In the year 20 BBY, amidst the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems initiated an annexation of the Qiilura system. The Galactic Republic, in an attempt to impede the Confederacy's advance, dispatched elements of the 104th Battalion to the star system. These forces were under the command of Clone Commander CC-3636, known as "Wolffe," and they were aboard an Acclamator-class transgalactic military assault ship. However, Wolffe and his troops were redirected from the Qiilura system. Their new assignment was to the planet Aleen to execute a relief mission, providing assistance to the Aleena natives there.
The initial mention of the Qiilura system in current Star Wars canon occurred in the introductory newsreel for "Mercy Mission." This episode was the fifth of the fourth season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, which was originally broadcast on October 7, 2011. Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the Qiilura system was initially presented in Republic Commando: Hard Contact. This 2004 novel, penned by Karen Traviss, served as the inaugural installment of the Republic Commando multimedia project. Its first visual depiction appeared later in The Essential Reader's Companion, a reference book from 2012 written by Pablo Hidalgo.