Before the Battle of Hoth took place, amidst the backdrop of the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader's own group of Imperial Star Destroyers, called Death Squadron, conducted a raid on the Ulkantha asteroids in an effort to disrupt smuggling operations. During this operation, they discovered proof of a smuggling ring comprised of individuals from the Sakiyan species, which had its base of operations within Syvris shadowport, located close to Hutt Space.