The planetary body known as Karavis served as a significant manufacturing hub for the Galactic Empire during the period of the Galactic Civil War. General Crix Madine of the Rebel Alliance identified it as a potential target should the Alliance's Operation Ringbreaker campaign prove successful.
Karavis existed as a planetary body situated where the Outer Rim Territories intersected with the New Territories.
Throughout the Galactic Civil War, a conflict waged between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, Karavis functioned as a key industrial center for the Empire. In 3 ABY, the 61st Mobile Infantry of the Alliance launched attacks on several smaller Imperial resource locations. This was done to weaken the defenses surrounding Kuat Drive Yards, a major shipbuilding center, in preparation for a final assault. This overall strategy was known as Operation Ringbreaker. While Alliance Intelligence oversaw the campaign from a distance, General Crix Madine took note of Operation Ringbreaker's initial successes. He then created a galactic map highlighting other significant Imperial shipyards, drydocks, and mining facilities that the Alliance could potentially target should Operation Ringbreaker succeed.
Karavis was included on this map, designated as a medium-priority target with low security. The map was incorporated into an official document outlining Madine's ideas, which was then sent to Mon Mothma, the Alliance's Commander-in-Chief. Shortly thereafter, Hendri Underholt, an archivist, included the map in The Rebel Files, a compilation of non-electronic documents. Ultimately, the 61st abandoned Operation Ringbreaker before they could mount an attack on Kuat Drive Yards.
The introduction of Karavis into the current Star Wars canon occurred through a mention in Star Wars: The Rebel Files, a reference book from 2017 authored by Daniel Wallace. Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the Karavis system was initially referenced in "The Galaxy Dragon and crew," an article penned by Bill Slavicsek as a supplement for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by West End Games. It was published in the 200th issue of Dragon magazine in December of 1993. Given that the article's release fell outside the Lucas Licensing procedure, its canonicity within Star Wars Legends remained unconfirmed. The star system was eventually established within Legends canon through The Essential Atlas, a reference book from 2009 co-authored by Wallace and Jason Fry.