Duel on Lehon

The Duel on Lehon was a lightsaber duel fought in 1,000 BBY between the Sith Lord Kas'im and Darth Bane. Bane had turned his back on the Brotherhood of Darkness, believing it to be a mirror for the Jedi Order and have turned away from the true principles of the dark side. Kas'im was sent by Kaan, leader of the Brotherhood, to try and sway Bane back from his desertion of the Brotherhood, or kill him for his desertion. When Bane would not be convinced, Kas'im attacked.

Prelude
"Did Kaan send you to kill me? " " If you will not join the Brotherhood, I will leave your corpse on this barren and forgotten world."

- Bane questions Kas'im's purpose on Lehon

Bane had risen through the Korriban Academy, but had researched much about the ancient Sith from the library on Korriban. Having searched the library archives, Bane yearned to know more secrets of the Sith. He had scourged the abandoned Valley of the Sith on Korriban, he eventually concluded that the Brotherhood's failure was the reason the spirits or previous Sith spirits, along with their knowledge, had left the tombs. The Brotherhood's promise of equality of the Sith Lords went against the very doctrine of the dark side. In a public act of betrayal, Bane accused Qordis of sending the Zabrak appentice, Sirak, to kill him, announced the turning of the Brotherhood from the dark side, and assumed the title Darth Bane, fully renouncing the Brotherhood and everything it stood for.

In the libraries Bane discovered references to the Unknown World, Lehon, last world where the Rakatan had existed, formed home to the Star Forge, a planet strong in the dark side of the Force. Bane stole Qordis' ship, the Valcyn, and flew to the abandoned planet. Using the Force to extract memories from a rancor, he discovered the location of a Rakatan temple wherein he discovered the holocron of Darth Revan. Bane then spent weeks learning all the secrets the holocron had to offer. It was here he conceived the Rule of Two, and began plotting a new way to overthrow the Jedi Order with secrecy and cunning rather than by power of arms alone.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students of Korriban had joined the Brotherhood or Darkness on Ruusan. Githany, Bane's former mentor, had sensed a premonition in the Force, telling her Bane would come to Ruusan and destroy the whole Brotherhood. When she informed Kaan of this, the leader decided to send Kas'im to convince Bane to return to the fold. The Twi'lek Blademaster was becoming irritated at the lack of combat on Ruusan due to Lord Hoth's guerilla tactics, and Kaan felt his frustration could stir the Sith into rebellion against him. To halve Kaan's problems, he decided to pit one against the other. Kaan knew that Bane would travel to Lehon, and under Kaan's instruction, Kas'im flew a Sith Buzzard to the ancient dark side world. The Blademaster touched down near the Rakatan Temple of the Ancients, sensing Bane's presence nearby. Upon entering the Temple, Kas'im issued his challenge to Bane to either return to the Brotherhood, or die. Uninterested in rejoining Kaan's Sith Brotherhood, Bane instead obliged his former teacher by igniting his lightsaber, and engaging him in mortal combat.

Part one
"Kaan is wrong. I will never follow him. I will never join the Brotherhood." "(sigh) Then your life ends here."

- Bane reject's Kas'im offer of returning to the Brotherhood

Both duelists had been trained in techniques from all seven forms of lightsaber combat, and both were so skilled they could switch style instantly to another to combat any assault and confuse a lesser opponent. Although Kas'im had trained Bane, he was a cunning teacher. He had not shown Bane the true extent of his prowess, allowing Bane to surpass his peers, but not his master. Bane, however, had also received training from Githany to improve his strength in the Force, and learned how to truly embrace the dark side from the Holocron of Darth Revan. The Blademaster attacked with a speed and ferocity beyond anything Bane had even seen. Bane barely held off the first barrage, but succeeded in fending off the Twi'lek. This both surprised and impressed Kas'im, who had thought his sudden stronger attack would have overwhelmed Bane.

Kas'im attacked again, lunges and parries happening at incredible speed. Bane opened himself completely to the Force, letting it guide his hand in an impregnable defense. Bane then changed to the offensive, forcing Kas'im back and into the temple. Kas'im tried to evade the assault, but Bane had seen every technique the Twi'lek could use, and utilized superior knowledge to the interior corridors of the temple to force Kas'im into a dead end. Sensing his entrapment, Kas'im pushed open a door using the Force and leapt into the dead-ended chamber. Feeling victory was assured, Bane paused over the threshold of the room, savoring his victory.

Part two
"I will follow you wherever you run. Wherever you go I will eventually find you and kill you. Don't live your life in fear, Bane. Better to end it now. " " I agree."

- Kas'im and Darth Bane

This moment was all Kas'im required. Disconnecting his double-bladed lightsaber in the center, the Blademaster switched to two single sabers in the Jar'Kai variant of Ataru. Bane, completely unfamiliar to this style, was almost instantly outmatched and, despite his superior command of the dark side, was transformed from the edge of victory to fighting for his life. He was forced to concede more and more ground, using his knowledge of the Rakatan temple to work his way back to the entrance all the while trying to resist Kas'im whirlwind of blades.

The split second the entrance came into view, Kas'im comprehended Bane's plan to escape. But in that time Bane seized his chance, pushing his former mentor away with the Force, and back-flipping out of the entrance. However, his momentum took him to the top of the stairway up to the temple's entrance, where he crouched facing Kas'im. But the Twi'lek responded in kind, thrusting out with the Force and pushing his former apprentice down the steps of the temple. Even while cushioning himself with the Force, Bane ended up battled and stunned at the bottom.

Kas'im stood under the temple's archway at the apex of the stairs, declaring he would hunt Bane forever if he fled and should surrender to him. Knowing he was unable to best Kas'im, Bane thrust out a devastating wave of Dark Side energy that shook the foundations of the temple. Kas'im shielded himself with the Force, rendering his body unharmed. However, the sheer power of the energies Bane released devastated the temple entrance, which collapsed and fell, crushing Kas'im below. Indifferent to the defeat of his former mentor, Bane left the Twi'lek under the rubble and set out for Ruusan.

Aftermath
The duel on Lehon was a duel that determined the course of Sith history. After defeating Kas'im, Bane was able to go to Ruusan and provide Kaan with the details for the thought bomb that would eradicate the Brotherhood of Darkness, allowing Bane to establish the Rule of Two as the new ruling principle of the Sith. Subsequent to this event, the Jedi Order believed the Sith to have perished, permitting Tarsus Valorum to usher in an age of peace for the Republic. Had Kas'im defeated Bane and killed him, none of these event would have occurred.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Sith missions