Ytterbium, when stabilized, played a crucial role as a key material in the construction of laser cannons. Within thermal wells, ytterbium functioned as a stabilizing agent, diminishing the danger associated with baradium explosives. This element was located on the planet Sarrahban situated within the Sarrahban system. During the Imperial invasion of Sarrahban, the Alliance successfully retrieved all the available stabilized ytterbium from the planet.