Late in the year 8 ABY, the Stormhawk, an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, launched a swift assault against the planet Saarn, eliminating New Republic forces stationed there. This action was carried out under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was analyzing the New Republic's responses to his previous strikes in the Borderland Regions to understand their predictable behaviors, and the Galactic Empire established an eavesdropping station on Saarn.