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“Yes, lucky,” Qordis echoed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “His arrival here seems to be an incredible turn of many fortuitous events. Quite lucky indeed.”

“Some might see it that way,” Kopecz admitted. “Others might see it as something more. Destiny, perhaps.”

There was silence while Qordis considered his longtime rival’s words. “The other acolytes have been training for many years. He will be far behind,” he said at last.

“He will catch up, if given the chance,” Kopecz insisted.

“And I wonder … will the others give him that chance? Not if they are smart. I’m afraid we may simply be throwing away one of Lord Kaan’s best troopers.”

“We both know the Jedi won’t be defeated by soldiers,” Kopecz snapped. “I’d gladly trade a thousand of our best troopers for even one Sith Master.”

Qordis seemed taken aback by his passionate reaction. “He is that strong, is he? This Bane?”

Kopecz nodded. “I think he might be the one we’ve been searching for. He could be the Sith’ari.”

“Before he can claim that title,” Qordis said with a cunning smile, “he’ll have to survive his training.”

PART TWO

9

Peace is a lie. There is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory my chains are broken.

Kopecz was gone, rejoining Kaan’s army and the war being waged against the Jedi and the Republic. Bane had remained behind at the Sith Academy on Korriban to learn the ways of the Sith. His first lesson began the next morning, at the feet of Lord Qordis himself.

“The tenets of the Sith are more than just words to be memorized,” the Master of the Academy explained to his newest apprentice. “Learn them, understand them. They will lead you to the true power of the Force: the power of the dark side.”

Qordis was taller than Kopecz. Taller even than Bane. He was very thin and clad in a black, loose-fitting robe, with the hood drawn back to fall across his shoulders. He might have been human, but something about his appearance seemed off. His skin was an unnatural, chalky hue, made even more obvious by the glittering gems encrusting the many rings on his long fingers. His eyes were dark and sunken. His teeth were sharp and pointed, and his fingernails were curved and wicked talons.

Bane knelt before him, similarly clad in a dark robe with the hood drawn back. Earlier this morning he had heard the Code of the Sith for the first time, and the words were still fresh and mysterious. They swirled through the undercurrents of his mind, occasionally bubbling up into his conscious thoughts as he tried to absorb the deeper meaning behind them. Peace is a lie. There is only passion. He knew the first tenet to be true, at least. His entire life was proof of that.

“Kopecz tells me you come to us as a raw apprentice,” Qordis noted. “He says you have never been trained in the ways of the Force.”

“I’m a quick learner,” Bane assured him.

“Yes … and strong in the power of the dark side. But the same can be said of all who come here.”

Not sure how to respond, Bane decided the wisest course of action was to stay silent.

“What do you know of this Academy?” Qordis finally asked.

“The students here are taught to use the Force. They are taught the secrets of the dark side by you and the other Sith Lords.” After a brief hesitation he added, “And I know there are many other academies like this one.”

“No,” Qordis corrected. “Not like this one. It is true we have other training facilities spread across our evergrowing empire, places where individuals with promise are taught to control and use their power. But each facility is unique, and where individual students are sent depends on how much potential we see in them.

“Those with a noticeable but limited ability are sent to Honoghr, Gentes, or Gamorr to become Sith Warriors or Marauders. There they are taught to channel their emotions into mindless rage and battle fury. The power of the dark side transforms them into ravaging beasts