Bane's Heart (lightsaber)

To suit her petite build, the Sith apprentice Darth Zannah fashioned a double-bladed lightsaber. The weapon was powered by twin, Force-attuned, synthetic lightsaber crystals, housed within an extended hilt. One of these crystals, red and starburst-shaped, was named Bane's Heart. When held by someone other than Zannah, the lightsaber (also known as Bane's Heart) emitted an electrical discharge, a feature attributed to its specialized crystal. The weapon projected two red blades, each measuring 0.75 meters in length. Upon activation, the lightsaber produced a buzzing hum, and when deactivated, it emitted a soft thrum. Furthermore, it generated a distinct high-pitched sound when either blade absorbed or redirected Force lightning. When not actively used, Bane's Heart was carried at Darth Zannah's hip, secured within her belt, or concealed within the folds of her robes, consistently positioned on the left side for easy access with her preferred hand.

The unique design of the Bane's Heart lightsaber imparted a subtle yet significant variation in its handling compared to other lightsabers. The blades' shorter length resulted in decreased reach and leverage, but it also afforded a notable enhancement in speed and agility. This balance ideally complemented the defensive nature of Form III: Soresu, Zannah's chosen lightsaber combat style. Despite its creator's natural left-handedness, Bane's Heart was capable of being wielded in either hand. Zannah's defensive salute involved extending the lightsaber with the blades held horizontally. Executing the twirling maneuver that constituted Zannah's nearly impenetrable defense required precise wrist control and a light, yet firm, grip. The mesmerizing patterns created by her ignited lightsaber served to disorient unsuspecting opponents, who grew increasingly frustrated as their attacks were repeatedly parried—rather than blocked—with minimal effort. When an enemy eventually faltered, Bane's Heart enabled its wielder to counter with lethal speed, although the specialized blade length typically necessitated close-quarters engagement to eliminate adversaries. Those possessing superior physical strength experienced only a slight impediment from the defensive style for which Bane's Heart was engineered and could eventually disrupt the spinning lightsaber's momentum.

In the year 996 BBY, on the desert world of Ambria, a young Human girl named Zannah constructed a double-bladed lightsaber as part of her apprenticeship under the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Bane. Zannah received two Force-sensitive synth-crystals to power her weapon, one of which was designated Bane's Heart, a name subsequently applied to the completed lightsaber. Initially hesitant to embrace the defensive purpose of her saberstaff's unique design, Zannah ultimately mastered the creation of a virtually impenetrable defensive wall with her twin blades.

Six years after its creation, Darth Zannah's lightsaber aroused the interest of Paak, a mercenary who had apprehended her on Serenno for betraying the terrorist Anti-Republic Liberation Front (ARLF). After being confiscated from its owner, Bane's Heart was presented to the ARLF's leader, Hetton, who was intrigued by the unique weapon. Zannah soon retrieved the saberstaff and briefly engaged in a duel with Paak, who was armed with a vibroblade. She ultimately slew him by deflecting a blaster bolt. The Sith apprentice was later compelled to briefly wield her lightsaber against Darth Bane himself, who initially believed she had betrayed him before being convinced otherwise.

In the same year, Zannah and her Master were pursued by a Jedi strike team to Tython, a Deep Core world. The Sith took position in the abandoned fortress of the ancient Dark Lord Belia Darzu when the Jedi arrived for battle. Zannah ignited her double-bladed lightsaber against Jedi Knights Sarro Xaj and Johun Othone. The latter's awkward Form VI: Niman technique was offset by his partner's more refined attacks. Using Bane's Heart, Zannah effortlessly deflected and redirected the incoming assaults of both men, maintaining an impenetrable defensive shield. Her saberstaff was diminutive compared to Xaj's blue-bladed version, and his superior strength with his own weapon proved a formidable match when they engaged in single combat. Unable to rely solely on Bane's Heart for assured victory, Zannah conjured a Force distraction before fatally slashing Xaj across the chest with her blades. The double-bladed lightsaber was then used to eliminate Jedi Raskta Lsu and Othone, both of whom were fatally run through with its blades. Upon their return to Ambria, Zannah murdered Caleb, the planet's resident healer, with Bane's Heart, after forcing him to heal her mortally wounded Master.

Ten years later, Zannah, now equal to her Master in strength and stature, always carried her lightsaber when meeting with him. While on a mission to Doan for the Dark Lord, Zannah was compelled to kill two beings with Bane's Heart, a Rodian and a Human, after they discovered the Sith sorceress's planet of residence. Her journey led her to Nal Hutta and a direct confrontation with the Dark Jedi Set Harth, whose specialized Form IV: Ataru variant was no match for the instinctive defensive rhythm and impenetrable barrier created by Zannah's lightsaber.

Zannah next wielded her lightsaber against an unarmed Darth Bane, whom she had tracked to the Stone Prison of Doan and challenged for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Unaccustomed to being the aggressor in lightsaber combat, Zannah tentatively thrust her blades at Bane repeatedly, forced to constantly block hurled bolts of Force lightning with either end. Despite the advantage of her saberstaff, she could not defeat him, but she soon had another opportunity when Master and apprentice confronted each other for the final time on Ambria. Despite his ferocious attacks, Zannah remained grounded and safe behind her lightsaber's defensive shield for much of the duel. However, a misstep resulted in the momentary loss of her weapon, forcing Zannah to rely on the Force to ultimately triumph over her opponent.

Centuries after Zannah's ownership, Bane's Heart fell into the hands of a Dark Jedi. By the time of the Clone Wars, this Dark Jedi lost it in a fatal encounter with General Grievous, the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, on either Dica or Necropolis. The saberstaff became one of the cyborg General's earliest lightsaber trophies, collected from each Jedi he killed. Following Grievous's own demise at the war's end, Bane's Heart was among the confiscated lightsabers stored in his personal starfighter. It was soon recovered by scientists of the newly formed Galactic Empire and given to N-K Necrosis, a prototype combat droid created from the reanimated corpse of General Grievous.

Around the time of the Battle of Yavin during the Galactic Civil War, a group of spacers discovered and defeated N-K Necrosis in the Myyydril Caverns of Kashyyyk. The spacers looted the remains of the destroyed droid, taking the Bane's Heart lightsaber crystal that once powered the lightsaber, but had since been removed.

Darth Zannah's lightsaber made its debut in Rule of Two, the second novel in Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane Trilogy, and in its sequel, Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil. Both novels provide significant details about the lightsaber's specifications. An online article released through Hyperspace, The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War, served as a supplement to the Unknown Soldier: The Story of General Grievous article. It reveals N-K Necrosis's possession of Bane's Heart and Grievous's initial acquisition of the lightsaber from an unnamed Dark Jedi on either Necropolis or Dica. While Unknown Soldier never conclusively identifies the individual, a comic titled Dark Jedi, which falls within the non-canon elements of "Infinities," suggests Kaa and Lii, twin sisters who fought Grievous on those worlds, as possibilities. The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War also reveals that the lightsaber was powered by a special crystal called Bane's Heart, a name later given to the lightsaber itself in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.