Prior to the infamous attack on the Sempre, the Higher Skies Advocacy Group and the Yinchom Dojo jointly executed a substantial espionage endeavor within the galactic capital city of Coruscant. This endeavor focused on gathering intelligence regarding Imperial initiatives and objectives for the benefit of the insurgent leader Nevil Cygni, who relentlessly opposed the Galactic Empire. The Lothalite expatriate Arihnda Pryce ultimately betrayed this spy network, becoming a double agent under the direction of Commander Thrawn and the Head of the Imperial Security Bureau, Colonel Wullf Yularen. In recognition of her services, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin appointed Pryce as the Governor of the Lothal sector.
Under the guidance of the enigmatic Nightswan, Driller MarDapp of Higher Skies instructed his staff, including his acquaintance Arihnda Pryce, to cultivate political relationships with influential Imperial government figures and deploy data-thieving software on their computers to extract valuable data. The intention was to leverage this information to blackmail these officials. Concurrently, Juahir Madras and other members of the Yinchom Dojo, who provided bodyguards for Imperial senators and other dignitaries, engaged in blackmailing them to transform them into spies for the dojo. These clandestine operations eventually culminated in a failed assassination attempt on Senator Evidorn.
While Colonel Wullf Yularen and Captain Thrawn launched an investigation to determine Nightswan's identity and motivations, their inquiries ultimately led them to the Yinchom Dojo. This breakthrough occurred after Thrawn discovered Nightswan's involvement in various political demonstrations, including one in Nubia. Following this lead, Yularen and Thrawn surmised that disrupting political stability could be achieved effectively by targeting training dojos, which brought them to Yinchom Dojo. Thrawn then realized the dojo might be part of a larger conspiracy involving Higher Skies. They were presented with an opportunity to investigate both organizations when Moff Ghadi attempted to coerce Pryce into spying on the group for him. Having experienced a similar betrayal by Ghadi in the past, Pryce immediately sought counsel from the now Commander Thrawn. Following Thrawn's advice, Pryce opted to betray her colleagues and employer in exchange for immunity and the support of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. Under the guidance of Thrawn and Yularen, she duplicated the Higher Skies database.
Utilizing the acquired data and her covert recordings of Moff Ghadi, a political adversary of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, Pryce successfully negotiated for the position of Acting Governor, and within a year or two years, secured the permanent title of Governor of the Lothal sector. As a favor to Thrawn, Pryce persuaded the Grand Moff to promote his friend Ensign Eli Vanto, whose promotion had been blocked due to Ghadi's schemes. Pryce then confronted her former friend, Juahir, and with Yularen's assistance, had her arrested. Simultaneously [time], ISB agents and officers apprehended other members of Yinchom Dojo and Higher Skies, including Driller. Given that Thrawn had determined that the Yinchom Dojo's Togorian owner H'sishi was not implicated, she was spared.
The disruption of the Imperial espionage operation dealt a setback to Nightswan's anti-Empire efforts. In recognition of her contributions, Pryce was named Governor of Lothal. Following a year of training, she went back to Lothal and oversaw the expansion of Imperial industrial projects, mining operations, and military installations on the pastoral Outer Rim world. Furthermore, Grand Moff Tarkin facilitated Thrawn's promotion to Commodore and Vanto's advancement to Lieutenant Commander. The collaboration between Pryce and Thrawn in dismantling the spy ring fostered a lasting alliance between the Governor and the promising Imperial Navy officer.
Meanwhile, Juahir, Pryce's former confidante, was incarcerated at the Oovo Four detention center. Although spared the death penalty, Juahir received a prison sentence. Aware that Pryce had become Governor of Lothal, she penned twenty letters imploring Pryce for assistance. Still resentful towards her friend for "exploiting" her, Pryce disregarded these appeals.
The Imperial espionage operation was first presented in Timothy Zahn's 2017 novel, Thrawn, which provides a revamped Canon origin story for the character of the same name. The espionage operation serves as a narrative element to explain Arihnda Pryce's ascent to the Governorship of Lothal, thereby connecting the novel to the animated Disney XD television series Star Wars Rebels.