Githany

Githany was a Force-sensitive female Human who was born on an unidentified world somewhere between two and three decades before the Ruusan campaign. 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 permissible.

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 was she able to break down these walls and continue her training. Later on, as she approached adulthood, Githany began to fall in love with Charny. Their Master discovered the affair and was enraged. The Cathar demanded that the two refrain from any further relationship. While Kiel acquiesced to his 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.

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 the Sith Lord Skere Kaan and the other Dark Lords in their camp, and turned over valuable strategic information pertaining to the Jedi to the Brotherhood, notably Lord Hoth's battle plans, which she had obtained due to her relationship with 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 another student named Bane, and used him in her scheme to defeat the top student at the school, Sirak. Seeing potential in him, Githany secretly began to train Bane, even as every other Sith Master refused to do so, teaching him the art of Force lightning. It was during this secret training that Githany began to develop feelings for Bane, even sharing a kiss with him. Bane eventually fought Sirak and won, but to Githany's dismay, he allowed the Zabrak to live. Feeling that Bane had failed to live up to her expectations, Githany allied herself with Sirak. Along with fellow students Yevra and Llokay, Githany and Sirak ambushed Bane when he returned from the Valley of the Dark Lords. During the ensuing fight, Githany once again changed her alliance, killing Yevra and Llokay. Bane then killed Sirak.

Though she would eventually betray Bane on Ruusan, Githany once again allied herself with him.

With the need for more Sith on Ruusan to fight against the Army of Light, Lord Kaan called for all students on Korriban to be made into Dark Lords, Githany among them. On Ruusan, Githany was given the task of assassinating Darth Bane, meet up with him on the world of Ambria where she planned to poison him with synox, as well as with the application of Rock worrt venom to her lips. Bane was given three lethal doses of this poison in the guise of a kiss, yet he nonetheless survived by going to a healer on the planet. The healer, knowing Bane was of the Dark side, refused, but then accepted when Bane threatened his daughter.

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 Bane back into the fold. 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 their combined dark side powers.

While their minions attacked the Jedi in a diversionary feint, Githany, Bane, Kaan, and the other Dark Lords gathered on a high precipice, 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 decimating Republic and Jedi forces by the thousands. After the success of this powerful ritual, Lord Kaan led his forces into combat with the Jedi, and Githany followed.

During 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 wave, and thus had little time to prepare an effective defense. The Sith, mounted on speeders, capitalized on their advantage and 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 out of the air, and Githany was cut off from the Sith forces, stranded on the surface. Not to be dismayed, Githany took the fight to Charny himself, challenging the Jedi General to a duel. The pair met in combat and with the help of Darovit, Githany was able to kill Charny. She then took Darovit as her student, and the pair departed, planning to rendezvous back with Kaan at the Sith camp.

Once they arrived, Githany learned from Kopecz that Kaan had discovered a weapon to use against the oncoming Jedi forces. The "idea" turned out to be an ancient Sith ritual known as the thought bomb; this was, essentially, a massively-destructive utilization of the dark side, which focused the collective power of those who would activate it, targeting Force-sensitives and vaporizing clothing, flesh, bone, and even stone within the blast radius. Githany, her earlier respect for Kaan rapidly waning, dismissed their leader as a "weak, conceited idiot."

Realizing that the battle was lost, Kaan and the remaining Dark Lords 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 it's devastating power. Githany, however, managed to summon enough will to break free of Kaan's ritual and escape. She now realized that after seeing the madness in Kaan's desperate initiative, Bane had been correct after all. She took Darovit with her and quickly fled the scene.

Escaping through the rear entrance to the caves, they came upon a Republic infiltration squad. One of the squad's members was Hardin, Darovit's cousin, now fully inducted as a Jedi, who encouraged some Ruusan bats to swarm Githany and Darovit. While Githany fought off the flying mammals, Darovit engaged his former friend in a duel. As Darovit fought, Githany finally managed to kill the animals, but she had suffered some scratches and had lost her right eye to one of the animals. When Darovit, despite all his deeds, proved unable to kill Hardin, Githany brandished her lightwhip and sheared off Hardin's leg. As the power of the thought bomb began to resonate over Ruusan, Githany grew impatient with Darovit, who was lingering in the cave with a defeated Hardin. Unable to wait any longer, she fled without her student.

Githany's departure came 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.

Her soul along with Kaan, the rest of the Brotherhood of Darkness, Hoth, and the ninety nine other Jedi who joined him remained trapped for centuries until Kyle Katarn freed them.

Charming and seductive, Githany was irresistible 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. She was reluctant to fully express her true feelings toward Bane, and kept the early, painful details of her life secret from most of her peers.

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, tanned skin, and captivating green eyes. On her forehead, Githany bore a circular black tattoo.

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. 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. Charny's deep-rooted attachment effectively paralyzed him during their duel, enabling Githany to cut off his arm with her lightwhip, leaving him easy prey for the turncoat Darovit.

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.

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.

After her defection, Githany was fast tracked to the Sith academy on Korriban, where the Brotherhood of Darkness trained their most powerful Sith Lords. She was skilled with both the lightsaber and the lightwhip, having defeated Kiel Charny in a saber duel on at least one occasion; earlier on, she held her own against the Sith siblings Yevra and Llokay before cutting them down. She was skilled with Force lightning, and even taught Darth Bane to harness its power.

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 Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith comic series in 2001. She serves as one of the four main Sith explored in the comic's storyline, along with Bane, Kopecz, and Kaan. In the comic, her name is misspelled at least once as Ghitany. She later appeared in Darth Bane: Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn, which further elaborated on her background and character. However, the novel differs from the comic in several ways. Most notably, Githany is never said to have taken Darovit as an apprentice and Githany fails to escape from the thought bomb due to being lost in the cave system rather than being delayed by Darovit.

• The Official Star Wars Fact File83
• Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
• Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded
• The Essential Reader's Companion