Background: Syvris was a moon in Hutt Space. It was a
favorite haunt of spice smugglers. Many of the moon's
residents were smugglers, who lived and worked at a
shadowport located in its largest crater. The
shadowport was run by a former pirate named Rance.
Some were convinced that Rance had a direct hand in
controlling the port’s spice trade. If he did, he kept his
involvement subtle.
Syvris was located on the border between Hutt
Space and Imperial-controlled space. As a result, it was
a common refueling stop for those traveling the Triellus
Trade Route either entering or leaving Hutt Space. The
Triellus Trade Route had slow travel times plagued by
pirates, slavers, and other criminals, and was typically
avoided by lawful spacers.
Syvris was subjugated by Imperial forces shortly
before the Battle of Hoth. Some analysts believed it
might have been a token show of power to curtail
smuggler shipments to and from hidden elements of
the Rebellion. Some thought the shadowport was
mistaken for a Rebel Alliance installation.