Situated at the origin of two major trade routes, Corellia is regarded as a cornerstone or gateway star system. Control of this system meant not only control of its production facilities and resources, but command of nearly 1/5th of the known galaxy. Because the pressure of the Imperial operation had stretched New Republic forces so thin, a minimal, disheveled defensive force was all that remained in Corellia in 14 ABY. The New Republic was counting on the Corellian Security Force (known as CorSec) to be more substantial, but it would have taken nearly three times the quantity and effort to thwart what the Empire had planned for the system.