Gilvaanen, situated in the galaxy's Inner Rim, was an insignificant planet. Before the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War, this planet was home to factories that manufactured stormtrooper armor for the Imperial forces. After Count Denetrius Vidian and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin uncovered and suppressed a rebellion within these factories, Vidian put Lieutenant Everi Chalis in charge of the manufacturing process.
The short story "Bottleneck," featured in the 2015 publication The Rise of the Empire, marked Gilvaanen's initial introduction. This story, penned by John Jackson Miller, serves as a narrative link between the novels Tarkin and A New Dawn.