Rane Kovach, a Human male, operated as an undercover agent for the Republic Strategic Information Service throughout the Galactic War. In actuality, Kovach was an operative reporting to Supreme Chancellor Leontyne Saresh. Working under Theron Shan within the SIS, Kovach was tasked with infiltrating Sith Intelligence at Shan's direction. He quickly rose to become the trusted confidant of Sith Intelligence Minister Lana Beniko. Together with Beniko and Shan, Kovach labored to thwart the schemes of the former Sith Emperor Vitiate on the planet Ziost. During the subsequent Invasion of Ziost, Kovach was instrumental in the efforts to liberate the inhabitants of New Adasta from Vitiate's dominion, and his loyalty to Saresh was exposed.
Rane Kovach's initial appearance was in the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, specifically within Game Update 3.2: Rise of the Emperor, which launched on April 28, 2015. The circumstances surrounding Kovach's fate and the revelation of his true allegiance are contingent upon the player's chosen faction and their in-game choices. Players aligned with the Republic are made aware of his divided loyalties during their initial story mission, whereas Imperial players discover this information during a holocommunication session between him and Chancellor Saresh. At the security installation in New Adasta, Theron Shan will contact Kovach via holocom if the player is aligned with the Republic, while Lana Beniko will do so if the player is aligned with the Empire. Players can choose to prompt Kovach to confess his allegiance, earning light side points, or eliminate him, gaining dark side points. Alternatively, players can opt to remain silent, causing Kovach to flee the planet without affecting their alignment. Should a Republic-aligned player force Kovach to admit his role as a double agent to Theron (or reveal that he was the reason that Saresh dispatched a fleet to Ziost if the player is Republic), he will be dismissed from his duties within the SIS. If he's forced to reveal his loyalties to Lana, she will either have you execute him or, if you choose, she'll personally Force Choke him to death.