupied.

Thrawn's investigation revealed that Zaarin's last known location was the Semag system, where he was allegedly preparing to flee into the Unknown Regions. Thrawn, convinced that Zaarin intended to utilize these regions to gather new forces and bolster his armies, deployed numerous Probes to identify any points of interest. He entrusted his most capable pilot, Maarek Stele, a veteran who had consistently proven his worth throughout numerous assignments, with leading any operation of strategic importance. Stele was placed in command over Captain Kuuztin, another officer specifically chosen for his demonstrated bravery, who commanded the Imperial-class Star Destroyer named Courageous.

A probe, designated AIM-9R, detected a convoy consisting of three BFF-1 bulk freighters identified as Furlo, under the protection of a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser named Rahmat and two T-wings providing fighter support. Kuuztin tasked Stele with attacking the convoy and neutralizing its escorts, with the intent of luring Zaarin's forces into a carefully planned ambush.

Upon arriving at the designated coordinates with Assault Gunboats providing cover, Stele prioritized the Rahmat as his primary target. He unleashed a barrage of twelve Heavy rockets at the cruiser and then engaged his SLAM to rapidly inspect the dreadnaught, confirming that it was transporting Yrabrab, with the freighters carrying Munitions. While engaging and swiftly defeating the defending T-wings, Inrider Squadron, and Outrider Squadron, a Nebulon-B2 frigate known as the Strident entered the fray, launching TIE Interceptors along with a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle intended to dock with the freighters. Stele shifted his focus to the Interceptors, while the Assault Gunboats moved to disable the shuttle. The Imperial-class Star Destroyer Courageous then arrived and began deploying TIE Bombers. The Strident launched its own, but Stele intercepted them, before assisting the loyalist bombers in destroying the Strident. Finally, three squadrons of TIE Advanced fighters appeared, attempting to disrupt the ongoing operations, however all squadrons were destroyed during the battle. The Courageous deployed two Stormtrooper transports, Upsilon 1 and 2, to secure both the shuttle and the freighters.

The seizure of the supplies and the capture of prisoners from the shuttle represented a significant setback for Zaarin. Thrawn anticipated that by denying Zaarin essential resources, he could force Zaarin into making a critical error, an opportunity Thrawn was eager to witness. Meanwhile, Kuuztin discovered a Supply Base situated in the Gwar system and, without seeking Thrawn's approval, formulated plans and preparations to destroy the installation.

This particular conflict is depicted in the 1994 PC game Star Wars: TIE Fighter as Battle 11 Mission 1. This description assumes the successful completion of all "Primary", "Secondary" and most, if not all "Bonus objectives".