"Bane of the Sith," a concise narrative crafted by Kevin J. Anderson, initially saw publication within the pages of _Star Wars Gamer_ #3. It was subsequently made available on Hyperspace. The tale delves into the occurrences enveloping Darth Bane's existence, picking up shortly after the events chronicled in Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith and Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. This story, Bane of the Sith, marked the end of Anderson's contributions to the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
The Sith Lord known as Darth Bane is traveling through hyperspace aboard his vessel, the Valcyn. Bane stands as the only survivor of the Battle of Ruusan, an event where Lord Skere Kaan's devastating thought bomb annihilated the entire Brotherhood of Darkness along with a significant portion of the Jedi Knights stationed on the planet. Joining Bane on this journey is the unwelcome spectral form of Lord Qordis, a Sith who met his end during the aforementioned battle.
Qordis relentlessly criticizes Darth Bane for what he perceives as abandoning the Sith ways, while Darth Bane grapples with the responsibility of perpetuating the Sith legacy. As Darth Bane's ship nears Dxun, the beast moon orbiting Onderon, the ghostly Qordis interferes by disabling all of the Valcyn's operational systems. Despite the ensuing crash, Bane manages to survive by drawing upon the power of the dark side.
Upon venturing into the Dxun jungle, Bane witnesses the remnants of the Valcyn being destroyed in an explosion orchestrated by Qordis's spirit. Undeterred, Bane presses forward, defeating a local jungle creature before being confronted by the spectral presence of Lord Kaan. He follows Kaan until he arrives at the pyramidal tomb dedicated to Freedon Nadd. Kaan then guides Bane to a chamber within the tomb, where a Sith holocron awaits, brimming with all the Sith knowledge Bane requires.
As Bane steps into the chamber, parasitic organisms known as orbalisks descend from the ceiling, attaching themselves to Darth Bane's body and causing intense pain. Overcoming the agony, Darth Bane fully engages with the knowledge contained within the Sith holocron. After a significant period (likely days), Darth Bane emerges from the tomb, revitalized with enhanced dark-side knowledge and power. He resolves to rebuild the Sith Order, but under the principles of the Rule of Two. Mastering a flying beast, Bane mounts it, intending to journey to Onderon in search of a suitable apprentice.
Bane of the Sith presents certain inconsistencies when compared to the Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith comic series and the Darth Bane: Path of Destruction novel. These include discrepancies regarding Darth Bane's advice to Kaan regarding the thought bomb, the timeline surrounding Bane's search for an apprentice, the precise moment when Darth Bane embraces the Rule of Two, and the specific circumstances surrounding Qordis's demise on Ruusan.