An as-yet-unnamed iteration of the TIE Series made its appearance in the year 1 BBY. This starfighter, equipped for hyperspace travel, showcased design elements strikingly reminiscent of the TIE/sa bomber. Darth Vader deployed it during a special operation with the goal of recapturing his rebellious apprentice, an apparent clone of Galen Marek.
The design of this TIE model featured three fuselage cylinders, arranged in a configuration almost exactly like the TIE Heavy Bomber. However, it did not have the ventral ordnance pod. Rather than the concave solar array wings found on the TIE/sa bomber, this version sported wing panels that were outwardly canted, bearing a strong resemblance to those of the TIE/D Defender or perhaps an inverted version of those on the TIE/ad starfighter.
Similar to those fighters, or the TIE/IN interceptor, it mounted energy weapons at the tips of its wing panels, but it was only observed using ion cannons. Each of the port-side pods was equipped with two large projectile launchers, which deployed a unique type of boarding pod carrying Terror Troopers and/or battle droids.
Piloted by a solitary TIE pilot, these vessels possessed hyperdrive capabilities, granting them the range necessary to journey from Kamino to the Itani Nebula. Its twin ion engines allowed it to maintain pace with Slave I at attack speed.
The sole instance of these TIE variants in action involved their participation in an assault on the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate named the Salvation. These ships engaged the Salvation's defending fighters, deployed boarding parties, and directly attacked the frigate, ultimately disabling its primary reactor.
Darth Vader assigned this specific class of starfighter to a strike force commanded by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Their mission was to abduct Rebel Alliance Captain Juno Eclipse. The purpose of this capture was to use Eclipse as a bargaining chip against Vader's disobedient apprentice, who was an apparent clone of Galen Marek.
This TIE vessel makes an appearance in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II comic, which is a 2010 adaptation of the video game with the same title. Although the novelization mentions several ships attacking the Salvation fleet, they are not specifically identified as these TIE variants.