IX3244-B designated an Imperial Military Survey Team operating under the leadership of Captain [Toss]. Serving as second in command was Lieutenant Kiviett, a planetologist. This team was among those tasked with identifying a suitable location to construct the Galactic Empire's Death Star II battle station. Ultimately, IX3244-B pinpointed the Forest Moon of Endor as a potential site. As their survey frigate performed an orbital pattern over Endor, Captain Toss dispatched Lieutenant Kiviett along with other personnel to examine the life forms they had detected on the moon. Even though the IX3244-B members on Endor were alarmed by the indigenous Ewoks, Captain Toss disregarded these concerns and moved forward with publishing reports that advocated for Endor as a viable construction site for the Death Star.
However, the rather shallow analysis presented in IX3244-B's reports led the Emperor Palpatine himself to dispatch another Survey Team, this one headed by Sergeant Pfilbee Jhorn, to Endor. Jhorn also considered IX3244-B to be a disgrace because they had failed to document dangers such as the Gorax, condor dragons, and Sanyassan Marauders present on Endor. Following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Kiviett continued to serve as second-in-command of IX3244-B. He was taken prisoner by the Alliance to Restore the Republic and offered his services as a planetologist to their cause.
IX3244-B was an Imperial Military Survey Team that was active sometime after the Battle of Yavin. The team utilized a survey frigate for transportation, in addition to at least one shuttle.
When Emperor Palpatine began to plan the construction of the Death Star II battle station, IX3244-B was included among the Imperial Survey Teams that were sent out to locate suitable sites for the Death Star's construction. Prior to identifying the Forest Moon of Endor, the team visited several other planets. The discovery of Endor was documented as Mission 759/B.
Endor's isolated location aligned with the criteria sought by Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader for a location to construct a Death Star shield generator. Scans conducted by IX3244-B also indicated that the moon could support Human life, which was another requirement stipulated by Vader.
While IX3244-B's frigate maintained its position in Endor's orbit, additional scans revealed the presence of numerous primitive life forms on the moon's surface. Captain Toss, the officer in command, dispatched his second-in-command, planetologist Lieutenant Kiviett, along with other team members, to investigate. After landing on Endor, Kiviett and his team attempted to reach Bright Tree Village, the settlement of the native Ewoks. However, the Ewoks deliberately misled them, causing confusion even among the team's most skilled scouts. Ultimately unable to find the Ewok village, the IX3244-B members decided to return to the frigate after wandering aimlessly for over two hours.
When Kiviett reported the team's difficulties with the Ewoks to Captain Toss, the captain dismissed these concerns and continued to advocate for Endor as an ideal site for the Death Star's construction. However, Emperor Palpatine, dissatisfied with the superficial nature of IX3244-B's findings, later dispatched another Survey Team to Endor. This subsequent team was under the command of Sergeant Pfilbee Jhorn, who regarded IX3244-B as a disgrace to the Imperial Military for their failure to report the presence of dangers such as Gorax, condor dragons, and Sanyassan Marauders. Ultimately, the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY resulted in the Ewoks assisting the Alliance to Restore the Republic in defeating the Empire. Kiviett was still serving as IX3244-B's second-in-command when he was captured by the Alliance. He then recounted his experiences with the Survey Team while speaking to Alliance historian Voren Na'al and offered to join the Alliance as a planetologist. At a later point after the Battle of Endor, Na'al also interviewed the Ewok Wicket Wystri Warrick, publishing the interview where the Ewok detailed his personal experiences with IX3244-B's attempt to reach Bright Tree Village, in addition to his later encounters with the Empire and his role in defeating the Empire during the Battle of Endor.
IX3244-B was under the leadership of Imperial officer Captain Toss, with Lieutenant Kiviett, a planetologist, serving as his second-in-command. Aside from Kiviett, the Survey Team included at least two stormtroopers and three individuals wearing light armor.
IX3244-B was initially conceived for "Report to Imperial Command," a short story featured in The Star Wars Sourcebook from 1987, written by Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. The unit's backstory was further developed in "Imperial Scouting Party," a story by Michael Stern published in 1990's Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, also from West End Games.
The Survey Team received another mention in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe (1995) before appearing in the eleventh issue of The Official Star Wars Fact File (2002). This source indicated that Pfilbee Jhorn was a member of IX3244-B, placing him within the events described in "Imperial Scouting Party," despite the fact that The Illustrated Star Wars Universe had previously established that Jhorn led the team that followed IX3244-B to Endor. This article operates under the assumption that Fact File 11 contained an error, and that Jhorn was not part of the initial group during the events previously detailed in "Imperial Scouting Party."