Githany

"She was never able to see past herself. She never understood the dark side."

- Darth Bane

Githany, nicknamed Githa, was a Sith Lord who fought in the New Sith Wars. She wielded both a lightsaber and a lightwhip. Originally a Jedi who trained under Master Handa, Githany defected to the Brotherhood of Darkness, betraying her former lover, Kiel Charny, and delivering to Lord Kaan vital information concerning the battle strategy of the Army of Light. She manipulated the youth Darovit into murdering Charny with the Jedi General's own lightsaber, and then took the young boy as her apprentice. Despite her defection, she abandoned her fellow Sith Lords when she learnt of Kaan's desire to use the thought bomb, though the delay she experienced when trying to escape ensured that she perished along with her fellow Sith on Ruusan.

Early life
"I'm surprised the Jedi ever took her in."

- Kopecz

Githany was born an unknown world somewhere between two and three decades before the Ruusan campaign, and her parents gave her to the Jedi Order as a toddler .. She trained under the Cathar Jedi Master Handa alongside a fellow Padawan named Kiel Charny, this being an era when multiple apprentices were still permissable.

During her training, the young Padawan lost touch with the Force, unable to cope with something so vast, leading to her psyche creating walls to protect herself from such power. Only through the patient help of her Jedi Master she was able to break down these walls and continue her training. Later on, as she approached adulthood, Githany began to fall in love with Kiel Charny, another Padawan under Handa. Their Master discovered the affair and was enraged. The Cathar demanded that the two refrain from any further relationship. While Kiel acquiesed to his Jedi Master's demands, Githany refused and fled the Jedi, eventually joining the Sith. Charny, forced to choose between his love and the Jedi, chose the Jedi, heeding the advice of his close friend, Valenthyne Farfalla.

Defection
"Githany was born to the dark side. Like me. Like you. It was inevitable she would join the Sith someday."

- Lord Kaan to Kopecz

During the early months of the Ruusan campaign, Githany turned to the dark side, and joined the Brotherhood of Darkness, though for a while she kept her treachery secret.

Upon her defection, she met with Kaan and the other Dark Lords in their camp, and turned over valuable strategic information to the Brotherhood, notably Lord Hoth's battle plans, which she had obtained due to her relationship with Kiel Charny, one of Hoth's most prominent generals. After the Sith were satisfied with what she had to offer, Githany was then sent to the Sith Academy on Korriban where she would begin her training as a Sith adept.

There, she quickly made allies with Bane using him to help defeat the top student at the school, Sirak. Sirak was killed by Bane in the insuing fight. Githany killed Yevra and Llokay, two other students that were aiding Sirak. Seeing potential in him, Githany secretly began to train Bane, even as every other Sith Master refused to do so. It was during this secret training that Githany began to develop feelings for Bane, even sharing a kiss with him. Though she would eventually betray Bane when he failed to live up to her expectations, she later allied herself again with him.

Dark Lord of the Sith
"You are slave to your duty, to all the weaklings who crave your protection...What good is the Force if you do not use if for yourself?"

- Githany to Kiel Charny



With the need for more Sith on Ruusan against the Army of Light, Lord Kaan called for all students on Korriban to be made into Dark Lords, among them, Githany. On Ruusan, Githany was given the task of assassinating Darth Bane. She met up with him on the world of Ambria where she planned to poison him with synox poison on her lips. Disguised as a kiss, Bane was given three lethal doses of this poison. Bane had proven hard to kill and indeed survived.

On Ruusan, Bane returned, interrupting a meeting of Kaan's inner circle. Despite her surprise at his survival, Githany joined the other Lords in welcoming back Bane. Feigning forgiveness of Kaan, Bane rejoined the Brotherhood and participated in the council of war, assisting in the development of a plan to flush the Jedi out with a Force storm.

While their minions attacked in the Jedi in a diversionary feint, Githany, Bane, Kaan, and the other Dark Lords gathered on a high cliff-face, where Bane directed the Sith in a powerful ritual. With their combined Force powers, a great wave of destruction thundered across the surface of Ruusan, scorching the once lush forests and killing the forces of the Republic by the thousands. After the success of this powerful ancient ritual Lord Kaan led his forces into combat with the Jedi; Githany followed.

The end of the War
"It means..we are dead."

- Kopecz to Githany and Darovit

In the Sixth Battle of Ruusan, Kaan, Githany and other Dark Lords launched a surprise attack on the vanguard of the Jedi forces, led by Githany's former lover, Kiel Charny. The Jedi were still recovering from both the diversionary attack and the great Force storm, and thus had little time to prepare an effective defense. The Sith, mounted on speeders, ambushed the Jedi camp.

Githany did not kill Charny on the first pass despite his vulnerable position. When Kaan accused her of showing mercy, Githany assured her leader that she was merely "toying" with Charny. The arrival of the forces of Valenthyne Farfalla, however, changed matters. Farfalla's assault forced the Sith from the air, and Githany was cut off from the Sith forces, stranded on the surface.

Not to be dismayed, Githany took the fight to Kiel Charny himself, challenging the Jedi to a duel. The pair met in combat and with the help of Darovit, Githany killed Charny. She took Darovit as a student, and the pair left from the battlefield, planning to rendezvous back with Kaan at the Sith camp.



Once they arrived, Githany learnt from Kopecz that Kaan had landed upon an "idea." That idea was the thought bomb and Githany, her earlier respect for Kaan rapidly disintegrating, dismissed their leader as a "weak, conceited idiot."

The battle was lost. The Sith then retreated into a cave system, where under Kaan, they would attempt to rid the world of their foes in one fell swoop. The thought bomb was about to be unleashed, the remaining Lords gathered in a circle and began the ritual to release this power.

Githany, however, managed to summon the will to break free of the ritual and escape, realizing Bane was right about everything after seeing the madness in Kaan's desperate initiative, taking Darovit with her.

Escaping through the rear entrance to the caves, they came upon a Republic infilitration squad. One of the squad's member was Hardin, Darovit's cousin, now fully inducted as a Jedi. Ordering Darovit to finish off Hardin, Githany waited outside, preparing the speeders for their departure. Darovit, despite all his deeds, proved unable to kill Hardin, and Githany prepared to flee without her student.

It was too late. She was caught in the waves of dark side energy let loose from the bomb which caused her body to be sucked of life and reduced to ash.

Personality and traits
Charming and seductive, Githany was irresistable to most men. She enjoyed using her wiles to manipulate others to do her bidding. This drive for power over others led Githany to feel anxious when she didn't feel she had control of a situation, as with her relationship with Darth Bane.

Despite her extroverted personality, Githany kept her true feelings closely guarded.

Powers and abilities
Githany most likely held the same powers and abilities of most Jedi or Sith of her time. She was skilled with both the lightsaber and the lightwhip, having defeated Kiel Charny in a saber duel on at least one occasion.

Appearance
Githany was considered a highly attractive, beautiful woman, even by members of other species, such as Kopecz. Though of average height, Githany had striking features, including thick, black hair, tricopper-hued skin and green eyes and her face and figure were both perfect examples of the human female form.

On her forehead, Githany bore a circular black tattoo, which may have been of Sith design.

Relationships
"Mmm...that feels nice."

- Githany to Darth Bane

Kiel Charny
Kiel Charny was Githany's childhood love. The pair met as padawans training under Jedi Master Handa and began a clandestine affair. When Handa discovered this, he ordered them to end it. They did, but as a consequence, Githany defected to the Sith. Kiel Charny chose the Jedi instead and any chance of them reviving the relationship ended.

Githany would later question whether she actually ever truly loved Charny - or if it had been mere physical attraction, enhanced by the specifics of the situation, their shared apprenticeship under Handa, and the stress of the war.

Despite this, Charny still harbored feelings for Githany, an emotional weakness she exploited when she faced her former paramour during the Ruusan campaign. Kiel Charny's deep-rooted attachment effectively paralysed him during their duel, enabling Githany to cut off his arm with her lightwhip, leaving him easy prey for the turncoat Darovit.

Lord Kaan
After her defection to the Sith, Githany became close to Lord Kaan, leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness. She exhibited both a physical and emotional attraction to her leader, feelings no doubt enhanced by Kaan's potent mind manipulation abilities.

Darth Bane


Attracted by his strength and ambition, Githany began a relationship with the future Dark Lord while the pair were studying at the Korriban Sith academy. In Githany's mind, Bane was everything Kiel had not been, ambitious, impulsive, even unpredictable. Though the pair would work together to defeat the rival students at the academy, Githany later betrayed Bane on the world of Ambria. There, on the advice of Lord Kaan, Githany poisoned Bane via a kiss and left him to die.

The Sith Lord survived, however, and returned to Ruusan where, though surprised by his reappearance, Githany attempted to resume her relationship with him, with an eye to becoming his apprentice in his "new order". Bane however, seemed cold to the relationship and the pair parted ways over Githany's support of Kaan. Githany took Darovit as an apprentice and Bane disappeared into the wilds of Ruusan.

Darovit
Darovit was a youth brought from his homeworld of Somov Rit by Torr Snapit, ostensibly as a reinforcement for the Army of Light. Githany was able to play on Darovit's arrogance, sense of entitlement, and disillusionment with the Jedi, manipulating him into murdering Kiel Charny, thus betraying the Jedi by assassinating one of their finest military commanders.

After the treacherous act, Githany took Darovit as her pupil, perhaps as a replacement for Darth Bane, who was growing ever more distant from her. Despite this, Githany was still willing to abandon Darovit to save her own life from the thought bomb.

Behind the scenes
One of the few female Dark Lords seen in the Expanded Universe, the character of Githany was created by author Darko Macan and debuted in the Jedi vs. Sith comic series in 2001. In the comic, her name is misspelled at least once as Ghitany. She served as one of the four main Sith explored in the comic's storyline. (Along with Bane, Kopecz and Kaan)

She later appeared in Darth Bane: Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn, which further elaborated on her background and character.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Jedi vs. Sith