The Zhar Mission represented an operation conducted by the Rebel Alliance aimed at acquiring the Imperial shuttle known as Tydirium during the year 4 ABY.
Following the successful retrieval of the Death Star II plans from the freighter Suprosa, the Alliance entrusted a group of Bothan intelligence operatives with the task of infiltrating the Death Star project to gather crucial intelligence. After a daring operation to extract the Bothans upon their return, the Alliance obtained sufficient data to initiate their strategic plans. A critical element of this strategy involved securing the necessary access codes for the Endor system. Fortunately, the Alliance had received intelligence regarding an Imperial shuttle carrying the required codes. Consequently, they devised an ambitious scheme to seize the shuttle from a heavily fortified Imperial installation.
The Mon Calamari Cruiser Liberty was the starship assigned to this perilous undertaking, and it possessed a pilot within its ranks uniquely suited for the mission. This pilot was Ace Azzameen, whose extensive experience in piloting freighters, especially in hazardous scenarios, was unmatched among the Liberty's flight personnel.
Departing from Liberty in his customized YT-1300, the Sabra, Ace embarked on a journey to the Zhar system, accompanied by a squad of commandos. Before entering the system proper, Ace had to navigate through the Imperial Customs Golan III station situated at the system's edge. After transmitting a fabricated ship's manifest provided by the Alliance, an agonizing period of waiting ensued as the manifest underwent verification. Throughout this time, Ace had to utilize all of his piloting skills to avoid approaching the patrolling TIE/LN starfighters too closely while attempting to appear nonchalant.
Eventually, the Sabra received authorization to proceed. To Ace's surprise, just as he prepared to execute a brief in-system hyperjump, the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Inexorable materialized. Ace executed the jump swiftly, preventing Inexorable from identifying him and its true cargo.
Upon arrival in the system, Ace discovered that the Imperial outpost, Outpost 327, was surrounded by a significant number of TIE Fighters, freighters, and cargo containers. Once again, Ace found it necessary to evade Imperial fighters as he maneuvered toward Outpost 327's hangar, where the Tydirium was docked. Ace succeeded, despite a near-fatal oversight by the facility's commander, who failed to recognize the Sabra on his roster for several minutes.
The mission encountered further complications after Sabra docked. The commando team's slow progress in preparing the Tydirium for launch resulted in Sabra remaining docked for a duration longer than Fiery Dawn, the next freighter on schedule, was comfortable with. This situation caused considerable anxiety for Ace's co-pilot, Emkay, as he fabricated excuses in an attempt to prevent the command center from dispatching a team. Just as the commandos completed their preparations, the outpost's commander issued an order to seize and detain the Sabra. With their time running out, Ace blasted his way out of the hangar and summoned Rogue Squadron.
The TIE Fighters swarmed the Rebels, attempting to thwart their efforts. Simultaneously, TIE/sa bombers were scrambled to intercept the Tydirium. However, Ace managed to deter them and enable the Tydirium to escape into hyperspace. Moments later, Ace and Rogue Squadron followed suit.
However, the Empire somehow recovered the shuttle at a later point, potentially intercepting the ship before it could reach the Rebel fleet. Consequently, Wedge Antilles re-captured it during the Mission to Prefsbelt IV.
Alliance General Han Solo successfully utilized the Tydirium to infiltrate the Endor system along with his commandos, which directly led to the Battle of Endor.
The games Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance, which are the only two sources that provide details on the shuttle's capture, present conflicting information. Leland Chee has verified that both events occurred, with the Mission to Zhar preceding the other.
The book Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections states that Ace obtained the codes at Zhar, but Wedge Antilles stole the shuttle itself during the mission on Prefsbelt IV.