In the year 1000 BBY, a fierce lightsaber battle erupted between Sith apprentices Bane and Sirak, who were bitter enemies. This confrontation occurred on Korriban within the Sith Academy, with their respective allies amongst the students. The setting for this violent encounter was the academy's library, where lightsabers clashed. Sirak was supported by the Zabrak twins, Yevra and Llokay, while Humans Bane and Githany stood together on the opposing side.
Driven by a desire for vengeance after his defeat in a training session against Bane, Sirak enlisted Githany's aid. She promised to lure Bane into the library without raising suspicion. However, once Bane arrived, Githany betrayed Sirak by returning his lightsaber and joining forces with him against Sirak. Despite the numerical advantage of Sirak's group, Githany swiftly killed both Zabrak twins, while Bane engaged Sirak in a duel. Bane once again proved superior, leaving Sirak to beg for his life before Bane decapitated him.
Bane, a Human male, and Sirak, a Zabrak with yellow skin, had previously faced each other in training duels as Sith apprentices within the Brotherhood of Darkness. This training took place at the Academy located on Korriban, a graveyard world sacred to the Sith. Under the guidance of Kas'im, the Academy's Blademaster, the students regularly challenged one another in duels. These contests served to demonstrate their strength and gain favor with the Masters who oversaw their training. The use of training sabers ensured that all participants survived, allowing the Brotherhood of Darkness to continually expand its ranks. During their initial confrontation, Bane, whose connection to the Force had weakened due to his subconscious resistance to the dark side of the Force, challenged Sirak, the Academy's top student, in an attempt to regain his standing. However, Bane was unable to effectively utilize the Force during the battle, resulting in Sirak toying with him before ultimately defeating him.
After Githany, a former Jedi, assisted Bane in reconnecting with the Force, she offered to instruct him in the dark side teachings she had learned from the Masters. Githany harbored a secret plan to manipulate Bane, intending to use his power to eliminate Sirak for her own purposes. Bane agreed to her offer but also sought additional training in lightsaber combat from Kas'im, aiming to achieve a balance in his skills. Months later, Githany declared her readiness to challenge Sirak. However, due to their growing romantic connection, Bane insisted on facing Sirak himself, believing that Githany would be unsuccessful.
The following day, Bane defeated Sirak in a duel but hesitated to deliver the final blow, prompting Kas'im to immediately call for a halt. Witnessing this act of mercy, Githany, who was observing the duel with the other students, concluded that Bane was weak and began plotting her own betrayal. As a reward for his victory, Kas'im presented Bane with the curved-hilt lightsaber that had belonged to his former Master, Na'daz.
Following a disagreement with Qordis, the Academy Headmaster, regarding the philosophies of the dark side, Bane departed for the Valley of the Dark Lords without informing anyone. His goal was to seek the wisdom of the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith buried there. Angered by Bane's departure and disgusted by his failure to kill Sirak in the duel, Githany approached the Zabrak and offered her assistance in exacting revenge on Bane. Sirak cautiously accepted her offer, and they devised a plan to lure Bane to the Academy's library, where Sirak would be waiting to kill him once and for all. During Bane's absence, Lord Kaan, the founder of the Brotherhood, summoned all students to Ruusan to fight against Lord Hoth's Jedi Army of Light. Both Sirak and Githany were promoted to the rank of Dark Lord and received their own lightsabers, with Sirak's being a double-bladed variant. Upon Bane's return, Githany successfully lured him to the library, where Sirak, accompanied by fellow Zabrak students Yevra and Llokay, ambushed him.
Bane, with Githany behind him wielding her lightwhip, faced the exit, which was now blocked by his Zabrak rival and his twin allies. He questioned Githany's motives, but Sirak ignited his lightsaber and declared that she valued the Sith principle of strength over weakness. Bane knew he was stronger than Sirak but turned to Githany, sensing her indecision by the nervous chewing of her lower lip. Realizing Bane was trying to turn Githany against him, Sirak attacked, but Bane dodged, causing Sirak to strike only air. Unexpectedly, Githany chose Bane over Sirak, throwing him the lightsaber she had taken from his quarters. Bane summoned the weapon to his hand and activated it just in time to defend against Sirak's attacks. The Zabrak twins joined the fray, readying their sabers to attack. Githany, in turn, readied her lightwhip for defense.
Bane launched a rapid series of attacks, forcing Sirak back but feigning an advance by suddenly retreating. This created an opportunity for him to use the Force to hurl Yevra into nearby bookshelves, stunning her and shattering the wood. Githany seized the moment and lashed out at the female Zabrak with her whip, instantly killing Yevra.
Witnessing his sister's death filled Llokay with rage. Despite being weaker in the Force than Bane, his emotions fueled the dark side enough to force the larger Human back under a barrage of desperate slashes, sacrificing technique for raw emotional power. Defending against the unexpected attack, Bane barely noticed Sirak's Force lightning unleashed towards him. He blocked it with his lightsaber, inadvertently leaving himself open to an attack from Llokay. However, Githany was already attacking the grief-stricken twin, who needed all his focus to defend against the unpredictable strikes of the lightwhip. Bane then turned to face Sirak, and the two hesitated as a scream echoed through the room. Llokay had lost an eye to Githany's whip just before another lash tore out the Zabrak's throat.
Realizing the tide of the duel had turned and his defeat was imminent, Sirak deactivated his lightsaber and fell to his knees, looking up at the pair standing over him. Looking at the Zabrak, Bane saw every being he'd killed—his father, Hurst, Fohargh, the Galactic Republic soldiers he'd killed while with the Gloom Walkers, a Sith military unit. In the silence, Sirak begged for his life, but Bane, realizing that the way of the dark side was to overcome guilt, decapitated his rival. Sirak's death marked the completion of Bane's transformation into a powerful dark side acolyte.
By killing Sirak, Bane conquered his fears of the dark side. Previously, after killing his father and Fohargh, Bane had recoiled from the Force, losing his ability to control it. But by killing his rival, Bane knew he would never doubt the dark side's power again, and at that moment, he truly became a Sith. However, this also reinforced his belief in the failings of the Brotherhood of Darkness, leading him to conclude that he had to leave them completely. This event would lead to his decision to destroy the Brotherhood and revolutionize the Sith by establishing the Order of the Sith Lords under the Rule of Two.
The Duel in the Korriban Academy was the creation of Drew Karpyshyn, who wrote it for his 2006 novel, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. Karpyshyn used this duel to bring about the deaths of Sirak, Llokay, and Yevra. The author also used this event to reunite Bane and Githany, who had been separated earlier in the novel. It is at this point that the author depicts Bane fully and consciously embracing the dark side of the Force, setting him on the path to eventually destroy Kaan's Brotherhood.