User:Jedi Kasra/Third Project

"War's a funny thing. It makes you do things you never thought you'd do."

- Saul Karath

Saul Karath was a Human male who served the Galactic Republic as an admiral in the Navy during the Mandalorian Wars. In 3,963 BBY, after successfully keeping the Mandalorian forces at bay at the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line for six weeks, as well as commanding the fleet at the battle of the Outer Rim world Vanquo, Karath was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Before the battle of the planet Serroco, he assumed on little evidence that fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick&mdash;who was fleeing from his Masters after being framed for the Padawan Massacre of Taris&mdash;was a Mandalorian spy. Shortly, after the Mandalorians destroyed Serroco's surface, Karath participated in the Adacsa affair and in the events of Vindication, in which the Jedi Covenant was exposed. Later that year, the Jedi Knights Revan and Malak&mdash;along with their Jedi faction&mdash;entered the war, and Karath eventually became their subordinate. In 3,960 BBY, Revan and Malak led the Republic to victory against the Mandalorians in a final battle above the Sith world Malachor V. After the battle, Karath was one of the few among the Republic forces that did not follow Revan and Malak into the Unknown Regions to search for the ancient Rakatan Star Forge space station.

However, Revan returned to the Republic a year later as the new Dark Lord of the Sith, with Malak as his Sith apprentice. Karath transferred his allegiance to the former Jedi Knight's new Sith Empire, bringing his flagship Leviathan and other vessels to Revan's service. Shortly after joining the Sith, Revan promoted Karath to the commander of the entire Sith fleet. Malak ordered Karath to destroy the planet Telos IV, in order to test his loyalty. Karath agreed, killing millions of innocent people on the planet, and earning the wrath of his former friend and protégé Carth Onasi, who served with Karath during the Mandalorian Wars. After Malak betrayed Revan and usurped his mantle of Dark Lord during the Jedi and Republic's attempt to capture them, Karath continued to serve the Sith forces. In the final year of the Jedi Civil War, Malak ordered the Sith fleet to blockade the Outer Rim ecumenopolis Taris, so that the Sith forces could search for Jedi Knight Bastila Shan. Malak eventually ordered the planet's destruction so as to prevent Shan's escape. When Karath protested, Malak threatened him, and Karath complied, bombarding Taris.

Shortly after Taris' destruction, the bounty hunter Calo Nord&mdash;who survived the Sith's bombardment of Taris&mdash;informed Malak and Karath of Shan's escape from Taris through Carth Onasi's efforts, and also told them of Revan's survival and involvement in Shan's escape. Malak and Karath hired Nord to capture Shan, but Nord was killed by Revan, now a retrained Jedi, during the former Dark Lord's search for the Star Forge. After Revan found the fourth of the five Star Maps that lead to the Star Forge, Karath captured Revan's flagship Ebon Hawk. He jailed his companions and tortured Revan, Onasi, and Shan, in an attempt to find out what their mission was. Revan refused to answer Karath's questions, and he left them in their force cages. Revan, Onasi, and Shan escaped the detention area and headed to the bridge to confront Karath and disable the tractor beam so that the Ebon Hawk could successfully escape the Leviathan. When they made it to the bridge, Karath offered to ask Malak to be merciful if Revan, Onasi, and Shan surrendered, but when they refused, Karath, the Sith troops and his Dark Jedi bodyguards attacked the two Jedi and Onasi. After a heated firefight, Karath was grievously injured. Before he succumbed to his wounds, he took the opportunity to tell Onasi about Revan's true identity as the former Dark Lord, and mocked his former friend before he died.

Early life and career
Saul Karath, a Human male, was born on the Core world Corellia to journeyman laboror Craddock Karath, being the eldest of five children. Because Craddock was rarely home with his family, Karath was forced to take up a fatherly role to his siblings, supporting them by working double shifts at a weapons factory. During the Great Sith War initiated by fallen Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Exar Kun, Karath quit his job at the factory and volunteered his services to the Navy of the Galactic Republic. Karath was too young to officially serve the Navy, and because of his tough upbringing, did not possess the connections to enter the Naval Academy. However, Karath won the attention of fleet captain Orley Vanicus, who allowed the Corellian to serve as a non-commissioned captain's steward on his ship Reliance I. This began a career that saw Karath try every duty on a flagship at least once. Karath grew to be a capable pilot and better tactician, known for acting on quick judgments.

For every success Karath enjoyed, a setback followed, however, because Karath considered the Navy his family, he never lost faith in the institution. Eventually, he was promoted to the rank of captain, and was given his first command aboard the frigate Reciprocity. During this time, Karath was successful in defending convoys against pirates. At one point, when the Reciprocity was in an engagement with enemies, Karath recognized the Republic pilot Carth Onasi's skills. When Karath was promoted to the Inexpugnable-class tactical command ship Courageous, he invited Onasi to serve with him aboard the ship, and nicknamed Onasi "Fleet".

Battles of Vanqou and Serroco
"I'm not a cruel man, but I'm pragmatic when it comes to protecting my forces."

- Saul Karath

In 3,964 BBY, at the onset of the war between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorian Neo Crusaders, Karath helped organize the defense of the Outer Rim world of Taris and its nearby systems from the Mandalorian armada. From his flagship Courageous, Karath managed to halt the Mandalorians' progress at the system of Suurja through four large-scale battles, thus keeping the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line intact. Not long after, Karath was sent to defend the trade post of Vanquo from the invading Mandalorian fleet. As he had predicted, the attack was only part of Mandalorian leader Mandalore the Ultimate's main plan for invading the Republic; while Karath's forces were busy at Vanquo, the Mandalorians charged the remainder of the Republic fleet at Taris. Karath saw this as a positive thing&mdash;he was certain that when an important world like Taris was threatened, the Republic Senate would put more troops into the conflict. During the battle, he spotted the Last Resort speeding away from the planet and entering hyperspace into Mandalorian territories. When informed that it was the ship of the suspected Jedi murderer Zayne Carrick, he vowed that he would deal with him personally, provided that he survived the day.

In 3,963 BBY, Karath was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Soon afterwards, at Serroco, Karath finally got his chance to deal with Zayne Carrick when his protégé, Lieutenant Carth Onasi, unknowingly brought Carrick to Admiral Karath. Karath concluded that Carrick was a Mandalorian spy, despite the fugitive Padawan's protests, and his vision of the destruction of the Stereb cities. At that point, Mandalorian ships dropped out of hyperspace, and launched nuclear bombs towards the Republic fleet. Karath attempted to counter the attack, but instead of heading towards the fleet, the missiles continued towards the Serroco's surface, completely devastating the Stereb cities. As Carrick wept on the Courageous' bridge, Karath knew it was time to rethink their strategies against the Mandalorians. Karath promised Carrick that he would hand him over to the Jedi, since Karath knew that what the Jedi would do to Carrick was far worse then the Admiral could ever do. Until then, Karath had him sealed in a cell. When Mandalorian Neo Crusader shock troopers boarded the Courageous, Karath was forced to abandon ship with Lieutenants Onasi and Morvis; he reluctantly accepted to take Zayne Carrick along with them as they fled to Onasi's ship Deadweight.

The Adasca affair
Shortly after escaping the Legacy's destruction, Karath complimented Onasi on the quick escape from the Mandalorians. After Morvis managed to reach communications with Arkania Command, Karath told Carrick that while he could not turn the fugitive Padawan in to his former Jedi Master Lucien Draay's custody, Karath would get another chance to do so. When the Deadweight was in transit to Arkania, Karath received a transmission from the Duro Eejee Vamm&mdash;a servant of the Adascorp leader Arkoh Adasca&mdash;requesting Karath's presence at a meeting onboard Adasca's flagship Arkanian Legacy. After being informed about the exogorths&mdash;space slugs which Adasca's scientists modified to be superweapons&mdash;Karath ordered Onasi redirected the ship to the Legacy. When they arrived, Karath told Onasi, Morvis, and Carrick how old spacefarers talked about the exogorths, and that he had originally thought the slugs were a myth. Karath also asked Carrick if he knew anything abouth the exogorths, and Carrick, agitated, claimed that he was not a Mandalorian agent. Karath, Morvis, Onasi and Carrick then prepared to board the Legacy.

When Karath disembarked the Deadweight, Adasca greeted Karath, stating that he felt Karath was the perfect Republic representative for the meeting. Adasca then asked Karath if he was able to deal on the Republic's behalf, and Karath attempted to inquire as to what Adasca meant. As Carrick was disembarking the Deadweight with Onasi and Morvis, Jarael&mdash;the female Arkanian offshoot who helped Carrick elude the Jedi Masters on Taris&mdash;noticed him, and then kissed the Padawan. This was in actuality an attempt to tell Carrick about Adasca's scheming. Karath asked Adasca if his forces could find a detention area to imprison Carrick, and Adasca had Vamm move Carrick to the ship's detention area. Later in the observation dome, Karath was listening to Adasca talk about the exogorts and how they could be operated as weapons capable of destroying entire star systems. After Adasca finished, the Jedi Knight Alek Squinquargesimus&mdash;who was representing the Jedi Knight Revan's faction of Jedi&mdash;expressed his horror and disgust, and Adasca replied that someone who wanted to win a war would want the weapons.

Squinquargesimus tried to convince Karath to arrest Mandalore, but Karath refused, citing their outnumbered position. The discussion continued, and Karath became interested in the proposition, even going so far as to offering Adasca Republic territory as part of a deal.



During Adasca's exhibition of control over the exogorths, Carth Onasi became disgusted at what he witnessed, and left as both Karath observed Not long after, Onasi returned to the observatory having been captured by a Mandalorian, which distracted Mandalore, Adasca, and Karath long enough so that Jedi Master Lucien Draay could reveal himself. Seemingly betrayed, Mandalore opened fire on the Jedi and Adasca's droids. During the brawl, the elderly Arkanian scientist Gorman Vandrayk seized control of the exogorths and plunged them into the Legacy's observatory, killing Adasca. Karath, Morvis, Draay, Squinquargesimus, Onasi, and his "Mandalorian" captor&mdash;fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick&mdash;all managed to escape, as did Mandalore. However, Karath was injured during the battle, and was subsequently carried back to the Deadweight. Morvis commanded Onasi to arrest Carrick, but Onasi let the fugitive Jedi escape. Onasi, Morvis, and Karath escaped the crumbling Legacy successfully in the Deadweight.

Vindication
"Has everybody gone insane? I don't know if you got the message, Morvis, but we're supposed to protect Coruscant&mdash;not fire on it!"

- Karath, to Dallan Morvis

Karath was soon assigned by Jedi Master Lucien Draay to Coruscant Planetary Defense, to keep watch for Carrick as he was supposedly going to "raid the planet for the Mandalorians." The Khil Jedi Master Xamar was assigned to the Swiftsure to make sure Karath did not take prisoners. However, Carrick escaped to the surface while his companions tried to deal with the Admiral. Karath's ships were later hacked by the Sith acolyte Haazen&mdash;who was a co-leader of the Jedi Covenant&mdash;to fire at the skybridge near the Draay Estate, killing Xamar and many Jedi. Karath ordered all non-essential personnel off the Swiftsure while they tried to figure out a way to disable the security breach. After the fleet fired again on the Estate, killing Haazen, control was restored. Days later, Karath publicly announced that the Mandalorians were responsible, as the Republic and the Jedi agreed to have the true events covered up.

Jedi Civil War
"The Sith would not accept me until I proved I had truly turned my back on the Republic by bombing the planet."

- Saul Karath, referring to Telos' destruction

Karath was not among the Republic forces who followed the Jedi Knights Revan and Malak into the Unknown Regions after the Mandalorian's final defeat at the Sith world Malachor V. However, in the year 3,958 BBY, Karath defected to the new Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Revan's Sith Empire, bringing the Leviathan and several other ships with him into the Sith's service. He attempted&mdash;and failed&mdash;to convince his protégé and friend, Carth Onasi, to join him against the Republic. Karath's first act was to give the Sith the codes to bypass a Republic Navy docking bay's scanners&mdash;allowing them to sweep in and destroy over half of the docked ships before they had time to react. At some point after this, Karath was promoted to commander of the entire Sith fleet by Revan himself. Not long after, Karath was ordered by Darth Malak to lay waste to the surface of Onasi's homeworld Telos IV.

Karath continued his service under Revan, and he served Malak as well, after Revan's Sith apprentice seemingly killed the Dark Lord during the Jedi and Republic's attempt to capture them both. In the year 3,956 BBY, Karath was in command of the blockade over the Outer Rim world Taris, Malak eventually ordered Taris' destruction in order to prevent the escape of Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, whose power with a Force technique called Battle Meditation Malak feared. At first, Karath did not want murder the billions of people on Taris, including the Sith troops still on the surface. However, Malak reminded Karath of what happened to his predecessor, and Karath begin the bombardment immediately.



Shortly after Taris' destruction, the bounty hunter Calo Nord&mdash;who was on Taris for business with the Exchange crime syndicate boss Davik Kang&mdash;was introduced by Karath to Darth Malak aboard the Leviathan, after Nord escaped the Sith bombardment. Nord told Malak of Bastila Shan's escape from Taris with the assistance of Commander Carth Onasi. Nord also informed Malak that his former Sith Master Revan, who Malak thought dead, was alive, and told Malak of Revan's role in Shan's escape aboard Kang's flagship Ebon Hawk. Malak then hired Nord to track down Shan and capture her alive. However, Nord did not survive his next encounter with Revan, who was now a retrained Jedi searching for the ancient Rakatan space station called the Star Forge. When Karath received news of Nord's failure, he informed Malak, asking the Dark Lord to forgive him. Malak told him that while the penalty for failure was death, the failure was Nord's, not Karath's. When the Admiral asked Malak about hiring another bounty hunter, the Dark Lord replied that no bounty hunter could stand against a Jedi, and, as not to repeat his error, he sent his Shadow Hand Darth Bandon to capture Shan and kill Revan. However, Revan slew Malak's Sith apprentice. Sometime before Revan located the fourth of the Star Maps that lead to the Star Forge's location, Malak and Karath attacked the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, killing many Jedi, and destroying the Enclave. However, the local Jedi Council was able to escape.

Downfall
"Remember my dying words. Remember them whenever&hellip; whenever you look at those you thought were your friends!"

- Karath to Carth Onasi

As Revan and the Ebon Hawk's crew were en route to the world which had the fifth and final Star Map, they were captured by the Leviathan. While the Ebon Hawk was being brought in via tractor beam, Revan and his companions were discussing a means of escape, and Revan chose a member of his party to escape the Sith and save them from capture. Revan, Shan, and Onasi were put into force cages and interrogated by Admiral Karath. After Onasi argued with and insulted him for the deaths on Telos, Karath said that he was an insignificant part of the events, and that Darth Malak was far more interested in Shan and Revan, who both said that they would never turn to the dark side. From Revan's words, Karath found that he did not know of his former identity. Karath said that he would not be the one to deprive Malak of the pleasure of telling Revan himself. Karath suspected that he would not succeed in the interrogation, and said that the Dark Lord would no doubt torture them for information and for his own twisted pleasure. He knew, however, that at the time Malak was in another sector and that it may be some time before he would arrive, and so he began torturing them himself.



Knowing that Revan cared for Shan, Karath made her suffer each time Revan refused to answer his questions. He used this to test Revan's loyalty when he asked him where the Jedi base was, but Revan still gave no answer to the Admiral. Karath revealed that the question was only a test, for Malak, having been a former Jedi, knew the location of the Jedi Enclave and had already destroyed it. Karath then left the three alone until Malak would arrive. Both Shan and Revan felt a disturbance in the Force, and they knew that Karath had sent a message to the Dark Lord of their current location. Meanwhile, the party member Revan had chosen to free them found them and deactivated their force cages. Feeling Malak's dark presence approaching, the Jedi devised a plan to escape; go to the bridge and disable the tractor beam. Revan sent the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo and the rest of his crew to the docking bay so that they could deal with the guards.

Revan, Shan, and Onasi fought their way to the bridge and confronted Karath, who was guarded by two Dark Jedi and a group of Sith troopers. Karath said that if they laid down their weapons, he would ask Darth Malak, who was on his way ot the bridge, to be merciful when he arrived. But Onasi said that he had seen enough of Sith mercy, and Karath went on the attack after stating that Onasi always liked doing thoings the hard way. Revan, Shan, and Onasi slew the Sith troopers and Dark Jedi bodyguards, and struck Karath down, leaving him mortally wounded. Before he died, Karath asked Onasi to come closer so that he could tell him something. In a whisper, Karath told Onasi about Revan's former identity as the Dark Lord of the Sith. Karath taunted Onasi, telling him to remember the Admiral's words whenever his former protégé looked at those he thought were his friends. After saying this, Karath succumbed to his fatal wounds.

Personality and traits
"Admiral Karath taught me everything I know about being a soldier. He was a legend in the Republic fleet, and a hero to me. Until he betrayed us."

- Carth Onasi



Aside from Basic, Karath could speak and comprehend a variety of languages, including Durese, Khilese, Sullustese, Mando'a, Bothese, Zabraki and Kuat. Karath owned a prototype energy shield of Verpine design, using it for extra protection during battle. During his time serving the Sith, he used a Sith Assassin blaster pistol. He also owned a code cylinder and an encrypted comlink.

Behind the scenes
Saul Karath was created as a villain in the 2003 PC and Xbox video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 0: Crossroads
 * The Taris Holofeed: Prime Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 8: Flashpoint, Part 2
 * The Admiral's List: Jimas Veltraa Memorial Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 14: Days of Fear, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3
 * The Admiral's List: Remember Serroco! Edition
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 17: Nights of Anger, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 18: Nights of Anger, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Daze of Hate
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 22: Knights of Suffering, Part 1
 * The Admiral's List: Karath Home Safely
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 30: Exalted, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 31: Turnabout
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 32: Vindication, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 34: Vindication, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 35: Vindication, Part 4
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords