Motivator functioned as an Imperial-class Star Destroyer serving within the ranks of the Imperial Navy. Rogue Squadron brought about the vessel's demise during its attempt to seize the CR90 corvette known as Razor, with the intention of acquiring the Death Star II construction specifications contained within. This resulted in the Star Destroyer's impact and subsequent crash onto the planetary surface of Kothlis.
As the Razor was on its way to meet up with the Alliance Fleet, the Motivator emerged from hyperspace, immediately launching multiple squadrons of TIE Fighters. The prompt arrival of Rebel fighter squadrons, coupled with the presence of the Redemption, shifted the battle's momentum, leading to the commencement of an assault on the Star Destroyer.
While Redemption exchanged fire with the Star Destroyer, the three flights of Rogue Squadron successfully disabled its primary weapon emplacements and engaged the deployed TIE fighters. After the Motivator's shield generators were rendered inoperable due to damage sustained by its main reactor, preparations were made to execute a hyperspace jump, with Razor securely housed within its primary hangar bay. In a last-ditch effort, Wedge Antilles managed to obliterate the bridge, causing the Star Destroyer to plummet uncontrollably towards the planet's surface.
Following the Star Destroyer's crash landing, an Alliance GR-75 transport, carrying Crix Madine along with a company of soldiers, arrived with the objective of securing Razor's computer core. Rogue Squadron provided an escort for the transport to the crash site, where they were surprised to discover that a segment of the Star Destroyer's ground forces had survived the impact. Upon reaching the crash site, Madine communicated that they had detected rising temperatures within the Star Destroyer's core as a result of the damage it had already suffered, indicating that a critical meltdown was imminent. Due to the unwillingness to jeopardize their transport for the sake of acquiring the data, the strike team was compelled to land the transport.
Remaining functional AT-ATs and AT-PTs forcefully breached the Star Destroyer's hull, initiating an assault on the Rebel transport. As reinforcements arrived in the ongoing orbital engagement, Madine and the Rogues faced increasing time constraints in their mission to upload the data. While Rogue Squadron provided covering fire, targeting the armored vehicles, Madine and his commandos engaged in a firefight against Stormtroopers and their fortified E-web blaster positions. After neutralizing any remaining operational weapon emplacements and destroying the Imperial armor, Rogue Squadron paved the way for Madine's advance toward the Star Destroyer.
Madine successfully extracted the data from Razor, returned to his transport, and departed from Kothlis while Rogue Squadron engaged pursuing TIE fighters. Madine and his team completed the decryption of the data and came to the realization of the Empire's intense desire for it—it contained the technical specifications for the second Death Star.
The Motivator was initially referenced within the Galaxywide NewsNets feature in issue number 10 of the first volume of Star Wars Journal, where a portion of its history was outlined. Its role was subsequently expanded upon in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, which revealed its involvement in attempting to thwart the Rebels from obtaining the schematics for the Death Star II by capturing the Razor. It also detailed its eventual downing by Rogue Squadron over Kothlis, and the subsequent infiltration of its wreckage by the Rebels to recover the data as the ship approached critical failure.
If the player successfully disabled its ion cannons during the "Razor Rendezvous" mission, its subsequent appearance in "Vengeance of Kothlis" will reflect the damaged state of the ion cannons, thereby reducing the difficulty for the player to complete the mission.