Second Death was an extraordinary starship, forged from the salvaged remnants of the Razor's Kiss, an Executor-class Star Dreadnought.
Following the devastation of Razor's Kiss during the Battle for the Razor's Kiss, Warlord Zsinj issued directives for his forces to retrieve the scattered fragments of the colossal warship. Even General Melvar, his second-in-command, found himself puzzled by the allocation of valuable resources to what seemed like a futile endeavor. Zsinj only unveiled his scheme after the salvage operation was concluded. He then commanded the construction of a novel vessel using the salvaged debris, adorned with all the insignia of Iron Fist. This vessel was equipped with an experimental nightcloak system and three Sentinel-class landing craft to serve its minimal crew. The ship measured only 3,000 meters in length, falling short of Iron Fist's dimensions, and featured an oval configuration with the characteristic pointed bow common in Kuat Drive Yards designs.
Despite its size, Second Death was notably deficient in both weaponry and shielding. Its singular purpose was to provide Zsinj with the capability to fabricate the illusion that his notorious flagship had met its end, should circumstances necessitate it. The vessel was deployed for this specific purpose shortly after its completion, during the Battle of Selaggis. When Zsinj perceived the imminent risk of being overwhelmed by General Han Solo's fleet, Second Death was summoned to Selaggis with its nightcloak engaged. Iron Fist entered the nightcloak and executed a jump to hyperspace, evading detection by Solo's fleet, while Second Death initiated its self-destruction sequence.
Tetengo Noor, a pilot from the New Republic, inadvertently flew into the nightcloak at Selaggis and observed Second Death, recognizing markings that identified the ship as Iron Fist, thus exposing its true function. Noor and his A-wing were caught in the explosion of its self-destruction before he could relay his discovery. Several New Republic starfighters, including those belonging to Polearm Squadron, suffered similar fates in the blast.
The resulting debris from Second Death's destruction convincingly resembled the wreckage of Iron Fist. Zsinj further reinforced the deception by contacting Solo via holocomm, projecting an image of defeat and fury, and vehemently blaming Solo for his significant losses. Consequently, Solo's pursuit of the Star Dreadnought was abandoned. Iron Fist remained unseen until its reappearance in orbit above Dathomir, where it confronted Solo once more.