Star Wars

Darth Bane
book 2
Rule of Two
by Drew Karpyshyn
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To my parents, Ron and Vi, and my youn!er sister, Dawn
"#K$%W&'D()'$TS
This book *ame to!ether in the spa*e of only si+ months,an unbelieably short time to transform an
idea into a finished work on the sheles- ./d like to thank eeryone at &u*as &i*ensin! &td- and Del
Rey Books who was part of this in*redible a**omplishment, alon! with a spe*ial thanks to my wife,
0ennifer- Without her help and understandin! . don/t think this would hae been possible !ien the
deadlines . was workin! under- But most of all, ./d like to thank all the fans who bou!ht Darth
Bane1 2ath of Destru*tion- Without your support, this se3uel neer would hae happened- 4ou hae
my sin*ere and humble !ratitude-
2R%&%(5'
Daroit made his stumblin! way throu!h the bodies that littered the battlefield, his mind numb with
!rief and horror- 6e re*o!ni7ed many of the dead1 some were serants of the li!ht side, allies of the
0edi8 others were followers of the dark side, minions of the Sith- "nd een in his da7ed stupor,
Daroit *ouldn/t help but wonder whi*h side he belon!ed with-
" few months earlier he/d still !one by his *hildhood name, Tom*at- Ba*k then he/d been nothin!
more than a thin, dark,haired boy of thirteen liin! with his *ousins Rain and Bu! ba*k on the small
world of Somo Rit- They had heard rumblin!s of the neer,endin! war between the 0edi and the
Sith, but they neer thou!ht it would tou*h their 3uiet, ordinary lies--- until the 0edi s*out had
*ome to see Root, their appointed !uardian-
(eneral 6oth, leader of the 0edi "rmy of &i!ht, was desperate for more 0edi, the s*out had
e+plained- The fate of the entire !ala+y hun! in the balan*e- "nd the *hildren under Root/s *are had
shown an affinity for the 9or*e-
"t first Root had refused- 6e *laimed his *har!es were too youn! to !o off to war- But the s*out had
persisted- 9inally, reali7in! that if the *hildren did not !o to the 0edi, the Sith mi!ht *ome and take
them for*ibly, Root had relented- Daroit and his *ousins had left Somo Rit with the 0edi s*out and
headed for Ruusan- "t the time, the *hildren had thou!ht it was the be!innin! of a !rand adenture-
$ow Daroit knew better-
Too mu*h had happened sin*e they/d all arried on Ruusan- 'erythin! had *han!ed- "nd the
youth,for he had lied throu!h too mu*h in the past weeks to be *alled a boy anymore,didn/t
understand any of it-
6e/d *ome to Ruusan full of hope and ambition, dreamin! of the !lory that would be his when he
helped (eneral 6oth and the 0edi "rmy of &i!ht defeat the Sith serin! in &ord Kaan/s Brotherhood
of Darkness- But there was no !lory to be found on Ruusan8 not for him- "nd not for his *ousins-
Rain had died een before their ship tou*hed down on Ruusan- They/d been ambushed by a
s3uadron of Sith Bu77ards only se*onds after they broke atmosphere, the tail of their essel shorn
off in the atta*k- Daroit had wat*hed in horror as Rain was swept away by the blast, literally ripped
from his arms before plun!in! to an unseen death hundreds of meters below-
6is other *ousin, Bu!, had died only a few minutes a!o, a i*tim of the thou!ht bomb, his spirit
*onsumed by the terrible power of &ord Kaan/s final, sui*idal weapon- $ow he was !one- &ike all
the 0edi and all the Sith- The thou!ht bomb had destroyed eery liin! bein! stron! enou!h to wield
the power of the 9or*e- 'eryone e+*ept Daroit- "nd this he *ouldn/t understand-
.n fa*t, nothin! on Ruusan made any sense to him- $othin!: 6e/d arried e+pe*tin! to see the
le!endary "rmy of &i!ht he/d heard about in stories and poems1 heroi* 0edi defendin! the !ala+y
a!ainst the dark side of the 9or*e- .nstead he/d witnessed men, women, and other bein!s who fou!ht
and died like *ommon soldiers, !round into the mud and blood of the battlefield-
6e/d felt *heated- Betrayed- 'erythin! he/d heard about the 0edi had been a lie- They weren/t
shinin! heroes1 their *lothes were soiled with !rime8 their *amp stank of sweat and fear- "nd they
were losin!: The 0edi whom Daroit had en*ountered on Ruusan were defeated and downtrodden,
weary from the seemin!ly endless series of battles a!ainst &ord Kaan/s Sith, stubbornly refusin! to
surrender een when it was *lear they *ouldn/t win- "nd all the power of the 9or*e *ouldn/t restore
them to the shinin! i*ons of his naie ima!ination-
There was moement on the far ed!e of the battlefield- S3uintin! a!ainst the sun, Daroit saw half a
do7en fi!ures slowly makin! their way throu!h the *arna!e, !atherin! up the fallen bodies of friend
and foe alike- 6e wasn/t alone,others had suried the thou!ht bomb too:
6e ran forward, but his e+*itement *ooled as he drew *lose enou!h to make out the features of
those tasked with *leanin! the battlefield- 6e re*o!ni7ed them as olunteers from the "rmy of
&i!ht- $ot 0edi, but ordinary men and women who/d sworn alle!ian*e to &ord 6oth- The thou!ht
bomb had only taken those with suffi*ient power to tou*h the 9or*e1 $on,9or*e,usin! folk like
these were immune to its deastatin! effe*ts- But Daroit wasn/t like them- 6e had a !ift- Some of
his earliest memories were of usin! the 9or*e to leitate toys for the amusement of his youn!er
*ousin Rain, when they were both *hildren- These people had suried be*ause they were ordinary,
plain- They weren/t spe*ial like he was- Daroit/s surial was a mystery,;ust one more thin! about
all this he didn/t understand-
"s he approa*hed, one of the fi!ures sat down on a ro*k, weary from the task of !atherin! the dead-
6e was an older man, nearly fifty- 6is fa*e looked drawn and ha!!ard, as if the !rim task had
sapped his mental reseres alon! with the physi*al- Daroit re*o!ni7ed his features from those first
few weeks he/d spent in the 0edi *amp, thou!h he/d neer bothered to learn the old man/s name-
" sudden reali7ation fro7e Daroit in his tra*ks- .f he re*o!ni7ed the man, then the man mi!ht also
re*o!ni7e him- 6e mi!ht remember Daroit- 6e mi!ht know the youn! man was a traitor-
The truth about the 0edi had dis!usted Daroit- Repulsed him- 6is illusions and daydreams *rushed
by the wei!ht of harsh reality, he/d a*ted like a spoiled *hild and turned a!ainst the 0edi- Sedu*ed by
easy promises of the dark side/s power, he/d swit*hed sides in the war and thrown himself in with
the Brotherhood of Darkness- .t was only now that he understood how wron! he/d been-
The reali7ation had *ome upon him as he/d witnessed Bu!/s death,a death for whi*h he was partly
responsible- Too late he had learned the true *ost of the dark side- Too late he understood that,
throu!h the thou!ht bomb, &ord Kaan/s madness had brou!ht deastation upon them all-
6e was no lon!er a follower of the Sith8 he no lon!er hun!ered to learn the se*rets of the dark side-
But how *ould this old man, a deoted follower of (eneral 6oth, know that< .f he remembered
Daroit, he would remember him only as the enemy-
9or a se*ond he thou!ht about tryin! to es*ape- 0ust turn and run, and the tired old man still
*at*hin! his breath wouldn/t be able to stop him- .t was the kind of thin! he/d on*e done all the time-
But thin!s were different now- Whether it was from !uilt, maturity, or simply a desire to see it all
end, Daroit didn/t run away- Whateer fate awaited him, he *hose to stay and fa*e it-
)oin! with slow but determined steps, he approa*hed the ro*k where the man was sittin!,
seemin!ly lost in thou!ht- Daroit was only a few meters away when the man finally !lan*ed up to
a*knowled!e him-
There was no !lint of re*o!nition in his eyes- There was only an empty, haunted look-
="ll of them,= the man mumbled, thou!h whether he was talkin! to Daroit or himself wasn/t *lear-
="ll the 0edi and all of the Sith --- all !one-=
The man turned his head, fi+in! his a*ant stare on the dark entran*e to a small *ae nearby- " *hill
went throu!h Daroit as he reali7ed what the man was talkin! about- The entran*e led under!round,
throu!h twistin! tunnels to the *aern deep beneath the !round where Kaan and his Sith had
!athered to unleash the thou!ht bomb-
The man !runted and shook his head, dispellin! the morbid state he had slipped into- Standin! up
with a weary si!h, his mind was on*e more fo*used on his duty- 6e !ae Daroit a sli!ht nod but
otherwise paid him no further heed as he resumed the ma*abre task of rollin! the *orpses in *loth so
they *ould be *olle*ted and !ien honorable burials-
Daroit turned toward the *ae- "!ain, part of him wanted to ba*k away and run- But another part
of him was drawn to the bla*k maw of the tunnel- )aybe there were answers to be found inside-
Somethin! to make sense of all the death and iolen*e8 somethin! to help him see the reasons
behind the endless war and bloodshed- )aybe he/d dis*oer somethin! to help him !rasp some
purpose behind eerythin! that had happened here-
The air !rew steadily *ooler the deeper he des*ended- 6e *ould feel a tin!lin! in the pit of his
stoma*h1 anti*ipation mi+in! with a si*k sense of dread- 6e wasn/t sure what he/d find on*e he
rea*hed the under!round *hamber at the tunnel/s end- )ore bodies, perhaps- But he was determined
not to turn ba*k-
"s the darkness eneloped him, he silently *ursed himself for not brin!in! alon! a !low rod- 6e
had a li!htsaber at his belt8 !ettin! his hands on one of the fabled weapons was one of the
temptations that had lured him oer to the Sith- But een thou!h he/d betrayed the 0edi ;ust to lay
*laim to it, in the darkness of the tunnel, he no lon!er felt any desire to i!nite it and use its li!ht to
!uide him- The last time he/d drawn it had resulted in Bu!/s death, and the memory had tainted the
pri7e he had sa*rifi*ed eerythin! to !ain-
6e knew that if he turned ba*k, he mi!ht neer !ather enou!h *oura!e to make the trip down a!ain,
so he pressed on despite the darkness- 6e moed slowly, rea*hin! out with his mind, tryin! to draw
on the 9or*e to !uide him throu!h the li!htless tunnel- 'en so he kept trippin! oer the uneen
!round, or stubbin! his toes- .n the end he found it easier ;ust to run one hand alon! the ro*ky wall
and use it to !uide himself-
6is pro!ress was slow but steady, the tunnel floor be*omin! steeper and steeper until he was half
*limbin! down it in the darkness- "fter half an hour he noti*ed a faint li!ht emanatin! from far
ahead, a soft !low *omin! from the distant end of the passa!e- 6e pi*ked up his pa*e, only to trip
oer a small out*roppin! of stone ;uttin! up from the rou!h,hewn !round- 6e fell forward with a
*ry of alarm, fallin! and tumblin! down, the sharp slope until he *ame to rest, bruised and battered,
at the tunnel/s end-
.t opened into a wide, hi!h,*eilin!ed *hamber- 6ere the dim !low that had drawn him forward was
refle*ted from fle*ks of *rystal embedded in the surroundin! stone, illuminatin! the *aern so he
*ould see eerythin! *learly- " few stala*tites still hun! from the roof hi!h aboe8 hundreds more
lay smashed on the *aern/s floor, dislod!ed when Kaan had detonated the thou!ht bomb-
The bomb itself, or what remained of it, hoered a meter aboe the !round in the ery *enter of the
*aern,the sour*e of the illumination- "t first !lan*e it appeared to be an oblon!, metalli* orb four
meters from top to bottom, and nearly three meters a*ross at its widest point- .ts surfa*e was a flat,
dusky siler that pro;e*ted a pale radian*e but at the same time deoured all li!ht refle*ted ba*k to it
by the *rystals trapped in the surroundin! walls-
Risin! to his feet, Daroit shiered- 6e was surprisin!ly *old8 the orb had su*ked all the warmth
from the air- 6e took a step forward- The dust and debris *run*hin! below his foot sounded flat and
hollow, as if the thou!ht bomb were swallowin! not ;ust the heat of the *aern, but the noise as
well-
2ausin!, he listened to the unnatural silen*e- 6e *ouldn/t hear anythin!, but he definitely felt
somethin!- " faint, thrummin! ibration runnin! throu!h the floor and up into his body, a steady,
rhythmi* pulse *omin! from the orb-
Daroit held his breath, unaware he was doin! so, and took another tentatie step forward- When
nothin! happened he let the air es*ape from his lun!s with a lon!, soft si!h- (atherin! his *oura!e,
he *ontinued his *autious approa*h, rea*hin! out a hand but neer takin! his eyes from the sphere-
6e drew *lose enou!h to see dark bands of shadow slowly twistin! and turnin! beneath the
shimmerin! surfa*e, like bla*k smoke trapped deep within the *ore- Two more steps and he was
*lose enou!h to tou*h it- 6is hand tremblin! only sli!htly, he leaned forward and pressed his palm
a!ainst the surfa*e-
6is mind e+ploded with wails of pure an!uish8 a shriekin! *a*ophony of oi*es rose from the orb,
all the i*tims of the thou!ht bomb s*reamin! out in torment-
Daroit wren*hed his hand free and sta!!ered ba*k, droppin! to his knees-
They were still alie: The bodies of the 0edi and Sith had been *onsumed by the thou!ht bomb,
*rumblin! into dust and ash, but their spirits had suried, su*ked into the orte+ at the heart of the
bomb/s blast only to be imprisoned foreer-
6e had only tou*hed the surfa*e for the briefest of se*onds, but the keenin! of spirits had nearly
drien him mad- Trapped inside the impre!nable shell, they were *ondemned to an eternity of
endless, unbearable sufferin!- " fate so horrible that Daroit/s mind refused to fully !rasp the
impli*ations-
Still hun*hed oer on the !round, he *lasped his head in his hands in a !esture of helpless futility-
6e/d *ome here seekin! answers and e+planations- .nstead he/d found an abomination a!ainst nature
itself, one from whi*h eery part of his bein! instin*tiely re*oiled-
=. don/t understand --- . don/t understand --- . don/t understand ---=
6e muttered the phrase oer and oer a!ain, huddled on the !round, ro*kin! slowly ba*k and forth
on his heels and still *lut*hin! his head in his hands-
#hapter >
2ea*e is a lie-
There is only passion-
Throu!h passion, . !ain stren!th-
Throu!h stren!th, . !ain power-
Throu!h power, . !ain i*tory-
Throu!h i*tory, my *hains are broken-
The #ode of the Sith
Darth Bane, the only Sith &ord to es*ape the deastation of Kaan/s thou!ht bomb, mar*hed 3ui*kly
under a pale yellow Ruusan sun, moin! steadily a*ross the bleak, war,torn lands*ape- 6e was two
meters tall, and his bla*k boots *oered the !round in lon!, sweepin! strides, propellin! his lar!e,
powerfully mus*led frame with a sense of ur!ent purpose- There was an air of mena*e about him,
a**entuated by his shaed head, his heay brow, and the dark intensity of his eyes- This, een more
than his forbiddin! bla*k armor or the sinister hook,handled li!htsaber dan!lin! from his belt,
marked him as a man of fearsome power1 a true *hampion of the dark side of the 9or*e-
6is thi*k ;aw was set in !rim determination a!ainst the pain that flared up eery few minutes at the
ba*k of his bare skull- 6e had been many kilometers away from the thou!ht bomb when it
detonated, but een at that ran!e he had felt its power reerberatin! throu!h the 9or*e- The
aftereffe*ts lin!ered, sporadi* bursts shootin! throu!h his brain like a million tiny knies stabbin!
at the dark re*esses of his mind- 6e had e+pe*ted these atta*ks to fade oer time, but in the hours
sin*e the blast, their fre3uen*y and intensity had steadily in*reased-
6e *ould hae *alled on the 9or*e to keep the pain at bay, *loakin! himself in an aura of healin!
ener!y- But that was the way of the 0edi, and Bane was a Dark &ord of the Sith- 6e walked a
different path, one that embra*ed sufferin!, drawin! stren!th from the ordeal- 6e transformed the
pain into an!er and hate, feedin! the flames of the dark side until his physi*al aspe*t seemed almost
to !low with the fury of a storm it *ould barely *ontain-
The terrifyin! ima!e Bane pro;e*ted *ontrasted sharply with the small fi!ure that followed in his
wake, stru!!lin! to keep up- ?annah was only ten, a waif of a !irl with short, *urly blond hair- 6er
*lothin! was simple and plain to the point of bein! rusti*1 a loose,fittin! white shirt and faded blue
*oeralls, both torn and stained from weeks of *ontinuous wear- "nyone who saw her s*amperin!
alon! after Bane/s massie, bla*k,*lad form would hae been hard,pressed to ima!ine she was the
Sith )aster/s *hosen apprenti*e- But looks *ould be de*eiin!-
There was power in the *hild- 6e/d seen ample proof of that at their first meetin!, less than an hour
earlier- Two nameless 0edi were dead by her hand- Bane didn/t know all the details surroundin! their
deaths8 he had arried after the fa*t to find ?annah *ryin! oer the body of a boun*er, one of the
telepathi*, !reen,furred spe*ies natie to Ruusan- The still,warm *orpses of the 0edi had been
sprawled beside her, their heads lollin! at !rotes3ue an!les atop broken ne*ks-
#learly the boun*er had been the *hild/s friend and *ompanion- Bane surmised that the 0edi must
hae inadertently killed the boun*er, only to meet a similar fate when ?annah e+a*ted her reen!e-
5naware of her power, they/d been *au!ht off !uard when the *hild,drien by mind,numbin! !rief
and pure, ab;e*t hatred,had unleashed the full fury of the dark side on the men who/d slain her
friend-
They were i*tims of *ruel misfortune1 in the wron! pla*e at the wron! time- 4et it would hae
been ina**urate to *all their deaths pointless- .n Bane/s eyes, at least, their sa*rifi*e had allowed him
to re*o!ni7e the youn! !irl/s potential- To some the series of eents would hae seemed
preordained, as if the hapless 0edi had been ine+orably drawn to their !rim end with the sole
purpose of unitin! Bane and ?annah- $o doubt there were een those who would profess that fate
and the dark side of the 9or*e had *onspired to present the )aster with a suitable apprenti*e- Bane,
howeer, was not one of them-
6e belieed in the power of the 9or*e, but he also belieed in himself1 6e was more than ;ust a
serant of prophe*y or a pawn of the dark side, sub;e*t to the whims of an ineitable, ines*apable
future- The 9or*e was a tool he had used to for!e his own destiny throu!h stren!th and *unnin!- 6e
alone amon! the Sith had truly earned the mantle of Dark &ord, whi*h was why he alone amon!
them still lied- "nd if ?annah was worthy of bein! his apprenti*e, she would eentually hae to
proe herself, as well-
6e heard a !runt behind him and turned ba*k to see that the !irl had tumbled to the !round, fallin!
in her haste to try to keep up with the relentless pa*e he/d set- She !lared at him, an!er et*hed a*ross
her features-
=Slow down:= she snapped- =4ou/re !oin! too fast:=
Bane *len*hed his teeth as a fresh bolt of pain ripped throu!h his skull-= . am not !oin! too fast,= he
replied, keepin! his oi*e een but stern- =4ou are !oin! too slow- 4ou must find a way to keep up-=
She s*rambled to her feet, swattin! at the s*uffed knees of her oeralls to wipe away the most
obious tra*es of dirt- =)y le!s aren/t as lon! as yours,= she replied *rossly, refusin! to ba*k down-
=6ow am . supposed to keep up<=
The !irl had spirit- That had been *lear from the moment of their first meetin!- She had re*o!ni7ed
Bane instantly for what he was1 one of the Sith, sworn enemy of the 0edi, a serant of the dark side-
4et she had shown no fear- .n ?annah, Bane had seen the potential for the su**essor he needed, but
she had obiously seen somethin! she wanted in him, too- "nd when he had offered her the *han*e
to be his apprenti*e, to study and learn the ways of the dark side, she hadn/t hesitated-
6e wasn/t yet *ertain why ?anah had been so ea!er to ally herself with a &ord of the Sith- .t *ould
hae been a simple a*t of desperation1 She was alone, with nowhere else to turn for her surial- %r
maybe she saw the dark side as a path to en!ean*e a!ainst the 0edi, a way to make them all suffer
for the death of her boun*er friend- .t was een possible she had simply sensed Bane/s power and
lusted to *laim it as her own-
Whateer her true motiations, ?annah had been more than willin! to swear fealty to the Sith and
her new )aster- 6oweer, it was neither her spirit nor her willin!ness that made her worthy of
bein! his apprenti*e- The Dark &ord had *hosen her for one reason, and one reason only-
=4ou are stron! in the 9or*e,= he e+plained, his oi*e still betrayin! no hint of emotion or the a!ony
he endured- =4ou must learn to use it- To *all on its power- To bend it to your purpose- "s you did
when you killed the 0edi-=
6e saw a fli*ker of doubt *ross her fa*e- =. don/t know how . did that,= she muttered- =. didn/t een
mean to do it,= she *ontinued, suddenly un*ertain- =.t ;ust sort of--- happened-=
Bane dete*ted a hint of !uilt in her oi*e- 6e was disappointed, but hardly surprised- She was
youn!- #onfused- She *ouldn/t truly understand what she had done- $ot yet-
=$othin! ;ust happens,= he insisted- =4ou *alled upon the power of the 9or*e- Think ba*k to how
you did it- Think ba*k to what happened-=
She hesitated, then shook her head- =. don/t want to,= she whispered-
The !irl had already endured immeasurable pain and sufferin! sin*e her arrial on Ruusan- She had
no wish to reisit those awful e+perien*es- Bane understood8 he een sympathi7ed with her- 6e, too,
had suffered durin! his *hildhood, a i*tim of *ountless saa!e beatin!s at the hands of 6urst, his
*ruel and abusie father- But he had learned to use those memories to his adanta!e- .f ?annah was
to be*ome the heir to the dark side/s le!a*y, she had to *onfront her past- She had to learn how to
draw upon her most painful memories- She had to transform and *hannel them to allow her to wield
the power of the dark side-
=4ou feel sorry for those 0edi now,= Bane said, his oi*e *asual- =4ou feel re!ret- Remorse- )aybe
een pity-= The easy tone fell away 3ui*kly as his oi*e be!an to rise in both olume and intensity-
=But these are worthless emotions- They mean nothin!- What you need to feel is an!er:=
6e took a sudden step toward her, his ri!ht fist *len*hed before him to pun*tuate his words- ?annah
flin*hed at the une+pe*ted moement, but didn/t retreat-
=Their deaths were not an a**ident:= he shouted as he took another step forward- =What happened
was not some mistake:=
" third step brou!ht him so *lose that the shadow of his massie frame eneloped the !irl like an
e*lipse- She *owered sli!htly but held her !round- Bane fro7e, blo*kin! out the pain in the ba*k of
his skull and reinin! in his fury- 6e *rou*hed down beside her and rela+ed his *len*hed fist- Then
he rea*hed out slowly with his hand and pla*ed it !ently on her shoulder-
=Think ba*k to what you felt when you unleashed your power a!ainst them,= he said, his oi*e now
a soft, sedu*tie whisper- =Think ba*k to what you felt when the 0edi murdered your friend-=
?annah dropped her head, her eyes *losed- 9or seeral se*onds she was still and silent, for*in! her
mind to relie the moment- Bane saw the emotions *rossin! her fa*e1 !rief, sorrow, loss- Beneath
his massie hand on her frail shoulder, she trembled sli!htly- Then, slowly, he felt her an!er be!in
to rise- "nd with it, the power of the dark side-
When the !irl looked up a!ain her eyes were open wide8 they burned with a fier*e intensity- =They
killed &aa,= she spat- =They desered to die:=
=(ood-= Bane let his hand fall from her shoulder and took a step ba*k, the hint of a satisfied smile
playin! a*ross his lips- =9eel the an!er- Wel*ome it- 'mbra*e it-
=Throu!h passion, . !ain stren!th,= he *ontinued, re*itin! from the #ode of the Sith- =Throu!h
stren!th, . !ain power-=
=Throu!h passion, . !ain stren!th,= she said, repeatin! his words, respondin! to them- =Throu!h
stren!th, . !ain power-= 6e *ould sense the dark side buildin! within her, !rowin! in intensity until
he *ould almost feel its heat-
=The 0edi died be*ause they were weak,= he said, takin! a step ba*k- =%nly the stron! surie, and
the 9or*e will make you stron!-= "s he turned away, he added, =5se it to keep up- .f you fall behind
a!ain, . will leae you here on this world-=
=But you still haen/t told me what to do:= she shouted after him as he mar*hed away-
Bane didn/t reply- 6e/d !ien her the answer, thou!h she didn/t know it yet- .f she was worthy of
bein! his apprenti*e, she/d fi!ure it out-
6e felt a sudden sur!e of power rushin! toward him, *on*entrated on the heel of his left foot as she
tried to trip him up to slow him down- Bane had bra*ed himself for some kind of rea*tion the
moment he/d turned his ba*k on her- 6e/d pushed her to the ed!e8 he/d hae been disappointed if she
had done nothin!- But he/d been e+pe*tin! a broader, more basi* assault,a wae of dark side ener!y
meant to hurl him to the !round- " fo*used strike a!ainst a sin!le heel was mu*h more subtle- .t
showed intelli!en*e and *unnin!, and thou!h he was ready for it, the stren!th of her atta*k still
surprised him-
4et een with as mu*h power and potential as ?annah had, she was no mat*h for a Dark &ord of the
Sith- Bane drew upon his own abilities in the 9or*e to absorb the impa*t of her atta*k, *at*hin! it
and amplifyin! its stren!th before firin! it ba*k at his apprenti*e- The redire*ted blow stru*k
?annah in the *hest, hard enou!h to kno*k her to the !round- " !runt of surprise es*aped her lips as
she landed hard on her ba*kside-
She wasn/t in;ured8 Bane had no intention of harmin! her- The *onstant beatin!s infli*ted on him by
his father throu!hout his *hildhood had helped transform Bane into what he was today, but they had
also *aused him to hate and despise 6urst- .f this !irl was to be his apprenti*e, she had to respe*t
and admire him- 6e *ould not tea*h her the ways of the dark side if she was not willin!, een ea!er,
to learn from him- The only thin! 6urst/s beatin!s had eer tau!ht Bane was how to hate, and
?annah already knew that lesson-
6e turned ba*k and fi+ed his *old !a7e on the !irl still sittin! on a hard, bare pat*h of dirt- She
!lared ba*k up at him, furious at the way he had humiliated her-
=" Sith knows when to unleash the fury of the dark side,= he informed her, =and when to hold ba*k-
2atien*e *an be a weapon if you know how to use it, and your an!er *an fuel the dark side if you
learn how to *ontrol it-=
She was still fumin! with ra!e, but he saw somethin! else in her e+pression now1 a !uarded
*uriosity- Slowly she nodded as the meanin! of his words be*ame *lear, and her e+pression
softened- Bane *ould still felt the power of the dark side within her8 her an!er was still there, but
she had hidden it below the surfa*e- She was nursin! it, feedin! it for a time when she *ould
unleash it-
She had ;ust learned her first lesson in the ways of the Sith- "nd she was wary of him now,wary, but
not afraid- 0ust as he wanted- The only thin! he needed her to be afraid of was failure-
6e turned away from her a!ain and resumed his mar*h, suppressin! a shudder as a fresh phalan+ of
blades *ared their way throu!h his thou!hts- Behind him he felt ?annah !ather the 9or*e on*e
more- This time, howeer, the !irl dire*ted it inward, usin! it to refresh and re;uenate her
e+hausted limbs-
She spran! up and s*urried after him, moin! almost effortlessly at a full run- 6e 3ui*kened his
pa*e as his apprenti*e fell into step beside him, easily able to keep up now that she was propelled by
the awesome power of the 9or*e-
=Where are we !oin!<= she asked-
=The Sith *amp,= he answered- =We need supplies for the ;ourney-=
="re the other Sith there<= she wondered- =The ones the 0edi were fi!htin!<=
Bane reali7ed he hadn/t yet told her what had happened to Kaan and the Brotherhood-
=There are no other Sith- There neer will be, e+*ept for us- %ne )aster and one apprenti*e8 one to
embody the power, the other to *rae it-=
=What happened to the others<= she wanted to know-
=. killed them,= he replied-
?annah seemed to think about this for a moment before shru!!in! indifferently- =Then they were
weak,= she said with simple *oni*tion- ="nd they desered to die-=
Bane reali7ed he had *hosen his apprenti*e well-
#hapter 2
The !reat warship of &ord Valenthyne 9arfalla,leader of the 0edi "rmy of &i!ht sin*e the loss of
(eneral 6oth,maintained a slow orbit hi!h aboe Ruusan/s surfa*e- 9ashioned so that her e+terior
resembled an an*ient sailin! bar!e, the essel had an ar*hai* ele!an*e, a !randeur that some felt
was a si!n of anity unbe*omin! in a 0edi-
0ohun %thone, a youn! 2adawan in the "rmy of &i!ht, had on*e shared that opinion- &ike many of
6oth/s followers, he had initially re!arded &ord Valenthyne as nothin! but a pran*in! fool
*on*erned only with bri!htly *olored shimmersilk shirts, the lon! flowin! *urls of his !olden hair,
and the other trappin!s of !arish and !audy fashion- 4et in battle after battle a!ainst the
Brotherhood of Darkness, 9arfalla and his followers had proed their worth- Slowly, almost
!rud!in!ly, 0ohun and the rest of 6oth/s troops had *ome to admire and een respe*t the man they
on*e had s*offed at-
$ow (eneral 6oth was !one, destroyed alon! with the Sith in their final *onfrontation, and in his
absen*e it was &ord Valenthyne who had taken up the banner of leadership- 9ollowin! 6oth/s
orders,
9arfalla had or!ani7ed the mass ea*uation of Ruusan before the detonation of the thou!ht bomb,
sain! thousands of 9or*e,sensitie 0edi and 2adawans from its deastatin! effe*ts by loadin! them
onto the ships of his orbitin! fleet-
.t was mere *han*e that 0ohun had ended up here on the 9air,wind, Valenthyne/s fla!ship- The
essel was lar!e enou!h to hold a *rew of oer three hundred *omfortably, but *rammed into the
hold with nearly fie hundred other ea*uees, the youn! man was anythin! but *omfortable- They
were pa*ked in so ti!htly, it was diffi*ult to moe8 0edi )asters, 0edi Kni!hts, and 2adawans were
pressed shoulder,to,shoulder-
The other ships were ;ust as full- .n addition to the 0edi, the ast ma;ority of the non,9or*e,sensitie
troops who had ;oined 6oth/s *ause had also been taken offworld- %ne of the ships had een been
loaded up with seeral hundred prisoners, the non,Sith followers of &ord Kaan who had 3ui*kly
surrendered to the 0edi when their dark leader had abandoned them to embark on his final mad plan
to destroy the 0edi- There wasn/t any real dan!er for these ordinary soldiers8 the thou!ht bomb only
affe*ted those most attuned to the 9or*e- But in the haste to ea*uate it had been simpler to ;ust take
eeryone-
6ere on Valenthyne/s personal !alleon, howeer, 0ohun re*o!ni7ed nearly eery fa*e- 6e had fou!ht
beside them for many months, throu!h ambushes, skirmishes, and full,s*ale battles- To!ether they
had borne witness to death and bloodshed8 tasted !lorious triumph and endured *rushin! defeat-
'a*h of them had seen many foes,and too many friends,die as they had wa!ed a seemin!ly endless
*ampai!n a!ainst the for*es of the dark side-
$ow, as they huddled to!ether in this ship, the war was finally oer- Vi*tory was theirs at last- 4et
eery bein! aboard wore a !rim and somber mask- The e+tin*tion of the Sith had *ome with a
terrible pri*e- There was no doubt about what had happened, no hope that any of the 0edi still down
on the surfa*e had suried- %rbitin! hi!h aboe Ruusan, they had been safely outside the blast
radius of the thou!ht bomb- But throu!h the 9or*e they had heard the a!oni7ed s*reams of their
fellow 0edi as their spirits were torn apart and swept up in the swirlin! orte+ of dark side ener!y-
)any of the suriors had wept openly- )ost simply endured the sufferin! in stoi* silen*e,
refle*tin! on the sa*rifi*e others had made-
0ohun,like 9arfalla and irtually eery other member of the "rmy of &i!ht,had olunteered to stay
behind with (eneral 6oth- But the !eneral had refused- Knowin! that those who stayed with him
fa*ed *ertain death, he had ordered all but a hundred of his 0edi followers off the world- $one of the
2adawans had been allowed to remain- 4et een thou!h he was only followin! orders, 0ohun
*ouldn/t help but feel he had betrayed his !eneral by fleein! the planet-
"*ross the densely pa*ked hold he *ould ;ust make out 9arfalla, his bri!ht red blouse standin! out
like a bea*on amon! the sea of mostly brown,*lad bodies- 6e was or!ani7in! the res*ue parties that
would be shuttled ba*k down to Ruusan/s surfa*e to deal with the aftermath of the thou!ht bomb,
and 0ohun was determined to be amon! them-
.t was diffi*ult to moe throu!h the mass of 0edi, but 0ohun was small and sli!ht- 6e was nineteen,
but he had yet to fill out, and with his slender build, fair skin, and shoulder,len!th li!ht blond hair,
twisted into a ti!ht braid, as was the *ustom for a youn! 0edi still in trainin!,he looked at least two
years youn!er- .t *ould be frustratin! to be mistaken for a kid, but now, as he twisted and slithered
throu!h the thron!, he was !rateful for his slim physi3ue-
=&ord Valenthyne,= he *alled as he drew near- 6e raised his oi*e further to be heard aboe the din-
=&ord Valenthyne:=
9arfalla turned, tryin! to pi*k out the owner of the oi*e from the wall of bodies and fa*es, then
!ae a nod of re*o!nition as the youn! man finally burst into iew- =2adawan 0ohun-=
=. want to ;oin the res*ue teams,= 0ohun blurted- =Send me ba*k down-=
=./m afraid . *annot do that,= the 0edi )aster replied with a sympatheti* shake of his head-
=Why not<= 0ohun demanded- =Do you think ./m too youn!<=
=That is not,= 9arfalla be!an, but 0ohun *ut him off-
=./m not a kid: ./m nineteen,older than those two for sure:= he insisted, wain! his hand in the
dire*tion of the nearest res*ue team1 a !roup *onsistin! of a middle,a!ed man with a short beard, a
woman in her twenties, and two boys in their early teens-
=Be aware of your an!er,= 9arfalla *autioned him, his oi*e stern-
0ohun was about to reply, but instead bit his ton!ue and merely nodded- There was no point in
!ettin! upset8 that would not *onin*e &ord Valenthyne to let him !o alon!-
=4our a!e has nothin! to do with my de*ision,= the older 0edi e+plained on*e he was assured that
0ohun had brou!ht his emotions under *ontrol- =9ully a third of our for*es are youn!er than you-=
.t was true, 0ohun reali7ed- The mountin! *asualties of the Ruu,san *ampai!n had for*ed the "rmy
of &i!ht to a**ept youn!er and youn!er re*ruits into its ranks- 6is youth was not the issue8 there
had to be some other e+planation- But instead of askin! why he *ould not !o, 0ohun simply
remained silent- 2atien*e would win him more from (eneral 6oth/s su**essor than in*essant,
thou!htless 3uestions-
=Take a *loser look at who . am sendin! down,= 9arfalla instru*ted- =These are brae olunteers,
aluable allies in our battle a!ainst the Sith- But none of them is attuned to the 9or*e-=
Surprised, 0ohun took a se*ond look at the shore party as they made their final preparations- The
woman had dark skin and short bla*k hair, and the 0edi reali7ed he had met her on*e before-
She was a Republi* soldier named .rtanna, and she had ;oined their *ause a little oer a standard
year earlier- .t took him a moment lon!er to pla*e the others, until he noti*ed the resemblan*e
between the bearded man and the two teena!ers- They were naties of Ruusan- The man was a
farmer named Bordon who had fled before the adan*in! armies of &ord Kaan durin! the latest Sith
offensie- The two boys were his sons, thou!h 0ohun *ouldn/t re*all their names-
=We do not know the full e+tent of the thou!ht bomb/s effe*ts,= 9arfalla *ontinued- =There may be
aftersho*ks that *ould harm or een kill a 0edi or 2adawan- That is why you *annot !o-=
0ohun nodded- .t made sense8 Valenthyne was ;ust bein! *autious- But sometimes it was possible to
be too *autious- =There are other risks on the surfa*e= he noted- =We don/t know that all the Sith are
dead- Some of them may hae suried-=
9arfalla shook his head- =Kaan had some spell, some power, oer his followers- They were
enthralled to his will- When he led them down into the *ae, they all followed him willin!ly- 6e had
them *onin*ed they *ould surie the thou!ht bomb if they united their power--- but he was
wron!-=
=What about the Sith minions<= 0ohun pressed, unwillin! to let the matter drop- &ike the 0edi, the
Sith had their share of followers who were not attuned to the 9or*e1 soldiers and mer*enaries who
had allied themseles with the Brotherhood of Darkness- =We didn/t *apture them all= the youn!
2adawan pointed out- =Some of them fled the battle- They/ll still be down there-=
=That/s what this is for,= the woman soldier assured him, pattin! the blaster on her hip- She !ae a
fier*e smile, her !leamin! white teeth *ontrastin! sharply with her dark *omple+ion-
=.rtanna knows how to take *are of herself,= 9arfalla a!reed- =She/s seen more *ombat than you and
me put to!ether-=
=2lease, &ord Valenthyne,= 0ohun be!!ed, droppin! to one knee- " ain and foolish !esture, but he
was desperate- 6e knew 9arfalla was ri!ht, but he didn/t *are- 6e didn/t *are about lo!i* or reason or
een the dan!ers of the thou!ht bomb- 6e ;ust *ouldn/t sit by doin! nothin!: =2lease: 6e was my
)aster-=
9arfalla rea*hed out with his hand and pla*ed it tenderly on 0ohun/s forehead- =6oth warned me that
his de*ision to send you away would not rest easily on your shoulders,= he said softly- =But your
)aster was a wise man- 6e knew what was best for you, as do .- 4ou must trust my ;ud!ment in
this, een if you do not fully understand it-=
Remoin! his hand from the youn! man/s brow, the new leader of the "rmy of &i!ht took 0ohun by
the arm and helped him to his feet-
=4our )aster made a !reat sa*rifi*e to sae us all,= he said- =.f we !ie in to our emotions now, if
we allow ourseles to *ome to needless harm, then we dishonor what he has done- Do you
understand<=
0ohun nodded, a 2adawan a*3uies*in! to the !reater wisdom of a 0edi )aster-
=(ood,= 9arfalla said, turnin! away to fo*us his attention on one of the other res*ue teams- =.f you
want to help, !ie .rtanna a hand loadin! up their supplies-=
0ohun nodded a!ain, thou!h 9arfalla didn/t noti*e- 6e was already !one, whisked away by the
responsibilities of his position-
Workin! in silen*e, 0ohun helped load the last few supplies into the shuttle1 field kits filled with
rations and water *apsules8 medpa*s in *ase they *ame a*ross any wounded8 ele*trobino*ulars and a
sensor pa*k for s*outin! and re*on8 !low rods for when ni!ht fell- "nd, of *ourse, spare power
pa*ks for the blasters .rtanna and the others *arried in *ase they en*ountered any suriin! minions
from Kaan/s army-
=Thank you,= .rtanna said on*e they were done-
Tryin! to appear *asual, 0ohun took a 3ui*k look around- 9arfalla was nowhere to be seen-
=Did you want to fly us down, or should .<= he asked her- The words were easy, but as he said them
he rea*hed out with the 9or*e to tou*h her mind- 6e did it !ently, bein! *areful not to *ause her any
harm as he planted the seed of a su!!estion-
6er eyes !la7ed oer momentarily and a look of blank *onfusion *rossed her fa*e- =5h - -- ./ll fly us
down, . !uess- 4ou *an take the *opilot/s *hair-=
=4ou/re *omin! with us<= Bordon, the middle,a!ed father, asked- 9rom his tone, it was obious he
had doubts-
=%f *ourse= 0ohun replied ami*ably- =4ou all heard him say . should help you load up the supplies,
ri!ht< Why else would he say that if . wasn/t !oin! with you<=
"s he had done with .rtanna, he !ae another sli!ht push, addin! the mind,alterin! power of the
9or*e to the half,truth- $ormally he would hae abhorred the idea of manipulatin! friends or allies
in this fashion, but in this *ase he knew the ra!ta! res*ue team would fare better if he a**ompanied
them-
=4eah- Ri!ht,= Bordon a!reed after a moment- =(ood to hae you alon!-=
=)akes sense to hae a 0edi with us= .rtanna added- =0ust in *ase-=
2ersuadin! someone throu!h the 9or*e was always easier when it was somethin! they wanted to be
*onin*ed of, 0ohun noted- Still, he felt a sli!ht twin!e of !uilt as he *limbed into the small ship,to,
surfa*e shuttle-
That/s only be*ause you re disobeyin! 9arfalla, he reassured himself- 4ou/re doin! the ri!ht thin!-
='eryone strap in,= .rtanna ordered, speakin! oer the pressuri7ed hiss as the air lo*ks sealed-
The shuttle/s en!ines flared to life, liftin! them off the do*kin! platform-
=Ba*k home to Ruusan- %r at least what/s left of it,= Bordon muttered !lumly as they drifted
throu!h the *ar!o hold doors and out into the upper rea*hes of the planet/s atmosphere-
#hapter @
Darth Bane felt them lon! before he saw them-
Those i!norant in the ways of the 9or*e saw it as only a weapon or tool1 .t *ould strike out a!ainst a
foe in battle8 it *ould leitate nearby ob;e*ts and draw them into a waitin! palm or flin! them a*ross
a room- But these were mere wi7ard/s tri*ks to one who understood its true power and potential-
The 9or*e was a part of all liin! thin!s, and all liin! thin!s were a part of the 9or*e- .t flowed
throu!h eery bein!, eery animal and *reature, eery tree and plant- The fundamental ener!ies of
life and death *oursed throu!h it, *ausin! ripples in the ery fabri* of e+isten*e-
'en distra*ted by the a!oni7in! flashes of the blades sli*in! apart the inside of his skull, Bane was
sensitie to these ripples- They !ae him an awareness that trans*ended spa*e and een time,
!rantin! him brief !limpses into the always shiftin! possibilities of the future- That was how, still
two kilometers and seeral minutes away from where Kaan and his army had made their *amp, he
knew others were already there-
There were ei!ht in total, all human,si+ men and two women- )er*enaries who had si!ned on with
the Brotherhood for *redits and a *han*e to strike at the hated Republi*, they had suried the final
battle with 6oth/s troops- They had most likely fled the *onfrontation the instant Kaan had
des*ended into the bowels of the planet/s surfa*e to lay his trap for the 0edi, displayin! the loyalty
of all followers bou!ht and paid for- "nd now, like blood beetles pi*kin! the rottin! meat off a
bantha/s *orpse, they had *ome to s*aen!e whateer remnants of alue they *ould find from the
deserted Sith *amp-
=There/s someone up ahead,= ?annah whispered a minute later- &ess attuned to the subtle nuan*es of
the 9or*e than her )aster, it had taken her lon!er to sense the dan!er- But !ien her la*k of trainin!,
the fa*t that she had noti*ed anythin! at all was testament to her abilities-
=Wait here,= Bane ordered, holdin! out a hand to free7e ?annah in her pla*e- Wisely, she obeyed-
6e didn/t look ba*k as he broke into a full run- The !round rushed by beneath his feet, a blur of
motion as he *alled on the 9or*e to drie him forward- The pain in his head anished, swept away
by the anti*ipation of battle and the physi*al e+hilaration of his *har!e-
Within si+ty se*onds the Sith *amp *ame into iew, the outlines of the doomed mer*enaries *learly
isible as they ar!ued oer whi*h ob;e*ts were worthy of plunder- Si+ of the looters were !athered
in the small *learin! at the *enter of the *amp, diidin! up the spoils- The other two were on point1
sentries stationed near the outskirts of the tents to wat*h for si!ns of trouble- Their posts were mere
formality, howeer- The sentries should hae been stationed on opposite sides of the *amp to !uard
a!ainst assault from either dire*tion- .nstead the two men were standin! less than twenty meters
apart, more interested in hain! someone to pass the time with than in se*urin! the perimeter-
Bane sureyed the s*ene with *ontempt as he bore down on them, the 9or*e allowin! him to take in
eery detail in one 3ui*k !lan*e- The men on point were obliious to his approa*h, their attention
drawn by the an!ry shouts of disa!reement *omin! from the other si+ bi*kerin! oer their ill,!otten
!ains-
"lterin! his *ourse sli!htly so his arrial would be hidden by a lar!e supply tent until the last
possible instant, Bane !ae a final burst of a**eleration and des*ended upon the *amp in a storm of
ruin- 6e drew and i!nited his li!htsaber in one smooth motion- The keenin! hum of the *rimson
blade pre*eded him, betrayin! his position a few pre*ious se*onds before his arrial- The adan*e
warnin! !ae ;ust enou!h time for the nearest sentry to draw his blaster, but not nearly enou!h time
to sae him from the *omin! slau!hter-
Bane materiali7ed from behind the supply tent and fell on his first i*tim like a dark wind, sli*in!
him dia!onally from shoulder to hip- The man wore battle armor made up of *omposite plates
stit*hed to!ether on an interwoen padded underlay to allow for fle+ibility- The est *oerin! his
*hest was *apable of absorbin! seeral hi!h,powered blaster shots from inside thirty meters, but
Bane/s blade sli*ed throu!h the prote*tie layers and *ared a fatal fie,*entimeter !ash throu!h the
flesh and bone beneath-
"s the first i*tim toppled oer, Bane leapt hi!h in the air toward his ne+t foe, instantly *losin! the
ten meters between them and simultaneously eadin! the hastily fired shot from the se*ond sentry/s
blaster pistol- "s he *ame down irtually on top of his enemy, he deliered an oerhead, two,
handed des*endin! *hop, a *lassi* moe from D;em So, the fifth and most powerfully a!!ressie
form of li!htsaber *ombat- The heay strike perfe*tly bise*ted the unfortunate man/s helmet and
droe deep into the skull beneath-
The !ruesome ends of the first two mer*enaries !ae the others time to re*o!ni7e what was
happenin!- They drew their weapons and fired a full olley of blaster bolts at Bane as he turned to
fa*e them from a*ross the *amp- Smoothly transitionin! from the atta*kin! style of 9orm V to the
more defensie style of 9orm ..., Bane defle*ted the in*omin! bolts with two,handed parries of his
li!htsaber, fli*kin! them aside with almost *asual disdain-
Twirlin! his weapon in his ri!ht hand, Bane paused to relish the hopelessness and terror emanatin!
from the half a do7en suriin! mer*enaries as they re*o!ni7ed the ineitable fa*t of their own
deaths- #lustered to!ether in the *learin! between the tents, they did the only thin! that !ae any of
them a *han*e of surial,they broke and ran-
They s*attered in all dire*tions1 one of the women ran off to the left, two men ran off to the ri!ht8
the other three turned and fled in a dire*t line away from the deadly interloper- Still twirlin! his
li!ht,saber, Bane thrust his empty hand out before him, palm e+tended as he unleashed the 9or*e in
a wae of *on*ussie power at the woman fleein! to his left- The wae *ut a swath of deastation
throu!h the *amp- Tents were uprooted from the !round, their material torn and shredded- Wooden
supply *rates e+ploded into kindlin!A the shattered *ontents sprayin! out in a shower of splintered
shrapnel-
The 9or*e wae slammed into the woman/s ba*k, puleri7in! her spine and snappin! her ne*k as it
droe her fa*edown into the dirt and pinned her a!ainst the !round- 6er *orpse twit*hed on*e, then
went foreer still-
#len*hin! the fin!ers of his left hand ti!ht a!ainst his open palm, Bane wheeled toward the two
men on his ri!ht and thrust his fist up into the air- " do7en forks of blue li!htnin! ar*ed out from
aboe his head to enelop the s*reamin! soldiers, *ookin! them alie- Shriek,in! in a!ony, they
dan*ed and twit*hed like marionettes on ele*tri* strin!s for seeral se*onds before their smokin!
husks *ollapsed on the !round-
.n the few se*onds it had taken to dispat*h the others, the suriin! three mer*enaries had rea*hed
the far side of the Sith *amp- " few meters beyond the ed!e of the tents a line of trees marked the
start of the thi*k Ruusan forests- The *on*ealin! bran*hes taunted them with offers of safety, !iin!
een !reater haste to their terror,filled fli!ht- Bane wat*hed them retreat with idle disinterest,
saorin! their fear-
" handful of steps from freedom, one of the men made the fatal mistake of !lan*in! ba*k oer his
shoulder to see whether their adersary was followin!- %n a whim, Bane sent his li!htsaber hurtlin!
toward him with a *asual toss- The spinnin! blade sli*ed throu!h the air in a ti!ht loop, *rossin! the
e+panse of the *amp in a fra*tion of a se*ond before swoopin! ba*k to be *au!ht in the waitin!
hand of its )aster-
Two of the mer*enaries anished into the forest, *rashin! throu!h the underbrush- The third,the one
who had paused to look ba*k, stood still as stone- " se*ond later his head toppled forward from his
shoulders to boun*e and roll a*ross the !round, seered from the *auteri7ed stump of his ne*k by
the *rimson blade of Bane/s thrown li!htsaber- "s if the fallen head were a si!nal, the ri!id limbs of
the de*apitated *orpse went suddenly limp, and it fell oer sideways-
Bane e+tin!uished his li!htsaber, the blade anishin! with a sharp hiss- 9or a brief instant he
reeled in his i*tory, drinkin! in the last lin!erin! remnants of his i*tims> emotions, drawin!
power from their fear and sufferin!- "nd then the moment was !one, fleein! like those who had
es*aped his wrath- 6e *ould hae pursued them, but as mu*h as he yearned to taste their pani*, he
understood the purpose of lettin! them lie-
=4ou let them !et away-=
6e spun around in surprise to see ?annah standin! ;ust inside the perimeter of the *amp- 'n!rossed
in the slau!hter, he hadn/t sensed her approa*h- 'ither that, or his youn! apprenti*e had taken pains
to shield her presen*e from him-
Don/t underestimate her, Bane reminded himself- She has the power to one day surpass you-
=4ou let them !et away= ?annah repeated- She didn/t sound an!ry, or disappointed, or een pleased-
She ;ust seemed pu77led-
=. told you to wait for me,= Bane admonished her- =Why did you disobey<=
She didn/t answer ri!ht away, wei!hin! her words *arefully until she *ould find an answer that
would appease her )aster- => wanted to see the true power of the dark side,= she admitted finally-
=#an you tea*h me to--- <= She trailed off, unable to find the words to des*ribe what she had ;ust
witnessed- .nstead she simply waed her hand, indi*atin! the totality of the *arna!e he had
unleashed-
=4ou will learn,= Bane assured her, atta*hin! the hooked handle of his li!htsaber ba*k onto his belt-
She didn/t smile, but there was an ea!er e+pression in her !a7e, a hun!er her )aster knew well-
6e/d seen the same raw ambition in the eyes of (ithany, his former loer and one of Kaan/s doomed
followers- 6e knew that if ?annah did not learn to temper and *ontrol her ambition, it would lead
her down a path of destru*tion, ;ust as it had with (ithany-
=2rowess in *ombat is the simplest display of the dark side/s power,= her )aster *autioned her-
=Brutal and 3ui*k, it seres a purpose- 4et it is often less effe*tie than subtlety and *unnin!-
5ltimately lettin! those mer*enaries lie may proe more useful than killin! them-=
=But they were weak,= his apprenti*e protested, throwin! his own tea*hin!s ba*k at him- =They
desered to die:=
=9ew bein!s in the !ala+y eer !et what they truly desere,= he noted, *hoosin! his words with
*are- The dark side was not easily understood8 een be was still learnin! to work his way throu!h its
*omple+ities and *ontradi*tions- 6e had to be *areful not to oerwhelm his youn! apprenti*e, yet it
was important that she !rasp the essen*e of what he had done here- =%ur mission is not to brin!
death to all those unfit to lie- We answer to a !reater *allin!- "ll . hae done on Ruusan, and all
that we will do from this day forward, must sere our true purpose1 the preseration of our %rder
and the surial of the Sith-=
"fter a moment/s *onsideration, ?annah shook her head- =./m sorry, )aster= she admitted, =. still
don/t !et why you didn/t ;ust kill them-=
="s serants of the dark side we reel in the an3uishin! of our enemies- We draw power from their
sufferin!, but we must balan*e this a!ainst !reater !ains- We must re*o!ni7e that killin! for sadisti*
pleasure,killin! without reason, need, or purpose,is the a*t of a fool-=
" frown of *onfusion *rossed the youn! !irl/s fa*e- =What purpose is there in lettin! s*um like that
lie<=
=The 0edi beliee the %rder of the Sith died here on Ruusan,= he e+plained patiently- =There are
followers of the dark side on many other worlds1 the )arauders of 6ono!hr and (amorr, the
Shadow "ssassins of Ryloth and 5mbara- But those with the !reatest power,all those indiiduals
with the potential to be*ome true Sith )asters,had !athered to!ether in Kaan/s Brotherhood- "s one
they followed him into this war, and as one they followed him into death-
=But there will be those who doubt the totality of the Sith e+tin*tion- There will always be whispers
that the Sith surie, hints and rumors that somewhere in the !ala+y a Dark &ord lies- "nd if the
0edi eer find proof of our e+isten*e, they will be relentless in huntin! us down-=
6e paused to let the impli*ations of his last statement sink in before *ontinuin!- =We *annot lie in
isolation, *ut off from the rest of the !ala+y while *owerin! in fear- We must work to !row our
power8 we will need to intera*t with indiiduals of many spe*ies a*ross many worlds- .t is
ineitable that some amon! them will re*o!ni7e us for what we are, no matter our dis!uise-
'entually word of our e+isten*e will rea*h the ears of the 0edi-=
?annah was studyin! him *losely, absorbin! eery word, seekin! enli!htenment in the murky lo!i*
of the dark side-
=Sin*e we *annot hide the fa*t of our surial,= Bane *ontinued, =we must obs*ure it with half,
truths- We must en*oura!e the rumors, spreadin! them so thi*k they blind our enemies until they
*annot separate myth from reality-=
" !limmer of understandin! illuminated ?annah/s fa*e- =" rumor is only as reliable as its sour*e:=
she e+*laimed-
Bane nodded in satisfa*tion- =The suriors will spread the tale, but who will beliee the likes of
them< 'eryone will know they are self,serin! mer*enaries who fled the final battle to sae
themseles, then *ame to loot the *amp of their former allies- They will be spit upon as traitors and
thiees- $obody who hears their story will beliee it, and the truth will be dismissed as a worthless
rumor-
="nd if there are any other witnesses to our presen*e on Ruusan = Bane added, spinnin! out the
final thread of the *onoluted tapestry of de*eption, =their a**ounts are now less likely to be
belieed- They will be tainted by their similarity to the so,*alled lies spewin! from the mouths of
*owardly looters-=
=$o use or purpose in their deaths= ?annah muttered, half to herself- She didn/t say anythin! else,
seemin!ly lost in thou!ht as she mulled oer all that she had been told-
Bane turned his attention away from his apprenti*e and fo*used on the items the looters had
!athered in the *enter of the *amp- 6e was the last of the Sith- .f there was anythin! here of alue,
then by ri!hts it should belon! to him-
)ost of what they had *olle*ted held no interest for Bane- Some of
Kaan/s Brotherhood had hoarded items of immense alue, beliein! that the !reed and eny they
inspired in others *ould feed the power of the dark side- The mer*enaries had !rabbed these
trinkets,ornate rin!s and ne*kla*es fashioned from pre*ious metals and set with !litterin! stones8
*eremonial da!!ers and knies, their hilts inlaid with !leamin! !ems8 intri*ately *ared masks and
small statues of remarkable skill shaped from rare and deli*ate materials,and thrown them
hapha7ardly in a pile-
Sureyin! the inaluable treasures that were worthless to his purpose, Bane felt another ;olt of pain
at the ba*k of his head- .n the same instant he saw a fi!ure fli*ker at the *orner of his ri!ht eye, then
anish from his field of ision-
6e snapped his head around in the dire*tion of the moement, but saw nothin!- .t hadn/t been
?annah8 this fi!ure was mu*h taller- 6e rea*hed out with the 9or*e, but felt only himself and his
apprenti*e within the perimeter of the *amp-
=What/s the matter<= she asked, notin! his sudden unease- =.s someone *omin!<=
=.t/s nothin!,= Bane replied- Was it nothin!< he wondered- %r is this another side effe*t of the
thou!ht bomb<
?annah made her way oer to where he was standin!, her eye drawn by the sun refle*tin! off the
;ewelry dumped on the !round- =What/s this<= she asked, stoopin! to di! out somethin! almost
*ompletely buried at the bottom of the pile-
She emer!ed with a thin, leather,bound manus*ript- She turned it oer *uriously, e+aminin! it from
all an!les until Bane e+tended his hand- .n response, she *ame dutifully forward and presented him
with her find-
6e re*o!ni7ed the style of the manus*ript- There had been seeral similar olumes in the library at
the Brotherhood/s "*ademy on Kor,riban, thou!h Bane had neer seen this parti*ular work before-
The olume was thin, a few do7en pa!es at most, and the *oer ins*ribed with ar*ane words tra*ed
in blood,red ink- Bane re*o!ni7ed the lan!ua!e- 6e had be*ome familiar with the ton!ue of the
an*ient Sith durin! his studies at the "*ademy, turnin! to the wisdom of )asters lon! dead rather
than trustin! the fools who sou!ht to instru*t him in the tarnished =$ew Sith= philosophy of the
Brotherhood-
6e opened the olume and found that the same bloodred ink had been used to fill the pa!es with
deli*ate s*ript and elaborate illustrations- "s with the words on the *oer, the lan!ua!e inside was
that of the an*ient Sith- 6oweer, the mar!ins of ea*h pa!e were filled with handwritten notes in
(ala*ti* Basi*- 6e re*o!ni7ed the handwritin! as that of Bordis, the former head of the "*ademy
on Korriban and one of the many so,*alled Sith &ords serin! under Kaan- 5nlike the rest of the
Brotherhood of Darkness, howeer, Bordis hadn/t perished in the thou!ht bomb/s blast- 6e/d
a*tually died seeral hours earlier when Bane had used the 9or*e to *rush the life out of his former
tea*her-
Why did Bordis brin! this manus*ript with him to Korriban< Bane wondered- Bordis had always
been more *on*erned with hoardin! wealth than studyin! the an*ient te+ts- 6e wore only the finest
silks and most e+pensie ;ewelry8 ea*h of the lon!, *ruel fin!ers on both hands had been adorned
with rin!s of in*redible alue- 'en his tent on Korriban had been de*orated with rare woen
tapestries and ornate ru!s- .f he had *arried this manus*ript with him all the way from the "*ademy,
Bane reali7ed, it must *ontain knowled!e of tremendous alue
=What/s it say<= ?annah asked, but Bane paid her no attention-
6e flipped 3ui*kly throu!h the manus*ript, skimmin! both the ori!inal te+t and Bordis/s notes- .t
seemed to be a *ompilation of the history and tea*hin!s of 9reedon $add, a !reat Sith )aster who
had lied oer three thousand standard years a!o- Bane had read preious a**ounts of $add, but this
one had somethin! the other ersions la*ked1 the lo*ation of his final restin! pla*e:
9or many *enturies the tomb of 9reedon $add had been lost, hidden by the 0edi so that the
followers of the dark side *ould not seek to !ain !uidan*e or power from the Sith artifa*ts sealed
inside- But on the last pa!e of the manus*ript Bordis had made one final note, underlined for
emphasis1 Seek the tomb on D+un-
6ow Bordis had *ome by this information si!nified little to Bane8 all that mattered was that he now
knew the lo*ation, too- The war on Ruusan had preented Bordis from attemptin! to find $add/s
tomb on D+un- $ow that the war was oer, there was nothin! to keep Bane from makin! the
;ourney and *laimin! $add/s le!a*y as his own- But first he had to !et off Ruusan-
The all,too,familiar ;olt of pain shot throu!h his skull, and on*e a!ain he *au!ht the fli*ker of a
fi!ure from the *orner of his eye- This time the ima!e seemed to sustain itself for nearly a full
se*ond- Tall, broad,shouldered, and *lad in the robes of the Sith, it was a fi!ure Bane re*o!ni7ed,
&ord Kaan: "nd then, as before, it anished,
.s this real< Was it possible that the leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness had, in some form,
suried the thou!ht bomb< Was it possible his spirit now haunted the world of his death<
6e *losed the olume and looked down at ?annah- She !ae no indi*ation that she had seen or
sensed anythin!- 0ust a tri*k of the mind, Bane thou!ht- .t was the only e+planation that made sense-
?annah would hae felt the manifestation of a dark side spirit so *lose by, yet she had been
obliious-
The reali7ation brou!ht him an odd mi+ of relief and *on*ern- When he had seen Kaan loomin!
beside him, Bane had thou!ht for an instant,;ust an instant,that he had failed in his 3uest to destroy
the Brotherhood- But the affirmation of his mission/s su**ess was tempered by the awareness that
the thou!ht bomb had done een more dama!e than he/d first suspe*ted- 6opefully the delusions
and a!oni7in! heada*hes were only temporary-
?annah was still starin! up at him, barely able to *ontain the flood of 3uestions she had about what
he had dis*oered inside the pa!es of the treasure she had found- 6er e+pression of e+pe*tant
*uriosity turned to disappointment when he slid the manus*ript into the folds of his *lothes without
offerin! any e+planation- .n time Bane would share all his knowled!e, present and future, with her-
But until he had a *han*e to e+plore $add/s tomb himself, he was relu*tant to tell anyone,een his
apprenti*e,of its e+isten*e-
="re you ready to leae this world<= he asked-
=./m si*k of this pla*e,= she answered, a hint of bitterness in her oi*e- =Thin!s hae !one bad eer
sin*e . !ot here-=
=4our *ousins,= Bane asked, rememberin! a remark she had made earlier about the two boys with
whom she had first arried- =Do you miss them<=
=What/s the point<= she replied with a shru!- =Tom*at and Bu! are dead- Why waste time thinkin!
about them<=
6er words were indifferent, but Bane re*o!ni7ed her *allousness as a defense me*hanism- Beneath
the surfa*e he *ould feel her passions burnin!1 She was an!ry and resentful oer their deaths8 she
blamed the 0edi for what happened, and she would neer for!ie them- 6er ra!e would always be a
part of her, simmerin! below the surfa*e- .t would sere her well in the years to *ome-
=#ome with me,= Bane said, rea*hin! a de*ision-
6e led her oer to an abandoned swoop bike near one of the tents- 6e *limbed aboard, and she
*lambered up onto the seat behind him- 6er slim arms wrapped ti!htly around his waist as the
swoop/s en!ine roared to life and it lifted up into the air-
=Why are we takin! the swoop<= she asked, shoutin! into his ear to be heard aboe the thrusters-
=We will trael faster this way- Time !rows short,= Bane *alled ba*k oer his shoulder- =Soon the
0edi will return to *laim their dead and seek out the suriors of Kaan/s army- But there is still one
last lesson you must learn before we !o-=
6e didn/t say any more8 some thin!s *ould not be e+plained, but had to be witnessed to be
understood- ?annah needed to see the remains of the thou!ht bomb- She needed to see the true
s*ope of Kaan/s madness- She needed to !rasp the finality of what Bane had a**omplished here-
"nd he needed to assure himself that the fi!ure he had seen was nothin! more than an aftereffe*t of
his e+posure to the thou!ht bomb- 6e wanted to see with his own eyes undeniable proof that Kaan
was truly destroyed-
#hapter C
Daroit lay huddled on the *old *aern floor, bathed in the eerie li!ht emanatin! from the e!!,
shaped siler orb hoerin! in the *enter of the under!round *hamber- 6e hadn/t moed for nearly
two hours, paraly7ed with the wonder and horror of it all- .t was as if time had no meanin! here at
the epi*enter of the thou!ht bomb8 as if Daroit himself were now suspended between life and
death, trapped like the tormented spirits of Kaan/s followers and the 0edi who had dared to fa*e
them-
'entually, howeer, his sho*k be!an to fade- Slowly sanity *rept ba*k in, dra!!in! the reality of
the physi*al world with it- The air in the *ae was damp and *hilled8 his body was shierin! almost
un*ontrollably- 6is nose was runnin!, and he rea*hed up to wipe it away with a shakin! hand, his
fin!ers *lumsy with the numbin! *old-
=#ome on, Tom*at,= he said to himself- =Time to !et moin!- 5p and at /em-=
With a !reat effort he mana!ed to !et to his feet, then fell ba*k down with a *ry as his *ales and
thi!hs *ramped beneath him- The pain helped break the last lin!erin! esti!es of the spell he was
under, snappin! him ba*k to the present and fo*usin! his mind on the here and now-
9ranti*ally he massa!ed ea*h of his le!s, tryin! to restore the blood flow- 6e was an+ious to leae
this pla*e now, desperate to !et away from the eil presen*e of the silently pulsin! bomb- (lan*in!
up at it made his skin *rawl, yet as repulsie as it was, he found it stran!ely *ompellin!-
=Don/t look at it,= he berated himself in a sharp whisper, redoublin! his efforts to ease the pain and
ti!htness in his lower limbs- "fter another minute he dared to stand up a!ain- 2ins and needles shot
throu!h the soles of his feet, and his knees bu*kled briefly, but he stayed standin!-
6e looked from side to side, s*annin! the *aern by the li!ht of the orb- There were at least half a
do7en entran*es leadin! out from the *hamber, and Daroit swore when he reali7ed he had no idea
whi*h would lead him ba*k up to the surfa*e-
=4ou *an/t stay here,= he muttered-
2i*kin! a tunnel at random, he made his way with slow, uneasy steps out of the *aern- The
darkness 3ui*kly eneloped him on*e he entered the passa!e, until he drew out the li!htsaber the
Sith had !ien him- 5sin! the faint !low of its ruby blade, he was able to pi*k his way alon! the
uneen terrain-
.t didn/t take him lon! to reali7e he/d made the wron! *hoi*e- 6e remembered the sharp in*line he
had tumbled down on his arrial, but the floor here was relatiely flat- .t would hae been a simple
matter to head ba*k and take one of the other e+its- But the thou!ht of returnin! to the main
*hamber,and the orb of trapped spirits,preented him from turnin! around-
=This tunnel/s !otta *ome out somewhere,= he told himself- =0ust follow it to the surfa*e-=
The plan sounded simple, but it be*ame more *ompli*ated when he rea*hed a fork in the passa!e-
6e hesitated for seeral moments, studyin! the bran*h headin! off to his left and then the one
headin! off to his ri!ht- $either offered any *lue as to whi*h,if either, would lead him to freedom-
With a resi!ned si!h and a shake of the head, he *hose the one on the left-
9orty minutes and three more bran*hes later he was re!rettin! his de*ision- 6e *ouldn/t !o ba*k to
the *aern now een if he/d wanted to8 he had be*ome hopelessly turned around in the subterranean
labyrinth- 6is stoma*h !rumbled, and the reali7ation that he mi!ht neer find his way out be!an to
*reep into the *orners of his mind-
6e pushed on, his pa*e in*reasin! with his risin! pani*- 6e was runnin! now, his eyes dartin! from
side to side, hopin! that the dim illumination of the li!htsaber/s blade would reeal somethin!,
anythin!,that mi!ht show him the way- 6e darted down another side tunnel, stumblin! alon! in his
haste until he tripped and fell-
"s he threw his hands forward to break his fall, the li!htsaber flew from his !rasp- .t s*ored a !ash
alon! the wall, then boun*ed away from him a*ross the uneen floor, e+tin!uishin! itself and
*astin! all into total darkness-
Daroit had hit the !round hard- 6e lay fa*edown in the utter bla*kness of the tunnel, surrenderin!
to the hopeless despair that *rashed in on him- There was no point in !oin! on8 he would neer find
his way out- Better to ;ust die here, for!otten and alone-
6e rolled oer onto his ba*k, blind eyes starin! up at the *eilin!- "nd then he heard a sound- .t was
faint but unmistakable- " oi*e *omin! from a !reat distan*e, *uttin! throu!h the oppressie
silen*e-
$ow you re hearin! thin!s, Tom*at, he thou!ht- But a se*ond later he heard it a!ain, e*hoin!
throu!h the tunnel- Someone else was down here:
6e didn/t know if it was a 0edi *ome to witness the fate of his fallen *omrades, a minion of the Sith
who had fled the final battle, or someone allied with a *ompletely different !roup- 6e had no idea if
whoeer it was would wel*ome him, take him prisoner, or kill him on si!ht- But he didn/t *are-
'en the fear of !oin! ba*k to the *hamber and the unnatural, unholy siler orb didn/t hold him
ba*k this time- "nythin! was better than dyin! of e+posure or staration in these dark tunnels
beneath the planet/s surfa*e-
#rawlin! forward throu!h the !loom, he felt around with his hands until his fin!ers *losed around
the hilt of the li!htsaber- 6e thrust it triumphantly up in the air as it i!nited, allowin! him to see
on*e more-
6e had no way of knowin! how far away the owner of the oi*e was- The a*ousti*s of the tunnel
were stran!e and unfamiliar- Sounds and e*hoes were unnaturally distorted as they boun*ed a*ross
the irre!ular stone walls of the under!round ma7e- But he was *ertain the oi*e had *ome from
somewhere up ahead, in the dire*tion he had been !oin!-
With the !lowin! blade to !uide him, he moed with an ea!er *onfiden*e- 'ery minute or so he
would *at*h another snat*h of *onersation *omin! to him from somewhere up ahead- 6e *ould tell
there were two speakers now, ea*h with a distin*t oi*e1 one a deep bass, the other a mu*h hi!her
pit*h- 'a*h time he heard the oi*es, they were sli!htly louder, and he knew he was headed in the
ri!ht dire*tion-
6e noti*ed that the darkness of the tunnel was fadin!8 he no lon!er needed his li!htsaber to see his
surroundin!s- But it wasn/t the yellow li!ht of the sun streamin! in as he neared the surfa*e8 it was a
*old siler !low- With a start he reali7ed he had somehow *ir*led ba*k and was on*e more
approa*hin! the *hamber of the thou!ht bomb- Whoeer the oi*es belon!ed to,friend or foe,he/d
find them there-
The *hamber was *lose, so *lose he *ould make out the words the ne+t time the oi*es spoke-
=The Sith are only two now,one )aster and one apprenti*e = the deeper one said- =There will be no
others-=
=What happens if . fail<= the other replied-
Sounds like a woman, Daroit thou!ht, too fo*used on followin! the oi*es to pay mu*h attention
to the a*tual words- $o, not a woman, he *orre*ted himself a se*ond later- " !irl
=Will you destroy me, too<= the !irl asked-
With a sho*k, Daroit reali7ed that he knew the oi*e: 6e didn/t know how it was possible, but
there was no doubt in his mind who this was-
=Rain:= he shouted, breakin! into a run to meet the *ousin he had thou!ht was dead- =Rain, you/re
alie:=
D D D
The trip to the *ae was 3ui*k and uneentful- Bane had noti*ed a few shell,sho*ked suriors of
the final battle of Ruusan starin! at him and ?annah as they roared past on their swoop, but he paid
them little heed- 6e doubted any of them would re*o!ni7e him for what he truly was- "nd een if
they did, their tales of a suriin! Sith &ord ra*in! past them with a youn! !irl in tow would seem
as ludi*rous and unreliable as the a**ounts of the mer*enaries he had let es*ape ba*k at Kaan/s
*amp-
6e brou!ht the swoop to a stop outside the dark and forbiddin! tunnel that would lead them down
to the *hamber of the thou!ht bomb- Small pebbles *run*hed loudly beneath the hard soles of his
heay bla*k boots as he dismounted- ?annah was too small to simply step off the ehi*le, but she
leapt down from her seat without any si!n of fear or hesitation, landin! nimbly on the !round
beside him-
$either of them spoke as they made the des*ent, their way lit by one of the !low rods Bane had
found in the supplies ba*k at the Sith *amp- The air !rew *older and ?annah shiered beside him,
but she didn/t *omplain- They moed 3ui*kly down the rou!h,hewn passa!e8 een so it took nearly
twenty minutes for them to rea*h their destination due to the len!th of the tunnel- "nd for the first
time Darth Bane a*tually saw what his manipulations of Kaan and his followers had wrou!ht-
The pale, !lowin! orb floatin! in the *enter of the *hamber was nearly four meters tall- .t pulsed
with raw power8 it made the flesh on Bane/s ne*k *rawl and the hair on his arms stand on end- Dark
eins of shadow swirled on the shimmerin! metalli* surfa*e in slow, hypnoti* rhythms- There was
somethin! !rotes3uely *ompellin! about it, somethin! fas*inatin! yet repulsie at the same time-
Beside him ?annah !asped, drawin! a sharp breath in wonder then releasin! it in a slow hiss of fear-
6e !lan*ed down at her, but she didn/t return his !a7e,her wide eyes were transfi+ed by the
remnants of the thou!ht bomb- Turnin! his attention ba*k to the orb, Bane stepped forward into the
*hamber- ?annah took a sin!le step to follow him, then held ba*k-
"pproa*hin! the !lobe, he rea*hed out with his bare hand and pressed it firmly a!ainst the surfa*e-
.t seared his palm with *old fire, but he was obliious to the pain, enthralled by the ob;e*t/s
mesmeri7in! *all- Beneath his tou*h the dark swirlin! shadows within *oales*ed into a sin!le mass-
The thou!hts of those trapped inside rushed up to meet him1 faint whispers in the dark re*esses of
his mind, the words unintelli!ible but full of hate and despair-
.nstin*tiely Bane/s *ons*iousness re*oiled- 6e resisted, fi!htin! the ur!e to pull his hand ba*k-
.nstead he thrust his awareness forward, penetratin! the surfa*e of the orb to plun!e into the
unfathomable depths of its bla*k heart- The hateful whispers erupted into shrieks of torment- But
these were not the s*reams of sentient bein!s1 they were bestial howls of primal, mindless fury- The
identities of those the thou!ht bomb had *onsumed,&ord Kaan, (eneral 6oth, all their Sith and 0edi
followers,had been destroyed, ripped apart by the thou!ht bomb/s e+plosion- %nly torn bits
remained, broken pie*es of what on*e had been spirits, no lon!er *apable of *ons*ious thou!ht,
wailin! in the shared sufferin! of their eternal madness-
They swarmed oer Bane/s *ons*iousness, *leain! to his still,whole identity like parasites
atta*hin! themseles to a fresh host- The keenin! spirits eneloped him, *lut*hin! and *lawin! at
his sanity as they tried to dra! him down with them into their dark abyss-
Bane tore free with *ontemptuous ease, shreddin! the already frail and tattered spirits as he *ast
them aside, and let his mind drift ba*k to the surfa*e- "n instant later he was free, leain! behind
the prison from whi*h the others would neer es*ape-
6e let his hand drop from the oblon! sphere as he took a step ba*k, satisfied at what he had learned-
There were no !hosts hauntin! him8 Kaan was no more- $ot in any real sense- The fi!ure he had
seen at the Sith *amp had been nothin! but a delusion *on;ured up by his own wounded psy*he-
="re they trapped in there<= ?annah asked- She was starin! at Bane with an e+pression of both awe
and terror-
=Trapped- Dead- .t makes no differen*e= he answered with a shru!- =Kaan and the Brotherhood are
!one- They !ot what they desered-=
=Were they weak<=
Bane didn/t answer ri!ht away- Kaan had been many thin!s, ambitious, *harismati*, stubborn, and
in the end a fool,but he had neer been weak-
=Kaan was a traitor,= he said at last- =6e led the Brotherhood away from the tea*hin!s of the an*ient
Sith- 6e turned his ba*k on the ery essen*e of the dark side-=
?annah didn/t reply, but she looked up at him e+pe*tantly- The role of mentor was a new one for
Bane8 he was a man of a*tion, not words- 6e wasn/t used to takin! the time to share his wisdom
with another desperate to learn it- But he was smart enou!h to understand that the lessons would
hae far more meanin! if his apprenti*e *ould fi!ure out some of the answers for herself-
=Why did you *hoose to be*ome my apprenti*e<= he asked, *hallen!in! her- =Why did you *hoose
the way of the dark side<=
=2ower,= she replied 3ui*kly-
=2ower is only a means to an end,= Bane admonished her- =.t is not an end in itself- What do you
need power for<=
The !irl furrowed her brow- 6er )aster already re*o!ni7ed this e+pression as a si!n she was
stru!!lin! to *ome up with an answer-
=Throu!h power . !ain i*tory,= she said when she finally spoke, re*itin! the final lines of the Sith
#ode she had learned only a few hours earlier- 9rom her tone it was *lear she was tryin! to work
throu!h her limited understandin! of the dark side to arrie at the answer Bane wanted-
=Throu!h i*tory my *hains are broken ---= she *ontinued, slowly sear*hin! for an answer ;ust
beyond her rea*h- " se*ond later she e+*laimed, =9reedom: The dark side sets us free:=
Bane nodded his approal- =The ledi sha*kle themseles in *hains of obedien*e1 obedien*e to the
0edi #oun*il8 obedien*e to their )asters8 obedien*e to the Republi*- Those who follow the li!ht
side een beliee they must submit themseles to the 9or*e- They are merely instruments of its will,
slaes to a !reater !ood-
=Those who follow the dark side see the truth of their enslaement- We re*o!ni7e the *hains that
bind us and hold us ba*k- We beliee in the power of the indiidual to break these *hains- That is
the path to !reatness- %nly if we are free *an we rea*h our full potential-
=The belief that an indiidual must not bow down before anyone or anythin! is the dark side/s
!reatest stren!th = Bane *ontinued- =But it is also our ultimate weakness- The stru!!le to rise aboe
those around you is often iolent, and in the past the Sith were *onstantly at one anothers/ throats-=
=.sn/t that a !ood thin!<= ?annah inter;e*ted, =The stron! will surie and the weak will die-=
=Weak does not mean stupid,= Bane *ountered- =There were those with less power, but more
*unnin!- Seeral apprenti*es would band to!ether to take down a powerful )aster, hopin! to
eleate their own position amon! the Sith- Then they would turn on one another, makin! and
breakin! allian*es until only one remained,a new )aster, but one weaker than the ori!inal- This
surior would then be taken down in turn by another band of lesser Sith, further weakenin! our
%rder-
=Kaan re*o!ni7ed this- But his solution was far worse than the problem- Kaan de*lared all the
followers of the dark side,all the members of the Sith %rder,as e3uals in the Brotherhood of
Darkness- .n doin! so, he betrayed us all-=
=Betrayed you<=
='3uality is a lie= Bane told her- =" myth to appease the masses- Simply look around and you will
see the lie for what it is: There are those with power, those with the stren!th and will to lead- "nd
there are those meant to follow,those in*apable of anythin! but seritude and a mea!er, worthless
e+isten*e-
='3uality is a perersion of the natural order:= he *ontinued, his oi*e risin! as he shared the
fundamental truth that lay at the *ore of his beliefs- =.t binds the stron! to the weak- They be*ome
an*hors that dra! the e+*eptional down to medio*rity- .ndiiduals destined and deserin! of
!reatness hae it denied them- They suffer for the sake of keepin! them een with their inferiors-
='3uality is a *hain, like obedien*e- &ike fear or un*ertainty or self,doubt- The dark side will break
these *hains- But Kaan *ould not see this- 6e did not !rasp the true power of the dark side- The
Brotherhood of Darkness was nothin! but a twisted refle*tion of the 0edi %rder, a dark parody of
the ery thin! we stood a!ainst- 5nder Kaan the Sith had be*ome an abomination-=
="nd that/s why you killed him,= ?annah said, thinkin! the lesson had *ome to an end-
=That is why . manipulated Kaan into killin! himself,= Bane *orre*ted- =Remember1 power alone is
not enou!h- 2atien*e- #unnin!- Se*re*y- These are the tools we will use to brin! down the 0edi- The
Sith are only two now,one )aster and one apprenti*e- There will be no others-=
?annah nodded, thou!h somethin! still seemed to be troublin! her- =What happens if . fail<= she
asked, !lan*in! toward the thou!ht bomb- =Will you destroy me, too<=
Bane/s answer was *ut off by a shout *omin! from one of the nearby passa!es-
=Rain: Rain, you/re alie:=
" boy sprinted out of the shadows, no more than a year or two older than ?annah- 6e had dark hair
and wore the bla*k armor of the Sith- " li!htsaber hilt was *lut*hed ti!htly in his ri!ht hand-
Despite these warrior/s trappin!s, it was immediately obious to Bane that this *hild posed no
threat- The 9or*e was barely alie in him- The power that burned so bri!htly inside ?annah was
nothin! but a dyin! ember of !ray ash in this one-
=Tom*at:= ?annah shouted, her fa*e li!htin! up with ;oy- She took a step forward, e+tendin! her
arms as if she wanted to hu! him- Then, as if suddenly rememberin! the presen*e of her Sith
)aster, she pulled up short and *lut*hed her hands to her *hest-
%bliious, the boy kept *omin!- 6e didn/t re!ister her sudden *han!e in mood8 he hadn/t een
noti*ed the two,meter,tall fi!ure loomin! in the shadows behind her- There was somethin! patheti*
about him, a desperate loneliness in his oi*e and his eyes that turned Bane/s stoma*h-
=./m so !lad, Rain,= the boy !asped as he skidded to a stop in front of ?annah, rea*hin! forward to
hu! her- =So !lad you/re,=
She stepped ba*k and shook her head, *ausin! his words to *at*h in his throat- The happiness in his
fa*e anished, repla*ed by a look of hurt bewilderment-
=.--- . am not Rain,= Bane/s apprenti*e said, re;e*tin! her *hildhood ni*kname and all it symboli7ed-
=. am ?annah-=
=?annah<= " look of *onfusion *rept a*ross the boy/s fa*e- =4our real name< But why<=
9umblin! for answers, he finally tore his !a7e away from the youn! !irl and noti*ed Bane standin!
motionless in the ba*k!round- 6is bewilderment be*ame *omprehension, and 3ui*kly turned into
ri!hteous ra!e-
=4ou:= he shouted, pointin! an a**usin! fin!er at Bane- Then, as if suddenly rememberin! the
weapon in his hand, he i!nited his li!htsaber- =4ou stay away from her:= he s*reamed- =. will fi!ht
you:=
The boy knew he was oermat*hed- 6e knew he had no *han*e to win a battle a!ainst a Dark &ord
of the Sith- 4et he *hose to stay and fi!ht anyway,the a*tions of a *omplete and utter fool-
Darth Bane re!arded his doomed adersary with *ontemptuous indifferen*e- This boy was nothin!
to him,an in*onse3uential spe*k he would wipe away- .f the boy wanted the ain and empty !lory
of a so,*alled *oura!eous death, Bane would !rant it-
6e dropped his hand *asually to his li!htsaber, but before he *ould i!nite his weapon, ?annah
rea*ted- 0ust as she had done when she had broken the ne*ks of the unfortunate 0edi who had
a**identally killed her friend, the !irl unleashed a wae of unstoppable dark side ener!y- She a*ted
on pure instin*t, drawin! on her natural affinity for the 9or*e with no forethou!ht, preparation, or
een trainin!-
.t happened so 3ui*kly Bane neer een had a *han*e to put up his !uard - - - but the atta*k wasn/t
dire*ted at him- The ri!ht hand of the boy she had *alled Tom*at,her *ousin and *hildhood friend,
disinte!rated- With a mere thou!ht she obliterated eerythin! below his wrist1 flesh, bone and
tendon anished in a bloody e+plosion, leain! only a ra!!ed stump-
With nothin! left to !rip it, the hilt of his li!htsaber *lattered to the floor, the blade e+tin!uished-
6owlin! in pain, the boy fell to his knees, *lut*hin! his mutilated limb to his *hest- Small spurts of
blood pumped out of the wound and splattered onto the *aern floor-
The )aster !lared down at his apprenti*e- =Why<= he demanded-
=Be*ause there would be no use or purpose in his death,= she answered, e*hoin! his own
e+planation for lettin! two of the mer*enaries surie-
Bane was smart enou!h to re*o!ni7e what was happenin!- ?an,nah was tryin! to sae her *ousin/s
life- 6e knew that the emotions driin! her,sentimentality, mer*y, *ompassion,were weaknesses
from whi*h she must learn to free herself- But he didn/t e+pe*t his apprenti*e to learn the ways of
the dark side in a sin!le day-
6e looked down at the in;ured boy *rumpled on the !round- The blood spurtin! from his stump had
slowed8 the blast that had taken his hand had also partially *auteri7ed the wound- The flow was
further stan*hed by dust and !rime from the *aern floor as he rolled ba*k and forth at ?annah/s
feet- Tears poured from his eyes and mu*us ran from his nose to *lo! his mouth and throat, turnin!
his *ries into thi*k, blubbery whimpers- She re!arded him with a *old and *al*ulatin! eye, fei!nin!
disinterest-
The risks from lettin! this wret*hed *reature lie were small, Bane de*ided- &ike the mer*enaries,
no one would beliee his tales of suriin! an en*ounter with a Sith )aster- .t was obious that
?annah wanted the boy alie- But she hadn/t be!!ed or bar!ained for his life- .nstead she had taken
*har!e of the situation, unleashin! the dark side and then defendin! her a*tions with Bane/s own
tea*hin!s- She had shown not only her power, but also her intelli!en*e and *unnin!- .t was
important to reward su*h behaior,to en*oura!e her when she displayed the !ifts and talents that
would allow her to one day take the mantle of Dark &ord from her )aster/s shoulders- )ore
important than endin! the life of one miserable, insi!nifi*ant boy- =&eae him = Bane said, turnin!
on his heel- =6e is nothin! to us-= ?annah 3ui*kly fell into step beside him as they made their way
from the *hamber and be!an the lon!, slow *limb throu!h the tunnels ba*k to Ruusan/s surfa*e-
Bane noted with satisfa*tion that een thou!h Tom*at/s pitiful sobs e*hoed after them, his
apprenti*e neer on*e !lan*ed ba*k-
#hapter E
2repare for reentry turbulen*e,= .rtanna warned them from the pilot/s seat of their shuttle- With a
*rew of only fie, she had no need to use the shipboard inter*om- She simply spoke loud enou!h for
eeryone aboard to hear-
"lthou!h the 'noy,*lass shuttle *arried only a handful of passen!ers, she was *apable of
*omfortably transportin! four times that many- The ship had been absorbed into the 0edi fleet
sometime durin! the last few weeks of the Ruusan *ampai!n, donated by an anonymous benefa*tor
from #orus*ant who had been *harmed by 9arfalla/s ur!ent plea for resour*es to support the war
effort- #hristened the Star,Wake, she was a produ*t of Tallaan Shipyards, a basi* transport essel
*apable of both suborbital fli!ht and interstellar trael, thanks to her #lass Twele hyperdrie-
The fa*t that she had been pressed into seri*e was proof of ;ust how desperate the "rmy of &i!ht
had be*ome--- 'noy,*lass shuttles were known for bein! pra*ti*al and affordable, makin! them a
faorite *hoi*e of independent mer*hants and wealthy re*reational traelers- Their most
distin!uishin! feature was an easy,to,use nai!ation and autopilot system, allowin! users to plot
and en!a!e hyperdrie routes to hundreds of known worlds a*ross the Republi* with a simple push
of a button- 5nfortunately they la*ked heay shieldin! or any si!nifi*ant armament, and were
neither parti*ularly fast nor maneuerable-
0ohun would hae preferred somethin! in a more military ein8 he doubted the autona would be
any use should a Sith Bu77ard suddenly appear on the hori7on- &o!i*ally, he knew this was hi!hly
unlikely- 'ery Bu77ard in Kaan/s fleet had been a**ounted for1 either shot down, *aptured by the
"rmy of &i!ht, or seen fleein! the system at the tail end of the final battle- But s*ores of dan!er,
filled fli!hts throu!h enemy,*ontrolled airspa*e in the months before their ultimate i*tory had
trained his mind to be on *onstant alert when approa*hin! the planet/s surfa*e- 9rom the way
.rtanna was white,knu*klin! the shuttle/s steerin! *olumn, he knew he wasn/t alone in his irrational
fears-
There was the faintest bump as they passed from the *old a*uum of spa*e into the upper layers of
Ruusan/s atmosphere and be!an their des*ent- .rtanna worked the *ontrols with a *onfident hand,
makin! subtle ad;ustments to their *ourse as 0ohun studied the s*anners skimmin! the !round
below them, lookin! for si!ns of life- 9our other *raft were isible on the ship/s monitors- &ike the
Star,Wake, ea*h was *rewed by a four, to si+,person res*ue team sent by 9arfalla to help *lean up
the aftermath of the war-
=We/e !ot moement on the !round,= 0ohun *alled out as unidentified blips popped up on his
s*reen- =Transmittin! *oordinates-=
=(ie me details,= .rtanna ordered, bankin! the shuttle around in a wide ar* that brou!ht them in
line with the people on the !round-
=Two walkers on foot= 0ohun informed her- =#an/t tell if they/re friendly from up here-=
=Takin! us down,= .rtanna replied-
&o*atin! and helpin! in;ured suriors was the team/s first priority8 proidin! re*onnaissan*e
reports to 9leet #ommand *ame se*ond, and a**eptin! the willin! surrender of enemy troops was a
distant third-
The shuttle nose dipped, and the a**eleration pushed 0ohun ba*k into his seat as they died in to !et
a *loser look at the fi!ures- .rtanna took them in low and fast, a military maneuer that pushed the
*iilian essel to her limits-
=./e !ot a isual,= 0ohun reported as a pair of tiny, indistin*t shapes on the !round be*ame isible
throu!h the shuttle/s *o*kpit iewpoint-
Bordon lifted himself up out of his seat and leaned forward oer the ba*k of 0ohun/s *hair to !et a
iew as the shuttle plun!ed toward the rapidly !rowin! fi!ures- "s it drew *loser the details *ame
into fo*us1 a man and a woman, ea*h wearin! li!ht armor and runnin! hard-
The roar of the rapidly des*endin! shuttle/s en!ines *aused the two on the !round to stop runnin!
and turn ba*k to look up at them- "n instant later they threw themseles fa*e,first to the dirt as the
shuttle swooped in less than ten meters from the !round and bu77ed them-
#ursin! under her breath as she stru!!led with the *lumsy *ontrols, .rtanna eered around sharply
and brou!ht them in to land less than fifty meters away from their 3uarry- Throu!h the window
0ohun saw the pair slowly *limb ba*k to their feet as the pilot *ut the en!ines- The woman said
somethin! to the man, who nodded in a!reement- Then they raised their hands and be!an mar*hin!
slowly toward the essel-
They were dressed like members of Kaan/s Brotherhood- But 0ohun didn/t feel the presen*e of the
dark side about them-
=)inions of the Sith,= he said- =)er*enaries, probably-=
=#ould be a trap,= Bordon warned- =Kriffih! mer*enaries hae no honor-=
=. don/t think so,= 0ohun replied- .f there was any dan!er here, he would hae felt some kind of
disturban*e in the 9or*e- =. think they ;ust want to surrender-=
=Sla!,su*kin! s*um,= Bordon spat- =9ire the en!ines up and run them oer:=
=$o:= 0ohun e+*laimed when he saw .rtanna rea*hin! for the i!nition swit*h- =We need to 3uestion
them,= he reminded her- =See what they know-=
=Then what<= Bordon demanded darkly-
=Then we take them to 9arfalla and lo*k them up with the rest of the prisoners-=
Bordon slammed his hand a!ainst the *o*kpit wall- =These s*hutta,spawn *ame to my world,my
home,to kill my people for profit:=
=They/d *ut our throats without a se*ond thou!ht if they had the upper hand,= .rtanna a!reed-
=We/re not like them,= 0ohun said- =We don/t kill prisoners-=
=)y wife died fi!htin! munk,whelps like these:= Bordon shouted- =$ow you want to show them
mer*y<=
=6ate leads to the dark side,= 0ohun replied, re*itin! the wisdom of the 0edi- But the words la*ked
power *omin! from the mouth of a nineteen,year,old 2adawan, and een as he said them he knew
how empty they sounded-
Bordon threw his hands up in frustration, then let himself fall ba*k an!rily into his seat, =.s that why
you/re here<= he !rumbled in Dis!ust- =To keep us in line< To make sure we don/t stray from your
2re*ious li!ht,side ways< .s that why 9arfalla sent you alon!<=
6e didn/t send me- . *ame on my own, 0ohun thou!ht- 6e turned in his seat to look ba*k at Bordon,
who stared intently at the floor, refusin! to meet his !a7e- 6is two sons, howeer, !lared at the
youn! 0edi with enom in their eyes- 6e understood their an!er- The Sith had brou!ht war to
Ruusan, a war that had taken eerythin! they knew and *ared about1 their homes, their
lielihoods - - - and, of *ourse, their mother-
What Bordon and his sons didn/t see was that these nameless soldiers *ouldn/t be held responsible
for all the horrors and tra!edies that had brou!ht their world *rashin! down- Whateer their *rimes,
these two didn/t desere to be made a**ountable for the a*tions of Kaan and his Brotherhood- .t was
the Sith )asters, the followers of the dark side, who were truly to blame- 4et as he looked into the
boys/ hate,filled stares, he knew there was no hope of makin! them understand- $ot while all that
they had suffered was still fresh in their minds-
0ohun had *ome to Ruusan to hunt down any members of the Brotherhood who mi!ht hae
suried the thou!ht bomb- 6e intended to *ontinue the work of (eneral 6oth,his )aster and
mentor,and eliminate the &ords of the Sith, endin! the threat of the dark side foreer- $ow,
howeer, he re*o!ni7ed a !reater mission1 6e had to sae Bordon and his sons from themseles-
These were honest, de*ent people- But drien by hate and an!er, they would but*her their helpless
foes in *old blood if he didn/t stop them- 0ohun knew that on*e their an!er faded, the memory of
their bloody en!ean*e would haunt them- (uilt and self,loathin! would eat away at Bordon and
his boys until it eentually destroyed them- 0ohun wasn/t about to let that happen-
Turnin! his attention ba*k to .rtanna, he saw hate in her eyes as well- 6oweer, hers was a *old,
*al*ulated emotion,a professional soldier re!ardin! an enemy- 6e re*o!ni7ed she wouldn/t kill
prisoners on her own, but she also wouldn/t do anythin! to stop the others- "nd he knew what he
had to do-
=This isn/t why 9arfalla sent you,= he reminded the pilot in a low oi*e- =4ou/re supposed to be
helpin! the suriors-=
.rtanna eyed him suspi*iously but didn/t say anythin!- 0ohun was relu*tant to use the 9or*e to bend
her will to his own a!ain- Sub*ons*iously she mi!ht be more aware of his interferen*e a se*ond
time and more likely to resist- Besides, it was important that she truly beliee in what he was tellin!
her- #ompellin! her obedien*e was a temporary solution, and one that *ould ultimately *ause her to
resent or mistrust him and the rest of the 0edi-
=&et me out and ./ll take the mer*enaries into *ustody,= 0ohun said, offerin! up a plan- =#onta*t the
fleet, and they/ll send another ship to pi*k up the three of us-=
The words weren/t easy for him to say- 6e/d defied 9arfalla,a 0edi )aster,to *ome to this world-
The last thin! he wanted was to leae Ruusan now, so soon after arriin!- 4et he was willin! to
make that sa*rifi*e if it would preent Bordon and his sons from !iin! in to their rash and re*kless
emotions- .t was his duty as a 0edi to prote*t their lies, een if it meant abandonin! his own
personal *rusade-
=4ou and the others should take the shuttle and head south to the battlefield= he *ontinued- =(o help
the in;ured- That/s what you/re here for-=
.rtanna hesitated, then !ae a *urt nod of a*knowled!ment- 0ohun was barely more than a boy8 the
lon! thin braid in his hair *learly marked that he had not yet *ompleted his 2adawan trainin!- But
he was still a member of the 0edi %rder- That *ounted for a lot amon! the Republi* troops- 6e/d
been relyin! on that to help her see the wisdom of his words-
#onfident that .rtanna would keep Bordon and his sons out of trouble, 0ohun !ot up from his *hair
and made his way to the rear of the Star,Wake, 6e did his best to i!nore the a**usin! eyes of the
two an!ry youn! men as he waited for the shuttle/s e+it hat*h to open- When it finally did, he leapt
out and landed nimbly on the !round, then made his way 3ui*kly toward the pair standin! patiently
nearby, their hands still raised hi!h aboe their heads- %n*e he was *lear of the essel, the en!ines
roared to life and the ship lifted into the air and took off--- mu*h to the dismay of the two
mer*enaries-
=Where are they !oin!<= the woman demanded, her oi*e a hi!h,pit*hed s3ueak of pani*- =$o:
They *an/t leae us here:=
6er arms dropped ba*k to her sides, as did her *ompanion/s- 9or a se*ond 0ohun worried that they
mi!ht make a moe for their weapons, but then he reali7ed they were too distrau!ht oer the Star,
Wakes e+it to een think about atta*kin! him-
=Don/t let them !o:= the man shouted, turnin! away from 0ohun to wat*h as the *raft flew off and
out of si!ht, then whirlin! ba*k to implore the youn! 0edi on*e more- =)ake them turn around: Tell
them to *ome ba*k:= There was a desperate ur!en*y in his oi*e that mirrored the tone of his
*ompanion-
=Don/t worry,= the youn! 0edi assured them- ="nother ship is on the way-=
=We *an/t stay here,= the woman insisted- =There/s no time- 6e/ll find us- 6e/ll find us:=
=.t/s okay,= 0ohun e+plained, holdin! up a *almin! hand- =. *an prote*t you- ./m a 0edi-=
The woman raised an eyebrow and !ae him a skepti*al !lan*e- The sli!ht youn! man widened his
stan*e, pla*ed his hands on his hips, and thrust out his *hest, hopin! it would make him appear
noble and impressie- 6e tried to pro;e*t the ima!e of *onfident self,assuran*e he/d often admired
in 6oth and the other )asters-
The man !rabbed 0ohun by the arm, tu!!in! it like a *hild *lin!in! to his mother/s apron- =We hae
to !et off this planet,= he said, the words *omin! out in a terrified whisper- =We hae to !o now:=
0ohun shook free of the man/s !rasp with only minor diffi*ulty- There was somethin! unsettlin!
about this whole en*ounter- 9rom the way these two were dressed, it was *lear they were
e+perien*ed soldiers for hire- 6e suspe*ted they were deserters from the re*ent battle,minions of the
Sith who had fled the instant the "rmy of &i!ht had broken their ranks- But their fli!ht would hae
been an a*t of opportunisti* preseration rather than fear or *owardi*e- Still, these *ombat eterans,
a**ustomed to fa*in! death and bloodshed, were a*tin! like traumati7ed illa!ers after a slaer raid-
='en if you are a 0edi, you *an/t sae us,= the woman muttered with a slow shake of her head- =4ou
*an/t prote*t us from him-=
=Who<= 0ohun wanted to know- =Who are you talkin! about<=
The man !lan*ed around 3ui*kly, as if he was afraid someone mi!ht be listenin!- =" Dark &ord of
the Sith,= he hissed-
=%ne of the Brotherhood<= 0ohun asked, barely able to *ontain his ea!erness- ="re you sayin! a
Sith )aster suried the thou!ht bomb<=
The man nodded- =6e killed &er!an and 6ansh- 9ried them with li!htnin! from his fin!ers-=
. knew it: 0ohun thou!ht triumphantly- . knew it:
=6e had a li!htsaber, too,= the woman added- =Sli*ed 2ad and Derrin wide open-= She hesitated for
a moment, shudderin! at the memory- =Rell !ot his head *ut *lean off-=
0ohun was about to ask for more details, but the sound of a rapidly approa*hin! ship momentarily
distra*ted him- 6e !lan*ed up to see a Bioua* troop transport swoopin! in for a landin!- Se*onds
after it tou*hed down, three Republi* soldiers ;umped out, weapons at the ready- 6e re*o!ni7ed the
senior offi*er in the trio1
)a;or %rten &edes, one of the hi!hest,rankin! non,0edi in the "rmy of &i!ht/s Se*ond &e!ion-
=These the prisoners<= the ma;or asked !ruffly, pointin! his blaster rifle at the mer*enaries-
0ohun nodded- &edes !ae a tilt of his head, and his subordinates moed in 3ui*kly to slap restraints
on the enemy soldiers- $either made any attempt to resist- %n*e their wrists were se*ured they were
frisked and stripped of their weapons, then mar*hed off toward the essel- The whole en*ounter was
*ondu*ted with the effi*ien*y and *ompeten*e that were the hallmarks of all troops serin! under
)a;or &edes/s *ommand-
=4ou pi*ked up .rtanna/s messa!e<= 0ohun asked as he wat*hed the Sith minions bein! led away-
=We were in the area= the offi*er replied- =9arfalla sent me to *ome !et you-=
Somethin! in his tone *au!ht the youn! 0edi/s attention- ="m . in trouble<=
The offi*er shru!!ed- =6ard to say- 4ou 0edi tend to keep a ti!ht rein on your emotions- But . bet
the !eneral wasn/t too happy when he found out you disobeyed a dire*t order and snu*k down here-=
=Don/t worry,= 0ohun replied *onfidently- =6e/ll *han!e his tune when he hears what those prisoners
hae to tell him-=
D D D
Bane throttled ba*k the swoop bike/s en!ine as they approa*hed the small *learin! that sered as the
Val*yn/s landin! site- %ri!inally presented as a !ift to &ord Bordis, the essel had been
*ommandeered by Bane when he left the "*ademy on Korriban to seek out the knowled!e of the
an*ient Sith- Bordis had neer dared to try to take it ba*k, and his *owardi*e had simply *onfirmed
Bane/s de*ision to abandon his studies and turn his ba*k on the Brotherhood-
6e brou!ht the swoop to a stop twenty meters from the ship- ?an,nah released her !rip on his waist
and ;umped off, then stood starin! at the essel-
Bane wasn/t payin! attention to her8 the last ten minutes he/d had trouble fo*usin! on anythin! but
the pain *arin! up his skull- 6e/d hoped delin! into the depths of the shimmerin! orb left behind
by the thou!ht bomb mi!ht somehow reliee the heada*hes, but if anythin! they/d !otten worse
sin*e their isit to the *ae-
"t least he/d been able to *onfirm that Kaan was truly dead- That made it easier for him to dismiss
the !hostly form that materiali7ed ;ust then on the far side of the *learin!- 2ale beneath the late,
afternoon sun, it was undeniably the ima!e of the man who had founded the Brotherhood of
Darkness-
Bane knew it was nothin! but a hallu*ination, yet there was somethin! *ompellin! about the fi!ure
as it *rossed the *learin! to stop a meter or so away from the ship- The spirit turned and fi+ed him
with a steady !a7e, then rea*hed out a be*konin! hand-
=She/s beautiful,= ?annah breathed- Darth Bane snapped his head around in surprise- But his
apprenti*e was starin! raptly at the Val*yn herself- When Bane turned his attention ba*k to where
Kaan had been standin!, the spe*ter had anished on*e a!ain-
=. neer thou!ht ./d be leain! Ruusan in a ship like this,= ?annah said-
=4ou aren/t,= Bane said as he stepped off the swoop- There was nothin! he *ould do about the
hallu*inations other than a*t as if they didn/t e+ist-
The youn! !irl turned to look ba*k at him, *onfused- =We/re not takin! your ship<=
=. am,= her )aster replied- =But you must find your own way off this world-=
.t took a moment for his words to re!ister with the !irl- When they did, her e+pression be*ame one
of utter sho*k- =.--- . *an/t *ome with you<=
The bi! man shook his head- Spurred on by ?annah/s dis*oery of the an*ient tome in the Sith
*amp, he/d *ome up with a plan- 6e was headin! to D+un, %nderon/s oersi7ed moon, to seek out
the lost tomb of 9reedon $add- But he had other ideas for his apprenti*e,
=But - - - why not< What did . do<= the youn! !irl *hoked out, *learly on the er!e of tears- =Why
are you leain! me<=
=This is part of your trainin!,= Bane e+plained- =To understand the dark side you must suffer
throu!h hardship and stru!!le,=
=4ou don/t hae to abandon me to make me suffer,= she *ountered- =Take me with you-=
=The stren!th of the dark side lies with the power of the indiidual= he reminded her- =The 9or*e
*omes from within- 4ou must learn to draw on it yourself- . will not always be there to tea*h you-=
=But you said there were always two,= ?annah insisted- =%ne to embody the power, the other to
*rae it:=
She learned 3ui*kly, and Bane was pleased to see she had already *ommitted so many of his lessons
to memory- But re*itin! the words meant nothin! if she didn/t understand the truth behind them-
=Why do you follow me<= he asked, posin! a 3uestion to lead her down the path of wisdom-
?annah thou!ht about her answer for seeral se*onds, *arefully *onsiderin! eerythin! he had
already tau!ht her- =To unleash my full potential,= she said at last, =To learn the ways of the dark
side-=
Bane nodded- ="nd when . no lon!er hae anythin! to tea*h you< What will happen then<=
6er brow furrowed in *on*entration, but this time the answer wouldn/t *ome- =. don/t know,= she
finally admitted-
=There will *ome a time when your trainin! ends= he told her- =There will *ome a day when you
hae learned all the lessons, when all my knowled!e of the dark side will be yours- %n that day you
will *hallen!e me for the title of )aster, and only one of us will surie the en*ounter-=
The !irl/s eyes opened wide- Then they narrowed as she fo*used intently on what he was sayin!-
=4ou hae the potential to surpass me,= he *ontinued- =.f you a*hiee your potential . will *ease to
be of use to you- 4ou will need to find new sour*es of knowled!e- 4ou will hae to seek out a new
apprenti*e so that you may pass on the se*rets of the Sith %rder to another-
=When your power e*lipses mine . will be*ome e+pendable- This is the Rule of Two1 one )aster
and one apprenti*e- When you are ready to *laim the mantle of Dark &ord as your own, you must
do so by eliminatin! me-
=The *onfrontation is ineitable,= he *on*luded- =.t is the only way the Sith *an surie- .t is the
way of the dark side-=
?annah didn/t say anythin!- 9rom her e+pression Bane saw she was still stru!!lin! to *omprehend
why her )aster would train her knowin! that she would ultimately betray him- But she didn/t need
to understand- $ot yet- Ri!ht now she needed only to obey him-
=)ake your way to %nderon,= Bane instru*ted her- =. will meet you there in ten standard days-=
"fter . find $add/s tomb on D+un-
=6ow am . supposed to !et there<= she protested-
=4ou are the *hosen one, the anointed heir to the le!a*y of our order- 4ou will find a way-=
="nd if . don/t<=
=Then you will hae proen yourself unworthy of bein! my su**essor, and . will seek out another
apprenti*e-=
There was nothin! more to say- Bane turned his ba*k on her and headed for his ship- ?annah merely
wat*hed him !o, not speakin!- "s he walked away, he *ould feel her an!er buildin!, be*omin! a
ra!in! inferno of hate as he *limbed into the *o*kpit- The heat of her fury brou!ht a !rim smile to
Bane/s lips as he fired up the en!ines-
The Vakyn took to the air, leain! ?annah behind,a tiny fi!ure on the planet/s surfa*e starin! after
the ship, standin! motionless as if she had been *ared from *old, hard stone-
#hapter F
This is all ;ust a misunderstandin!,= the man insisted from inside his *ell-
=4ou/re makin! a mistake,= the woman with him a!reed-
0ohun took a deep breath, then let it out in a lon!, weary si!h- 6e/d arried ba*k on the 9airwind
with his two prisoners oer an hour earlier- 6is re3uest for an immediate audien*e with 9arfalla had
been denied, as the a*tin! !eneral had been otherwise preo**upied with the *leanup efforts on
Ruusan- So 0ohun had taken his prisoners down to the fla!ship/s lower de*k and pla*ed them in a
holdin! *ell to wait- With nothin! better to do, he/d de*ided to take a seat in a nearby *hair and wait
with them-
The youn! 0edi was now stron!ly re!rettin! that de*ision-
=We were neer part of Kaan/s army,= the woman *alled out to him from behind the bars of their
*ell- =We/re ;ust farmers-=
=9armers don/t wear battle armor and *arry weapons,= 0ohun said, pointin! to the *orner of the room
where the *lothin! and e3uip,ment *onfis*ated from the mer*enaries had been piled atop a small
table-
=That stuff/s not ours= the man e+plained- =We --- we ;ust found it- We were out for a walk this
mornin! and --- we *ame a*ross this deserted *amp- We saw all this e3uipment lyin! around and, uh,
we thou!ht it would be fun to dress up like soldiers-=
The Republi* !uard standin! wat*h oer the prisoners with 0ohun barked out a lau!h at the patheti*
lie- 0ohun ;ust *losed his eyes and rea*hed up to rub his temples- Ba*k on Ruusan the prisoners had
been all too ea!er to *onfess to their *rimes- 9resh from their en*ounter with the unnamed Sith
&ord, they had been temporarily s*ared strai!ht- $ow that they were safely away from the planet/s
surfa*e, howeer, the soberin! reality of a rie,to,ten,year senten*e on a Republi* prison world was
makin! them re*ant their earlier testimony-
=What about the others<= 0ohun asked, hopin! to *at*h them in their own web of lies- =4our friends
who died in the atta*k- Were they farmers, too<=
=4es,= the man replied, een as the woman said, =We didn/t really know them-=
=Well,= the youn! 0edi asked *oolly, =whi*h is it<=
The two mer*enaries !ae ea*h other a lon!, sour look, but it was the woman who finally answered-
=We ;ust met them this mornin!- "t the Sith *amp- They said they were farmers like us, but they
mi!ht hae been lyin!-=
=&yin!< Really<= 0ohun asked sar*asti*ally- =6ard to ima!ine why anyone would do that-=
The !uard !ae another short lau!h- =4ou two should take this a*t on tour= he said- =4ou know--- if
you surie prison-=
The man in the *ell seemed about to say somethin! bitin! in reply, but he held his ton!ue when his
*ompanion !ae him a sharp elbow in the ribs- "t that moment one of 9arfalla/s enoys poked her
head into the room-
=The !eneral *an see you now,= she said to 0ohun-
0ohun leapt from his *hair to follow her-
=6ey, tell him to let us out of here,= the man *alled out after him- =Don/t for!et about us:=
$o *han*e of that, 0ohun thou!ht- To the !uard he said, =Keep an eye on them- "nd don/t beliee
anythin! they say-=
The enoy led him on a lon!, windin! ;ourney throu!h the arious leels of the 9airwind- The
holdin! *ells were lo*ated in the bottommost depths of the !reat ship/s hull8 he was meetin! 9arfalla
on the *ommand de*k at the top- "lon! the way they passed hundreds of fa*es 0ohun re*o!ni7ed,
fellow 0edi and soldiers who had fou!ht by his side durin! the *ampai!n- )ost !ae a *urt nod or a
3ui*k wae as they went by, too busy with their own duties to en!a!e in any kind of *onersation-
There were also many fa*es 0ohun didn/t re*o!ni7e1 refu!ees from Ruusan- )any were ea*uees
brou!ht here in the mad rush to es*ape the thou!ht bomb, preparin! to head ba*k down to the
surfa*e to try to rebuild their lies- %thers were men and women whose homes or families had been
*ompletely destroyed by the war8 for them there was nothin! to !o ba*k to but the painful memories
of what they had lost- 9arfalla had arran!ed for those people who didn/t wish to return to Ruusan to
be !ien transport ba*k to the #ore Worlds of the Republi*, where they *ould find a fresh start away
from the horrors they had witnessed-
So many people, 0ohun thou!ht as he silently followed his !uide- So mu*h sufferin!- "nd it will all
be for nothin! if any of the Sith mana!e to es*ape-
When they rea*hed the *ommand de*k, the enoy led him to 9arfalla/s personal 3uarters- She
kno*ked on*e on the *losed door, and a oi*e from the ether side said, =#ome in-=
She pla*ed a hand on the *onsole and the door slid open, then she nodded at 0ohun- 6e stepped
forward and into the room, and he heard the door whoosh *losed behind him-
The room was lar!er than he had e+pe*ted, and de*orated in the laish style for whi*h Valenthyne
9arfalla was famous- " bri!htly *olored ru! of *rimson and !old lay spread a*ross the floor, and the
walls were hun! with works that would not hae seemed out of pla*e in the finest art !alleries of
"lderaan- %n the far side of the room was an enormous four,poster bed, the frame fashioned from
the timber of a wroshyr tree,a !ift from Wookiee tribal leaders on Kashyyyk- The *oers and
pillows were woen from shimmerin! silks of yellow and red, and ea*h of the massie bedposts
was embla7oned with a hand,painted mural depi*tin! a ma;or eent from 9arfalla/s life1 his royal
birth, his a**eptan*e into the 0edi %rder, his as*ension to the rank of )aster, his famous triumph
oer the Sith for*es on Kashyyyk- The !eneral was sittin! at an oersi7ed desk in the *orner,
reiewin! reports on a monitor built into the surfa*e- =4ou disappoint me, youn! 2adawan,= he said
as he fli*ked off the s*reen and turned in his seat to fa*e 0ohun-
=. am sorry . disobeyed you, )aster Valenthyne,= he replied-
9arfalla stood up and *rossed the room, his feet paddin! softly on the lu+urious *arpet- =That is the
least of my *on*erns,= he said, pla*in! a heay hand on the youn! man/s shoulder- 6is eyes were
dark and sunken, and his normally ;oyful e+pression was hidden under a mask of worry and fati!ue-
/Trtanna,= 0ohun said, han!in! his head in shame at the memory of how he had used the 9or*e to
tri*k the pilot into allowin! him to
;oin her *rew-
=" 0edi does not use his powers to manipulate the rninds of his friends- 'en if your moties are
pure, it is an abuse of your position and a betrayal of the trust others put in us-=
=. know what . did was wron!,= 0ohun admitted- ="nd . will a**ept whateer punishment you feel
is ne*essary to atone for what . did- But there is somethin! more important that we need to talk
about first-=
9arfalla !a7ed into 0ohun/s eyes, then let his hand drop- The 2adawan thou!ht he saw a fli*ker of
disappointment *ross the )aster/s fa*e as he did so-
=4es, of *ourse,= 9arfalla said, turnin! and walkin! ba*k to his desk- 6e rea*hed down and fli*ked
the monitor ba*k on- =The report from those prisoners you *aptured-=
=4ou/e seen it<= 0ohun asked in surprise-
=. read all the reports,= he answered- =.t is a leader/s responsibility to know what his followers are
doin!- )ore important, he must stop them from makin! rash or mis!uided de*isions-=
=4ou still don/t beliee any of the Sith suried the thou!ht bomb,= 0ohun !uessed-
=. la*k faith in the *redibility of your sour*es,= Valenthyne replied- =These mer*enaries are, to put it
bluntly, the s*um of the !ala+y- 6ow do you know they aren/t ;ust tellin! you what you want to
hear<=
=Why would they do that<=
9arfalla shru!!ed- =)aybe they think you will stand up for them- (et them better treatment as
prisoners- " lesser senten*e for their *rimes- These people are opportunists- They will seek eery
adanta!e they *an find- &yin! is se*ond nature to them-=
=. don/t think they were lyin!, )aster,= 0ohun said with a shake of his head- =.f you saw them on the
surfa*e - - - they were terrified: Somethin! terrible happened to them-=
=This is war- Terrible thin!s are a matter of *ourse-=
=What about the details of their a**ount<= 0ohun pressed- =The red,bladed li!htsaber< The 9or*e
li!htnin!< These are the weapons of the dark side:=
=.f they were soldiers in Kaan/s army, they would be well ersed in the tools the Sith use a!ainst
their enemies- .t would be easy for them to add these elements to any story they wanted to tell-=
#len*hin! his ;aw in frustration, 0ohun spat out a harsh a**usation- =4ou ;ust want to beliee the
Sith are !one foreer: That/s why you refuse to see what/s ri!ht in front of us-=
="nd you want to beliee the Sith still e+ist,= 9arfalla *ountered, thou!h his oi*e e*hoed none of
the an!er in the 2adawan/s *hallen!e- =4ou want to strike out a!ainst those who killed your )aster-
4our desire to aen!e him has blinded you to the fa*ts- .f you were thinkin! *learly, you would see
that there is one part of the story that *alls the entire a**ount into 3uestion-=
0ohun blinked in surprise- =4ou hae proof they/re lyin!<=
=.t/s ri!ht there in the report you filed,= 9arfalla informed him- =They *laim that a Dark &ord of the
Sith slau!htered their friends- But somehow they suried the en*ounter- 6ow is that possible<=
=They--- they es*aped into the trees,= 0ohun stammered, knowin! how foolish the words sounded
een as he said them-
=4ou are a 0edi,= 9arfalla admonished him- =4ou know the power of the 9or*e- Do you really
beliee they *ould hae es*aped the wrath of a Sith )aster simply by runnin! into the forest<=
6e would hae hunted them down and but*hered them like 7u**a pi!s, 0ohun admitted to himself-
=)aybe he wanted to let them lie for some reason = he su!!ested, still unwillin! to surrender the
point-
=Why<= 9arfalla asked- =.f a Sith &ord suried the thou!ht bomb, why would he leae witnesses
behind who *ould e+pose him to his enemies<=
0ohun had no answer for this- .t didn/t make any sense- But somehow he knew,he knew,the
mer*enaries were tellin! the truth-
=0ohun,= the !eneral said, sensin! his inner *onfli*t- =4ou must be *ompletely honest with yourself-
Do you really beliee we *an trust these mer*enaries<=
0ohun thou!ht ba*k to the prisoners in the *ell and the endless strin! of lies pourin! from their
mouths- 6e thou!ht about his own warnin! to the !uard wat*hin! oer them1 Don/t beliee anythin!
they say- "nd 0ohun finally reali7ed what a fool he/d been-
=$o, )aster Valenthyne- 4ou are ri!ht- They *an/t be trusted-= "fter a moment he added, =.--- .
would like to speak with .rtanna and Bordon when they !et ba*k- To apolo!i7e for what . did to
them-=
=./m !lad to hear you say that, 0ohun= 9arfalla said with a wan smile- =We 0edi are not infallible- .t
is important that we stay humble enou!h to admit when we make a mistake-
=5nfortunately, apolo!i7in! in person will not be possible,= he *ontinued- =. hae been summoned
to #orus*ant to meet with #han*ellor Valorum- Sin*e you obiously *annot be trusted to follow my
instru*tions in my absen*e, you will be a**ompanyin! me as my aide-=
The pro*lamation had been framed as a punishment, but 0ohun/s heart leapt at the words- .n effe*t,
)aster Valenthyne was offerin! to take him on and mentor him-
=.--- thank you, )aster,= was all he *ould say- $ot sure what else to do, he !ae a short bow-
=.t/s what 6oth would hae wanted for you,= 9arfalla said softly- Then, louder, =We/ll leae as soon
as . finish makin! the arran!ements for others to take oer *ommand of the fleet while ./m !one-=
=Why does the #han*ellor want to meet with you so ur!ently<= 0ohun asked, suddenly *urious-
=$ow that the Brotherhood of Darkness has been defeated, the (ala*ti* Senate wants to put an
offi*ial end to this war- There is important le!islation on the table that *ould *han!e the fa*e of the
Republi* foreer- Valorum wants to dis*uss it with me before the Senate otes-=
="nd this le!islation will affe*t the 0edi as well<=
=.t will,= 9arfalla answered !rimly- =.n ways you *annot een be!in to ima!ine-=
D D D
?annah/s feet hurt- 6er *ales a*hed- 6er thi!hs burned with eery step- 4et somehow she i!nored
the pain and pushed herself to !o on-
She/d been walkin! eer sin*e Darth Bane/s ship had disappeared oer the hori7on, leain! her
alone on*e a!ain- 6er mission was *lear1 make her way to %nderon- To do that, she had to find a
ship to !et her off Ruusan- That meant findin! other people- But ?annah had no idea where any
other people mi!ht be, and so she had simply *hosen a random dire*tion and started walkin!-
She was too small to pilot the swoop bike Bane had used to whisk them a*ross the lands*ape- "t
first that hadn/t mattered1 She/d used her newfound talents in the 9or*e to propel herself alon!,
runnin! so fast that the world passed by her in a blur of wind and *olor- But while the 9or*e may
hae been infinite, her ability to draw upon it was not- 6er skills were still deelopin!, and fati!ue
had set in 3ui*kly- She had felt her pa*e slowin! as her stren!th ebbed, and thou!h she tried to
summon the power of the dark side a!ain by tappin! into her deep reseres of an!er and hate, her
e+hausted will *ould only *all up the faintest fli*ker of a response-
$ow she/d been redu*ed to a tired little !irl ploddin! a*ross the war,torn Ruusan lands*ape- 4et she
refused to surrender to despair, instead fo*usin! all her ener!y on puttin! one foot in front of the
other- .t was impossible to say how lon! she *ontinued her for*ed mar*h,how many hours or
kilometers she endured,before she was rewarded with what she sou!ht1 the si!ht of a shuttle in the
distan*e-
6ope !ae new life to her weary limbs, and she mana!ed a *lumsy, limpin! run toward the essel-
She *ould see people millin! about the *raft1 a youn! woman, an older man, and two teena!e boys-
"s she drew nearer the woman noti*ed her and *alled out to one of her *ompanions-
=Bordon: Tell the boys we/e found someone who needs help-=
)inutes later ?annah found herself inside the essel/s *ar!o hold, sittin! on a supply *hest while
wolfin! down nutrition bars from a ration kit and *hasin! them with a pipin!,hot *up of *ha- %ne
of the boys had thrown a thi*k blanket oer her shoulders, and the entire *rew was now hoerin!
prote*tiely around her,
=./e neer seen someone so small eat so mu*h,= the woman said with a lau!h-
She didn/t look like she/d *ome from Ruusan ori!inally- She had dark skin and short bla*k hair, and
she wore a bulky padded est under her ;a*ket- There was also a blaster pistol strapped to her hip,
makin! ?annah fairly *ertain she was a soldier of some type-
=What did you e+pe*t, .rtanna<= the older man said- .n *ontrast to the woman, he looked like he was
probably a natie of Ruusan- 6e had broad shoulders, leathery skin, and a short brown beard- 6e
reminded ?annah of Root, the *ousin who had raised her as a little !irl ba*k on her homeworld of
Somo Rit- =The poor thin!/s nothin! but skin and bones- When was the last time you had a de*ent
meal, !irl<=
?annah shook her head- =. don/t know,= she said around a mouthful of food-
She/d only a**epted their offer of a meal out of politeness- 'er sin*e she had arried on Ruusan
she/d been liin! on roots and berries, her body *onstantly on the ed!es of staration- She/d been
doin! it for so lon! that she/d !otten used to the pan!s of a perpetually empty stoma*h, adaptin! to
the point that she was barely aware of her hun!er- But the moment that first bite of real food hit her
ton!ue, she remembered her appetite, and now her body was determined to make up for weeks of
poor nutrition-
=Where are your parents<= the woman *alled .rtanna asked-
=They/re dead,= ?annah answered after a moment/s hesitation, settin! down what remained of the
ration kit- The food was deli*ious8 the simple physi*al pleasure of eatin! was a !lorious sensation-
But she *ouldn/t allow herself to be distra*ted by it ri!ht now- She had to be ery *areful with what
she told these people-
The man *rou*hed beside her, brin!in! himself down to her eye leel- When he spoke, his oi*e
was soft and sympatheti*- ="ny other family< Brothers or sisters< "nyone<=
She answered with another shake of her head-
=" war orphan,= .rtanna muttered sadly-
=)y name/s Bordon,= the man told her, =This is .rtanna, and these are my sons Tallo and Wend-
What/s your name<=
5nwillin! to reeal her true name, she hesitated for a se*ond, =./m --- Rain,= she finally offered,
!iin! them her *hildhood ni*kname-
=Rain< That/s a funny name- $eer heard one like that before,= the older boy, Tallo, said- 6e looked
to be about si+teen-
=There are lots of names you/e neer heard,= Bordon *hided his son sharply- Then, in a softer
oi*e, he asked ?annah, ="re you hurt, Rain< %r si*k< We hae medi*ine if you need it-=
=./m okay- . was ;ust hun!ry is all-=
=Should we take her with us<= .rtanna asked-
Bordon kept his eyes on ?annah as he replied, =Why don/t we ask her- Rain, do you want to *ome
with us<=
=. hae to !o to %nderon,= ?annah replied without thinkin!- "s soon as the words were out of her
mouth she re!retted them-
=%nderon< $othin! on that ro*k but monsters and beast,riders, Tallo *himed in- =4ou must be pretty
stupid if you want to !o there-=
=6ush, boy= Bordon snapped- =4ou/e neer been off Ruusan, so how would you know<=
=. heard people talkin!,= Tallo replied- ="round the *amps and stuff-=
=4ou *an/t beliee eery tale you hear around a *ampfire,= his father reminded him- =$ow take your
brother and !o wait up in the front of the ship-=
=#ome on,= Tallo !rumbled, !rabbin! his youn!er siblin! by the arm-
=That/s not fair:= Wend protested as he was led away- =. didn/t do nothin!:=
=Why do you want to !o to %nderon<= .rtanna asked on*e the boys were !one- =.t/s a ery
dan!erous world- $ot the kind of pla*e for a little !irl on her own-=
=. won/t be on my own- .--- . hae family there,= ?annah lied- =. ;ust need to find them-=
Bordon rubbed his hand oer his *hin, tu!!in! sli!htly at his beard- =.t mi!ht be pretty hard findin!
them on a pla*e like %nderon,= he said- =.s there someone else we *ould *onta*t for you< " family
friend on Ruusan, maybe<=
=. hae to !o to %nderon,= ?annah insisted-
=. see= the man said, then he stood up and turned to .rtanna- =%ur youn! !uest seems mi!hty
determined to !et off this world-=
=We *an/t take you to %nderon,= .rtanna said, =but we *an take you with us when we leae Ruusan-=
=Take me where<= ?annah asked, suspi*ious-
=We/e !ot a whole fleet of ships orbitin! the planet, Rain- 4ou/ll be safe up there- Well find
someone to !et you *leaned up and look after you-=
=. *an look after myself,= she answered defiantly-
=4es, . *an see that,= Bordon inter;e*ted- =But . bet it/s lonely bein! all by yourself-= When ?annah
didn/t answer he *ontinued, =Tell you what,it/s !ettin! dark outside- Why don/t we take you with us
up to the fleet for now< Then tomorrow we *an fi!ure out what to do ne+t-
=.f you still want to !o to %nderon, we/ll see if we *an help- But if you *han!e your mind, maybe
you *ould stay here on Ruusan with me and my boys for a while- "t least until we find your
family-=
?annah/s mouth dropped open at his offer-
Bordon rea*hed down and patted her !ently on the shoulder- =.t/s okay,= he said- =4ou don/t hae to
answer ri!ht now- 0ust somethin! to think about-=
)ana!in! a sli!ht nod, ?annah resumed eatin! her meal, her mind still reelin!-
=./ll !o !et us ready for takeoff= .rtanna said as she left, headin! up toward the front of the essel-
Bordon !runted his a!reement, then spoke to ?annah on*e more- =. hae to !o up front to help
.rtanna- 4ou ;ust stay ba*k here and finish eatin!, okay<=
?annah nodded a!ain- There was somethin! *omfortin! about the way Bordon spoke to her- 6e
made her feel safe and important at the same time- She wat*hed him disappear throu!h the door
separatin! the supply hold from the *o*kpit-
=4ou ;ust holler if you need anythin!,= Bordon/s oi*e *alled ba*k to her-
" minute later the en!ines roared to life and the shuttle lifted up into the air, but ?annah barely
noti*ed- 6er brain was oerwhelmed with *onfli*tin! emotions- 2art of her was silently s*reamin!
that she had *ouldn/t ;ust sit there,she had to do somethin! nowl She *ouldn/t let them take her ba*k
to the fleet- There were too many people there- Too many 0edi- Someone was bound to noti*e her
spe*ial !ifts and start askin! 3uestions- They/d find out about Darth Bane, and eerythin! he had
promised her,all the knowled!e and power of the dark side,would be lost-
4et another part of her wanted to !o ba*k to the fleet- Bane had warned that her apprenti*eship
would be a lon! and diffi*ult stru!!le- She was tired of stru!!lin!- "nd Bane had abandoned her-
Bordon, on the other hand, had offered her his home8 he/d offered to let her be part of his family-
What would be so wron! about simply a**eptin! his offer< Bane had said she was the *hosen heir
to the le!a*y of the an*ient Sith, but was that really what she wanted<
Before she *ould *ome up with an answer she heard a noise, and looked up to see Wend, the
youn!er of Bordon/s two sons, *omin! in from the *o*kpit to talk to her- She !uessed he was
somewhere around thirteen,only a few years older than she was-
=2apa says you don/t hae any family,= he said by way of !reetin!-
?annah didn/t know what to say, so she only nodded-
=Did they die in the war<= Wend asked- =Did the Sith kill them<=
She shru!!ed, unwillin! to elaborate in *ase she inadertently !ae away some detail that would
e+pose her fa*ade-
=)y mother was a soldier,= Wend told her- =She was ery brae- She went to fi!ht the Sith when
they first *ame to Ruusan-=
=What happened to her<= She only asked the 3uestion be*ause it was e+pe*ted and it would hae
seemed odd if she hadn/t- She didn/t want to do anythin! to draw unwanted attention to herself-
=She died at the 9ourth Battle of Ruusan- Killed by the Sith- 2apa says,=
=Wend:= *ame Bordon/s oi*e from the *o*kpit- =(et ba*k up here- &et Rain hae some pea*e and
3uiet-=
The boy !ae her a shy smile, then turned and left her alone a!ain with her thou!hts- Thanks to his
words, howeer, she/d made her de*ision-
Bordon had offered to take her in- 6e/d offered to make her part of his family- 6e was temptin! her
with a simple but happy life- But his words offered nothin! e+*ept empty promises- 2ea*e is a 6e-
What !ood were family or friends if you didn/t hae the stren!th to prote*t them< Bordon had lost
his wife, and Tallo and Wend had lost their mother- When the Sith *ame they/d been powerless to
sae the one they most loed-
?annah knew what it was like to feel powerless- She knew what it was like to hae the thin!s she
alued aboe all else taken from her- "nd she had owed to neer let it happen a!ain-
Bordon and his family were i*tims,slaes bound by the *hains of their own weakness- ?annah
refused to be a i*tim any lon!er- Bane had promised to tea*h her the ways of the dark side- 6e
would show her how to unleash the power within and free herself from the sha*kles of the world-
Throu!h power . !ain i*tory- Throu!h i*tory my *hains are broken:
The reali7ation of what she was,the a**eptan*e of her destiny,spurred ?annah into a*tion- She tried
to *all upon the 9or*e to !ie her stren!th, but she was still too e+hausted from her preious
e+ertions to use her talents- 5ndaunted, she be!an to rumma!e throu!h the supply *rates in the
*ar!o hold, lookin! for somethin! she *ould use to stop the shuttle and her *rew from brin!in! her
to the rest of the fleet-
She found what she was lookin! for ;ust as Tallo entered the hold, *at*hin! her red,handed-
=2apa wanted me to see if you, 6ey: What do you think you/re doin!<=
?annah wrapped her hand around the !rip of the blaster a split se*ond before Tallo *rashed into her,
ta*klin! her to the !round-
=4ou kriffin! little thief:= the boy swore at her, tryin! to pin her to the !round and pull the weapon
from her hand- 6e outwei!hed ?annah by thirty kilos, but she fou!ht with a saa!e desperation that
kept him from !ettin! a firm !rip on her as they wrestled on the floor-
Drawn by the sounds of their stru!!le, Bordon *ame runnin! into the room-
=What the bla7es is !oin! on here:= he shouted-
.n that e+a*t instant the blaster dis*har!ed- .t was impossible to say whose fin!er had been on the
tri!!er8 Tallo and ?annah were ea*h *lut*hin! at the pistol with both hands in their efforts to wrest
possession of it from the other- But throu!h ill lu*k or dark fate, when the bolt was fired the barrel
of the weapon was pointed s3uarely at Tallo- The impa*t left a !apin! wound in the *enter of his
*hest, killin! him instantly-
The youn! man/s hands went limp and fell away from the blaster- 6is body toppled forward,
pinnin! ?annah/s le!s beneath its wei!ht- "*ross the room Bordon/s eyes flew wide in horror- With
a s*ream of an!uish he lun!ed forward to help his son-
Seein! the father of the boy she had ;ust killed rushin! toward her, ?annah a*ted on instin*t and
fired the weapon a!ain- The bolt *au!ht Bordon ;ust aboe the belt, *uttin! off his *ry and kno*kin!
him to his knees- 6e let out a low !runt of pain as he *lut*hed at the smokin! hole in his !ut, then
rea*hed a bloody hand out toward ?annah- She *ried out in fear and dis!ust and fired a!ain, endin!
Bordon/s life-
=Bordon:= .rtanna/s oi*e *ame oer the shipboard inter*om- =. heard blasterfire: What/s happenin!
ba*k there<=
)oin! 3ui*kly, ?annah s3uirmed out from under Tallo/s *orpse and ran up to the *o*kpit- She
arried to find Wend still harnassed into his passen!er/s seat, tryin! to turn around to see what was
!oin! on- .rtanna was ;ust risin! from her *hair to !o help Bordon- She/d had to en!a!e the autopilot
before she *ould leae her seat, and the delay had !ien ?annah the pre*ious se*onds she/d need to
!ain the upper hand-
=Sit ba*k down and don/t moe:= ?annah shouted, pointin! the blaster at .rtanna- 6er oi*e sounded
thin and hollow in the ti!ht *onfines of the *o*kpit,the oi*e of a pani*ky *hild-
.rtanna hesitated, then obeyed-
=What happened<= the woman asked, her tone *arefully neutral- =.s anybody hurt<=
=2lot a *ourse for %nderon = ?annah ordered, refusin! to answer the 3uestion- She *ould barely hear
herself speak aboe the deafenin! thump of her ra*in! heart-
=%kay,= .rtanna said slowly, rea*hin! up to pun*h the *oordinates into the ship/s *ommand *onsole-
=./ll do what you want- 0ust stay *alm-= The ship/s autona *himed to a*knowled!e the new
destination, and the woman half turned in her seat so she *ould look the youn! !irl holdin! her
hosta!e s3uare in the eye- =Rain, put the blaster down-= There was a *ool self,assuran*e in her
words, and a !rim determination on her fa*e-
=./m not Rain,= the !irl retorted throu!h *len*hed teeth- =)y name is ?annah:=
=Whoeer you are,= .rtanna said, standin! up slowly, =you/re !oin! to !ie me that blaster-=
=Don/t moe or ./ll shoot:= ?annah warned, her oi*e risin! shrilly- 6ow *an she be so *alm< she
thou!ht, een as she stru!!led to slow her own breathin! down- She was the one with the blaster,
but somehow she felt like she was losin! *ontrol of the situation-
=$o,= the youn! woman replied *almly, takin! a sin!le step toward her- =4ou won/t shoot me-
4ou/re not a killer-=
The memory of the two dead 0edi ba*k on Ruusan flashed throu!h ?annah/s mind, followed 3ui*kly
by the ima!e of Bordon and his son lyin! lifeless in the *ar!o hold-
=4es, . am= she whispered as she pulled the tri!!er-
.rtanna mana!ed a faint !asp of surprise, then *ollapsed to the !round,a 3ui*k and *lean death-
?annah waited a se*ond to *onfirm she was !one, then turned to point the blaster at Wend- 6e had
wat*hed the en*ounter unfold as if paraly7ed, not een botherin! to undo the bu*kle of his safety
harness-
=Don/t kill me:= he be!!ed, s3uirmin! beneath the *hair/s restraints-
She *ould a*tually sense the fear emanatin! from him- She felt the familiar heat of the dark side
flare to life within her, respondin! to the pli!ht of her i*tim, feedin! itself on his terror- .t flowed
throu!h her like a wae of li3uid fire, burnin! away her !uilt and un*ertainty and stren!thenin! her
resole-
?annah/s mind was filled with a !reat and sudden reali7ation1 fear and pain were an ineitable part
of e+isten*e- "nd it was far better to infli*t them on others than to suffer them herself-
=2lease don/t shoot,= Wend whimpered, makin! one last plea for his life- =./m ;ust a kid- &ike you =
=./m not a kid = ?annah said as she pulled the tri!!er- =./m a Sith-=
#hapter G
Bane *ould hear the whine of the Vakyn/s en!ines as the ship sli*ed throu!h the upper layers of
D+un/s atmosphere, protestin! as he pushed the essel to her ery limits- $ormally the trip from
Ruu,san to %nderon/s oersi7ed moon would hae taken a T,*lass *ruiser like the Val*yn between
four and fie days- Bane had *oered the distan*e in ;ust oer two-
Within hours of leain! Ruusan,and ?annah,behind, he had been *ursed with the return of the
almost unbearable heada*hes- "nd with them had *ome an unwanted and most unwel*ome
*ompanion- The spe*tral shade of &ord Kaan loomed oer him in the *o*kpit for the entire first day
of the trip, a isible manifestation of the dama!e Bane/s mind had suffered from the thou!ht bomb-
The spirit neer spoke, merely wat*hed him with its a**usatory !a7e, a *onstant presen*e on the
ed!es of Bane/s awareness-
The !hostly apparition had drien Bane to adopt an irresponsible, een dan!erous, pa*e for the
;ourney- 6e had pushed the Val*yn far beyond the re*ommended safety parameters, as if part of him
was tryin! to use the speed of the ship to outrun his own madness- 6e was desperate to rea*h D+un
so he *ould find the tomb of 9reedon $add and hopefully dis*oer some way to rid himself of the
torturous hallu*inations-
Kaan had disappeared toward the end of the first day of his ;ourney, only to be repla*ed by an een
worse isitation- .t wasn/t the founder of the Brotherhood of Darkness that hoered beside him now,
but Bordis,the former head of the Sith "*ademy on Korriban- 2ale and semi,translu*ent, the fi!ure
was otherwise an almost perfe*t repli*a of what the Sith &ord had looked like at the time of their
final meetin!, when Bane had killed him- Tall and !aunt, Bordis had skeletal features that seemed
more at home on a spirit than they eer had on a bein! of flesh and blood- 5nlike Kaan, howeer,
Bordis a*tually spoke to him, spewin! forth an endless litany of blame, denoun*in! eerythin!
Bane had a**omplished-
=4ou betrayed us= the phantom said, e+tendin! a lon!, thin fin!er topped with a talon,like nail-
Bane didn/t need to look at it to know the fin!er would be adorned with the heay be;eweled rin!s
Bordis had worn in life- =4ou destroyed the Brotherhood, you brou!ht i*tory to the 0edi- "nd now
you flee the s*ene like a *raen thief in the ni!ht-=
./m not a *oward: Bane thou!ht- There was no point in oi*in! the words aloud8 the ision was all
in his mind- Speakin! with it would only be a si!n that his mental *ondition was further
deterioratin!- . did what had to be done- The Brotherhood was an abomination- They had to be
destroyed:
=The Brotherhood had knowled!e of the dark side- Wisdom that is lost foreer be*ause of you-=
Bane was !rowin! weary of the all,too,familiar refrain- 6e/d had this *onersation with himself
before he de*ided to destroy Kaan and his followers, and now he was reliin! it a!ain and a!ain
throu!h the delusions of his wounded mind- 4et he refused to allow any doubts or un*ertainties to
weaken his resole8 he had done what was ne*essary-
The Brotherhood had lost its way- They had fallen from the true path of the dark side- "6 the study
and trainin! Bordis put prospe*tie students throu!h at the "*ademy was worthless-
=.f that was true,= the apparition *ountered, answerin! his unspoken ar!uments, =then how do you
e+plain your *urrent mission< 4our *laim to re;e*t my tea*hin!s, yet . was the one who dis*oered
the lo*ation of 9reedon $add/s lost tomb-=
4ou didn/t dis*oer anythin!- 4ou re ;ust a hallu*ination- "nd Bordis may hae stumbled on this
information, but he didnt know what to do with it- " true Sith )aster would hae left Ruusan to
seek out $add/s tomb- .nstead he de*ided to stay and help Kaan play army with the 0edi-
='+*uses and ;ustifi*ations,= the spirit replied- =Kaan was a warrior- But you would rather hide from
your enemies than fi!ht them-=
Bane !ritted his teeth as the Val*yn hit the turbulen*e of D+un/s heay *loud *oer- The ship was
still !oin! too fast, for*in! him to *lut*h the steerin! yoke so hard to keep his *raft on *ourse that
his knu*kles turned white- 6e heard the *reaks and !roans as the oer,stressed hull sli*ed throu!h
the thi*k atmosphere-
=4ou betrayed us = Bordis said a!ain-
Bane swore under his breath, doin! his best to i!nore the ram,blin!s of the ima!e *on;ured up by
his own mind- 6ow many times had he heard this e+a*t *onersation in the past day< 9ifty< "
hundred< .t was like listenin! to a busted holopro;e*tor repeatin! the same messa!e oer and oer-
=4ou destroyed the Brotherhood, you brou!ht i*tory to the 0edi- "nd now you flee the s*ene like a
*raen thief in the ni!ht-=
=Shut up:= Darth Bane s*reamed, no lon!er able to *ontain his ra!e- =4ou/re not een real:=
6e lashed out with the 9or*e, releasin! an e+plosion of dark side ener!y inside the *o*kpit,
determined to blast the offendin! ision into obliion- Bordis did anish, but Bane/s i*tory was
short,lied- 'mer!en*y li!hts be!an flashin! inside the ship, a**ompanied by the shrill whoopin! of
a *riti*al failure alarm-
The ship/s *onsole had been fried by the burst of power he/d unleashed- #ursin! Bordis and his own
re*kless display of emotion, Bane be!an a desperate stru!!le to somehow brin! the essel in for a
safe landin!- 9rom all around him he *ould hear the !hostly, mo*kin! lau!hter of Bordis-
The Val*yn was in free fall, plummetin! strai!ht down toward D+un/s heaily forested surfa*e-
Bane yanked ba*k on the yoke with all the stren!th of his massie frame, mana!in! to redire*t the
ship into a shallower an!le of approa*h- But if he didn/t find some way to de*elerate, it wasn/t !oin!
to matter-
6e pun*hed at the *ontrols, tryin! to restart the en!ine thrusters with one hand while the other still
stru!!led to keep the yoke steady- (ettin! no response, he *losed his eyes and rea*hed out with the
9or*e, di!!in! deep into the burned,out *ir*uits and melted wires of the ship-
6is mind ra*ed throu!h the labyrinth of ele*troni*s that *ontrolled all the Vakyris systems,
reassemblin! and reroutin! them to find a *onfi!uration that would restore power to the dead
i!nition swit*h- 6is first attempt resulted in a shower of sparks shootin! up from the *ontrol panel,
but his se*ond effort was rewarded with the roar of the thrusters *omin! to life-
Bane mana!ed to !et the en!ines into full reerse only a few hundred meters aboe D+un/s surfa*e-
The ship/s des*ent slowed, but didn/t een *ome *lose to stoppin!- " split se*ond before the Val,*yn
slammed into the forest below, Bane wrapped himself in the 9or*e, *reatin! a prote*tie *o*oon he
*ould only hope would be stron! enou!h to surie the unaoidable *ollision-
The Val*yn hit the treetops at a forty,fie,de!ree an!le- The landin! !ear sheared off on impa*t,
tearin! loose with a thunderous *ra*k- Wide !ashes appeared in the sides of the ship, the hull
hurtlin! into thi*k bran*hes and bou!hs with enou!h for*e to tear throu!h the reinfor*ed sheets of
metal and peel them away from their frame-
.nside the *o*kpit Bane was flun! a!ainst walls and *eilin!- 6e was spun, tossed, and slammed
a!ainst the sides of the *o*kpit as the essel *areened throu!h the trees- 'en the 9or*e *ouldn/t
fully shield him from the deastatin! *rash as the ship *ared a kilometer,lon! swath of burned and
broken folia!e before slammin! into the soft, muddy !round of a swamp and finally *omin! to rest-
9or seeral se*onds Bane didn/t moe- 6is ship had been redu*ed to a smokin! pile of s*rap, but
mira*ulously he had suried, saed by the dark side ener!ies enelopin! his form- 6e hadn/t
es*aped uns*athed, howeer- 6is body was *oered with painful bruises and *ontusions, his fa*e
and hands *ut from fra!ments of shattered !lass that had pier*ed his prote*tie *o*oon8 his ri!ht
bi*ep was bleedin! heaily from a deep fie,*entimeter !ash- 6is left shoulder had been dislo*ated
and two ribs were broken, but neither had pun*tured a lun!- 6is ri!ht knee was already swellin! up,
but there didn/t seem to be any *artila!e or li!ament dama!e- "nd he tasted blood in his mouth,
oo7in! from the !ap where two of his teeth had been kno*ked out- 9ortunately, none of his wounds
was life threatenin!-
Bane rose to his feet slowly, faorin! his in;ured knee- What was left of the Val*yn had *ome to rest
on her side, turnin! eerythin! in the *o*kpit at a disorientin! ninety,de!ree an!le- )oin!
!in!erly, Bane made his way to the emer!en*y e+it hat*h, his left arm dan!lin! all but useless from
his side- (ien the ship/s position, her e+it hat*h was now aboe him, fa*in! the sky-
Stron! as he was, Bane knew he wouldn/t be able to pull himself to freedom with only one !ood
arm- " 0edi mi!ht hae been able to use the 9or*e to heal his wounds, but Bane was a student of the
dark side- 'en if his ability to *all upon the 9or*e hadn/t been temporarily e+hausted in suriin!
the *rash, healin! was not a skill the Sith were familiar with- Before he be*ame a Sith )aster,
howeer, Bane had sered as a soldier, where he had re*eied basi* medi*al field trainin!-
The Val*yn was e3uipped with an emer!en*y medpa* under the pilot/s seat- .nside it were healin!
stims he *ould use to treat the worst of his in;uries- But when he made his way oer to look under
the seat, the kit was !one-
Reali7in! it must hae ;arred loose durin! the *rash, he rumma!ed around the *o*kpit until he found
it- The outside of the kit was dented and sli!htly bent, but otherwise it appeared undama!ed- .t took
him three tries to open the lat*h with only one !ood hand- When he finally su**eeded, he was
relieed to see that seeral of the health stims had suried inta*t-
6e remoed one and in;e*ted it dire*tly into his thi!h- Within se*onds he *ould feel his body/s own
natural healin! properties be!innin! to ki*k into oerdrie in response to the healin! shot- The
blood flowin! from his *uts be!an to *lot- )ore important, the shot helped dull the pain from his
swollen knee and broken ribs, allowin! him to walk and breathe more freely-
6is dislo*ated shoulder, howeer, re3uired more dire*t treatment- (rabbin! his in;ured left wrist
with his ri!ht hand and !rittin! his teeth a!ainst the pain, Bane pulled with all his mi!ht, hopin! the
shoulder would pop ba*k into pla*e- Thanks to his si7e and stren!th, he/d been re*ruited more than a
few times by field medi*s to help re,so*ket the dislo*ated limbs of fellow soldiers durin! his
military days- " simple pro*edure, it re3uired a tremendous amount of tor3ue to work effe*tiely,
and Bane soon dis*oered he simply *ouldn/t !et the leera!e he needed to perform the maneuer
on himself-
(runtin! and sweatin! from his e+ertions, he reali7ed he/d hae to take more e+treme measures-
&owerin! himself to a sittin! position on the floor, he stret*hed forward and bent his knees so he
*ould !rip the wrist of his in;ured arm se*urely between his ankles- 6e took a deep breath, then
thrust his le!s strai!ht while throwin! his torso ba*kward-
6e s*reamed as the shoulder snapped ba*k into the so*ket with an audible pop- The sudden ;olt of
pain was e+*ru*iatin!8 it took eery bit of stren!th he had left to keep from passin! out- "s it was he
simply lay on his ba*k, pale and shierin! from the ordeal- 6e was rewarded a few se*onds later by
the pins and needles of sensation rapidly bein! restored to the fin!ers of his left hand-
" few minutes and another healin! in;e*tion later, he was able to use both arms to haul himself up
throu!h the e+it hat*h and *lamber down the side of the Val*yn/s wre*ka!e to stand, battered but not
beaten, on D+un/s surfa*e-
6e wasn/t surprised to find Bordis waitin! there for him-
=4ou/re trapped, Bane,= the spirit mo*ked- =4our ship is destroyed beyond all hope of repair- 4ou
won/t find another essel here,there are no intelli!ent or *iili7ed *reatures on D+un- "nd you *an/t
wait for a res*ue party- $obody knew you were *omin! here- $ot een your apprenti*e-=
Bane didn/t bother replyin!, but instead made a final *he*k of his !ear- 6e/d !rabbed a pa*k of basi*
supplies from the ship and strapped it to his ba*k- .t *ontained food rations, !low rods, a handful of
health stims, and a simple huntin! blade that he slid into his boot- The pa*k and its *ontents, plus
the li!htsaber dan!lin! at his belt, were the only thin!s worth sala!in! from the wre*ka!e-
=The ;un!les of D+un are filled with deadly predators,= the spirit *ontinued- =They will stalk you
day and ni!ht, and the moment you let your !uard down they will strike- "nd een if you surie
the terrors of the ;un!le, how are you !oin! to !et off this world<
=There is no es*ape,= the !hostly Bordis taunted- =4ou will die here, Bane-=
=.t/s Darth Bane,= the bi! man said with a !rim smile- ="nd ./m not dead yet- 5nlike you-=
The reply seemed to satisfy whateer part of his sub*ons*ious was *on;urin! up the ima!e, be*ause
Bordis abruptly disappeared-
With the distra*tion !one, Bane was free to e+amine his enironment more *losely- The thi*k forest
*anopy aboe blo*ked out most li!ht8 een thou!h it was midday he found himself bathed in
twili!ht- Still, he didn/t need his eyes to see *learly-
Rea*hin! out with the 9or*e, he took *loser sto*k of his surroundin!s- 6e was in the ery heart of
the forest8 the trees went on for hundreds of kilometers in eery dire*tion- "nd as he probed the
surroundin! folia!e for si!ns of life, he reali7ed that the apparition had been ri!ht about one thin!1
the forests of D+un teemed with a host of deadly and ora*ious beasts- Bane wondered how lon! it
would be before one of the ;un!le deni7ens de*ided to fi!ure out where he fit in on the food *hain-
4et he wasn/t afraid- 'en before $add/s tomb had been hidden here, the an*ient Sith had been
drawn to D+un- The 0edi had *ondemned it as a pla*e of eil, but Bane re*o!ni7ed it for what it
really was1 a world infused with the power of the dark side- 6e felt stron! here, re;uenated---
thou!h he was smart enou!h to understand that the *reatures prowlin! the wilderness would be
drawin! on that same power-
"nd then his mental e+plorations *ame a*ross what he was look,in! for- )any kilometers away he
sensed a *on*entration of power- 6e/d lo*ated the sour*e of the dark side ener!y that permeated the
forest around him, radiatin! power like a bea*on emittin! a homin! si!nal-
.t had to be $add/s tomb, and now that he was here, Darth Bane felt the pla*e *allin! to him-
&eain! the wre*ka!e of the Val*yn behind, he made his way toward the sour*e- 6e mar*hed in a
perfe*tly strai!ht line, takin! the most dire*t route possible to his destination, usin! his li!htsaber to
ha*k and hew a path throu!h the thi*k under!rowth that barred his way
Keepin! one *orner of his mind fo*used on followin! the route to $add/s tomb, Bane fo*used the
rest of his awareness into a state of hyperi!ilan*e- "s in most forest e*osystems, the *reatures that
had eoled on D+un were masters of their enironment- )ore than a few had 3uite likely
deeloped the ability to *amoufla!e themseles, blendin! not only into the bran*hes and trees but
into the eer,present hum of the dark side that hun! oer the forest, as well-
'en with his *aution, Bane was almost *au!ht unawares when the atta*k *ame- "n enormous
feline *reature dropped down from aboe, silent sae for the faint hiss of its forepaw slashin! the air
where its prey/s throat had been a mere se*ond before-
Bane had sensed the beast at the last possible instant, his 9or*e awareness !iin! him a pre*o!nitie
warnin! that allowed him to du*k *lear of the lethal *laws- 'en so, the massie body of the beast
slammed into Bane, sendin! him reelin!-
The Dark &ord of the Sith would hae died ri!ht there had the *reature not been momentarily
stunned by the une+pe*ted failure of its ambush- The beast/s *onfusion !ae Bane the se*ond he
needed to roll *lear of his enemy and fall into a fi!htin! stan*e-
With the beast no lon!er *on*ealed by D+un/s forest, Bane !ot his first !ood look at the thin! that
had nearly killed him- .t studied him with luminous !reen eyes that were definitely feline, thou!h its
fur was a metalli* !ray *oat fle*ked with tiny bron7e plates that shimmered as the mus*les moed
beneath the skin- .t stood a meter and a half at the shoulder, easily wei!hin! three hundred
kilo!rams- .t had four thi*k, mus*ular le!s that ended in ra7or,sharp retra*table *laws-
But the feature that drew Bane/s immediate attention was the serpentine twin tails, ea*h tipped with
a deadly barb that dripped !lowin! !reen enom-
Bane retreated slowly until his ba*k *ame up a!ainst the !narled trunk of a tall tree- The nameless
monstrosity adan*ed, then with a low !rowl that made Bane/s skin *rawl, it leapt at him a!ain,
twin tails whippin! wildly- Bane lun!ed to the side, wantin! to !au!e his opponent/s ta*ti*s before
he en!a!ed it in dire*t *ombat- 6e saw the front *laws slashin! and flailin! throu!h the suddenly
empty air, and he wat*hed as the twin tails ar*ed up oer the beast/s ba*k to stab at the spa*e he had
been standin! in a moment before- The barbs slammed into the tree Bane had been ba*ked up
a!ainst with enou!h for*e to split the trunk, in;e*tin! their *orrosie enom into the wood and
leain! two smokin! bla*k *ir*les-
The *reature landed on all four feet simultaneously and spun to fa*e Bane a!ain before he had a
*han*e to strike at its unprote*ted flank- %n*e more it be!an a slow adan*e- But this time when it
poun*ed, Bane was ready-
The beast a*ted on instin*t8 it was a mindless brute that relied on stren!th and speed to defeat its
enemies- .ts methods of atta*k had eoled oer *ountless !enerations until they were se*ond
nature, and it was ineitable it would use the e+a*t same se3uen*e of moements to brin! Bane
down a se*ond time-
.t *ame in hi!h, leadin! with its *laws ;ust as he had e+pe*ted- The natural rea*tion of most prey
would be to retreat from those *laws by leapin! ba*kward,only to be impaled by the deadly barbed
tails lashin! forward- Bane, howeer, du*ked down under the *laws and then stepped up to meet the
*reature/s atta*k, his li!htsaber held hi!h aboe his head-
The blade sli*ed throu!h the beast/s underbelly, *arin! flesh and sinew and bone- Bane twisted the
blade as it ran the len!th of the *reature, redire*tin! it into a sli!htly dia!onal stroke sure to *leae
seeral ital or!ans- The moe was simple, 3ui*k, and deadly-
The feline/s momentum *arried it oer Bane/s head and it *rashed to the !round behind him, its
body split open from mid*hest all the way to its still,twit*hin! tails- The body shuddered on*e, the
tails went motionless, and a milky film spread out to dull its luminous eyes-
Bane/s heart was poundin! from the thrill of *ombat- 6e stepped away from the *orpse of his
defeated foe, adrenaline still pumpin! throu!h his eins- With a triumphant lau!h, he threw his head
ba*k and shouted, =.s that all you/e !ot, Bordis< .s that the best you *an do<=
6e looked around, half hopin! to see the !hostly ima!e of his former )aster materiali7e- But it
wasn/t Bordis who appeared to him this time-
=4ou a!ain,= Bane said to the spe*tral ima!e of &ord Kaan- =What do you want<=
Kaan, as usual, didn/t speak- .nstead the fi!ure turned and walked away into the depths of the forest,
its in*orporeal form passin! effortlessly throu!h the bran*hes and under!rowth- .t took Bane a
se*ond to reali7e it was headed in the dire*tion of $add/s tomb-
=So be it,= he muttered, usin! his li!htsaber to ha*k a path in pursuit-
6is illusory !uide stayed with him the rest of the way, always ;ust far enou!h ahead that Bane had
to stru!!le to keep up- .t took him nearly four hours of slo!!in! throu!h the ;un!le to rea*h his
destination,a small *learin! in the forest in whi*h no e!etation !rew- "n irre!ular pyramid of flat,
!ray metal rose up to a hei!ht of twenty meters from the heart of the *learin!-
Bane stopped at the ed!e- The !round ahead was nothin! but dirt and mud8 no liin! or!anism
*ould nourish in the shadow of $add/s *rypt- 'en the plants and trees borderin! the *learin! were
stunted and deformed, *orrupted by the dark side power that *lun! to the remains of the !reat Sith
)aster in death- The tomb itself was a dis*on*ertin! shape8 the walls of the pyramid were set at odd
and ;arrin! an!les, as if the stone of the *rypt had been warped and twisted oer the *enturies-
There was a sin!le entran*e to the stru*ture, a door that had on*e been sealed but looked as if it had
been smashed open many *enturies earlier by someone seekin! the se*rets of $add/s final restin!
pla*e- The !hostly fi!ure of Kaan stood by the entran*e, be*konin! to Bane before disappearin!
inside-
Bane *ame forward slowly, senses attuned to any traps that mi!ht still be lyin! in wait- 6is mind
flashed ba*k to the an*ient tombs in the Valley of the Sith on Korriban- 0ust before leain! the
"*ademy, he/d entured into those dark and dan!erous *rypts in sear*h of !uidan*e- 6e/d read
a**ounts of Sith spirits appearin! to share the se*rets of the dark side with powerful apprenti*es
who sou!ht them out- But all Bane had found on Korriban was dust and bones-
6e slid the ba*kpa*k off his shoulders so it wouldn/t en*umber him- 9rom inside he took half a
do7en !low rods and *rammed them into his belt, then left the pa*k on the !round near the *rypt/s
entran*e-
The *eilin! inside the pyramid was low, and Bane had to du*k as he went in- 5sin! a !low rod for
illumination, he found himself inside a small ante*hamber, with passa!es leadin! off in three
different dire*tions- #hoosin! the one on the left, he be!an his e+plorations- Room by room he
sear*hed the pyramid, findin! nothin! of alue- Seeral of the *hambers showed eiden*e that
another had already been there, and Bane re*alled the tales of '+ar Kun, a Dark 0edi from a time
lon! for!otten who was also rumored to hae lo*ated $add/s final restin! pla*e- "**ordin! to the
le!ends, Kun had emer!ed with power beyond his wildest ima!inin!- 4et as Bane *ontinued his
fruitless e+plorations, doubt be!an to *reep into his mind- Was it possible that this *rypt,like the
ones he/d sear*hed on Korriban,was nothin! but an empty, worthless tomb<
With mountin! frustration he *ontinued his sear*h, windin! his way throu!h the passa!es until he
rea*hed an apparently insi!nifi*ant *hamber, almost buried at the ery heart of the temple- Both
Kaan and Bordis were there waitin! for him-
They stood a meter apart, ea*h on one side of a small doorway *ared in the ba*k wall- The door
was only a meter hi!h, and was blo*ked by a ti!htly fitted slab of bla*k stone, !iin! Bane hope
on*e more- The stone seemed to hae been undisturbed by whoeer had been here before him- .t
was possible no one had found this room, hidden at the end of the twistin! ma7e of passa!es- %r
maybe someone had found it but had been unable to moe the stone slab- .t was een possible that
the small entran*e had on*e been hidden by the lost arts of Sith sor*ery, and the spell obs*urin! it
had !radually faded oer the *enturies, makin! it isible only now-
(lan*in! 3ui*kly at the twin manifestations on either side of the small doorway, Bane *rou*hed
down to e+amine the slab- .ts surfa*e was smooth, and it e+tended only a few *entimeters out from
the passa!e, makin! it impossible to !et a firm !rip- %f *ourse, there was one other way to moe it-
Summonin! his stren!th, Bane rea*hed out with the 9or*e and tried to pull the stone toward him- .t
barely moed- The stone was heay, but it was more than sheer mass that held it in pla*e- There was
somethin! fi!htin! his power, resistin! him- Bane took a deep breath and tilted his head from side
to side, loudly *ra*kin! his ne*k as he !athered himself for another attempt-
This time he went deep, plun!in! into the well of power that dwelled within his *ore- 6e rea*hed
ba*k into his past, dred!in! up memories buried deep in his sub*ons*ious1 memories of his father,
6urst8 memories of the beatin!s8 memories of the hatred he bore for the man who had raised him-
"s he did so, he felt his power buildin!-
.t started, as it always did, with a sin!le spark of heat- The spark 3ui*kly be*ame a flame, and the
flame an inferno- Bane/s body trembled with the strain as he fou!ht to *ontain the power, lettin! the
dark side ener!y build to a *riti*al mass- 6e for*ed himself to endure the unbearable heat as lon! as
he *ould, then thrust his fist forward, *hannelin! eerythin! inside him toward the stone blo*kin!
him from his destiny-
The heay slab flew a*ross the room and stru*k the far wall with a heay thud- " lon! erti*al *ra*k
appeared in the wall, thou!h the dark stone blo*k itself was undama!ed- Bane dropped to his knees,
pantin! from the e+ertion- 6e looked up to see the !hostly wat*hers still keepin! their i!il beside
the entran*e- With a shake of his head, he *rawled to the now,open doorway and peered in-
The room beyond was dark, so Bane pulled one of the !low rods from his belt and tossed it throu!h
the openin!- .t landed on the floor, illuminatin! the room- 9rom what he *ould see, it was a *ir*ular,
hi!h,*eilin!ed *hamber about fie meters in diameter- " stone pedestal stood in the ery *enter-
"top it was a small *rystal pyramid Bane instantly re*o!ni7ed as a Sith 6olo*ron-
The an*ient )asters of the dark side had used 6olo*rons to store all their wisdom, knowled!e, and
se*rets- " 6olo*ron *ould *ontain an*ient rituals of deastatin! power, or the keys to unlo*kin! the
ma!i*s of an*ient Sith sor*erers, or een aatars that simulated the personality of the 6olo*ron/s
ori!inal *reator- The information inside was so aluable that for many *enturies 6olo*rons had been
the sin!le most aluable tool in passin! on the le!a*y of the !reat Sith &ords to future !enerations-
5nfortunately, the art of makin! Sith 6olo*rons had been lost seeral millennia past- "nd oer the
years the 0edi had s*oured the !ala+y to find all the known Sith 6olo*rons, then hidden them away
at their library on #orus*ant so no one *ould dele into their forbidden knowled!e- To a*tually find
a 6olo*ron like this, one that mi!ht *ontain the tea*hin!s of 9reedon $add himself, was !ood
fortune beyond anythin! Bane had een ima!ined-
#rou*hin! down, he s3uee7ed his massie shoulders throu!h the ti!ht doorway- $ot surprisin!ly,
Kaan and Bordis were already waitin! for him inside- Bane !lan*ed oer at them, then up at the
fie,meter,hi!h *eilin!- By the li!ht of the !low rod he *ould make out moement, as if a *arpet of
liin! *reatures was *rawlin! a*ross the surfa*e aboe his head-
6e stood motionless, his ears pi*kin! up wet slurpin! sounds- "s his eyes be*ame a**ustomed to
the dim li!ht he was able to make out a *olony of stran!e *rusta*eans *lin!in! to the roof- They
were almost fiat, and somewhat oal in shape,a *ir*ular shell that tapered to a point near either end-
They aried in si7e from sli!htly smaller than a fist to as broad a*ross as a lar!e dinner plate, and
their *olorin! ran!ed from bron7e to a reddish !old- The slurpin! *ame as they dra!!ed themseles
alon! the *eilin!, *rawlin! oer one another and leain! !listenin! trails of slime in their wake-
"s he studied them, one of the *reatures fell away from the others and dropped down toward him-
Bane swatted it aside disdainfully with one hand, sendin! its hard shell boun*in! and skitterin!
a*ross the *aern floor-
" se*ond later another broke free and tumbled down- Bane i!nited his li!htsaber and slashed at it-
The blow batted the *reature away, sendin! it flippin! end,oer,end into a far *orner of the room-
Bane stared in ama7ement,the li!htsaber should hae sli*ed the *reature *lean throu!h- But his
weapon hadn/t een left a s*rat*h on its hard, !leamin! shell-
Suddenly reali7in! he was in !rae dan!er, Bane made a lun!e for the 6olo*ron- "s his hand *losed
around it, the *olony of *rusta*eans broke free en masse and *as*aded down on him in a *hitinous
swarm- With one hand *lut*hin! the 6olo*ron, he swiped at them with his li!htsaber and defle*ted
others with the power of the 9or*e- But there were too many to keep them all at bay8 it was like
tryin! to ward off raindrops in a storm-
%ne stru*k him on the shoulder and lat*hed on, instantly burnin! throu!h his armor and *lothin!
with an a*idi* se*retion before fastenin! itself to his skin- Bane felt a thousand tiny teeth burrowin!
into the thi*k meat of his ba*k, followed by the searin! pain of the a*id se*retion meltin! his flesh-
6e s*reamed and slammed his ba*k up a!ainst the wall hopin! to ;ar the *reature loose, but it held
fast- "s he stru!!led to dislod!e it, a se*ond stru*k him s3uare in the *hest- 6e s*reamed a!ain as
the burnin! a*id and tiny teeth du! throu!h *lothes, skin, and een his thi*k pe*toral mus*les to
fasten dire*tly to his breastbone-
Bane sta!!ered under the onslau!ht of pain, but mana!ed to strike out with the 9or*e- The rest of
the *reatures were sent hurtlin! away from him like leaes swept up by a fier*e wind8 they *la*ked
and *lattered as they stru*k the walls of the room- The brief repriee !ae Bane a *han*e to drop to
his knees and s*amper throu!h the *ramped openin! and ba*k into the small room from whi*h he
had ori!inally entered-
.!norin! the a!ony of the two *reatures still atta*hed to him, he rea*hed out with the 9or*e and
hoisted the stone blo*k on the far side of the room up into the air- 6is powers were enhan*ed by
both pain and a desperate ur!en*y, and the blo*k moed easily for him this time, flyin! a*ross the
*hamber to plu! the entran*e before any more of the stran!e *rusta*eans *ould s*uttle out after him-
9or a se*ond he ;ust lay there pantin!, *lut*hin! the 6olo*ron and tryin! to i!nore the pain *omin!
from the two parasiti* or!anisms feedin! on his body- 6e *ould hear the rest of the *olony on the
other side of the wall, the wet !ur!les of their !raspin! mouths min!lin! with the sharp *la*kin! of
their hard shells as they *rawled up the walls ba*k to their roosts on the *eilin!-
6e ima!ined he heard another sound, as well1 the harsh, mo*kin! lau!hter of Bordis and Kaan
e*hoin! off the walls of 9reedon $add/s tomb-
#hapter H
#han*ellor Valorum will see you now,= the Twi/lek assistant said from behind her desk-
Seein! 9arfalla rise, 0ohun did the same, tu!!in! awkwardly to reposition the unfamiliar *eremonial
robes his new )aster had insisted he wear for the meetin!- 0ohun had protested that his wardrobe
had nothin! to do with who he was or why they were here, but 9arfalla had merely replied, =%n
#orus*ant, appearan*e matters-=
0ohun had neer been to #orus*ant before,or any of the other #ore Worlds, for that matter- 6e/d
been born and raised on Sermeria, an a!riworld in the '+pansion Re!ion between the .nner and )id
Rims of the !ala+y- 6is family had worked a farm a few kilometers outside of "ddolis, one small
*o! in the !reat Sermerian a!ri*ultural *omple+ that produ*ed an oerabundan*e of food and sold it
to more deeloped worlds that la*ked enou!h arable land to support their own populations-
6e/d left Sermeria at the a!e of ten to be!in his 0edi trainin!- .n the de*ade sin*e he had
a**ompanied (eneral 6oth to do7ens of worlds, thou!h his former )aster had preferred to stay on
the %uter Rim, far from the politi*ians and urban *ulture of the Republi*/s *apital- The planets they
isited tended to be less deeloped rural worlds, mu*h like Sermeria itself- "s a result, 0ohun had
neer seen anythin! een remotely resemblin! the planetwide metropolis that was (ala*ti* #ity-
%n their initial approa*h to the world, 9arfalla had tried to point out to him the lo*ation of important
stru*tures, like the Senate/s (reat Rotunda and the 0edi Temple- But to 0ohun/s proin*ial eye
eerythin! blended into one unbroken o*ean of perma*rete, dura,steel, and bri!htly *olored flashin!
li!hts-
5pon landin!, they had disembarked and boarded an airspeeder that had whisked them off toward
their meetin! with #han*ellor Val,orum- 0ohun had simply sat and !awked at the spe*ta*le as they
ra*ed alon! the skylane, their speeder weain! in and out amon! skyrises so tall, the !round wasn/t
een isible beneath them- %**asionally they would die down or swoop ba*k up as their ;ourney
led them under and oer pedestrian walkways, hoerin! billboards, and een other ehi*les-
By the end of the trip, 0ohun/s already beda77led senses had been *ompletely oerwhelmed by the
*onstant stream of traffi* and the mind,bo!!lin! numbers of people who *hose to lie and work on
#orus*ant- The oerall impression he took away from the e+perien*e was a si*kenin! blur of
motion set a!ainst a deafenin! *a*ophony of sound--- all too mu*h for a simple farm boy to handle-
9arfalla, on the other hand, was in his element- 0ohun had noti*ed his new mentor *omin! to life
when they tou*hed down, as if he were feedin! on the ener!y of the !reat metropolis- The franti*
pa*e and the maddin! *rowds seemed to reitali7e Valenthyne, the *ity washin! away the weariness
of a lon! military *ampai!n on a dreary little frontier world- 9arfalla een looked different here8 set
a!ainst the ibrant, *osmopolitan ba*kdrop of the !ala*ti* *apital, the *lothes that had seemed so
ain and !arish ba*k on Ruusan now looked to be the hei!ht of fashion and style-
'en at the *enter of the halls of power, 9arfalla looked *ompletely at ease- 6e !ae a !ra*ious bow
of a*knowled!ment to the #han*ellor/s assistant, eli*itin! a flirtatious smile from the youn! woman,
then moed with a *onfident yet purposeful stride throu!h the doorway into Valorum/s inner
san*tum- 0ohun !ae a bow of his own, stiff and for*ed, then s*urried off after him-
The #han*ellor/s offi*e was less ornate and more fun*tional than 0ohun had e+pe*ted- The walls,
*arpet, and furnishin! were all a deep, dark brown, !iin! the room an air of si!nifi*an*e- There
was a lar!e window in one wall, thou!h mu*h to the youn! 0edi/s relief the *oerin!s had been
drawn for this meetin!- .n the *enter of the room were half a do7en *omfortable,lookin! *hairs set
around a *ir*ular *onferen*e table8 seeral monitors lined the walls, fli*kerin! with updates from
arious 6olo$et news pro!rams-
Tarsus Valorum was seated behind a lar!e desk fa*in! the doorway, and he rose to !reet them- 6e
was a tall man in his early fifties, thou!h he looked ten years youn!er- 6e had dark hair8 bri!ht,
pier*in! eyes8 a strai!ht, sli!htly pointed nose8 and an almost perfe*tly s3uare *hin,a fa*e many had
*alled =honest and determined-= .t was these traits, alon! with his e+emplary re*ord of publi*
seri*e, that had led to Valorum bein! appointed the first non,0edi #han*ellor in oer four *enturies-
0ohun had heard rumors that 9arfalla had a*tually been the one in line for the position but had
de*lined it, so that he *ould ;oin the "rmy of &i!ht on Ruusan- The youn! man wondered if his
)aster approed of the man who had been *hosen to repla*e him-
=)aster Valenthyne,= Valorum said, *laspin! 9arfalla/s hand in an effi*ient, well,pra*ti*ed !esture
of wel*ome- =Thank you for *omin! on su*h short noti*e-=
=4ou didn/t leae me a lot of options, 4our '+*ellen*y= Valenthyne noted-
=. apolo!i7e for that= the #han*ellor replied, een as he turned and e+tended his hand to 0ohun-
="nd this must be your apprenti*e,= he said, takin! note of the lon! braid that marked the youn!
man as one who had not yet *ompleted his initial 0edi trainin!-
=. am 2adawan 0ohun %thone, 4our '+*ellen*y-=
Valorum/s !rip was firm but not oerpowerin!,the perfe*t politi*ian/s handshake- 6e pumped
0ohun/s arm twi*e, then pulled his hand free and indi*ated the *hairs around the *onferen*e table-
=2lease, noble 0edi- )ake yourseles *omfortable-=
9arfalla took the end seat on the near side of the table- 0ohun sat down in the *hair dire*tly a*ross
from him, leain! the #han*ellor the lone seat at the head of the table, between the two 0edi- %n*e
eeryone was in position it was 9arfalla who initiated the dis*ussion, turnin! sli!htly to better fa*e
Valorum-
=The messa!e you sent me was most une+pe*ted, 4our '+*ellen*y- "nd the timin! was somewhat
in*onenient- We are still dealin! with the aftermath of the thou!ht bomb on Ruusan-=
=. understand your position, )aster Valenthyne- But you must also appre*iate mine- $ews of the
Brotherhood/s defeat has rea*hed the 6olo$et- "s far as the publi* is *on*erned, the war is oer-
"nd the Senate is ea!er to put this unpleasantness behind us-=
="s are the 0edi,= 9arfalla replied- =But this motion you plan to put forward,the so,*alled Ruusan
Reformation,*alls for some rather e+treme measures-=
=That is why . brou!ht you here to dis*uss the re*ommendations before we ote on them,= Valorum
answered-= . wanted you to understand why this has to be done-=
0ohun had not seen the details of the messa!e 9arfalla had re*eied, nor had his )aster spoken of it
to him durin! their ;ourney to #orus*ant- "s a result, he was hain! diffi*ulty pier*in! their
politi*al double,talk- 9ortunately, 9arfalla *hose to *ut throu!h the diplomati* ni*eties and address
the issue dire*tly in his ne+t response-
=Do you reali7e the ramifi*ations of what you are askin!, Tarsus< 4our proposal *alls for the 0edi to
renoun*e their military ranks and *ompletely disband all our military, naal, and starfi!hter for*es-
4ou are askin! us to destroy the "rmy of &i!ht:=
=The "rmy of &i!ht was *reated as a rea*tion to the Brotherhood of Darkness= Valorum *ountered-
=With the Brotherhood !one, it no lon!er seres a purpose-=
0ohun *ouldn/t beliee what he was hearin!- =.ts purpose is to prote*t the Republi*:= he burst out,
unable to *ontain himself-
=2rote*t it from who<= the #han*ellor *hallen!ed, snappin! his head around to address him- =The
Sith are !one-=
=The Sith are neer truly !one,= 0ohun said darkly
="nd therein lies the problem,= Valorum replied- =%er the past four *enturies we hae seen the 0edi
de*lare war on the a!ents of the dark side time and time a!ain- .t is a stru!!le that neer ends- "nd
with ea*h *onfli*t, more *iilians are swept up in your web of war- .nno*ent bein!s die as armies
ali!n with you or your enemies- Worlds loyal to the Republi* break away, fra*turin! a on*e united
!ala+y- .t is time to put a stop to this *y*le of madness-=
9arfalla held up his hand, *uttin! 0ohun off before the youn! man *ould say anythin! else- 6e
waited for Valorum to turn his attention away from the 2adawan, then asked, =Tarsus, do you really
beliee the *han!es you hae proposed will do that<=
=. do, )aster Valenthyne-= There was undeniable *oni*tion in his Voi*e- =There are many !ood
people who fear the 0edi and what they are *apable of- They see the 0edi as insti!ators of war- 4ou
*laim your a*tions are !uided by the 9or*e, but to those who *annot feel its presen*e it appears as if
your order is not a**ountable to anyone or anythin!-=
="nd so you want the 0edi to answer to you-= 9arfalla si!hed- =The #han*ellor and the Senate =
=. want you to answer to the ele*ted offi*ials who represent the *iti7ens of the Republi*,= Valorum
de*lared- Then he added, =This is not an attempt to !rab power for myself- The 0edi #oun*il will
still oersee your order- But they will do so under the superision of the Senate/s 0udi*ial
Department- .t is the only way we *an heal the s*ars left by your wars a!ainst the Sith-
=The Republi* is *rumblin!,= he *ontinued- =9or the past thousand years it has slowly been
de*ayin! and rottin! away- " rebirth is the only way to reerse this pro*ess-
=)any of the measures proposed in the Ruusan Reformation are symboli*, but there is power in that
symbolism- This will be the be!innin! of a new era for the Republi*- We will enter a new a!e of
prosperity and pea*e-
=&et the 0edi show their *ommitment to this pea*e- #ast aside the trappin!s of war and assume your
ri!htful pla*e as *ounselors and adisers- .nstead of this endless battle to hold ba*k the dark side,
you should help to !uide us toward the li!ht-=
Valorum finished his spee*h and looked e+pe*tantly at 9arfalla- 0ohun held his breath, waitin! for
his )aster/s outburst of ri!hteous indi!nation- 6e wanted to wat*h as Valenthyne e+pertly and
elo3uently refuted the #han*ellor/s ar!uments- 6e *ouldn/t wait to witness the impassioned defense
of all that the 0edi stood for and belieed in that would ;ustify eerythin! (eneral 6oth had done-
=. will speak to the 0edi #oun*il and see that our order *omplies with your demands, 4our
'+*ellen*y= 9arfalla said, his oi*e heay-
="nd . will send the order to be!in the dissolution of the "rmy of &i!ht as soon as the Senate passes
your proposal-=
0ohun/s draw dropped, but he was too stunned to say anythin!-
=4our *ooperation is !reatly appre*iated, )aster Valenthyne,= Valorum replied, risin! to his feet-
=$ow if you will e+*use me, . must *all the Senate to session-=
"t first it seemed as if he was about to es*ort them from the room- But when he !lan*ed at 0ohun,
he obiously sensed the youn! man was not 3uite ready to let the matter rest- The #han*ellor
hesitated, !iin! him a *han*e to speak-
0ohun, howeer, remained stubbornly silent, Valorum e+*han!ed a brief look with 9arfalla, then
nodded in deferen*e to the 0edi )aster-
=2lease see yourseles out when you are ready,= the #han*ellor said, before !iin! them ea*h a
*ordial nod and leain! them alone in the room-
=6ow *ould you<= 0ohun demanded an!rily the moment Valorum was !one, leanin! a*ross the table
toward 9arfalla-
The older man si!hed and leaned ba*kward, his hands *lasped to!ether and his fin!ers formin! a
steeple ;ust below his *hin-
=. know this is diffi*ult to understand, 0ohun- But the #han*ellor was ri!ht- 'erythin! he said was
true-=
=(eneral 6oth would neer a!ree to this:= 0ohun spat at him-
=$o,= 9arfalla admitted- =6e neer *ould understand the alue of *ompromise- That was his !reat
fault-=
="nd what/s yours<= 0ohun shouted, slammin! his fist on the table and ;umpin! up so swiftly he
kno*ked oer his *hair- =Betrayin! the memory of your friends<=
=Wat*h your an!er,= 9arfalla said softly-
0ohun fro7e, then felt his fa*e flushin! in shame and embarrass,ment- 6e took seeral deep,
*leansin! breaths,a 0edi ritual to *alm and fo*us the mind- %n*e he had his emotions under *ontrol
he turned and ri!hted his *hair, then took his seat a!ain-
=./m sorry, )aster Valenthyne,= he said, stru!!lin! to keep his oi*e een- =But this feels as if we
are dishonorin! him-=
=4our )aster was a man of !reat stren!th and steadfast *oni*tion,= 9arfalla assured him, still
sittin! with his steepled hands *lasped beneath his *hin- =$o other *ould hae led us throu!h our
time of *risis- But the !ala+y does not e+ist in a state of perpetual *risis-
=The 0edi are the sworn serants of the Republi*= he *ontinued- =We will fi!ht to defend it in times
of war, but when war is oer we must be willin! to set aside our weapons and be*ome ambassadors
of pea*e-=
The youn!er man shook his head- =This still doesn/t feel ri!ht-=
=Sin*e the earliest days of your trainin!, you hae known nothin! but war,= 9arfalla reminded him-
=.t *an be diffi*ult for you to remember that iolen*e should only be used when all other methods
hae failed-
=But you must always remind yourself that a 0edi alues wisdom and enli!htenment oer all else-
The !reat truths we seek are often diffi*ult to find, and sometimes it is easier to seek out an enemy
to do battle with --- espe*ially when we hun!er to aen!e those who hae fallen- This is one of the
ways een !ood people *an fall to the dark side-=
=./m sorry, )aster,= 0ohun whispered- The words seemed to *at*h in his throat, een thou!h his
apolo!y was sin*ere-
=4ou are still a 2adawan- 4ou are not e+pe*ted to possess the wisdom of a )aster,= 9arfalla
*onsoled him- =That is why . brou!ht you here1 so that you *ould learn-=
=. will do my best= 0ohun owed-
=That is all . *an eer ask,= his )aster replied-
Thanks to the 6olo*ron he had dis*oered in $add/s tomb, Bane now knew that the stran!e
*rusta*eans that had atta*hed themseles to him were *alled orbalisks- 6e had also dis*oered,
throu!h his own trial and error, that they *ould not be remoed-
.n the moments after his es*ape from the orbalisk *hamber, he/d tried pryin! the one on his *hest
loose with the huntin! knife from his boot, to no aail- 9ailin! that, he had tried to di! it out by
*arin! away the surroundin! flesh- 6e/d drawn the knife a*ross his *hest in a lon!, strai!ht line,
feelin! the a!ony of the blade sli*in! deep enou!h to *ut throu!h skin and mus*le- "nd then he/d
wat*hed in ama7ement as the wound healed itself almost instantly, the *reature hain! somehow
*aused his tissue to re!enerate-
Bane had tried the 9or*e ne+t, probin! deep inside to better understand what was happenin! to him-
6e *ould sense the *reatures feedin! on his power, !or!in! themseles on the dark side ener!ies
*oursin! throu!h eery fiber and *ell of his bein!- But thou!h they were parasites, they were also
!iin! somethin! ba*k- "s they fed, they pumped a *onstant stream of *hemi*als into his body- The
alien fluids burned like a*id as they were absorbed into his *ir*ulatory system8 it felt as if eery
drop of blood were boilin! --- but the benefits were too powerful to be i!nored- .n addition to his
mira*ulous healin! abilities, he felt stron!er than he eer had- 6is senses were keener, his refle+es
3ui*ker- "nd on his *hest and ba*k where the *reatures had lat*hed on, their irtually impenetrable
shells would sere as armor plates *apable of withstandin! een a dire*t strike from a li!htsaber-
The relationship, he had finally reali7ed, was symbioti*,as lon! as he *ould endure the *onstant
searin! pain of the alien fluids bein! absorbed and metaboli7ed in his bloodstream- " small pri*e to
pay,
Bane had de*ided before turnin! his attention to the 6olo*ron- Sittin! *ross,le!!ed on the hard
floor of the ante*hamber inside $add/s *rypt, he rea*hed out tentatiely with the dark side and
brushed his hand a!ainst the small, *rystal pyramid- Respondin! to his *aress, it be!an to !low-
9or the ne+t four days and ni!hts he lost himself in the se*rets of the an*ient artifa*t- "s he
suspe*ted, it had been *reated by 9reedon $add- Bane deled into the 6olo*ron/s se*rets with the
aid of the !atekeeper1 a miniature holo!rammi* pro;e*tion of the lon!,dead Sith )aster responsible
for its *reation- The !atekeeper !uided and dire*ted his studies, serin! as a irtual mentor to those
who sou!ht out $add/s lost se*rets inside the sinister pyramid-
Thou!h $add had been human, his aatar was the ima!e of a man who had su**umbed to the
physi*al *orruption that sometimes affe*ted those who deled too deeply into the power of the dark
side- 6is skin was pallid, the flesh withered and sunken, and his eyes were !lowin! yellow orbs
deoid of iris or pupil- Despite this, he still appeared as a formidable warrior1 broad,shouldered,
*lad in heay battle armor and the helm that had doubled as his *rown when he had pro*laimed
himself kin! oer the nearby world of %nderon-
Throu!h the !atekeeper, Bane learned of the Dark )aster/s e+periments with the orbalisks, and his
only partly su**essful efforts to *ontrol their power- 6e dis*oered not only what they were *alled,
but also all the details of their e*olo!y- Some of the information merely *onfirmed what he already
knew1 on*e atta*hed to a host the orbalisks *ould not be remoed- But he also learned that, in
addition to boostin! a host/s physi*al abilities, it was possible to tap into the parasites/ ability to feed
on the dark side to !reatly in*rease one/s own *ommand of the 9or*e-
6oweer, $add/s resear*h also warned of seeral dan!erous side effe*ts of infestation that went
beyond the *onstant physi*al pain-
Should one of the or!anisms somehow be killed, it would release rapidly in*reasin! leels of to+ins,
killin! its host in a matter of days- The orbalisks would also !row oer time, slowly spreadin! until
they *oered his entire body from head to toe- 9ortunately, alon! with this disturbin! reelation,
Bane dis*oered blueprints for a spe*ial helmet and fa*e !uard desi!ned to keep the parasites from
!rowin! oer his eyes, nose, and mouth while he slept-
But the orbalisk resear*h was only the be!innin!- 9reedon $add had been a 0edi who turned to the
dark side as the apprenti*e of $a!a Sadow, the former ruler of the an*ient Sith 'mpire- Sadow/s
power had been so !reat, it had allowed him to surie for si+ *enturies, fueled by the ener!ies of
the dark side- "s his apprenti*e, $add had absorbed all his knowled!e and tea*hin!s, transferrin!
them into the 6olo*ron before murderin! Sadow and takin! his pla*e-
$ot surprisin!ly, most of the information inside the 6olo*ron was hidden, lo*ked away in the
depths of its *rystalline stru*ture where it *ould be a**essed only throu!h time, meditation, and
*areful study- .t would take many months, maybe een years, before Bane *ould lay *laim to its
!reatest se*rets- "nd ri!ht now there were more immediate *on*erns he needed to deal with-
Storin! the 6olo*ron safely away, he entured forth from the *rypt to find a way to es*ape the
surfa*e of D+un- The spe*ters of Kaan and Bordis were waitin! for him outside-
=4ou are trapped here = Bordis said, fallin! immediately into his litany of failure and despair- =What
!ood is the 6olo*ron if you *an neer leae this moon<=
Bane rea*hed inward to *all upon the dark side, drawin! it not only from himself but also from the
orbalisks fastened to his *hest and ba*k- 9eelin! an in*redible sur!e of power beyond any he had
known before, he released it in a burst of ener!y- The hallu*inations that had pla!ued his wounded
mind eer sin*e the detonation of the thou!ht bomb anished, instantly and utterly annihilated by
his newfound power- 6e was stron!er now than he eer had been, and he knew the isions of the
dead Sith would haunt him no more-
&iberated from his tormentors, he still had to find a way off of D+un- When he stared up into the
sky he *ould see %nderon loomin! lar!e aboe him, the planet so *lose to its moon that their
atmospheres had o**asionally passed throu!h ea*h other in *enturies past- 9or a brief window of
time, this had allowed the !reat flyin! beasts of D+un to mi!rate to the other world, where some
had been tamed and trained to be*ome the fearsome mounts of %nderon/s fabled beast,rider *lans-
Starin! up at the world that was almost near enou!h to tou*h, Bane *ould sense ?annah/s imminent
arrial there- Soon she would tou*h down on the dan!erous and often deadly planet, and if her
)aster wasn/t there with her, it was unlikely she would surie-
"s he *ontinued to !a7e up he noti*ed an enormous win!ed *reature *ir*lin! hi!h aboe, huntin!
for food- "t the same time, the hunter noti*ed him- 9oldin! its wide leathery win!s ti!ht a!ainst its
body, it dropped into a die headed strai!ht for Bane-
6e re!arded the *reature with a *ool, analyti*al pre*ision as it plummeted toward him- 9rom the
6olo*ron he knew it was *alled a dre+l, one of the reptilian predators that ruled the skies of D+un-
Their appearan*e resembled that of a win!ed li7ard1 s*aled, iolet skin8 a lon!, thi*k tail8 and
heaily mus*led body and le!s- " blunt, oersi7ed head sat atop an e+tended, sinewy ne*k- .t had
tiny aian eyes8 a flat, pushed,in snout8 and a wide ;aw full of ;a!!ed yellow teeth- Bane estimated
this parti*ular spe*imen to be ten meters in len!th from nose to tail with a win!span of nearly
twenty meters , a full,!rown male easily lar!e enou!h to suit his needs-
"n instant before the beast swooped in to snat*h him up with its ra7or,sharp talons, he rea*hed out
with the 9or*e and tou*hed the dre+l/s mind, attemptin! to dominate the brute/s will with his own-
6e had done this on*e before, to a ran*or on the dyin! world of &ehon- But the dre+l/s mind was
stron!er than he anti*ipated, and the beast shru!!ed off his efforts as it let loose a blood*urdlin!
shriek and slammed into him-
%ne of the dre+l/s feet lun!ed forward to impale him with its enormous *laws, only to be defle*ted
by the impenetrable orbalisk *arapa*e on his *hest- .nstead of bein! skewered and *arried away,
Bane was sent flyin! ba*kward by the momentum of the *reature/s die- 6e hit the !round and
rolled seeral times before sprin!in! ba*k to his feet, unin;ured thanks to his newfound physi*al
prowess- 6e saw the dre+l swoopin! ba*k up toward the sky, readyin! itself for a se*ond attempt to
die down and sei7e its prey- Bane rea*hed out to tou*h its mind a!ain, brin!in! his will down with
the *rushin! for*e of the sled!ehammers he/d used in the minin! tunnels of "pa,tros-
The dre+l/s body shuddered under the impa*t of his mental assault, and it s*reamed a pier*in! *ry of
protest that split the sky and reerberated oer the treetops- This time, howeer, Bane su**eeded in
his efforts to sub;u!ate the beast/s thou!hts to his own-
.t *ir*led twi*e more before *omin! in to land beside him- "t an unspoken *ommand from its new
)aster, it *rou*hed and allowed Bane to *limb atop its ba*k- "n instant later it spread its win!s and
took to the air, *limbin! hi!her and hi!her-
Bane pushed his mount, ur!in! it into the uppermost rea*hes of the breathable atmosphere- "boe
them the nearby world of %nderon !rew in si7e until it *ompletely filled the hori7on- %nly a few
hundred kilometers separated D+un from its nei!hbor, an insi!nifi,*ant slier of distan*e on the
s*ale of worlds and solar systems- "lready he *ould feel the faint !raitational pull of %nderon
tryin! to draw them in, the lar!er planet/s mass battlin! for dominan*e with that of its sli!htly
smaller satellite- Drien by Bane/s relentless will, the dre+l pumped its win!s furiously, !ainin!
speed and eleation with eery beat-
Bane be!an to summon the 9or*e, lettin! it build until the last possible instant- Then, !atherin! the
dark side around him and his mount like a prote*tie *loak, he spurred the dre+l forward, and a
se*ond later they broke free of D+un/s atmosphere and plun!ed into the fro7en a*uum of spa*e that
separated him from %nderon and freedom-
#hapter I
The sound of the Star,Wake/s autona update ;arred ?annah awake from a restless slumber- She had
*urled herself awkwardly into the pilot/s *hair, and now her ne*k was stiff from sleepin! in an
un*omfortable position- There were plenty of pla*es to lie down and stret*h out properly in the
*ar!o hold at the ba*k, but ?annah *ouldn/t sleep in there- $ot with all the bodies-
She had remoed Wend and .rtanna from the *o*kpit in the first few minutes after their deaths- .t
had been a stru!!le !ettin! Wend out of his *hair, but her adrenaline leels had still been hi!h from
the *onfrontation with .rtanna and she had mana!ed to dra! him down the hall to the *ar!o hold
where his father and brother lay-
Relo*atin! .rtanna had been more diffi*ult- She had a soldier/s physi3ue, lean and mus*ular, and
easily wei!hed twi*e what ?annah did- "t first the !irl hadn/t een been able to bud!e the *orpse-
By the time she reali7ed she would hae to *all upon the 9or*e to aid her, the e+*itement of the
moment was !one- .n the aftermath she/d found it mu*h more diffi*ult to summon the dark side8
ea*h time she tried to draw upon her inner an!er, her *ons*ien*e had fou!ht a!ainst her- .nstead of
the familiar heat of power, she/d felt only !uilt and doubt- .ma!es of Bordon and his sons lyin! side
by side on the *ar!o room/s floor had *louded her thou!hts, makin! it diffi*ult for her to
*on*entrate-
?annah had tried to blo*k the ima!es and allow the dark side to flow throu!h her, but she/d been
only partly su**essful- .n the end she had relied more on determination and sweat than the power of
the 9or*e- (runtin! and strainin!, she had eentually mana!ed to dra! .rtanna for half a meter
before hain! to stop and *at*h her breath- She had repeated the pro*ess a!ain and a!ain, slowly
pullin! the body down the ship/s *orridor until .rtanna lay beside the others-
There had been ery little blood8 apart from the first !lan*in! shot to Bordon/s !ut, all the wounds
had been *auteri7ed by the heat of the blaster bolts- 4et the la*k of !ore had done nothin! to make
the bodies/ appearan*e any less unsettlin!- Their lifeless eyes had stared up at nothin!, *ompellin!
?annah to bend forward and *lose the lids, her hand tremblin! as she brushed a!ainst the *lammy
skin- Still not satisfied, she/d hunted around until she found seeral lar!e blankets to drape oer the
*orpses- 'en under the sheets, the profiles of her i*tims were still somewhat re*o!ni7able, but
there was nothin! more she *ould do about that- She had only *ome ba*k to the *ar!o hold one
other time sin*e then, !rabbin! as many ration kits as she *ould *arry and takin! them up to the
front, tryin! not to look at the shrouded bodies at her feet-
.n the ensuin! seen days she had been both prayin! for and dreadin! an end to her ;ourney, when
she would be reunited with her )aster and be!in her trainin! in the ways of the Sith- She neer left
the *o*kpit e+*ept to use the ship/s refresher- Wheneer she tried to sleep, she *ould neer mana!e
more than a fitful do7e pla!ued with ni!htmares in whi*h she relied her killin! spree oer and
oer-
'a*h time she woke she would tear open a ration kit and pi*k at the food, her body slowly
replenishin! what it had lost durin! her weeks on Ruusan- But the rations were meant for a full,
!rown adult, and she *ould neer finish them- When she was done, she would toss the uneaten
portion alon! with the *ontainer down the hall toward the *ar!o hold- "fter a few days the smells of
a do7en half,finished meals be!an to min!le into a si*kly sweet aroma that hun! like a thin *urtain
in the air- ?annah a*tually wel*omed the *loyin! s*ent of rottin! food8 it *oered up the mountin!
sten*h of the de*ayin! bodies in the ba*k-
To fi!ht the boredom, she/d tried to ima!ine what her future would be like as Bane/s apprenti*e- She
would fo*us on eerythin! he/d promised her1 the ability to *all upon and *ommand the 9or*e at
will8 the mysterious se*rets of the dark side8 the power to rea*h her true potential and fulfill her
destiny- 6er mind, howeer, kept returnin! to the Star,Wakes dead *rew- "nd ea*h time it happened
she wondered what her )aster would think about su*h weakness-
The autona *himed a!ain- ?annah !lan*ed at the readout1 The ship would be enterin! atmosphere
in fie minutes- She was bein! prompted to sele*t landin! *oordinates-
?annah sat up strai!ht in the pilot/s *hair, furrowin! her brow as she studied the ons*reen display-
She/d been hopin! that the automated systems that had *arried the essel from Ruusan to %nderon
would also be pro!rammed to land- 5nfortunately, it seemed that task now fell to her--- and she had
no idea how to brin! the ship down safely-
She pun*hed a button on the s*reen labeled &"$D.$( ?%$'S- " lon! list of unfamiliar lo*ations
and *oordinates be!an to s*roll a*ross the display- She had no *lue what any of the numbers meant,
and no idea how to sele*t one anyway-
"s she stared at the readout,they were enterin! atmosphere now , ?annah felt the familiar bump of
turbulen*e- #au!ht between frustration and pani*, she rea*hed out and be!an randomly pokin!
buttons- She stopped only when the autona beeped twi*e1 Destination a**epted-
6eain! a si!h of relief, she *ollapsed ba*k into her seat and bu*kled up for tou*hdown- She tried to
peer oer the *onsole to !et a iew throu!h the *o*kpit window of where she was headed, but she
was too short to see *learly- "ll she *ould make out was kilometers of thi*k, !reen *anopy
stret*hin! out in eery dire*tion- 'idently she had sele*ted a landin! 7one in a less *iili7ed part of
the world-
" soberin! 3uestion *rossed her mind- Does the autopilot know how to land in the middle of a
forest< %r will it smash me to bits a!ainst the treetops<
"s if readin! her thou!hts, the autona *himed an!rily- ?annah read the update1 =Suboptimal
*onditions dete*ted at sele*ted landin! 7one- Seekin! nearest aailable alternatie site-=
She felt the ship bank sli!htly, eerin! and leelin! off to skim the forest in sear*h of a lar!e,
enou!h *learin! to land in-
="lternatie landin! 7one lo*ated,= the s*reen assured her a few moments later, and she felt the nose
dip as the essel be!an her final des*ent-
She heard a loud ban! and the heay, sta**ato poundin! of bran*hes strikin! the e+terior of the hull
as the Star,Wake plowed throu!h a thin layer of bran*hes en route to her *hosen destination on the
surfa*e- " se*ond later the ship ro*ked hard to one side, defle*tin! off a tree trunk too thi*k to
smash throu!h- $e+t *ame a series of heay, ;arrin! thumps as the ship skipped and skidded a*ross
the !round before finally *omin! to a stop-
Shaken but unin;ured, ?annah undid her safety harness and opened the e+it hat*h- "s she des*ended
the essel/s loadin! ramp, she noti*ed she was on one end of a lar!e *learin! that had been *ared
from the forest to *reate a *ir*le nearly two hundred meters in diameter- )u*h to her surprise,
someone was in the middle of the *learin! wain! her oer-
=Whoeer/s flyin! that ship of yours must be the worst pilot in the !ala+y= the man said, eyein! her
up and down as she approa*hed him and stopped a few meters away-
6e looked to be in his late twenties, thou!h it was hard to tell be*ause of his s*rawny and somewhat
s*ra!!ly appearan*e- 6is lon! *opper,*olored hair was full of mats and tan!les, and his red beard
was pat*hy and uneen a*ross his !rimy fa*e- 6e wore loose pants and a torn shirt that mi!ht hae
been white beneath the mud and other unidentifiable stains- %er the shirt he wore a short leather
est that was frayin! at the ed!es, and a pair of heaily s*uffed boots- 6e !ae off a sour odor-
=What/s the matter, !irlie<= he asked- =4ou don/t speak Basi*< . said whoeer/s flyin! your ship is
the worst pilot . eer saw-=
=$obody/s flyin! it,= ?annah answered *arefully, !lan*in! ba*k at the ship that was now a !ood
thirty meters behind her- =She was set on auto-=
=That e+plains it,= he said with a nod- ="uto/s only !ood at landin! on a perma*rete runway- $ot
worth bantha poodoo out here-=
The man took a step toward her, and ?annah instin*tiely took a step ba*k- There was somethin!
ery wron! about findin! this man waitin! for her at the heart of a *learin! in the middle of the
forest- But she wasn/t worried about the stran!eness of the situation- .nstead her mind was
desperately tryin! to think of a way to keep him from dis*oerin! the bodies in the Star,Wake/s
*ar!o hold-
=Why you usin! the autopilot out here, !irlie< 4ou don/t !ot a pilot on that ship with you<=
?annah shook her head- =$o- There/s nobody else on board- 0ust me-=
=0ust you<= he said with an ar*hed eyebrow- =4ou sure about that<=
=. stole it,= she said defiantly- )aybe if she *ould *onin*e him she had been alone on the essel, he
wouldn/t !o in and find the bodies-
The man let out a low *hu*kle- =Stole it, you say<= Then, in a louder oi*e he *alled out, =&ooks
like we !ot ourseles a thief:=
" do7en men and women stepped out from the thi*k trees on the ed!es of the wide *learin! the
Star,Wake had landed in- They were all human, and most of them seemed to be about the same a!e
as the redhead ?annah had first spoken with- &ike him, they were *lad in a motley assortment of
soiled, ra!!ed *lothin!- Seeral of the new arrials had appeared from behind the redhead, but more
than a few had emer!ed from the trees on the other side of the *learin! behind ?annah, effe*tiely
*uttin! her off from her ship- "nd, unlike the man who had first !reeted her, the new*omers were all
armed with ibroblades or blaster rifles-
=6ow - - - how did you find me<= she demanded, !lan*in! from side to side as she be!an to reali7e
she was surrounded-
=S*outs saw your ship flyin! oer our territory,= the redhead answered- =9i!ured if you were
lookin! for a pla*e to tou*h down, you/d end up here on our landin! pad-=
=&andin! pad<= ?annah repeated in surprise, momentarily distra*ted from her dan!erous situation-
=4ou made this pla*e so ships *ould land here<=
=Who said anythin! about ships<= the man answered with a sly !rin- 6e put two fin!ers to his lips
and !ae a sharp whistle so loud and shrill it made ?annah win*e-
The air aboe was filled with the sound of a !reat roarin! wind, and a dark shadow blotted out the
sun- ?annah looked up in ama7ement as four enormous win!ed reptiles swooped down from the sky
to land on the far side of the *learin!- The *reatures were outfitted with bridle and reins, and ea*h
wore a lar!e saddle on its ba*k that looked bi! enou!h to *arry up to three people at on*e-
=4ou/re beast,riders= she !asped, rememberin! Tallo/s warnin! when she/d first mentioned %nderon-
=Skelda *lan = the man said- ="nd like . already told you, you/re in our territory-=
=./m --- ./m sorry,= ?annah said- =. didn/t know-=
The man shru!!ed- =Doesn/t matter if you knew or not- 4ou want to use a Skelda *lan landin! pad,
you !ot to pay us for the priile!e-=
9rom the *orner of her eye ?annah noti*ed his *ompanions slowly drawin! in ti!hter around her-
=. don/t hae any money,= she said, takin! a half step ba*kward-
=That/s okay,= the man replied non*halantly- =We/ll ;ust take your ship-=
?annah spun on her heel and tried to run for the forest as the man lun!ed for her- 6e/d been
e+pe*tin! her to make a break for it, and he was 3ui*k- 6e was on her after only a few steps,
ta*klin! her from behind- 6e kno*ked her to the !round, his wei!ht slammin! her to the hard dirt-
"nd the ne+t instant he was flyin! ba*kward throu!h the air-
6e hit the !round with a hard !runt, the wind kno*ked out of him as he landed on his side fie
meters away- ?annah s*rambled ba*k to her feet- The other members of his *lan had rushed forward
when she started to run8 now they all took a 3ui*k step ba*k, weapons raised hi!h aboe their heads-
They were starin! at her with wide,eyed e+pressions of fear and disbelief-
She turned ba*k to the leader when she heard him lau!hin!- 6e pi*ked himself up off the !round
and winked at her-
=&ooks like we !ot ourseles a little 0edi in trainin!,= he said, loud enou!h for his *ompanions to
hear- =What brou!ht you to %nderon, little 0edi< De*ided to run away from your )aster<=
=./m not a 0edi= ?annah said in *old whisper-
=That/s ri!ht,= he a!reed- =4ou don/t know how to *ontrol your power, do you< .t only *omes out
when you/re mad or afraid- .sn/t that ri!ht<=
?annah *len*hed her ;aw and narrowed her eyes, but didn/t say anythin!-
=&isten, little 0edi,= he said, pullin! a small blade from his boot and be!innin! to walk slowly
toward her- =There are twele of us and only one of you- 4ou really think you *an take us all on<=
=)aybe,= ?annah said, thrustin! out her *hin-
=What about them<= he asked, tiltin! his head in the dire*tion of the flyin! beasts as he *ontinued
his *autious adan*e- =%ne *ommand from any of us and the dre+ls will rip your pretty little blond
head *lean off your body- Do you really think your powers will be enou!h to stop them<=
=$o,= ?annah admitted- .n the ba*k of her mind she felt somethin! twit*h, almost as if someone
was *allin! out to her-
=.t/s time for you to !ie up, !irlie,= the redhead told her with a *ruel !rin- 6e was only a few steps
away from her now, his blade held out before him- =4ou/re all alone-=
?annah smiled ba*k at him- =$o, ./m not-=
"s the words left her lips a dark shadow fell a*ross the two of them- The man had ;ust enou!h time
to look up before he was plu*ked from the !round by the swoopin! talons of a dre+l far lar!er than
any of the four he had *alled down earlier- .t let loose a s*ream that, shook the !round beneath
?annah/s feet as it ar*ed ba*k up toward the sky- "stride the !reat beast/s ne*k sat the familiar fi!ure
of Darth Bane-
The dre+l *limbed to a hei!ht of thirty meters, then released its deadly !rip on the redheaded man-
6is limp body plun!ed to the !round below, landin! with a dull thud and the sharp *ra*k of bones-
The si!ht of their leader/s man!led *orpse droppin! from the sky spurred the rest of the *lan into
a*tion- With whoopin! *ries and shrill whistles, they ra*ed to their mounts to take the battle to the
air, all thou!hts of the little !irl on the !round for!otten-
The first dre+l off the !round had only two riders- The woman in front handled the reins, fo*usin!
all her attention and ener!y on the diffi*ult task of steerin! and *ontrollin! the mount- The man
seated behind her sered as her eyes and strate!ist, shoutin! out instru*tions she followed without
3uestion,when to *limb, when to die, when to bank, and when to strike- The empty seat behind
them was no doubt where the redheaded man would hae sat had he not been killed-
The remainin! dre+ls ea*h *arried a full *omplement of three riders,one to work the reins, one to
!ie the orders, and one armed with a lar!e blaster rifle- The bolts would hae little effe*t a!ainst a
dre+l/s thi*k hide, but a well,pla*ed shot *ould brin! down an enemy rider from lon! ran!e-
6oweer, the offensie adanta!e of the third rider was offset by the e+tra wei!ht that made the
mount slower and less maneuerable-
With only two passen!ers, the first dre+l was able to 3ui*kly outdistan*e the others- .t *limbed into
the *lear blue sky where Bane and his new pet *ir*led defiantly, issuin! a *hallen!e that *ould not
be i!nored-
"s this first opponent drew near, the Dark &ord/s flier s*reamed its war *ry and eered to inter*ept
it- 9rom the !round ?annah wat*hed as the two reptaians *lashed, the beasts seemin! to throw
themseles at ea*h other in midair- (rapplin! to!ether, they plun!ed planetward in a short but
saa!e *onfrontation- The two !reat bodies twisted and writhed a!ainst ea*h other, buffeted by
win!s and slashed by *laws that !linted in the sun- Tails lashed out, attemptin! to blind the enemy
flier or dislod!e a rider- 0aws bit and snapped as the dre+ls/ oersi7ed heads dan*ed and weaed
atop the serpentine ne*ks-
The beast,riders had *ounted on their skill and e+perien*e in aerial *ombat to *arry them to i*tory
a!ainst a lone rider oerwhelmed by the stru!!le to *ontrol a flier by himself- They didn/t reali7e
that the 9or*e !ae Bane *omplete and total *ommand of the *reature- Without this adanta!e, their
defeat was neer in doubt- Bane/s mount was lar!er and stron!er, it *arried the wei!ht of a sin!le
rider, and it had no reins, bridle, or saddle to en*umber its moements-
&ess than twenty meters aboe the !round, Bane/s dre+l twisted, du*ked, and tore out the throat of
its enemy- Ten meters aboe the !round it disen!a!ed from its foe, pulled out of the deadly free fall,
and soared i*toriously upward- The other dre+l, mortally wounded, *rashed to the dirt, a landin!
that killed the mount and both riders instantly-
The entire se3uen*e had taken less than ten se*onds, yet it had allowed the other Skelda *lan flier
teams to !et hi!h aboe their 3uarry, !iin! them a ta*ti*al adanta!e- With powerful flaps of its
mi!hty win!s, Bane/s mount rose up to meet them- They responded with a barra!e of blasterfire
aimed at the mysterious lone rider, only to see the Sith )aster i!nite his li!htsaber and defle*t the
in*omin! bolts-
%ne of the enemy fliers swooped in toward him, a feint meant to draw Bane/s attention from the
other two- The beast died past him, a few meters too distant to a*tually en!a!e in *ombat, then
banked away sharply as the rider yanked hard on the reins- "s they flew by, Bane rea*hed out with
the 9or*e and ripped away the harness se*urin! the saddle to the dre+Ts ba*k- There was a trio of
startled and then terrified s*reams as the saddle broke free and the riders plummeted hundreds of
meters to the !round below- The mount, obliious to their pli!ht, *ontinued to *ir*le upward in
preparation for another die-
Bane didn/t take the time to reel in the fear of his fallen enemies- Before they een hit the !round
he/d turned his attention to the third opponent, unleashin! a storm of Sith li!htnin! that redu*ed the
riders to ash and the dre+l into a hunk of *harred and smokin! flesh that dropped from the sky-
With a sin!le thou!ht Bane dire*ted his mount/s attention to the lone remainin! flier team--- a
ta*ti*al error on his part- 9or een thou!h its riders had been slain, the se*ond dre+l was still alie-
"*tin! on primal instin*t, it had eered ba*k to atta*k the unfamiliar male inadin! its territory-
The riderless dre+l slammed into Bane/s flier the e+a*t instant he en!a!ed the final team- The three
beasts intertwined with one another, be*omin! a sin!le, s*reamin! mass of flesh, *laws, and teeth
hurtlin! toward the !round below- " spray of hot, foamy blood splashed a*ross Bane/s fa*e as the
*reatures ripped one another apart- 9or a brief instant he !limpsed one of the other riders throu!h
the flailin! win!s and limbs of their mounts, her features fro7en as she reali7ed they were all
tumblin! toward a !ruesome and ines*apable end-
Bane released his hold on the dre+l/s mind and *on*entrated his awareness on the terror of the other
three riders- 6e drank in their fear, usin! it to fuel his own emotions- 6e fo*used his power and
*hanneled it throu!h the orbalisks, lettin! them !or!e themseles on the dark side- .n return they
pumped a fresh dose of adrenaline and hormones into his blood, allowin! him to !enerate een
more power in a *y*le he repeated oer and oer until the moment before impa*t-
?annah saw the last three flyin! *reatures lo*k onto one another- "s they dropped from the sky,
spiralin! down faster and faster, she wat*hed them, waitin! for one to break free and mount ba*k up
to the heaens- $one eer did-
She s*reamed in horror as they all slammed into the !round to!ether- The sound of the *rash was
like an e+plosion8 the sho*k wae kno*ked ?annah off her feet and laun*hed a !reat *loud of dust
and debris into the air- The *loud rolled 3ui*kly oer the !round to enelop her-
The would,be Sith apprenti*e stru!!led to rise, *ou!hin! and *hokin! as small *hunks of dirt and
stone rained down on her- Throu!h the ha7e she stared in wonder at the twenty,meter,wide, two,
meter,deep *rater left behind- .n the *enter was a !ore,*oered mountain of puleri7ed flesh1 the
indiidual bodies of mounts and riders *ompa*ted into a sin!le pulpy, 3uierin! mass- "nd walkin!
toward her from the *arna!e was the blood,soaked form of her )aster-
6e was limpin! and hun*hed oer, with one arm *lut*hed at his side- 4et een throu!h the
obs*urin! dust ?annah re*o!ni7ed him immediately- She *ould only stare in utter disbelief as he
drew nearer, his !ait be*omin! more sure and steady with eery stride- With ea*h step he stood
taller and strai!hter, and when he let his arm fall away from his side, her heart be!an to pound with
e+*itement-
Darth Bane was alie: "nd the power that had let him surie this in*redible ordeal,the power of
the dark side,would one day be hers to *ommand: %er*ome with emotion, she stepped forward to
embra*e her )aster --- only to re*oil when she saw the alien !rowth protrudin! from his *hest-
=They are *alled orbalisks,= Bane said, offerin! an e+planation rather than a !reetin!- =#reatures
that feed on the power of the dark side- Without them . *ould neer hae suried what you ;ust
witnessed-= 6e !asped faintly as he spoke, thou!h whether from pain or the re*ent e+ertion of usin!
the 9or*e , or possibly both , she *ouldn/t tell-
6e stopped in front of her, and ?annah rea*hed out slowly to tou*h the *old, hard shell- She pulled
her hand ba*k with a start when she felt it twit*h beneath her fin!ers-
=They feel the power of the dark side within you = Bane said, speakin! like a proud father-
=6ow do you !et them off<= ?annah asked, her 3uestion an e3ual measure of *uriosity and
reulsion-
=. don/t,= Bane replied- =This armor is permanent-=
=Will . hae to wear them, too<= she asked softly-
Bane *onsidered before replyin!- =The orbalisks !ie me !reat power, but there is a *ost- The
physi*al demands *an be --- ta+in!- .t would be too mu*h for you to bear as a *hild- )aybe too
mu*h for you to eer bear-=
Relieed, ?annah only nodded- 6er )aster seemed to be almost fully re*oered now, thou!h his
fa*e and armor were still dren*hed in blood-
She noti*ed him lookin! past her at the Star,Wake on the far ed!e of the *learin!-
=. stole a ship,= she told him- =.--- . had to kill the *rew-=
=4ou did what was ne*essary to a*hiee your !oal,= Bane said- =4ou showed the power and the
stren!th of will to destroy those who stood in your way- 4ou saw what you wanted and you took it,
no matter what the *ost-
=4ou a*ted like a Sith-=
The youn! !irl felt a sur!e of pride well up within her- =What happens now, )aster<=
=$ow your real trainin! will be!in,= Bane said, mar*hin! off toward the Star,Wake-
She 3ui*kly fell into step behind him- The doubts and fears she had e+perien*ed durin! her time
alone on the ship were !one, swept away by the words of her )aster and the display of raw power
she had witnessed- $o lon!er was she afraid or un*ertain about her future8 she finally a**epted who
and what she truly was- She was the *hosen apprenti*e of Darth Bane- She was the heir to the
le!a*y of the dark side- "nd she was the future Dark &ord of the Sith-
D D D
=4ou sent for me, )aster Valenthyne<= 0ohun said as he entered 9ar,falla/s priate 3uarters-
.t was three days after the Senate had passed the Ruusan Reformations, and they were still on
#orus*ant- 0ohun was ea!er to leae the *ity,world behind them, but after his shameful outburst in
#han*ellor Valorum/s *hambers, he was determined to show that he *ould *ontrol his emotions and
that he trusted in the wisdom of his )aster- "s lon! as 9arfalla felt they were needed here, he would
sere without further *omplaint-
=Sit down, 0ohun,= the 0edi )aster said softly, pointin! to a nearby *hair- 9rom his tone it was *lear
he had bad news to delier-
0ohun did as he was instru*ted, dreadin! what was to *ome-
=We/e lo*ated the Star,Wake=
9or a brief instant 0ohun/s heart leapt- Sometime after he had left .rtanna and her *rew, their ship
had !one missin!- Sear*h parties had been sent out but had *ome ba*k with nothin!- $ow, nearly
two weeks after she disappeared, she had been found:
Then 0ohun/s elation anished when he reali7ed that his )aster had spe*ifi*ally said the ship had
been lo*ated8 he/d made no mention of those aboard-
=What happened<= 0ohun asked, almost too afraid to !et the words out-
=We think it may hae been mer*enaries,= 9arfalla e+plained- =The ship was dis*oered floatin! in
the 0aprael se*tor, abandoned- 'erythin! of alue had been taken- 'eryone aboard was dead, shot
with a blaster at *lose ran!e-=
='eryone< .rtanna< Bordon< 'en his sons<=
9arfalla *ould only answer with a solemn nod-
There is no emotion, 0ohun thou!ht, re*itin! the 0edi #ode as he fou!ht to *ontrol the sudden burst
of an!er that flared at their senseless deaths- There is only pea*e-
=. know this is diffi*ult for you to a**ept,= 9arfalla said, takin! a seat a*ross from 0ohun so he *ould
fa*e him- =But there is nothin! we *an do for them now- "nd whateer happens, you must not take
it upon yourself to try to aen!e their deaths-=
=. understand, )aster,= 0ohun said, *hokin! ba*k tears- =4et . *annot stop myself from !riein! for
their loss-=
=$or should you, my youn! 2adawan,= 9arfalla said, !iin! him a reassurin! pat on the knee before
risin! to stand- =.t is only natural that you feel sorrow oer what has happened- (rief alone holds no
dan!er-=
9arfalla stepped away to the far side of the room and studied a paintin! on the wall, !iin! the
youn! man some pria*y and allowin! him time to *olle*t himself- When 0ohun stood a few
minutes later, his )aster turned to fa*e him a!ain-
=This news sits heay upon my heart, )aster Valenthyne,= the youn! man offered- =But .
understand that it is not my pla*e to seek out their killers- "nd . am !rateful you brou!ht me here to
tell me-=
=That is not the only reason . sent for you,= 9arfalla admitted- =. hae a mission for you-=
=Tell me, )aster- . am ready to sere-= 0ohun thou!ht that truer words had neer been spoken- 6e
was desperate for somethin!, anythin!, to take his mind off thou!hts of .rtanna and her *rew-
=The Senate has passed the Ruusan Reformations- 4ou already know what this means to our order,
but there are many other aspe*ts to this le!islation- "s #han*ellor Valorum has said, the Republi*
must be reborn-=
0ohun nodded to show he understood-
=There will be many people a*ross the !ala+y who are opposed to this new le!islation = 9arfalla
*ontinued- =Some see Valorum/s efforts to reunite the Republi* as an attempt to reestablish Senate
*ontrol oer worlds that hae de*lared their independen*e--- or worlds that were ;ust about to-=
=4ou fear for the #han*ellor/s life,= 0ohun !uessed-
=2re*isely- "nd . also feel it is important for the 0edi to show our support for the #han*ellor and the
Ruusan Reformations- We must take a leadin! role in prote*tin! him from those who would do him
harm-=
0ohun stru!!led to keep his emotions under *ontrol- 9arfalla had said he had a spe*ial mission for
him- )aybe he was sendin! him to the %uter Rim Territories to infiltrate a radi*al separatist
moement, or deployin! him to the front lines of a battle a!ainst some dan!erous rebel fa*tion:
=. hae *hosen you to sere as the 0edi representatie amon! #han*ellor Valorum/s personal !uard=
9arfalla *ontinued, and 0ohun felt as if he had been pun*hed in the !ut-
The last thin! he wanted was to stay on #orus*ant, and now he had been *ondemned to remain here
until the end of the #han*ellor/s term- 2lus four more years, if the #han*ellor won his bid for a
se*ond term-
=4ou seem upset, 0ohun-=
=$ot upset, )aster,= the youn! man answered *arefully- =Disappointed- This was not what . was
hopin! for-=
=%ur order is sworn to sere- %ften we must sa*rifi*e what we most alue for the !ood of others-
This is what it means to be a 0edi-/
0ohun felt no desire to ar!ue the point- "s usual, his )aster was ri!ht- .f this was his duty, if this
was the role he was asked to sere, then he would not only a**ept it but embra*e it-
=)aster Valenthyne, . humbly a**ept this !reat honor you hae !ien me- . will sere #han*ellor
Valorum with all my heart and spirit, to the best of my abilities-=
=.t !ies me !reat pleasure to hear you a**ept your fate so willin!ly, 0ohun ,= 9arfalla answered
with a mis*hieous smile- =But there is still one more small matter-
=. will hae to leae #orus*ant in the ne+t few days to attend to other business- "s you *an ima!ine,
this is a diffi*ult time for our order-=
=%f *ourse, )aster-=
=But you must understand that . *annot leae a 2adawan here on #orus*ant unsuperised-=
.t was true- "ll 2adawans were re3uired to be under the *onstant *are and wat*hful eye of a 0edi
)aster until they *ompleted their trainin!- =./m afraid . don/t understand- .f you are leain!, then
what new )aster will . sere<=
=. think your period of seri*e is oer, my youn! 0edi-=
9or a moment 0ohun ;ust stood there, unable to wrap his mind around what he had been told- %nly
when he reali7ed 9arfalla had used the honorifi* 0edi instead of 2adawan did it be*ome *lear-
=4ou mean --- . am to be kni!hted<=
=That is pre*isely what . mean,= 9arfalla *onfirmed- =. hae met with the #oun*il and they a!ree
that you are ready-=
.noluntarily 0ohun/s hand dropped to brush a!ainst the hilt of his li!htsaber- 6e had *onstru*ted it
on Ruusan at 6oth/s insisten*e only weeks before his first )aster/s death- 6e reali7ed the !eneral
must hae been preparin! him for this moment een then- 6oweer, buildin! a li!htsaber was only
one step on the path to 0edi Kni!hthood-
=What about the trials<= 0ohun asked, tryin! to *ontain himself- =. must still pass the final tests of
the #oun*il-= =. hae spoken with them about this, too, and they a!ree that you hae already
proen yourself many times oer durin! your seri*e on Ruusan- "ssi!nin! you to Valorum/s !uard
was your final test- .n a**eptin! the position as you did, you hae demonstrated beyond all doubt
that you are willin! to sa*rifi*e your own wants and desires for the !reater !ood-=
=. --- . don/t know what to say, )aster= the youn! man stammered-
=4ou earned this, 0ohun,= 9arfalla assured him- =(eneral 6oth would be proud-=
The 0edi )aster/s li!htsaber appeared in his hand, i!nitin! with a *lean, *risp hum- 0ohun bowed his
head and turned it sli!htly to one side- 9arfalla fli*ked his wrist, and the li!htsaber sli*ed away the
dan!lin! apprenti*e/s braid- The youn! man felt the wei!ht of it tumblin! away as it fell to the floor,
then raised his head with tears in his eyes-
6e was unable to speak, his mind still swirlin! with all that had happened1 his as*ension to the rank
of 0edi Kni!ht8 his postin! to Valorum/s !uard8 the tra!i* news of .rtanna and her *rew-
=4ou will foreer look ba*k on this day as one of !reat ;oy, but also one of !reat sorrow,= 9arfalla
told him, offerin! one final pie*e of adi*e- =.t will help you to remember that, in life, the two are
often *losely linked-=
=. will remember, )aster,= 0ohun owed, reali7in! that for the first time he was offerin! his word
not as a 2adawan, but as a true 0edi Kni!ht-
D D D
Daroit moed with a slow but steady pa*e a*ross the *ra*ked soil of the sunbaked field- 6is left
hand *lut*hed a walkin! sti*k while the stump where his ri!ht had been was wrapped in heay
banda!es- " hoerin! boun*er mat*hed his pa*e on either side8 their round bodies bobbed alon! like
a pair of furry !reen balloons tethered to his shoulders- They had wide, soulful eyes but no isible
nose or mouth- Their lon!, flat tails streamed out behind them like ribbons flutterin! on the bree7e-
The boun*ers had first *ome to him in the *ae, where he had lain for days in a near,*atatoni* state-
6uddled and *lut*hin! at his maimed limb, he had !ien up all hope- When they found him, he had
wanted nothin! more than to die-
The *ompassionate, telepathi* *reatures had *ir*led aboe him, speakin! dire*tly to his mind,
offerin! words of *omfort and assuran*e- They had soothed his troubled spirit, and thou!h they
*ould not heal his wounds they were able to ease his physi*al pain-
They had !uided him safely out of the under!round tunnels and ba*k up to the bri!ht sun and fresh
air of the surfa*e- They had led him to a !roe where he found *ool water to slake his thirst and
sweet berries to sate his raenous hun!er- They/d een shown him where to find an abandoned
*a*he of medi*al supplies, so he *ould properly *lean and dress his amputated stump to stae off
infe*tion-
9or seeral days the youn! man had stayed hidden at the boun*ers/ !roe, !atherin! his stren!th and
re*oerin! from his terrible wound- 6e was too afraid of bein! re*o!ni7ed as one of the Sith to seek
out others of his own spe*ies, too ashamed by his a*tions and his mutilated limb to fa*e others of
his own kind- But more powerful than either his fear or his shame was his ra!e,Rain had taken his
hand: 6is own *ousin had betrayed and maimed him: Thou!hts of en!ean*e and retribution
*onsumed him8 ima!es of huntin! her down and destroyin! her filled his restless dreams-
4et as his body be!an to heal, his an!er be!an to fade- Desperate to *lin! to his hatred, he had
replayed the en*ounter with Rain oer and oer in his mind - - - only to hae the truth suddenly
dawn on him- Rain had been tryin! to sae him:
Surrounded by the !entle boun*ers and their *almin! presen*e, Daroit was finally able to
understand what she had done- The Sith at his *ousin/s side would hae killed him without a se*ond
thou!ht- By *ripplin! him, Rain had spared his life8 a final a*t of mer*y before she fell under the
sway of her new dark side )aster-
"nd with understandin! *ame a**eptan*e, Daroit/s hand was !one- Rain was !one- 6is dreams of
;oinin! the 0edi,or the Sith, were !one- "ll he had left were the boun*ers-
Daroit was !rateful for their kindness, but he *ouldn/t understand why they had helped him-
2erhaps it was be*ause eeryone else was !one1 The Sith were destroyed, their minions had fled the
world or been taken away as prisoners of war- The 0edi and Republi* soldiers serin! in the "rmy
of &i!ht were all !one- Two ni!hts earlier he/d seen the telltale fli*ker of ships makin! the ;ump to
hyperspa*e in the starry sky as their fleet had left orbit- 'en those who lied on Ruusan had !one
ba*k to their farms and illa!es, abandonin! the site of the !reat battle between the darkness and the
li!ht- 9or seeral days now he had seen no liin! *reature other than the boun*ers who had saed
him-
6e understood that they had !ien him a se*ond *han*e at life- 6e *ould put his past behind him
and start a!ain- But to what purpose< To what end< The boun*ers spoke often of the future, as if
they had some ability to see !limpses of what was to *ome- &ike most ora*les, howeer, they used
words that were *ou*hed in a!ue riddles and !eneralities, words that offered him no *lue to his
own fate-
Daroit sad, one of the *reatures pro;e*ted into his mind, a statement more than a 3uestion-
=. ;ust don/t know what . should do now,= he answered out loud- While the boun*ers *ould pro;e*t
their thou!hts and empathi*ally sense broad emotion in others, they weren/t able to read minds- .t
was ne*essary to a*tually speak to *arry on a *onersation with them-
=What kind of future is there for me<= he *ontinued, !iin! oi*e to the problem he had been
stru!!lin! with internally- =. failed as a 0edi- . failed as a Sith- What *ould . hope to be*ome now<=
)an<
The answer a*tually made him stop short- =" man<= he repeated-
$ot a Sith, not a 0edi- $ot a mer*enary, not a soldier- $ot anythin! but a simple, ordinary man- 6e
nodded and resumed his mar*h a*ross the empty, open field, feelin! as if a !reat wei!ht had been
lifted from him-
=0ust a man- Why not<=
#hapter >J
Ten 4ears &ater
The %uter Rim world of Serenno was one of the wealthiest planets in the Republi*- .t was also a
breedin! !round for anti,Republi* sentiment and radi*al separatist moements, often se*retly
funded by the ast wealth of arious Serenno noble families ea!er to free themseles from the
politi*al yoke of the (ala*ti* Senate-
4et despite the dan!erous reolutionary under*urrents of its *ulture, or perhaps be*ause of them, the
!reat outdoor market of the planetary *apital of #arannia had be*ome renowned as a hub of
interstellar mer*antilism- Shoppers of two do7en different spe*ies min!led freely beneath the tents
and awnin!s of a thousand endor stalls- 9rom dawn to dusk the *ries of mer*hants hawkin! !oods
imported from eery *orner of the !ala+y min!led with the shouted bids of ha!!lin! *ustomers-
'en the affluent and priile!ed braed the masses of the *rowded pla7a, willin!ly redu*in!
themseles to part of the unruly mob pushin! and shoin! its way throu!h the stalls in sear*h of
rare or aluable treasures that *ould be found nowhere else- ?annah stood motionless in a se*luded
*orner of the market s3uare, tryin! to aoid noti*e- .t wasn/t easy for her to blend in with a *rowd8
althou!h she was of aera!e hei!ht, she was a strikin!ly attra*tie youn! woman- .t was ne*essary
for her to take pre*autions when she didn/t wish to draw the appre*iatie stares of males, or the
enious !lan*es of other females- .n this parti*ular instan*e she had donned a loose bla*k *loak that
*oered her from head to toe, obs*urin! her lean, athleti* fi!ure- The hood was pulled up to *on*eal
her flowin! mane of lon!, *urly blond hair, and the shadows it *ast a*ross her features hid her
bri!ht, fier*e eyes-
She had also wrapped herself in a faint aura of insi!nifi*an*e, an illusion of the dark side that
allowed her to hide in plain si!ht when she entured out in publi*- .t wouldn/t shield her from the
eyes of anyone lookin! for her, but as lon! as she didn/t draw attention to herself she would remain
unnoti*ed and unremembered by the ast ma;ority of weak,minded *ommon folk-
'en with these pre*autions, she would o**asionally noti*e someone !iin! her a se*ond !lan*e-
There was somethin! about her, a hard ed!e to the way she moed and een the way she stood, that
set her apart from others- 4et it was far easier for her to remain in*onspi*uous than it was for her
)aster- %er the past de*ade, the or,balisks that had atta*hed themseles to Bane/s torso had spread
until they *oered irtually his entire body- %nly his feet, hands, and fa*e remained free of the
infestation, and only be*ause he took e+treme pre*autions1 6e wore spe*ial !loes and boots at all
times, and when he slept he donned a spe*ial helmet that resembled a *a!e, meant to keep the
parasites from !rowin! oer his fa*e-
#loaks and thi*k layers of *lothin! *ouldn/t fully hide what he had be*ome- "nyone who happened
to *at*h a !limpse of the shiny *arapa*es beneath his !arments would definitely remember- "s a
result, Bane rarely left their *amp on "mbria- 6e relied on his apprenti*e to be his eyes and ears to
the outside world- 6e *ounted on her to a*t as an a!ent of his will, to *oordinate and oersee the
intri*ate plans he or*hestrated from behind the s*enes-
That was why she was here now, waitin! for a youn! Twi/lek she knew as Kelad/den- .t was
unlikely that was his a*tual name, howeer- "fter all, he didn/t know her real name --- despite the
fa*t that they were loers-
Kel was a politi*al reolutionary,a self,styled freedom fi!hter battlin! tyranny as a hi!h,rankin!
member of a small e+tremist !roup determined to brin! down the Republi*- .t had taken ?annah
seeral months to win his trust, but he had finally su**umbed- &ast ni!ht, as they had lain
intertwined in the rou!h sheets of the small bed in ?annah/s rented apartment, the Twi/lek had
promised to meet her at midday in the pla7a to brin! her to one of his or!ani7ation/s *landestine
meetin!s-
9rom the hei!ht of the sun in the afternoon sky it was obious Kelad/dan was late- Still, ?annah
*ontinued to wait- She had learned the alue of patien*e early on in her studies---
=Se*re*y- #unnin!- 2atien*e- These are the weapons of the Sith= her )aster told her-
They had left %nderon ei!ht days before, abandonin! the Star,Wake and a*3uirin! another essel
from a $eimoidian mer*hant to brin! them to "mbria- .t was here on this remote world that Bane
would be!in her trainin!-
="*t in haste and you !ie the adanta!e to your enemy= Bane e+plained- =Sometimes the proper,
and more diffi*ult, *ourse is not to a*t- 'en the !reatest warrior often fails to wait until the moment
is ri!ht before strikin! out- That is a mistake we *annot afford to make-=
She nodded, absorbin! his words and *ommittin! them to memory- But words were only part of her
trainin!- 6er )aster also !ae her a task,a test that would proe she had truly learned her lesson-
.n one of the *aes near the shore of &ake $atth, a few kilometers from their *amp, lied a small
family of neeks1 small, reptilian herbiores natie to "mbria- %nly a meter in hei!ht, they stood
upri!ht on their hind le!s, usin! their tails for balan*e and support- Their forelimbs were short and
underdeeloped, !ood only for di!!in! up shallow roots or *arryin! small nuts ba*k to their nests-
They had lon! ne*ks and tiny heads with small, toothless ;aws that resembled beaks-
The first day she and Darth Bane had arried on the world, ?annah had noti*ed them s*urryin! and
dartin! about on the hot sands of the bea*h- "s the first part of her trainin!, Bane had tasked her
with brin!in! one of the neeks to him, alie and unfettered-
The mission proed to be mu*h harder than she first ima!ined- " *ommon food sour*e for the lar!e
*arniores that often prowled the shores of &ake $atth, neeks were skittish by nature- They would
flee at the si!ht of her, s*amperin! off to disappear into the small *ra*ks and *rei*es in the ro*ks
surroundin! the *aes where they made their home-
She *ouldn/t simply set a trap for one8 Bane/s instru*tions re3uired her to brin! him one that *ame of
its own free will- "t first ?annah had tried lurin! them ba*k to the *amp by leain! a trail of food,
but the *reatures were mistrustful and spurned her offerin!s- $e+t, she tried dominatin! one/s mind
as she had seen Bane do with the dre+l- But at &ake $atth an an*ient 0edi had on*e bound the dark
side power of his enemies- That same power had emanated from the depths of the poisonous waters
oer the *enturies, mutatin! the neeks and makin! them immune to her *lumsy efforts to *ontrol
them with the 9or*e-
.n the end she reali7ed she would hae to tame one, trainin! it to !row a**ustomed to her presen*e-
So early ea*h mornin! she made her way down to the entran*e of the *ae, where she would sit
*ross,le!!ed and pra*ti*e the meditation e+er*ises Bane was tea*hin! her-
She would stay motionless for hours, then *almly !et up and return to the *amp in the late
afternoon, only to repeat the pro*ess the ne+t mornin!- 9or the first three days she was *ompletely
alone, but on the fourth day the neeks be!an to show themseles- #autious at first, they would dart
out into iew and s*amper past her, well beyond her rea*h- By the middle of the se*ond week they
be!an to !row used to her presen*e, and would sit and stare at her, only a few meters away-
%**asionally one would bark out a s3ueakin! yip in her dire*tion, or emit a low, tremulous *hirpin!
from the ba*k of its throat- By the third week one parti*ularly *urious youn!lin!, not een as tall as
?annah/s knee, *ame *lose enou!h to her that she was able to rea*h out and tou*h it
"fter that she started brin!in! food to her i!il, lettin! a small morsel sit in the open palm of an
upturned hand at her side- The same bold little neek would approa*h her with trepidation ea*h time,
balan*in! its fear a!ainst the allurin! s*ent of the nuts waftin! up from the youn! !irl/s hand- She
would *oo to it softly, and eentually it would !ather its *oura!e enou!h to rush in and snat*h the
morsel away before s*urryin! off to the safety of its *ae, peepin! with e+*itement-
?annah started positionin! herself farther from the *ae for her meditations- 'a*h day the neek
would *ome lookin! for her, ran!in! beyond the familiar borders of its territory in its 3uest to find
her- Bit by bit she drew it *loser and *loser to the *amp until one day, when she !ot up to leae, the
neek be!an to follow her-
She made a point of takin! soft, slow steps so as not to startle it- )oin! with small strides so she
wouldn/t lose her balan*e, she !in!erly shifted her wei!ht from one foot to the other as she led the
tiny *reature all the way ba*k to her )aster-
.t was near ni!htfall when she arried, her pa*e turnin! the relatiely short distan*e from the lake
ba*k to the *amp into a four,hour ;ourney- There were seeral tents in the *amp8 in addition to the
ones she and Bane slept in, there was one for storin! food, another for *lothin! and e3uipment, and
still others for weapons and fuel for their star,ship and land half,tra*k- The tents were arran!ed in a
three,3uarter *ir*le, fa*in! inward toward the *ookin! fire-
Bane was sittin! by the bla7e waitin! for her, stirrin! at a bubblin! pot of bland,smellin! stew- 6e
had taken off his shirt in the summer ni!ht/s heat- .n the fli*kerin! !low of the flames, his
apprenti*e *ould see that the orbalisks were be!innin! to spread- The one on the ba*k of his
shoulder had tra*ed its way a*ross his bi*ep to the elbow of his heaily mus*led arm, while the
or!anism on his *hest now e+tended halfway down his abdominal mus*les and partway up his
throat- Seeral narrow, dark bands of softer,lookin! flesh bise*ted ea*h shell erti*ally, and the !irl
reali7ed that in addition to !rowin!, the *reatures were about to split apart and multiply-
Suppressin! a shudder, ?annah *alled out softly to him- =. hae *ompleted my first lesson, )aster-=
Bane !lan*ed down at the small neek trailin! into the *amp behind her, isible proof that his
apprenti*e had fulfilled the task he had !ien her- ?annah followed his !a7e, turnin! toward the tiny
*reature- .t looked up at her and *hirped e+pe*tantly- She bent down to pet it, and Bane rea*hed out
with the 9or*e and snapped its lon!, thin ne*k-
=4ou hae done well,= he muttered as she stared in horror at the tiny body twit*hin! at her feet-
=$ow toss it in the stew=
?annah took a moment to steel herself, pushin! away the !rief that threatened to well up inside her-
When Bane had first !ien her this task, she reali7ed, he must hae known she would deelop a
fondness for the little neek- .f she had been wiser she would hae foreseen this, and iewed the
*reature simply as a tool,somethin! to be used then tossed aside,rather than allowin! herself to
be*ome emotionally atta*hed- The pain she felt now oer its death was a warnin!,a reminder that
her only alle!ian*e was to her )aster-
She pi*ked up the body and *arried it oer to the bubblin! pot- Toss,in! it in, she looked Bane
s3uare in the eye-
=. see you de*ided to tea*h me two lessons today, )aster-=
6is only response was a !rim smile----
=Rainah,= she heard a oi*e shoutin! aboe the din of the market, usin! the false name she adopted
for all her missions- "fter a moment she was able to pi*k Kelad/den out of the *rowd, motionin! her
to *ome oer and ;oin him on the far side of the s3uare-
Twi/lek *omple+ions *ame in a wide ariety of *olors, but Kel was of the e+tremely rare red,
skinned &ethan ra*e- &ike most &ethans, he was undeniably !or!eous- 6e was tall and broad,
shouldered, with a hard, flat stoma*h and perfe*tly proportioned limbs- 6e wore ti!ht bla*k pants
and a loose,fittin! tan tuni* that hun! open at the front to e+pose the lean mus*les of his *hest and
abdomen- 6e had sensuous, perfe*tly symmetri*al features1 soft, full lips and dark, smolderin! eyes
that seemed to draw you in if you stared at them too lon!- 6is firm, shapely lekku *oiled around his
ne*k and shoulders, windin! their way su!!estiely down the front of his open tuni* and e+posed
*hest-
=Rainah:= he *ried out a se*ond time, *ausin! more than a few people to stop and look at him
*uriously ?annah *ursed under her breath, and moed 3ui*kly throu!h the *rowd to his side-
=Keep your oi*e down,= she hissed when she !ot *lose- ='erybody/s starin! at us:=
=&et them stare= he said defiantly, thou!h he did lower his oi*e to mat*h hers- =They/re
*ommoners- Their opinion means nothin! to me-=
Kel was a *hild of position and priile!e- .n addition to bein! of &ethan sto*k, he *ame from a
family that ranked amon! the nobility of the Twi/lek warrior *aste- 6is entire life he had been told
by all those around him how spe*ial he was8 it was only natural he would !row up beliein! others
to be beneath him-
"t times ?annah admired his hau!hty arro!an*e- .t was a si!n of power1 6e knew he was a superior
spe*imen, and he wasn/t afraid to show it- But it was also his !reat weakness- She had dis*oered
early on that Kel was easily manipulated throu!h flattery or *hallen!es to his pride and e!o, and she
wasn/t afraid to e+ploit that knowled!e in the pursuit of her mission-
=4ou/re late,= she told him- =. don/t like to be kept waitin!-=
=. shouldn/t een be doin! this,= he snapped ba*k at her-
=./m sorry,= she said, pressin! herself *lose and wrappin! her arms around his ne*k and shoulders,
=. was be!innin! to think you were with another loer,= she purred- =.f . eer find you with another
female, . will *ut her heart out-=
Kel pulled her een ti!hter a!ainst his body- =4ou are more than enou!h for any male,= he
whispered into her ear, sendin! a shier down ?annah/s spine-
She kissed him on the lips, then broke the embra*e- =We don/t hae time for this,= she protested-
=4our friends are waitin! for us-=
&i*kin! his lips as if he *ould still taste her, Kel nodded and !rabbed her hand- =&et/s !o,= he said,
pullin! her throu!h the *rowd of shoppers-
D D D
"s dusk fell oer the *amp on "mbria, Darth Bane rea*hed out toward the tiny *rystal pyramid he
had *arefully positioned on the small pedestal in the *enter of the otherwise empty tent- )oin!
slowly, he brushed his fin!ers !ently a!ainst its *old, dead surfa*e, then pulled his hand ba*k when
he saw it tremble- "n instant later his fin!ers started twit*hin! spasmodi*ally as tin!lin! ;olts of
sharp pain la*ed their way from his elbow down to his wrist- Swearin! a silent oath, he !ritted his
teeth and *losed his eyes, tryin! to ride it out-
Be*ause of the orbalisks that en*ased his body, he was used to liin! in *onstant pain- .t was always
there, a dull throbbin! ;ust aboe the leel of sub*ons*ious awareness- $ormally he *ould shut it
out, bearin! the torments of his infestation with no isible effe*ts- 6oweer, if he wasn/t *areful,if
he pushed himself top far,the physi*al demands *ould oerwhelm him- The tremor had been a
warnin!, the first si!n that he was rea*hin! the ed!es of his enduran*e-
Three times before he had attempted to *reate his own Sith 6olo*ron, and ea*h time the pro;e*t had
ended in failure- 6e wasn/t about to fail this time- 6e knew that one false moe at this sta!e and all
his work, literally years of preparation, would be undone- 4et he also knew that he had no *hoi*e
but to find a way to deal with the pain and *ontinue his work-
6e had made his first attempt fie years before- 5sin! 9reedon $add/s 6olo*ron as a blueprint, he
had re,*reated the intri*ate matri+ of latti*es and erti*es that were the key to storin! nearly infinite
amounts of knowled!e in a data system small enou!h to fit in the palm of a hand- .t had taken
months to !ather and fashion the rare *rystal into the filaments and fibers of the interla*ed network,
followed by weeks of deli*ate and painstakin! ad;ustments- The matri+ had to fall within hi!hly
e+a*tin! spe*ifi*ations, and Bane had spent hundreds of hours makin! thousands of pre*ise,
subatomi* alterations throu!h the power of the 9or*e to ensure that ea*h *rystalline strand was
properly in pla*e-
%n*e the *rystal matri+ inside the 6olo*ron was ready, he had *arefully trans*ribed the an*ient
symbols of Sith power onto the pyramid/s surfa*e- The markin!s were part of a powerful ritual that
was *riti*al to maintainin! the stability of the matri+ after it was infused with the ener!ies of the
dark side- 5nfamiliar with the e+a*t purpose or meanin! of the ar*ane !lyphs, Darth Bane had on*e
a!ain used $add/s 6olo*ron as his !uide, studyin! the markin!s et*hed on the surfa*e, then *opyin!
them e+a*tly on his own *reation-
But when he tried to a*tiate the 6olo*ron by *hannelin! his power throu!h it, the matri+ imploded,
*ollapsin! in on itself and redu*in! the artifa*t to a pile of !limmerin! dust in a *ra*klin! white
flash-
6e had tried a!ain seeral months later, only to be met with the e+a*t same result- 9or*ed to admit
that the se*ret of *raftin! 6olo,*rons was still beyond him, Bane had be!un a *ampai!n to dis*oer
eerythin! he *ould about the powerful talismans- With ?annah/s aid, he a**umulated a ast wealth
of knowled!e on the sub;e*t-
6e deoured eery data*ard, histori*al a**ount, and personal memoir he *ould find that theori7ed
on the steps needed to *reate one of the fiendishly *omple+ pyramids- 6e *ame a*ross thousands of
eiled referen*es to, and hundreds of theoreti*al spe*ulations on, the art of *raftin! a 6olo*ron-
6oweer, he was unable to find a sin!le sour*e that e+pli*itly set out the spells and rituals re3uired,
and their se*rets still eluded him-
Bane refused to !ie up- 6e *ontinued his resear*h, seekin! out rare tomes, hidden do*uments, and
forbidden works of lore- .t took three more years until he learned the purpose and meanin! behind
the !lyphs--- and in doin! so he found an answer to why his first efforts had failed- 6e dis*oered
that ea*h 6olo*ron was embla7oned with symbols that were uni3uely tied to the Sith &ord
responsible for the artifa*t/s *reation- The miniature pyramids were far more than a simple
*olle*tion of raw data- &earnin! was imparted throu!h the wisdom of a !atekeeper,an adan*ed
simulated personality that mimi*ked the *reator/s own identity- The ri!ht *ombination of symbols,
applied in *on;un*tion with spe*ifi* sor*eries and spells of the an*ient Sith, would allow Bane to
*apture his appearan*e, knowled!e, and *o!nitie pro*esses- Within the stru*ture of the 6olo*ron
they would be transformed into a three,dimensional holo!ram to !uide and dire*t anyone who used
the artifa*t- The *o!nitie network that fueled the !atekeeper also stabili7ed the interwoen latti*es
and erti*es of the matri+, keepin! it from *ollapsin! as it had done on Bane/s preious attempts-
"rmed with this new understandin!, Bane had made a third attempt to *reate his own 6olo*ron two
years a!o- 6e had pro*eeded
*arefully8 the Rituals of .no*ation re3uired to diine and ins*ribe the proper symbols onto the
pyramid/s surfa*e were mentally and physi*ally e+haustin!- 'er wary of makin! a mistake, he had
drawn the pro*ess out oer two lon! weeks- .roni*ally, his *aution proed to be his undoin!- "s he
be!an manipulatin! the inner stru*tures of the *rystal matri+ durin! the final phase of the pro;e*t, he
sensed that the power of the symbols had faded- The *o!nitie network of the !atekeeper had
de!raded to the point that it la*ked the ability to support and stabili7e the matri+-
.n desperation, he had sou!ht some way to restore it, only to reali7e his efforts were futile- 'nra!ed
at yet another failure, he had *rushed the useless pyramid to dust with his bare hands-
Before be!innin! his fourth and most re*ent attempt, Bane had owed that he would not fail a!ain-
Time was the real key- 6e had to finish ali!nin! the matri+ and infuse it with his dark side ener!ies
within a few days, before the *o!nitie fun*tions of the !atekeeper be!an to de!rade- $ow, after
months of !atherin! the rare materials, weeks of meditations to fo*us his power, and three strai!ht
days and ni!hts of intense fo*us and *on*entration, he was finally nearin! the end- %nly a few
do7en minor ad;ustments still needed to be made, but Bane was keenly aware that time was runnin!
out-
Three days of *onstantly drawin! upon the 9or*e without food or respite had left him e+hausted in
body, mind, and spirit- 6e was parti*ularly ulnerable to the orbalisks in this state- $ormally they
fed off the dark side ener!ies that naturally flowed throu!h him, but the *reation of the 6olo*ron
demanded that he *hannel all his power dire*tly into his work- The parasites were slowly starin!,
and in response they were floodin! his bloodstream with *hemi*als and hormones intended to drie
him into a mindless fury so they *ould !or!e themseles on the dark side as he unleashed his ra!e-
The spasmin! mus*les of his hand and fin!ers were a dire*t result of their efforts, and there was
nothin! Bane *ould do but wait for the tremor to pass- 6e had only a few hours left to *omplete his
work, yet he *ouldn/t risk makin! a mistake and dama!in! the deli*ately interwoen *rystal fibers
of the 6olo*ron/s internal stru*ture-
Slowly he was able to reassert *ontrol oer his *onulsin! di!its, ruin! ea*h pre*ious se*ond that
slipped away as he did so- When his hand at last be*ame still, he took a slow, deep breath to refo*us
his mind, then rea*hed out with the 9or*e to tou*h the matri+ on*e more-
" ribbon of ele*tri* blades raeled itself around the mus*les and neres of his spine, *ausin! him to
ar*h ba*kward as he s*reamed in a!ony- The pain momentarily broke his *on*entration, and an
un*ontrollable sur!e of dark side ener!y shot throu!h him and into the 6olo*ron- "n instant later it
e+ploded, sprayin! Bane with a shower of *rystal fra!ments and dust-
9or seeral se*onds he simply stared at the empty pedestal, feelin! the pulsin! hun!er of the
orbalisks and his own !atherin! ra!e- " red eil fell a*ross his ision, and Darth Bane surrendered
himself to the fury-
#hapter >>
Who/s this<= the man at the door demanded, eyein! ?annah with suspi*ion- 6e was human, thou!h
his fa*e and shaed head were *oered with !reen and purple tattoos that made it diffi*ult to pi*k
out his features- 6e wore a li!ht blue shirt and dark blue pants- 6e was shorter than Kel, but mu*h
thi*ker throu!h the waist and *hest-
=She/s with me, 2aak,= Kel replied, pushin! him aside and passin! throu!h the door, pullin! ?annah
alon! with him-
The unfurnished room beyond was small and dark- )usi* and loud lau!hter *ould be faintly heard
from the *antina on the floor aboe them, but those !athered in the *ellar spoke only in low,
*onspiratorial whispers- .nside the room were four others !athered in a ti!ht *ir*le1 two more youn!
men, a woman only sli!htly older than ?annah, and a blue,skinned, red,eyed #hiss female-
2aak trailed after them, unwillin! to let the matter drop- =4ou *an/t brin! her here:= he insisted-
=She works at the embassy,= Kel assured him, relayin! the false ba*kstory ?annah had offered at
their first meetin!- =She *an help us-=
The heaier man !rabbed Kel by the elbow and spun the Twi/lek around to fa*e him- =4ou don/t !et
to make that de*ision: 6etton is our leader, not you:=
=6etton put me in *har!e of this mission,= Kel reminded him an!rily-
=%nly be*ause you offered to pur*hase those for!ed passes to !et us past the embassy !uards:= 2aak
snapped ba*k- =6e put you in *har!e be*ause he needed your *redits:=
=6etton doesn/t need anyone/s *redits,= the red,skinned Twi/lek replied *ontemptuously- =6e put me
in *har!e be*ause he was tired of dealin! with oafish thu!s like you-=
2aak/s lips *urled up in a mena*in! snarl, but Kel had already turned away, dismissin! his
underlin!- ?annah waited to see if the tattooed man would !o after Kel, but he only shook his head
and went ba*k to his position !uardin! the door-
Kel mar*hed oer to the others, who widened their *ir*le to a**ommodate him- ?annah hun! ba*k
sli!htly, notin! the others re!ardin! her with *urious stares- She stared ba*k, thou!h she was already
well aware of eerythin! she needed to know about them-
&ike Kelad/den they were reolutionaries1 youn!, idealisti*, and pitiful- 'asily swayed and
manipulated by fiery spee*hes and impassioned rhetori*, they had been re*ruited by the mysterious
=6etton= into ;oinin! the "nti,Republi* &iberation 9ront,one of a hundred small, insi!nifi*ant
separatist moements s*attered a*ross the !ala+y-
9or a small radi*al !roup, howeer, the "R&9 was parti*ularly well funded, and the membership
in*luded an inordinate per*enta!e of hi!hly skilled and dan!erous indiiduals- 'lite warriors like
Kel, or bein!s with adan*ed military trainin!, were the norm rather than the e+*eption- 9or one
reason or another, they had all sworn alle!ian*e to 6etton and his or!ani7ation-
?annah ima!ined they belieed themseles to be heroes or een eentual martyrs to their !lorious
*ause- 4et she felt nothin! but disdain for them- Despite their martial ba*k!rounds, they were little
more than oer!rown *hildren !atherin! in tiny, dark rooms to whisper se*ret plans and plot petty
terrorist a*tions a!ainst a !ala*ti* !oernment that didn/t een know they e+isted-
'en Kel wasn/t aboe her *ontempt- Still, she did hae to admit that there was somethin!
appealin! about him- "llowin! him to fall in loe with her hadn/t been ne*essary to *omplete her
mission, yet she had been willin!,een ea!er,to hae his attention- The attra*tion went beyond his
mere physi*al appearan*e- There was a wild ener!y about him- 6e burned with a saa!e arro!an*e8
its fire eneloped her wheneer they were to!ether-
She knew she was drawn to his warmth in part be*ause her )aster was always so *old- Bane had
sered as her !uardian for ten years8 he had raised her and prote*ted her and trained her in the ways
of the Sith- 4et she didn/t think of him as a father fi!ure- While he hadn/t been *ruel or abusie,
neither had he shown any affe*tion toward her, not een a tra*e of empathy or *ompassion- 6e
alued her not as a person but as his heir8 she was nothin! but a me*hanism to *ontinue the Sith
le!a*y after his death-
'n*ased in his orbalisk armor, Bane was barely een human anymore- "n!er, hate, loe, desire,they
were nothin! to him now but a means to fuel his power- 4et ?annah still needed to feel- She
hun!ered for the raw passion of real emotions- She *raed them-
She had found them in Kel- 6e had !ien her the one thin! her )aster *ould not- But she neer
*onsidered betrayin! or abandonin! Darth Bane- She had seen his absolute *ommand of the 9or*e8
she had tasted the power of the dark side in him- 6e was the Dark &ord of the Sith, and ?annah
would one day tear the mantle from his shoulders and sei7e it for her own- $othin!,not fan*iful
notions, not the temptation of emotional fulfillment or een loe,would keep her from *laimin! her
ri!htful destiny-
#ompared with this, Kel and the other separatists !athered in the room were tiny, insi!nifi*ant
people leadin! small, meanin!less lies- Their only worth was that Bane saw a potential use for
them, and it was her duty to make sure that whateer they had planned fit into her )aster/s !rand
desi!n-
Kel had reealed their intended s*heme to her durin! a romanti* dinner1 They planned to kidnap
minor lo*al offi*ials and hold them for ransom- They a*tually belieed the media interest !enerated
by their a*tions would be the *atalyst that would unite the people of the %uter Rims to rise up as
one and oerthrow the Senate-
They were patheti* in their naieteK fools ?annah had *hosen to be*ome pawns in her own mission-
They were tools to be used and then dis*arded on*e they had sered their purpose --- and that
purpose was to die so that she *ould fulfill the dire*tie of her )aster-
=)y fellow patriots,= Kel be!an, his oi*e risin! in the manner of a professional orator !iin! a
publi* performan*e- =We are united in a sin!le *ause,the *omplete and utter destru*tion of the
Republi*- 4et what hae we done so far to a**omplish this<
=We speak of reolution yet we are afraid to do what is ne*essary to make it happen- But that will
soon *han!e- .n three days, we will for*e the Republi* to stand up and take noti*e of us:=
=Three days<= #yndra, the #hiss protested- =What are you talkin! about<=
=6elton wants us to strike durin! the "rmisti*e #elebrations= 2aak added- =.t will draw more
attention if we a*t on the anniersary of the Ruusan Reformations-=
=Why wait months when the perfe*t opportunity is ri!ht before us<= Kel asked, usin! the same
ar!uments ?annah had used to persuade him- =$obody will *are about the fate of a sin!le
ambassador-
We must find a tar!et that will make the entire !ala+y sit up and take noti*e:=
=Who<= one of the youn! men demanded-
=#han*ellor Valorum-=
=#han*ellor Valorum/s term ended two years a!o,= 2aak spat out from oer by the door-
=6e still seres the Senate as a diplomati* emissary- "nd it was his so,*alled 5nifi*ation 2oli*ies
that hae drawn so many worlds ba*k into the web of Republi* influen*e- 6e is responsible for
eerythin! we are fi!htin! a!ainst, the symbol of eerythin! we wish to destroy- 6e is the perfe*t
tar!et-=
=6ow do we !et to him<= #yndra asked-
=6e has s*heduled a se*ret meetin! with the heads of Serenno/s most powerful noble families- We
beliee he is !oin! to try to persuade them to take steps to put down the separatist moements on
this world,moements like our own-=
=6ow did you find out about this<= the youn! woman asked-
Kel nodded in ?annah/s dire*tion, his head,tails twit*hin! sli!htly- She stepped forward and be!an
to speak-
=)y name is Rainah- ./m an administratie assistant at the Republi* embassy-=
This was the lie she had first used to draw Kel/s attention, and it was a *onenient *oer for the
information she had pur*hased from one of Bane/s mysterious under!round *onta*ts---
='erythin! is in pla*e, &ord 'ddels,= the )uun *roaked, handin! a datapad to her )aster-
='erythin! you will need is in here-=
?annah had neer seen a )uun before, and she found somethin! inherently off,puttin! about this
one/s appearan*e- 6e was tall enou!h to look Bane in the eye, but his head, body, and limbs were
elon!ated and thin, as if he had been horribly stret*hed to rea*h his *urrent hei!ht- 6is skin was
pale, pasty white with a dis*on*ertin! hint of a si*kly pinkish hue- 6is features were flat, his eyes
and *heeks appeared sunken, the *orners of his mouth turned down in a perpetual frown, and he
didn/t appear to hae a nose- 6is head was hairless, and he wore drab, brown *lothin!- 6e looked
e+tremely un*omfortable beneath Tatooine/s twin suns, but he was too professional to !ie oi*e to
his *omplaint-
'arlier, Bane had e+plained that this meetin! in the sandy wasteland of the Dune Sea was the
*ulmination of a plan set in motion nearly a year before, shortly after they had first tou*hed down
on "mbria- " plan she had inadertently been the *atalyst for- S*ribbled in the ba*k *oer of the
manus*ript she had dis*oered and presented to her )aster at the Sith *amp on Ruusan had been a
lon! list of *rypti* numbers1 anonymous a**ounts with the .nter(ala*ti* Bankin! #lan-
&ord Bordis, Bane told her, had been a *olle*tor of rare and e+pensie treasures- %er the years he
had siphoned off an in*redible fortune from the *ombined wealth ofKaan/s Brotherhood of
Darkness and se*reted it away, drawin! on it wheneer he pur*hased another item to feed his
aari*e- With the Brotherhood !one, Bane was the only one left who knew about, and *ould lay
*laim to, those a**ounts- But material wealth had no appeal to her )aster beyond what use he *ould
put it to-
=.nformation is a *ommodity- .t *an be traded, sold, and pur*hased- "nd in the end, *redits are only
as aluable as the se*rets they *an buy-=
%er the past year Bane had be!un to spend the *redits- Key administratie offi*ials were bribed to
!ain a**ess to *lassified files- (oernment spies and well,*onne*ted *riminal fi!ures were hired to
be his a!ents- 5sin! his newfound wealth, he *arefully built a network of informants to be his eyes
and ears a*ross a hundred different worlds-
6oweer, Bane neer had any dire*t *onta*t with any of these people- "s the last of the Sith, it was
ital that he remain shrouded in anonymity- 'erythin! he/d a**omplished had been throu!h the use
of a broker,the )uun who now stood before them-
=4ou followed my instru*tions e+a*tly<= Bane asked the )uun-
=2re*isely, &ord 'ddels- "ll payments will be made throu!h tertiary a**ounts, *ompletely
untra*eable to the sour*e,= the )uun assured him, =.n return you will re*eie re!ular dispat*hes and
a *onstant stream of le!al and ille!al information- "ny instru*tions you wish to pass on to your
a!ents will be deliered throu!h se*ure messa!in! seri*es- #ompletely anonymous-=
="nd no one else knows . am inoled<=
=4ou are well aware of my reputation= the )uun reminded him- =. pride myself on dis*retion- That
is why people like you *ome to me, &ord
'ddels-=
=Then our business here is done=
(lan*in! briefly down at ?annah, the )uun turned and made his way slowly a*ross the sand toward
his waitin! ship- The youn! !irl wat*hed, ea!erly anti*ipatin! the manner of his death- The idea that
her )aster would allow the )uun to leae this meetin! alie neer entered her mind- 6e alone
knew the identity of the indiidual responsible for *reatin! the !ala+ywide web of spies and
informants- 6e alone had seen Bane/s fa*e-
The )uun rea*hed his ship without in*ident and *limbed aboard- She *ontinued to wat*h as the
en!ines flared to life and the essel be!an to *limb in the sky- When it disappeared beyond the
hori7on unharmed, she turned to her )aster in disbelief,
=4ou let him lie<=
=6e still has alue to us= Bane answered-
=But he/s seen you: 6e knows who you are:=
=6e knows only as mu*h as he needed to1 a wealthy man usin! the name &ord 'ddels hired him to
set up an anonymous information network- 6e has no knowled!e of who . really am or what my
true purpose mi!ht be- "nd he has no knowled!e of where or how to find me unless . *onta*t him
with a lo*ation for another meetin!-=
?annah re*alled a story her )aster had on*e shared with her about a healer on "mbria named
#aleb- Bane, near death, had *ome a*ross the healer and ordered the man to help him- But #aleb,
sensin! the power of the dark side in her )aster, had refused- 5ltimately Bane had *ompelled
#aleb/s obedien*e by threatenin! the life of his dau!hter- %n*e the Dark &ord was healed, he had
taken no a*tion a!ainst the man who had dared to defy him- The healer had power, and her )aster
knew that the alue of lettin! him lie outwei!hed the risks,and petty pleasure,of endin! his life-
=$o purpose in his death,= ?annah muttered, *hewin! her lip thou!htfully---
=Rainah *an proide us with the e+a*t times and lo*ations of #han*ellor Valorum/s s*hedule= Kel
e+plained to the rest of the small !roup- =When his shuttle tou*hes down, we/ll be there waitin! for
him-=
=6e/ll hae !uards,= 2aak warned-
=%nly his personal se*urity detail,= ?annah *ountered- ="nythin! more would draw unwanted
attention-=
=6e wants to keep his arrial here se*ret,= Kel added- =The Senate refuses to offi*ially a*knowled!e
that separatist moements een e+ist, so his mission has been *lassified as a personal isit-=
=Three days is too soon,= #yndra ob;e*ted- =We need more time to prepare-=
='erythin! we need is ri!ht here= Kel replied- =We hae the weapons, and we/re all trained to use
them- We know where and when the #han*ellor is *omin!- What else is there<=
="n order from 6etton,= 2aak muttered-
Kel turned on him an!rily- =Do we really need 6elton/s permission< "re we *hildren< "re we
in*apable of a*tin! on our own<=
=6e/s our leader,= 2aak muttered sullenly- =6e tells us what to do-=
=So does the Republi* Senate,= ?annah *himed in- =.sn/t this the ery thin! you/re fi!htin! a!ainst<
%bedien*e to a master,any master,is still slaery-=
She said the words with utter *oni*tion een thou!h she didn/t beliee them- "t the same time, she
rea*hed out with the 9or*e to tou*h the minds of eeryone in the room- .t was possible to use the
dark side to dominate another/s will, but that would not sere her purpose here- The effe*ts of
mental domination would be!in to fade after a few hours- By the time of #han*ellor Valorum/s
arrial, any dire*t influen*e she e+erted oer Kel and his friends would be *ompletely !one-
?annah preferred a more subtle and insidious approa*h- .nstead of usin! the 9or*e to bend them to
her will, she was !ently proddin! their *olle*tie psy*he, pushin! their thou!ht patterns to make
them more emotional, more a!!ressie- By itself the pro*ess was useless, but *ombined with
persuasie words to further stir the blood, the effe*ts *ould be more powerful,and more permanent,
than the brute for*e of simple mind *ontrol-
6oweer, the words *ouldn/t *ome from her- She was a stran!er here8 they didn/t trust her- Their
natural instin*ts would be to re;e*t her ar!uments8 in their artifi*ially indu*ed hypera!!ressie state
they would 3ui*kly turn a!ainst her- They needed to be *onin*ed by someone they knew- Someone
like Kel-
=4ou say you want independen*e,= the handsome Twi/lek told them- =4ou say you will fi!ht for
your freedom- 4et when . offer you this *han*e, you want to slink away like a Kath hound banished
from its pa*k-=
=We should wait for the "rmisti*e #elebrations,= #yndra insisted- =We need to sti*k to the ori!inal
plan-=
=" plan is nothin! until you a*t on it,= Kel replied- =We talk about what we will do in the future, but
when the "rmisti*e #elebrations *ome, how easy will it be to find another e+*use to wait yet a!ain<
=Se*ret meetin!s will not brin! *han!e to the !ala+y- 2lans alone will not make the Senate tremble
or brin! the Republi* to its knees- We must take a*tion, and the time for a*tion is now:=
?annah re*o!ni7ed her words bein! spoken with Kel/s oi*e- She had fed them to him oer weeks
of intimate *onersations, plantin! the seeds of ideas, then wat*hin! them !row- $ow he spoke the
words with passion and fire, delierin! them as if he truly belieed they were his own-
Bane would be pleased- This was true power1 to twist another to your purpose, yet hae him beliee
he was in *ontrol- Kel was her puppet, but his pride and e!o had blinded him to the strin!s she used
to make him dan*e-
=We stand on the pre*ipi*e of a momentous eent,= he *ontinued- =.n three days we will strike a
!reat blow a!ainst the tyrants of the Republi*, the first step in our lon! and !lorious mar*h to
independen*e and true freedom:=
" spontaneous *heer of assent rose up from the room, and ?annah knew Kel had won them oer-
%nly 2aak and #yndra showed any si!ns of relu*tan*e, but as the rest of the !roup be!an workin!
on the details of the plan to *apture #han*ellor Valorum, een they set aside their hesitations-
The meetin! lasted lon! into the ni!ht, and when it was oer she and Kel went ba*k to the small
apartment she had rented as part of her *oer story-
=4ou were ma!nifi*ent toni!ht,= she breathed-
=This is the last time . *an see you until all this is oer,= Kel warned- =The others are *ountin! on
me- . *an/t hae any distra*tions-=
"s an answer she rea*hed out and !rabbed his wrist, then pulled him *lose in a ti!ht embra*e-
6e left the ne+t mornin!- ?annah kissed him !ood,bye and went ba*k to sleep- &ater, she rolled out
of bed and be!an to !ather her thin!s- 6er mission here was oer8 she knew she would neer see
Kel alie a!ain- .t was time to return to "mbria-
D D D
The *amp was in ruins- The tents were leeled, their *anopies shredded and torn- Wooden supply
*rates had been smashed into sawdust and splinters, their *ontents tossed and s*attered on the wind-
6undred,kilo!ram fuel *ells lay strewn about the *ampsite, some thrown fifty meters from where
they had been stored-
The !round was littered with debris and marred by do7ens of still,smolderin! bla*k s*or*h marks
?annah re*o!ni7ed as the remnants of a terrible storm of unnatural li!htnin!- The air still *ra*kled
with the power and ener!y of the dark side that made her tin!le in fear and anti*ipation-
.t was easy enou!h to !uess what had happened- Bane had failed yet a!ain in his attempt to *reate a
6olo*ron, then in a blind ra!e lashed out at the world around him with all the power of the 9or*e-
.f she had been here when it happened, ?annah wondered, *ould she hae stopped him< Would she
een hae been able to surie<
She saw Bane seated on the far side of the *amp, his ba*k to her as he stared out to the hori7on,
meditatin! on his failure- 6e turned to fa*e her as she approa*hed, risin! up to his full two,meter
hei!ht so that he towered aboe her- 6is *lothes had been torn and burned away, reealin! the full
s*ope of the orbalisk infestation- 6undreds of the *reatures *lun! to him8 e+*ept for his fa*e and
hands, his body was now *ompletely *oered- 6e looked as if he were wearin! a suit of armor
fashioned from the hard, oblon! shells of dead *rusta*eans- 4et she knew that beneath the shells, the
parasites were still alie, feedin! on him-
Bane *laimed the orbalisks enhan*ed his power, !rantin! him unnatural stren!th and healin!
abilities- 4et witnessin! the aftermath of his failure with the 6olo*ron, ?annah wondered at what
*ost those abilities *ame- What use was !reater power if it *ould not be *ontrolled<
To her relief the fury seemed to hae passed, and ?annah knew better than to ask him about it-
.nstead she offered news of her mission-
=.t/s done- When #han*ellor Valorum/s shuttle lands, Kel and his followers will be waitin! for him-=
=4ou hae done well,= Bane answered-
"s always, she felt a sur!e of pride and a**omplishment at her )aster/s praise- But her satisfa*tion
was tempered by memories of Kel, and the knowled!e that he was lost to her foreer-
=.s there any *han*e they will su**eed<= she asked-
=$o,= Bane said after a moment/s *onsideration,
=Then what purpose do they sere<= she demanded, finally !iin! in to her frustration- =. don/t
understand why you send me on missions like this: Why waste all this time and effort if we know
they/re !oin! to fail:=
=They don/t need to su**eed to be of alue to us = Bane answered- =The separatists are only a
distra*tion- They draw the attention of the Senate, and blind the eyes of the 0edi #oun*il-=
=Blind them<=
=The 0edi hae surrendered themseles to the will of the Senate- They hae let themseles sink into
the morass of politi*s and bureau*ra*y- The Republi* seeks a sin!le, unified !oernment to maintain
pea*e throu!hout the !ala+y, and the 0edi hae been redu*ed to nothin! more than a tool to make it
happen-
='a*h time radi*als strike a!ainst the Republi*, the Ledi #oun*il is *alled upon to take a*tion-
Resour*es are wasted on 3uellin! rebellions and uprisin!s, keepin! their fo*us away from us-=
=But why must the separatists always fail<= ?annah asked- =We *ould help them su**eed without
riskin! e+posure:=
=.f they su**eed, they will !ain support,= Bane e+plained- =Their power and influen*e will !row-
They will be*ome harder to manipulate and *ontrol- .t is possible they mi!ht een be*ome stron!
enou!h to brin! down the Republi* itself-=
=.sn/t that a !ood thin!<= ?annah asked-
=The Republi* keeps the 0edi in *he*k- .t maintains *ontrol and imposes order a*ross thousands of
worlds- But if the Republi* falls, a s*ore of new interstellar !oernments and !ala*ti* or!ani7ations
will rise- .t is far easier to manipulate and *ontrol a sin!le enemy than twenty-
=That it is why we must seek out radi*al separatist !roups, identify the ones that hae the potential
to be*ome true threats, then en*oura!e them to strike before they are ready- We must e+ploit them,
playin! them off a!ainst the Republi*- We must let our enemies weaken one another while we stay
hidden and !row stron!-
=%ne day the Republi* will fall and the 0edi will be wiped out,= he assured her- =But it will not
happen until we are ready to sei7e that power for ourseles-=
?annah nodded, thou!h her mind was reelin! as she tried to *omprehend the true *omple+ity of her
)aster/s intri*ate and *onoluted politi*al ma*hinations- She thou!ht ba*k to all her past missions,
tryin! to see how ea*h one played a part in his plans-
=4ou hae neer 3uestioned your missions before,= Bane noted- 6e didn/t sound an!ry, but rather
*urious-
She didn/t want to tell him about Kel- 'en thou!h she had a**omplished eerythin! Bane had
demanded of her, she knew he would iew her feelin!s for the Twi/lek as a si!n of weakness-
='en if . didn/t understand the purpose behind my missions, . neer had reason to doubt your
wisdom, )aster= she answered, reali7in! she *ould turn his 3uestion to her adanta!e-
=4et you doubt me now<=
She took a lon!, slow look around, lettin! her eyes lin!er oer the wre*ka!e of the *amp
surroundin! them-
=./e neer seen you lose *ontrol of your power like this before,= she whispered, shroudin! her
de*eit in a kernel of truth- =. feared the orbalisks *ould be impairin! your ;ud!ment- . feared they
mi!ht hae finally drien you mad-=
Bane didn/t answer ri!ht away, and when he did his oi*e was short and !ruff- =. *ontrol the
orbalisks- They do not *ontrol me-=
=%f *ourse, )aster,= she apolo!i7ed- But she knew from his rea*tion that she had su**essfully
planted the seed of doubt- "ttemptin! to manipulate her )aster was a dan!erous !ame, but it was a
risk she had to take- .f the orbalisks droe him into another ra!e, he mi!ht kill her- #onin*in! Bane
to seek out some way to rid himself of the infestation was a matter of self,preseration-
=#lean up the *amp,= Bane *ommanded- =Then head ba*k to Serenno- We need more supplies-=
She a*3uies*ed with a bow and be!an !atherin! up debris as Bane resumed his meditations- "s she
slowly restored some semblan*e of order to their *amp, ?annah be!an to see that the doubts she had
planted in Bane/s mind *ould hae one other aluable, lon!,term benefit-
.t was ineitable she would one day *hallen!e him for the title of Sith )aster, but Bane was
in*redibly stron!,both physi*ally and in the 9or*e- 'n*ased in a suit of liin! armor that au!mented
his powers and prote*ted him from irtually all known weapons, he was nearly inin*ible-
#onin*in! Bane to shed his orbalisk *oat, ?annah reali7ed, mi!ht be the only real hope she had of
defeatin! him and a*hiein! her destiny-
#hapter >2
0ohun shifted in his seat, tryin! to find a more *omfortable position and thinkin! how mu*h easier it
had been to bear the burden of starship trael in his youth- But he was no lon!er a teena!er on the
*usp of manhood- 6e was taller, for one thin!,a full >-HE meters in hei!ht- "nd his sli!ht frame had
be*ome *orded with taut, wiry mus*le- The only remnant of the youn! man he had been was the
blond hair that still hun! down to his shoulders,a sharp *ontrast with the s*ruffy bla*k beard that
*oered the line of his ;aw-
6e shifted a!ain and !lared pointedly at Tarsus Valorum, restin! easily in the seat a*ross from him-
The #han*ellor was in his si+ties now, thou!h apart from a sli!ht !rayin! of his hair around the
temples he looked ery mu*h as he had the first day 0ohun had met him- Tarsus met the 0edi/s fier*e
!a7e with a smile and a shru!--- the *losest thin! 0ohun would eer !et to an apolo!y for hain! to
endure the lon! interstellar fli!ht aboard this se*ond,rate essel-
The $ew Dawn was an 'missary,*lass shuttle,seri*eable, but far from lu+urious- .t would hae
been a simple matter for Tarsus
Valorum, former Supreme #han*ellor of the (ala*ti* Republi*, to re3uest a more e+traa!ant ship
for his personal use1 one of the new #y!nus Theta,*lass shuttles, or possibly een the ma!nifi*ent
#onsular spa*e *ruisers so popular amon! the diplomati* *ommunity- (ien his preious position,
there was little doubt the Senate would hae approed the funds for the pur*hase- But Valorum had
insisted that the tiny $ew Dawn, with her two,person *rew, passen!er seatin! for si+, and #lass Si+
hyperdrie, was more than ade3uate for his needs now that he had offi*ially stepped down from his
position-
.t was a small !esture of modesty and pra*ti*ality that spoke olumes about the man himself- %er
the years 0ohun had obsered the #han*ellor in publi* and in priate, and the more he !ot to know
him the more respe*t he had for him- But that wasn/t to say the man *ouldn/t be stubborn and een
obstinate, as he/d proed when he refused the Senate/s offer of an honor !uard a**ompaniment for
his diplomati* missions-
" retired politi*ian is no threat to anybody, he/d ar!ued- "nd ./m *ertainly not important enou!h
anymore for others to put themseles in harm/s way for my sake-
0ohun still traeled at his side, but that was by his *hoi*e, not the #han*ellor/s- 6e knew how
aluable Valorum remained to the Republi*, and he knew there were enemies who would do him
harm if !ien the *han*e- 6e had tried seeral times to *onin*e Tarsus to trael with more se*urity,
with no su**ess- So until his stubborn friend a!reed to a personal !uard detail, 0ohun was
determined to a**ompany him on eery mission-
=. hope we !et there soon,= 0ohun muttered, !iin! oi*e to his dis*omfort-
=4ou *ould always enter one of your meditatie tran*es to pass the time = the #han*ellor said
;okin!ly- =4ou/re not one for idle *onersation anyway-=
Tarsus only permitted 0ohun to a**ompany him be*ause of the lon!,standin! relationship between
them- The 0edi had been a member of the #han*ellor/s (uard throu!h most of Valorum/s first four,
year term and the entirety of the se*ond- $ow his offi*ial position was 0edi adiser, thou!h 0ohun
would neer presume to =adise= the #han*ellor about anythin!-
Tarsus Valorum was known throu!hout the !ala+y as the man who saed the Republi*-
Spearheadin! the Ruusan Reformations throu!h the Senate, he had ushered in a new a!e of pea*e,
prosperity, and e+pansion- 4et it wasn/t what he had a**omplished that made him a !reat man in
0ohun/s eyes8 it was how he had done it-
Serin! at the #han*ellor/s side, the 0edi had seen the true power of words and ideas- Tarsus
Valorum was a man of deep *oni*tion, that rare breed of politi*ian who truly belieed his own
words- Determined to *reate a (olden "!e for the *iti7ens of the !ala+y, he had pursued with
tireless i!or his dream of a reborn and reunited Republi*- 6undreds of worlds that had fallen away
durin! the last few *enturies of war and !ala*ti* turmoil were brou!ht ba*k into the Republi* fold
durin! his rei!n- "nd when his term of seri*e ended and the time *ame for him to pass his position
oer to his su**essor, he made sure eerythin! was in pla*e for her to *ontinue his work-
)ost ama7in!ly, the !reat reunifi*ation had been a**omplished with a minimum of bloodshed and
battles- Relyin! on ambassadors and treaties, he had a**omplished what *ould neer be done
throu!h armies and war- To win a world, you must win the hearts and minds of its people, the
#han*ellor had on*e e+plained, shortly after 0ohun had been assi!ned to him- $ow, after a de*ade
of witnessin! all Valorum had a*hieed, he knew truer words had neer been spoken-
='stimated arrial in fie minutes,= the oi*e of the pilot *ra*kled oer the shipboard inter*om-
=2repare for landin!-=
0ohun !ae an e+a!!erated si!h of relief, and the #han*ellor *hu*kled softly- .t was a familiar
routine to both men- 'en thou!h he was retired, Tarsus was not a man to simply step aside from
the realm of politi*s- 6e remained a i!orous ado*ate for the Republi*- .n the two years sin*e his
term of offi*e had ended, 0ohun had a**ompanied him on oer fifty personal diplomati* missions---
like the one they were on now-
The planet of Serenno was an important world to the Republi*- The rulin! noble families were
amon! the wealthiest indiiduals in the !ala+y- .n addition to donatin! enormous sums to hi!hly
isible *haritable and politi*al or!ani7ations, they had the finan*ial *apital to help underwrite
massie !oernment infrastru*ture pro;e*ts-
)ore important, their ast resour*es also enabled them to fund !roups that were opposed to the
Republi* should they so *hoose- Separatist fa*tions often sou!ht out wealthy benefa*tors in
#arannia, Saffia, and 9iyarro, Serenno/s three lar!est *ities-
Valorum had *ome to meet with the heads of the si+ most powerful families on the world- 6e hoped
to *onin*e them to use their influen*e to persuade the other families to *ut off all fundin! to anti,
Republi* fa*tions- .t was a diffi*ult mission, as the #ounts of Serenno were not known for a**edin!
to the demands of outsiders-
To make ne!otiations easier, the isit was bein! *ondu*ted throu!h unoffi*ial *hannels- Valorum
had on*e e+plained to 0ohn that many rulers and politi*ians behaed 3uite differently when their
a*tions were e+posed to the publi* eye- Too often they would simply !ie the appearan*e of
meetin! e+pe*tations, a ta*ti* Tarsus personally despised- .n a publi* forum offi*ials would
fre3uently offer promises of support to a *ause they did not beliee in, only to reerst their position
on*e publi* awareness of the issue faded-
#onersely, rulers mi!ht oppose or re;e*t an idea they supported so as not to appear weak,minded
or easy to manipulate- Su*h was the *ase on Serenno- .f it was widely known that a representatie
of the
Republi* was *omin! to pressure them into a*tion, they would oppose him on mere prin*iple-
$eer trust a promise made in front of a holopro;e*tor, the #han*ellor often warned- .f you want to
!et anythin! done, you need to meet behind dosed doors and look a person ri!ht in the eye-
=)akin! final approa*h= the pilot announ*ed, and 0ohun felt their shuttle bank sli!htly to port-
They were s*heduled to tou*h down at the priate spa*eport of #ount $al;u, head of one of
Serenno/s si+ (reat 6ouses and a staun*h ally of the Republi*- &andin! at a se*luded lo*ation on
the $al;u family estate, they would take a landspeeder to prearran!ed meetin!s with representaties
from ea*h of the (reat 6ouses in turn so Valorum *ould plead his *ase-
They felt the sli!ht bump of tou*hdown and heard the whoosh of the e+it ramp des*endin!- 'a!er to
!et out and stret*h his le!s, 0ohun ;umped to his feet-
=Shall we disembark, 4our '+*ellen*y<= he asked, usin! the honorifi* to whi*h the #han*ellor was
still entitled een in retirement-
Valorum rose from his *hair, then made one last *he*k of his appearan*e- 0ohun was dressed in the
traditional brown,and,tan !arments of his %rder, but Tarsus was wearin! an elaborate outfit in the
*ustom and fashion of Serenno royalty- 6e had been fitted with dark blue trousers and a loose white
shirt, both handmade by master tailors- Draped oer his shoulders was a silken *ape of midni!ht
bla*k,a !ift from #ount $al;u- The ed!es of the *ape, alon! with the *ollar and *uffs of his shirt,
were embroidered with a repeatin! pattern of three oerlappin! white *ir*les set a!ainst a blue
ba*k!round, the emblem and *olors of 6ouse $al;u-
The entire outfit had been fashioned from only the finest and most e+pensie materials8 0ohun
shuddered to ima!ine what it had *ost- 4et the !arment was a symbol of the unwaerin! support
6ouse
$al;u !ae to the former #han*ellor/s *ause- Without the sponsorship of a powerful and lon!,
standin! 6ouse, the nobility would simply dismiss Valorum as an outsider or inferior-
0ohun knew that Tarsus *ould hae asked the Senate to reimburse him for the e+pense- 6oweer, as
was his nature, Valorum had *hosen to pay for it himself-
They disembarked to find themseles on a small landin! pad *onstru*ted atop a tall out*roppin! of
stone risin! up like a pillar from the o*ean- 9ifty meters away stood the towerin! *liffs of the
shoreline, their tops the same hei!ht as the landin! pad- " sin!le two,meter,wide durasteel walkway
*onne*ted the landin! pad to the *lifftops- 6alfway alon! the walkway, perfe*tly *entered between
the *liffs and the landin! pad, was a wider fie,by,fie,meter platform, supported underneath by a
*riss*rossin! skeleton of reinfor*ed !irders-
There were no railin!s on either the landin! pad or the *atwalk- 0ohun knew the la*k of railin!s,like
so many other aspe*ts of Serenno/s *ulture,were symboli*- There was a lon!,standin! tradition of
fier*e independen*e amon! the nobility- Railin!s on the walkway or the landin! pad would hae
been a si!n of weakness, an admission of frailty and mortality that would hae undermined 6ouse
$al;u/s pride and position- 'en so, the 0edi *ouldn/t help but worry about the #han*ellor/s safety
when he *ontemplated the fifty,meter fall off the ed!e to the *old waters below-
The sole purpose of their arrial was to aoid fanfare and attention, so it was no surprise that there
were only a handful of people waitin! to meet them- 0ohun !uessed they were serants from #ount
$al;u/s household retinue, as they wore *lothin! similar to Valorum/s *ustom,made *ape-
9our fi!ures were huddled to!ether on the platform in the middle of the walkway waitin! for them,
buffeted by the stiff o*ean bree7e that tu!!ed at their *lothes and made their *apes flutter out behind
them- Three of them were human,two men and one woman- The fourth was a male Twi/lek with
bri!ht red skin8 0ohun wondered if it was some type of status symbol for the nobles to employ a
&ethan amon! their household staff-
Waitin! on the *lifftops beyond the platform were two more serants, standin! beside the
landspeeder that would whisk them away to their appointed meetin!s- 5nlike those on the platform,
they were too far away for 0ohun to make out any details that mi!ht indi*ate spe*ies or !ender-
The $ew Dawns en!ines shut down, only to be repla*ed by the *rashin! rhythm of the surf as it
pounded itself relentlessly a!ainst the fa*e of the *liffs-
=$ot my first *hoi*e of pla*es to tou*h down,= 0ohun noted, raisin! his oi*e loud enou!h that
Tarsus *ould hear him oer the waes and wind-
=Well, . did ask $al;u to let us land somepla*e remote,= Tarsus shouted ba*k with a lau!h- =. see
they only *ame out halfway to meet us,= he added, noddin! his head in the dire*tion of the four
fi!ures waitin! on the platform-
=Would you !o any farther out on this walkway than you had to<= 0ohun asked-
=. !uess not,= the #han*ellor admitted, then put his head down a!ainst the risin! wind and made his
way out onto the walkway-
0ohun followed a moment later, thou!h he felt a sudden uneasiness about the entire situation-
=Be *areful,= he *alled ahead to Valorum- =.f you !o oer the ed!e . *an/t promise ./ll *at*h you-=
The other man either didn/t hear him or was too busy *on*entratin! on makin! his way safely a*ross
to respond-
They were only a few meters away from the platform/s ed!e when
0ohun was hit with a powerful premonition, an undeniable disturban*e in the 9or*e that warned him
somethin! terrible was about to happen- To this point his attention had been fo*used on Valorum/s
pro!ress a*ross the trea*herous walkway- $ow he opened up his awareness and allowed the 9or*e
to flow throu!h him, paintin! a perfe*t pi*ture of their entire surroundin!s-
The four fi!ures waitin! for them on the platform were armed with blasters and ibro,weapons- The
two by the landspeeder,a short, heayset man whose arms and ne*k were *oered in !reen and
purple tattoos and a #hiss female,were also armed- )ore alarmin!ly, the #hiss seemed to be
*on*ealin! somethin! in her hand-
'en without turnin! around, his hei!htened awareness allowed him to see the $ew Dawn restin!
on the landin! pad behind him- "round the *ir*umferen*e of the pillar, ;ust below the ed!e and
*arefully hidden from iew, he sensed somethin! e+plosie- 6e !uessed that what the #hiss held in
her hand was a remote detonator-
0ohun took in eery detail of the s*ene in the blink of an eye- 'en so, he wasn/t fast enou!h to sae
the $ew Dawn or her *rew- The #hiss flipped the swit*h in her hand, and the *har!es wired around
the landin! pad e+ploded- The blast ripped throu!h the ship/s e+terior, leain! !reat smokin! holes
in her unarmored hull- The shrapnel fra!ments shredded the pilot and nai!ator inside, killin! them
instantly-
The top half of the landin! pad/s stone *olumn *rumbled away, sendin! the $ew Dawn tumblin!
down- .t ri*o*heted off the pillar/s ;a!!ed ro*k fa*e then hit the water with an e*hoin! sma*k,
sendin! a spray of foam shootin! skyward8 it sank almost instantly beneath the *old, frothin!
surfa*e-
"s the landin! pad fell away the durasteel walkway bu*kled and bent, sendin! Valorum topplin!
oer the ed!e- 'mpowered by the 9or*e, 0ohun leapt forward and landed on his stoma*h, his arm
shootin! out oer the ed!e to *at*h Valorum by the *orner of his *ape an instant before he plun!ed
to his death- The #han*ellor dan!led there for a se*ond before 0ohun heaed him up with one hand,
swin!in! him by the *ape so he dropped safely on the listin! walkway behind the 0edi-
0ohun i!nited the !reen blade of his li!htsaber ;ust in time to defle*t a blaster bolt fired at him by
the woman on the platform, then s*rambled to his feet to fa*e his atta*kers- They hesitated at the
si!ht of his trademark weapon, *onsiderin! their *han*es a!ainst a 0edi,
Their delay !ae 0ohun a *han*e to ealuate the situation- Retreat was impossible1 the se*tion of the
durasteel walkway they stood on now ;utted out at a des*endin! an!le from the platform where their
enemies !athered8 the far end had been sheared away and now dropped off into empty sky- The only
es*ape was to !o forward toward the *liffs,een if it meant !oin! throu!h his enemies-
=Don/t moe:= he shouted to Valorum as he leapt forward, landin! on the platform een as the
woman and both men drew their i,broswords and atta*ked- %nly the Twi/lek held ba*k-
"ll three wielded weapons la*ed with *ortosis, allowin! their blades to *lash with 0ohun/s li!htsaber
without bein! sli*ed in two- .t only took the first pass for him to reali7e ea*h one was a hi!hly
skilled opponent- Defle*tin! a 3ui*k slash intended to disembowel him by the first man, 0ohun
wheeled to inter*ept a hard swipe at his ne*k from the woman- 6e deliered a spinnin! round ki*k
to her side, sendin! her reelin! een as he rea*hed behind his ba*k with his li!htsaber to parry a
saa!e thrust by the third man at his unprote*ted flank-
0ohun/s trainin! in li!htsaber *ombat was limited to the strikes and parries of 9orm V., $iman, the
most balan*ed of all the styles- #ollo3uially know as the Diplomat/s 9orm, $iman had no spe*ifi*
stren!ths or weaknesses- .ts !eneral ersatility had sered him well durin! the unpredi*table !rand
melees of the Ruusan battlefields- But oer the past de*ade he had made only the most basi* efforts
to maintain his skill with the blade- .nstead he had fo*used his attention on deelopin! diplomati*
talents- 4et he was still a 0edi, and a formidable foe for anyone to fa*e-
6e may hae been outnumbered, but his enemies atta*ked as indiiduals, unable to *oordinate the
timin! of their strikes- The woman re!ained her balan*e and rushed in, but 0ohun spun to the side
and shoed her toward the first man- 6er momentum sent her *rashin! into her partner, both of
them tumblin! to the !round in a tan!led mess of limbs-
Knowin! that the other two were momentarily in*apa*itated, he fo*used all his attention on the
se*ond man- "tta*kin! as a trio, they had for*ed 0ohun onto the defensie- %ne,on,one, howeer, he
was able to press the a*tion- 6e *ame at his lone opponent a!!ressiely, holdin! nothin! ba*k,
knowin! he was fi!htin! to sae not ;ust himself but the #han*ellor, as well- 6is blade dan*ed and
si77led, moin! too swiftly for the eye to follow-
The man fell ba*k under the assault, franti*ally parryin! the blows and retreatin! until he felt his
heels dan!lin! oer the platform/s ed!e- .n desperation he lun!ed forward with a *lumsy stab at
0ohun/s *hest- The 0edi simply slapped his blade aside and ended the assassin/s life with a sin!le *ut
of the li!htsaber a*ross his *hest-
The other two were ba*k on their feet now- The woman rushed toward him re*klessly yet a!ain-
This time 0ohun stood his !round, du*kin! under the wide, flat ar* of her blade sweepin! in from
the side- 6e rea*hed out with his left hand and sei7ed her wrist as he rolled onto his ba*k, usin! the
momentum of her own *har!e a!ainst her- 2ullin! hard on her wrist, he tumbled ba*kward and
brou!ht both feet up, plantin! them in the middle of her stoma*h- 6e *ompleted the moe by
ki*kin! out with both le!s, sendin! her flyin! up and oer the platform/s ed!e- She s*reamed all the
way down, her *ries endin! abruptly when she stru*k the water and ro*ks below-
0ohun was already ba*k on his feet, bra*in! for the first man/s ne+t atta*k- But rather than fa*e him
alone, his remainin! adersary turned to flee, makin! a break for the walkway leadin! from the
platform ba*k to the shore-
6e passed the Twi/lek at a dead run, then stopped as his body went ri!id and his hands flew to his
throat- 6e turned around slowly so he was fa*in! 0ohun, *lut*hin! the bloody !ash ;ust beneath his
;aw as he toppled forward and fell fa*edown on the platform-
.t happened so fast it took a moment to re!ister on 0ohun- Then he noti*ed the small, *res*ent,
shaped blades *lut*hed in ea*h of the Twi/lek/s hands- They looked like miniature si*kles8 the one in
his left hand was a bri!ht siler, the one in the ri!ht dripped with red-
The #hiss and the tattooed man had been makin! their way toward the platform to ;oin the battle-
Seein! the Twi/lek *ut their es*apin! a**ompli*e down, they abruptly re*onsidered- 9a*ed with a
wrathful 0edi Kni!ht and an ally who would kill them if they tried to flee the *onfrontation on the
platform, they made the only lo!i*al *hoi*e and ra*ed ba*k up the walkway to their waitin! ehi*le-
2ilin! in, they fired up the en!ines and sped away, wantin! no part of a plan that had !one so
wron!-
Steppin! oer the still,!aspin! body of the a**ompli*e he had ;ust killed, the Twi/lek dropped into a
fi!htin! *rou*h- 6e didn/t seem to know or *are that the other two had abandoned him- 6is lekku
hun! down behind him like twin tails, the tips twit*hin! and *urlin! in anti*ipation-
=./e always wanted to test my skills a!ainst a 0edi,= he said, issuin! the *hallen!e-
0ohun was more than willin! to a**ept- 6e leapt forward, moin! with the blindin! speed of the
9or*e as he stabbed his li!htsaber s3uarely at the Twi/lek/s *hest to put a 3ui*k end to their
*onfrontation- With an almost *asual !ra*e, the red,skinned Twi/lek merely leaned ba*kward and
twisted out of the way, slashin! out with the stran!e *res*ent blades at 0ohun/s throat-
The 0edi turned his body at the last se*ond, aoidin! the first blade *ompletely, but *at*hin! the
other with the meat of his ri!ht shoulder- .t sli*ed deep into the mus*le, eli*itin! a !runt of pain
from 0ohun-
6e wheeled ba*k around to see the Twi/lek in the same low *rou*h, holdin! the *res*ent blades up
in front of him like a bo+er- 0ohun approa*hed more *autiously this time, re*o!ni7in! that this
opponent was far more dan!erous than the other three put to!ether-
5sin! ti!ht slashes and 3ui*k *uts, he probed his enemy/s defenses with his li!htsaber, tryin! to
learn the patterns and rhythms of his foe/s unfamiliar weapons- The Twi/lek slapped ea*h blow aside
with *ontemptuous ease, alternatin! hands so he *ould always leae one of the *res*ents up in a
defensie position-
The unusual weapons sa*rifi*ed rea*h for speed and maneuerability, 0ohun reali7ed- 6e was
ulnerable if he let the Twi/lek !et in *lose, but if he *ould keep him at a distan*e he had the
adanta!e- The Twi/lek seemed to reali7e this, too, and be!an to moe in slowly-
0ohun tried to for*e him ba*k with a se3uen*e of a!!ressie atta*ks, but he was unable to penetrate
the Twi/lek/s defenses- $o matter what he tried, his enemy was always able to keep at least one of
the *res*ent blades ba*k to parry his blows-
9rustrated, 0ohun oere+tended on one of his strikes, brin!in! the li!htsaber in a fra*tion of a
*entimeter too hi!h and wide and puttin! too mu*h wei!ht on his front foot- The mistake nearly
proed fatal-
The Twi/lek swatted 0ohun/s blade aside and stepped forward, *losin! the distan*e between them to
less than a meter as he slid inside the ar* of the li!htsaber/s effe*tie ran!e- The si*kle of his left
hand sli*ed down in a hi!h erti*al strike as the one in his ri!ht *ared a low hori7ontal slash- 0ohun
was able to ba*kpedal and aoid the initial blows, but he wasn/t so lu*ky when his opponent
reersed his atta*k, allowin! the *res*ent blades to retra*e their ori!inal paths in the opposite
dire*tion-
%ne of the blades sli*ed upward, openin! a !ash in 0ohun/s *heek and narrowly missin! his eye-
The other left a lon!, shallow *ut alon! the left side of the 0edi/s ribs,painful but not debilitatin!-
6is enemy was in too *lose for 0ohun to brin! his li!htsaber to bear effe*tiely8 all he *ould do was
butt with his head, sendin! his brow smashin! hard into the Twi/lek/s fa*e- There was a wet *run*h
as the *artila!e of his enemy/s nose *rumpled beneath the impa*t- The Twi/lek sta!!ered ba*k, then
dropped on*e more into his fi!htin! *rou*h- Blood flowed freely from his nostrils, the dark *rimson
flow isible een a!ainst his bri!ht red *omple+ion-
0ohun tried to !ather the 9or*e to hurl his opponent off the platform/s ed!e- But !atherin! the 9or*e
re3uired *on*entration, and for a fra*tion of an instant it drew his fo*us away from the battle- 6is
enemy sensed his momentary lapse and spran! forward, the si*kles *arin! deadly semi*ir*ular ar*s
throu!h the air-
0ohun threw himself ba*kward at the last instant, the power he/d a**umulated disappearin!
harmlessly as he fell into a full retreat to aoid the lethal assault- Droppin! low to the !round, he
tried to swipe the feet out from under the Twi/lek- 6is opponent anti*ipated the moe and leapt
nimbly oer his outstret*hed foot, brin!in! his knee up to strike 0ohun s3uare in the ;aw-
Seein! stars, 0ohun rolled *lear, narrowly aoidin! de*apitation, as the *res*ent blades swooped in
a!ain- 6e re!ained his feet and took a wild swipe at his opponent- Dod!in! the blow, the Twi/lek
swooped in *lose, and 0ohun was for*ed to !ie !round yet a!ain to surie another series of
li!htnin!,fast blows-
The Twi/lek pressed the atta*k, stayin! *lose enou!h to 0ohun that the 0edi/s only options were
blo*ks and parries- Dartin! from side to side he *ut off 0ohan/s paths of retreat, slowly ba*kin! him
up until he was balan*ed on the platform/s ed!e-
0ohun knew he *ouldn/t beat the Twi/lek- 6is opponent was faster, his skills honed by years of
intense trainin!- 6e *ould *ontinue to fi!ht, but the out*ome was ineitable,he was !oin! to die on
this platform- 6e *ould not es*ape his fate,yet he *ould still sa*rifi*e himself to sae the #han*ellor-
There is no death8 there is only the 9or*e-
The Twi/lek had bra*ed himself in preparation for a desperate *ounteratta*k, e+pe*tin! 0ohun to try
to fi!ht his way *lear of the platform/s led!e- .nstead the 0edi dropped his weapon and both hands
shot forward to *lut*h ti!htly onto the front of his opponent/s shirt- The handle of 0ohun/s li!htsaber
*lattered on the platform/s durasteel surfa*e, the blade e+tin!uished the moment it fell from his
hand-
The une+pe*ted moe *au!ht the Twi/lek *ompletely off !uard, and he hesitated for a split se*ond
before his eyes went wide with fear and dawnin! *omprehension- 6e slashed franti*ally at 0ohun/s
wrists and forearms, *arin! deep !ashes into the flesh- But the 0edi/s !rip neer faltered-
With his heels already dan!lin! oer the pre*ipi*e, 0ohun simply had to let himself fall ba*kward,
dra!!in! his enemy with him- The Twi/lek s*reamed as they plun!ed toward the deadly ro*ks
;uttin! up from the waes fifty meters below8 0ohun felt nothin! but a serene inner pea*e-
They seemed to fall foreer, the world moin! in slow motion as 0ohun surrendered himself fully to
the power of the 9or*e- .t flowed throu!h him, stron!er than he had eer felt it before- The instant
before they hit the water he looked into the terrified eyes of his foe and smiled- 6e had neer felt
more at pea*e than he did in that moment-
Droppin! from fifty meters into the o*ean was nothin! like diin! into a pool8 the surfa*e tension of
the water stru*k them with the impa*t of a sled!ehammer- Durin! the fall they had turned sli!htly,
so the impa*t took 0ohun on the ri!ht side- 6e felt his ribs *ra*k, and then a *old sho*k as the
free7in! waters eneloped them-
.t took 0ohun seeral se*onds to reali7e he wasn/t dead- 'en missin! the ro*ks, a fall from that
hei!ht should hae been lethal- 4et somehow he had suried, thou!h he was now sinkin! 3ui*kly
into the o*ean/s an!ry depths- The 9or*e, he thou!ht in ama7ement- 6e had !ien himself oer to its
power durin! the fall8 in return it had spared his life-
6e reali7ed he was still *lut*hin! ti!htly to the front of the Twi/lek/s shirt- Throu!h the murky
waters he *ould see his opponent/s head lollin! to the side at an unnatural an!le, his ne*k broken
when they had slammed into the unyieldin! o*ean surfa*e-
Releasin! his !rip he swam toward the surfa*e, pullin! with powerful strokes- 0ust as his lun!s
threatened to !ie out, he brea*hed, !aspin! and swallowin! hu!e !ulps of air- The !irders
supportin! the platform rose up out of the water before him, only a few meters away- 6e ki*ked his
le!s and rea*hed out to !rab the sli*k, wet durasteel with hands already !oin! numb in the *hill
waters, then be!an the lon! slow *limb ba*k to the top-
Blood poured freely from the *uts to his forearms- But thou!h the wounds were deep, they hadn/t
stru*k any *riti*al neres or tendons, and he was able to use his hands to help him alon! as he
*lambered up the !irders-
6e had rea*hed the halfway point when he paused to rest, shierin! in the wind- " oi*e *alled his
name8 lookin! up, he saw the fa*e of #han*ellor Valorum starin! down at him- Knowin! he needed
to sae his breath for the rest of the *limb, 0ohun/s only response was a weak wae of
a*knowled!ment-
6alf a meter from the top Valorum/s arm rea*hed down oer the ed!e to *lasp his own- The
e+hausted 0edi was !rateful for the aid as the #han*ellor helped him *lamber up and ba*k onto the
safety of the platform- 0ohun tried to stand, but his limbs betrayed him- "ll he *ould mana!e was to
roll onto his ba*k and stare up at the sky, pantin! and whee7in! as he tried to *at*h his breath-
=4ou saed my life,= the #han*ellor said, sittin! down beside him to wait for the 0edi to re*oer
from his ordeal- =. *an neer repay you for what you hae done, but if there is eer anythin! you
want of me you need only ask-=
=There is one thin!-= 0ohun !asped from his ba*k, still too tired to een try to sit up- =6ire yourself
a kriffm! se*urity team =
#hapter >@
?annah made her way slowly throu!h #arannia/s market s3uare, pur*hasin! supplies to repla*e
those Bane had inadertently destroyed- %nly a week had passed sin*e she/d last been here, but in
that short time a !reat many thin!s had *han!ed-
Kel was dead, for one- The 6olo$et was bu77in! with the news of the failed attempt to kidnap
#han*ellor Valorum, and all the a**ounts made spe*ifi* mention of the red,skinned Twi/lek and his
end at the hands of a 0edi Kni!ht named 0ohun %thone-
Three of the others from the small !roup were dead as well, thou!h reports indi*ated that two of the
terrorists had fled the s*ene- 9rom the des*riptions !ien it was obious to ?annah that 2aak and
#yndra were the two suriin! fu!ities-
The atta*k had prompted immediate *ondemnation from the Senate and the rest of the Republi*-
)ore important, the #ounts of Serenno had promised swift and de*isie a*tion to stamp out the
separatist or!ani7ations that pla!ued their fair world- Based on the enormous rewards bein! offered
for information leadin! to the *apture of those inoled in the atta*k, it seemed the nobles intended
to keep their promise-
'en had Kel and his friends su**eeded, ?annah now reali7ed, the rea*tion of the #ounts would
hae been the same- .n the aftermath of the iolen*e, the bodies of seeral members of #ount
$al;u/s household staff were dis*oered near the landin! site- They had been sent to !reet
#han*ellor Valorum on his arrial, only to be murdered by the radi*als who had set the ambush-
The deaths of seeral lon!,serin! followers was a !reat tra!edy for 6ouse $al;u, but it paled in
*omparison with the horror eli*ited by the atta*k itself- The #ount had personally sponsored the
#han*ellor/s isit8 an assault upon his esteemed !uest was an insult to family honor, and a *rime
tantamount to atta*kin! the #ount himself- "lways willin! to prote*t their own, the other (reat
6ouses had rallied to the $al;u *ry, owin! to hunt down and e+terminate those responsible for this
atro*ity-
$o doubt Darth Bane had foreseen this out*ome- 9or the ne+t seeral years the eyes of the Republi*
would be fo*used intently on Serenno and its *ampai!n to snuff out the separatist elements that had
infiltrated its *ulture-
=Don/t moe= a familiar female oi*e hissed in her ear, and ?annah felt the mu77le of a blaster press
itself hard into the flesh of her lower ba*k-
=./m surprised you/d dare to show your fa*e in publi*,= ?annah whispered without turnin! around to
fa*e the #hiss standin! *lose behind her- =There/s a lot of *redits bein! offered for your head-=
=Thanks to you,= #yndra snapped ba*k, ;abbin! her painfully with the weapon- =$ow start walkin!-
Slowly-=
There were a do7en ways ?annah *ould turn the tables on #yndra, but ea*h of them inoled a
display of dark side power she wasn/t willin! to make in the *rowded market s3uare- So she did as
ordered, makin! her way past the endor stalls as she waited for the ri!ht moment to make her
moe- #yndra followed *lose, pressin! ti!ht up a!ainst her to shield the blaster at ?annah/s ba*k
with her own body-
=Where are you takin! me<= ?annah asked her-
=We/re !oin! to see 6etton,= #yndra snarled- =6e/s !ot some 3uestions for you-=
6ow *onenient, ?annah thou!ht- Ve !ot some 3uestions for him, too-
#yndra took her down a narrow alley leadin! away from the market s3uare to a deserted side street-
=Stand still or . shoot= she warned ?annah, then pulled a *omlink from her belt- =./e !ot her,= she
said- =#ome pi*k us up-=
.n less than a minute an airspeeder swooped down to land on the far side of the street- ?annah
wasn/t surprised to see 2aak sittin! in the pilot/s seat- 6e ;umped out as the #hiss mar*hed her
prisoner oer to the ehi*le-
=Told you she/d *ome ba*k,= he said to his *ompanion-
=0ust sear*h her for weapons,= she answered,
2aak leered at ?annah as he rou!hly patted her down- =What hae we here<= he e+*laimed,
dis*oerin! her only weapon and holdin! it up for inspe*tion-
The handle of ?annah/s li!htsaber was sli!htly lon!er than normal to a**ommodate the twin *rystals
re3uired to power the blades that e+tended from either end- 6oweer, while most traditional double,
bladed weapons had blades ea*h measurin! a meter and a half or more, those of ?annah/s li!htsaber
were sli!htly under a meter in len!th- This small but si!nifi*ant differen*e was *riti*al to the way in
whi*h she used her weapon ---
=The smaller blades !ie you !reater speed and maneuerability,= her )aster e+plained as the
fourteen,year,old ?annah twirled her newly *onstru*ted li!htsaber in her left hand, fo*usin! on
masterin! the feel of its uni3ue balan*e and wei!ht-
=#rip the handle li!htly in your fin!ers- #ontrol the weapon with your wrist and hand rather than
the mus*les of your arm- 4ou will sa*rifi*e rea*h and leera!e, but you will be able to *reate a
shield of impenetrable defense-=
=Defense will not slay my enemy,= ?annah remarked, smoothly transferrin! the spinnin! *rimson
blades from her left hand to her ri!ht and ba*k a!ain-
=4ou la*k the physi*al stren!th re3uired for the powerful atta*kin! strikes ofD;em So or the other
a!!ressie forms= her )aster e+plained- =4ou must rely on 3ui*kness, *unnin! and, most of all,
patien*e to best your enemies-=
6e i!nited his own li!htsaber and took a lon!, loopin! swin! in her dire*tion- ?annah inter*epted
the blow with her own weapon, easily defle*tin! it to the side-
=9orm three allows you to parry in*omin! atta*ks with minimal effort,= he told her- =4our opponent
must e+pend pre*ious ener!y with ea*h blow, slowly tirin! while you remain fresh and stron!-=
Bane sei7ed the hook,handled !rip of his own li!htsaber with both hands and raised it hi!h oer his
head, then brou!ht it strai!ht down in a fier*e *hop- 5sin! the te*hni3ues he had made her pra*ti*e
for two hours ea*h day oer the past year, ?annah meet her )aster/s blade with one of her own- 6ad
she tried to meet it head,on, the stren!th of his atta*k would hae drien her own weapon ba*k into
her, or kno*ked the li!htsaber from her hand- .nstead she *lipped his blade with a !lan*in! *onta*t,
reroutin! it so that it *ontinued its downward ar* at an an!le, passin! harmlessly a few *entimeters
from her shoulder-
=(ood= Bane said approin!ly, windin! up for another heay,handed swipe- =Do not blo*k-
Redire*t- Wait for opponents to be*ome weary or frustrated- &et them make a mistake, then sei7e
the openin! and make them pay-=
To illustrate his point Bane took a wild swipe that she easily pi*ked off- The momentum of his
swin! *aused him to lean too far forward, e+posin! his shoulder and ba*k to her *ounteratta*k- With
a fli*k of her wrist ?annah dire*ted her own weapon toward the openin!- She s*ored a dire*t hit,
one of her twin blades tra*in! a ten,*entimeterMlon! slash a*ross his shoulder that would hae
seered the arm of any other opponent-
.n Bane/s *ase, howeer, the blade only *ut throu!h the *loth of his shirt and left a small s*or*h
mark on the impre!nable shell of the or,balisk beneath-
=4ou/re dead:= she e+*laimed triumphantly, still twirlin! her blade so that it neer lost momentum-
Bane nodded in approal But it was early, and the day/s lesson had only ;ust be!un-
="!ain,= he *ommanded in the stern taskmaster/s oi*e he always used durin! their drills and
pra*ti*e sessions----
=What is this< " li!htsaber<= 2aak muttered, turnin! the handle oer in his hands- =Where/d you !et
this< 4ou steal it off a 0edi or somethin!<=
?annah didn/t bother to answer- There was nobody else in iew8 the three of them were alone in the
deserted street- She *ould easily hae ended their lies ri!ht there and es*aped- But they had said
they were takin! her to 6etton, and she was most ea!er to meet the founder of the "nti,Republi*
&iberation 9ront-
=6elton/s !oin! to be ery interested in this,= he remarked- =Very, ery interested-=
=#ome on- &et/s !et moin!= #yndra told him- =. don/t want to keep 6etton waitin!- 6e/s mad
enou!h at us already-=
2aak tossed the li!htsaber onto the passen!er seat in the front, then *limbed into the pilot/s *hair-
=(et in the ba*k,= #yndra ordered ?annah, wain! the blaster/s nose threatenin!ly-
She did as she was told, and a se*ond later #yndra *limbed in beside her, still keepin! her weapon
trained on ?annah- The airspeeder lifted off the !round, whiskin! them throu!h the *ity and out to
the *ountryside beyond-
=6ow lon! until we !et there<= ?annah asked-
=Shut your kriffin! mouth,= #yndra answered- =They/ll be plenty of time to talk when you e+plain
to 6etton why you betrayed us-=
=Kel always was a su*ker for a pretty fa*e= 2aak said, !lan*in! ba*k at her oer his shoulder-
="lways knew it would be the death of him- .f he was smart he would hae ;ust stu*k with you,
#yndra=
#yndra/s red eyes narrowed an!rily- =Shut up and drie, 2aak-=
=4ou and Kel<= ?annah said, le!itimately surprised- =./m sorry- . didn/t know=
=$either did #yndra,= 2aak said with a lau!h- ="t least not until you showed up at our meetin!- She
wanted to kill you ri!ht there- &u*ky for you she/s a professional-=
The rest of the ride passed in silen*e as they made their way farther and farther from the *ity- Soon
they passed into the *ountry estates of the noble families, *onfirmin! ?annah/s suspi*ion that 6etton
was a member of a powerful Serenno house- She wondered what would happen to him now that the
politi*al *limate of #aran,nia had turned so stron!ly a!ainst the separatists-
The speeder *ontinued on, passin! oer laish rose !ardens that stret*hed for a*res, the irri!ation
proided by e+3uisite fountains while armies of staff *lipped and pruned to keep ea*h indiidual
flower in a perfe*t, pristine state-
"n enormous mansion loomed in the distan*e8 in truth it looked more like a *astle than a home- The
fla! flyin! from one of the many turrets was a bri!ht red, embla7oned with a sin!le ei!ht,pointed
star of !old- ?annah suspe*ted it was deried from the fie,pointed star of the Demi*i (reat 6ouse-
"pparently 6elton/s family were distant relations of the Demi*is that had earned the ri!ht to *reate
their own ariation on the family *rest-
When they landed they were met by si+ !uards *lad in lon! red robes- 'a*h wore a full helmet that
*ompletely *oered the head and fa*e, and they all *arried for*e pikes- The meter,and,a,half,lon!
metal poles were e3uipped with stun modules at the tip, *apable of dis*har!in! an ele*tri*al *urrent
to stun or in*apa*itate opponents--- or een kill if set to a hi!h enou!h power- She re*o!ni7ed the
e+oti* weapon from Bane/s tea*hin!s8 it had been a faorite of the 5mbaran Shadow "ssassins,
thou!h the members of the !roup had !one into hidin! with the fall of Kaan/s Brotherhood-
=(et out,= #yndra demanded, !esturin! on*e a!ain with her blaster- " small part of ?annah pitied
the #hiss,Kel had used her then tossed her aside,while another part of her resented her blue,skinned
romanti* rial- But she was not about to let either emotion affe*t her thou!hts or a*tions in any
si!nifi*ant way-
She did as she was told, e+itin! the ehi*le and submittin! to another sear*h by one of the red,robed
!uards before passiely holdin! her hands out before her and allowin! them to slap a pair of binder
*uffs on her wrists- %nly then did #yndra finally put away her blaster, stuffin! it into her belt and
!rabbin! ?annah by the arm to pull her alon! after 2aak and the !uards-
The pro*ession made its way throu!h a hi!h ar*hway and into the marble,lined hall beyond-
2aintin!s and s*ulptures lined the walls8 floatin! holo!raphi* artworks hoered near the *eilin!- The
display of wealth would hae impressed or een intimidated most isitors, ?annah suspe*ted- She,
howeer, saw the *olle*tion as nothin! but a waste of funds that *ould hae been better spent
elsewhere-
The mansion was enormous, and it took them fie full minutes to pass from the airspeeder landin!
pad to the re*eption *hamber where 6etton awaited them- ?annah knew they were near their
destination when they stopped before a pair of towerin! doors, *losed and barrin! their pro!ress-
Two of the !uards stepped forward, one on ea*h door, and pushed them open-
The room beyond was thirty meters lon! and twenty meters wide- &ike the halls, the walls were
lined with art, and a lon! red *arpet led to a small stair*ase and a raised dais at the far end- The
room was deoid of furniture e+*ept for a lar!e *hair atop the dais, thou!h ?an,nah thou!ht it *ould
more properly be des*ribed as a throne-
Sittin! there, flanked by two more of the red,robed !uards, was a man who *ould only be 6etton
himself- 6e was small in stature, and older than she had suspe*ted8 he looked to be in his late fifties-
She had e+pe*ted him to be !arbed in the *olors of his house, but instead he wore bla*k pants, a
bla*k shirt, bla*k boots, and bla*k !loes- #rimson stripin! trimmed the tops of his boots and the
*uffs of his !loes- " hooded *ape, also bla*k with *rimson trim, was draped a*ross his shoulders,
thou!h the hood was thrown ba*k to reeal his fa*e-
6e had fine !ray hair, *ropped ery short- 6e had a lon!, pointed nose, and his pale blue eyes
seemed small and too *lose to!ether- There was a *ruel tilt to his thin lips that made it almost appear
as if he was sneerin!- "s they entered, he leaned forward in his seat and *lut*hed at the arms of his
oersi7ed throne8 he looked hun*hed, sinister-
"lthou!h he was not *onentionally attra*tie or physi*ally imposin!, there was an undeniable air
of importan*e about him- ?annah suspe*ted it was a natural *onfiden*e born of wealth and
priile!e, but as she was mar*hed down the red *arpet toward him, she reali7ed it was somethin! far
more impressie1 6etton radiated with the power of the dark side:
They approa*hed until they were ten meters from the steps leadin! up to 6etton/s seat, then stopped
at a si!nal from one of the !uards flankin! the throne- Their es*ort stepped to the side, leain!
?annah, 2aak, and #yndra alone before 6etton-
="nd who are you, my dear<= 6etton asked, his words sharp and *lipped as they e*hoed thinly off
the walls of the !reat room-
=)y name is Rainah,= ?annah answered- =. am,. was,a friend of Kel/s-=
=%f *ourse,= 6etton said with a knowin! smirk- =Kelad/den had many female friends-=
=She/s the one who betrayed us to the Republi*:= #yndra said an!rily, shakin! the still,*uffed
?annah by her elbow as she spoke-
=. didn/t betray anyone,= ?annah protested, stallin! for time as she tried to !au!e 6etton/s power-
Durin! the war between the Brotherhood of Darkness and the "rmy of &i!ht, both sides had
a*tiely sou!ht to re*ruit those with power into their ranks- But it would hae been a simple enou!h
matter for a family as obiously ri*h and powerful as 6etton/s to shield one of their own from both
the 0edi and the Sith-
=4ou knew eery detail of our plan,= #yndra insisted- =Who else *ould it hae been<=
=4ou and 2aak seem to hae suried somehow,= ?annah remarked, lettin! the unspoken a**usation
han! in the air as she *ontinued her subtle probin! of 6etton-
6is power didn/t hae the raw, untamed feel of one who had neer been trained- Was it possible he/d
on*e had a tutor or mentor< 6ad someone knowled!eable in the 9or*e tau!ht him the ways of the
dark side, then abandoned him to follow Kaan< %r was there some other e+planation<
=. am not a traitor:= the #hiss shouted an!rily-
=#alm down, #yndra,= 6etton said, sardoni*ally amused at her outra!e- =#han*ellor Valorum had a
0edi Kni!ht with him- 4our mission was doomed to failure from the start-
="nd een if you had su**eeded,= he added, his oi*e droppin! to a low and dan!erous whisper,
=you still would hae brou!ht the wrath of the (reat 6ouses *rashin! down on us-
=What were you thinkin!<= he demanded with a sudden shout that made both 2aak and #yndra
;ump- ?annah *ould feel the air *ra*kle as the small man *alled upon the 9or*e, !atherin! the
ener!ies of the dark side- 6is power was undeniable, yet as she felt it buildin! she was *onfident his
abilities would be no mat*h for hers- =6etton, wait:= 2aak shouted, sensin! the peril they were in-
=We/e !ot somethin! for you-=
6e held up ?annah/s li!htsaber, wain! it aboe his head so 6etton would be sure to see it- The
effe*t was immediate and instantaneous8 the buildin! power of the dark side anished as 6etton
fro7e, his eyes rieted on the hilt- "fter a moment he seemed to re!ain his *omposure and sat ba*k
down, si!nalin! for one of his !uards to brin! the treasure to him-
When it was pla*ed in his hand he studied it *arefully for a full minute before settin! it reerently in
his lap-
=Where did you find this<= he asked softly, thou!h there was a dan!erous under*urrent in his oi*e-
=%n her= 2aak said- =She wouldn/t tell us how she !ot it=
=.s that a fa*t<= 6etton muttered, suddenly starin! at ?annah with renewed interest, runnin! the
fin!ers of one hand idly oer the li!htsaber/s handle- =. would be most interested to learn how she
a*3uired this parti*ular spe*imen-=
=(ie me fie minutes alone with her= #yndra said- =./ll !et her to talk-=
?annah de*ided that the !ame had !one on lon! enou!h- .t would hae been a simple matter to
snat*h the li!htsaber ba*k to her sha*kled hands usin! the 9or*e, but she had other weapons at her
disposal---
=The 9or*e manifests itself in many different ways,= Darth Bane told her- ='ery indiidual has
stren!ths and weaknesses,talents they e+*el at and others that are more diffi*ult-=
The twele,year,old ?annah nodded- Seeral months before, Bane had unlo*ked a new data bank of
information in 9reedon $add/s
6olo*ron- Thou!h he wouldn/t tell her what he had un*oered, he had added a new element to her
trainin! shortly after his dis*oery- 'ery two or three days he would put her throu!h a series of
ri!orous tests and *hallen!es desi!ned to ealuate her *ommand of different aspe*ts of the 9or*e-
5ntil today he had refused to dis*uss the results of his e+periments with her, and ?annah was
be!innin! to fear she had somehow failed him-
=Some possess raw elemental power8 they *an unleash storms of li!htnin! from their fin!ertips, or
moe mountains with their mere thou!hts- %thers are more !ifted in the subtle intri*a*ies of the
9or*e, blessed with the ability to affe*t the minds of friend and foe alike throu!h the arts of
persuasion or battle meditation-=
6e paused and fi+ed her with a lon! stare, as if *onsiderin! whether to say more-
=" rare few hae a natural affinity for the dark side itself- They *an dele into the depths of the
9or*e and summon ar*ane ener!ies to twist and warp the world around them- They *an inoke the
an*ient rituals of the Sith8 they *an *on;ure power and unleash terrible spells and dark ma!i*s-=
=.s that my !ift<= ?annah asked, barely able to *ontain her e+*itement- ="m . a Sith sor*erer<=
=4ou hae the potential,= Bane told her- 9rom inside his robes he produ*ed a thin leather,bound
manus*ript- =6idden deep inside the 6olo*ron, . dis*oered a list of powerful spells- . trans*ribed
them into this tome- They will help you fo*us and *hannel your power for ma+imum effe*t--- but
only if you study them *arefully-=
=. will, )aster= ?annah promised, her eyes !leamin! as she rea*hed out to take the book from his
hands-
=)y ability to !uide and tea*h you in the ways of sor*ery are limited,= Bane warned her- =)y
talents lie in another dire*tion- To unleash your full potential you will hae to do mu*h of the study
and resear*h on your own- .t will be--- perilous-=
The thou!ht of e+plorin! the dark and dan!erous se*rets of Sith sor*ery alone filled her with dread,
but the *han*e to a*hiee a power beyond the abilities of her )aster to *omprehend was a
temptation she *ould not resist-
=. will not disappoint you, )aster= she owed, *lut*hin! the tome ti!htly a!ainst her *hest-
="nd if you eer try to use one of your spells a!ainst me= Bane added as a final *aution, =. will
destroy you-=
?annah shook her elbow free of #yndra/s !rasp and raised her sha*kled hands before her fa*e-
Weain! her rin!ers in a *omple+ pattern in the air, she rea*hed out with the 9or*e and plun!ed
deep inside the #hiss woman/s mind to find her se*ret, most primal fears- Buried in her
sub*ons*ious were nameless horrors1 abominations and *reatures of ni!htmare neer meant to see
the li!ht of day- Drawin! on the power of Sith sor*ery, ?annah plu*ked them out and brou!ht them
to life one by one-
The entire pro*ess took less than a se*ond- .n that time #yndra had drawn her weapon, but instead
of pointin! it at ?annah she suddenly s*reamed and aimed it hi!h in the air aboe her, firin! wildly
at demons *on;ured from her own mind that only she *ould see-
The illusions !rew more real and more terrifyin! the lon!er the spell *ontinued, but ?annah had no
intention of endin! it yet- The #hiss shrieked and threw her weapon to the !round- She flun! her
head wildly from side to side, *oerin! it with her arms and s*reamin! =$o:= oer and oer before
*ollapsin! on the floor- Weepin! and sobbin!, she *urled up into a ti!ht little ball, still mutterin!
=$o, no, no---=
'eryone else in the room was starin! at her in horror and bewilderment- Some of the !uards took a
step ba*k, afraid they mi!ht somehow be*ome infe*ted by her madness-
?annah *ould hae ended it then, dispellin! the illusion and allowin! #yndra to fall into
un*ons*iousness- She would wake hours later with only the most basi* re*olle*tion of what had
happened, her mind instin*tiely re*oilin! from the memories of what it had witnessed- %r ?annah
*ould push the illusion een farther, driin! her i*tim to the ed!e of insanity and beyond- "n
ima!e of the #hiss romanti*ally entan!led with Kel spran! unbidden to her mind,and ?annah
pushed-
#yndra/s *ries of terror be*ame animal howls as her sanity was ripped apart by the !hastly isions-
6er hands s*rat*hed and *lawed at her own eyes, tearin! them out- Blood poured down her *heeks,
but een blindness *ouldn/t sae her from the ni!htmares *rawlin! throu!h what was left of her
mind-
6er howls stopped as her body went into sei7ure8 her mouth foamed as her limbs *onulsed wildly
on the floor- Then, with a final blood*urdlin! shriek, she fell suddenly limp and lay still- 6er
*ons*ious mind *ompletely and irreo*ably obliterated, her *atatoni* body was now nothin! more
than an empty shell-
The body shiered on*e, and ?annah knew that somewhere in the deepest *ore of #yndra/s
sub*ons*ious a small part of her still e+isted, silently s*reamin!, trapped foreer with the horrors
inside her own mind-
Thou!h eeryone had borne witness to the #hiss/s !ruesome and terrifyin! end, ?annah was the
only one who knew what had really happened- 4et een she was neer 3uite *ertain ;ust what her
i*tims saw- Based on their rea*tions she fi!ured it was probably better not to know- She *oolly
re!arded #yndra/s body on the floor, still tremblin! o**asionally, then !lan*ed up to see 6etton
starin! at her intently-
She turned away when she heard 2aak shoutin! at her from a*ross the room-
=4ou did this:= 6e pointed an a**usin! fin!er at her- =Stop her or she/ll kill us all:= he *ried-
Seeral of the !uards took a step toward her, only to pull up at a sli!ht shake of the head from
6etton-
=She/s not dead= ?annah announ*ed- =Thou!h whateer/s left of her mind surely be!s for death-=
The answer did nothin! to *alm 2aak/s mountin! hysteria- Rea*hin! into his boot, he pulled out a
short ibroblade and rushed at
?annah with a s*ream-
The spell she had unleashed on #yndra was powerful but e+haust,in!- ?annah doubted she/d be able
to effe*t a similar rea*tion in 2aak before he ran her throu!h with his blade- So instead of sor*ery,
she turned to more *onentional means to dispat*h him-
'+tendin! her sha*kled hands, she used the 9or*e to draw the li!htsaber from 6etton/s lap, sendin!
it flyin! a*ross the room and into her waitin! palm- "s the blades i!nited she *asually snapped her
restraints with a sin!le thou!ht
2aak had *ome in e+pe*tin! to skewer a helpless prisoner8 he wasn/t ready to fa*e an armed foe- She
*ould hae slain him ri!ht then and there, but she noti*ed that 6etton was still sittin! passiely in
his seat, obserin! the a*tion- ?annah de*ided she/d !ie him a show-
.nstead of de*apitatin! her oermat*hed opponent, she simply toyed with him, twirlin! and
spinnin! the li!htsaber throu!h intri*ate, hypnoti* patterns as she easily parried his ham,fisted
blows- 2aak was a brawler, all mus*le and no te*hni3ue, makin! it ridi*ulously simple for her to
repulse his atta*ks- 6e *ame at her three times, ha*kin! and slashin! as he tried to bowl her oer-
'a*h time she would nimbly skip to one side and redire*t his blade with her own, turnin! their
*ombat into a dan*e where she was most definitely takin! the lead-
"fter three failed passes, the tattooed man threw his blade down in frustration and s*ooped up
#yndra/s fallen blaster- 6e took aim and fired twi*e from point,blank ran!e, but ?annah didn/t een
flin*h-
5sin! the pre*o!nitie awareness of the 9or*e, she was easily able to anti*ipate the in*omin! shots
and inter*ept them with the *ra*klin! *rimson blades of her li!htsaber- The first bolt ri*o*heted
harmlessly up into the *eilin!8 the se*ond she sent ba*k at 2aak-
.t stru*k him s3uare between the eyes, leain! a smokin! hole in his forehead- 6is body went ri!id,
then toppled oer ba*kward-
Still twirlin! her weapon, ?annah turned to fa*e 6etton a!ain- 6e had not moed from his throne8
nor had he made any si!nal to his !uards- "s she stared at him he rose slowly to his feet and walked
down the stairs of the dais until he was standin! only a few meters in front of her- Then he dropped
to his knees before her and bowed his head-
.n a tremblin! oi*e he whispered, =. hae been waitin! for someone like you my entire life-=
#hapter >C
0ohun walked with lon!, 3ui*k strides down the dormitory *orridors of the !reat 0edi Temple- 6e
passed halls and stair*ases leadin! to the arious win!s that had been *onstru*ted to house the 0edi
Kni!hts and 2adawans who *hose to dwell here on #orus*ant, makin! his way toward the base of
the Spire of the 6i!h #oun*il and the priate *hambers resered for the )asters,in,residen*e-
6e nodded *urtly to those who waed or *alled out to him as he mar*hed briskly past, but 0ohun
had no time to stop and e+*han!e pleasantries- 6e had re*eied a summons from Valenthyne
9arfalla immediately after landin!, and 0ohun had a pretty !ood idea what his old )aster wanted to
talk to him about-
When he arried at his destination he was surprised to find the door to 9arfalla/s priate 3uarters
standin! open, the 0edi )aster seated at a desk inside, deep in study-
=4ou wanted to see me<= 0ohun said by way of !reetin!, steppin! inside and *losin! the door
behind him-
The room was de*orated mu*h as 9arfalla/s priate *abin had been aboard the 9airwind, the fla!ship
of the now disbanded 0edi fleet- 9ine art adorned the walls, and e+pensie ru!s *oered the floor- .n
one *orner sat the four,poster bed depi*tin! the key sta!es of Valenthyne/s rise to the rank of 0edi
)aster-
=0ohun,= 9arfalla said with mild surprise- =. did not e+pe*t to see you so soon-= 6e turned in his seat
and motioned to one of the other *hairs in the room, indi*atin! that his !uest should sit-
=4our summons sounded ur!ent,= 0ohun answered- 6e spread his feet and stood stiffly, refusin! the
offer of a *hair-
=. need to speak with you,= 9arfalla said with a weary si!h-
="s my friend, my )aster, or a representatie of the 0edi #oun*il<=
=That depends on what you hae to say,= 9arfalla answered, eer the diplomat- =. hae heard that
#han*ellor Valorum intends to petition the Senate for funds to *reate a memorial to 6oth and the
other 0edi who fell on Ruusan-=
=$o doubt he beliees this to be a fittin! tribute to the people who !ae their lies to keep the
Republi* safe,= 0ohun remarked- =" tribute some would say is lon! oerdue-=
9arfalla raised an eyebrow- =So you had nothin! to do with this re3uest< Valorum *ame up with this
idea on his own<=
=. neer said that,= the 0edi Kni!ht replied- The truth, as both he and Valenthyne were well aware,
was that Valorum had a!reed to do this to show his !ratitude toward 0ohun for sain! him durin!
the atta*k on Serenno-
="s . suspe*ted,= the )aster said with another si!h- =The 0edi #oun*il does not approe of this,
0ohun- They see it as an a*t of pride and arro!an*e-=
=.s it arro!ant to honor those who made the ultimate sa*rifi*e<= 0ohun asked, stayin! *alm- 6e was
a 0edi Kni!ht now8 the 2adawan who would fly off the handle at the sli!htest proo*ation was lon!
!one-
=Re3uestin! a memorial to honor your former )aster sma*ks of anity= 9arfalla e+plained- =.n
eleatin! the man who first trained you, you in effe*t eleate yourself-=
=This is not anity, )aster,= 0ohun e+plained patiently- =" memorial on Ruusan will sere as a
reminder of how one hundred bein!s willin!ly mar*hed off to fa*e *ertain death so that the rest of
the !ala+y mi!ht lie in pea*e- .t will be a powerful symbol to inspire others-=
=The 0edi do not need symbols to inspire them= 9arfalla reminded him-
=But the rest of the Republi* does= 0ohun *ountered- =Symbols !ie power to ideas, they speak to
the hearts and minds of the aera!e person, they help transform abstra*t alues and beliefs into
reality-
=This monument !lorifies the i*tory on Ruusan1 a i*tory that *ame not throu!h the stren!th of our
army, but throu!h the *oura!e, *oni*tion, and sa*rifi*e of 6oth and those who perished with him-
.t will sere as a shinin! e+ample to !uide the *iti7ens of the Republi* in their thou!hts and
a*tions-=
=. see Valorum/s flair for spee*hes has rubbed off on you,= Valen,thyne said with a rueful smile,
re*o!ni7in! that he would not be able to *onin*e 0ohun to *han!e his position-
=.t was you who *hose to assi!n me to the #han*ellor/s side,= 0ohun reminded him- ="nd . hae
learned many thin!s in my years of seri*e-=
9arfalla rose from his seat and be!an to pa*e the room-
=4our ar!uments are elo3uent, 0ohun- But surely you know they will not sway the 0edi #oun*il-=
=This matter falls outside the #oun*il/s authority,= 0ohun reminded him- =.f the Senate approes
fundin! for Valorum/s re3uest, *onstru*tion on Ruusan will be!in within the month-=
=The Senate will neer refuse Valorum anythin!-= 9arfalla snorted- 6e stopped pa*in! and turned
toward 0ohun- ="nd what will your role be in this pro;e*t<=
=That, too, is for the Senate to de*ide,= 0ohun answered easiely- 6oweer, after a moment he
relented and told 9arfalla the truth- =The #han*ellor has a!reed to trael with a full se*urity
*omplement on future diplomati* missions so that . will be free to !o to Ruusan and oersee
*onstru*tion of the memorial-=
9arfalla si!hed and sat ba*k down in his *hair-
=. understand why you are doin! this, 0ohun- . do not fully approe, but neither . nor the 0edi
#oun*il will stand in your way-= "fter a moment he added, =. doubt we *ould stop you now een if
we tried-=
="t times . *an be most stubborn = the 0edi Kni!ht replied with the hint of a smile-
=0ust like 6oth,= 9arfalla noted-
0ohun *hose to take his words as a *ompliment-
D D D
=)y father died when . was only an infant,= 6etton said, his oi*e low enou!h that ?annah had to
strain to hear it oer the *la*kin! of their footsteps on the polished marble floor- =Burdened with the
responsibilities of bein! the head of our house, my mother left it to the serants to raise me- They
knew of my spe*ial !ifts for many years before word of it eer rea*hed my mother/s ear-=
=2erhaps they feared what she mi!ht do to them if they told her,= ?annah su!!ested-
She and 6etton were alone now- "fter her performan*e in the throne room, he had insisted on
brin!in! her to see his ast *olle*tion of Sith manus*ripts and artifa*ts, lo*ated in his inner san*tum
on the far side of the !reat mansion- 6e had also insisted that his !uards stay behind- To pass the
time on the ;ourney throu!h the seemin!ly endless halls and rooms of his manor, he had started to
tell her his personal history-
=)y mother was a stron! and intimidatin! woman,= 6etton admitted- =2erhaps the serants were
afraid of her- Whateer the reasons, . was already in my early twenties before she finally dis*oered
my affinity for the 9or*e-=
=6ow did she rea*t<=
=She saw my talents as a tool we *ould use to further the fortunes of our house- She had no use for
the 0edi,or een the Sith, for that matter,but she wanted to find someone to help tea*h me to better
master my skills-
=This was many years before the Brotherhood of Darkness *ame to power,= he reminded her before
resumin! his tale-
="fter a number of dis*reet in3uiries and many substantial bribes and payments, she finally settled
on a Duros named (ula Dwan-=
=6e be*ame your )aster<=
=)aster was a title he neer desered,= 6etton replied with ;ust a hint of bitterness- =6e was
nothin! but a bounty hunter and assassin who had the !ood fortune to be born with the ability to
tou*h the 9or*e- %er the years he had !leaned a simple understandin! of the most basi* te*hni3ues
to a**ess his power, allowin! him to leitate small ob;e*ts and perform other similar tri*ks,
=But he had no alle!ian*e to the Sith or the 0edi8 (ula/s only fealty was to whoeer paid him the
most *redits- "nd my family *ould afford to pay him more *redits than he had eer dreamed of-=
They had rea*hed another set of lar!e double doors, thou!h these were sealed and lo*ked from the
other side- 6er host rea*hed out and pla*ed his palm on the surfa*e, then *losed his eyes- ?annah
felt the soft whisper of the 9or*e8 then the lo*k *li*ked and the door swun! open to reeal 6etton/s
inner san*tum-
The room was part library, part museum- Sheles of an*ient manus*ripts and s*rolls, and endless
lines of old datatapes lined the walls, and there was a data terminal and lar!e iews*reen in one
*orner- Seeral lon! !lass display *ases ran len!thwise down the *enter of the room, displayin! the
*olle*tion of Sith treasures 6etton had spent the past three de*ades a*3uirin!1 stran!e !lowin!
amulets, small ;ewel,en*rusted da!!ers, a ariety of unusual stones and *rystals, and the handles of
at least a do7en different li!htsabers-
=(ula/s instru*tion !ae me a foundation on whi*h to build, but most of my learnin! *ame from the
books and manus*ripts you see before you,= 6etton said with pride-
They walked slowly alon! the len!th of the display *ases, ?annah splittin! her attention between
6etton/s words and the intri!uin! array of Sith artifa*ts- She *ould still feel faint remnants of dark
side ener!y *lin!in! to them1 fadin! memories of the in*redible Kpower they on*e *ontained-
='arly on in my apprenti*eship . re*o!ni7ed (ula for the fool he was- "t my ur!in!, my mother
used the wealth and resour*es of our house to s*our the !ala+y in pursuit of eery re*ord, ob;e*t, or
trinket een remotely asso*iated with the dark side so that . *ould further my learnin! without
hain! to rely e+*lusiely on my so,*alled )aster-
="s you mi!ht e+pe*t, mu*h of what *ame to us was worthless rubbish- But oer the years a
number of rare and aluable items found their way into my possession-=
6etton turned to the sheles, runnin! his hands loin!ly oer the *atalo!ed olumes-
=The knowled!e here allowed me to 3ui*kly surpass (ula- %n*e my mother reali7ed he was no
lon!er of any use to us, she had him killed-=
?annah started and blinked in surprise- 6etton lau!hed softly at her rea*tion-
=)y mother was a woman drien by ambition and ruthless pra*ti*ality- She had worked hard to
keep my e+isten*e hidden from the 0edi and Sith8 if (ula were allowed to simply leae our seri*e,
it was ineitable he would reeal our house/s !reat se*ret-=
=" ne*essary death= ?annah said with a nod, reali7in! that Bane probably would hae done the
same thin!- Then, hit with a sudden flash of insi!ht, she said, =4ou were the one who killed him,
weren/t you<=
6etton smiled at her- =4ou are as per*eptie as you are powerful- When the order *ame down from
my mother, . was more than happy to *omply- (ula had be*ome a burden and an impediment to my
own resear*h into the ways of the dark side-=
=4ou speak of your mother as if she is !one = ?annah noted- =What happened to her<=
6etton/s eyes narrowed, and his e+pression !rew dark-
="bout fifteen years a!o, when Kaan first be!an to assemble his Brotherhood of Darkness, my
mother ur!ed me to reeal myself and ;oin their *ause- She belieed they would su**eed in their
3uest to destroy the Republi*, and she sou!ht to ally our house with the risin! new power in the
!ala+y-
=But . refused to be*ome part of Kaan/s *ult- 6e prea*hed that all who followed the dark side would
sere as e3uals,a demo*ra*y of Sith- . found the *on*ept repu!nant, a perersion of eerythin! . had
studied and belieed in-
=6oweer, my mother still thou!ht in terms of !oernments and politi*al allian*es- Throu!h my
study of the dark side . had trans*ended su*h mundane interests, but she *ould not !rasp my
ob;e*tions- .n the end, . was for*ed to eliminate her-=
This time ?annah wasn/t surprised- =She would hae i!nored your wishes and tried to for!e an
allian*e with the Brotherhood,= she said, showin! that she understood,and een approed of,
6etton/s matri*ide- =She would hae e+posed you- 4ou had no other *hoi*e-=
=. poisoned her in her sleep,= 6etton e+plained, his oi*e betrayin! ;ust a hint of re!ret- =.t was a
pea*eful death8 . neer wanted her to suffer- "fter all, ./m not a monster-=
There was a moment of silen*e as he let his thou!hts lin!er oer what he had done- Then he shook
his head and resumed speakin! as he led ?annah oer to the monitor and data terminal-
=With the fall of the Brotherhood and the reformations of the 0edi %rder, . be*ame more bold- .n
addition to my 3uest to seek out the knowled!e and artifa*ts of the an*ient Sith . also be!an to
assemble an army of followers- 5nder the separatist banner, . drew those indiiduals with uni3ue
skills and talents into my seri*e- We were united in our hatred of the Republi* and the 0edi, yet .
was still wary of reealin! my true purpose1 the resurre*tion of the Sith:
="nd now you are here,= he said, *on*ludin! his tale- 6e rea*hed down and remoed a data*ard
from the terminal they were standin! beside- =The timin! *ould not be more perfe*t-=
?annah wasn/t 3uite sure what he meant by that, but before she *ould ask a 3uestion he had pla*ed
the data*ard in her hand- =What/s this<=
=Do you know the name of Belia Dar7u<= he asked her- ?annah shook her head- =She was a Dark
&ord of the Sith who rei!ned oer two *enturies a!o- She was a student of Sith al*hemy8 it was said
she learned the se*rets of me*hu,deru, the ability to transform the flesh of liin! bein!s into metal
and ma*hinery- She used this power to *reate an army of te*hnobeasts1 or!ani*,droid hybrids bound
to her will-=
?annah a!uely re*alled a passin! mention of te*hnobeasts from her studies, thou!h the name Belia
Dar7u still didn/t sound familiar-
=)any also beliee that before her death she dis*oered the se*ret of *reatin! Sith 6olo*rons,=
6etton added, and ?annah/s thou!hts flashed ba*k to Bane and his failed attempts to do the same-
=5ltimately, Belia was betrayed and murdered by her own followers = 6etton *ontinued- =" familiar
o**urren*e in the histories . hae read- When she fell all her se*rets were lost, thou!h there is
spe*ulation that mu*h of what she dis*oered is still stored in the ar*hies of her stron!hold on
Tython-=
=Tython<= ?annah e+*laimed, re*o!ni7in! the name- =.sn/t that one of the Deep #ore worlds<=
The Deep #ore was a small *luster of densely pa*ked stars *entered on a bla*k hole in the ery
heart of the !ala+y- The worlds of the Deep #ore,planets like Tython,typi*ally appeared only in
myths and le!ends, or in the wild tales of half,mad e+plorers who *laimed to hae isited them-
5nstable solar masses, lar!e po*kets of antimatter, and !raity wells powerful enou!h to warp the
spa*e,time *ontinuum made it irtually impossible to *hart safe hyperspa*e routes into the re!ion-
=. know what you/re thinkin!,= 6etton said- =. was skepti*al myself at first- But the more . learned
about Belia, the more eiden*e . found to support the theory that her stron!hold was on Tython-=
='en if it/s true,= ?annah protested, =nobody knows how to !et to
Tython-=
=. do= 6etton said with a sly smile- =.n my resear*h . dis*oered the *oordinates for a lon!,for
!otten hyperspa*e lane into the Deep #ore- But . neer dared to make the trip- . feared the defenses
of Belia/s stron!hold would be impenetrable- "nd then . met you-=
=. don/t see what this has to do with me,= ?annah said-
=9or many years . hae studied the dark side, but my power has plateaued- . will learn nothin!
further on my own- . need a new
)aster,one with the power to penetrate the defenses of Belia/s stron!hold and lay *laim to her
se*rets-=
=4ou want to be*ome my apprenti*e<= ?annah asked, her oi*e risin! in disbelief-
='erythin! . know about Belia Dar7u, in*ludin! the hyperspa*e route to Tython, *an be found on
that data*ard,= 6etton said, speakin! 3ui*kly- =. am presentin! it to you as a !ift, a si!n of respe*t
and admiration and proof of the seriousness of my offer-=
=4ou/re at least twi*e my a!e:= ?annah e+*laimed, still unable to wrap her mind around the bi7arre
turn of eents-
="!e has little relean*e in matters of the 9or*e,= 6etton assured her- =4our power is far !reater
than mine- . am askin! you to tea*h me the ways of the dark side- .n e+*han!e, . offer you a**ess to
all the knowled!e . hae *olle*ted oer the past thirty years-=
=. am only an apprenti*e myself,= ?annah admitted- ="nd my )aster would kill us both before he
a**epted your offer- 9or the Sith to surie, there must only be one )aster and one apprenti*e-=
=Then how does the Sith line *ontinue<= 6etton asked, pu77led-
=When . surpass my )aster, . will kill him and take his pla*e,= ?annah e+plained, relayin! the
beliefs that Bane had drilled into her oer the past de*ade without een thinkin!- =Then . will find
my own apprenti*e to *arry on the le!a*y of the dark side-=
6etton was silent for a moment, *onsiderin! what she had said- =2erhaps that time is now,= he said
softly- =To!ether, we *ould end your )aster/s rei!n-=
?annah a*tually lau!hed at the su!!estion- 6elton/s eyes narrowed momentarily, stun! by her
rea*tion-
=. hae more resour*es at my disposal than you mi!ht ima!ine,= he said, raisin! his hand and
snappin! his fin!ers-
Two of his red,*loaked !uards appeared beside him, seemin! to materiali7ed out of thin air- ?annah
let her hand drop to her li!htsaber, wonderin! if she had been lured into a trap- She *ouldn/t fi!ure
out where the !uards had suddenly *ome from8 een if they were somehow *loaked, she should
hae been able to sense their presen*e throu!h the 9or*e-
The !uards made no moe to atta*k her, howeer, and a se*ond later she rela+ed on*e more and
looked 3uestionin!ly at 6etton-
="s . told you before, . hae re*ruited a number of indiiduals with uni3ue and spe*iali7ed talents
to my side,= he e+plained- =.n*luded amon! them are ei!ht former students of the Sith "*ademy on
5mbara-=
Throu!h Bane, ?annah knew those students sent to 5mbara were trained in stealth and
assassination, learnin! to use the 9or*e to mask their presen*e from all manner of dete*tion- That
was why she had been unable to sense them in the room-
=Should you a**ept me as your apprenti*e, my !uards will swear fealty to you as well,= 6etton told
her- =4ou will hae a s3uad of ei!ht unstoppable, undete*table killers at your *ommand-=
?annah was silent for seeral minutes, thinkin! about eerythin! he had said-
=We *annot risk the 0edi learnin! of our e+isten*e,= she warned at last- =.f you be*ome my
apprenti*e, you must leae all this behind-=
=. *ould not stay here mu*h lon!er anyway,= 6etton reminded her- =.t won/t be lon! before the
(reat 6ouses dis*oer . am the founder of the "nti,Republi* &iberation 9ront- They will sei7e my
assets and *ondemn me for a traitor-
=. hae already be!un the pro*ess of transferrin! my library onto data*ards in preparation for my
fli!ht-=
.n her mind ?annah wei!hed all she knew of Darth Bane/s stren!th and power a!ainst 6etton and
his ei!ht Shadow "ssassins, tryin! to determine whi*h side had the upper hand- .n the end she
*ouldn/t a**urately predi*t who would surie su*h an en*ounter, but she de*ided she wanted to
find out-
=6ow soon *an you and your assassins be ready<=
=We *an leae within the hour-=
="nd after Bane is dead we will !o to Tython<=
=.f that is your wish, )aster,= 6etton said with a bow-
#hapter >E
$i!ht had fallen oer "mbria, but Bane was not interested in sleep- .nstead he was sittin! *ross,
le!!ed in what remained of their *amp, waitin! for ?annah to return with supplies so they *ould
rebuild- "s he waited, he meditated on his most re*ent failure with the 6olo*ron-
The dilemma offered no easy solution- .f he pushed himself too hard, his body would betray him,
*ausin! him to make mistakes durin! the pre*ise ad;ustments of the 6olo*ron/s matri+- .f he went
slowly, *onserin! his stren!th, he would be unable to finish before the *o!nitie network be!an to
de!rade- The two fa*tors worked at *ross purposes, and Bane had ra*ked his mind to find a way to
balan*e the re3uirements of both time and effort-
6is most re*ent attempt had pushed his power to its limits, brin!in! him to the ed!e of *omplete
e+haustion- 4et een if he hadn/t made the *riti*al error that *aused the matri+ to *ollapse, he
doubted he would hae been able to *omplete the final ad;ustments in time-
The more he *ontemplated the pro*ess, the more frustrated he be*ame- 6e had failed on both sides
of the spe*trum, unable to finish in the allotted time and la*kin! the ne*essary stren!th to *omplete
his task without error-
Was it possible there was some other essential element in the pro*ess that he was missin!< Was
there one more se*ret waitin! to be unlo*ked that would finally allow him to *reate a 6olo*ron so
he *ould pass his wisdom and knowled!e on to his su**essors< %r was the failure in him< Did he
simply la*k power< Was his *ommand of the dark side somehow less than that of the an*ient Sith
&ords like 9reedon $add<
.t was an un*omfortable line of spe*ulation, but it was one Bane for*ed himself to *onsider- 6e had
read the histories of the !reat Sith &ords8 many were filled with feats almost too in*redible to be
belieed- 4et een if these a**ounts were true, een if some of his prede*essors had had the ability
to use the dark side to destroy entire worlds or make a sun !o noa, Bane still felt that his power
measured up to the des*ribed abilities of many of those who had su**essfully *reated 6olo*rons of
their own-
But how mu*h of your power is wasted on the parasites infestin! your body<
The 3uestion spran! unbidden to his mind, posed not in his own oi*e but that of his apprenti*e-
?annah had e+pressed her *on*erns about the effe*t the orbalisks mi!ht be hain! on him8 it was
possible she was ri!ht-
6e had always belieed the drawba*ks of the orbalisks,the *onstant pain, the disfi!urin!
appearan*e,to be offset by the benefits they proided- They healed him, made him physi*ally
stron!er, and prote*ted him a!ainst all manner of weapons- $ow he be!an to 3uestion that belief-
While it was true that he *ould *hannel his power throu!h the *reatures for a temporary in*rease in
his abilities, oer the lon! term they mi!ht a*tually be weakenin! him- They were *onstantly
feedin! on the dark side ener!ies that flowed throu!h his eins- Was it possible that, after a de*ade
of infestation, his ability to draw upon the 9or*e had been subtly diminished<
.t was an idea he would hae on*e dismissed out of hand- But his *ontinued failure with the
6olo*rons had for*ed him to reealuate his symbioti* relationship with the stran!e *rusta*eans- 6e
*ould feel them een now, feedin!, drawin! on the 9or*e that flowed throu!h his eins-
The orbalisks suddenly be*ame a!itated- They twit*hed and trembled a!ainst his flesh8 he felt their
insatiable hun!er !rowin! as if in response to the nearby presen*e of a fresh sour*e of dark side
power- Bane !lan*ed around, e+pe*tin! to see ?annah approa*hin! the *amp beneath the bri!htness
of the full moon- 6e saw nothin!8 he sensed nothin!,not een the small *reatures and inse*ts that
*ame out at ni!ht to hunt for food, flyin! oerhead or *rawlin! a*ross the sand- The normal
awareness he had of the ambient world around him seemed stran!ely muted or--- masked:
6e leapt to his feet and drew his li!htsaber, the blade bla7in! to life with a *ra*klin! hiss- " burst of
red li!ht e+ploded around him, illuminatin! the darkness and burnin! away the illusions *loakin!
his unseen enemies-
'i!ht red,robed fi!ures surrounded the *amp, their identities hidden by the isors of their helmets-
'a*h *arried a lon! metal rod that Bane re*o!ni7ed as a for*e pike, the traditional weapon of the
5mbaran Shadow "ssassins-
Spe*ially trained in the art of killin! 9or*e,sensitie adersaries, Shadow "ssassins preferred to
rely on stealth and surprise- '+posed by Bane/s ener!y burst, they suddenly found their !reatest
adanta!e taken away- "nd een thou!h there were ei!ht of them, Bane neer hesitated-
6e leapt forward and *ut the first red,robed fi!ure down before he,or she,had a *han*e to rea*t, a
sin!le slash of his li!htsaber bise*tin! the unfortunate opponent hori7ontally, ;ust aboe the waist-
The other seen swarmed him, thrustin! their for*e pikes forward to delier the deadly ele*tri*al
*har!e stored in the tips- Bane neer een bothered to parry the in*omin! blows, relyin! on his
orbalisk armor to prote*t him as he adopted a strate!y of pure offense-
6is une+pe*ted ta*ti*s *au!ht two more of the assassins *ompletely unprepared, and they walked
ri!ht into a sweepin! two,handed *ut that disemboweled them both-
The remainin! fie stru*k Bane almost simultaneously, their for*e pikes sendin! a million olts of
*urrent throu!h his body- The orbalisks absorbed most of the *har!e, but enou!h filtered throu!h to
;olt him from his teeth down to his toes-
The Dark &ord sta!!ered and fell to his knees- But instead of rushin! in to finish him off, the
assassins simply stood their !round- The idea that anythin! smaller than a bantha *ould withstand a
dire*t hit from a for*e pike set to ma+imum *har!e,let alone fie pikes at the same time,was
in*on*eiable- Their mis*al*ulation !ae Bane the se*ond he needed to shake off the effe*ts and
rise to his feet, mu*h to the ama7ement and horror of his enemies-
=?annah was ri!ht about you,= a oi*e from behind Bane *alled out-
6e whirled around to see a small man in his fifties, *lad all in bla*k, standin! on the far ed!e of the
*amp- .n his hand was a !reen li!htsaber, thou!h it was obious from the way he !ripped it that he
had neer re*eied any proper trainin! in how to handle the e+oti* weapon-
"t the man/s side was Bane/s own apprenti*e8 she had not drawn her li!htsaber-
Bane snarled in an!er at her betrayal, his risin! an!er fueled by the *hemi*als the orbalisks were
pumpin! into his system-
=Today is the day you die, Darth Bane,= the man said, *har!in! forward to atta*k-
"t the same time, the fie red,robed fi!ures rushed in from behind him- Bane spun and thrust his
open palm toward them, lashin! out with the power of the dark side- &ike the 0edi and Sith, one of
the first te*hni3ues Shadow "ssassins learned was the *reation of a 9or*e barrier- #hannelin! their
power, they *ould form a prote*tie shield around themseles to ne!ate the 9or*e atta*ks of their
enemies- But if an opponent was stron! enou!h, a *on*entrated atta*k *ould still brea*h the barrier-
Darth Bane, Dark &ord of the Sith, was definitely stron! enou!h-
Two of the assassins were stopped in their tra*ks, kno*ked to the !round as if they had run into an
inisible wall- Two more, weaker and less able to defend themseles a!ainst Bane/s power, were
sent flyin! ba*kward- %nly the fifth was stron! enou!h to resist the Sith &ord/s throw and *ontinue
his *har!e-
6oweer, without his brethren at his side to harry and distra*t his foe, he found himself the sole
fo*us of Bane/s wrath- 5nable to defend a!ainst the saa!e se3uen*e of li!htsaber *uts and thrusts,
he fell in a matter of se*onds, half a do7en fatal wounds s*ored a*ross his *hest and fa*e-
While the four remainin! assassins re!ained their feet, Bane wheeled ba*k to their leader- Wisely,
the man in bla*k had stopped his own *har!e and was !atherin! the 9or*e- "s Bane stepped toward
him the man unleashed it in a sin!le lon!, thin bolt of indi!o li!htnin!- Bane *au!ht the blast with
his li!htsaber, the blade absorbin! the ener!y- .n retaliation he stru*k ba*k with li!htnin! of his
own, a storm of a do7en bolts ar*in! in toward his tar!et from all an!les-
The man leapt hi!h in the air, flippin! ba*kward to aoid the deadly ele*tri*al *onfla!ration- 6e
landed on his feet ten meters away, a small, smokin! *rater markin! the spot where he had been
standin! only an instant before-
=?annah:= the man shouted- =Do somethin!:=
But Bane/s apprenti*e didn/t moe- She merely stood off to the side, bidin! her time and obserin!
the a*tion-
The assassins fell on Bane a!ain, but instead of repellin! them with the 9or*e, he allowed his body
to be*ome a *onduit, turnin! himself into a physi*al manifestation of the dark side/s tumultuous
power- "s he spun like a whirlwind, his blade seemed to be eerywhere at on*e1 ha*kin!, slashin!,
and sli*in! his enemies to ribbons-
"ll four assassins died in the atta*k, thou!h one mana!ed to land a sin!le blow with his for*e pike
before his throat was slit, the wound so deep it nearly seered his head- 9ueled by ra!e and fury,
Bane shru!!ed off the deadly ele*tri*al sho*k like a ran*or shru!!in! off the bite of a enn,bu!-
%n*e a!ain he turned his attention to the man in bla*k- Bane mar*hed slowly toward him as his
adersary stood fro7en in pla*e, paraly7ed by the terrifyin! knowled!e of his own imminent death-
=?annah:= the man *ried out to her a!ain, holdin! his li!htsaber erti*ally before him as if it were a
talisman that *ould hold the approa*hin! demon at bay- =)aster: 6elp me:=
Bane *hopped down with his own weapon, seerin! the man/s sword arm at the elbow- The man
s*reamed and dropped to his knees- "n instant later his oi*e went silent as Bane ran him throu!h
with a sin!le hard thrust, the li!htsaber enterin! his *hest ;ust below his heart and protrudin! a full
half a meter out the ba*k of his shoulder blade-
Bane slid his blade ba*k out- "s the old man/s body fell fa*e,forward into the dirt, the Dark &ord
turned to his apprenti*e- ?annah merely stood there, wat*hin! him-
=4ou betrayed me:= he roared and leapt at her-
?annah had wat*hed the battle with interest, takin! *areful note of Bane/s ta*ti*s and tenden*ies and
storin! them away for later- 6er )aster easily dispat*hed 6etton and his minions, as she had
e+pe*ted --- thou!h there had been a brief instant near the start of the battle when Bane had appeared
ulnerable- "pparently the orbalisks were not able to fully prote*t him a!ainst the ele*tri*al *urrent
of the for*e pikes,another fa*t she made a point of filin! away for later-
When it was oer her )aster turned to fa*e her- She waited for him to demand an e+planation, but
instead he let loose with a *ry and flew at her- ?annah barely had time to i!nite her twin blades to
meet his *ompletely une+pe*ted atta*k-
She fell into a defensie posture as she so often had durin! their trainin! sessions- But this was no
drill, and her )aster *ame at her with a speed and fero*ity she had neer fa*ed before- (iin! in to
his orbalisk,fueled bloodra!e, he was like a wild animal, rainin! saa!e blows down on her from all
an!les, the strikes *omin! so fast it seemed as if he wielded a do7en blades at the same time-
?annah fell into a full retreat, desperately !iin! !round beneath the oerwhelmin! assault-
=. did not betray you, )aster:= she shouted, tryin! to make Bane see reason before he *leaed her in
two- =. lured 6etton here so you *ould kill him:=
She du*ked under a hori7ontal *ut from his li!htsaber, only to *at*h a heay boot in her ribs- She
rolled with the ki*k, narrowly aoidin! the return *ut of his blade- She parried a sharp des*endin!
blow, !athered her feet under her, and laun*hed herself ba*kward, flippin! ten meters *lear-
=&isten to me, )aster:= she shouted now that she had put some distan*e between them- =.f . wanted
to betray you, why didn/t . help them durin! the,oooffff:=
Bane hit her with a powerful 9or*e throw, sendin! her hurtlin! ba*kward- %nly the barrier she had
instin*tiely thrown up at the last se*ond to shield herself saed her bones from bein! shattered by
the *on*ussie for*e of the impa*t-
She s*rambled to her feet and twirled her li!htsaber before her, *reatin! what she hoped would be
an impenetrable wall of defense- .nstead of tryin! to pier*e her !uard, Bane leapt hi!h in the air and
*ame down almost ri!ht on top of her- She deftly parried his blade, redire*tin! it to the side as she
spun away to keep his body from slammin! into her- But Bane *au!ht her on the *hin with his
elbow as she turned, the blow snappin! her head ba*k- 6er body went limp, her weapon dropped
from her nereless fin!ers, and she *rumpled to the !round-
9or a se*ond she saw nothin! but stars- 6er ision *leared to reeal the ima!e of Darth Bane
loomin! aboe her, his blade raised for the *oup de !ra*e-
=. only did this for you, )aster:= she shouted up at him, i!norin! the throbbin! pain in her ;aw- =.
only wanted to brin! you the key to *reatin! a 6olo*ron:=
Bane hesitated, her words finally pier*in! the bestial madness that had eneloped him- 6e stared
down at her on the !round, his head tiltin! to the side as his bloodlust slowly faded-
=4ou did this for me<= he asked suspi*iously-
?annah nodded franti*ally, een thou!h it made her head spin- =6etton re*o!ni7ed me as a true Sith-
. had to find some way to eliminate him and his minions to keep our e+isten*e se*ret-=
=So you led them here to ambush me,= he said, his skepti*ism obious-
=. had to win his trust,= ?annah e+plained, speakin! 3ui*kly and rea*hin! into the folds of her
*lothes to pull out the data*ard 6etton had !ien her- =. had to tri*k him into !iin! me this, so .
*ould then !ie it to you-=
She held the data*ard up toward her )aster, marelin! at the fa*t that it had suried the
punishment he had infli*ted on her durin! their *onfrontation- Bane rea*hed out to take it from her
!rasp, lowerin! his li!htsaber and e+tin!uishin! the blade-
6e !ae a brief nod and took a step ba*k, allowin! her room to stand- ?annah retrieed her own
li!htsaber from where it lay on the !round, then rose slowly to her feet- 6er head was still
swimmin! from the elbow to her ;aw, makin! it diffi*ult to stand without swayin! sli!htly-
=. knew you had the stren!th to defeat them, )aster,= ?annah said- =That was why . didn/t *ome to
your aid durin! the battle-=
="nd what if you were wron!<= Bane asked in a 3uiet, mena*in! oi*e- =What if they had somehow
killed me<=
=Then you would hae been weak, unworthy of bein! the Dark &ord of the Sith,= ?annah answered
boldly- ="nd you would hae desered to die-=
=2re*isely= Bane said with his familiar !rim smile, and ?annah knew her )aster approed-
#hapter >F
Winter was still a new,and not entirely wel*ome,phenomenon on Ruusan- %ri!inally it had been a
temperate world, its *limate *ontrolled and moderated by the ast boreal forests that dominated the
planet/s surfa*e- But durin! the prolon!ed *onfli*t between the Brotherhood of Darkness and the
"rmy of &i!ht, millions of he*tares of old,!rowth trees had been de*imated, turnin! a hu!e swath
of Ruusan/s northern hemisphere into a desolate and arid wasteland-
"lone, the dramati* *han!es in the !eo!raphi* features of the world mi!ht not hae been enou!h to
affe*t a si!nifi*ant *limati* shift- 6oweer, the dama!e to the enironment left the world more
ulnerable to the terrible deastation of the thou!ht bomb- .n the wake of Kaan/s ultimate weapon, a
powerful 9or*e ne+us was *reated1 an inisible maelstrom of dark, and li!ht,side ener!ies *apable
of permanently alterin! the planet/s weather patterns-
"s a result, een in the re!ions of the planet where the forests still stood, snow,a rarity in
!enerations !one past,be*ame a re!ular yearly o**urren*e- The unpre*edented winters typi*ally
lasted only a few months, but they were parti*ularly brutal on an e*osystem that had eoled in a
mu*h warmer *lime- Some of the flora and fauna of Ruusan, like the humans who still inhabited the
world, had learned to adapt- %ther spe*ies simply died off-
%er the years Daroit had learned there were three keys to suriin! the harsh *old- The first key
was to always dress in layers- 6is hooded oer*loak was a !ift from a farmer he had treated for a
bad *ase of fun!al rot- The thi*k sweater beneath had been offered as payment by a miner after
Daroit mended the man/s foot8 he/d a**identally *rushed it with his own pneumati* ;a*k- .n fa*t,
eery !arment on his person,the lon!,sleeed shirt, his heay trousers, his warm padded boots, the
fur,lined !loe on his left hand, and the *ustom,made *uff *oerin! his amputated stump,had been
!ien to him by lo*als who had *ome to his isolated home seekin! aid from the =6ealin! 6ermit=
The se*ond key to suriin! the winter wind and snow was to stay dry- 6e learned to wat*h the sky,
seekin! shelter at the sli!htest si!n of pre*ipitation- .f he allowed his *lothes to be*ome wet,
hypothermia *ould easily set in before he was able to find help- .t was one of the disadanta!es that
*ame with liin! alone deep inside the forest, but Daroit had be*ome too a**ustomed to his life of
solitude to !ie it up now-
.n his first years he had been a wanderin! a!abond, e+plorin! the wilds of Ruusan as he traeled
between the small po*kets of *iili7ation s*attered a*ross the land- But as he learned to hunt and
fora!e for himself, he found fewer and fewer reasons to enture into the towns and illa!es he *ame
a*ross-
Si+ years a!o he had wearied of his nomadi* e+isten*e- &o*atin! a suitably remote lo*ation beneath
a lar!e stand of shelterin! trees, he had *onstru*ted a simple hut of bran*hes and mud- The hut !ae
him a sense of permanen*e and stability while still allowin! him to en;oy the inner pea*e he had
found in his self,imposed isolation-
There were no other human settlements within ten kilometers of his home, and een the *losest
boun*er *olony was almost fie kilometers away- 4et that didn/t mean he was without isitors- 9rom
the tea*hin!s of the boun*ers and the e+perien*es of his youthful traels, he had be*ome wise in the
lore of herbal medi*ines and natural remedies- Three or four times a month he would be isited by
someone implorin! him to treat some malady or in;ury- Daroit neer turned these people away,
askin! only that in return they respe*t his pria*y--- thou!h often patients bestowed small !ifts on
him, like the *lothes he now wore, as tokens of their !ratitude-
The third key to suriin! the inhospitable Ruusan winters was to neer enture out at ni!ht- Bone,
*hillin! temperatures, the *han*e of be*omin! lost and unable to find shelter, and een the
o**asional predator made riskin! the darkness a dan!erous and foolish proposition-
4et here Daroit was in the dead of ni!ht, his feet *run*hin! oer the wind,*rusted snow- 6e/d left
the warmth of his hut many hours behind him as he set out to see with his own eyes if the rumors
he/d heard from many of his re*ent patients were true-
Daroit an!ry<
=$o,= he whispered to the small !reen,furred boun*er hoerin! aboe him- =0ust *urious-=
9or reasons he still didn/t fully understand, the boun*ers had deeloped a parti*ular fas*ination with
him- Durin! the day there were always two or three of them *ir*lin! his domi*ile- "nd ea*h time he
left his hut at least one of the unusual *reatures a**ompanied him-
2erhaps they felt responsible for his well,bein! after res*uin! him from the *aern of the thou!ht
bomb- %r maybe they were drawn to him by their shared o*ations1 the boun*ers eased the mental
an!uish of those sufferin! or in pain, and Daroit had *hosen to share his healin! talents with any
who *ame to him seekin! su**or- .t was een possible they simply found him entertainin! or
amusin!, thou!h in truth Daroit didn/t know if boun*ers had a sense of humor-
6e had 3ui*kly !rown used to their *onstant *ompany- They were !entle *ompanions, and they
seemed to sense when he was in the mood for *onersation and when he ;ust wished to be left alone
with his thou!hts- )ost of the time he found their presen*e *alm and soothin!, thou!h some
boun*ers were less soothin! than others- The youn! female a**ompanyin! him now, 4uun, seemed
to be more talkatie than her *ompatriots- Daroit home now, =$ot yet,= he whispered-
Two of Ruusan/s Three Sisters moons were wa+in! full toni!ht, their li!ht refle*tin! off the siler
layer of frost and the white blanket of snow that had a**umulated oer the past few weeks- Daroit
was *rou*hed behind a *opse of trees, leanin! on his walkin! sti*k for support and rea*hin! out
with the stump of his ri!ht hand to push the bran*hes aside so he *ould peer throu!h without bein!
spotted- Throu!h the apor *louds of his own breath, he studied the s*ene that *onfirmed the rumors
were true1 the 0edi had returned to
Ruusan:
Daroit had openly s*offed the first time a patient mentioned that the Republi* was !oin! to build a
monument to honor those who had fallen on Ruusan- .t made no sense to undertake su*h a pro;e*t
now, Daroit had ar!ued, a de*ade after the battle- 4et there was no denyin! what he saw throu!h
the bran*hes-
" lar!e plot of land on the ed!e of the forest had been *leared of snow, reealin! the fro7en, s*rub,
*oered fields beneath- The perimeter had been marked with stakes and sureyor/s *hains, and the
!roundbreakin! had already be!un- The deep furrows of soil du! up by the *onstru*tion droids to
lay the foundations stru*k Daroit as a wound upon the planet itself-
Seeral do7en lar!e stones were s*attered about the site, ea*h brou!ht to Ruusan from the birth
world of one of the dead 0edi the monument was meant to honor- To Daroit/s eye the alien ro*ks
stu*k out like a Wookiee in a *rowd of 0awas1 unwel*ome interlopers defa*in! the Ruusan
lands*ape-
=They hae no ri!ht to be here,= he whispered an!rily
6urtin! nobody, 4uun su!!ested-
=This land is only ;ust now be!innin! to heal itself from their kriffin! war= he answered- =.t/s taken
ten years for the people to put this all behind them- $ow the 0edi want to open old wounds-=
Senate approed- $ot 0edi-
=. don/t *are what the offi*ial story says- . know the 0edi are behind this- .t will lead to trouble-=
Trouble<
4uun was too youn! to remember the war that had raa!ed her world- She hadn/t witnessed the
senseless death and sufferin! that droe hundreds of boun*er *olonies into madness- Dama!ed
beyond all hope of salation, the wounded boun*ers had pro;e*ted thou!hts of pain and torment,
atta*kin! and een killin! other liin! *reatures until they were slain by 0edi teams sent to wipe
them out-
=The 0edi and their war nearly destroyed Ruusan,= Daroit told her- =#ountless thousands of men,
women, and *hildren died- The forests burned- "nd your spe*ies was hunted almost to e+tin*tion-=
Sith started war-
=The Sith *ouldn/t hae had a war on their own- They needed someone to fi!ht, and 6oth was more
than willin! to throw his 0edi followers a!ainst them,= Daroit ar!ued, wonderin! how mu*h the
boun*ers,and 4uun in parti*ular,knew of his past- =Both sides were e3ually to blame-=
Daroit !uilty-
.t was a statement of fa*t, rather than a 3uestion- =)aybe,= the youn! man admitted, leanin! on his
walkin! sti*k- =But trouble seems to follow the 0edi whereer they !o- "nd ./m not !oin! to sit ba*k
and wat*h so they *an destroy this world a se*ond time-=
"part from the *onstru*tion droids the di! site was deserted8 the or!ani* *rews only worked durin!
the li!ht of day- #rou*hin! low and holdin! his walkin! sti*k parallel to the !round at his side,
Daroit *rept out from the *oer of the trees-
2ea*e- #alm, 4uun pro;e*ted after him, tryin! to soothe his an!er- But she wasn/t bold enou!h to
follow him out into the open, and he i!nored her pleas until he had *rossed beyond the ran!e of her
telepathi* *ommuni*ation-
Daroit wasn/t stron! in the 9or*e8 that was part of the reason he failed in his attempts to ;oin both
the 0edi and the Sith- But he did hae a minor affinity for it, enou!h to allow him to *reep throu!h
the di! site unseen and unnoti*ed by the semi,intelli!ent *onstru*tion droids-
#onstru*tion droids were employed only for simple, basi* tasks- The ma;ority of the work on the
monument would be done by a *rew usin! heay ma*hinery and hoersleds- )oin! 3ui*kly,
Daroit made his way to the nearest sled, *rou*hin! down out of si!ht behind it-
6e had *ome well prepared, stashin! a lar!e supply of powdered tass root and two handfuls of
*rushed petals from the flowers of the s*intil ine in the po*kets of his oer*loak- .ndiidually the
two substan*es were harmless, yet when mi+ed to!ether and dampened they had a startlin!
intera*tion-
With his !ood hand he pried open the sled/s maintenan*e panel ;ust below the *ontrol bo+ and
stuffed four s*intil petals into the re,pulsor *oils- $e+t, he sprinkled a pin*h of powdered tass root
oer the petals- Then, as a final tou*h, he s*ooped up a handful of snow, lettin! it melt in his !loe
so it would drip down onto the mi+ture-
There was a soft hiss and a sharp alkaline smell as the elements *ombined to form a hi!hly
*orrosie paste that be!an to eat its way throu!h the repulsor *oils- Daroit snapped the sled/s
maintenan*e *oer ba*k in pla*e8 wispy tendrils of brown,!reen smoke wafted out from underneath
it-
Daroit spent the ne+t hour moin! from sled to sled, pausin! wheneer a *onstru*tion droid
wandered past in its prepro!rammed assi!nments, obliious to the andal in their midst- By the time
he !ot ba*k to where 4uun was still waitin! for him, eery sin!le hoer,sled had been disabled-
Temporary solution- Will repla*e-
=Repulsor *oils are e+pensie,= Daroit said- ="nd they/re always in hi!h demand- This should set
them ba*k at least a week-=
Then what<
=./e !ot a few more tri*ks up my sleee for our 0edi friends,= he assured the little boun*er- =This
was only the be!innin!-=
&i!ht soon- 6ome now<
Daroit !lan*ed up and saw the faint !low of the first of Ruusan/s twin suns peekin! oer the
hori7on-
=6ome,= he a!reed-
D D D
Three weeks had passed sin*e ?annah had presented her )aster with the data*ard that had almost
*ost the youn! apprenti*e her life- Bane had used that time to study the data*ard/s *ontents *arefully,
analy7in! eery tiny s*rap of information 6etton had assembled about Belia Dar7u- 6e *ross,
referen*ed mu*h of the data with his own sour*es, erifyin! eerythin! he *ould to authenti*ate
6etton/s resear*h- "nd Bane was now *onfident that eerythin! the old man had dis*oered was
true-
Bella/s e+periments in Sith al*hemy had reealed the se*rets that allowed her to surround herself
with a te*hnobeast army- 'en more impressie, at least from Bane/s perspe*tie, Belia had
su**essfully *reated her own 6olo*ron- "nd there was stron! eiden*e to support the theory that the
6olo*ron she *reated,the repository of all her knowled!e,was still hidden somewhere in her
stron!hold on Tython-
Bane ran the final dia!nosti*s *he*k on his essel1 he *ouldn/t afford to hae anythin! break down
on the up*omin! ;ourney- The hy,perspa*e route into the Deep #ore was trea*herous, and if
somethin! went wron! there was no *han*e of anyone *omin! alon! to find him- 6e would die a
*old and lonely death,a fro7en *orpse floatin! in a metal *offin around the bla*k hole at the !ala+y/s
heart-
The )ysti*/s systems all appeared to be in perfe*t workin! order- %ne of the new Sienar,desi!ned
.nfiltrator series, the )ysti* was a medium,si7ed lon!,ran!e fi!hter Bane had anonymously
a*3uired throu!h his network of front,men and shadowy suppliers- Built to *arry up to si+
passen!ers, .nfiltrators were armed with li!ht weapons and e3uipped with minimal platin!, the
fo*us of the model bein! on speed and maneuerability- The )ysti* had been *ustomi7ed with the
addition of a #lass 9our hyperdrie, enablin! her to outrun irtually any other essel she
en*ountered-
Thou!h there was room on the essel for both )aster and apprenti*e, Bane had de*ided ?annah
would not a**ompany him on his trip to Tython- But she was not !oin! to simply wait on "mbria
for his return-
"lon! with his study of the data*ard Bane had also spent a !reat deal of time thinkin! about the
orbalisks *lin!in! to his flesh- Thou!h it was possible that he would dis*oer new information on
Tython unlo*kin! the final se*rets of *reatin! a 6olo*ron, it was also possible that Belia had
su**eeded usin! the e+a*t same pro*ess he had employed in his failed attempts- Bane still *ould not
dis*ount the theory that the orbalisks were responsible for his failure, bleedin! him of the dark side
ener!ies he needed to draw on to *omplete the pro*edure-
There were other *onsiderations, as well- Twi*e now he had lost himself in a bloodra!e, thou!ht and
reason repla*ed by the mindless ur!e to destroy anythin! and anyone in ran!e- The first time it
happened he had left their *amp in ruins1 a foolish and pointless waste of resour*es-
The se*ond time had almost been far more *ostly- 6ad he su**eeded in killin! ?annah, he still
would hae found 6elton/s data*ard on her- But he would also hae been for*ed to find a new
apprenti*e- " de*ade of trainin! would hae been lost, thrown away be*ause of his temporary
madness-
?annah had saed herself by e+plainin! the moties behind her a*tions- She had a*ted in perfe*t
a**ordan*e with her )aster/s tea*hin!s,a fa*t Bane should hae reali7ed on his own- But the
orbalisks blinded him to her skilled ma*hinations, and he now understood that the raw power they
!ranted him *ame at the e+pense of subtlety and *unnin!-
So while he went to Tython to fa*e the dan!ers and defenses of Belia/s lost stron!hold, ?annah was
undertakin! a mission of her own-
D D D
6etton/s ship was ma!nifi*ent- " *ustom built *ruiser ei!hty meters in len!th, she *ould
*omfortably hold twenty passen!ers, yet only a sin!le pilot was re3uired to operate her- 'ery detail
of her *onstru*tion and desi!n had been made to 6etton/s pre*ise and laish spe*ifi*ations-
'3uipped with enou!h firepower and armor platin! to take on a small *apital ship, the interior was
still lu+urious enou!h to host a formal dinner for planetary di!nitaries- $o e+pense had been spared,
the essel bein! as mu*h a symbol of his in*redible wealth as it had been a mode of transportation-
There was only one thin! ?an,nah disliked about it1 6e had *alled it the &oranda, after his mother-
She rea*hed forward and pun*hed the *ontrols, marelin! at the smooth takeoff and responsieness
of the yoke as she !uided the ship up and out of "mbria/s atmosphere- .n two day she would be
tou*hin! down on #orus*ant8 no doubt she/d hae to bribe a spa*eport administrator to keep her
arrial off the offi*ial books- The &oranda was still re!istered to 6elton, and her arrial would draw
immediate attention if it was lo!!ed with the proper authorities-
9ortunately it was *ommon pra*ti*e for the nobles of Serenno to make fre3uent uns*heduled,and
unreported,landin!s, een on #orus*ant- The wealthy weren/t bound by the rules of the aera!e
Republi* *iti7en, and portrayin! herself as a serant sent to bribe a port administrator upon landin!
wouldn/t strike anyone as unusual- "rriin! onworld without drawin! undue attention would be the
easy part of her mission- (ainin! a**ess to the "r*hies in the 0edi Temple would be mu*h more
diffi*ult-
Bane was takin! a tremendous !amble in sendin! her there- They had spent the past de*ade hidin!
from the 0edi, and now she was about to enter the ery heart of the order- But she *ouldn/t se*ond,
!uess his de*ision, not when she had been partly responsible- .t was she who had planted the first
seeds of doubt in her )aster/s mind about the orbalisks, and now her s*heme had *ome to fruition-
Bane had de*ided,for her sake and the sake of the Sith,that he had to free himself from the
infestation-
$othin! in 9reedon $add/s ori!inal e+periments indi*ated that the orbalisks *ould be e+tra*ted from
the host, and Bane/s own resear*h into the sub;e*t had failed to un*oer anythin! to the *ontrary-
But the 0edi "r*hies were the !reatest sin!le *olle*tion of assembled knowled!e in the known
!ala+y- .f an answer e+isted, they would find it there-
6er )aster had taken eery pre*aution to keep her true identity hidden while she isited the
"r*hies- Throu!h his network of mysterious informants and shadowy *onta*ts, he had assembled a
list of names and ba*k!round portfolios for irtually eery member of the 0edi %rder- 9rom this list,
he had *hosen one name that suited their purpose1 $alia "dollu-
$alia was a 2adawan of appro+imately ?annah/s a!e under the tutela!e of "nno Wen,#hii, a
famously re*lusie 2yn/!ani 0edi )aster on the %uter Rim world of 2olus- %er the past week
?annah had memori7ed eery detail of her profile and history, alon! with the history of )aster
"nno, so she *ould pass herself off as the youn! woman-
The *oer story was simple1 ?annah would *laim her )aster was studyin! a rare breed of parasiti*
or!anism that lied beneath the i*e,*oered surfa*e of 2olus- 'a!er to *ompare the newly
dis*oered life,form with similar spe*ies from other worlds, but loath to leae the 3uiet of his
homeworld, he had sent his 2adawan to !ather resear*h materials from the 0edi "r*hie-
4et she would need more than a plausible *oer story to maintain her dis!uise when she presented
herself to the *hief librarian and asked for permission to iew the "r*hies- ?annah and $alia were
of the same a!e- They were rou!hly the same hei!ht and shared the same athleti* build- They both
had lon!, flowin! hair,thou!h ?annah had dyed her lo*ks a deep, lustrous bla*k to mat*h those of
the other woman-
.t had been fie years sin*e $alia had last left her )aster/s side on 2olus, so there was little *han*e
of runnin! into anyone who knew her well enou!h to re*o!ni7e ?annah as an imposter- But een if
her appearan*e didn/t !ie her away, there was one final element to *onsider-
Throu!hout her mission, she would be surrounded by serants of the li!ht8 if they sensed the dark
side in her, she would be instantly e+posed- The se*re*y she and Bane had worked so hard to
presere would be destroyed- 'erythin! they had labored for oer the past de*ade, eerythin! they
had a**omplished, would be for nau!ht- She would surely be *aptured, possibly *ondemned to
death, and her )aster would be hunted down and slain-
The only way the plan would work was if she *ould use the power of Sith sor*ery to mask her
stren!th while simultaneously pro;e*tin! an aura of li!ht,side ener!y- .t was a *ompli*ated spell,
one she had neer tried before- .t re3uired a balan*e of stren!th and deli*a*y, and she had pra*ti*ed
it *ontinuously in the weeks leadin! up to her departure- 4et despite her best efforts, there were still
moments when her *on*entration slipped and her true nature showed throu!h-
She ;ust had to hope that, if it happened on #orus*ant, none of the 0edi would be *lose enou!h to
noti*e-
#hapter >G
" *hill wind blew throu!h the forest, droppin! the temperature well below free7in!, but 0ohun was
able to draw upon the 9or*e to warm himself and keep away the worst of the *old-
The 0edi Kni!ht was frustrated- &ittle pro!ress had been made in the *onstru*tion of the monument
on Ruusan oer the past weeks, the pro;e*t the i*tim of a *ampai!n of andalism and sabota!e-
.t had be!un with the destru*tion of the hoersleds, the repulsor *oils eaten away by some type of
to+i* substan*e smeared a*ross their surfa*e- .t had taken four days to arran!e for the shipment and
installation of the repla*ement *oils-
The se*ond in*ident had seen all the heay e3uipment *oated with a thi*k, sti*ky sap that turned out
to be a powerful adhesie- (loes, boots, and other *lothin! of the workers had stu*k fast,
be*omin! permanently atta*hed to any surfa*e they een brushed a!ainst8 lu*kily nobody had made
*onta*t with bare skin- .t had taken hours to find and apply *hemi*al solents stron! enou!h to
break the bond, and two full days to *lean the !ummy residue off the e3uipment-
0ohun had *onsidered postin! some of his *rew as !uards throu!h the ni!ht- But the monument site
was remote8 ea*h mornin! the *rews were flown in by air shuttle- "nyone assi!ned to wat*h oer
the site would be left *ompletely alone, and if the unknown andals were armed, the !uards mi!ht
be in;ured or een killed- That was somethin! the 0edi was not willin! to risk-
9or a few ni!hts after the se*ond in*ident he/d hired a priate se*urity team to patrol the re!ion,
hopin! they *ould *at*h whoeer was responsible- Those ni!hts had passed without in*ident,
howeer, the would,be saboteur likely s*ared away by the show of for*e- But fundin! on the pro;e*t
was limited, and 0ohun was already oer,bud!et be*ause of the preious setba*ks- 5ltimately, he/d
ended the *ontra*t with the se*urity patrols--- and two ni!hts later the andals had stru*k a!ain-
The third in*ident be!an with the *rew arriin! in the mornin! to find that someone had spread
pun!ent pollen around the entire *onstru*tion site- "s the suns rose, a !reat flo*k of tiny birds,tens
of thousands of the s3uawkin!, s*ree*hin! *reatures, des*ended on the site, drawn by the s*ent-
Their numbers blotted out the twin suns as they swooped and died at the *rew, makin! it
impossible to work- 'en after the pollen was !one, the smell lin!ered for two days, drawin! the
birds ba*k ea*h mornin! to put a halt to *onstru*tion-
0ohun had de*ided to take matters into his own hands- Whoeer was behind the mis*hief was
*autious, and a se*urity team mar*hin! the perimeter was too isible to be an effe*tie deterrent- So
for the past three ni!hts, when his *rew boarded the waitin! flier and returned to the *omfort of
their beds, he had remained behind, determined to *at*h the andals in the a*t and brin! them to
;usti*e-
"s a 0edi, he *ould !o seeral days without sleep, instead throwin! himself into li!ht but restful
meditatie tran*es that allowed him to remain aware of his surroundin!s- "nd if the perpetrators
turned out to be armed and een hostile, 0ohun was *onfident he wouldn/t be in any dan!er-
6e was hunkered down behind a *amoufla!e blind hidden in the trees that surrounded the
*onstru*tion site- &o*ated atop a small bluff that oerlooked the site and armed with ni!ht,ision
!o!!les, he had a *lear iew of the entire area- The first two ni!hts had passed without in*ident, and
0ohun had be!un to fear that whoeer was behind the atta*ks must hae known he was there- .f
somethin! didn/t happen toni!ht, he de*ided, he/d hae to try some other *ourse of a*tion-
$early two hours later his patien*e was finally rewarded when, throu!h the !o!!les, he saw a sin!le
fi!ure *reep out from the trees less than a hundred meters from where 0ohun was hidin!- "t its side
was a lon!, thin ob;e*t that *ould hae been a weapon, a walkin! sti*k, or possibly een both-
0ohun s*anned the surroundin! forest, lookin! to see if the person was alone- The only *ompanion
showed up in the ni!ht,ision !o!!les as a small !reen blob, hoerin! in the shelter of the bran*hes-
0ohun re*o!ni7ed it as one of Ruusan/s indi!enous boun*ers, and he felt an inoluntary shudder as
he remembered the terror the spe*ies had inspired in the 0edi after a powerful Sith ritual had
destroyed their forest homes and drien them mad-
.t would make sense if the boun*ers turned out to be behind the andalism- To prote*t his troops,
6oth had, in the last days of the war, !ien standin! orders to shoot the *reatures on si!ht, and
hundreds had died at the hands of the 0edi- Thou!h the suriin! members of the spe*ies had
returned to their pea*eful, healin! ways, it was possible they still bore a !rud!e a!ainst the order for
what had happened- But that still didn/t e+plain the inolement of the humanoid fi!ure makin! its
way slowly toward the *amp-
0ohun broke from his hidin! pla*e- 6e knew the boun*er would flee at his approa*h, laun*hin!
itself on the forest limbs hi!h into the air where he *ouldn/t follow- Short of killin! it,whi*h he
wasn/t about to do,he wouldn/t be able to brin! it down- But the boun*er/s *ompanion would hae to
es*ape on foot, and 0ohun was *onfident he *ould outrun any non,0edi-
6e ra*ed toward his prey and the fi!ure turned its head, alerted by the loud *run*hin! of 0ohun/s
boots in the snow- 0ohun *au!ht enou!h of a !limpse of the fa*e beneath the hood to know he was
*hasin! a youn! man- The man threw down the walkin! sti*k and bolted for the trees, the lon!
robes he wore to prote*t a!ainst the *old flutterin! out behind him-
0ohun had fifty meters of !round to !ain8 with the power of the 9or*e flowin! throu!h his limbs he
had e+pe*ted to make up the distan*e in a matter of se*onds- But his adersary moed with
surprisin! speed, and the 0edi reali7ed that his 3uarry was, at least on some small leel, attuned to
the 9or*e as well-
"*ross open !round 0ohun was still faster, but he was a !ood ten meters behind when the man
rea*hed the forest/s ed!e and plun!ed into the under!rowth- 6e *ut a path that would hae shaken
off almost any pursuit1 weain! and dartin! in and out of the densely pa*ked tree trunksA du*kin!
under sharp bran*hes, and leapin! oer thi*k, protrudin! roots at a breakne*k pa*e- Drawin!
heaily on the 9or*e, howeer, 0ohun was able to mat*h his pro!ress, swattin! away the limbs and
leaes that threatened to sma*k him in the fa*e and nimbly aoidin! the roots that would hae sent
him *rashin! to the !round-
They sprinted throu!h the forest for seeral kilometers, neither able to !ain !round in their *ontest-
The *hase ended when they broke into a small *learin! with a tiny mud hut built in the *enter, and
0ohun reali7ed that his 3uarry, blinded by pani*, had instin*tiely run for home-
The man ra*ed to the door, as if hopin! to es*ape by lo*kin! himself away inside- Then he stopped,
suddenly reali7in! the mistake he had made- With slumpin! shoulders he stood by the door, makin!
no attempt to flee as 0ohun *autiously approa*hed-
=. didn/t think anyone *ould keep up with me throu!h the forest= he said, defeated as he opened the
door to his small hut- =4ou mi!ht as well *ome inside and !et out of the *old-=
The interior was simple but *lean, and ;ust lar!e enou!h for the two men to share the spa*e without
feelin! *ramped- The only furnishin! was a small sleepin! mat in the *orner- (lowin! embers in a
pit at the room/s *enter threw off enou!h heat that 0ohun was able to remoe his thi*k winter robe
and lay it beside him as he sat *ross,le!!ed on the floor-
6is host also shed the heaiest of his !arments, peelin! away multiple layers before kneelin! a*ross
from his uninited !uest- 0ohun !uessed the man was in his early twenties, only a few years
youn!er than the 0edi himself- 6e had dark s*ruffy hair and a lon! s*ra!!ly beard8 there was a
wildness in his eyes- But it was only when 0ohun noti*ed he was missin! his ri!ht hand that he
re*o!ni7ed him as the famed 6ealin! 6ermit of Ruusan-
=Do you know who . am<= 0ohun asked-
=. know you/re a 0edi,= the hermit replied- =That/s why . *ouldn/t shake you-=
=)y name is 0ohun %thone- ./m in *har!e of the pro;e*t to build a monument to those who
sa*rifi*ed their lies here on Ruusan-=
0ohun waited, !iin! the other man a *han*e to respond or reply- But the hermit simply stared at the
!round, his !ood hand restin! in his lap, *laspin! the stump of his ri!ht arm-
=Why did you wre*k our e3uipment at the *onstru*tion site<= 6e half e+pe*ted the hermit to make
some type of denial8 after all, 0ohun hadn/t a*tually *au!ht him in the a*t- But instead he freely
admitted what he had done-
=. wanted to stop you- . fi!ured if . *ost you enou!h time and *redits you would !ie up and !o
ba*k where you *ame from-=
=Why<= 0ohun asked, pu77led at the enom in the hermit/s oi*e- =We don/t want your kind on
Ruusan,= the youn!er man snapped- =4ou hae no ri!ht to be here:=
=. sered with (eneral 6oth in the "rmy of &i!ht= 0ohun answered, tryin! to stay *alm despite the
ri!hteous indi!nation he felt- =. saw my friends die- . saw them sa*rifi*e themseles to sae the
!ala+y from the Sith-=
=. know all about the Sith= the hermit sneered- ="nd the 0edi, too- . saw the war with my own eyes-
. know what happened-
=&ook at what your war did to this world:= he shouted, his oi*e a**usin!- ='ery year the snow
falls, and with ea*h winter more and more animals die from the *old- Ten years after your so,*alled
i*tory, entire spe*ies are still bein! drien to e+tin*tion by what you *aused:=
=. am sorry for the sufferin! this world has endured = 0ohun said- =But the 0edi *annot be held
responsible for eerythin!- The !reatest harm to this planet was done by the Sith-=
=0edi, Sith, you/re all the same= the hermit spat- =4ou were so blinded by your hatred of ea*h other
you *ouldn/t see the *onse3uen*es of what you were doin!- "nd in the end your !eneral mar*hed
down into the under!round *aerns to fa*e Kaan/s followers, knowin! he would unleash the
deastation of the thou!ht bomb on this world-=
=6oth sa*rifi*ed himself so that others *ould be saed,= 0ohun protested-
=The thou!ht bomb was an abomination: 6oth should hae done eerythin! in his power to keep
Kaan from usin! it- .nstead he intentionally for*ed his hand-=
=There was no other *hoi*e= 0ohun answered, defendin! his former )aster/s a*tions- =The
detonation of the thou!ht bomb destroyed the Brotherhood and foreer rid the !ala+y of the Sith-=
The hermit lau!hed loudly- =.s that what you beliee< The Sith are !one<= 6e shook his head and
muttered, =2oor, deluded little 0edi-=
=What do you mean<= 0ohun demanded- 6e felt an i*y fist *losin! around his !uts- =4ou don/t
beliee the Sith were wiped out<=
=. know they weren/t wiped out,= the hermit answered- =%ne of the Dark &ords suried, and he
took my *ousin as his apprenti*e-=
0ohun/s head snapped ba*k as if he/d been slapped- =4our *ousin<=
.t sounded *ra7y, *ompletely implausible- But the hermit, despite his wild eyes, didn/t strike 0ohun
as mad-
=6ow do you know this<=
="fter the thou!ht bomb e+ploded, . went down into the tunnels to see what was left,= the hermit
whispered, his e+pression !rim as he dred!ed up dark memories from his past- =. saw them there,
my *ousin and &ord Bane-= 6e held his stump up before his fa*e- =They !ae me this-=
0ohun/s mind was reelin!- 6e remembered the mer*enaries he/d en*ountered in the aftermath of the
battle, and their tales of a Sith )aster who had brutally slain their *ompanions- Thou!h he/d later
re*anted his position and dismissed their a**ount in the fa*e of 9ar,falla/s irrefutable lo!i*, part of
him had always *lun! to the belief that their story was true-
With no eiden*e and no leads, he had abandoned his efforts to proe that a Sith )aster had
es*aped Ruusan alie- $ow, inside the walls of a tiny mud hut, he had stumbled a*ross the proof
that had eluded him a de*ade a!o-
=4ou saw a Sith named &ord Bane<= 0ohun pressed ea!erly, lookin! for !reater *onfirmation- =6ow
do you know it was him<=
=9or a time . was part of Kaan/s army,= the hermit whispered softly- =We all knew who Bane was-=
=This --- this is unbelieable:= 0ohun stammered, all thou!hts of the monument and the andalism
that had led him to the hermit !one from his mind- =We hae to tell the 0edi #oun*il: We need to !o
to #orus*ant as soon as possible:=
=$o-=
The refusal was deliered with su*h simple finality, it stopped 0ohun *old- =But--- the Sith are still
out there- The #oun*il must be warned-=
The hermit shru!!ed- =So warn them- )y pla*e is here on Ruusan-=
=They won/t beliee me,= 0ohun admitted- =They/ll want to 3uestion you themseles-=
=./e seen what happens when the 0edi and Sith !o to war- . won/t be part of it a!ain- . won/t !o to
#orus*ant-=
=4ou were andali7in! Republi* property= 0ohun reminded him- =. *ould arrest you and brin! you
there to fa*e *har!es-=
The hermit lau!hed a!ain- ="nd then what, 0edi< Torture me until . *onfess what . saw< 5se your
powers to twist my mind and make me say the words you want to hear< ./m sure the #oun*il will
beliee you then-=
0ohun frowned- The hermit was ri!ht8 the only way the #oun*il would beliee him was if his
testimony was freely !ien-
=Don/t you see what/s at stake<= 0ohun said, *han!in! ta*ti*s- =4ou saw what happens when the Sith
raise an army and !o to war- .f you *ome with me now, the #oun*il will listen to your warnin!- We
*an seek out this &ord Bane and stop him before he has a *han*e to lure others to his *ause-=
"s he spoke he rea*hed out to tou*h the hermit/s mind with the 9or*e- 6e didn/t *ompel him to
a!ree to the re3uest8 that wouldn/t sere his purpose here- 9or*e persuasion was a temporary
measure, and by the time they !ot ba*k to #orus*ant, the effe*ts would hae worn off and the
hermit would know he had been manipulated, makin! him een more intra*table- .nstead 0ohun
simply tried to make the man more willin! to listen to reason, *astin! a eil of *alm and tran3uillity
oer his thou!hts- 6e !ently swept the other man/s bitterness and resentment to the side, allowin!
him to wei!h the lo!i* of his ar!uments un*louded by passion and emotion-
=Bane has !one into hidin!,= he *ontinued- =.f we do not find him, he will reeal himself only when
he has rebuilt the armies of the Sith, and the !ala+y will be plun!ed on*e a!ain into war- But if you
*ome with me now, we *an *onin*e the #oun*il to seek him out- 6elp me stop him, and we will
preent another war-=
The hermit stared at him for a lon! time before finally noddin! his a!reement- =.f it means stoppin!
another war, . will !o with you to #orus*ant-=
D D D
The *hief librarian of the 0edi "r*hies was a enerable #erean named )aster Barra,Rona,Ban-
=Wel*ome to #orus*ant, 2adawan $alia,= he said, risin! from his seat to !reet ?annah with a smile
as she entered his room- =6ow was your trip from 2olus<=
)aster Barra/s priate 3uarters looked mu*h as she had e+pe*ted1 a !reat number of ;ournals,
handwritten notes and data*ards *oered his small desk, or!ani7ed into neat little piles- There was
also a small iews*reen and a terminal that she suspe*ted was linked to the main inde+ *atalo! of
the "r*hies, allowin! )aster Barra to referen*e it at will-
=The ;ourney was lon! but uneentful,= she replied-
6er oi*e was *alm and rela+ed, thou!h inside her heart was poundin!- The illusion she pro;e*ted
of bein! an apprenti*e of the li!ht side had sered her well so far, but now she was fa*e,to,fa*e with
a 0edi )aster- .f she made een the sli!htest mistake, all was lost,
=.t was !ood to !et away from the *old,= she added- $alia, unlike her )aster, had not been born on
2olus1 She had ori!inally *ome from the tropi*al re!ions of #orsin-
The #erean lau!hed, *reasin! up the wrinkles on his tall, *one,shaped forehead- =)aster "nno
would disa!ree with you, . suspe*t-=
She replied with a !entle lau!h of her own- =)y )aster sends his re!ards,= she said, re*allin! from
the profile that "nno and Barra had briefly studied to!ether at the "*ademy here on #orus*ant- =Do
you hae any plans to isit him on 2olus in the near future<=
=./m afraid su*h a ;ourney would be impossible,= he replied with a si!h, =The "r*hies re3uire my
*onstant attention-=
=)aster "nno warned me you would say that,= she said, smilin!- =6e told me you would use any
e+*use to aoid eer isitin! 2olus a!ain-=
=$ot eeryone takes to the i*e and snow with the ardor of the
2yn/!ani,= the #erean admitted with a sly twinkle in his eye-
The e+*han!e of pleasantries *on*luded, he returned to his seat and pun*hed a key on his terminal,
brin!in! up a lar!e blo*k of te+t on the s*reen-
=. hae reiewed your re3uest to a**ess the "r*hies,= he told her,
=and . beliee we *an a**ommodate you-=
6e tapped the terminal a!ain and inserted a data*ard- The terminal hummed as en*rypted data was
loaded onto it-
=The "r*hies are aailable at all hours, day or ni!ht,= he informed her- =4ou will hae *learan*e to
a**ess the !eneral *olle*tion, but please remember that the *ontents of the analysis rooms and the
*hamber of 0edi 6olo*rons are restri*ted-=
=. don/t think they/ll be ne*essary for my resear*h,= she assured him- =)aster "nno was ery
spe*ifi* in what he wanted me to look for-=
The data*ard popped out of the terminal, the information download *omplete, and )aster Barra
handed it to ?annah-
=.nsert this into any of the *atalo! terminals in the "r*hies wheneer you wish to lo! in and look
somethin! up- %ri!inal works may not be remoed from the premises, but you are free to *opy any
materials you find onto this disk for your personal use or *olle*tion-
=./e taken the liberty of preloadin! your disk with some seminal works that may be of interest to
your resear*h,= he added, smilin! at her on*e a!ain-
=Thank you, )aster Barra,= ?annah said with a bow-
=6ow lon! do you e+pe*t to remain here on #orus*ant<= he asked-
=" few days at most,= she answered- She doubted she *ould maintain the illusion that shielded her
dark side powers from dete*tion any lon!er than that- =)aster "nno is an+ious to *ontinue his
resear*h- 6e wants me to return as soon as . hae the information he needs-=
The #erean nodded in understandin!- =%f *ourse- But while you are here, . hope you won/t spend
all your time studyin! parasites and symbionts- 4ou hae a rare opportunity to e+plore all the
knowled!e and wonders of the !ala+y, and . hope you will take adanta!e of it-=
=. will try, )aster Barra,= ?annah promised, thou!h she had no intention of stayin! a se*ond lon!er
than was ne*essary-
=(ood lu*k with your resear*h, 2adawan $alia,= the librarian said, dismissin! her-
With another bow, ?annah turned and left his room, more *onfident in her mission than eer- .f she
*ould fool )aster Barra, *hief librarian of the 0edi "r*hies, into beliein! she was $alia "dollu,
she knew she *ould fool anyone-
#hapter >H
The )ysti* dropped out of hyperspa*e with a ;olt- Throu!h the *o*kpit iewport a lar!e planet
loomed only a few thousand kilometers away, its surfa*e *on*ealed beneath a thi*k mass of rollin!
!ray *louds- Bane *he*ked the na *omputer, *onfirmin! ia the *oordinates that he had arried at
Tython-
&ike all planets in the Deep #ore, Tython was a world shrouded in mystery and le!end- Some
a**ounts held that the 0edi had isited this world durin! the era of the (reat 6unt, three thousand
years a!o, to *leanse it of the fearsome terentateks, monstrous *reatures that fed on the lifeblood of
those sensitie to the 9or*e-
)u*h older le!ends identified Tython as the ori!inal birthpla*e of the 0edi %rder oer twenty,fie
thousand years before- "**ordin! to the tale, priests and philosophers of the world had the ability to
draw upon a mysti*al ener!y they *alled "shla8 a power that represented all *ompassion and mer*y
in the unierse- They were opposed by a rial !roup that drew their stren!th from Bo!a, the
manifestation of raw passion and pure un*ontrolled emotion-
The stories said that a !reat war ensued between the two !roups, with the worshipers of "shla
emer!in! i*torious- The first 0edi Kni!hts supposedly had eoled from the suriors of the war,
*reatin! the first 6!htsabers in their initiation *eremonies- )any years later, the le!end *ontinued,
some of these 0edi left Tython and braed the unstable hyperspa*e routes to share their beliefs with
worlds beyond the Deep #ore- "nd as they met and min!led with other *iili7ations, "shla and
Bo!a be*ame more *ommonly know as the li!ht and dark sides of the 9or*e,
Bane didn/t know if the le!end was true, but een if it was, it merely proed the superiority of the
dark side and its ineitable *on3uest of the li!ht- 9or thou!h the followers of "shla had supposedly
defeated the followers of Bo!a, the dark side had preailed in the end- Tython, reered by many as
the birthpla*e of the 0edi %rder itself, was now a bastion of dark side power, and the lo*ation of
Bella Dar7u/s hidden fortress-
Bane knew it was possible that other people still lied on Tython1 des*endants of the early 0edi who
had suried for eons in the isolation of the Deep #ore- But he had no interest in seekin! them out,
een if they e+isted- "rmed with the information from 6elton/s data*ard, he was headin! strai!ht
for Bella/s stron!hold-
2ushin! forward on the yoke, he sent the )ysti* plun!in! down into the atmosphere of the *loud,
*oered world- Breakin! throu!h the mist, he saw that the surfa*e below was the *olor of ash8
barren fields stret*hed endlessly beneath an unbroken mantle of !ray and sunless sky-
6e brou!ht his ship in low, only a few hundred meters aboe the !round, as he ra*ed toward the
only feature isible on the hori7on1 a massie, two,towered *itadel *onstru*ted entirely of bla*k
durasteel-
The buildin! was s3uare and measured >EJ meters on ea*h side- The e+terior walls rose up thirty
meters aboe the !round, and the only entran*e appeared to be a massie, twenty,meter,wide !ate
on the fa*e of the front wall- The towers stood on either side of the front wall, risin! up another ten
meters from the *orners-
"s he *losed to within a few hundred meters, a barra!e of ion *annon fire erupted from the towers-
Bane pulled hard on the sti*k, bankin! the )ysti* ninety de!rees to starboard, narrowly aoidin!
the une+pe*ted atta*k- '+*ept for her te*hnobeasts, Belia/s stron!hold was supposed to be empty-
6e *ir*led and brou!ht his ship in a!ain, settin! the tar!etin! systems to lo*k on to the first of the
two towers- The ion *annons roared a!ain, and Bane barrel,rolled out of the line of fire as he
opened up with the )ysti*/s lasers, redu*in! one of the towers to a heap of molten sla! as he flew
by-
The )ysti*/s sensors had dete*ted no life,forms present durin! his pass, su!!estin! that the ion
*annons were likely part of an automated defense system still a*tie after almost three *enturies-
This theory was *onfirmed twenty se*onds later when Bane used the e+a*t same barrel,roll
maneuer on his ne+t atta*k run to eliminate the se*ond tower8 automated defenses were nothin! if
not predi*table-
6e *ir*led the *itadel twi*e more, makin! a sensor and isual s*an to *onfirm that there were no
other threats before brin!in! his ship down to land on the barren !round a short distan*e from the
stron!hold/s entran*e-
Drawin! his li!htsaber, he leapt from the *o*kpit and moed *arefully forward until he stood before
the bla*k !ate- .t loomed aboe him, a !iant blast door without handles, hin!es, or a isible *ontrol
panel- (atherin! his power, he pla*ed his left palm a!ainst the surfa*e- The !ate e+ploded, rupturin!
inward with a sharp ban! that reerberated down the lon!, dark hallway leadin! into the fortress-
Bane stepped forward, wary and wat*hin! for any tri*k or trap that mi!ht await him- 6e *ould feel
the power of the dark side in this pla*e, but he dete*ted no immediate threats to his person, and he
pro*eeded *autiously-
5sin! !low rods to li!ht his way, he e+plored the stron!hold room by room, stirrin! up dust that had
lain undisturbed for *enturies- .t was primarily a military base, the ma;ority of the spa*e taken up
with the barra*ks and mess halls ne*essary to house and proide for an army of followers- But the
rooms were deserted- $ot een the ermin and inse*ts one would e+pe*t in an abandoned buildin!
prowled the halls, thou!h whether they were kept at bay by the dark side ener!y permeatin! the air
or by some unknown means he *ouldn/t say-
"s he moed deeper into the fortress, he be!an to *ome a*ross Bella/s al*hemy labs- Sealed beakers
filled with stran!e,*olored li3uids rested atop lon! metal tables- 'mpty ats *onne*ted by *oiled
!lass pipin! used to distill or separate mi+tures lined the walls- .n one room the hearts and brains of
a do7en different spe*ies floated in spe*imen bottles, presered foreer in *lear embalmin! fluid-
"nother lab *ontained notes and sket*hes tra*kin! Bella/s efforts to transform liin! *reatures into
or!ani*,droid hybrids-
Bane paused at these, !lan*in! throu!h them briefly before *ontinuin! on his way- 6e was unable to
make sense of the *rypti* s*rawl8 he needed to find Bella/s ar*hies,and hopefully the 6olo,*ron
where she had stored all her knowled!e,if he was to *omprehend her e+periments-
$ear the ba*k of the buildin! he *ame upon a narrow set of stairs leadin! down to the under!round
leels- %ne thin! 6elton/s resear*h had not proided was a map of the stron!hold/s interior, but he
*ould feel the power emanatin! from beneath him- There was little doubt that the sour*e of the dark
side ener!ies han!in! like smoke in the air of eery room and hallway of the fortress was lo*ated at
the bottom of the steps- .t was here, Bane knew, that he would find Bella/s inner san*tum-
6e *rept down the stairs- "t the bottom was another lon!, narrow hall, and at the end of this
*orridor was a small, ar*hai* wooden door- " slier of pale fluores*ent li!ht shone out from
beneath- 5nlike the floor aboe, Bane reali7ed, !enerators were still proidin! power to the room
beyond,another si!n that it was of *riti*al importan*e-
Bane approa*hed the door, pausin! at the threshold- 6e was unable to !et any sense of what awaited
him on the other side8 his 9or*e awareness was oerwhelmed by a !reat *on*entration of dark side
power- Takin! a deep breath, he !ently pushed open the door and stared in fas*inated horror-
The *hamber beyond was enormous, at least fifty meters lon! and easily twenty wide- Standin!
alone in the *enter was a pedestal, atop of whi*h rested a small, familiar four,sided pyramid1 the
6olo*ron of Bella Dar7u- 4et this was not what had !rabbed Bane/s attention- The rest of the room
had been *ompletely oerrun by an army of te*hno,beasts-
They seemed to hae *ome from all manner of spe*ies1 a mena!erie of humanoids and beasts from
eery *orner of the !ala+y that had fallen i*tim to Bella/s te*hnoirus- %n*e a mutated
*ombination of flesh and te*hnolo!y, most of the te*hnobeasts/ liin! tissue had lon! sin*e rotted
and fallen away- What remained were desi**ated strands of skin and sinew *lin!in! to bone,
supported and held to!ether by rods, wires, and twisted s*raps of metal-
The arms and hands of those *reatures that had walked on two le!s in life had been transformed into
flat, ;a!!ed blades e+tendin! from their elbows- The lar!er *reatures,like the te*hnobeast bantha he
saw a*ross the room, or the ran*or near the pedestal in the *enter,had be*ome ma*hines of war, with
blaster *annons fused to their shoulders and their hides repla*ed with spiked, plated armor-
9rom 6elton/s resear*h, Bane knew that the te*hnoirus atta*ked the frontal lobes of the brain,
redu*in! its i*tims to mindless automata in*apable of hi!her thou!ht fun*tions,a !rim fate for any
sentient bein!- The *reatures in the room were in an een worse state- %er the *enturies what
remained of their brains had been kept alie by the nano!enes of the te*hnoirus, but the ineitable
lon!,term de!radation had impaired their motor skills and redu*ed them to shells of shamblin!,
mummified metal-
Bane !uessed that the army assembled in the *hamber must on*e hae roamed the halls and rooms
of the stron!hold, !uardin! it a!ainst atta*k and serin! the needs of their mistress- With Bella/s
death,poisoned by the assassins of the )e*rosa %rder when her allian*e with them fell apart,they
had been left to wander mindlessly, without any purpose or dire*tion- %er the de*ades they/d been
slowly drawn to this *hamber by the dark side ener!ies radiatin! from the 6olo*ron, the last
suriin! remnant of their mistress, *allin! them to her side- Drien only by simple, primal instin*t,
they had been helpless but to obey until, one by one, the entire bulk of her te*hnobeast army had
assembled in this sin!le *hamber-
"n eerie silen*e hun! oer the s*ene8 the o*al *ords of the unfortunate *reatures had disinte!rated
hundreds of years earlier- The only sound was the faint whirrin! of me*hani7ed ;oints and the rusty
s*rapin! of metal a*ross the stone floor as they milled about in slow *onfusion- %**asionally they
would bump one another with a hollow *lank, their moements awkward and *lumsy as they ;ostled
for position to moe eer *loser to the 6olo*ron in the *enter of the room- But thou!h they were
*learly drawn to it, none dared to *ome within three meters of its pedestal- .nstead they *on!re!ated
in a loose, s*ufflin! *ir*le, an army of the liin! dead awaitin! orders that would neer *ome-
Bane stepped into the room, li!htsaber drawn- The te*hnobeasts i!nored his presen*e, their attention
fo*used only on the 6olo*ron-
6e made his way slowly throu!h their le!ions, tryin! to estimate their number as he ed!ed eer
*loser to the *enter of the room- 9ifty< " hundred< .t was impossible to *ount8 their bodies of rusted
metal and mummified flesh all seemed to blend to!ether into a sin!le !hastly mass-
Rea*hin! the pedestal at the heart of their numbers, he paused, un*ertain what would happen when
he rea*hed out to *laim the 6olo*ron as his own- Would the *reatures bow down before him as their
new )aster, or would they fall upon him in sin!le,minded fury to prote*t the idol they worshiped<
There was only one way to find out-
"s his fin!ers *losed oer the 6olo*ron he heard a noise that *aused him to pull his hand ba*k with
a start- .t sounded like the moan of a lon!,dead !od risin! from the !rae8 a hundred me*hani7ed
limbs spran! to a*tion with an an!ry hum as the monsters swarmed oer him-
Bane thrust out with the 9or*e, and a do7en of the on*omin! *reatures e+ploded into dust and tiny
fle*ks of small, twisted metal- But the others sur!ed forward like a wae, driin! him under- Their
feet stomped and ki*ked at him8 their bladed arms slashed at him as he lay prone on the floor- But
none of their atta*ks *ould pier*e the *hitinous shells of his orbalisk armor-
9rom his ba*k, Bane slashed indis*riminately with his li!htsaber, hewin! off limbs with eery
swipe- There were no s*reams of pain or !outs of blood,the bodies of his enemies had been
e+san!uinated when their flesh had *rumbled away *enturies before- The only sounds of battle were
the Dark &ord/s own !runts of e+ertion, the *latter of metal fallin! to the stone floor, and the
o**asional small shower of sparks-
'en in their ra!e, the *reatures were slow and *umbersome- Bane/s i*ious strokes 3ui*kly *leared
enou!h spa*e for him to find his feet a!ain- 6e rose to see the wall of *reatures pressin! in on him,
and he unleashed a wae of li!htnin! throu!h their ranks- The bolts ar*ed throu!h the mostly metal
bodies8 the nanote*hnolo!y that animated their frames and !ae them life smoked and smoldered,
and a do7en more of his opponents toppled oer neer to rise a!ain-
" heay blow suddenly stru*k Bane in the ba*k, the metal ran*or sendin! him flyin! with a swipe
of one massie, *lub,like *law- 6e slammed fa*e,first into what mi!ht on*e hae been a human, and
the te*hnobeast opened its mouth and released a *loud of tiny metal spores dire*tly into his fa*e-
Bane breathed them in een as he *ut the *reature down, *hoppin! it dia!onally *lean throu!h from
shoulder to hip- 6e *ould feel the te*hnoirus inside him, its nano!ene spores burrowin! up to his
brain to eat away his frontal lobes and be!in the pro*ess of transformin! him into an abomination
that was neither droid nor alie-
Before he *ould rea*h out with the 9or*e to sae himself, he felt a sur!e of heat in his blood as the
orbalisks released a burnin! *hemi*al to destroy the mi*ros*opi* inaders- 6is skull felt as if it were
on fire as his heart pumped the searin! *hemi*al throu!h his *arotid artery and up into the
*apillaries of his brain, but he *ould feel the nano!enes wither and die in the heat almost instantly-
5sin! the pain in his head to fuel his ra!e, Bane spun and leapt at the ran*or, sli*in! both its metal
le!s out from under it- The laser *annons on the *reature/s shoulders tried to fire at him, but in the
more than two hundred years sin*e its *reation the power *ells had lost their *har!e and the only
result was a barely audible *li*k- The torso fell to the floor, but the *laws still *lut*hed for him8
Bane had to leap ba*k out of the way before lun!in! forward to seer the arms at the shoulders-
That enemy an3uished, he used the 9or*e to disinte!rate two more adan*in! te*hnobeasts, then
felt somethin! bump a!ainst his foot- 6e !lan*ed down to see that the ran*or/s ;aws had *lamped
shut on his boot8 it was tryin! to !naw off his le!- %n*e a!ain his orbalisk armor prote*ted him from
harm, and Bane sli*ed the ran*or/s head from its body, relieed to see it finally !o still-
There were still do7ens upon do7ens of the abominations in the *hamber, *losin! in on him from all
sides- Bane now reali7ed that they *ouldn/t possibly harm him, but he also knew the te*hnobeasts
would not stop until he had redu*ed ea*h one to pie*es-
The slau!hter lasted oer an hour- 6e used his li!htsaber to repeatedly dismember his enemies,
*onserin! his 9or*e abilities to stae off e+haustion in arms, le!s, shoulders, and ba*k- Three times
durin! the one,sided melee he allowed himself to lose fo*us, his martial instin*ts thrown out of syn*
by the unnerin! silen*e of his enemies as they were but*hered- 'a*h time his attention lapsed he
was kno*ked to the !round by the blows of one of the lumberin! *reatures that !ot *lose enou!h to
make *onta*t and for*ed to battle his way ba*k to his feet- Two other times durin! the battle he felt
the burnin! in his brain as the orbalisks pur!ed his system of yet another *loud of nano!ene spores
he had unknowin!ly inhaled-
By the time it was done eery mus*le in his body a*hed from hewin! throu!h hundreds of *ubi*
meters of metal, brin!in! ba*k memories of the lon! shifts he had endured in the mines of "patros
as a youn! man- 9rom wall to wall the room was littered with the limbs, torsos, and heads of the
te*hnobeasts, the *arna!e made bearable only by the fa*t that there was no !ore-
Ki*kin! aside the remains with weary le!s, Darth Bane slowly *leared a path ba*k to the *enter of
the room- 6e e+tin!uished his li!htsaber and hun! it from his belt, then sta!!ered forward, !raspin!
the ed!es of the pedestal to keep from *ollapsin! as his thi!hs and *ales simultaneously *ramped-
(rittin! his teeth, he leaned heaily on the pedestal to take the wei!ht off the lo*ked,up mus*les-
Breathin! deeply, he *alled upon what remained of his 9or*e abilities to replenish his stren!th- "fter
seeral minutes the spasms be!an to fade, and he was able to stand !in!erly on*e more-
6is body and will were e+hausted8 the smart thin! would be to rest before attemptin! to use the
6olo*ron- But he had *ome too far, and endured too mu*h, to be put off any lon!er-
Still *lut*hin! the pedestal for support with both hands, the Sith )aster stared at the talisman,
fo*usin! his will on brin!in! it to life- Slowly it be!an to pulse with a faint inner li!ht of deep, dark
iolet, and Bane smiled-
Soon, all the se*rets of Belia Dar7u would be his-
#hapter >I
=. thou!ht you had put this madness behind you, 0ohun,= 9arfalla said with a disappointed shake of
his head-
=.t s not madness= 0ohun insisted- =6e was there, )aster- 6e saw it with his own eyes:=
9arfalla si!hed and !ot up from his seat and be!an to pa*e, makin! small ti!ht *ir*les oer the
*arpet of his priate 3uarters- 0ohun remained in his seat, fo*usin! on stayin! *alm and lettin! his
ar!uments be !uided by lo!i* and reason-
=6ow did 6oth deal with your headstron! ways<= Valenthyne asked, stoppin! to throw up his hands
in e+asperation-
=4our personalities are 3uite different,= 0ohun remarked- =6oth often a**used me of bein! too
passie-=
9arfalla shook his head a!ain and returned to his seat-
="re you *ertain this witness is reliable<= he asked, alludin! to the mer*enaries 0ohun had wanted
to brin! forward ten years before-
0ohun nodded- ="ll the details of his story *he*k out- 6e *alls himself Daroit now, but ba*k then
he was known as Tom*at- Re*ords *onfirm he was re*ruited on Somo Rit by Torr Snapit, and he
*ame with his *ousins to ;oin the "rmy of &i!ht=
="nd one of these *ousins is the !irl he *laims took his hand<=
=" !irl ten years a!o,= 0ohun noted- =She/d be a woman now- The *ousin/s name was Rain- She was
lost in an atta*k by the Sith shortly after they landed on Ruusan- She was missin! and presumed
dead, but she must hae been found by the this &ord Bane and taken as his apprenti*e-=
=./e heard that name before= 9arfalla admitted, leanin! ba*k in his *hair- =.t was mentioned in
some of the statements !ien by Sith minions we took as prisoners- .f . remember *orre*tly, he was
one of the last of the Sith to ;oin the Brotherhood-=
0ohun nodded- =Daroit said the same thin!- 6e said Bane was always relu*tant to follow Kaan- .f
he refused to ;oin the rest of the Brotherhood in the *ae, that would e+plain how he suried the
thou!ht bomb:=
=.t/s possible,= 9arfalla admitted- =But how did Daroit re*o!ni7e Bane<=
=6e defe*ted to the Sith near the end of the war-= 9arfalla threw his hands up a!ain- =" defe*tor,
0ohun< " traitor to the 0edi< The #oun*il will neer beliee this:=
=That is what makes his story een more belieable,= 0ohun *ountered- =.f he was lyin! he *ould
easily hae found some reason to e+plain how he re*o!ni7ed &ord Bane- But he has freely admitted
his *rime to me be*ause he has de*ided the time has *ome to speak the truth-=
="nd why is that<= 9arfalla wanted to know- =4our report said he has lied as a healer on Ruusan
for the past de*ade- Why did he suddenly de*ide to *ome forward now<=
=When . spoke with him on Ruusan . *onin*ed him of the dan!ers the Sith represent- 6e wants to
stop Bane before another war be!ins-=
9arfalla raised an eyebrow- =4ou *onin*ed him< "fter a de*ade of silen*e, one meetin! with you
and he is ready to *ome forward< 6ow, e+a*tly, did you a*hiee that<=
=. didn/t use the 9or*e to do it= 0ohun protested- =$ot e+a*tly- . didn/t use the 9or*e to *ompel him- .
;ust made him more willin! to listen to me-=
=4ou are makin! this ery diffi*ult for me,= Valenthyne said, rea*hin! up with one hand to rub at
his temple-
=. only ask that you speak with him yourself, )aster,= 0ohun implored- =6ear what he has to say-
&isten to him, and then de*ide if you will brin! him before the #oun*il-=
=Very well, 0ohun,= 9arfalla said, noddin!- =. will meet with him- Where is he now<=
=6e wanted to learn more about the healin! arts of our %rder,= 0ohun e+plained- =)aster Barra !ae
him a**ess to the "r*hies-=
Valenthyne slapped his hands on his thi!hs and rose to his feet- =Then . su!!est we !o find him
before . *ome to my senses-=
D D D
The !eneral *olle*tion of the 0edi "r*hies was arran!ed in four lon! halls built off a massie
*entral rotunda- 'a*h hall *ontained a wide primary aisle, with hundreds of smaller se*ondary aisles
leadin! off either side- &inin! the walls of the se*ondary aisles were the sta*ks1 trillions of datatapes
and data*ards arran!ed under millions of *ate!ories, topi*s, and subtopi*s- "**ess to the disks of a
parti*ular hall *ould be !ained ia any of the terminals built alon! the *enter of its main aisle- 'a*h
terminal was e3uipped with a master inde+ to help those seekin! knowled!e on a parti*ular sub;e*t
to find the proper hall, but to make thin!s easier ea*h hall also represented a spe*ifi*, thou!h ery
broad, bran*h of knowled!e-
The first hall, the one all isitors passed throu!h when they entered the "r*hies from the 0edi
Temple, *ontained works of philosophy and histori*al re*ords- .n*luded in its sta*ks were the
personal ;ournals of 0edi, politi*al leaders, and indiiduals of histori*al si!nifi*an*e- Basi* treatises
e+aminin! the 9or*e were also filed in this se*tion, thou!h 2adawans were restri*ted from a**essin!
many of these works lest they misinterpret the knowled!e and be*ome *orrupted-
The se*ond hall *ontained works dedi*ated to the mathemati*al and en!ineerin! s*ien*es, in*ludin!
theories of spa*e,time and hy,perdrie *onstru*tion, floor plans of offi*ial !oernment buildin!s,
and detailed desi!n blueprints of eery ehi*le, weapon, or !ad!et eer made- The third fo*used on
the !eo!raphy and *ulture of the millions of known planets in the !ala+y- )aps, both planetary and
interstellar, as well as detailed des*riptions of eery re*orded *iili7ation, past and present
dominated the sta*ks of the third hall-
6oweer, it was the fourth hall where ?annah,still in the !uise of $alia,was headed- The fourth hall
*ontained 7oolo!i*al data and resear*h on irtually all known life,forms of the !ala+y- This was her
third day in the ar*hies, and she had yet to find what she was lookin! for- The preloaded works on
the data*ard !ien to her by the *hief librarian had helped to narrow her sear*h, but lo*atin! a
spe*ifi* pie*e of information in an infinite o*ean of knowled!e was no simple task-
6ad she !one ba*k to )aster Barra, or approa*hed any of the analysis droids roamin! the "r*hies,
and asked for information on orbalisks rather than the more !eneral topi* of parasiti* or!anisms, she
mi!ht hae made 3ui*ker pro!ress- But, this would hae *onfli*ted with her *oer story and raised
unwanted 3uestions- So ?annah had been for*ed to seek out the information usin! only the skills
she had deeloped while studyin! arious works durin! her apprenti*eship under Darth Bane-
6er efforts had 3ui*kly brou!ht to li!ht seeral thousand arti*les and e+periments that made at least
some referen*e to orbalisks, but she had yet to find any mention of how to remoe them without
killin! the host- She knew she was runnin! out of time, but as she made her way down the first hall
toward the rotunda, she was determined to find what she had *ome for-
There were always a number of other s*holars in the "r*hies, but the primary aisles of ea*h hall
were wide, and the sta*ks were so numerous and deep that ?annah neer felt *rowded- This allowed
her to work without fear of anyone a**identally dis*oerin! what she was inesti!atin!- 6oweer,
she still felt a flash of apprehension wheneer another of the "r*hie patrons passed her by, always
worried that her pro;e*ted aura of li!ht,side power would falter-
She nodded at one of the analysis droids as she entered the *entral rotunda and turned to her ri!ht,
headin! for the fourth hall- She passed by the bron7ium busts honorin! powerful and memorable
members from the %rder/s history- She paused as she often did in front of the busts of the &ost1 the
only twele indiiduals who had willin!ly set aside the ows they had sworn upon be*omin! 0edi
Kni!hts and *hosen to leae the %rder-
The &ost sered as a reminder to the 0edi that, despite their wisdom and talents in the 9or*e, they
were not infallible- The 0edi iewed ea*h of the &ost as a failure of their %rder, not as a failure of
the indiidual- " pla3ue on ea*h bust re*ounted the indiidual/s history of seri*e, praisin! what he
or she had a*hieed and *ontributed before departin! from the 0edi ranks- #uriously, thou!h, none
of the pla3ues offered a reason for leain!-
?annah shook her head and *ontinued- "s a Sith, she *ouldn/t ima!ine any reason to honor someone
who abandoned her *ause--- thou!h with only one )aster and one apprenti*e, the Sith had been
transformed into somethin! ery different from the 0edi %rder and its ast numbers-
She made her way down the fourth hall, headin! for the pria*y of the last iewin! terminal in the
*entral aisle- She inserted the personal data*ard )aster Barra had !ien her to !ain a**ess to the
"r*hie *atalo!s, and then resumed her sear*h where she had left off the day before-
(atherin! a list of inde+ numbers, she typed in a pass*ode to lo*k her terminal from other users,
then wandered off into the sta*ks to retriee the half a do7en data*ards she wanted to study in
further detail- By ne*essity the data*ards in the "r*hies were nearly twi*e the si7e of her personal
data*ard8 ea*h one *ontained the full te+t of hundreds,if not thousands,of different titles-
9or fie lon! hours she *ontinued her resear*h without a break- Time and time a!ain she brou!ht
data*ards ba*k to the terminal and s*oured their *ontents, only to find that they offered nothin! new-
9rustrated, she would e;e*t the *ards and *ompile a new list of possible sour*es, then return to the
sta*ks to swit*h the old data*ards for those promisin! better results-
.t was the rumblin! in her stoma*h that told her it was time to take a break- .f she be*ame
distra*ted,too tired or too hun!ry,her spell mi!ht falter, e+posin! ?annah/s true nature to those
around her- .t had happened on*e before, on the first day when she pushed herself too hard and
worked lon! into the ni!ht- .t had lasted only an instant, a momentary lapse, but that *ould hae
been enou!h to doom her- 9ortunately, at that late hour the "r*hies had been mostly deserted, and
nobody had been *lose enou!h to noti*e the Sith in their midst- Sin*e then, howeer, ?annah had
been mu*h more *areful-
There was one last data*ard to *he*k8 then she would head down to the *afeteria and return on*e she
had sated her hun!er- She popped it into the terminal and 3ui*kly s*anned the *ontents- When she
found what she was lookin! for, she tapped a key8 a blo*k of te+t from an a*ademi* paper popped
up onto the s*reen-
"$ 'N").$"T.%$ "$D 'N2&%R"T.%$ %9 " )%ST D"$('R%5S "$D R'S.&.'$T
%R("$.S) by Dr- %saf 6amud
=.n my years of study . hae en*ountered a number of life,forms that subsist primarily throu!h
symbioti* relationships established with other spe*ies- Some of these relationships are
*ommensalist, in whi*h neither spe*ies is si!nifi*antly affe*ted by the presen*e of the other- %thers
are mutualisti*, enablin! both spe*ies to benefit from their shared e+isten*e- "nd still others are
parasiti*, in whi*h the host or!anism suffers while the symbiont thries-
%f *ourse, to properly *lassify any symbioti* relationship into one of these three *ate!ories, we
must first e+pli*itly define the meanin! of words su*h as harmful or benefi*ial, a task that many
hae re!arded as---=
?annah blinked twi*e to *lear away the stupor settlin! in- The "r*hies/ !eneral *olle*tion in*luded
eerythin! from e+plorer/s ;ournals that were as e+*itin! to browse as any well,written pie*e of
fi*tion, to a*ademi* papers so dry and borin! they would test the limits of a 0edi )aster/s patien*e-
"pparently the works of Dr- %saf 6amud fell into the latter *ate!ory-
9or a brief instant she *onsidered simply poppin! the data*ard out and !oin! in sear*h of a meal,
but then made a 3ui*k sear*h for orbalisk instead- " do7en pa!es s*rolled by on the iewer as it
skipped to the releant se*tion-
=- - - *alled orbalisks by the lo*al $ikto popula*e- %ne warrior re*ounted how he had been infested
for nearly a full year before riddin! himself of the *reatures be*ause they so disfi!ured him that he
*ould not find a mate-
This returns us to our earlier dilemma of how to define harmful and benefi*ial- Reisitin! the
preious dis*ussion, we must now in*lude *apa*ity to find a mate in our dis*ussions---
?annah pulled her eyes ba*k up to the top of the s*reen-
--- one warrior re*ounted how he had been infested for nearly a full year before riddin! himself of
the *reatures ---
.n desperation she typed in a new phrase, then hit S'"R#6 a!ain-
.t is a fa*t !enerally assumed by most 7oolo!ists that orbalisks *annot be remoed without killin!
the host- 6oweer, my resear*h has reealed that an infested host *an be *ured, thou!h the pro*ess
is both dan!erous and e+tremely *ompli*ated, as . will detail here-
9irst, the host must be in e+*ellent health- "s one mi!ht e+pe*t, the ery definition of e+*ellent and
een health must be e+pounded upon---=
She had found it- She had found it: ?annah leapt to her feet, pumpin! a *len*hed fist in a 3uiet
i*tory *elebration, barely able to *ontain a fier*e shout of triumph- "nd in her moment of elation,
the spell *on*ealin! her true identity slipped-
?annah 3ui*kly re!ained *ontrol, !lan*in! to her left and ri!ht to see if anyone had noti*ed- 6eart
poundin!, she slammed the personal data*ard )aster Barra had !ien her into the terminal to *opy
oer the orbalisk arti*le-
Behind her a oi*e said, =Rain< What are you doin! here<=
D D D
Daroit wandered alon! the wide aisle of the 0edi "r*hies/ fourth hall, oerwhelmed by the sheer
olume of knowled!e in the sta*ks-
6e had briefly tried lookin! for information on the natie flora and fauna of Ruusan, hopin! to
broaden his knowled!e so he *ould better help those who *ame to him for aid- 6e was used to a
simpler world, howeer, and found the te*hnolo!y of the "r*hies dauntin!- "n analysis droid had
e+plained how to use the sear*h and retrieal systems to find information in the sta*ks, but his brisk
tutorial had left Daroit een more *onfused than before-
%ther s*holars were there, and he *ould hae approa*hed one of them to ask for help- But as a man
who alued his own pria*y, he was loath to interrupt theirs- 5ltimately, he had simply started to
wander up and down the aisle, waitin! for 0ohun to return-
Daroit was be!innin! to re!ret his de*ision to *ome to #orus,*ant- 6e had let himself !et swept up
in the moment by the 0edi Kni!ht, the thou!hts of stoppin! another war with the Sith appealin! to
the romanti* ideals that had first led him to Ruusan as a teena!er- But those were the dreams of a
*hild8 he was older and wiser now-
The 0edi moed throu!h a world that was not his own- The *on*erns of an entire !ala+y wei!hed
upon their shoulders8 their de*isions affe*ted trillions of lies- Daroit didn/t want that kind of
responsibility- Surrounded by the !randeur and !lory of the "r*hies, all he wanted was to return to
his simple hut in the forest-
5nfortunately, that mi!ht no lon!er be an option- 6e was here now, and 0ohun seemed determined
to hae him speak before the 0edi #oun*il-
To take his mind off his pli!ht, he be!an to study the other s*holars- They were all 0edi1 2adawans
and )asters, youn! and old, human and otherwise- 6e noti*ed an attra*tie youn! woman with
lon!, dark hair starin! intently at her iews*reen, *hewin! on her lip as she deled into some work
of a*ademia-
There was somethin! familiar about her, thou!h Daroit was sure he had neer met her before-
%er the past de*ade he hadn/t met anyone e+*ept those few indiiduals who sou!ht him out in his
hut, and the woman *ertainly didn/t look like she had *ome from the farms or illa!es of Ruusan-
6e *rept toward her, not wishin! to interrupt her studies but tryin! to fi!ure out if he knew her- 9or
seeral minutes he wat*hed her8 she was obiously frustrated, unable to find what she was lookin!
for in the data*ards- Suddenly she leapt up, *len*hin! her fist i*toriously, and Daroit felt a
familiar presen*e wash oer him-
9or the first ten years of his life, that presen*e had been at his side *onstantly- "s *hildren, they had
shared a bond that went beyond bein! *ousins,they were as *lose as brother and sister- "nd thou!h
the fi!ure before him had bla*k, not blond, hair, there was no doubt in Daroit/s mind who she was-
=Rain<= he *alled softly, so as not to startle her- =What are you doin! here<=
The woman spun to fa*e him, her eyes wide- She stared at him blankly, unable to re*o!ni7e the man
she had last seen as a boy ten years before- Then her eyes dropped to the stump of his ri!ht hand,
and her ;aw fell a!ape-
=Tom*at<=
6e nodded, then added- =.t/s Daroit now- But sometimes . think
. still like Tom*at better-=
=4ou/re a 0edi now<= she said, *onfused by his presen*e in the
"r*hies-
=$o,= he answered 3ui*kly, unwillin! to be mistaken for somethin! he was not- =. stayed on Ruusan
after --- after this-= 6e held up his stump- =. be*ame a healer-=
=What are you doin! here<=
=. *ame to---= 6e stopped midsenten*e, suddenly reali7in! the dan!er Rain was in- The dan!er he
had brou!ht upon her-
=Rain, we hae to !et out of here: The 0edi are lookin! for you:=
=Tom*at, what are you talkin! about<=
=" 0edi *ame to Ruusan- . told him about you and Bane- That/s why they brou!ht me here:=
The youn! woman/s eyes !lowed with pure hatred and an!er, and for a se*ond Daroit thou!ht she
was !oin! to kill him in the middle of the 0edi "r*hies-
=6ow mu*h do they know<= she demanded- =Tell me eerythin! you told them:=
=Rain, there isn/t time,= he protested- =./m ;ust waitin! here for them to *ome !et me- They *ould be
here any minute- 4ou hae to !et out of here or they/ll find you:=
She turned and pun*hed a key on the terminal8 a small data*ard popped out- She snat*hed it up and
stuffed it beneath her *lothes- Then she !rabbed him by the wrist and dra!!ed him ba*k down the
aisle toward the *entral rotunda- She moed as 3ui*kly as she *ould without drawin! attention, her
pa*e somethin! between a brisk walk and a run-
Daroit made no moe to resist, thou!h he did ask, =Where are we !oin!<=
=Tython = she whispered- =. hae to warn my )aster->/
They rea*hed the rotunda, but instead of turnin! down the first hall and headin! toward the e+it, she
led him into the third hall-
=What are you doin!, Rain<= Daroit asked, his oi*e risin! sli!htly- =We hae to !et !oin!:=
%ne of the other s*holars,an older woman with *oppery red hair sittin! at a nearby terminal,turned
to stare at them, her attention drawn by Daroit/s e+*lamations-
=Buiet, Tom*at,= Rain shushed him, noddin! apolo!eti*ally in the woman/s dire*tion- =4ou/re
disturbin! the other patrons-=
The old woman turned ba*k to her iews*reen, dismissin! them- Daroit/s *ompanion !ae his arm
a rou!h shake-
=./m sorry= he whispered, ;ust loud enou!h for her to hear- =But you hae to !et out of here- &eae
for Tython before they find you here-=
=. don/t know where Tython is= she snapped ba*k throu!h *len*hed teeth- =We need to find a
hyperspa*e route-=
Takin! the terminal one down from the red,haired old woman, Rain pun*hed a series of buttons- "
se*ond later the s*reen *ame to life with a list of referen*e numbers-
=(ot it,= she said, shoin! Daroit into the seat by the terminal/s iews*reen- =Wait here-=
She disappeared into the sta*ks, moin! with the same half,walkin!, half,runnin! stride- "s Daroit
waited for her to return, it o**urred to him that his loyalties had suddenly shifted- 6e had been lured
to #orus*ant with the notion of helpin! the 0edi wipe out the Sith and preent a war- But the
abstra*t *on*ept of widespread !ala*ti* sufferin! meant little when he had *ome fa*e,to,fa*e with
his *hildhood friend- $ow all he *ould think about was what would happen to Rain if she was
*au!ht, and he reali7ed he was willin! to do whateer it took to keep her safe-
&ess than a minute later she returned and slapped a data*ard into the terminal- &eanin! a*ross
Daroit, who was still seated in the *hair, she tapped away at the *ontrols until an ima!e of a *loud,
*oered world appeared on the s*reen-
=. need to *opy this,= she said, pullin! out the data*ard she had been usin! when he first saw her
and ;ammin! it into another slot on the terminal-
=Why not ;ust take the ori!inal<= Daroit asked-
=Sensors on the "r*hie doors,= she e+plained- =Remoin! an ori!inal will set off alarms-=
The terminal beeped and the data*ard popped out, the *opyin! *omplete- ?annah stuffed it into her
robes, then hauled Daroit up by his elbow-
=&et/s !o- Before your friends show up-=
$ot botherin! to return the ori!inal ba*k to the sta*ks, she half,led, half,pulled him away from the
terminal- She whisked him to the rotunda, then down the main aisle of the first hall and out the e+it,
leain! the "r*hies behind them-
#hapter 2J
=. don/t understand, )aster Valenthyne,= 0ohun said, *astin! his !a7e from side to side as they made
their way down the aisles of the 0edi "r*hies- =. left him here less than an hour a!o-=
6e had e+pe*ted to find Daroit sittin! at a terminal in one of the four halls, or possibly e+aminin!
the bron7ium busts in the rotunda- But when he brou!ht )aster Valenthyne to speak with the youn!
man, Daroit had anished-
=6e/s probably ;ust lost somewhere in the sta*ks = 9arfalla assured him-
0ohun si!naled to a passin! analysis droid- .t turned and made its way toward them with 3ui*k, stiff,
le!!ed steps-
=)ay . be of assistan*e<= it in3uired helpfully-
=./m lookin! for someone,= 0ohun e+plained- =" youn! man-=
=Bein!s of all spe*ies and a!es isit the "r*hies,= the droid responded- =. would be better able to
proide assistan*e if you *ould proide a des*ription, )aster 0edi-=
=6e is missin! his ri!ht hand-=
There was a soft whir as the droid a**essed its re*ent memory banks-
=. beliee . re*ently saw the man you are lookin! for in the third hall= the droid offered, turnin! to
lead them in that dire*tion-
0ohun didn/t bother to wait8 he pushed past the droid in his haste- 9arfalla followed *losely at his
heels-
There were many people e+aminin! the data*ards lo*ated in the third hall, but the 6ealin! 6ermit
of Ruusan was not amon! them-
=We/e !ot to find him:= 0ohun said to his )aster, then ran up and down the entire len!th of the
hall, peerin! into the side aisles to see if Daroit was hidden amon! the sta*ks- 6is disruptie anti*s
drew the ire of seeral of the other s*holars-
9arfalla rea*hed out and !rabbed 0ohun as he ran past a se*ond time, stoppin! him before he *ould
make another lap of the hall-
=6e/s not here, 0ohun = he said-
There was a loud *learin! of the throat, and two men turned to see an older redheaded woman
!larin! at them-
=)aster Valenthyne,= she said, =. respe*tfully remind you that the "r*hies is a pla*e of
*ontemplatie resear*h- 4our youn! friend would be better sered to resume his e+er*ises out in the
trainin! yards-=
=%ur apolo!ies, )aster Biina,= he whispered- =But this is a matter of some ur!en*y- We are lookin!
for someone who has !one miss,in!=
=.t is easy to lose oneself in the wisdom of the "r*hies,= Biina replied- =. myself often disappear
for days at a time-=
9arfalla smiled politely at the ;est- =This is somewhat different-=
The analysis droid that had been helpin! them earlier toddled oer toward them, hain! only ;ust
now *au!ht up after they left it behind in their haste- 0ohun !lan*ed at the droid, then ba*k to
)aster Biina-
=We/re lookin! for a youn! man= he told her- =6e/s missin! his ri!ht hand=
Biina raised her eyebrows- =. saw him not thirty minutes a!o- 6e was with a youn! woman-=
=" woman<= 9arfalla asked in surprise-
=They seemed to know ea*h other= the old 0edi informed them- =They *alled ea*h other by silly
little ni*knames- Tom*at and Rain, if
. remember *orre*tly-=
0ohun sei7ed 9arfalla/s arm- =Rain was his *ousin: The one he met down in the *aes- She/s here:=
=Do you know where they went, )aster Biina<= 9arfalla asked- The old woman shook her head-
=They were usin! that terminal oer there to look somethin! up- Then they left-=
9arfalla turned to the droid- =.s there any way we *an find out whi*h re*ords they were iewin!<=
=. am sorry, )aster 0edi,= the droid replied- =To prote*t the pria*y of our s*holars and to aoid
*ompromisin! their resear*h, the terminals do not store any data on whi*h re*ords they were used to
e+plore-=
=4our friends seemed to be in 3uite a hurry= Biina offered- =. doubt they een bothered to return the
datadisk to the sta*ks- .t mi!ht still be plu!!ed into the terminal-=
0ohun rushed oer to the s*reen- .t was still lo!!ed on, under the name $alia "dollu- "s Biina had
!uessed, there was a data*ard loaded in- 6e pulled up the disk/s inde+ as 9arfalla *ame and peered
oer his shoulder-
=Tython,= the 0edi )aster remarked, pi*kin! out the *ommon theme amon! the thousands of arti*les
and papers referen*ed by the inde+- =Birthpla*e of the 0edi-=
=That must be where they/re !oin!= 0ohun insisted- =Bane must hae !one into hidin! in the Deep
#ore:=
6e turned to 9arfalla, *lut*hin! his )aster/s arm in his ur!en*y- =4ou hae to *onin*e the #oun*il
to let us !o after them-=
9arfalla/s eyes were *old and hard- =. doubt the #oun*il will be in any !reat hurry to take a*tion in
this matter,= he warned-
=But )aster Valenthyne,= 0ohun pleaded, only to hae the other man *ut him off with a sharp wae
of his hand-
=The #oun*il will not help you, 0ohun- Therefore we must !o to Tython ourseles-=
0ohun/s eyes went wide in surprise-
=. swore a ow to (eneral 6oth,= 9arfalla e+plained, his oi*e takin! on the hard tone of military
*ommand he had not used sin*e the disbandin! of the "rmy of &i!ht- =. promised . would not rest
until the Sith had been *leansed from the !ala+y- . still intend to honor that ow-
=(o find )asters Raskta and Worror,= he added- =They also sered with 6oth on Ruusan- They will
;oin us in our *ause- Tell them we leae within the hour-=
D D D
The first thin! ?annah did after the &oranda had es*aped #orus*ant/s orbit and made the ;ump to
hyperspa*e was wash the bla*k dye out of her hair-
She/d en!a!ed and lo*ked the autopilot before headin! off to the staterooms in the aft de*ks, leain!
Tom*at to wander freely about the essel- When she emer!ed, still dryin! her restored blond lo*ks
with a towel, he was *almly waitin! for her-
6e had settled in on one of the lon!, padded *ou*hes in the &o,randas sittin! loun!e, re*linin!
*omfortably alon! its len!th- 0ud!in! by the drink in his hand, he had also lo*ated the *olle*tion of
ales 6etton had kept on board- Still dressed in the ra!ta! robes of a hermit, he *ut an ima!e that was
sli!htly *omi*al-
='en with the dye ;ob !one, you still don/t look anythin! like what . thou!ht you/d !row up as,= he
told her-
.t wasn/t ;ust her hair that ?annah had *han!ed8 she/d also repla*ed the drab 0edi robes with her
more familiar and *omfortable all,bla*k !arb- Bein! left,handed, she/d hun! her li!htsaber on that
same hip, and the aluable data*ard with the arti*le on the orbalisks had been se*ured in a *ar!o
po*ket sewn into her trousers alon! the outside of her ri!ht thi!h-
=This is the real me,= she assured him-
She had often assumed *hara*ter roles and dis!uises in her missions for Darth Bane, and she was
usually *omfortable in the a*t of de*eption- 4et for some reason she/d found the !uise of $alia
repellent, and she/d been ea!er,almost desperate,to rid herself of all remnants of the 2adawan
fa*ade-
=So am . your prisoner<= he asked as she sat down on the seat a*ross from him-
=. don/t think prisoners are allowed to drink tarul while they loun!e on *ou*hes,= she noted, tossin!
the towel onto the *ushions beside her-
=Then why did you brin! me alon!<= Tom*at asked, sittin! up and leanin! forward, suddenly
serious and intent-
=. *ouldn/t leae you behind- 4ou were !oin! to e+pose me and my )aster to the 0edi #oun*il- 4ou
were a threat to the Sith-=
=Do you really beliee you/re a Sith, Rain<=
=Don/t *all me that,= she said an!rily- =Rain is dead- She died on Ruusan- )y name/s ?annah now-=
=. !uess Tom*at died on Ruusan, too = he a!reed somberly, slowly swirlin! the !lass in his hand-
=4ou should probably *all me Daroit now- But you neer answered my 3uestion- Do you really
beliee you/re a Sith<=
=. am Darth ?annah, apprenti*e of Darth Bane, Dark &ord of the
Sith,= she said, makin! no effort to hide the fier*e pride she felt in the titles- ="nd one day . will
destroy my )aster and *hoose an apprenti*e of my own, *ontinuin! the le!a*y of the dark side-=
=. don/t beliee that= Daroit told her, obiously unimpressed with her de*laration- =. know you,
?annah- 4ou/re not eil-=
='il is a word used by the i!norant and the weak,= she snapped- =The dark side is about surial-
.t/s about unleashin! your inner power- .t !lorifies the stren!th of the indiidual-=
=That/s not you, either,= Daroit *ountered- =9ollowers of the dark side must be brutal and ruthless-
4ou *are about others, ?annah-=
=4ou don/t know me = she sneered at him- =./e killed more people than you *an possibly ima!ine-=
=./e killed people, too- Bu! died be*ause of me,= Daroit said softly, referen*in! the third *ousin
who had *ome with them to Ruusan- =But killin! people doesn/t make someone into a Sith,= he said
in a louder oi*e-
=Don/t le*ture me on the ways of my order,= ?annah warned, !ettin! to her feet and snat*hin! up
the towel off the *ushion beside him- =What *ould you possibly know that . hae not already
learned<=
=. may not know the dark side,= Daroit admitted, lookin! up at her- =But . know you- . know what
you/re *apable of-=
?annah an!rily threw the towel a*ross the room, flin!in! it throu!h the open door into the
stateroom- She stepped forward and !rabbed Daroit/s ri!ht forearm, spillin! his drink- Then she
twisted his arm up so his stump was ri!ht before his fa*e-
=)aybe you for!ot who !ae you this= she reminded him-
Daroit made no moe to break free of her !rasp, thou!h she *lut*hed his arm so hard that her nails
were di!!in! into his flesh-
=./m not a fool, ?annah= he said *almly- =4our )aster would hae killed me in that *ae- . know
you did this to sae my life-=
She released her !rip, tossin! Daroit/s arm ba*k down into his lap in dis!ust- She turned her ba*k
on him and mar*hed up the *orridor toward the *o*kpit- The youn! man tossed the empty !lass onto
the *ou*h and s*rambled to his feet to follow-
=4ou risked yourself to sae me, ?annah,= he *alled out after her as she neared the *o*kpit- =4ou
did it be*ause you *ared about me-=
Wheelin! around, ?annah rea*hed out with the 9or*e and yanked Daroit to the floor- 6e landed
with a !runt, fa*edown at her feet-
=Thin!s hae *han!ed sin*e then = she said, then spun away from him a!ain and threw herself
an!rily into the pilot/s seat-
Daroit !ot up slowly and moed to stand behind her *hair, hoerin! oer her ri!ht shoulder-
=.f you don/t *are about me anymore, then why did you brin! me with you<= he asked 3uietly-
=. already told you= she said stiffly, starin! strai!ht ahead- =4ou would hae e+posed us- . *ouldn/t
leae you behind-=
=4ou *ould hae killed me-=
=6a:= ?annah barked out a lau!h, turnin! her head and *ranin! her ne*k to !lare at him
*ontemptuously- =0ust strike you down with the power of the dark side in the middle of the 0edi
Temple< Do you think the Sith are fools<=
=We/re not in the 0edi Temple anymore,= Daroit said softly- =Why don/t you kill me now<=
?annah snapped her head forward a!ain so she wouldn/t hae to look at him- =4ou/re a healer- We
*an use you-=
=There are plenty of healers in the !ala+y,= her *ousin pressed- =%nes who *an/t e+pose you to the
0edi-=
=. don/t hae time to find anyone else- 4ou were in the ri!ht pla*e at the ri!ht time,= she insisted-
=4ou !ot lu*ky=
=That/s not true, ?annah- 6ow do you think . re*o!ni7ed you after all these years< There/s a bond
between us- There always has been- 'er sin*e we were little-=
?annah didn/t say anythin!, but merely shifted in her seat-
=Do you remember when we were kids< 'eryone thou!ht . was so stron! in the 9or*e, and nobody
belieed you had any power at all-=
She didn/t answer, but she did remember- "s *hildren Daroit was the one who *ould leitate
ob;e*ts, and bat away fruit tossed into the air with a sti*k while blindfolded- 6er own powers hadn/t
manifested until she found herself alone on Ruusan-
=. didn/t reali7e it then, ?annah, but the power . showed, all those tri*ks . did,that wasn/t me, it was
you: 'en as kids you knew how badly . wanted to be a 0edi, and you wanted to help me- So you
*hanneled your own power throu!h me, allowin! me to do all those thin!s-=
=That/s not how . remember it,= she said *oldly-
=4ou didn/t do it on purpose,= Daroit e+plained- =The bond we shared was so stron!, and you *ared
about me so mu*h, that your sub*ons*ious took oer-=
=That/s the stupidest theory ./e eer heard-= ?annah snorted, still starin! strai!ht ahead-
=.s it< Think about it, ?annah- "fter we lost you on Ruusan, it was like my powers disappeared-
That/s why . failed as a 0edi and as a Sith-
=)y power is weak- That/s why . suried the thou!ht bomb when all the Sith and 0edi around me
were destroyed by its power- .t only affe*ted those with a stron! affinity for the 9or*e-
="nd what about you< 4ou hae so mu*h power- Why do you think it took so lon! to show itself<
4ou were always *hannelin! it throu!h me-= 6e paused- =4ou won/t be*ome the Dark &ord of the
Sith, ?annah,= he added- =.t/s ;ust not in your nature- Sooner or later you/ll reali7e that-=
=Shut up,= she said flatly, still keepin! her eyes rieted on the *ontrols in front of her- =.f you say
one more word ./ll take your other hand-=
Daroti didn/t reply, but his fin!ers instin*tiely went to his stump-
=. brou!ht you alon! for one reason, and one reason only= she *ontinued, her oi*e still *ompletely
deoid of emotion- =)y )aster is infested with parasites *alled orbalisks- "nd you are !oin! to heal
him-=
=But --- . don/t know how= Daroit protested, for!ettin! her warnin!s to remain silent-
?annah rea*hed ba*k with the 9or*e, wrappin! it around his windpipe- "nd slowly she be!an to
s3uee7e- Daroit fell to his knees, his hands flyin! up to his throat as his o+y!en was *ut off-
=There is a data terminal in the ba*k,= ?annah said, i!norin! his *hokin! *ou!hs- =5se it to !o oer
eerythin! in the arti*le . took from the "r*hies-=
She pulled the *ard from the po*ket on her thi!h and tossed it down in front of her suffo*atin!
*ousin- 6e was rollin! ba*k and forth on the floor now, his hands *lawin! at his throat- 6is fa*e had
turned a bri!ht red, and his eyes were startin! to bul!e from his so*kets-
=.f you *an/t find a way to help my )aster by the time we !et to Tython = she warned, =he will kill
you-=
She released Daroit from the 9or*e *hoke, and he !asped and !ulped down air in raw, ra!!ed
breaths- She turned to wat*h him with a *ruel smile on her lips, makin! sure he knew she was
en;oyin! his sufferin!- 'entually he re*oered enou!h to pi*k up the data*ard and head for the
terminal in the ba*k-
%n*e he was !one, ?annah !ot up from her *hair and be!an to pa*e ba*k and forth between the
pilot/s and *opilot/s seats- She knew Daroit was wron!- 6e had to be- She was *onfident in her
*ommitment to the dark side, despite eerythin! her *ousin had said- But there was enou!h wei!ht
to some of his ar!uments to make her wonder what Bane would think about all this-
.f her )aster,like Daroit,belieed her a*tions showed a la*k of *ommitment to the ways of the
Sith, thin!s would !o ery badly for her when they rea*hed Tython-
D D D
Belia Dar7u had been a Shi/ido in life, a *han!elin! spe*ies whose members were *apable of
shiftin! their appearan*e, so it was not surprisin! that the pro;e*tion that sered as the !atekeeper of
her 6olo*ron similarly *han!ed forms- "t arious times she appeared to be Twi/lek, .ridonian,
#erean, or human, o**asionally een swit*hin! between !enders-
=The pro*ess of *reatin! a 6olo*ron *annot be rushed = the !atekeeper e+plained- =The ad;ustments
to the matri+ must be made with pre*ision and *are-=
She was *urrently in the form she most often assumed1 that of a tall human female with short brown
hair- She appeared to be rou!hly thirty years of a!e, with a sly, almost *rafty, look to her features- .n
this !uise she was typi*ally *lad in a dark, formfittin! fli!ht suit, dark boots, and a pale yellow est
that left her arms bare- She also wore yellow !loes, a short bla*k sleee oer ea*h elbow, and a red
fli!ht *ap and belt-
"fter his initial a*tiation of the 6olo*ron/s power, Bane had brou!ht it up out of the inner san*tum
and into a lar!e *ommon room on the main leel that on*e sered as a mess hall for Belia/s liin!
followers- 6ere Bane had been e+plorin! the 6olo*ron off and on for the past seeral days- 6e had
pro*eeded *arefully, still drained from his battle with the te*hnobeasts- The slow pa*e allowed him
to re*uperate his ener!ies and rebuild his stren!th as he probed the *rystal ar*hies-
)u*h of what he dis*oered fo*used on the rituals and pra*ti*es of Sith al*hemy,somethin! he
would e+plore in depth when he had more time- %ther times he stumbled a*ross Belia/s own
philosophi*al e+aminations of the 9or*e, thou!h in truth there was little there that Bane hadn/t
already dis*oered for himself- %nly now had he finally found what he had truly been sear*hin! for-
=.t *an take weeks, or een months= Belia/s ima!e e+plained, =before the final sta!es of *onstru*tion
are *ompleted-=
6er form fli*kered, to be repla*ed by the ima!e of a 6olo*ron shown in *utaway- The filaments and
strands of the *rystal matri+ in the ima!e be!an to shift and moe, illustratin! the ad;ustments the
!atekeeper was talkin! about- Bane didn/t bother payin! *lose attention8 he already knew how to
fine,tune the matri+/s internal stru*tures-
=4ou said the ad;ustments *an take months- 6ow is that possible<= Bane asked with a shake of his
head- =The *o!nitie network de!rades too 3ui*kly-=
Belia/s ima!e fli*kered into iew a!ain- =The *o!nitie network must be trapped within the
*apstone before you be!in,= she e+plained-
=#apstone<= Bane asked, his neres tin!lin! with e+*itement- .n all his resear*h he had neer heard
mention of a *apstone before-
"n ima!e of a 6olo*ron appeared on*e more, thou!h no lon!er in *utaway- The small bla*k *rystal
built into the ape+ of the pyramid was flashin!-
=The *apstone is key to the pro*ess,= Belia/s oi*e said- =Without it the *o!nitie network will
de!rade before you *omplete your ad;ustments, and you will fail eery time-=
Bane stared in wonder at the ima!e- 6e had known that the dark *rystal was an essential part of the
6olo*ron/s *onstru*tion- 4et he had belieed its sole purpose was to *hannel the power of the
symbols et*hed a*ross the sides of the pyramid into the matri+- 6e neer ima!ined it would sere
another fun*tion as well-
=6ow do . trap the *o!nitie network inside the *apstone<= he asked, ea!er to learn the se*ret that
had eluded him-
=4ou must inoke the Rite of #ommen*ement,= Belia told him-
The pro;e*tion shifted to show an in*redibly elaborate and *ompli*ated Sith ritual, one that went
beyond anythin! Bane had mastered so far- With subtle pushes from the 9or*e he flipped throu!h
ima!e after ima!e after ima!e, reali7in! it would take him many months of *areful study to
memori7e the rite- Still--- the se*ret was his:
Satisfied, he shut the 6olo*ron down- .t was time to leae Tython and return to "mbria- .f all had
!one well, his apprenti*e would be there waitin! for him-
6e made his way outside, where the )ysti* waited- But as he prepared to board his ship, he saw
another essel in the distan*e ra*in! toward him- 6e rea*hed out with the 9or*e, and felt the
presen*e of ?annah inside--- and one other-
The &oranda *ame in to land fifty meters from where his own ship had tou*hed down- Bane stood
impassiely, waitin! for ?annah to emer!e- When she did, there was a youn! man with her- The
Dark &ord *ould feel the 9or*e in him, thou!h its presen*e was weak- When he saw that the man
was missin! his ri!ht hand, eerythin! fell into pla*e-
=We were supposed to meet at "mbria,= he snarled at ?annah- =Why did you *ome here< "nd why
did you brin! him<=
=. *ame to warn you,= she answered 3ui*kly- =The 0edi know you suried the thou!ht bomb-=
=Be*ause of him,= Bane said, noddin! in the other man/s dire*tion-
=6e was !oin! to speak to the 0edi #oun*il,= ?annah e+plained- =.f he anished, they mi!ht dismiss
the rumors that you still lied-=
=Why didn/t you ;ust kill him<= Bane asked, his tone ominous-
=6e/s a healer= was her immediate reply- =6e knows how to free you from the orbalisks-=
?annah/s answers *ame too 3ui*kly to suit Bane- .t was as if she had already had this ar!ument,
likely rehearsin! it in her head oer and oer in preparation for this meetin!-
=.s this true<= he demanded of the other man- =. *an/t do it here,= Daroit answered- =. need
supplies- Spe*ial e3uipment- .t/s dan!erous, but . think it *an be done-=
Bane hesitated- $ot be*ause of the potential dan!er8 he had known that any pro*edure to rid himself
of his infestation would be frau!ht with risk- But now that he knew his failures with the 6olo*ron
were not linked to the orbalisks feedin! on his power, he wanted to reealuate the de*ision to
remoe them-
The si!ht of another ship appearin! oer his apprenti*e/s shoulder, still too far in the distan*e to
make out a model or affiliation, put an end to his deliberations- "n instant later he felt the
unmistakable li!ht,side power of those on board-
?annah must hae felt it too8 she turned and looked in that dire*tion, then turned ba*k to him with a
worried !rima*e-
=.s somethin! wron!<= the youn! healer asked, noti*in! the e+*han!e- =What is it<=
=We were followed,= ?annah muttered-
The ship was *omin! in 3ui*kly, too fast for them to !et into their own *raft and take to the sky- .f
they tried, the other essel would shoot them down before they took off-
=.nside the fortress,= Bane ordered- =The 0edi hae found us-=
#hapter 2>
The 0usti*e #rusader, )aster Raskta/s ship, was easily the fastest essel 0ohun had eer been on- "
small, personal atta*k *ruiser, she re3uired a *rew of four- 9ortunately for 0ohun, there were four
others with him on board, all of them *lothed in the simple brown robes that marked them as
members of the 0edi %rder-
)aster Raskta &su, an '*hani, sat at the *ontrols of her ship- She had the alabaster skin, pure white
hair, and siler eyes *ommon to all her spe*ies- She was almost as tall as 0ohun, with the mus*les
and physi3ue one would e+pe*t in a spe*ies that alued physi*al *ombat as the hi!hest form of art
and personal e+pression- $amed in honor of the le!endary '*hani warrior Raskta 9enni, a**laimed
by many to be the !reatest duelist of her time, )aster Raskta had spent her life honin! her martial
skills so that she *ould one day e3ual, and een surpass, her namesake-
She had a*hieed the rare and presti!ious rank of 0edi Weapons )aster- 's*hewin! all other fields
of study and forsakin! the deelopment of her other 9or*e talents to fo*us e+*lusiely on the
li!htsaber and *ombat, she had transformed herself into a liin! weapon-
$ow tasked with trainin! apprenti*es in the forms of li!htsaber *ombat, Raskta had been part of the
*ampai!n on Ruusan- Wieldin! a blue,bladed li!htsaber in ea*h hand, and shunnin! any form of
armor, she was a terrifyin! fi!ure to behold on the battlefield- 0ohun iidly remembered her
*arin! !reat swaths of destru*tion throu!h the heart of the enemy ranks, leain! a litter of bodies
in her wake- .t was said that, by the end of the war, as many Sith &ords had fallen under her twin
blades as had been killed by the thou!ht bomb-
.n the !unner/s *hair a*ross from the pilot was Sarro Na;, the human male who had sered as
Raskta/s 2adawan on Ruusan- " year older than 0ohun, Sarro had olie,brown skin and a sin!le
topknot of bla*k hair- 6e was also the lar!est human 0ohun had eer en*ountered- %er two meters
tall and >EJ kilos of raw mus*le, he *ould easily be mistaken for a hairless Wookiee rather than a
man- 4et despite his mass, he was still 3ui*k enou!h to snat*h a 7ess,fly out of the air- 'leated to
the rank of 0edi Kni!ht seen years before, Sarro had *hosen to follow in his )aster/s path, fo*usin!
on masterin! a massie double,bladed li!htsaber measurin! almost three meters in len!th- 0ohun
ima!ined there were few bein!s in the !ala+y who *ould stand up under the fero*ious assault of his
weapon/s blue blades-
6andlin! the nai!ation in the ba*k of the essel was )aster Worror, an .thorian- 6is lon!, flat
ne*k *ured forward and up to a head shaped like the letter T, with his lar!e, bulbous eyes on either
end of the *ross stroke- This odd appearan*e had led to his spe*ies bein! *ommonly *alled
hammerheads by the i!norant and insensitie-
)aster Worror/s surname *ould only be pronoun*ed by bein!s possessin! the two mouths and four
throats uni3ue to .thorian anatomy- 0ohun had heard tales of .thorian 0edi *hannelin! the 9or*e to
transform their multiple oi*es into a deastatin! soni* weapon-
)aster Worror, howeer, was a healer by trainin!, and his power lay in that dire*tion-
6e had been one of (eneral 6oth/s adisers on Ruusan, and a key to i*tory in many battles, een
thou!h he didn/t een *arry a li!ht,saber- The .thorian/s role was not to en!a!e the enemy but rather
to proide support throu!h both his healin! abilities and the rare art of battle meditation- "lthou!h
his talent was not stron! enou!h to sin!le,handedly alter the out*ome of a lar!e,s*ale *onfli*t, in
*lose 3uarters Worror *ould draw upon the 9or*e to !ie stren!th to the bodies, minds, and spirits of
those around him, enhan*in! the skills and abilities of his allies-
&o*ated beside the nai!ator in the rear of the essel, the fourth member of the *rew, )aster
9arfalla, proided support for the pilot, !unner, and nai!ator- 6e *alled up astrona *harts, en!ine
readin!s, weapons status, s*anner reports, and anythin! else the others needed to do their ;obs-
0ohun was seated up front in the *o*kpit with Raskta and Sarro, o**upyin! the passen!er/s *hair
behind the pilot- 5ntil they rea*hed Tython, his only ;ob was to stay out of eeryone else/s way-
5sin! the lon!,abandoned hyperspa*e route indi*ated on the data*ard they/d dis*oered in the
"r*hies, the 0usti*e #rusader had penetrated the Deep #ore- )aster Raskta had e+pressed her
*on*ern at the start of the oya!e1 "**ordin! to *urrent re*ords the hyperspa*e lanes they were
traersin! had been known to momentarily *ollapse without warnin!- " ship traelin! anywhere
alon! the hyperspa*e *orridor durin! the nanose*ond before it reformed would be lost foreer-
#ombined with the other dan!ers of the Deep #ore,in*ludin! wanderin! bla*k holes that would rip
a essel apart, een in hyperspa*e,the instability of the route had led to it fallin! into disuse and
finally bein! for!otten for well oer a thousand years-
Worror had *al*ulated the risk of a hyperspa*e *ollapse durin! their ;ourney at ;ust oer 2 per*ent,
more than hi!h enou!h to make 0ohun breathe a si!h of relief when they emer!ed uns*athed a few
thousand kilometers away from their destination-
=Weapons primed and ready,= Sarro/s oi*e told eeryone oer the inter*om- ="ny friends we hae
to worry about<=
=$othin! in orbit,= 9arfalla reported- =&ooks like we/re *lean-=
=./m takin! us in,= Raskta told them- =See if you *an find anythin!-=
=2i*kin! up an ion trail,= 9arfalla said as they neared the planet/s atmosphere- =&ooks like we/re
ri!ht behind them-=
=&o*kin! on to the ion trail--- lo*ked on-= 'en oer the *ra*kle of an inter*om, Worror/s deep oi*e
resonated throu!h the ship-
='n!a!in! autopilot= Raskta said- =&et/s see where this takes us- Sarro, keep your tri!!er fin!er
ready-=
The autopilot dropped them down into Tython/s atmosphere, and for seeral se*onds the only thin!
0ohun *ould see throu!h the *o*kpit iewport was a wall of !ray *loud- When they broke free their
destination was immediately obious-
=. think . know where we/re headed,= Sarro mumbled-
Below them was a flat, empty field irtually deoid of life- " dark fortress was isible on the
hori7on, the only si!nifi*ant stru*ture in si!ht-
=2i*kin! up two small essels on the !round= 9arfalla told them as they drew nearer- =$obody
outside, thou!h-=
They were *lose enou!h now that 0ohun *ould make out two melted towers risin! up on either side
of the stron!hold/s front fa*e-
=Readin! life,forms inside the buildin!,= 9arfalla noted- =&ooks like--- three-=
=%nly three<= Sarro mumbled, soundin! disappointed- =This mi!ht be too easy-=
=Don/t *ount on that,= 9arfalla warned him as Raskta brou!ht the 0usti*e #rusader in for a landin!-
D D D
?annah was tryin! to *on*entrate, !atherin! her mental ener!ies for the *omin! battle- She was
distra*ted, howeer, by her )aster/s own preparations-
Darth Bane was prowlin! ba*k and forth like an an!ry ran*or, his li!htsaber already drawn- She
*ould feel the dark side buildin! inside him, fueled by his ra!e,his neer,endin! hatred of the 0edi8
his resentment toward Daroit for e+posin! them8 his an!er at her for leadin! the 0edi here to
Tython- "t any moment she e+pe*ted to see the bloodlust of the orbalisks unleashed, but Bane kept
his fury in *he*k, sain! it for the *omin! battle-
6er )aster had led them ba*k inside the stron!hold to a lar!e, open room with an e+it at either end-
" sin!le door would hae been easier to defend, but he was wary of !ettin! trapped- .f the 0edi
*ornered them, they would settle in for a lon! sie!e and wait for reinfor*ements to arrie- "s the last
two suriin! Sith, ?annah and her )aster did not hae the same lu+ury, so it was important that
they keep alternate es*ape routes open-
The room was empty, *ompletely deoid of any furniture- Based on that fa*t and its !reat si7e,forty
meters by thirty,she !uessed it had been built as some kind of pra*ti*e arena or trainin! *enter- .n
addition to the e+its on either end, there was a small door on one of the side walls that led to a tiny,
dead,end room- .t had probably sered at one time as a stora!e *loset for weapons, tar!ets, and
other implements used in drills or trainin!-
"t Bane/s instru*tion, she/d stashed the data*ard from the "r*hies inside the *loset, and her )aster
had done the same with Belia Dar7u/s 6olo*ron- "t her su!!estion, Daroit was hidin! in there, too-
6e was unarmed, and he would be of no help to either side-
=Don/t *ome out until the fi!htin!/s done= she/d warned him, drawin! a sour, disapproin! look
from her )aster- =6e/ll only !et in the way= she/d e+plained as Daroit had *losed himself in-
$ow there was nothin! to do but wait for the enemy to arrie- 9ortunately,or unfortunately,they
didn/t hae to wait lon!-
The doors on either end of the room burst open simultaneously, the 0edi splittin! their numbers in
two to better *oordinate the atta*k- The first !roup,a female '*hani wieldin! a blue li!htsaber in
ea*h hand and a 0edi )aster in !arish *lothes with a !olden blade, *har!ed strai!ht for Bane- The
other two,a lean, 3ui*k,lookin! 0edi armed with a !reen li!htsaber and a !i!anti* mountain of a
man spinnin! a massie blue, double,bladed weapon,*ame at her-
?annah i!nited her own double,bladed li!htsaber and threw up a twirlin! wall of defense, thou!h
her weapon looked puny and insi!nifi*ant set a!ainst the blue monster brandished by the lar!er of
her two opponents- Before they *ould en!a!e her, she ba*kpedaled toward one of the *orners,
stoppin! seeral meters from the interse*tion of the two walls- This allowed her to prote*t her
flanks, but still left enou!h spa*e for her to du*k, dod!e, and eade the weapons of her enemies-
9rom the *orner of her eye she saw Bane take a *ompletely different approa*h- 2rote*ted by his
orbalisk armor, he *har!ed forward to meet the two 0edi )asters *onfrontin! him head,on-
"nd then her enemies fell on her- .t took only se*onds for her to reali7e that the bi!!er man was by
far the more dan!erous opponent- .n the time it took for the smaller man to strike at her twi*e with
his !reen blade, she had batted aside half a do7en atta*ks from the other- There was a marked
differen*e in the style and effe*tieness of their blows, as well- The skills of the 0edi with the !reen
li!htsaber were raw and basi*- When he stru*k, it was with either stren!th or speed, but not both at
the same time- 6is blade *ame in either hi!h or low, but neer altered its plane durin! the atta*k- .n
*ontrast, the bi! man atta*ked her from *reatie and une+pe*ted an!les, the massie blue blades
*han!in! *ourse midthrust- 'a*h offensie was a model of lethal effi*ien*y,3ui*k and powerful
strikes and *ounterstrikes that kept an opponent !uessin!-
4et as lon! as ?annah kept her blade spinnin! to hold its momentum, she was able to ward off both
their atta*ks easily usin! whirlin! parries, in lar!e part be*ause the 0edi with the !reen li!htsaber
was inadertently workin! at *ross purposes to his partner- 6e was attemptin! to alternate his forays
with those of the bi!!er man, e+pe*tin! they would take turns pressin! forward, then withdrawin!,
always keepin! ?annah on defense- But the in*redible rea*h of the bi!!er man/s weapon made it
diffi*ult for him to unleash a sustained olley without fear of in;urin! or een killin! his *ompanion
when the other man moed in to ;oin the fray- "s a result, the bi!!er man *onstantly had to step
ba*k, pull up, or lay off his atta*ks- 6e was for*ed into an awkward rhythm of adan*e and retreat,
his timin! and strate!y di*tated as mu*h by his ally as by his opponent-
?annah noted all this from behind the impassable wall of her spinnin! twin blades, *ontent to play a
*ompletely passie role in the en*ounter- Were it not for the bi! man/s brillian*e, she would hae
3ui*kly swit*hed to an a!!ressie se3uen*e and easily dispat*hed the smaller man- But were it not
for the smaller man/s medio*rity, her defensie talents would hae been pushed to the ery limits by
her more skilled opponent- The arran!ement suited ?annah ;ust fine, allowin! her to play them off
a!ainst ea*h other- She didn/t need to kill them8 she only needed to hold them at bay until Bane,
prote*ted by the inulnerable orbalisk shells, killed his two opponents and *ame to her aid-
She waited until it was time for the smaller man to atta*k a!ain, then !au!ed his painfully
predi*table in*omin! stroke- Knowin! e+a*tly where it would end by wat*hin! where it be!an, she
was able to momentarily diert her attention from the *ombat to see how her )aster was doin!-
To her surprise, both of Bane/s opponents were still standin!8 proof they were e+*eptionally skilled
*ombatants- She also noti*ed that a fifth 0edi had entered the room1 an .thorian who stood apart
from the battle, his eyes *losed as if he was meditatin!- "nd then she turned her fo*us ba*k to her
own melee, ;ust in time to aoid *ertain death-
The !lan*e in her )aster/s dire*tion had lasted only a fra*tion of a se*ond, but in the brief interal
of her distra*tion the lar!er man had sprun! forward, ;abbin! the tip of one of his blades toward her
eye like a spear- ?annah snapped her head to the side at the last possible instant, hearin! the hiss as
the blade sheared off a lo*k of her hair- The sudden moement threw off her timin! and balan*e,
and as her spinnin! li!htsaber slapped away the blow she had earlier anti*ipated from the smaller
man/s !reen blade, it lost its *entripetal momentum and faltered-
.n the split se*ond it took to roll her wrists and start the intri*ate, whirlin! patterns of her blades
a!ain, she was ulnerable- The bi! man sli*ed hi!h at her head, for*in! her to du*k, then *hopped in
low at her feet on the ba*kstroke, *ausin! her to ;ump before she *ould properly set herself- She
aoided the swipe, but landed *lumsily on her feet- "nother blow rained down on her- With her
body out of position, she was for*ed to blo*k its path rather than defle*t it to the side- The power of
the impa*t sent her reelin!, and she fell to the floor-
The man with the !reen li!htsaber saed her- 6e leapt in to finish her off, blo*kin! his *ompanion
from doin! the same- "!ainst his pedestrian assault she was able to re!ain her feet and slide into the
se3uen*e of moes that were the foundation of her irtually impenetrable style-
There was a brief instant when she saw an openin!,but rather than *hoose to kill the man with the
!reen li!htsaber she let him lie, knowin! he was a !reater hindran*e to his allies than he was to
her-
9rom a*ross the room one of the other 0edi *alled out, =0ohun: Sarro: We need reinfor*ements:=
=(o,= the bi! man shouted- =. *an handle this one-=
"nd suddenly the man with the !reen li!htsaber was !one-
The olie,skinned !iant reared up to his full hei!ht8 ?annah reali7ed he was een taller and more
heaily mus*led than Bane- The air si77led as his lon! li!htsaber *ared an elaborate flourish
around his body, then another aboe his head- 6e smiled down at her knowin!ly-
Then he leapt forward and the real battle be!an-
D D D
.t had been many years sin*e 9arfalla had fou!ht while empowered by Worror/s battle meditation-
6e had for!otten how mu*h 3ui*ker and stron!er the .thorian/s ama7in! talent made him feel- The
9or*e flowed throu!h him with !reater power, fillin! him with its mi!ht- 4et een with their
enhan*ed abilities, he wondered if they would surie the *omin! battle-
"s they burst into the room a man who *ould only hae been Darth Bane *har!ed re*klessly toward
them- .n any other instan*e the moe would hae spelled a 3ui*k end to the en*ounter, as Raskta
ra*ed ahead of 9arfalla to *are the Sith to pie*es-
Raska/s blue blades fli*kered too 3ui*kly for the eye to see, neutrali7in! her enemy/s initial, wild
atta*k then landin! half a do7en lethal blows to his *hest and abdomen- But instead of topplin!, the
bi! man kept *omin!, neer een breakin! stride- 6e would hae plowed strai!ht into Raskta,
tramplin! her under his heay boots, had she not *artwheeled to the side at the last possible instant-
Bane neer stopped, his momentum *arryin! him strai!ht toward 9arfalla- The 0edi )aster had a
moment to re!ister the stran!e armor *oat of hard, shiny shells he wore beneath his *lothes- Then
he, too, leapt to the side to aoid bein! *rushed, suriin! only be*ause his refle+es were
hei!htened by Worror/s power-
Raskta was already ba*k on her feet and flyin! throu!h the air toward him- Bane spun and threw a
wae of inisible dark side power at her- " Weapons )aster was not skilled at defendin! a!ainst
enemy 9or*e atta*ks- The impa*t of the wae would hae plastered her a!ainst the wall and *rushed
her had 9arfalla not thrown up a shield to prote*t the '*hani- 'en so her mus*ular body was
plu*ked from the air and hurtled ba*kward, thou!h she twisted and turned so she landed on her feet-
9arfalla saw the Sith &ord turn toward him, sensin! the interention that had saed Raskta/s life-
Bane unleashed a barra!e of Sith li!htnin!, !atherin! and releasin! his power at the speed of
thou!ht- The 0edi threw up a 9or*e barrier to shield himself, but the ele*tri*ity tore ri!ht throu!h it
and ar*ed toward him- Then suddenly Raskta was there to sae his life, repayin! a debt that was
only a few se*onds old as she threw herself in front of him- 9ueled by Worror/s battle meditation,
she swit*hed styles seamlessly, and her arms and blades be*ame a blur as they *ared fi!ure ei!hts
in the air to *at*h and absorb the bolts of dark side ener!y-
Their enemy fell upon them a!ain, followin! up the li!htnin! with pure a!!ression- Raskta rushed
ahead of 9arfalla to meet this se*ond *har!e- She *rou*hed low, i*iously slashin! at his thi!hs and
*ales, attemptin! to leae their opponent *rawlin! le!less on the floor- 6er blades *ared throu!h
his boots and sli*ed wide !ashes in his pants, only to reeal more of the *hitinous shells-
Bane brou!ht his li!htsaber down at the '*hani, who *rossed her blades into an N, attemptin! to
blo*k and trap her opponent/s weapon at the point of interse*tion- But the Sith/s moe was only a
feint meant to distra*t her, and at the last instant he pulled his weapon ba*k and swun! an elbow
around to *at*h her in the ribs- The *onta*t lifted her off her feet and sent her sprawlin!- Then he
was past her, and bearin! down on 9arfalla-
The 0edi )aster dropped into an ele!ant defensie stan*e to meet the *har!e-
=The handle:= Raskta !asped as she s*rambled to her feet-
The warnin! *aused 9arfalla to noti*e the hook,handled li!ht,saber of his enemy, and the unusual
!rip it re3uired- This would alter the nature of his atta*ks, *ausin! them to *ome in from odd and
unfamiliar an!les- .n the re!imented and hyperpre*ise world of 0edi,Sith li!htsaber duels, it
transformed his style into somethin! uni3ue and une+pe*ted-
Valenthyne re*o!ni7ed, pro*essed, and rea*ted to this information in a fra*tion of a se*ond,
allowin! him to ad;ust his own weapon/s *ourse ;ust enou!h to blo*k a strike that otherwise would
hae slipped alon! the ed!e of his blade and taken his arm off at the elbow- 'en so, the stren!th
behind the atta*k tore 9arfalla/s !olden blade from his !rip, sendin! his li!htsaber skitterin! a*ross
the floor- 5narmed and helpless before his enemy, he was saed by Raskta-
Knowin! that her li!htsabers *ouldn/t penetrate Bane/s armor, she slid in from behind and s*issor,
ki*ked his le!s out from under him- 6e toppled oer ba*kward, turnin! his fall into a roll that ended
with him ba*k on his feet- 6oweer, the distra*tion allowed 9arfalla to look oer and rea*h out with
the 9or*e, *allin! his weapon ba*k into his hand-
6e spun ba*k to the fi!ht to see that the '*hani Weapons )aster had taken the offensie, sendin!
3ui*k fli*ks of her blue blades toward Bane/s unprote*ted fa*e,the only spot on his body seemin!ly
not *oered by the impenetrable shells- Remarkably, Bane was !iin! !round-
=Stay ba*k:= she shouted at 9arfalla- =4ou/ll ;ust !et in the way-=
9arfalla did as he was told, !atherin! the ener!ies of the li!ht side to throw up another prote*tie
9or*e barrier should Bane try to unleash his dark side powers a!ainst the '*hani-
She seemed to be eerywhere at on*e,in front of Bane, beside him, behind him, *ir*lin! low,
leapin! to *ome in hi!h, defle*tin! his blade with one of her own then stabbin! three 3ui*k times in
su**ession at his eyes- The bi! man/s head du*ked and bobbed, twistin! and turnin! to aoid her
blows as he tried to mount a *ounteroffensie-
Raskta/s mastery of her blades was unparalleled, but een with her talents au!mented by Worror/s
battle meditation she wasn/t able to land a tellin! blow on su*h a small tar!et throu!h Bane/s
defenses- Still, the fero*ity of her new strate!y had turned the momentum in her faor --- or so
9arfalla thou!ht-
Bane *ontinued his retreat, *ir*lin! away from Raskta/s blades, then suddenly turned and ran
strai!ht toward the unarmed .thorian standin! ;ust inside the door of the room-
Battle meditation re3uired )aster Worror/s *omplete fo*us8 there was no *han*e for him to mount
any type of defense- .f Bane *ut him down, the others would lose the only adanta!e that !ae them
any *han*e of suriin! the en*ounter-
9arfalla released the power he/d been !atherin! in a sin!le *on*entrated burst- Bane was suddenly
en*ased in a shimmerin! stasis field of li!ht,side ener!y, free7in! him where he stood- But his
*ommand of the dark side was too powerful for it to hold him for more than a split se*ond- The
shimmerin! field e+ploded into fra!ments as the Dark &ord broke free, thou!h the momentary delay
had allowed the '*hani to pla*e herself between the .thorian and the Sith-
Raskta/s blades hummed and san! as she en!a!ed him a!ain, determined to keep him from rea*hin!
)aster Worror at all *osts-
6e/s too stron!, 9arfalla reali7ed, een as he ran to help her- Both physi*ally and in the power of the
dark side- .t/s like tryin! to fi!ht a for*e of nature-
=0ohun: Sarro: We need reinfor*ements:=
D D D
0ohun turned his head at the sound of 9arfalla/s oi*e-
=(o,= Sarro shouted at him- =. *an handle this one-=
The youn! 0edi looked oer to the far side of the room and instantly re*o!ni7ed what was
happenin!- )aster Worror was in dan!er8 he had to be prote*ted or his battle meditation,and any
hope of i*tory,would be lost-
6e leapt a*ross the room, usin! the 9or*e to propel him throu!h the air so that he landed only a few
meters from where Raskta was duelin! Darth Bane, desperately tryin! to drie him ba*k and away
from where )aster Worror stood but a meter or two behind her- 6e hesitated before atta*kin!,
noti*in! that the Sith &ord/s skin was *oered with a stran!e, *rusta*eous !rowth-
=(o for the fa*e:= 9arfalla shouted, arriin! on the s*ene and throwin! himself into the battle as
0ohun did the same-
To!ether the three of them held the Sith &ord at bay1 9arfalla on the left flank, 0ohun on the ri!ht,
and Raskta in the *enter- Between blo*ks and parries they *ut and stabbed at his fa*e, their
*ombined efforts finally for*in! their enemy into a defensie stan*e-
The youn! 0edi mareled at the speed and saa!ery of Raskta/s blades- "nd while 0ohun/s own
*lumsy efforts had a*tually seemed to impede Sarro when they fou!ht side by side, Raskta appeared
to thrie off his presen*e- When he went hi!h, she went low- .f he *ame from the left, she *ame
from the ri!ht- .t was partly a fun*tion of her *hoi*e of weapon1 indiidually ea*h of her li!htsabers
was more pre*ise and a**urate than Sarro/s !iant double blades- But it was more than that- 6er
rea*tions were so fast, her *ombat instin*ts so pure, that she was able to sense and anti*ipate what
he was !oin! to do een as it happened, then use his atta*ks to her own adanta!e-
%n her opposite side 9arfalla stru*k with *lean, ele!ant blows, his form perfe*t as he harried Bane/s
ri!ht flank- 4et thou!h they were able to hold their !round, they *ouldn/t drie him ba*k or defeat
him-
They were at an impasse, none of their atta*ks able to *onne*t with the one ulnerable part of
Bane/s anatomy- Then 0ohun *au!ht a !limpse of white flesh peekin! out from the seam between
the Sith/s armored !loes and the stran!e shells on his forearm- The !ap was narrow, but it was
lar!e enou!h for a well,aimed blade to penetrate-
6e slashed at his new tar!et- "mplified by Worror/s power, the 9or*e flowed throu!h him and
!uided his blade home- The *onta*t wasn/t perfe*t8 his li!htsaber !lan*ed off the ed!e of the
armored shells so that he only made shallow *onta*t with the skin beneath- .nstead of seerin! the
hand, he merely sli*ed deep enou!h to seer neres and tendons-
Bane bellowed in ra!e as his weapon slipped from his !rasp, the wound leain! his fin!ers limp and
powerless- But before 0ohun or any of the others had a *han*e to finish off their unarmed opponent,
they were blown ba*kward by an e+plosion of dark side ener!y, their enemy/s power fueled by the
sharp, sudden pain of his wound-
&yin! on the !round ten meters away, 0ohun wat*hed in helpless horror as the Dark &ord/s
li!htsaber leapt from the floor and flew ba*k into his hand- "ma7in!ly, his fin!ers wrapped
themseles around the hilt and rei!nited the *rimson blade, his in;uries somehow healin! almost
instantly-
There was no lon!er anyone standin! between Bane and the .tho,rian8 like 0ohun, 9arfalla and
Raskta had both been thrown *lear- The Sith &ord raised his blade to end Worror/s life, and 0ohun
thrust out with the 9or*e-
6e knew he wasn/t stron! enou!h to penetrate Bane/s defenses, but the bi! man wasn/t his tar!et-
.nstead, the powerful push stru*k Worror, throwin! him into the *orner as the li!htsaber strike that
would hae *ut him in two swished harmlessly throu!h the air-
0ohun felt his stren!th and ener!y plummet, " wae of e+haustion and fati!ue oerwhelmed him,
the benefi*ial effe*ts of the battle meditation anishin! as Worror/s *on*entration was broken- But
the 0edi )aster was still alie, and 9arfalla and Raskta were ba*k on their feet- .f they *ould hold
Bane off for ;ust a few se*onds, the .thorian *ould resume his meditations and restore their
adanta!e-
D D D
?annah slid to the side, her spinnin! weapon redire*tin! the blade of her enemy away from her
throat and harmlessly up oer her shoulder- .ts twin *ame in 3ui*kly from the other side at her hip,
and she threw herself into a ba*k handsprin! to aoid it, landin! nimbly on her feet- (rimly, she
reali7ed that she/d neer understood the true meanin! of the term martial arts until now-
The warrior assailin! her had eleated the a*t of *ombat to its purest and hi!hest form- 6e moed
with the fluid !ra*e of a dan*er, his monstrous blade sin!in! the deadly son! of battle- 6e e+e*uted
his moes with a perfe*t ele!an*e born of obsession- ?annah knew it left him ulnerable to other
forms of atta*k, but he pressed her so relentlessly that she neer had a *han*e to effe*tiely !ather
her power-
6ad the 0edi en;oyed the same adanta!es Bane/s orbalisk armor proided, their en*ounter would
hae ended lon! a!o- Bane *ould shru! off otherwise lethal blows, for!oin! all sense of personal
safety in a re*kless assault of pure offense to oerwhelm her defenses- .n *ontrast, the man before
her, massie thou!h he was, would still die if her blades *au!ht him- 6e had to !uard a!ainst her
*ounteratta*ks, his style less a!!ressie so he didn/t leae himself ulnerable- 'en thou!h his
te*hni3ue was more refined than her )aster/s, she/d been able to withstand his assault--- so far-
6e *ame at her a!ain, his blade *han!in! dire*tions so 3ui*kly in midstroke that it seemed to bend
and *ure- ?annah repelled the assault with a furious defensie flurry, breathin! hard- 6er style was
meant to prolon! *ombat, e+haustin! her opponents as they tried to penetrate her defenses- But ea*h
time she *lashed with the olie,skinned !iant, she was the one for*ed to e+pend desperate, franti*
ener!y- Slowly, he was wearin! her down-
.t was more than ;ust his talent and trainin!- ?annah sensed some type of !reater power at work1 the
9or*e flowed throu!h him as if it was bein! *hanneled by another, !iin! een !reater stren!th to
her opponent-
"nother e+*han!e droe her ba*kward8 the man was *uttin! off the room, herdin! her ti!htly into
the *orner to limit her moement- 6e was takin! away her a!ility, knowin! she was no mat*h for
his stren!th- "nd there was nothin! she *ould do about it- Takin! another step ba*k, she felt her heel
butt up a!ainst the ed!e of the wall- There was nowhere left to !o8 the end was near-
%n the far side of the room she heard Bane howl in ra!e, and she bra*ed herself for a final stand she
knew she *ouldn/t surie- 6er opponent spun the lon! double,bladed li!htsaber around his own
body, !atherin! momentum for his ne+t atta*k- "nd then, suddenly, the power behind him,the 9or*e
bein! *hanneled throu!h him by another,was !one- ?annah felt it disappear, snuffed out like a
*andle in a puff of wind-
The bi! man hesitated, *astin! a 3ui*k !lan*e oer toward the others to see what had happened-
Sei7in! the opportunity, ?annah/s fin!ers fli*kered in stran!e patterns as she unleashed her Sith
sor*ery at her foe-
6is eyes went wide and he stumbled away from her, his li!htsaber swin!in! wildly at the air around
him as he was beset on all sides by ima!inary demons- 9lailin! in half,mad terror at the inisible
monsters, he i!nored ?annah as she swooped in and ended his life with one lon!, dia!onal stroke
a*ross his mus*ular *hest-
"s he fell to the !round, ?annah turned her attention to Bane on the far side of the room- 6e was
sin!le,handedly battlin! three 0edi, slowly pushin! them ba*k toward where the .thorian lay
*rumpled in a *orner-
(atherin! the dark side around her, ?annah *reated a *on*ealin! *loak to mask her power as she
had done at the 0edi Temple- While she did so, she saw the .thorian slowly rise to his feet and *lose
his eyes in *on*entration- She felt the sur!e of li!ht,side ener!y rollin! a*ross the room, as did
Bane/s opponents- Suddenly ini!orated, they ba*ked her )aster up a!ainst a wall, *on*entratin!
their atta*ks on his fa*e and the ;oints of his wrist where the orbalisks had left tiny !aps in his
armor-
?annah rushed to her )aster/s aid, *omin! up silently behind the 0edi- 6er presen*e hidden by her
spell of *on*ealment, they neer sensed her *omin!- She stru*k the '*hani down first, thrustin! her
blade forward so that it pier*ed the 0edi/s ba*k and ran her throu!h- The '*hani *ried out and
slumped forward, droppin! at ?annah/s feet- The men on either side half turned toward her,
momentarily for!ettin! the opponent dire*tly in front of them- Bane took the opportunity to sli*e off
the weapon hand of the man with the !reen li!htsaber- 6e s*reamed and dropped to his knees,
*lut*hin! his *auteri7ed stump- The ima!e pulled ?annah/s mind ba*k to the *ae on Ruusan where
she had taken her *ousin/s hand-
With a shake of her head, she dispelled the memory- 6er distra*tion had !ien the youn! 0edi a
*han*e to roll *lear of the battle- ?annah hesitated, un*ertain whether to finish him off or help her
)aster a!ainst the man he was still battlin!- The 3uestion be*ame moot a moment later when Bane
swatted the 0edi/s !olden li!htsaber aside with his orbalisk,en*rusted left forearm, then remoed his
foe/s head from his body with his li!htsaber-
.n the *orner the .thorian broke his meditatie tran*e, sensin! that his *ompanions had fallen- But
before he *ould a*t Bane leapt throu!h the air and landed in front of him, slashin! all four of his
throats simultaneously- The .thorian *rumpled to the !round, and Bane turned to finish off the one,
handed 0edi-
?annah felt the !atherin! dark side power of her )aster, but in the instant before he unleashed the
storm of deadly purple li!htnin!, the .thorian rea*hed up from the floor and *lut*hed him by his
ankle- " shimmerin! blue !lobe surrounded them both as the mortally wounded 0edi released his
own power in his final, dyin! a*t-
.nstead of ar*in! a*ross the room to destroy the one,armed 0edi, the li!htnin! that flew from Bane/s
fin!ers refle*ted off the inside of the shimmerin! blue !lobe en*asin! him- The bolts ri*o*heted
around wildly inside the !lobe, *reatin! a storm of ener!y so intense that ?annah had to shield her
eyes and look away- She heard Bane/s s*ream risin! aboe the sharp *ra*kle of ele*tri*ity, and when
she looked ba*k she saw the !lobe anish and her )aster fall to the !round in a *harred and
smokin! heap-
She started to run to him, then saw that the sole suriin! 0edi was *rawlin! toward where his
li!htsaber had fallen on the !round, determined to fi!ht on despite the loss of his hand-
6er fa*e fro7en in a mask of ra!e and hatred, she stepped forward and spun her li!htsaber aboe her
head- 6e looked at her with pleadin! eyes, but her only response was to brin! her blade *rashin!
down, endin! his life-
#hapter
22 When ?annah first rea*hed Bane/s side, she was sure her )aster was dead- The li!htnin! had
redu*ed his *lothes to ash, and his !loes and boots had melted away- The flesh of his fa*e and
hands was *harred and burned, *oered with blisters that oo7ed a runny yellow pus- Seeral of the
parasites on his *hest and stoma*h hadn/t suried, their brown shells turned bla*k and brittle by the
li!htnin!/s ele*tri*al *har!e- Wisps of still,smolderin! smoke *rept out from beneath their shells,
brin!in! with it a si*kly sten*h that made ?annah/s stoma*h *hurn-
Then she saw Bane/s *hest rise and fall, his breaths so shallow and faint she had almost missed
them- 6e must hae slipped into un*ons*iousness as his body went into sho*k from the unbearable
pain- She paused, half e+pe*tin! to see his seared skin and tissue be!in to re!enerate, but his
in;uries e+*eeded een the ability of the orbalisks to heal him, and nothin! happened-
The sound of a door openin! made her turn her head, !lan*in! up to see Daroit emer!in! from his
hidin! pla*e- 6e looked around at the *arna!e in the room, then saw ?annah *rou*hed oer her
)aster-
=.s he--- <= 6e left the 3uestion han!in! in the air-
=6e/s alie,= she said an!rily, risin! to her feet-
Daroit slowly walked oer to her side, *radlin! Belia/s 6olo*ron and the data*ard a!ainst his
sternum with his !ood hand- ?annah rea*hed out and snat*hed them away when he drew *lose- 6e
didn/t seem to noti*e, his eyes transfi+ed by the *harred husk at her feet that was somehow still
alie,
=(et the li!htsabers,= she *ommanded- =We/re leain!-=
Daroit had the !ood sense not to 3uestion her orders, but went to !ather the weapons of the fallen
0edi1 trophies of the Sith triumph on Tython-
?annah stuffed the 6olo*ron and data*ard away in the po*kets of her *lothin!, then took a deep
breath to fo*us her mind- She rea*hed out with the 9or*e and lifted Bane/s body off the !round,
leitatin! it at waist hei!ht-
She *arried her )aster this way from the fortress and outside, Daroit followin! *losely behind her-
She briefly *onsidered whi*h ship they should use to take them from Tython, then settled on the
&oranda- .n addition to bein! lar!er, it was also e3uipped with a full medi*al bay-
=%pen the *ar!o bay,= she ordered, noddin! her head in the dire*tion of the essel-
Daroit ra*ed ahead and did as she instru*ted, while ?annah slowly lifted her )aster up and into the
ship-
%n*e aboard they hooked Bane up to a ba*ta pump- 6is in;uries probably re3uired *omplete
submersion in a ba*ta tank for seeral days, but she didn/t hae a**ess to those kind of fa*ilities- "
ba*ta pump was the ne+t best thin!8 it in;e*ted a heay dose of the fluid dire*tly into his eins,
*ir*ulatin! it throu!h the body, then filterin! it out, only to repeat the pro*ess-
=6e/s stable,= Daroit said- =But he won/t be for lon!- When an orbalisk dies it poisons the host-=
=4ou read the information on the disk,= she said- =(et them off him-=
='en if . did it wouldn/t help,= Daroit told her, relayin! what he had learned from the disk- =.t/s
too late- The orbalisks release to+ins into the host/s tissue the instant they die- .t breaks down the
*ells at a mi*ros*opi* leel- 6e/ll be dead in a matter of days-=
=4ou/re a kriffin! healer:= she shouted- =6elp him:=
=. *an/t, ?annah,= he said softly- =$ot here- We don/t hae the proper e3uipment or supplies- "nd
een if we did, there/s nothin! . *an do- %n*e the orbalisk to+in enters the host, there/s no way to
stop its pro!ress-=
4ou *ant die yet, ?annah thou!ht bitterly, *hewin! on her lip- There/s so mu*h more you hae to
tea*h me:
6er )aster/s power was still far !reater than her own- She had the potential to surpass Bane,he had
told her so himself,but ri!ht now he still possessed a stren!th she *ould only aspire to- There were
se*rets he had not yet shared with her, keys to unlo*kin! een !reater power than she now
possessed- .f he died, that knowled!e was lost- .t was possible she mi!ht one day su**eed in
dis*oerin! it on her own8 with Bane as her )aster, su**ess was assured-
But what he still had to tea*h her went far beyond her ability to harness the ener!ies of the dark
side- 9or the past de*ade she had been fo*used only on learnin! to *ontrol her own power- %er that
same time, her )aster had be!un to assemble the pie*es that would one day allow the Sith to rise up
and rule the !ala+y-
6e/d *reated a ast network of spies and informants, but ?annah had no idea as to its true e+tent, or
een how to *onta*t them- 6e had put into motion a hundred lon!,ran!e plans to slowly build their
stren!th while weakenin! the Republi*- 4et she was only ;ust now be!innin! to understand the
s*ope and *omple+ity of his politi*al ma*hinations-
Bane was a isionary, able to see far into the future- 6e understood how to e+ploit the weaknesses
and ulnerabilities of the Republi*- 6e knew how to draw the eyes of the 0edi away from the dark
side, while at the same time leadin! them down the first steps of the lon! road that would end in
their *omplete annihilation- 6e *ould manipulate people, or!ani7ations, and !oernments, plantin!
seeds that would lay dormant for years,een de*ades,before they burst forth-
.f he died now, eerythin! he had put into pla*e oer the last ten years died with him- ?annah would
hae to start at the be!innin!- She would hae to find and train an apprenti*e, een as she was still
learnin! the full e+tent of her own abilities- She would be stumblin! blindly forward, beset by
enemies on all sides- .t was almost impossible to ima!ine she wouldn/t make a mistake that would
lead to her downfall--- and the e+tin*tion of the Sith-
She *ouldn/t allow that to happen- 9or the sake of their order, she had to keep him alie- "nd thou!h
Daroit mi!ht not hae the knowled!e and power to heal her )aster, she knew someone who did-
Someone who had saed his life on*e before-
=)ake sure he lies,= she said to Daroit, an implied threat in her tone-
&eain! the medi*al bay, she mar*hed to the *o*kpit and sat down behind the *ontrols- She pun*hed
in a *ourse for "mbria, but she wasn/t headin! ba*k to their *amp- She was !oin! to see a man
*alled #aleb-
D D D
Thou!h #aleb/s *amp was less than a hundred kilometers from their own on "mbria, ?annah had
neer met him- She knew him only from the tales of her )aster- Bane had told her the healer was
stron! in the 9or*e, but he didn/t draw on it the same way the Sith or 0edi did- &i!ht side and dark
side had no meanin! for him8 his was the power of nature-
6er )aster/s words hadn/t made sense at the time, but as they *ame in to land near the tiny,
dilapidated sha*k #aleb *alled home, she be!an to understand- There was power in this pla*e8 it
*alled to her, but in a stran!e and unfamiliar lan!ua!e-
She *ould smell it in the air when the *ar!o doors of their ship opened, and she *ould feel it beneath
her feet when she ;umped down from the ship- With ea*h step she took, the !round seemed to
ibrate, hummin! with a sound too 3uiet to hear, but deep enou!h that she *ould feel it in the ba*k
of her teeth-
Daroit walked behind her, manipulatin! the *ontrols that !uided the &omnda/s medi*al !urney- .t
floated alon! beside him, supportin! Bane/s still,un*ons*ious form- "s he had been when ?annah
brou!ht him forth from Belia/s stron!hold, her )aster was on*e a!ain bein! un*eremoniously
transported like *ar!o hoerin! a meter aboe the !round- This time, howeer, he was supported by
re,pulsorlifts rather than the 9or*e-
=This pla*e is ama7in!,= Daroit breathed- =./e neer felt anythin! like this before- So --- raw-=
?annah re*alled that, een thou!h he la*ked the power of the 0edi or Sith, her *ousin was also
attuned to the 9or*e- She briefly wondered if it was possible that he shared the same type of talent
as #aleb, then de*ided it made no differen*e why she was here- 9our days had passed sin*e they/d
left Tython, and Bane had !rown steadily weaker- .f they didn/t find help for him here, her )aster
would die-
0ud!in! from her first !lan*e, she didn/t hold out mu*h hope for his salation- "s was *ommon on
"mbria, they were surrounded on all sides by a desolate, arid wasteland stret*hin! out as far as the
eye *ould see- The only features of the lands*ape, other than a few s*attered ro*k out*roppin!s,
were #aleb/s sha*k and fire pit- The *amp appeared to be deserted-
The sha*k was small, a few meters on ea*h side- The walls were an!led at forty,fie de!rees,
meetin! at a peak in the *enter, makin! the stru*ture resemble a *rudely built pyramid- Where or
how #aleb had a*3uired the wood was impossible to say, but it was obious he hadn/t repla*ed it
anytime re*ently- The timber was faded and blea*hed by years in the sun, and thou!h it wouldn/t rot
in "mbria/s dry *limate, hundreds of lon! erti*al *ra*ks had formed in the !rain as the moisture
was lea*hed away- %n the wall fa*in! the fire pit was a small doorway leadin! into the hut- "
tattered blanket hun! down a*ross it, flutterin! sli!htly in the desert wind-
The fire pit was nothin! more than a small *ir*le of round stones, s*or*hed and bla*kened from
years of smoke and flame- " metal stand supported a lar!e iron pot oer the *enter of the *ir*le for
*ookin!, thou!h the pot was empty and the fire was *old-
?annah remembered from Bane/s tale how #aleb had plun!ed his own hand into the pot when it was
filled with boilin! soup, s*aldin! himself to proe to her )aster he feared no pain and *ouldn/t be
threatened or intimidated-
Ten years a!o the healer had initially refused to heal her )aster, thou!h ultimately Bane had
*ompelled him by threatenin! the life of #aleb/s dau!hter- ?annah wondered if, should they find
him, he would refuse to help Bane a!ain-
=6ello<= Daroit *alled out, his oi*e soundin! small in the emptiness all around them- =6ello<=
?annah moed slowly to the ramsha*kle hut and drew ba*k the blanket in the door- The only thin!
inside was a small sleepin! mat in the *orner- She stepped ba*k from the door, peerin! out at the
empty wastelands around the *amp to see if there was anywhere else #aleb mi!ht hae !one-
Daroit mimi*ked her a*tions, then offered up the only lo!i*al *on*lusion-
=$obody/s here-=
.t wasn/t ;ust #aleb that was missin!, ?annah had to admit- Where were the medi*ines the healer
would use to *ure those who sou!ht his aid< Where were the basi* supplies,food, water, fuel for the
fire,he would need to surie<
She re*alled that #aleb had *ome to "mbria to es*ape the war between the 0edi and the Sith-
5nfortunately for him, the war had eentually followed him een to this remote world- 4et the
healer had maintained a steadfast neutrality durin! the *onfli*t, refusin! to aid followers of either
the dark side or the li!ht8 only Bane had su**essfully *ompelled him to make an e+*eption to his
rule- )aybe with the end of the war, he had renoun*ed his solitary ways and returned to the world
of his birth, reinte!ratin! himself into !ala*ti* so*iety- .t was ;ust one of seeral possibilities that
would e+plain his disappearan*e-
6e *ould hae died- .t had been ten years sin*e Bane had isited the *amp, and thou!h #aleb
*ouldn/t be that old, it was possible somethin! had happened to him in the ensuin! de*ade- "mbria
*ould be a harsh and dan!erous world8 the healer mi!ht hae been slain and deoured by the hssiss,
the fearsome *arniorous li7ards that sometimes emer!ed from the depths of &ake $atth to feed-
The planet had its share of sentient predators, too- The handful of people who still lied on the
world suried by pi*kin! throu!h the remains of the battles that had on*e ra!ed oer its surfa*e
and in the skies aboe, findin! dama!ed items and old te*hnolo!y they *ould restore and sell
offworld- )ost of the ;unkers, as they were *alled, were simple folk ;ust tryin! to !et by- But a few
had be*ome desperate *riminals, willin! to kill oer anythin! of alue,like #aleb/s missin!
*olle*tion of medi*ine and supplies-
%r maybe the healer had fallen i*tim to some disease or affli*tion een he *ouldn/t *ure- .f he had
died of natural *auses, it wouldn/t take lon! until the arious desert s*aen!ers *arried off the last of
his remains, leain! behind no eiden*e of what had happened-
.t was *lear there was no help to be found here, but there was no point in !oin! anywhere else- Bane
had a day, at most, before the orbalisk to+ins rea*hed lethal leels in the tissues of his body- ?annah
simply stood there, unable to een think what she should do ne+t- "nd then she remembered
another detail from her )aster/s tale-
#aleb had tried to *on*eal his dau!hter from Bane- 6er )aster had easily dis*oered her *owerin!
inside the sha*k8 there was no other pla*e to hide in the small *amp- "t least, there hadn/t been ten
years a!o,
=Wait here,= she said to Daroit, leain! him to wat*h oer Bane on his !urney-
She went ba*k into the sha*k, ki*kin! the sleepin! mat aside to reeal a small trapdoor in the floor-
She used the 9or*e to flin! it open, and was rewarded with the si!ht of a man starin! up at her from
a small *ellar-
6is e+pression wasn/t one of fear, nor een an!er- $ot e+a*tly- 6e looked more like he was weary8
as if he knew his dis*oery was !oin! to lead to a lon! and tedious e+*han!e-
=%ut= ?annah said, steppin! ba*k and droppin! her hand to the handle of her li!htsaber-
Without a word, he *limbed up the *ellar/s small ladder until he stood beside her inside the sha*k-
6e looked to be in his late forties, a thin man of aera!e hei!ht- 6e had strai!ht bla*k hair that hun!
down to his shoulders, and his skin was brown and leathery from a de*ade of e+posure to "mbria/s
burnin! sun- There was nothin! about his appearan*e to su!!est he was a man of power or
importan*e, yet ?annah *ould sense his *alm inner stren!th-
=Do you know who . am<= she asked him-
=./e known eer sin*e you and your )aster built your *amp on this world,= he said 3uietly-
="nd you know why ./m here<=
=. sensed you *omin!- That was why . hid-=
She peeked down into the *ellar, notin! that it *ontained a number of small sheles lined with
bottles, ba!s, ;ars, and pou*hes that held the medi*ines and healin! *ompounds he used in his
o*ation- There were also a number of ration kits piled in one *orner, alon! with a handful of small,
s3uare supply *ontainers-
=When did you build that<= she asked, *urious-
=Shortly after my preious en*ounter with your )aster,= he answered- =. feared he would one day
*ome ba*k, and . wanted a pla*e for my dau!hter to hide-=
The man suddenly smiled at her, thou!h there was no ;oy or mirth in the e+pression-
=But now my dau!hter has !rown,= he told her- =She has left this world, neer to return- "nd you
hae no power oer me-=
="re you sayin! you will not help my )aster<= ?annah asked, not een botherin! to put a threat
into her oi*e-
=There is nothin! you *an do to *ompel me this time,= he replied, and she sensed a deep satisfa*tion
in his tone- She reali7ed he had been preparin! for this day for oer ten years-
=The war between the 0edi and Sith is oer,= ?annah told him- =)y )aster is no lon!er a soldier-
6e is ;ust an ordinary man who needs your help-=
The man smiled a!ain, flashin! his teeth in a feral !rin- =4our )aster will neer be ordinary-
Thou!h soon enou!h he will be dead-=
%ne !lan*e down at the man/s hand, permanently s*arred by the burns he had !ien himself
plun!in! it into the boilin! soup, made ?annah dismiss any ideas of usin! torture to *han!e his
mind- "nd she knew that any attempt to dominate his mind with the 9or*e would fail8 his will was
too stron! for her to bend it to her needs- =. *an !ie you *redits- 4ou/ll be ri*her than you *an
possibly ima!ine-=
6e waed his hands around at the austere little sha*k- =What use are *redits to a man like me<=
=What about your dau!hter<= ?annah *ountered- =Think of how mu*h easier her life *ould be-=
='en if . wanted to let my *hild take your blood payment, . *ould neer find a way to !et it to her-
9or her own prote*tion, . insisted she *han!e her name when she left this world- . do not know what
she is *alled now8 . do not know where she has !one-=
?annah *hewed her lip, then tried somethin! desperate- =.f you do not help my )aster . will hunt
your dau!hter down- . will find her, torture her, and kill her,= she owed, *arefully hittin! ea*h
word for emphasis- =But first . will make her wat*h as . torture and kill eery other person she *ares
about-=
#aleb smirked, amused at her empty threat- =(o, then- Seek her out and leae me alone- We both
know you will neer find her-=
"!ain, he had her- With no name and not een a physi*al des*ription, it would be impossible to
tra*k down one woman who *ould be on any of a million Republi* worlds-
S*owlin!, ?annah !lan*ed on*e more down at his s*arred hand- .t stood as mute testament to the
fa*t she *ouldn/t break him throu!h raw physi*al pain, no matter how brutal- But with no other
options left, she de*ided to try anyway-
She rea*hed out with the 9or*e and pi*ked #aleb up- 6is feet dan!led only a few *entimeters off the
floor, yet his head brushed a!ainst the sha*k/s low, slanted roof- She be!an to s3uee7e, applyin!
pressure dire*tly to his internal or!ans, slowly *rushin! them as she infli*ted an a!oni7in! pain few
bein!s had eer e+perien*ed- She was *areful to leae his lun!s alone, howeer,allowin! him
enou!h air to breath and speak-
=4ou know how to make this end,= she said *oldly- =Say you will heal my )aster-=
6e !runted and !asped in pain, but shook his head-
=?annah: What are you doin!<=
Daroit had *ome into the sha*k, *urious as to what was takin! her so lon!- $ow he stood in the
doorway, starin! in horror at the s*ene-
=Stop it:= he shouted at her- =4ou/re killin! him: 2ut him down:=
With a sharp !rowl of frustration she released her !rip, lettin! #aleb fall to the floor- Daroit rushed
to his side to see if he was okay, but the older man shook his head and waed him away- 6e rose to
his hands and knees, then settled ba*k onto his heels, his hands restin! on his thi!hs as he took slow,
deep breaths-
Daroit turned on her- =What did you do that for<= he demanded an!rily-
=6e refused to help us,= she said, her oi*e more defensie than she meant it to be-
=. will not release that monster on the !ala+y a se*ond time,= #aleb de*lared, his teeth still *len*hed
a!ainst the lin!erin! effe*ts of ?annah/s torture- =There is nothin! you *an do to make me sae
him-=
?annah dropped to one knee beside him- =. *an use my powers to *on;ure up your worst ni!htmares
and brin! them to life before your eyes,= she whispered- =. *an drie you mad with fear, shred your
sanity, and leae you a rain! lunati* for the rest of your life-=
Daroit ;ust stared at her, sho*ked by her words- #aleb only smiled his infuriatin! smile-
=.f you do,= the healer *almly replied, =your )aster will still die-= ?annah *hewed her lip, !larin! at
him- Then she leapt to her feet and stormed out of the *abin, leain! Daroit and #aleb alone-
#hapter 2@
9umin!, ?annah stomped her way a*ross the sand between #aleb/s sha*k and the ed!e of the *amp,
where her )aster lay on the hoer !urney
She *he*ked the monitor atta*hed to the !urney/s side, !ettin! a readin! of his itals- 6e was still
alie, but fadin! fast- Soon he would be !one, takin! all his knowled!e and se*rets with him-
She was standin! oer the !urney when Daroit emer!ed from the sha*k seeral minutes later- 6e
*rossed the *amp to stand beside her, !a7in! down at Bane-
=When he !oes,= he said, offerin! his *ousin words of *ondolen*e, =at least he/ll !o pea*efully-=
=2ea*e is a lie:= ?annah snarled ba*k- =.t doesn/t matter if you die in your sleep or on the battlefield,
dead is still dead-=
="t least he/s not feelin! any pain,= Daroit replied, tossin! out another meanin!less platitude-
=.f you feel pain,= she answered, =it means you/re still alie- (ie me pain oer pea*e any day-=
=. neer thou!ht ./d hear you say that, ?annah,= Daroit said sadly, shakin! his head, =#an/t you see
what he/s made you be*ome<= 6e made me be*ome a Sith, she thou!ht- %ut loud she said, =6e
made me stron!- 6e !ae me power-=
=.s that all you *are about now, ?annah< 2ower<=
=Throu!h power . !ain i*tory, and throu!h i*tory my *hains are broken-=
=2ower doesn/t always brin! i*tory,= Daroit *ountered- ='en with all the power you hae, you
*ouldn/t make #aleb help you=
Bane would hae found a way, she thou!ht bitterly, but didn/t say anythin!-
=. understand what happened to you= her *ousin said, pla*in! a *omfortin! hand on her shoulder,
=4ou were ;ust a kid- S*ared- "lone- Bane found you and took you in- . understand your loyalty to
him- . understand why you *are about him-=
?annah shook his hand off and turned to stare at him with an e+pression of wide,eyed disbelief-
=./m a Sith- . don/t *are about anyone but myself-=
=4ou *are about me-= ?annah didn/t reply, refusin! to be drawn a!ain into the same ar!ument they/d
had on the way to Tython-
=4ou don/t want to admit it= Daroit pressed, =but . know you *are about me- "nd about your
)aster, too- 4our a*tions proe that, no matter what you say- But #aleb/s ri!ht, you know- Bane/s a
monster8 we *an/t let him !o free-
=But he doesn/t ne*essarily hae to die,= he added- =What do you mean<= ?annah said, suddenly
wary- =. spoke with #aleb- 6e thinks you/re a monster, too- But he doesn/t know you like . do-
4ou/re not a monster, ?annah - - - but you/ll be*ome one if you let an!er and hate rule your life-=
=$ow you sound like the 0edi= she said *arefully- Daroit was *learly up to somethin!, but she
*ouldn/t fi!ure out what it was-
=./m startin! to reali7e they/re better than the alternatie,= he admitted- =. know what/s !oin! to
happen, ?annah- .f Bane dies, you/ll kill #aleb-=
She hesitated, then nodded- =2robably-= There was no point in lyin!-
=4ou/re balan*ed on the pre*ipi*e= her *ousin warned her, his oi*e suddenly ur!ent and intense-
=4ou *an still turn ba*k from this life, ?annah- But if Bane dies, . know your desire to aen!e him
will drie you to murder #aleb- "nd ./m afraid your )aster/s death will push you oer the ed!e- .t/ll
turn you into him-
=. don/t want you to turn into him,= he added more softly, noddin! down at Bane/s motionless form
on the !urney- =. hae to sae you from yourself- . had to find some way to stop you from killin!
#aleb- So . *onin*ed him to heal Bane- .t/s the only way to make you turn away from the tea*hin!s
of the Sith-=
=That--- that makes no sense,= ?annah said, her mind reelin! as she tried to wrap her head around
his lo!i*- =.f Bane lies he/ll neer let me abandon my studies-= "nd why would . een want to< she
added silently-
=Before #aleb will help,= her *ousin e+plained, =you hae to dispat*h one of the &oranda/s messa!e
drones- 4ou hae to tell the 0edi where we are so they *an *ome and arrest Bane-=
=What<= ?annah shouted, takin! a half step away from him, =That/s *ra7y:=
=$o, it/s not:= he said, !rabbin! her by the arm with his !ood hand and pullin! her ba*k to fa*e him-
=2lease, ?annah, ;ust listen to me- .f you send that messa!e to the 0edi and hand Bane oer to them,
it will proe you/re turnin! your ba*k on the ways of the Sith- .t will show you want to make up for
all the pain and sufferin! you/e *aused-
="nd it/s the only way #aleb will a!ree to heal him,= he added a se*ond later, lettin! !o of her arm-
=4ou saw what Bane *an do,= she said- =What/s to stop him from killin! the 0edi when they !et
here<=
=The orbalisk to+in is meltin! Bane/s body from the inside- 'en with #aleb/s help it will be weeks,
maybe months, before he *an een !et out of bed-=
=So what/s to stop me from ;ust takin! Bane away as soon as he/s healed<=
=4our !reatest weapon is se*re*y- The 0edi think your %rder is e+tin*t- They won/t waste their time
*hasin! shadows eery time someone whispers the word Sith- That/s the only reason you/e been
able to surie so far-
=But on*e you send off the messa!e drone, eerythin! *han!es- They/ll know the Sith still e+ist-
They/ll hae the proof they need to drie them to a*tion- 'ery 0edi Kni!ht and 0edi )aster a*ross a
million worlds will be sear*hin! for you- The Sith won/t be able to hide anymore-=
?annah knew he was ri!ht- .t was the ery reason Bane had worked so hard to keep their e+isten*e
nothin! more than an unfounded rumor-
=Besides,= Daroit added, =#aleb won/t do anythin! unless we disable the ship first- .f you try to
run, you/ll hae to dra! Bane out into the desert on foot- 'en if he suried the trip, you wouldn/t
!et ery far before the 0edi arried-=
=Sounds like the healer doesn/t trust me,= ?annah mumbled darkly-
=4ou did almost kill him,= her *ousin pointed out-
=.f . hand him oer to the 0edi,= she wondered aloud, =what happens to me<=
=. don/t know,= the youn! man admitted- =The 0edi mi!ht arrest you, too- But ./m hopin! they/ll
re*o!ni7e your a*tions as a turnin! point in your life- )aybe they/ll see it as an attempt to make
amends-
=)aybe they/ll een take you in,= he su!!ested- =./e heard the 0edi beliee in the power of
redemption- "nd, like . said, it/s better than the alternatie-=
=What about you<= she asked- =What will you do<=
=. won/t be part of this if you *hoose to kill #aleb and let Bane die,= he told her- =But . don/t think
you will-=
=6ow *an you be so sure<=
=./e told you, ?annah,we share a bond- . *an tell what you/re thinkin!, what you/re feelin!- 4ou/re
afraid of bein! alone - - - but you/re not alone- $ot anymore-
=4ou/ll make the ri!ht *hoi*e- "nd when you do, ./ll be there for you-=
She wei!hed the offer *arefully, *hewin! on her lip so hard her teeth drew blood- .f she refused,
Bane was dead and she/d hae to *ontinue the Sith %rder on her own- Kill #aleb, find an
apprenti*e --- probably kill Daroit, too- .f she a!reed, she had to betray her )aster to the 0edi,
whi*h would mark the end of the Sith and the first step in her lon! road of redemption and
atonement-
=Bane/s time is runnin! out,= her *ousin prodded- =4ou hae to de*ide-=
The two paths loomed lar!e before her1 alone into the darkness, or into the li!ht with Daroit at her
side- She spun the problem oer and oer in her mind until, finally, the answer *ame to her-
=Tell #aleb . a!ree to his demands-=
D D D
Bane opened his eyes slowly8 his lids felt heay, wei!hed down as if they were lined with metal
filin!s- 6e *ould feel them brushin! oer his pupils, rubbin! like sandpaper as he blinked a!ainst
the harsh li!ht streamin! down on him- The bri!htness made him s3uint a!ain as he tried to sit up-
6is body refused to moe- &e!s, arms, and torso i!nored the impulses from his brain to rise- 'en
his head *ouldn/t bud!e- There was sensation in his e+tremities1 6e *ould tell he was lyin! on his
ba*k, and he *ould feel the rou!h !rain of a burlap sheet or a *oarsely woen *loth a!ainst his skin-
But he was paraly7ed, unable to moe-
6e let his eyes fli*ker open on*e more, and the bri!htness be!an to fade as his pupils !radually
*ontra*ted- 6e was starin! up at a low, slopin! *eilin! of simple wooden planks- " ray of sunli!ht
beamed throu!h a narrow *ra*k in the wood, shinin! dire*tly on his fa*e-
(roanin! he mana!ed to turn his head to the side so the li!ht no lon!er hit his eyes- The *han!e of
an!le also !ae him a better iew of the room he was in1 small, plain, and stran!ely familiar- Before
he *ould mat*h the settin! to any of his memories, a fi!ure stepped into his line of si!ht-
9rom the fa*t that he was starin! dire*tly into a pair of worn leather boots, Bane dedu*ed that he
was lyin! on the floor- The fi!ure stood oer him for a moment, then *rou*hed down to look him in
the eye-
The fa*e,ten years older, but unmistakable,;o!!ed the Dark &ord/s memory- 6e had lain on this ery
floor oer a de*ade earlier on the border between life and death, een as he lay now-
#aleb, he tried to say, but the only sound that *ame out was a soft !roan- &ike the rest of his body,
his lips, ton!ue, and ;aw refused to moe- Bane tried to *all upon the power of the dark side to !rant
him stren!th, but his will was as weak and helpless as the rest of him-
=6e/s awake,= #aleb *alled out loudly, neer takin! his eyes off his patient-
9rom outside Bane heard the sound of approa*hin! footsteps- 6e tried to speak a!ain, pourin! all
his stren!th into a sin!le word-
=#aleb-=
6is oi*e was a faint whisper, but this time the word was *lear- The healer didn/t bother to respond-
.nstead he stood up, leain! Bane starin! at his boots on*e more- Bane heard the dull thud of
runnin! footsteps on the sand outside *han!e to the sharp *la*k of boot heels on the sha*k/s wooden
floor-
=&et me see him:=
6e re*o!ni7ed the oi*e of his apprenti*e, and his mind slowly be!an to reassemble the pie*es of
what had happened- 6e remembered the battle with the 0edi on Tython8 he remembered unleashin!
a storm of 9or*e li!htnin! at the last of his foes- 6e remembered the kriffin! shield the .thorian
)aster had thrown up around him- "fter that, all his memories were of unbearable pain-
Somehow the 0edi/s barrier had trapped Bane inside the *enter of the dark side storm- The ele*tri*ity
had eneloped him, millions of olts ar*in! throu!h his body, *ookin! his flesh from the inside and
throwin! his mus*les into an endless series of iolent sei7ures that threatened to rip his body apart-
The ener!y had *oursed throu!h the orbalisks embedded in his skin, too- The *reatures absorbed the
power, hun!rily deourin! it until they be*ame so en!or!ed that the soft, pliant flesh of their
underbellies had be!an to swell- S3uee7ed eer ti!hter a!ainst the unyieldin! *hitin of their own
e+terior shells, they/d be!un to burrow deeper into Bane- 6e remembered s*reamin! as thousands of
tiny teeth started sawin! away at sub*utaneous tissue, *hewin! throu!h mus*les, tendons, and een
bone-
But burrowin! deeper hadn/t stopped the *reatures from feastin! on the ele*tri*ity *oursin! throu!h
Bane/s fryin! innards- They/d *ontinued to e+pand until they had be!un to pop, rupturin! like
oerfilled balloons pin*hed beneath the hard shells-
Bane had stayed *ons*ious throu!h the torture of the ele*tri*ity *ookin! him alie and the a!ony of
the teeth burrowin! into his flesh- But the indes*ribable pain from the *hemi*als released by the
e+plodin! orbalisks dissolin! his body on a *ellular leel finally *aused him to bla*k out--- only to
wake up here-
" pair of boots stepped in beside #aleb/s1 the smaller feet of a woman, most likely ?annah-
=6e/s tryin! to speak,= #aleb said from up aboe Bane/s line of si!ht-
6e tried to tilt his head a!ain, this time mana!in! to look up toward the pair standin! oer him-
?annah noti*ed and *rou*hed down to raise his head and shoulders- She slid a makeshift pillow
formed by her balled,up *loak underneath his ne*k to support him- 6e felt her lon!, thin fin!ers on
his ba*k as she did so-
The *onta*t brou!ht a reali7ation *rashin! down on Bane,the orbalisks were !one: That was why he
had felt the *oarse blankets a!ainst his bare skin- That was why he *ould feel ?annah/s fin!ers
pressin! a!ainst his flesh-
=%rbalisks<= he mana!ed to !asp-
=We had to remoe them= his apprenti*e informed him- =They were killin! you-=
Bane felt the world !oin! dim a!ain, his body e+hausted by the two words he had spoken- "s he
lost *ons*iousness, he felt a pan! of re!ret for what he had lost-
D D D
To ?annah/s untrained eye, her )aster looked mu*h stron!er when he opened his eyes a!ain two
days later- This time he was able to turn his head slowly from side to side, takin! in the
surroundin!s of #aleb/s home and the nearby presen*e of his apprenti*e-
=What happened<= he asked-
The words were faint, his oi*e still raw and ra!!ed-
=#aleb healed you,= she told him, ad;ustin! the pillow she had taken from the &oranda and pla*ed
under his head and shoulders to prop him up- =6e saed your life-=
9our days a!o su*h a statement would hae been hard to ima!ine- #aleb had wat*hed ?annah
pro!ram the messa!e drone and send it off to the 0edi, then warned her there was a stron! *han*e
Bane wouldn/t surie the treatment-
She/d thou!ht at first it mi!ht be a ploy, an e+*use #aleb was !iin! to *oer up his a*tions if he
de*ided to let her )aster die --- or simply killed him- So she/d kept a *lose eye on the healer durin!
Bane/s treatment- 'en thou!h she knew there were a hundred ways he *ould end Bane/s life
without her hain! any *lue as to what he was doin!, ?annah hoped her presen*e mi!ht dissuade
him from tryin! anythin! underhanded-
$ow she reali7ed how pointless her i!il had been- #aleb was a man of his word8 he was burdened
and bound by foolish notions like honor- 6e had promised to help Bane as lon! as she alerted the
0edi, and sin*e she had held up her end of the bar!ain, he had made eery effort to do the same-
?annah had ori!inally su!!ested moin! Bane ba*k to the &o,randa/s medi*al bay for the
treatments, but #aleb had refused- 6e/d *laimed the powerful ener!ies *oursin! throu!h the land
around his *amp !ae stren!th to his medi*ine- Daroit had a!reed, and ?annah, hain! felt the
power of the pla*e herself, had relented-
The healer had started by for*in! a foul,smellin! li3uid he had *on*o*ted in his *ookin! pot down
Bane/s throat to *ounter the effe*ts of the orbalisk to+ins- Daroit had warned her that the poison
was killin! Bane, eatin! away at his body- But it was only when they be!an to peel away the
orbalisks, be!innin! with the *harred shells of those that had died, that ?annah understood the full
s*ope of how badly her )aster had suffered-
What lay beneath *ould no lon!er be *alled skin8 it *ouldn/t een be properly *alled flesh- " pulpy
mass of !reen and bla*k i*hors released by the parasiti* or!anisms mi+ed with oo7in! white pus and
bloody red tissue from Bane/s own body- &ookin! at the dama!e it was obious, een to someone
like ?annah, with no medi*al e+pertise, that the only thin! keepin! Bane alie was his power in the
9or*e- 6is wounds !ae off the !an!renous odor of spoiled meat, and it was all she *ould do not to
omit-
The ne+t step inoled remoin! the still,liin! orbalisks- The key, as ?annah had suspe*ted, was
ele*tri*ity- #aleb had brewed a sti*ky, hi!hly *ondu*tie !el oer his fire, then used it to *oat the
e+terior shell of ea*h orbalisk- $e+t he took a lon!, thin needle atta*hed to a power *ell sala!ed
from the &oranda and inserted it into a tiny hole at the ery tip of the orbalisk/s plated skull- The
needle pier*ed the soft body underneath, dis*har!in! a powerful ele*tri*al ;olt to stun the *reature-
This *aused the orbalisk to release a small burst of solent *hemi*als that weakened the powerful
adhesie the *reature used to bond itself to the host- With the adhesie bond weakened, the *reature
*ould be manually pried loose- The still,stunned parasites were then tossed into a lar!e, water,filled
tank hooked up to one of the &oM randa/s power *ells and killed with a final dose of ele*tri*ity- The
pro*ess had to be *arefully repeated for ea*h indiidual in the *olony that had sprouted oer Bane/s
body, and een with both Daroit and #aleb workin! on him the pro*edure had taken seeral hours-
The flesh beneath the liin! orbalisks was pale and ra!!ed, with deep, weepin! sores where it had
been *onstantly *hewed and !nawed by the parasites/ tiny teeth- The wounds looked minor when
*ompared with the !risly mess beneath the dead shells-
%n*e Bane was *leansed of the infestation, #aleb had rubbed a sale oer his entire body and
wrapped him head,to,toe in banda!es-
The dressin!s had been *han!ed eery four hours for the first two days, the sale reapplied ea*h
time-
?annah was impressed with #aleb/s skill- Bane had been little more than a mass of dead and
infe*ted tissue when the healer had be!un, and by the time the banda!es *ame off for !ood Bane/s
raa!ed body had been reborn- 6is skin was now a bri!ht pink, unusually supple and e+tremely
sensitie, thou!h oer the *omin! weeks she/d been told it would slowly return to a more normal
*olor and te+ture-
=#aleb saed me<= Bane muttered softly- =6ow did you *onin*e him<=
?annah hesitated, not sure what to tell him- Daroit and #aleb were ;ust outside the door8 they
*ould walk in at any moment- But een if they *au!ht her tellin! Bane about the messa!e drone,
why would they *are< The deed was done- 6er )aster was still too weak to stand, and by now the
0edi were probably less than a day away from "mbria-
=We had to tell the 0edi you were here- . sent a messa!e tellin! them a Sith &ord had killed fie 0edi
on Tython- . told them you were with #aleb on "mbria, in;ured and helpless- They/re *omin! for
you-=
"n!er flashed throu!h Bane/s eyes and he tried to sit up, but only mana!ed to raise his head a few
*entimeters off the pillow before fallin! ba*k- Reali7in! he was helpless, her )aster stared at her
with a**usin! eyes-
=4ou e+posed me,= he said- =4ou betrayed me-=
=. had to keep you alie,= she e+plained, fallin! ba*k on the ar!ument she had used to make her
final de*ision- =4ou still hae so mu*h to tea*h me-=
=6ow *an that happen now<= he demanded an!rily- =The 0edi will neer allow it-=
?annah didn/t hae an answer she *ould !ie him- Bane *losed his eyes, thou!h whether in defeat or
thou!ht she *ouldn/t say- She *ould ;ust make out Daroit and #aleb talkin! in low oi*es outside
by the fire-
Bane/s eyes opened a few se*onds later, burnin! with a fier*e intensity-
=Darth ?annah, you are my apprenti*e- The heir to my le!a*y- 4ou *an still *laim the destiny that is
yours by ri!ht- 4ou *an still as*end to the rank of Sith )aster-=
6e was speakin! louder now, his stren!th slowly returnin!- ?annah wondered if the men outside
*ould hear him-
=Take your li!htsaber and strike me down: #laim my title as your own- Slay the others and flee this
pla*e before the 0edi arrie- Seek out a new apprenti*e- Keep our %rder alie =
?annah shook her head- #aleb had already *onsidered that possibility, and effe*tiely eliminated it-
=%ur ship is disabled, and the 0edi will be here in a matter of hours- 'en if . flee into the desert,
they will find me before . *an es*ape this world-=
=. neer thou!ht you would fail me so utterly,= Bane told her, turnin! his head away from her in
dis!ust- =. neer thou!ht you would be the one to destroy the Sith-=
She didn/t say anythin! in her defense, and a few se*onds later Bane turned ba*k to fa*e her on*e
more, *astin! his eyes to the li!htsaber on her belt-
=. don/t want to lie as a prisoner to the 0edi,= he said, his oi*e low, as if he now knew there were
others who mi!ht oerhear, =4ou *an end this before they arrie-=
?annah shook her head- She hadn/t !one to all the trouble of sain! her )aster/s life ;ust to kill him
now- =While you lie there is still hope, Bane,= she said 3uietly, worried what Daroit or #aleb
would think if they heard her words- 4et she had to offer some type of reassuran*e to her )aster-
=The Sith may yet rise a!ain-=
Bane shook his head, thou!h it took a monumental effort- =The 0edi will neer allow me to es*ape-
They will sense my power, and keep me under the *onstant !uard of a do7en 0edi Kni!hts until the
Senate de*ides to e+e*ute me for my *rimes- Kill me now and deny them their ;usti*e-=
?annah had spent the past two days by Bane/s side, waitin! for him to wake a!ain- .t had been *lear
he would lie, but she/d wanted to speak with her )aster to be *ertain his mind was still inta*t-
She/d wanted proof that all his fa*ulties,his intelli!en*e, his *unnin!, had suried his ordeal- She
had it now, ironi*ally e+pressed in his desire to die-
=" Sith neer surrenders, )aster,= she told him-
="nd only a fool fi!hts a battle that *annot possibly be won,= he answered sharply- =The 0edi will be
here soon- "*t now- Strike me down:=
She shook her head- 6er )aster tried to rise, his fury !iin! him the stren!th to sit halfway up- "nd
then he *ollapsed ba*k onto the pillow, utterly e+hausted-
"s her )aster slipped on*e more into un*ons*iousness, ?annah reali7ed he was ri!ht- The 0edi were
*omin!, and if she didn/t a*t now it would be too late- She stood up and drew her li!htsaber,
knowin! the hum of its blade would alert the two men outside- She didn/t *are- By the time they
reali7ed what she was doin! it would be too late-
#hapter 2C
The &i!ht of Truth, one of the many 0edi *ruisers that had been in*orporated into the Republi* fleet
after the Ruusan Reformations, landed with a soft thump on "mbria/s desolate surfa*e-
=Be ready for anythin!,= )aster Tho/natu warned his team as they prepared to disembark-
Ba*k before he a*hieed the rank of )aster, the Twi/lek had sered as a 0edi Kni!ht in the "rmy of
&i!ht on Ruusan- 6e had been assi!ned to 9arfalla/s ship, lu*kily in time to aoid the effe*ts of the
thou!ht bomb, but not before he/d had ample opportunity on Ruusan to witness first,hand the kind
of atro*ities the Sith were *apable of- 6e wasn/t about to take any *han*es here-
They/d been dispat*hed in response to a messa!e drone that had arried on #orus*ant a few days
before- The anonymous messa!e inside had been *rypti*ally short, and somewhat dis3uietin! in its
la*k of detail- .t *ontained only a set of landin! *oordinates and four brief lines of te+t-
" Sith &ord still lies- 6e killed fie 0edi on Tython- 6e is now on
"mbria, under the *are of a healer named #aleb- 6e is badly in;ured and helpless-
&ess than two weeks a!o )aster 9arfalla and four *ompanions had hastily taken off from
#orus*ant, leain! behind word they were headin! to Tython in pursuit of a Dark &ord of the Sith-
They hadn/t been heard from sin*e- The messa!e drone offered a !rim e+planation of their fate, and
it drew an immediate response from the 0edi #oun*il-
They/d 3ui*kly assembled a team of fourteen 0edi, si+ )asters and ei!ht 0edi Kni!hts, and sent
them to "mbria under Tho/natu/s *ommand to apprehend the man responsible for the massa*re of
)aster 9arfalla and his *ompanions- The ;ourney had been made with all possible haste, but now
that they were here they intended to pro*eed with *aution, wary of walkin! into a trap-
The landin! *oordinates had set them down a few hundred meters from a small wooden hut and a
tiny *ampfire- " *ruiser with the name &%R"$D" embla7oned on its side was parked nearby-
The landin! bay doors opened, and Tho/natu and the others leapt to the !round, ready to draw their
li!htsabers at the first si!n of trouble- The air around them trembled with a stran!e and unfamiliar
sensation of power, thou!h beneath was the unmistakable taint of the dark side-
=9irst and se*ond units, !o *he*k out that ship,= he said- =Third unit e+plores the *amp with me-=
$ine 0edi rushed off toward the &oranda, while Tho/natu and the others approa*hed the *amp- What
they saw as they drew nearer filled them with reulsion1 Someone had been literally *hopped to
pie*es-
'is*erated *hunks of human anatomy littered the !round around the *ampfire- "rms had been
hewn off at the shoulder, then sli*ed a!ain at the elbows and wrist- The same had been done to the
lower limbs, dismembered into feet, le!s, and thi!hs- 'en the torso had been *ared into 3uarters-
The *lean, *auteri7ed *uts left no doubt the but*her/s weapon of *hoi*e had been a li!htsaber-
%nly the head remained whole, pla*ed like a trophy atop an upside,down *ookin! pot restin! on the
!round- " human male with lon!, bla*k hair, he appeared to hae been forty or fifty years of a!e-
6is features were twisted in a !ruesome mask of pain and terror8 Tho/natu wondered how many of
the wounds had been infli*ted while he was still alie-
=What kind of madness *ould make someone do this<= one of the others asked, but )aster Tho/natu
had no answer-
"t a nod from their *ommander, the 0edi i!nited their weapons- They *rept toward the small sha*k,
their *ommander in the lead- "s a unit, they stopped when he heard a soft sound *omin! from inside
the buildin!1 hard ra!!ed breaths broken by tremblin! sobs and whimpers of fear-
" tattered blanket hun! down a*ross the buildin!/s open doorway, obs*urin! their iew- The Twi/lek
rea*hed out with the 9or*e to try to sense whoeer was hidin! inside, but somethin!,likely the
stran!e, underlyin! power of the *ampsite itself,blurred his awareness-
=. am )aster Tho/natu of the 0edi= he *alled out, fli*kin! off his li!htsaber/s blade- =We/re here to
help you-=
" s*ream of in*oherent ra!e erupted from the sha*k- " youn! man burst from the doorway,
brandishin! a !olden li!htsaber aboe his head in his left hand- 6is ri!ht hand was nothin! but a
stump, and there was a *ra7ed !leam in his eye-
=$o:= he shrieked as he *har!ed at them, flailin! wildly with his weapon- =4ou/ll neer !et me: $o:
$o: $o:=
)aster Tho/natu i!nited his blade as the man fell on him with the fury of madness, his *ries turnin!
to mindless, beastly howls- The rest of his team rea*ted on instin*t, leapin! to their *ommander/s
de, fense- The battle lasted less than three se*onds, the rain! youn! man *ut down by a swarm of
0edi li!htsabers-
When it was oer, the 0edi took up defensie positions fa*in! the sha*k, weapons poised as they
bra*ed themseles for another potential atta*k- 9or seeral se*onds nothin! happened, and there
were no further sounds of life from inside- )otionin! for the others to stay ba*k, Tho/natu *rept
forward and pulled aside the blanket *oerin! the doorway-
The room beyond was empty e+*ept for fie li!htsaber handles lyin! beside the door- The 0edi
)aster stepped inside the small buildin!, his keen mind 3ui*kly pie*in! to!ether what must hae
happened-
6e re*alled that 9arfalla had used a !olden blade, ;ust like the one the man had atta*ked them with-
The li!htsabers here were trophies, taken from those who had died on Tython by their killer- The
man outside was youn!, but the 0edi were tau!ht that the dark side led to 3ui*k and easy power,
power enou!h to kill 9arfalla and the others, espe*ially if they/d been led into some type of trap-
The Sith had slain the 0edi and *laimed their weapons, thou!h he must hae suffered !rieous
in;uries in the battle, in*ludin! the loss of his hand-
6e had probably tried to *all on the power of the dark side to heal himself- But the 0edi )aster
knew the dark side *ouldn/t heal8 it only *aused harm- The mis!uided attempt was likely what
dama!ed the youn! man/s mind- Wounded and half mad, he had *ome to "mbria to seek aid from
the healer- By the time he arried at this pla*e he would hae been near death, and *ompletely
helpless-
That/s when #aleb must hae dispat*hed the messa!e drone to warn the 0edi-
" Sith &ord still lies- 6e killed fie 0edi on Tython- 6e is now on "mbria, under the *are of a
healer named #aleb- 6e is badly in;ured and helpless-
6e must hae sensed who and what the youn! man was as he healed his horrifi* in;uries- But #aleb
had underestimated the Sith &ord/s power,and the de!eneratin! state of his madness- Before the 0edi
*ould arrie, the Sith had re*oered enou!h to torture and kill #aleb for e+posin! him- The healer/s
prolon!ed and is*eral death must hae further fueled the youn! man/s psy*hosis, redu*in! him to
the rain! *reature that had lun!ed at them from the hut-
"ll the pie*es fit- .t all made sense-
=)aster,= one of the other 0edi said, peekin! in throu!h the door- =The rest of the *amp is deserted-=
=What about the ship< The &orandar
=$obody on board,= he reported- =.t looks like somebody sabota!ed her before we !ot here-=
2robably #aleb, Tho/natu reali7ed- 6e wanted to make sure the Sith *ouldn/t es*ape- .f the youn!
man had found out, that *ould e+plain the brutality of #aleb/s death-
=.t would probably only take two or three days to make the repairs,= the 0edi informed him-
=&eae it for the ;unkers,= the Twi/lek said with a shake of his head- There were only two thin!s he
wanted to brin! ba*k from this a**ursed pla*e- =#olle*t the healer/s remains- We/ll !ie him a
proper burial on #orus*ant-=
The man nodded and s*urried off to relay his orders-
)aster Tho/natu bent oer and !athered up the li!htsabers of his fallen *omrades from Tython, so
they *ould be !ien a pla*e of honor in the Temple- The loss of 9arfalla and his *ompanions was a
terrible tra!edy, as was what had happened here- But at least he *ould !o ba*k to the 0edi #oun*il
and tell them with absolute *ertainty that the last of the Sith &ords had died on "mbria-
6e e+ited the small sha*k and headed ba*k to his ship, knowin! that the memories of the !ruesome
massa*re on "mbria would haunt him for the rest of his life- 6e neer thou!ht to e+amine the small
sleepin! mat in the *orner- 6e neer noti*ed the trapdoor built into the floor beneath it- "nd he
neer sensed the apprenti*e and her un*ons*ious )aster, masked by Sith sor*ery, hidin! silently in
the *ellar ;ust below his feet-
'2.&%(5'
.t took ?annah three days to make the repairs to the &oranda- She/d loaded Bane into the ship and
hooked him up to the ba*ta pump so he *ould *ontinue to re*uperate while she worked, sedatin!
him to a**elerate the healin! pro*ess- $ow that their essel was ready to leae "mbria, she went in
to *he*k on her )aster one last time-
6e was still un*ons*ious, lyin! on his ba*k on the !urney as she had left him- She stepped forward
to *he*k his itals and his eyes flew open, burnin! with ra!e- 6is hand snapped out and sei7ed her
wrist, *len*hin! it with the stren!th of an iron *law-
=Where are the 0edi<= he asked in a fier*e whisper, fi+in! her with a look of pure hatred as he lifted
himself up onto one elbow- 6is !rip on her wrist ti!htened, makin! her win*e-
=They/re !one = she said, tryin! to stay *alm- =They/e !one ba*k to #orus*ant-=
She *ould feel Bane/s power,whole on*e more,*oursin! throu!h his eins- She *ould feel the heat of
his an!er, and she knew one wron! word and he/d snap her ne*k in two with the 9or*e-
=Why<= he !rowled-
=They think they killed the Dark &ord on "mbria,= she replied- =They think the Sith are e+tin*t-=
Bane tilted his head to the side, *urious- =#aleb<=
=. killed him-=
=4our *ousin<
=Dead- Killed by the 0edi-=
"n unwanted ision of the pitiful *reature she had turned Daroit into flashed throu!h her mind-
She remembered him huddled in the *orner, 3uierin! in terror- 6e *lut*hed the handle of a
li!htsaber a!ainst his *hest, his only defense a!ainst the horrors and ni!htmares he saw *rawlin!
toward him from eery *orner- She swept the memory away with a 3ui*k shake of her head-
Bane released his hold and lay ba*k in his bed, his an!er fadin!-
=4ou hae done well, ?annah= he said, his eer,*unnin! mind fillin! in the blanks enou!h for him
to surmise what she had done- She smiled at the *ompliment-
=. underestimated you,= he *ontinued- =6ad . known your plans, . would neer hae asked you to
kill me-=
=4ou still hae mu*h to tea*h me = ?annah reminded him- =. will *ontinue to study at your feet,
)aster- . will learn from your wisdom- . will dis*oer your se*rets, unlo*kin! them one by one until
eerythin! you know,all your knowled!e and all your power,is mine- "nd on*e you are no lon!er
of use to me, . will destroy you-=
Bane raised an eyebrow at her words, and she *ould tell he approed- 6er ambition was !ood8 it
would !ie her power- 6er talents and abilities would *ontinue to !row- .n time, she would
*hallen!e her )aster for the ri!ht to rule, and only the stron!er would surie- .t was ineitable- .t
was the way of the Sith-
=%ne day . will surpass you,= ?annah warned him- ="nd on that day . will kill you, &ord Bane- But
that day is not today-=
"B%5T T6' "5T6%R
DR'W K"R24S64$ is the $ew 4ork Times bestsellin! author of Star Wars1 Darth Bane1 2ath of
Destru*tion and )ass 'ffe*t1 Reelation, as well as seeral other fantasy and s*ien*e fi*tion noels-
6e is also an award,winnin! writerO desi!ner for the *omputer !ame *ompany BioWare, where he
was lead writer on )ass 'ffe*t and the blo*kbuster Sfar Wars1 Kni!hts of the %ld Republi* ideo
!ames- 6e lies in "lberta, #anada, with his wife, 0en, and their *at-