Duel in the Korriban Academy

"He's vunerable. Half starved. Exhausted. We should go after him now." "Don't be stupid. What would the Masters do to us if we chopped him down in the kitchens?" "Do you have a plan?" "Tonight. Wait in the archives. I'll bring him to you there."

- Githany and Sirak plot to kill Bane

The Duel in the Korriban Academy was a battle between the rival apprentices Bane and Sirak, alongside their allies amongst the students of the Academy. Inside the Sith Academy's library, the two sides engaged in lightsaber combat&mdash;Sirak, flanked by a pair of twins that were his Zabrak kin, the female Yevra and male Llokay, against the human duo of Bane and Githany.

Seeking revenge on Bane for defeating him in a training duel, Sirak had accepted help from Githany, who claimed she could lure an unsuspecting Bane into the Academy's library. Upon doing so, Githany betrayed Sirak by arming Bane with his lightsaber, and instead, sided with the human to engage Sirak in battle. Despite their superior numbers, the Zabrak twins were both felled by Githany, until only Sirak remained. Pleading for mercy, he was mercilessly decapitated by Bane, ending both the duel&mdash;and Sirak's life.

Prelude
"I have no need to test myself against a lesser opponent. However, when you fool yourself into believing you are ready, you will inevitably challenge me."

- Sirak intimidates Bane, after the latter won a training duel against Fohargh

The Human male Bane and Sirak&mdash;a yellow-skinned Zabrak&mdash;had encountered each other in previous training duels during their time as Sith apprentices of the Brotherhood of Darkness, at Academy on the Sith graveyard planet of Korriban. Part of their training under Sith Lord and Academy Blademaster Kas'im involved the students challenging each other in a duelling ring to both prove their strength, and earn prestige with the Masters that trained them. In using their training sabers, both students would always survive, thus allowing the ranks of the Brotherhood of Darkness to increase. During their first confrontation, Bane&mdash;whose own powers had regressed as a result of his subconscious withdrawal from the dark side of the Force&mdash;had rashly challenged Sirak, the premier student in the Academy, in a bid to regain his standing with the Academy Masters. However, Bane was unable to call on the Force to aid him in battle, and was toyed with before Sirak finally dispatched him.

When the former Jedi-now-Sith initiate Githany helped Bane to touch the Force once more, she also offered to train him in whatever lessons of the dark side she received from the Masters. Githany secretly believed she could and so planned to use Bane's own strength in the Force to dispatch Sirak for her. He agreed, but also secretly sought out training from Kas'im in lightsaber combat, to evenly balance his skills. After several months, Githany told Bane she was prepared to challange Sirak. However, as the pair had grown romantically close, Bane insisted on challenging Sirak instead, believing that Githany would fail. The next day, Bane defeated Sirak in the duelling ring, hesitating before the final blow as Kas'im promptly called for a halt. This hesitation made Githany, who had been watching all along, believe that Bane was weak; thus, she plotted to betray him herself. Meanwhile, as a reward for his victory, Kas'im bestowed the curved-hilt lightsaber of his former Master, Na'daz, to Bane.

When Bane had a dispute with the Academy Headmaster, Qordis over the philosophies of the dark side, he left for the Valley of the Dark Lords without speaking to anyone, seeking the knowledge of the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith buried there. Githany, angry at Bane for leaving and disgusted that he did not kill Sirak in the duel, found the Zabrak and offered him her assistance in killing Bane for vengence. Cautiously, Sirak agreed. They then devised a plot where Githany would lure Bane to the Academy's library, where Sirak would be waiting to dispatch him once and for all. Also during Bane's absence, Lord Kaan&mdash;founder of the Brotherhood&mdashcalled for all the students to Ruusan. They were each bestowed with the rank of Dark Lord, as well as each receiving their own lightsabers, with Sirak's being of the double-bladed variant. When Bane eventually returned, Githany sucessfully lured him to the library, where Sirak, with his Zabrak kin Yevra and Llokay, lie in wait.

Githany's treachery
"Githany, what's going&mdash; " "Why did you follow me Bane? How could you be so stupid? Didn't you realize you were walking into a trap?"

- Githany berates Bane for being lured to the library

With Githany standing behind him, Bane faced the exit that was now blocked by his Zabrak nemesis and his loyal brethren. He also questioned Githany's motives, while Sirak explained on her behalf that she valued the Sith principles of the strong over the weak, cunning and ruthlessness, while igniting his lightsaber. Bane knew he was stronger than Sirak, but turned to face Githany, knowing she was undecided by the habitual chewing of her lower lip. Realizing Bane sought to turn Githany against him, Sirak struck out, but Bane evaded the attack so that Sirak struck nothing but air. Unexpectedly, Githany then chose Bane over Sirak, throwing him his lightsaber that she had taken from his quarters, while Bane summoned and ignited his weapon to defend himself against Sirak's strikes. The Zabrak twins followed suit, also readying their sabers to attack. In turn, Githany ignited her lightwhip in her own defense.

Launching a fast series of attacks, Bane forced Sirak away, but feigned an advance by suddenly stepped back. This provided an ample opportunity for him to use the Force and hurl Yevra into nearby book shelves, stunning her and splintering the wood. Githany seized the opportunity and lashed out at the female Zabrak with her whip, killing Yevra instantly.

Seeing the death of his sister filled Llokay with rage. Despite being weaker in the Force than Bane, his emotions fueled the dark side enough within him that he was able to force the massive human back under an onslaught of desperate slashes, foresaking all finesse for raw emotional power. Warding off the unexpected attack, Bane noticed only just in time the Force lightning Sirak unleashed towards him. He blocked it with his lightsaber, but inadvertently left himself open to a strike from Llokay. Githany, however, was attacking the grief-striken twin, who required all his focus to ward off the unpredictable strikes of the lightwhip. Bane then turned to face Sirak, and the pair waited, hesitating as a scream pierced the air. Llokay had lost an eye to Githany's whip just before another lash tore out the Zabrak's throat.

Rival's end
"Listen to me. I'll serve you, I'll do anything you command. You can use me. I can help you. Please, Bane—have mercy! " " Those who ask for mercy are too weak to deserve it."

- Sirak pleads for his life

Comprehending the turning of the duel and his his imminent defeat, Sirak deactivated his lightsaber and fell to his knees, staring up at the pair that stood over him. Looking at the Zabrak, Bane saw every being he'd killed&mdash;his father, Hurst, Fohargh, the Republic soldiers he'd killed while with the Gloom Walkers. In the pause, Sirak begged and pleaded for his life, but Bane, realizing that the way of the dark side was to break through the bonds of guilt, decapitated his rival. Sirak's death proved to be the solidification of Bane's transition into the dark side's power.

Aftermath
"You are a student of this Academy. You will do as you are told! " " I am a Dark Lord of the Sith. I serve none but myself."

- Bane argues with Qordis before his departure

In killing Sirak, Bane overcame his fears of the dark side. When he realized he had killed his father shortly after he had killed Fohargh, Bane had pulled away from the Force and lost the ability to control it. In killing his bitter rival, Bane knew he would never again doubt the dark side's power, and at that moment, he had become a Sith. However, this also fulfilled his belief in the failings of the Brotherhood of Darkness, and that he would have to leave them completely. This event would lead to his conclusion that he would have to destroy the Brotherhood, and revolutionize the Sith by instigating the Order of the Sith Lords under the Rule of Two.

Behind the scenes
The Duel in the Korriban Academy was written and conceived by author Drew Karpyshyn for his 2006 novel, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. Karpyshyn used this duel to end the lives of three characters: Sirak, Llokay, and Yevra. Karpyshyn also used this event to reunite the characters of Bane and Githany, who had been previously seperated earlier in the novel. It is here that the author shows Bane fully and consciously embracing the dark side of the Force, on a path that that leads to the eventual destruction of Kaan's Brotherhood at Bane's hands.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction