During the Imperial Era, a minor battle group from the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy was positioned in the orbit surrounding Ilum. This group acted as a planetary blockade. Captain Malthegn commanded the battle group from his flagship, the Hoplite, which was a Gladiator-class Star Destroyer. The group also included a number of smaller frigates and gunboats. In the era of the Galactic Civil War, specifically after the Battle of Hoth, Rebel Alliance officer and Jedi trainee Luke Skywalker managed to evade the blockade to explore Ilum. At this point, the blockade had grown to incorporate a minimum of three Imperial-class Star Destroyers.