The political upheaval within the Empress Teta system constituted a military and political power grab. This coup unfolded in 3997 BBY, targeting Lord Keto and Lady Magda Keto, the rulers governing the Deep Core planet of Empress Teta. The instigators of this coup were none other than Lord Keto's son, Satal, and Lady Keto's daughter, Aleema. These cousins also jointly led a nascent Sith cult known as the Krath. The coup began when Aleema and Satal, in company with the royal instructor Korus, gained access to the orbital Tetan carbonite smelter, where Lord and Lady Keto were engaged in state affairs. Following a tense exchange with Lord Keto, and the subsequent degradation of Korus, Aleema and Satal revealed their identities as the Krath—practitioners of the dark side arts, mentored by the ancient Dark Lord Freedon Nadd. The Krath then proclaimed themselves the new authority of the Empress Teta system and immediately executed the Tetan officials present, including Lady Keto. Lord Keto, on the other hand, was subjected to a slow immersion into a vat of molten carbonite by Satal, symbolizing the end of the previous order. The result was a newly formed carbonite sculpture of Lord Keto, which Satal prominently displayed on a wall within their newly seized palace, the Iron Citadel.
After consolidating their military and political control over the seven worlds comprising the Empress Teta system, the Krath prepared for a confrontation with the Jedi Order. The Jedi recognized the Krath's Sith abilities as remnants of a recent uprising on the planet Onderon. The opportunity for conflict arose when the Jedi, backed by the Galactic Republic, entered Tetan space with the intention of reinstalling a legitimate government. However, the Jedi underestimated the depth of the Krath's Sith powers; they were defeated and forced to retreat, leaving the Tetan worlds under the dominion of the dark side.
The Empress Teta system held galactic renown as a significant producer of carbonite, a versatile metal alloy crucial for various applications, including its vital role in hyperdrive engine manufacturing. The Carbonite Guild, a powerful mining organization under the authority of the Tetan Monarchy, routinely supervised its production. On one particular occasion, Lord Keto, the Emperor of the Empress Teta system, conducted a routine inspection of the Carbonite Guild's carbonite production progress. Upon arriving at the Guild's orbital smelter, Keto was accompanied on the tour by the Guild chairman, Bearus. Keto expressed his satisfaction with Bearus, noting the success of mining efforts in significantly boosting the station's profit margin, thereby providing a substantial lift to the Tetan economy.
Bearus continued the tour, only to be interrupted by a comlink communication. Keto's son, Satal, and his cousin Aleema had arrived at the station, accompanied by the royal tutor Korus. Initially hesitant, Bearus permitted the Emperor's children to join him and Keto on the inspection. Keto, however, was displeased by the arrival of the royal children, as they were typically excluded from matters of state. While he saw no compelling reason to deny their participation, he silently criticized Korus for his imprudence in bringing the Keto children along on a governmental inspection, just as Aleema and Satal entered the room.
Keto promptly reminded Satal and Aleema that their presence at royal inspections was typically prohibited. Satal responded by stating that they had brought Korus as a chaperone. Keto then turned his attention to Korus, demanding an explanation for this blatant breach of protocol. Korus, however, remained silent. When Keto reiterated his question, Satal and Aleema urged Korus to speak. Upon attempting to do so, he revealed that his tongue had been replaced with an Adegan eel. He then regurgitated the eel and collapsed to the floor, appearing deceased. Utterly bewildered, Keto demanded to know what was happening. Aleema explained that Korus had fallen victim to Sith magic—ancient sorcery that Aleema and Satal had discovered on Onderon and had been practicing under the guidance of the spirit of the Dark Lord Freedon Nadd for several months. Bearus was utterly shocked; Korus had seemingly been murdered by his own pupils. Satal clarified that the tutor was merely unconscious. Keto attempted to have Satal and Aleema arrested, but when a guard reached for the control console to summon assistance, Aleema swiftly intervened by transforming the console into a womp rat. Keto then called for his royal bodyguards, but Satal denounced them and transformed their swords into snakes that constricted the terrified guards. Keto was completely defeated. With no one left to challenge them, Satal and Aleema declared themselves the new rulers of the Empress Teta system. Their first official act as the new heads of state was to complete the facilities tour that Keto had initiated. The deposed Emperor led the way as Satal and Aleema directed him toward the carbonite chamber.
Immediately proceeding into the carbonite smelting chamber, the new Tetan rulers had Keto and the other officials present suspended by machinery. To Keto's horror, his son and niece intended to execute them all by lowering them into the vats of molten carbonite, with Keto himself as the final victim. Keto pleaded for his life, but his entreaties were ignored. Satal ordered him into the carbonite, and Keto's screams for mercy continued until he was fully submerged. Subsequently, Satal retrieved the carbonite friezes and hung them on the dining room wall in the Iron Citadel, where they would remain indefinitely. Satal and Aleema had now symbolically become the new Emperor and Empress of the Tetan worlds.
Aleema and Satal established their court within their newly acquired palace, the Iron Citadel, which served as their base of operations. Their takeover had been successful; six of the seven Tetan planets were under their control, and nearly all of the planetary leaders had pledged allegiance to the Krath. Satal oversaw the complete destruction of three cities on Kirrek, while Aleema located and eliminated several insurrectionists on Empress Teta. However, despite the Krath's growing dominance over the system, Empress Teta remained the sole world offering resistance. While discussing plans to permanently quell the revolts on the Krath homeworld, Korus, whose face had been horribly disfigured by Aleema's sorcery, approached with wine for the Krath leaders. Reduced to a lowly servant, Korus was constantly berated by the Ketos. As he attempted to serve Aleema her wine, he tripped and spilled it all over her new gown. Enraged, Aleema unleashed the dark side and incinerated Korus with her sorcery. When Satal inquired about her actions, Aleema admitted that she was unsure of what she had done, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Korus was dead, and the last vestige of Keto's old regime had been erased. Now, the Krath needed to achieve military dominance over all seven worlds of Empress Teta, and they immediately began working to accomplish this goal.
With the military forces under control and the former political leadership removed, the Krath now firmly controlled the Tetan governmental infrastructure, except for Empress Teta itself. The system's namesake world refused to accept an illegal coup and rebelled against Satal and Aleema. However, this was only a minor annoyance for the Keto cousins. Using their newfound Sith powers, they took command from an orbital relay station and consolidated their military strength, launching an assault on their own homeworld. Soon, news of the planet's war against the Krath reached both the Galactic Republic government on Coruscant and the Jedi leadership. The Jedi were suspicious of the Krath, recognizing their dark side powers as similar to those they encountered recently on Onderon. On behalf of the Jedi Order, Master Thon traveled to Coruscant and requested Republic intervention. The Republic responded by sending the full force of the Galactic Republic Navy to confront the Krath usurpers. The Krath Holy Crusade had officially begun. Eventually, the Krath overcame the combined Jedi-Republic effort and drove them out of Tetan space. With the Tetan resistance crushed and the Republic relief efforts repelled, the Empress Teta system remained under the unchallenged control of the Krath. Their takeover was a complete success on all fronts.
The political uprising of the Empress Teta system was initially referenced in the Dark Empire endnotes and first appeared in the initial issue of the Dark Lords of the Sith story arc, conceived and written by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson. It was also depicted in the Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama, penned by John Whitman and adapted from the script by Veitch and Anderson.
The Star Wars Insider 26 article, "Straight from the Horse's Mouth: A Guide to the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Universe, Part 1," indicates that the uprising occurred in 3996 BBY, while the Tales of the Jedi comic sets the event in 3997 BBY. As Insider 26 contradicts numerous other established dates, this article prioritizes the comic's accuracy.