During the initial years of the Galactic Empire's reign, the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine utilized a Rho-class transport shuttle as his own private vessel. This craft was heavily protected, notably by Emperor's Royal Guards, and on one occasion, while traveling to Tantiss Base located on the planet Wayland, it was escorted by a quartet of Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters. A key difference between this shuttle and typical Rho-class transport shuttles was the absence of the ventral cargo pod; furthermore, its color scheme was gray with red accents adorning its wings.