Star Wars_ Darth Bane 02_ Rule of Two - Drew Karpyshyn [125]
“When he goes,” he said, offering his cousin words of condolence, “at least he’ll go peacefully.”
“Peace is a lie!” Zannah snarled back. “It doesn’t matter if you die in your sleep or on the battlefield, dead is still dead.”
“At least he’s not feeling any pain,” Darovit replied, tossing out another meaningless platitude.
“If you feel pain,” she answered, “it means you’re still alive. Give me pain over peace any day.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say that, Zannah,” Darovit said sadly, shaking his head. “Can’t you see what he’s made you become?”
He made me become a Sith, she thought. Out loud she said, “He made me strong. He gave me power.”
“Is that all you care about now, Zannah? Power?”
“Through power I gain victory, and through victory my chains are broken.”
“Power doesn’t always bring victory,” Darovit countered. “Even with all the power you have, you couldn’t make Caleb help you.”
Bane would have found a way, she thought bitterly, but didn’t say anything.
“I understand what happened to you,” her cousin said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You were just a kid. Scared. Alone. Bane found you and took you in. I understand your loyalty to him. I understand why you care about him.”
Zannah shook his hand off and turned to stare at him with an expression of wide-eyed disbelief. “I’m a Sith. I don’t care about anyone but myself.”
“You care about me.”
Zannah didn’t reply, refusing to be drawn again into the same argument they’d had on the way to Tython.
“You don’t want to admit it,” Darovit pressed, “but I know you care about me. And about your Master, too. Your actions prove that, no matter what you say. But Caleb’s right, you know. Bane’s a monster; we can’t let him go free.
“But he doesn’t necessarily have to die,” he added.
“What do you mean?” Zannah said, suddenly wary.
“I spoke with Caleb. He thinks you’re a monster, too. But he doesn’t know you like I do. You’re not a monster, Zannah … but you’ll become one if you let anger and hate rule your life.”
“Now you sound like the Jedi,” she said carefully. Darovit was clearly up to something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I’m starting to realize they’re better than the alternative,” he admitted. “I know what’s going to happen, Zannah. If Bane dies, you’ll kill Caleb.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Probably.” There was no point in lying.
“You’re balanced on the precipice,” her cousin warned her, his voice suddenly urgent and intense. “You can still turn back from this life, Zannah. But if Bane dies, I know your desire to avenge him will drive you to murder Caleb. And I’m afraid your Master’s death will push you over the edge. It’ll turn you into him.
“I don’t want you to turn into him,” he added more softly, nodding down at Bane’s motionless form on the gurney. “I have to save you from yourself. I had to find some way to stop you from killing Caleb. So I convinced him to heal Bane. It’s the only way to make you turn away from the teachings of the Sith.”
“That … that makes no sense,” Zannah said, her mind reeling as she tried to wrap her head around his logic. “If Bane lives he’ll never let me abandon my studies.” And why would I even want to? she added silently.
“Before Caleb will help,” her cousin explained, “you have to dispatch one of the Loranda’s message drones. You have to tell the Jedi where we are so they can come and arrest Bane.”
“What?” Zannah shouted, taking a half step away from him. “That’s crazy!”
“No, it’s not!” he said, grabbing her by the arm with his good hand and pulling her back to face him. “Please, Zannah, just listen to me. If you send that message to the Jedi and hand Bane over to them, it will prove you’re turning your back on the ways of the Sith. It will show you want to make up for all the pain and suffering you’ve caused.
“And it’s the only way Caleb will agree to heal him,” he added a second later, letting go of her arm.
“You saw what Bane can do,” she said. “What’s to stop him from killing the Jedi when