Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/Week 41, 2008/0

Simus was a Sith Lord who lived during the time of the first Sith Empire, and, around 5,100 BBY, dueled fellow Sith Lord Marka Ragnos for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith and control of the Sith Empire. Ragnos defeated Simus, who was beheaded in the battle with the other aspiring Dark Lord; however, the Sith Lord did not give up his life. Rather than letting himself die, he used his forgotten Sith powers to preserve his life. Very little of him was left, though&mdash;he lived as a severed head in a crystalline container for the rest of his days. Eventually the bodyless Simus was made a part of the Sith Council, becoming a respected member whose opinion was highly valued by the other councilors.

He lived for over a hundred years, and watched as Marka Ragnos grew in power, pitting his adversaries against each other and ensuring that there were no threats to Ragnos's throne. Simus was one of few to survive, and in the process trained Naga Sadow in the ways of the Sith. Sadow eventually became extremely powerful, and after the death of Marka Ragnos, he was one of two challengers for the throne. The other, Ludo Kressh, wished to keep the Empire hidden from the Galactic Republic, while Sadow wished to expand the Empire's borders. Though the Council was split on the matter, Simus supported his old friend Sadow, and backed his candidacy for the role of Dark Lord of the Sith. Simus was eventually killed by his apprentice, with a Republic-issue blaster, in an attempt to provide the Sith council with a reason to go to war by framing the Republic for his assassination.