TIE Experimental Project The TIE Experimental Project was a secret Imperial research project to develop innovative new remote - piloted starfighters based upon TIE technology . Sponsored by Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin and under the leadership of Director Lenzer , the program was based at Research Station " Obsidian " . The project was disrupted and ended by the Rebel Alliance before it could reach fruition . History . In his role as Grand Admiral , Zaarin was responsible for several top secret projects to develop advanced starfighter technology for the Empire . However , while the TIE Defender and TIE Avenger development programs were intended to produce starfighters suitable for the Empire ' s most elite pilots , the TIE Experimental Project was initiated in order to develop pilotless TIE craft that would eventually be capable of entering combat slaved to a battle computer . Shortly after the Battle of Hoth , the project had reached the stage where five varieties of experimental starfighter were capable of being flown remotely by pilots aboard modified Escort Transports . These Escort Transports would attempt to remain outside the combat zone , while computers recorded and analyzed the starfighter pilots ' performance for later incorporation into the AI systems of fully automated fighter craft . In order to gather combat data for the later stages of the TIE Experimental Project , Zaarin was permitting Lenzer ' s prototype starfighters to prey upon commercial shipping in the Vilonis Sector . While this data was crucial to the continuation of the project , the skirmishes also served Zaarin ' s purposes in several other ways . Firstly , with commercial shipping at a standstill , the Rebels in the region had far greater difficulty gaining supplies , as there was far less civilian traffic for their agents to hide among . Secondly , fear of lawlessness and pirate activity was likely to have increased public desire for a strong Imperial presence in the sector , allowing Zaarin to step - up his activities there , perhaps in preparation for his attempted coup against Emperor Palpatine . Finally , the attacks acted as a lure to draw out Rebel forces in the region . Investigation by the " Liberty " . The Rebel Alliance became aware of the TIE Experimental Project after receiving numerous reports of strange craft conducting raids on commercial shipping in the Vilonis sector . The alarming reports mentioned entire convoys disappearing after swarms of the unknown spacecraft set upon the defenseless freighters . The attacks were so swift that , when Alliance fighters responded , by the time they arrived at the scene the only remains were burning debris . Because of this , local shipping firms were afraid to travel the sector , and Rebel High Command directed the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Liberty " , under the command of Admiral Yamarus , to investigate . The first strong intelligence was gleaned during a staff transfer from the Calamari Cruiser " Defiance " to the " Liberty " . During a realspace transit of the Belat system , the staff convoy intercepted a distress call from nearby , and two RZ - 1 A - wing interceptors from Blue squadron ( one of which was piloted by Ace Azzameen ) were dispatched to check it out . They arrived in the middle of a battle , where starfighters looking like " some weird new TIE design " were ravaging a convoy . After moving to intercept the raiders , the pilots speculated that these new fighters might be a " secret weapon of the Empire " . The Rebels also noted the presence of Escort Transports far outside the battle zone , however these craft escaped into hyperspace when approached . Once the raiders were all destroyed or driven off , the A - wings returned to their rendezvous with the " Liberty " . There , technicians immediately began analyzing their flight recorders for useful data , and discovered that the enemy craft had " exceptional speed and maneuverability " , as well as an unusually potent turbolaser ( a weapon more commonly found on capital ships ) . Because of its peculiar design , this fighter was dubbed the TIE Bizarro . Having completed their analysis of the A - wing data , the " Liberty " technicians decided that further research demanded that actual examples of these prototype craft needed to be captured . To this end , a scheme was concocted whereby the Alliance would stage a mock - convoy of cargo craft designed to entice whoever controlled these raiders into attacking . Cargo group Sulin was a convoy of computer controlled MB - C1 medium transport s that had been programmed to avoid Imperial customs checkpoints , while transmitting fake transponder data . It was hoped that they would be a suitable lure to ensnare the Imperial prototypes . Escorting the convoy would be Rebel starfighters equipped with ion pulse warheads , designed to disable but not destroy the attacking combatants . However , secrecy was the key to this mission , and it was deemed necessary to conceal Alliance involvement . To this end , a flight of 6 Z - 95 Headhunters , designated " Bandit " Squadron , were dispatched to fulfill this mission . The lure worked decisively , and soon two squadrons of the experimental TIEs attacked the convoy , in addition to two mysterious escort transports lurking in the background . Surprised by the skill of the Rebel pilots in even a low - performance craft such as the Z - 95 , an escort transport and one of each type of experimental TIEs were swiftly disabled . Not only did the pilots of Bandit Squadron manage to capture the enemy craft , but they were also able to save the majority of the MB - C1s , as well as destroying all the remaining attacking craft before Heavy Lifter group Atlas came to retrieve the disabled prototypes . The experimental TIEs captured on this mission came in two varieties . The first was clearly a variant on the basic TIE / LN starfighter , but with additional twin wing - mounted laser turrets . Its configuration matched that of an attack force that " came as a deadly surprise to a B - wing group patrolling too close to an Imperial base " . Because of its distinguishing features , it was designated the TIE BigGun . The second craft was a variant on the TIE / IN interceptor , modified by the addition of two heavy missile magazines outside the wing panels . Again , its design matched that of raiders encountered by Rebel forces : an T - 65 X - wing starfighter squadron had been " severely crippled by this new TIE starfighter " . Because of its missile armament , it became known as the TIE Warhead . Lastly , the captured escort transports of Suluk group were revealed to be carrying pilots for the experimental TIEs . However , the life support aboard these vessels had been rigged to " malfunction " were they to be disabled , and the entire crew perished before the Alliance was able to interrogate them . However , the communications equipment found on board was strongly suggestive of the role played by these pilots . The next encounter with the TIE Experimental Project happened as a result of a lucky intelligence finding . Rebel agents discovered an Imperial cargo facility named Bretie Facility in orbit around Nomlis III in the Kurdin . The intelligence revealed that the Imperial station was involved as a production center for the clandestine project . The Alliance decided to send in a commando strike team aboard the " Gamma " - class ATR - 6 Assault Transport " Storm Unit " to " infiltrate the installation , steal all pertinent data , and then destroy the facility " . Although successful in the mission to eliminate Bretie Facility , the returning strike team was somehow followed back to the " Liberty " , whereupon a large - scale assault on the Rebel cruiser was mounted by several waves of experimental TIEs . However , due to the immense bravery and skill of the " Liberty " pilots , the attack was thwarted , although the cruiser suffered heavy damage . Two new types of experimental TIE were encountered during this ambush . The first was simply a modified TIE hull packed with explosives , acting as a pilot - guided space bomb . Therefore was almost inevitable that the Rebels named it the TIE Bomb . The last of the prototypes was an incredibly swift fighter , described by Rebel pilot Gwen Habbert as looking " like the Imperials welded an engine booster pack to a simple TIE fighter . Wow , can that thing move ! " . The description stuck , and the fighter gained the moniker TIE Booster . After the ambush was defeated , technicians aboard the " Liberty " decoded the data from the production facility . They determined that the Imperials were conducting research into revolutionary TIE designs in a project headed by a Director Lenzer . They discovered that Lenzer was gathering statistics on human pilot combat flying techniques in order to build a new generation of droid fighters many times more lethal than the Vulture droids of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars . The notion of continuously operating squadrons of disposable fighters with " no fatigue , minimal maintenance , and all completely loyal to the Emperor " produced fears that they might " pose a serious threat to the survival of the Rebellion " . Due to the high priority placed on eradication of this enormous threat to the Rebellion , recon flights were dispatched all over nearby systems in order to locate the source of these fighters . It was not long before this strategy achieved results and the main research base was found . The base was identified as the XQ1 Platform " Obsidian " and an all - out assault was put into action . B - wings and X - wings launched from the " Liberty " and hypered into the combat area to engage the station . A surprise awaited them . The Imperial Research Ship " Sardis " was parked close to the station . Scans of the " Sardis " revealed it to be the next stage in the TIE Experimental Project . Similar to the Droid Control Ship fielded by the Trade Federation at the Blockade of Naboo , this vessel acted as both hangar and control ship for the new TIEs . However , the Imperials had been caught unawares , and the " Sardis " was unable to perform to its peak , either because it was uncrewed , or its systems were not yet operational . Responding to the rebel attack , transports " Tasson " launched from the station to ferry pilots to the waiting Escort Transports of " Suluk " group . Once activated , the pilots onboard were able to bring prototype TIEs into action . However , the concerted attack and superior tactics exhibited by the Rebels gave them the edge in the battle , and not even the intervention of several TIE Defenders from " Shadow " Squadron was able to save the " Obsidian " or the " Sardis " . Both were destroyed , and the Rebel forces returned to the " Liberty " jubilant that they had defeated a potent enemy . Unbeknown to the Rebels , Admiral Zaarin returned to the wrecked station , and was able to retrieve plentiful data from the systems onboard the station that had survived its destruction remarkably well . It is clear from Zaarin ' s words at the time that this project was important to him , and had it proceeded much further would have made his later power - grab that much more likely to succeed . Behind the scenes . Although the research station is destroyed during the final mission of the battle , in the cutscene that follows Admiral Zaarin orders his crew to gather up the wreckage and return to " Obsidian " station . It is unknown whether this is a blooper , or whether there were in fact more than one " Obsidian " station . It might also be possible that Zaarin was at the already - destroyed " Bretie Facility " and that he had not yet been aware of the loss of " Obsidian " . The title of this sequence of missions from " X - wing Alliance " is " Secret Weapons of the Empire " , a tip of the hat to " Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe " , a previous game also developed by Totally Games and released by LucasArts .