A male Human named Traneel held the rank of commander within the Stormtrooper Corps of the Galactic Empire during the era of the Galactic Civil War.
In the year 3 ABY, Commander Traneel, along with a contingent of stormtroopers, lay in wait on drone vessel 171. This was part of a scheme orchestrated by Darth Vader with the goal of capturing members of the Rebels. When Raptor Squad from the Rebel Alliance arrived with the intention to steal the drone freighter, the commander and his troops emerged from their hiding place, intending to take them prisoners. Fate intervened when Lando Calrissian rendered Traneel unconscious. Calrissian then donned the Imperial officer's uniform and proceeded to command Traneel's soldiers.
Calrissian instructed the Imperial forces to accompany him to the rear docking bay of the freighter, where he locked them inside. Subsequently, Luke Skywalker employed a mind trick on the stormtroopers, persuading them to board the escape pods and abandon the ship. The Rebels successfully seized control of the vessel and initiated their jump to lightspeed, presumably with Traneel still aboard.