Star Wars_ Darth Bane 01_ Path of Destruction - Drew Karpyshyn [75]
But Githany prided herself on her adaptability. Her initial plan of keeping him as a subservient apprentice was no longer viable. She still wanted Bane on her side, though; he could prove to be a powerful ally—beginning with his killing Sirak.
They worked in silence for the next hour, gathering up the books and straightening the shelves. By the time the room was restored to some semblance of order, Githany’s back ached from the constant bending, lifting, and reaching. She collapsed into one of the chairs, giving Bane a tired smile.
“I’m exhausted,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.
He made his way over and stepped behind her, placing his large hands on her shoulders, just at the base of her long neck. He began to massage the muscles, his caress surprisingly gentle for a man so large.
“Mmm … that feels nice,” she admitted. “Where did you learn to do this?”
“Working the cortosis mines teaches you a lot about aches and pains,” he replied, working his thumbs deep into her shoulder blades. She gasped and arched her back, then went slowly limp as her muscles melted beneath his touch.
He rarely spoke of his past life, though over their time together she had pieced most of it together. In contrast, she had always been much more guarded with what she revealed about herself.
“You asked me once why I left the Jedi,” she mumbled, feeling herself drifting away on the rhythmic pressure of his fingers on her neck. “I never told you, did I?”
“We all have things in our past we would rather not revisit,” he replied without stopping. “I knew you would tell me when you were ready.”
She closed her eyes and let her head fall back as he continued to knead her shoulders.
“My Master was a Cathar,” she said softly. “Master Handa. I studied under him for almost as long as I can remember; my parents gave me over to the order when I was just a toddler.”
“I’ve heard the Jedi care little for the bonds that hold families together.”
“They only care about the Force,” she admitted after a moment’s consideration. “Worldly attachments—friends, family, lovers—cloud the mind with emotion and passion.”
Bane chuckled, a deep, low sound she felt thrumming through the tips of his fingers. “Passion leads to the dark side. Or so I’ve heard.”
“It wasn’t a joke to the Jedi. Especially not to Master Handa. The Cathar are known as a hot-blooded species. He was always warning me and Kiel about the dangers of giving in to our emotions.”
“Kiel?”
“Kiel Charny. Another of Handa’s Padawans. We often trained together; he was only a year older than me.”
“Another Cathar?” Bane asked.
“No, Kiel was human. Over the years we became close. Very close.”
The slight increase in the pressure of his touch told her that Bane had taken in the full meaning of her words. She pretended not to notice. “Kiel and I were lovers,” she continued. “The Jedi are forbidden from forming such attachments. The Masters fear it will cloud the mind with dangerous emotions.”
“Were you really attracted to him, or just to the idea of disobeying your Master?”
She thought about it for a long time. “A bit of both, perhaps,” she said finally. “He was handsome enough. Strong in the Force. There was an undeniable attraction.”
Bane only grunted in response. His hands had stopped massaging, and were now resting on her neck.
“Once we became lovers it didn’t take long for Master Handa to find out. Despite all his preaching about controlling emotion, I could tell he was furious. He commanded us to set our feelings aside and forbade us from continuing our relationship.”
Bane snorted his contempt. “Did he really think it would be that simple?”
“The Jedi see emotion as part of our bestial nature. They believe we must transcend our baser instincts. But I know passion is what makes us strong. The Jedi only fear it because it makes their Padawans unpredictable and difficult to control.
“Master Handa’s reaction made me realize