This duel took place in Set Harth's mansion on Nal Hutta in 980 BBY between Sith apprentice Darth Zannah and Dark Jedi Set Harth. Zannah, who had tracked Harth to his home on Nal Hutta, was hoping to enlist him as her apprentice before she challenged Darth Bane, her Master, for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. She dueled Harth, and, impressed with his skills, decided to use Sith sorcery to defeat him and serve as his final test; if he awoke from the comatose state in which her powers left him, she would take him on as his apprentice. Harth was reluctant to join her but, realizing that she would kill him if he did not, he accepted her request.
Sith apprentice Darth Zannah was sent on a mission to the planet Doan in 980 BBY to find out who was responsible for the murder of a Jedi Knight, Medd Tandar. While on Doan, she discovered evidence that a Dark Jedi had been there searching for Sith artifacts. Zannah knew that the time was coming for her to attack her Master, Darth Bane, and so she hoped to test this Dark Jedi to see if he was worthy to be her apprentice. After conferring with Quano and Pommat, she used several of her other contacts to track the Dark Jedi, whose name she discovered was Set Harth, to his mansion on Nal Hutta.
Zannah arrived at his mansion while he was at a party. She confronted him upon his return; and he pretended to think that she was just someone who had followed him home from the party. Harth then abruptly activated his lightsaber and threw it at Zannah, who barely managed to dodge the blade. Harth then shot a wave of dark side energy at Zannah, who raised a protective barrier to block the blow. Harth then attacked her with his lightsaber and she ignited her own, deflecting his blows. Harth threw a burst at her with the Force, but Zannah deflected it and his next attack with ease.
Harth continued his attack, utilizing a version of the lightsaber combat form Ataru. Harth quickly grew angered, but Zannah, utilizing her near-flawless expertise of the Soresu form, continuously deflected his attacks without difficulty. During the brief duel, she saw several openings in which she could have killed Harth, but she had come to test his worthiness as a potential apprentice; not to kill him. Zannah was impressed with his imagination, cunning, unpredictability, and undeniable strength in the dark side.
Harth's weariness soon overtook him, and Zannah kicked him in the chin. She requested that he yield, but he continued to attack. However, as he drew near, Zannah conjured a spell of fear and with it attacked Harth's mind. He attempted to block it with a Force barrier, but his defenses were not strong enough to halt Zannah's attack. Rather than unleashing the full intensity of her powers upon him, she enveloped him in despair and hopelessness, causing him to collapse into a coma-like condition. Zannah decided that if Harth was strong enough to recover, then she would take him as her apprentice.
As Harth regained consciousness, he began to wonder his next course of action, considering attacking Zannah, trying to catch her by surprise. Zannah, however, had been reading his mind, and warned him not to do so. Zannah revealed to the Dark Jedi that it had been three nights since their battle. Harth insisted that he had no idea what she wanted with him, and Zannah revealed that she was looking for an apprentice. She requested that he join her, and, although Harth was very reluctant—he did not care about the Sith, or defeating the Jedi—he realized that if he did not accept, she would kill him. On the other hand, he realized that being Zannah's apprentice could lead him on a path to greater individual power. Faced with this temptation, he agreed to join Zannah. However, they returned to Bane and Zannah's home on Ciutric IV to find that Bane had been captured by the Doan Royal House.