A battle group belonging to the Imperial Navy was deployed to the Outer Rim location of Telos, an astronomical body, and was under the command of Admiral Utu. This battle group included a number of warships, notably two Venator-class Star Destroyers that carried squadrons of ARC-170 starfighters. To support Moff Wilhuff Tarkin during the events of the Salient Campaign, two of these Venators, one of which was Admiral Utu's ship, were sent to assist.
Admiral Utu commanded the Imperial Navy battle group stationed at Telos, an astronomical object situated in the Outer Rim along the Hydian Way. The group consisted of several warships. Among these were at least two Venator-class Star Destroyers, including Admiral Utu's ship. Both Star Destroyers transported multiple squadrons of ARC-170 starfighters. During the Salient Campaign, elements from this battle group became part of a task force.
In 17 BBY, the Galactic Empire's attempt to seize control of the Salient system, an autonomous region, was met with resistance. This occurred after Imperial Moff Wilhuff Tarkin pursued insurgents into the system. Finding the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Executrix in an increasingly dangerous situation, Tarkin, located on the surface of Epiphany, the moon, instructed his shuttle's communications technician to reach out to Admiral Utu and the battle group at Telos, requesting any available support.
Tarkin received a message from Admiral Utu near Salient II, indicating her intention to dispatch two Star Destroyers, given the widespread deployment of Imperial assets. Shortly after, the Executrix engaged in combat with three cruisers from the Salient Strategic Command while awaiting reinforcements from Telos. Weeks later, following further engagements, the Telos reinforcements arrived in the form of two Venator-class Star Destroyers and their ARC-170 squadrons, forming Tarkin's task force at Salient. As Tarkin discussed the ongoing Salient Campaign with Grand Vizier Mas Amedda, the battle group's starfighters engaged four Salient cruisers some distance from the Executrix.
As Salient II burned and the situation on Epiphany deteriorated further, Utu's forces initiated an assault on Salient One. Tarkin, aiming to prevent the destruction of Salient I's infrastructure and resources by the local population, instructed his adjutant to order the force's commanders to launch a ground assault instead of allowing Admiral Utu's forces to spend time weakening defenses. After Tarkin asked about local militia resupply points, his adjutant confirmed that Imperial scout ships had observed smuggling ships disappearing beneath a rocky overhang.
Rather than reassigning a squadron of starfighters, Tarkin inquired if any of the Venators were nearby to divert one. The adjutant confirmed that Utu's ship was the closest in the hemisphere. Tarkin instructed his adjutant to relay his request to Utu, asking her to use her ship's turbolasers to collapse the entire cliff onto the smugglers. Admiral Utu's precise strike on the rock wall caused the roof to collapse on the eastern encampment, burying the smugglers sheltering there. Tarkin then ordered Utu's rummager droids to investigate the debris, where they discovered Captain Has Obitt, a leader of the Salient rebels.
The Telos battle group first appeared in Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, a canon novel written by James Luceno in 2016.