In 3998 BBY, the Museum of Dark Side Antiquities situated on Coruscant put together a presentation for public viewing. This presentation was called The Dark Lords of the Sith. The exhibit was located in the Museum's Sith Hall and was completely focused on the history of the ancient Sith Empire in addition to its rulers, the Dark Lords of the Sith species.
During the year it was created, the The Dark Lords of the Sith exhibit was visited by Aleema and Satal Keto. These two socialite cousins were originally from the Empress Teta system. Despite the artifacts being deemed insignificant by the museum curator, the Ketos, who were interested in dark side objects, ended up stealing an ancient Sith spellbook from one of the displays. The knowledge they acquired from the spellbook's contents allowed Aleema and Satal to become influential figures in the return of the Dark Lords of the Sith, who were the namesake of the museum exhibit.
An exhibit entitled The Dark Lords of the Sith was located inside the Museum of Dark Side Antiquities on the Republic capital world of Coruscant. The presentation was in a restricted area of the Museum's Sith Hall, situated more than forty levels below the cityscape of Coruscant. The entire exposition was dedicated to the ancient Sith Empire and the namesake species, with a specific section focusing on the history of its rulers: the well-known Dark Lords of the Sith. The presentation included numerous tables and display cases filled with weapons, books, and other types of artifacts that once belonged to the Dark Lords. Several of the heirlooms radiated with the power of the dark side of the Force, and Force-sensitive beings nearby could sense their strength. Earthenware sculptures lined the exhibit's walls and halls, accompanied by informational placards that provided insight into the forgotten glory of the Dark Lords of the Sith. A separate room temporarily held piles of old books and Sith amulets awaiting placement in their respective locations. The museum curator planned to enhance the exhibit further with special lighting effects and holographic projections depicting stories of the Sith's legendary Golden Age.
In 3998 BBY, the curator at the Museum of Dark Side Antiquities on Coruscant was nearing completion of The Dark Lords of the Sith exhibit in the Museum's Sith Hall. During the final construction stages, Satal and Aleema Keto, socialite cousins from the Empress Teta star system, arrived on Coruscant, hoping to indulge their interest in dark side objects. Their search led them to the Galactic Museum, where they were directed to the Sith Hall and its collection of dark side artifacts. Posing as innocent tourists, the Ketos met with the curator and requested access to the exhibit. The curator initially denied them, stating that the presentation was still under construction. When the Ketos repeated their request to view the artifacts despite its incompleteness, he refused again, citing explicit instructions from the Jedi Order to restrict access until the Jedi themselves could implement adequate security to police the exhibit.
While the Jedi were concerned about the dark side nature of the collected materials, the museum's curator doubted the power of each item, believing they were merely worthless antiquities. He mused that it was highly improbable that anyone could use them to conquer the galaxy. When Aleema made a final request to simply glance at the items, the curator relented. He led her and Satal into an adjacent room with more tables and display cases, as well as piles of ancient texts and talismans. The Ketos were fascinated by the exhibit's contents, but the curator dismissed the artifacts as insignificant. He had yet to complete the presentation with the holographic and special effect lighting that he was sure would become the exhibit's main attraction. Aleema then inquired about the curator's own dark side knowledge, to which he confessed was nonexistent. Instead, he referred to a datapad that provided a brief overview of the origins of the Dark Lords of the Sith and the long-forgotten civilization they ruled. The trio was interrupted by a comlink message for the curator, who excused himself while allowing the Ketos to peruse the exhibit alone.
Immediately, the two Force-sensitive youths were overwhelmed by the dark side power they felt emanating from the exhibit's collection of artifacts, a fact they suspected no one else was aware of. Recognizing the significance of their find, Aleema urged Satal to steal something. He complied, taking advantage of the curator's preoccupation to pilfer a Sith spellbook from a table. The Ketos then quickly left the museum with their new prize, leaving the curator, who returned to the room shortly afterward, wondering where the pair of inquisitive visitors had disappeared to. The spellbook stolen from The Dark Lords of the Sith exhibit by Satal and Aleema marked the beginning of their initiation into the ways of the dark side. With it, they subsequently learned to harness ancient Sith magic, eventually becoming powerful sorcerers who joined forces with other agents of the Sith to incite the Great Sith War against the Galactic Republic. Thus, contrary to the museum curator's belief, an item from The Dark Lords of the Sith exhibit played a major role in the return of the Sith and their campaign to conquer the galaxy.
The Dark Lords of the Sith exhibit first appeared in the first issue of the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi story arc, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Freedon Nadd Uprising, authored by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson. In the comic book, the exhibit is not named and is only shown as a wing of Coruscant's Galactic Museum. John Whitman's audio adaptation of Tales of the Jedi first identifies the section of the museum where the Ketos are browsing as "The Dark Lords of the Sith" exhibit.
In the audio drama, Satal and Aleema Keto find the Museum of Dark Side Antiquities and are greeted by its curator, who then leads them to the exhibit where they later steal the spellbook. In the comic version, however, the Ketos locate the museum, referred to simply as the Galactic Museum, after consulting a tourist guide. The exhibit is never named, and they do not interact with the museum's curator, instead exploring the museum's Sith Hall on their own.