Duel on Ambria

The Duel on Ambria was a brief battle that occured in the year 990 BBY, instigated by the Sith apprentice Darth Zannah. In an attempt by her false apprentice Hetton to defeat the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane and assume his place as the apprentice of Darth Zannah, the Serenno native engaged the Dark Lord, with eight Umbaran- trained Shadow Assassins at his side. Hetton was soundly defeated and killed, along with his Shadow Assassins, by Darth Bane.

Enraged by her betrayal, Bane attacked Zannah, intent on killing her. It was under penalty of the final blow did Zannah reveal the truth; from Hetton, she had discovered information on creating Holocrons, a secret which had eluded Bane until that moment. He spared her life, and regarded Zannah with respect, recognizing her potential as the next Dark Lord of the Sith.

Prelude
While on Serenno, carrying out her mission to instigate rebellions against the Old Republic, Darth Zannah encountered a Sith follower known as Hetton. Over the course of thirty years, Hetton had accumilated a vast array of Sith information and artefacts, as well as drafting eight Sith Assassins into his service. He pledged all his resources to Zannah in return for his apprenticeship under her. Zannah agreed, subject to the defeat of her own Master, Darth Bane. The party then flew to Ambria aboard Hetton's ship the Loranda, Where Hetton and his assassins instigated the duel against Bane.

The duel
Highly trained in concealment, the Shadow assassins surrounded Bane, who was initially completely unaware of their presence. However, the orbalisk armor Bane posessed began to react to the Dark Side energies emanating from the Assasins surrounding him. Igniting his lightsaber, his enemies were revealed to him, robbing them of surprise.

The loss of their advantage caught the assassins off-guard, but Bane did not hesitate, instantly leaping forward and committing Sai tok on his first foe, bisecting him completely. The Assassins attacked with their Force pikes, but Bane forwent blocking the attacks, being protected by the orbalisks that covered his body.

Bane's neglect to blocking and pure offensive style was an unexpected tactic for the assailants, and two more were decapitated (Sai cha) when they failed to react. The remaining Sith attacked simultaneously, electricuting Bane with several thousand volts through their pikes. Even Bane's natural armour could not protect him and he was forced to his knees. But instead of pressing the advantage, his foes stood ground, believing their quarry defeated.

With this brief respite, Bane was able to recover and saw his apprentice, Zannah, standing side by side with an old man, robed in black, wielding a green lightsaber. Simultaneously, Hetton charged from the front, while the assassins ran in from behind. The Sith Lord thrust out with the Dark Side towards the red-clad fighters, stopping two in their tracks, and a second couple were hurled backward. Bane rapidly cut down the remaining attacker.

While Bane was distracted, Hetton unleased a single bolt of Force lightning at his enemy. The Sith absorbed the bolt with his lightsaber before unleashing his own barrage of a dozen lightning bolts, that Hetton had to Force Jump to avoid.

The Assassins were upon Bane once more. But rather than repel them again with Dark Side energies, Bane embraced the Dark Side completely, becoming a whirlwind of fury that decimated his enemies, killing all the remaining warriors.

Finally, Bane turned on Hetton. With little lightsaber experience, the Sith paractitioner was no match for a fully trained Sith Master. Bane removed Hetton's weapon arm (Cho sun/Cho mai) before stabbing him throught the chesk, utilizing the move known as Shiak.

Aftermath
Outraged at the apparent betrayel of his apprentice and completely absorbed in the Dark Side, Bane attacked his apprentice with his lightsaber. It required all of Zannah's traning in Soresu to defend his onslaught, all the while pleading her innocence and the discovery of a horde of Sith information. When Znnah eventually managaed to convice Bane of her loyalty, she revealled the information Bane longed for - the location of the Fortress of Belia Darzu, wherein resided her holocron and the secrets of holocron construction.

Throughout the duel, Zannah was watching, analysing, preparing. In knowing that she would one day challange her Master for the title 'Dark Lord of the Sith', the young apprentice was learning her Master's moves and style against his enemies. This gave her a useful insight, while at the same time irradicating any witnesses of the exposure of the remaining Sith.

Behind the scenes
The duel takes place in the novel Darth Bane: Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn. It serves two purposes - first, to eliminate the character Hetton thus ensuring the secrecy of the Sith, and second, to allow Zannah to witness Bane's full power against his foes, for when she will eventually face him.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two