The Silencer represented a superweapon that utilized a rapidly-recharging megalaser, designed for installation on a capital ship. Dubbed a "fleet killer," this laser possessed the destructive force and rapid firing rate necessary to obliterate numerous capital ships in quick succession. Consequently, the reconstituted Sith Empire regarded it as a superweapon.
The Silencer's construction involved modifying a Harrower-class dreadnought's structure. The central trough, typically serving as the main corridor for ship entry and exit via the dual hangar bays, was repurposed to accommodate the Megalaser mechanism. Both hangar installations were dismantled, and the Megalaser apparatus was integrated into the ship's central section.
The edges of the trough from which the Megalaser discharged its energy were reinforced to endure its power and guide its trajectory. After the Megalaser fired, a residual electrical field remained visible along the trough's length for a brief period.
The Sith Empire accelerated the Silencer's development from decades to years through the utilization of the Sun Razer. Darth Mekhis oversaw all projects powered by the Sun Razer. Theron Shan and Jedi Master Ngani Zho discovered these projects after infiltrating and being captured in the Vesla system. Fearing the imminent arrival of Republic reinforcements, Mekhis commanded all ships equipped with hyperdrives to evacuate the system.
In 3641 BBY, during the Cold War, Darth Thanaton terminated the Silencer project, as he firmly believed in the superiority of the Force over technological advancements. However, Moff Valion Pyron contacted Thanaton's rival, Lord Kallig, regarding the Silencer, arguing that its deployment could secure valuable allies within the Imperial Military. The final component needed was a CN-12 chip, held by a group of cyborgs known as the Veil on Nar Shaddaa.
After obtaining the CN-12, Pyron successfully completed the Silencer megalaser and installed it on the Imperial warship Doombringer. Lord Kallig then employed the superweapon to annihilate a small Republic fleet. This demonstration rallied Pyron and other Moffs to the Inquisitor's cause, providing the rival Sith Lord with the support necessary to seriously challenge Thanaton. Kallig also instructed Pyron to ensure that their allies received Silencers for their own flagships.
As the Galactic War intensified, the Republic began to adapt both their strategies and technologies to counter the Silencers in combat. Pyron's technicians proposed increasing the Silencers' radiation output, knowing it would kill their own gunners, but Pyron sought Darth Nox's decision.
When the Eternal Empire launched its invasion of the galaxy, the majority of Silencers were destroyed during the initial battles. The remaining equipped vessels vanished in the Outer Rim, presumed to have been ambushed by the Eternal Fleet, although no wreckage was ever recovered.
During the third Galactic War, Silencers were once again deployed against the Republic, with many seeing action during the Meridian Complex assault.