Around 1 ABY, Hivebase-1, a key installation of the Tarkin Initiative, experienced a significant breach. The individuals responsible included Doctor Aphra, Hera Syndulla (a rebel general), and a group of mercenaries. These mercenaries had been contracted by the Son-tuul Pride with the goal of retrieving the stored memories of the crime lord known as 0-0-0. To gain entry, they orchestrated a diversion by attracting the attention of the base's defenses with the rebel flight school. Once inside, they discovered a chamber filled with discarded prototype technologies and overheard Magna Tolvan assuming command of the flight school. Aphra successfully dissuaded Tolvan from destroying the school, but their presence within Hivebase-1 was compromised.
The reactivated prototypes then engaged the mercenaries in combat. When Tam Posla declined to utilize his cybernetic enhancements, Aphra deliberately placed his partner, Caysin Bog, in harm's way. Driven by grief and rage at the loss of Bog, Posla retaliated against the prototypes, enabling the others to escape. They eventually reached the datacore, where Posla soon joined them. Shortly after, they were confronted by Imperial Commander Yewl along with a unit of Death troopers and Hutt clone troopers. Amidst the ensuing conflict, Aphra utilized a planted bug to manipulate the flight school, directing it to seize the datacore and trigger the destruction of Hivebase-1 through a swarm of explosive Tookas.
Around 1 ABY, Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra found herself coerced by the droid Triple-Zero, who had recently taken control of the criminal organization known as the Son-tuul Pride. She was compelled to collaborate with a team of mercenaries, including Tam Posla, Caysin Bog, Sister Six, Rabael Dir Glorio, Dek-Nil, Glahst Ombra, and Rexa Go, in a quest to recover the droid's original memories. Aphra initially abandoned Glorio to reduce the weight of their stolen ship.
The team journeyed to Skako Minor to search an abandoned Techno Union facility, where Wat Tambor had studied the Triple-Zero protocol personality matrix. There, Aphra and her companions were double-crossed by their Skakoan guide, Hallio Bas, who led them into an ambush. Aphra resolved the situation by sacrificing her explosive Tooka, Flufto, as a distraction. Upon entering the facility, they were confronted by more Imperials under the command of Magna Tolvan. The ensuing conflict triggered one of the facility's machines, causing Ombra to flee. After overcoming these threats, Rexa discovered Aphra in conversation with Tolvan, leading Aphra to shoot her. They then returned to their ship, along with Ombra, where Aphra learned that Triple-Zero's memories were located at Hivebase-1, the R&D headquarters of the Tarkin Initiative.
Without delay, Aphra formulated a strategy to penetrate the base and retrieve the memories. She led her team to a rebel flight school in an attempt to recruit Alliance General Hera Syndulla. The Twi'lek imprisoned them after realizing they were mercenaries. During their confinement, it was revealed that Ombra was actually Tolvan in disguise, and a brief confrontation resulted in the mercenaries' release. The mercenaries gained Syndulla's trust by remaining in their cells, and Syndulla agreed to listen to their plan. However, Sister Six incapacitated Syndulla, and they escaped the flight school with her. Once clear of the rebels, Aphra contacted Hivebase-1 and offered to hand over Syndulla.
En route to Hivebase-1, Aphra assisted in repairing Bog's diagnostics, which had been damaged on Skako. However, she also secretly programmed a contingency order into him. Aphra also ceased jamming the tracker frequency on Syndulla's General plaque to allow other rebels to follow them. Upon reaching Hivebase-1, Commander Yewl provided them with a designated route and an escort until the rebels arrived. The flight school then jumped into the area and found itself under attack by the scaraphyte swarm.
The rebel presence served as a distraction, enabling Aphra's ship to infiltrate the base undetected. Once inside, they entered a room containing rejected or failed prototypes. Meanwhile, the flight school's shields had failed, and the outer decks were beyond repair. Bini attempted to deploy X-wing starfighters, but was incapacitated by Tolvan, who seized control of the bridge and contacted Yewl to inform him of her success. Yewl ordered Tolvan to destroy the flight school, which would result in her own death. Aphra's pleas over the comms persuaded her otherwise. Tolvan contradicted Yewl, stating that Imperial protocol dictated capturing the ship. Unfortunately for Aphra's crew, Tolvan then alerted Yewl to their presence.
Yewl commanded the prototypes to be activated, and Aphra's team came under attack from the surrounding cyborgs. Dek-Nil was struck in the crossfire, forcing the others to retreat for cover. Aphra implored Posla to assist them with his cybernetic weapons, but the former cop refused, arguing that they were merely victims of experimentation. Consequently, Aphra activated the contingency programmed into Bog, and the Decraniated prototype advanced into the line of fire, resulting in its immediate destruction. Both shocked and enraged, Posla unleashed his array of cybernetic weapons, targeting the army of cyborgs while the others retreated.
Aphra, Six, and Syndulla located a terminal at the datacore of Hivebase-1, where they began searching for Triple-Zero's lost memories. Posla caught up with them after his confrontation with the prototypes, and Syndulla began to deduce the truth about Bog's fate. Aphra managed to silence her before she could reveal the truth to Posla, and Six provided her with a weapon for protection. However, Syndulla turned her weapon on the three mercenaries. She was quickly disarmed by Yewl, who arrived with two Hutt clone troopers and six Death troopers. The logistics cyborg ordered the capture of Syndulla and the execution of the others.
Another firefight ensued, with Aphra's group taking cover. Syndulla provided cover for Aphra while she accessed a terminal and initiated her plan. She had previously bugged the flight school's control core during her visit there. She used this to control the ship and have it dock with Hivebase-1. Its X-wings then deployed, and back on Aphra's ship, the remaining Tookas escaped their crate and began roaming the base. As for Commander Yewl and his forces, she sealed them off using the base's vacuum seals, forcing them to retreat to their control base. The flight school's X-wing starfighters then towed the data core to it, and soon enough, an officer at the control core noticed a new name in the firing registry. It was the code phrase to detonate the Tookas, and when he spoke it, Hivebase-1 was completely destroyed.
After receiving the datacore, Syndulla commended Aphra and the surviving members of her crew for their efforts in obtaining it. She offered them a ship for their escape, which Aphra accepted. While Aphra was speaking with Syndulla, Posla was dispatched to locate Tolvan in the vents. Tolvan subdued him, stole his armor, and revealed the location data as he departed with Aphra. Sister Six remained with the rebels, leaving Aphra with only Tolvan. After they parted ways, Tolvan led Imperial forces to Son-tuul and attacked the Son-tuul Pride, resulting in Aphra's capture. Aphra was subsequently imprisoned in Accresker Jail and forced to serve in its convict army.