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In addition to the tomes her Master had provided, Zannah had sought out her own sources of hidden Sith knowledge over the years. Practicing in secret, she had progressed far beyond Bane’s expectations, learning new spells to unleash the dark side in ways he had never even imagined.

Next time we meet, Master, I will show you just how powerful I have become.

She had a feeling that meeting would be soon. Bane was out there, somewhere. Plotting and planning for their next encounter. If she didn’t find him soon, Zannah knew, then he would find her.

Night was falling by the time the Huntress returned to the camp. Bane had ordered her to bury Serra’s body—not out of a sense of respect or honor, but simply to keep away scavengers and remove the corpse before it began to decay. To her credit, the Iktotchi hadn’t protested or questioned his command: she either understood the need or trusted his judgment.

While she was gone, Bane had collected kindling from a small woodpile at the back of the hut and started a fire to ward off the chill. The Iktotchi now stood before him, the glow of the flames transforming her red skin to a bright, sinister orange.

“You said you want me to teach you,” he noted, crouching down to stir the fire with a stick. He held it in his left hand, his grip tight to keep the tremor from returning.

“I want to learn the ways of the Sith.”

“If you are to become my apprentice, you must cast away the chains of your old life. You must sever all ties to family and friends.”

“I have none.”

“You will not be able to return to your home; you must be willing to leave behind all your worldly possessions.”

“Wealth and material goods mean nothing to me,” she replied. “I crave only power and purpose. With power, anything you want or need can simply be taken. With purpose, your life has meaning.”

Bane nodded approvingly, stirring the fire once more before continuing.

“If you become my apprentice, who you were will cease to exist. You must be reborn in the ways of the dark side.”

“I’m ready, my lord.” There was no mistaking the eagerness in her voice.

“Then choose a new name for yourself, as a symbol of your new and greater existence.”

“Cognus,” she said after a moment’s consideration.

Bane was impressed. She understood that power rested not in her blades or her bloodlust, but in her knowledge, wisdom, and ability to see the future.

“A good name,” he said, setting the stick down and rising to his full height. As he did so, the Iktotchi dropped to one knee before him and bowed her head.

“From this day forward you are Darth Cognus of the Sith,” he said.

“I am ready to begin my training,” Cognus replied, still down on one knee before him.

“Not yet,” he said, walking past her and heading to the shuttles on the far side of the camp. “There is still one important matter to take care of.”

Cognus jumped up to follow him. “Your old apprentice,” she guessed.

Or was it a guess?

Bane stopped and turned back toward her. “Have you seen what will happen between me and my apprentice?”

“Ever since I came to this world to meet the princess I have dreamed of you both,” Cognus admitted. “But the meaning is unclear.”

“Tell me what you’ve seen,” Bane ordered.

“The details are always changing. Different locations, different worlds, different times of the day or night. At times I see her dead at your feet, other times she is the victor.

“I have tried to make sense of it, but there are too many contradictions.”

“The future of the Sith is precariously balanced between Zannah and myself,” Bane explained. “Whoever survives our confrontation will control the destiny of the Sith, but our strength is too evenly matched for you to foresee the outcome.”

The Iktotchi didn’t reply, pondering his words in silence.

Bane left her alone to think on her first lesson, continuing on to her vessel. He passed the twin graves without a second glance.

Climbing inside the shuttle, he set the commtransmitter to the frequency of Zannah’s