The covert fleet, a clandestine military force, was secretly brought together under the direction of Admiral Mils Giel. Its singular mission: to securely move the Teezl organism to the planet Coruscant.
This naval force was comprised of at least a few dozen Star Destroyers of differing classifications, alongside hundreds of smaller combat vessels. These ships appeared to have been drawn from various outlying Imperial naval detachments. The Helmsman, a Praetor Mark II-class battlecruiser under Giel's personal command, served as the flagship. It also housed the containment unit for the Teezl during its transport. At least one other warship of similar design was integrated within the fleet's structure.
When the fleet amassed at a concealed location on the fringes of the galaxy, its sheer size was remarkable. It was considered the largest Imperial fleet in the history of the Empire, surpassing even formidable groups such as Darth Vader's Death Squadron.
During the year 3 ABY, a strange lifeform, identified as the Teezl, was discovered in a far-flung region of the galaxy. This creature possessed the extraordinary capability to transmit instantaneous communications across immense interstellar distances. Recognizing its potential, the Galactic Empire intended to utilize the Teezl as a central communications relay for Imperial units scattered throughout the galaxy.
To ensure the creature's safety during its relocation to Imperial Center, an official Imperial order mandated the clandestine formation of a massive fleet to both transport and safeguard it. Giel was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the fleet and overseeing its organization.
As the armada was preparing to set course for the Core Worlds, a Rebel commando team executed a raid on Spindrift Station, an Imperial installation that held the fleet's planned route. Using this intelligence to formulate a strategy, the Rebel Alliance determined that a direct, large-scale assault would be prohibitively costly.
Instead, four heavily modified TIE/LN starfighters were prepared for a covert insertion mission into the heart of the armada. These fighters, equipped with specially enhanced laser weaponry, were intended to create confusion among the Imperial vessels. This would allow them to bypass the fleet's defenses amid the ensuing chaos and internal conflicts, and destroy the Teezl with an exceptionally powerful energy blast.
Operation Earplug proceeded with relative success. Despite the loss of two pilots and the retreat of a third, Commander Luke Skywalker successfully eliminated the Teezl as planned. He then managed to evade pursuing TIE fighters after his presence was discovered.
Due to this disastrous failure, Giel was reduced in rank to Lieutenant. This was a surprisingly lenient punishment from Darth Vader, who was known to execute his officers for even minor transgressions.