Duel on Tython

The Duel on Tython was a lightsaber battle between the surviving Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane and his apprentice Darth Zannah, against a group of pursuing Jedi led by Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla. The duel took place on the Jedi birth-world of Tython, in the massive fortress of the long dead Belia Darzu.

Prelude
Before encountering Zannah in the Jedi Temple, Darovit was on his way to give proof to the Jedi Council of his claim that a Dark Lord of the Sith had survived the aftermath of the Thought bomb. Seeing Zannah in the Archives changed his mind however, and he warned her that the Jedi were on to them. Zannah was furious, and decided that since she was researching healing and Darovit was now a healer, she would take him with her to Tython with hopes of curing her Master. They quickly exited the Temple and left Coruscant onboard the Loranda.

Johun Othone returned with Master Farfalla to the Archives where he had left Darovit, only to find that he was no longer there. After some hasty investigating, the Jedi found that Darovit had fled to Tython with Zannah. Valenthyne gathered a team of Jedi together and they left aboard the Justice Crusader, making their way to Tython. They entered the temple of the ancient Dark Lord Belia Darzu. There, the Jedi Masters and Knights initiated combat against the two Sith Lords, Bane and Zannah.

The Duel
"Johun! Sarro! We need reinforcements!"

- Valenthyne Farfalla

The room in which the duel took place was circular, with a door on either side. Empowered by Jedi Battle meditation, Valenthyne, Raskta, and Worror entered from one side while Johun and Sarro came in through the other. Their plan was to mount a two-pronged offensive, while simultaneously eliminating a potential escape for the Sith Lords. Upon seeing the Jedi, Bane rushed towards the Masters with his lightsaber drawn. His initial charge was met head-on by Raskta Lsu, Echani Jedi Master and unparalleled lightsaber duelist. She slashed at his chest with her sabers but he continued his press undaunted, thanks to his orbalisk armor. Raskta had to cartwheel out of his path to avoid being trampled. Now Bane's attention was drawn to Farfalla, who also had to dodge the Dark Lord's wrath. Raskta meanwhile regained her footing and lept at Bane, only to be met with a massive Force push that sent her flying across the room. Her saving grace was the Force Barrier Valenthyne threw up around her to cushion her impact. She was back on her feet, but Bane had his sights reset on Farfalla. He unleashed his Sith lightning towards the Equine Jedi, but Valenthyne again used a Force barrier to protect himself. The lightning tore right through the barrier but was intercepted and dispelled by Raskta Lsu. Bane audaciously charged again, and the Masters were ready. Raskta's twin blades were set in an "x" formation to meet Bane's blade as it came crashing down upon her. His move had been one of feint however, for at the last moment he pulled back and elbowed Raskta in the ribs with such force that it lifted her and sent her flying. With Raskta Lsu momentarily incapacitated, Darth Bane engaged Valenthyne Farfalla. Raskta shouted to Farfalla to take notice of Bane's special lightsaber, which was giving his dueling style an unfamiliar advantage over the Jedi. The warning wasn't enough though, because the strength of Bane's attack knocked Farfalla's lightsaber from his hand. He was saved again by Raskta, who managed to fell Bane with a scissor-kick from behind. When he recovered, Raskta was on him trying to strike at his face--the only unprotected part of his body. Bane was losing ground as Farfalla tried to rejoin the duel, but Raskta told him to stay back because he would only be in her way. He acquiesced, and continued to aid his colleague by protecting her with another Force barrier. Meanwhile Bane was being continuously backed up by Lsu. Then suddenly he disengaged her and raced towards the source of the Jedi's invigoration: Master Worror. Bane realized that Worror was giving the Jedi the upper hand with his Battle meditation and was determined to put a stop to it. After nothing stood in his way to kill Worror, Bane rushed the Ithorian as fast as he could.

Part two
"Go. I can handle this one."

- Sarro Xaj to Johun Othone

While all this was going on, Zannah was managing to hold her own against Sarro Xaj and Johun Othone. Sarro, a mammoth Human male that also wielded a double-bladed lightsaber, rained down upon Zannah with brute strength while Johun's clumsy and mediocre Niman style only helped Zannah regain her composure. Zannah was used to the purely offensive style of Djem So, having learned to defend herself against her Master who had little need for defense due to his symbiotic armor. She was unprepared for an opponent who incorporated defensive maneuvers into his fighting style, and Sarro Xaj's polished and refined technique threw her off her guard. On several occasions Sarro's strength overwhelmed her, though not to the point of her being unable to fight. His ferocity was balanced by the ackward cadence with which Johun Othone dueled. Because of his artless blundering, Sarro was forced to minimize his own assault to avoid striking Johun. This disruption gave Zannah the opportunity to resume her cadence, and erect her impenetrable wall of defense yet again. She had an opportunity to cut Othone down, but she declined after realizing he was more of a hinderance to his colleagues than her. nimbly she danced around her assailants, giving ground and regaining strength as they advanced. But suddenly the Knights were called by Farfalla; realizing Bane's near invulnerability Valenthyne called for help, which Othone willingly gave. He reacted immediately by leaping over towards the Masters, and again into battle as Farfalla also did. Now three Jedi strong, Darth Bane was actually being held steady, so much so that he had to assume a defensive position. With Othone on the right and Farfalla on the left, Raskta Lsu attacked the Dark Lord from the middle, all the while playing off the clumsiness of Othone and the gracefullness of Farfalla. Raskta's skill was such that she was actually benefiting from the hinderance Othone had previously been to Sarro Xaj. But for all the strength in their attack, the Jedi could neither subdue nor defeat Bane. and Force pushing the Ithorian Jedi out of harm's way; this however, marked the beginning of the end for the Jedi.

Tides turn
Johun Othone's Force push saved Worror, but at the cost of his beneficial Battle meditation. Immediately the effects were felt by Sarro Xaj, who was no longer as strong as he was and turned his head to see what happened. Zannah used this opportunity to conjure her Spell of Insanity against Xaj, who was instantly driven to madness by its affects. Zannah ducked in and cut him down without hesitation. She then cloaked her essence with her Sorcery, sneaked up behind Raskta Lsu, and impaled her. Raskta crumpled to the floor, dead. With only two Jedi left to face him, Darth Bane severed Othone's weapon-hand easily and then proceeded to disarm and behead Farfalla. Bane then attacked Worror, slashing at his four throats and fatally wounding him. But before Bane could use his Force lightning to electrocute the wounded Othone, Worror used his last bit of strength to trap himself and Bane in a Protection Bubble, causing the Force lightning to electrocute he and Bane instead. Worror was dead, and Bane fell to the floor unconcious, a smoking, orbalisk-encrusted husk.

Othone begged for mercy, but his pleas fell upon deaf ears. Zannah ran her lightsaber blade through his chest as he lay on the floor. With Johun Othone dead, the contest was finally over. Zannah rushed to Bane's side and proceeded to aid her wounded master. Shortly thereafter, the Sith left Tython in search of the healer Caleb on Ambria.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two