Operation: Red Cell, a covert endeavor executed by the Republic Strategic Information Service, which served as the intelligence arm of the Galactic Republic, unfolded amidst the backdrop of the Great Galactic War fought against the Sith Empire spanning the years 3681 to 3653 BBY. As part of this operation, SIS operatives successfully unmasked Fixer Fifteen, an operative working for Imperial Intelligence, as the Human Doctor Eckard Lokin.
The initial reference to Operation: Free Cell appeared within the Codex entry dedicated to Doctor Eckard Lokin in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game launched by BioWare and LucasArts back in 2011. Subsequently, the operation received further acknowledgment within Lokin's updated entry in the Alliance system featured in the Digital Expansion titled Knights of the Fallen Empire.