Darth Severak (also known as Kareves) was a self-proclaimed Sith Lord who controlled a faction calling itself the True Brotherhood.
Severak and his followers were defeated by Clan Naga Sadow in late 24 ABY. His current status and whereabouts remain unknown.
Biography
The Early Years
Severak according to his own account, was a Jedi Knight in the decades before the Clone Wars, claimed to have trained under Master Yoda but to what extent was unknown, probably in the Jedi temple than as an apprentice. He was young, potentially strong in the force and impatient, believing like others he had the right to the title of Master and to sit on the council. He believed he was being held back and there was knowledge he was being kept from. He set out on his own in a quest for knowledge, traveling across the galaxy seeking any clues that would lead him to the power he saught.
During his travels he uncovered ancient Sith secrets amongst their old empire, powers that the Jedi either had no knowledge of or were fundamentally opposed to use, such as a powerful form of force transference that would allow him to preserve his youth by stealing body after body of force potentials he encountered. He found other scrolls that spoke of great power and which he saught to decipher in the hope they would bring him greater strength. Slowly but surely he fell to the Dark Side. At some point his arrogance and his perceived mastery of the Sith secrets lead him to take the ancient title of Darth Severak, a self proclaimed Sith Lord, though having no official claim to either.
His search was interupted by the news of the Clone Wars and the purge of the Jedi. He traveled back to Coruscant and discovered the truth that the Republic was now under the rule of the Dark Lord of the Sith and his Apprentice, Vader. Fearing a direct confrontation until he had deciphered the secrets he had found, Severak headed back to the Sith Empire to Usharak Keep, an ancient Sith structure strong in the Dark Side on the planet Kangaras, near the Daragon Way. There he restored the Keep and recruited guards and two apprentices strong in the force, who he arrogantly named his discples. They were Tslotha Garnath, a Zabrak, and Selina, who he fell in love with and gave the name Severina as a sign of her closeness to him. From then on the two were lovers.
The Ritual
The years wore on, Palpatine and Darth Vader continued their purge of the Jedi and to build their new empire. Severina and Tslotha Garnath learned under Severak's teachings while the Master himself searched the secrets he had found that would allow them to topple Palpatine and take his place as Emperor. It was at this point that he found scrolls that seemed to relate to an ancient ritual that claimed if performed correctly would summon a powerful Sith spirit into the casters own body making him powerful. Severak now felt he could gain that power. All the ritual required was the sacrifice of the summoners own first born son.
In 10 BBY Severak's son was born to a random slave woman in Usharak Keep, and Severak believed he was ready. However on the night the child was born, the medic officating at the birth stole the baby and a shuttle and headed to Coruscant. Severina was sent to pursue them and retrieve the child. However when Severina tracked down the medic the baby was not with her, and before the Sith could extract the information the medic took her own life. Severina searched the local hospitals and orphanages but without success. She returned to Kangaras and Severak was certain the child was lost to him, and with him the chance of power enough to overthrow the Emperor. With no other option Severak shut himself in Usharak keep with his followers and took to his studies once more.
The True Brotherhood
What Severak did next is largely unknown. Presumably he knew about the deaths of Palpatine and Vader, and the presence Skywalker and his forming the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, but made no move against Skywalker. It is likely that Severak, drawing the reasonable conclusion that Vader's son had slain his father and Palpatine, decided against making a hostile move.
What is known is that Severak or his disciples somehow discovered the Dark Brotherhood at some point and decided to form his own version on Kangaras called the True Brotherhood, by recruiting both force potentials and disafected journeymen and low ranking equites who had left the Brotherhoods ranks. In 23 ABY Severak infiltrated a spy in Clan Naga Sadow who was discovered and interogated, and Severina was also found to have done likewise and was slain. Following this Clan Naga Sadow attacked Ushurak Keep destroying Severak's followers and capturing Usharak Keep, from which Severak fled.
Severak returned the following year, and allied with Jagred partizans, attacked the Sapphire Star space station in an attempt to kill Macron amd Malisane de Ath one of which he blamed for leading the attack on his followers, and the other the slayer of his beloved Severina. He fought Muz Keibatsu Sadow who was present on the station, and though initially he had the upper hand ultimatley fell to the Krath's blade. He cheated death using the force transference tecnniques he had mastered to steal the body of an Acolyte.
On the station he hacked into the Clan's computer system and discovered to his delight that Malisane was his long lost son. With dizzy emotion and despite still attuning to his new body he managed to capture Malisane, stealing him off to Mustafar where he'd managed reestablish the True Brotherhood and prepared for the sacrifice. However at the essential part in the ceremony, Mononoke and Muz lead a rescue, and once more Severak fought the Krath. Once more his followers were slain, the ritual was disrupted, and Severak fled once more, knowing now the ritual could not help him, reached his ship and left Mustafar. However his son had planned revenge, and during the battle had sneaked out and sabotaged the hyperdrive motivator, trapping Severak in hyperspace.
The Return
For three years the members of Clan Naga Sadow believed Severak had gone, no rumors, no sightings. This changed following the 7th Great Jedi War. A report from a lone Jedi Hunter left on Kangaras when the Clan left for the Antei war games, Imgormiel Slar, and the commander of the Dlarit garrison, Major Dir.
The report told of a Sith Warrior Kareves, who turned up claiming to have messages for Malisane, the resident of Usharak Keep, and was furious when it was revealed the former Quaestor was absent. While Kareves was mulling this over a small Yuuzhan Vong force attacked the Keep, firstly fighters then a ground force of Vong warriors and their slaves. With no option Kareves sided with the defenders slaying several Warriors including their leader, until a force of Sith-spawned Ewoks arrived.
During the battle Kareves had displayed powers and knowledge of the force far beyond an Equite. A chance reference to Usharak Keep belonging to him lead Hunter Imgormiel to the conclusion that this was the now legendary Severak, who had come with the intention of slaying his son. With over a hundred Ewoks present Severak was forced to leave the Keep, leaving a warning for Malisane and the other Clan Members.
Recordings from the Keeps surveilance and witness descriptions now describe Severak as being a tall blonde haired man in his late twenties, a result of his latest force transference. His whereabouts are unknown but Clan Naga Sadow are now prepared to act on any sighting.
Severak's purpose has now been revealed. Witnessed by Macron Sadow and Malisane de Ath, after initially massquerading under the name Kareves he has amassed a respectable fleet of Imperial vessels in an uncharted sector known as K240, hailing himself as the supposed Heir to Palpatine who will lead his followers against the survivors of the Vong war and restore the Galactic Empire. Following decades of defeat, despair and compromise the officers and crews of the previously Remnant fleet have a now fanatical worship of the Sith Lord. So far Malisane and Macron have not chosen to share this information with their superiors for their own personal reasons.
His precise intentions are unclear, however he is unlikely to try a direct conquest route and is likely to initially establish himself as a benevolent protector to systems emerging from the threat of Yuuzhan Vong destruction for the past few years, in a simular manner to Palpatine's popular rise to power.