In 19 BBY, the Galactic Empire annexed the northern territories of the region known as Hutt Space as part of its Reconquest of the Rim, an initiative to root out Separatist holdouts in the Outer Rim Territories in the wake of the Clone Wars, which the Separatists had lost to the Galactic Republic. Holdout forces in Hutt Space had continued to harass the Empire in the wake of their defeat during the Sy Myrthian Insurrection—an Imperial campaign earlier that year designed to eliminate remnants of the Separatist forces in the area around the planet Sy Myrth, close to Hutt Space. The area seized by the Imperials included the Kreetan Narrows region, as well as the worlds of Vaathkree, Kessel, and Honoghr.
The annexation was first mentioned in The Essential Guide to Warfare, an extensive guide dedicated to the conflicts in the galaxy. Written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart, the reference book was released in 2012.