High Hauler, in 5 ABY, was an Imperial transport vessel, later seized by the New Republic. It was used in a covert operation to infiltrate a Rebel team onto the planet Ruusan, bypassing Jerec's blockade.
Typically, the High Hauler was operated by a crew of twenty-five, although it could be managed by as few as twelve individuals. The vessel featured a docking bay capable of holding two smaller transports simultaneously, such as light freighters or shuttles.
The High Hauler was an Imperial transport attached to the task force of an Imperial Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer was captured by Rebel forces near Milagro, following the battle in the Milagro system, leading to its surrender.
The search for the Valley of the Jedi coincided with the battle. Kyle Katarn, a Rebel agent and aspiring Jedi Knight, was pursuing the Dark Jedi Jerec, who had invaded the lost planet Ruusan, which held a potent Force nexus. Mon Mothma initially disapproved of Katarn's mission, citing Jerec's blockade around Ruusan. However, Jan Ors, supported by Han Solo, suggested using a captured transport from the recent battle. Solo volunteered to pilot, but Leia Organa dissuaded him, and Ors enlisted Alfonso Luiz Obota, a prisoner, for the job.
The fabricated backstory for the High Hauler was that it was transporting 250 proton torpedoes from the Corporate Sector to Byss when it was attacked by Rebels. The majority of the bridge crew, including Captain Drax, were killed, forcing the engineering officer Hortu Agar to take command. Upon exiting hyperspace, the closest system was Hoth's Brand system. An old HWK-290 light freighter replaced a missing shuttle in the bay. The High Hauler's interior featured dismantled cables, hull patches, and blackened surfaces, either from the earlier battle or deliberately created by Rebel agents, who also wore Imperial uniforms, blood-stained bandages, and makeup to appear as wounded Imperials.
The strike team consisted of twelve male humans, reflecting the composition of the Imperial Navy, with the exception of Ors, who remained concealed. Obota was to impersonate Agar, while Katarn would pose as an Imperial Warrant Officer.
Upon arrival at Hoth's Brand system, an escort frigate and Imperial fighters approached, and Jerec's flagship, the Vengeance, requested confirmation codes. "Agar" claimed ignorance of the codes, explaining that as an engineer replacing a captain, he didn't have them, and mentioned their torpedo shipment. This piqued the Imperial officer's interest, confirming Ors's theory that essential supplies would make the Imperials overlook verification procedures.
Shortly thereafter, an assault shuttle docked in the bay. Over the next fourty-five minutes, a Lieutenant accompanied by Stormtroopers inspected the bridge, engineering, and hull damage. Back in the bay, the Imperial inquired about the HWK-290 light freighter docked there, where Ors was hiding and eavesdropping on their communications. Satisfied with "Agar"'s explanations, the Lieutenant prepared to inspect the torpedoes before transshipment, but this tedious task was avoided when the "warrant officer" announced that a lighter was ready to dock for transshipment. Twelve load lifter droids loaded the sabotaged torpedoes onto the lighter in three trips.
For the next twelve hours, the High Hauler remained in the system for repairs, while the Moldy Crow joined the battle group. With clearance, it jumped to hyperspace, but only after passing through a Class I security zone and the upper stratosphere of Ruusan, where the Crow secretly launched from its bay.