The Iast system was the site of a hidden Imperial research facility. The facility was known as To-phalion Base, where the Imperials were trying to develop a cloaking device under the codename Vorknkx. Admiral Zaarin managed to infiltrate the system and steal a CR90 corvette equipped with a working cloaking device. The Vorknkx research team had not yet figured out how to get the cloaking device working while a ship traveled in hyperspace though. The end result as Zaarin fled into hyperspace was the destruction of the corvette, the crew, and Zaarin.