The following events took place in 3997 BBY.
- The Keto cousins stage a military and political coup in the Empress Teta system, seizing control of the system from their parents as they establish power around their Sith cult known as the Krath. The coup begins the Krath Holy Crusade.
- A Republic and Jedi task force comes to the aid of the planet Empress Teta, which has managed to hold off the Krath, but the Sith cult drives the Republic out of the system at the Battle of Koros Major. Ulic Qel-Droma is infected by Aleema Keto's Sith magic during an attack on the Republic's command ship Reliance I, and he unknowingly begins to slip towards the dark side.
- The Jedi Conclave on Deneba is disrupted by Krath war droids, and the servant droids at the conclave attack the Jedi at the event. The Jedi destroy their attackers, but Arca Jeth is killed by Krath droids in the battle.
- Ulic Qel-Droma attempts to infiltrate the Krath from within, but is seduced to the dark side by Aleema Keto. Qel-Droma kills Satal and becomes the Krath's leader alongside Aleema, and a Jedi rescue mission fails when Qel-Droma refuses to depart.
- Around the same time, The power-hungry Jedi Exar Kun searches for Sith teachings and discovers the spirit of Freedon Nadd on Onderon's moon Dxun, where he is trained in the ways of the dark side before heading to Yavin 4 to acquire more power. Kun ultimately kills Nadd's spirit and seeks out Ulic Qel-Droma to eliminate a potential rival.
- Nomi Sunrider organizes a second rescue mission at the same time that Kun arrives on Empress Teta, and Kun and Qel-Droma clash in a duel. However, the duel is ended by the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who anoints Kun and Qel-Droma as Dark Lords of the Sith as well as Master and apprentice. Joining forces with Kun, Qel-Droma refuses Sunrider's attempt a rescue, and the two Sith form the Brotherhood of the Sith.
- The Essential Chronology
- The Dark Side Sourcebook
- The New Essential Chronology
- "Heritage of the Sith" — Star Wars Insider 88
- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- The Essential Atlas