Darth Bane's Training 3

(This takes place in Darth Bane's Past. At this point his commander was Master Shi and Sergeant Doumit. He was a Jedi at this point.)

It had been two years since Lord Bane had seen his home, a small farm on the planet Dantooine. When he was living there with his parents he hated it, he wanted something more than to grow up as a farmer. So, he joined the Galactic Alliance fleet. When he first signed up it was an adventure, something that would start his life in the right direction. But, now he saw it for what it really was; endless cycle of the same. He had come to the conclusion that everything will repeat itself over and over again and this thing called the Force was nothing more than a myth to explain why things repeat themselves.
A religion for the weak to explain the unexplainable. That’s all the Force was, he seen Jedi, they didn’t look special or powerful to him. They were like everyone else, everyone else that outranked him. They would issue orders expecting him not to question the intent. They expected him to be blinded by their religion.


He didn’t hate them, but he didn’t like them. He didn’t like to admit, but he was attracted to one. She was a young Padawan roughly his age. Although she tried to act like she was years older. He could see right through her and see the youth she tried to hide. Either way, he was attracted to her and she didn’t even know he existed. He didn’t like the fact that he was letting lust control his thoughts, but when it came to it that’s what made him human. If you lose your emotions than what else do you have?


He walked into the briefing room, noticing that his troops had already taken their seats. As he walked to the holomap centered in the front of the room he could he the rumors had already started. The lower enlisted always started rumors on what their missions would be, this became known as the Private News Network or PNN. He would tune into it every once in awhile and listen to what his troops had to say about the weird missions they had been getting lately. Some of the stories were very interesting and some were just stupid. Today, for once, PNN was right on target and Lord Bane considered it to be one of the stupidest missions he had ever done.


He stood to the side of the holomap, clearing his thought to get their attention he began his mission brief, “Alright, listen up. Today we start Operation Recover Past.” He waited for a stupid comment, but none came so he continued, “it’s going to be a five day trip to Korriban.” One of his senior enlisted raised a hand, “What is it Sergeant?”
“Sir, are the Jedi stupid? I’ve read a history book or two and every time a Jedi sets foot on that planet they go evil and waste half the galaxy.” Sergeant Doumit said in a slightly aggravated tone.
“Yea I know. That’s why we get to go with them. Because we are of high morals and so in touch with our inner goodness we can keep them from falling to their dark side.” The soldiers started to laugh softly, but cut themselves off when operations commander walked in.
Master Shi was young compared to other masters and more skilled than half of them. He was the only Jedi Lord Bane had ever seen not carry a lightsaber; instead Master Shi sported an ancient looking sword.
“Colonel, I hope you aren’t mocking your surpior officer?” Master Shi asked with a smile on his face. He understood that the regular person needs a laugh or two to keep them in check, especially before going to a world like Korriban.

“Of course not, sir, I was just letting grunts know the importance of their mission.” Lord Bane returned the smile. Of all the Jedi he’d dealt with Master Shi was the only one that Lord Bane truly trusted his life to. Many occasions have proven him correct in his decision.
The briefing continued with few changes that the Jedi decided to make last minute. Instead of landing in the Valley of the Dark Lords they would put down in the ruined Dresdae settlement. The Jedi figured that it would be a safer landing area, landing in the middle of a half dozen dead Dark Lords wasn’t floating to well with the Jedi. The first wave consists of all non Jedi; their task is to secure the landing site for the second and third waves. The second wave will drop Master Shi and his apprentice, the third is to drop off the remaining Jedi Knights and equipment. Master Shi also emphasized the need to be quick with the investigation. He didn’t want to spend more time on Korriban than he had to.
**
Lord Bane stood on the surface of the barren planet. He felt it, whatever it was; it was coursing though him like the blood that kept him alive. His senses were heightened, he could see the smaller details of objects, feel the pulse of anything he touched, smell the death that had taken place long ago, and hear the cries of the fallen. It was like he nothing he had ever felt or experienced before.
The next wave landed dropping off Master Shi and his apprentice. Shi could feel it, much in the same way that Lord Bane was feeling it. The Dark Side of the Force was imbedded deep in this barren planet. Shi focused and approached Lord Bane; there was something about the soldier that disturbed Shi. It was as if Lord Bane was embracing the Dark Side, but Shi hadn’t felt the Force in the young soldier. It was odd that Lord Bane’s thoughts were filled with so much emotion; it seemed that he was not himself at that moment, but someone else or something else.
“Lord Bane, is everything alright, you seem to be…distracted.” Master Shi spoke softly while standing behind and slightly to the right of the Soldier. It was then that Shi knew something was wrong and that this mission was going to become something more.


“Yes, I’m fine. But, what is this that I’m feeling? I feel as if I’m being born all over again.” Lord Bane said in almost a whisper. He was in another place; he didn’t see the barren planet before him. No, instead he saw his home world, his own small farm in the hills far outside the city, and. Yes, he saw peace, internal and external peace that flowed like a river all around him.
Master Shi was silent for a moment, finally he spoke, and “You’re feeling the Force. I hadn’t realized you were adept in it, but I have should have. It would explain a lot about you.”
**
It had been four days since they had landed on Korriban. Out of the sixty five soldiers and Jedi Knights that landed only twenty remained. At first the booby traps in the tombs, then Hssis or Dark Side dragons started to ambush them, and now something else was hunting them. Lord Bane, Master Shi, the Padawan Allera along with seventeen other soldiers and Knights were hold up in a small tomb of a Dark Lord. They hadn’t chosen this retreat, but it seemed now that they were guided here by unseen forces.


Lord Bane seemed to be fairing well considering the loss of his soldiers. Allera was helping; she kept trying to get into Lord Bane’s head to ease the pain. Only problem was that he wasn’t feeling any pain and Master Shi knew why. Lord Bane could cancel out his emotions when the situation called for it. This started long ago during Lord Bane’s first campaign when he was the only survive of routine night patrol that had ended after three days of complete horror that no man could imagine. That was part of the reason that Master Shi wanted Lord Bane on this mission. The other part was more complicated. In truth Master Shi had answered the call of the Force when picking Lord Bane. For some reason it wanted him on this planet.
Outside the hollowed tomb near the center on the Valley of the Dark Lords a solitary figure starred into the darkness of tomb. The thoughts of the future ran though his head. Everything was slipping into place. The soldier, the Jedi Master, and the Padawan all had their parts to play in the near future. The Soldier would lead the Padawan

Allera sat on the cold stone floor of the tomb. She couldn’t believe what was happening; this mission was just to find some Sith relics that the Jedi could study or evidence of a new Sith threat. Now they had half their forces and were trapped in a crumbling tomb of an ancient Sith Lord. This place gave her the creeps. She had tried to listen to Master Shi’s advice about calming down and centering herself, but she couldn’t even if she tried.


She looked over at the young captain. Lord Bane hadn’t shown any distress or emotion since this mess started. She reached out to him and tried to dig inside him and find his true feelings. All she got were base emotions that kept her at the surface of his mind. She tried harder and reached deeper into his mind and heard him going though the steps to disassemble and reassemble his personal weapon. She pressed harder, but was cut off by the vicious glare that Lord Bane shot her.
“Stay out of my head Jedi. Lord Bane said calmly and evenly.


“I’m sorry I was just trying to feel if you were alright.” Allera said shyly. How did I get caught? Is he Force sensitive? She asked herself and then quickly looked toward Master Shi.
“Why don’t you just ask if I’m alright? Maybe I’ll lie to you and maybe I wont, that’s just something you’ll have to accept.”
“I don’t like when people lie to me, I’d rather just find out the truth.” Allera said slightly annoyed by the Captain.
Lord Bane let out a quite laugh, “and did you find inside my head? The truth or what I wanted you to hear? The Army trains us to resist Jedi mind probes.”
“You think that I couldn’t get into you head? Just because I’m a padawan doesn’t mean that I don’t have the skills of a Jedi Knight.” Lord Bane shot back at him. She wanted to show him that she could do it. She wanted to prove to him that I Jedi was stronger than the normal soldier.


“Go ahead then, try and hear my thought, try and see what I’m hiding.” Lord Bane moved closer to the padawan and looked her right in the eyes.
Allera locked onto his eyes and started her probe. At first she ran into the same base emotions as earlier, and then the weapon systems. But, after she broke though those thoughts another was flung at her. She listened and watched this thought play out his Lord Bane’s mind. After only a few seconds she broke eye contact. She slapped Lord Bane across the face and with blushing cheeks she stormed to the other side of the tomb.

Lord Bane called out after, “And I wasn’t lying about that thought either! Its still playing out in my mind, you should see what your about to let me do.” The image that Lord Bane had used to block her was of them in an act of pure lust. He pictured him and her intertwined in various sexual acts on the casket of the dead Dark Lord.
“You’re crazy if you think I will ever…” Allera was cut off by an noise that echoed though out the tomb and its many halls.


Master Shi and Lord Bane instantly had their guard up. Allera following the lead of her master did the same. Shi could feel it coming, whatever it was. He focused on the Force and instantly was blinded by pain. His head began to feel like it was being slowly crushed. Allera ran to his side, but she was knocked back by an invisible wave. She tried to stand and was thrown against a stone wall. With Master Shi paralyzed by pain and Allera knocked unconscious, Lord Bane stood by himself with his pistol pointed at the stone door that separated him from, something.
Revan slowly made his way forward though the door that lead to the tomb of Naga Sadow. He had been here before thousands of years ago. Back when he was searching for the Star Forge and its infinite power to build. As he came to the other side he noticed that the tomb was barren, stripped of everything except for what the scavengers didn’t want. And the Star Map that used to be here was bent in unnatural ways, it was unusable. He brought himself back to the present and looked upon his descendant. He revealed himself to the young officer. It was hard to believe that his bloodline had reached this far. It amazed him more that none along the line had even tried to become Jedi or Sith.


Revan reached out with his palm up and said to the other man, “Come.”
Lord Bane didn’t know what to do. This being had appeared before him from out of nowhere. He could feel the power of this person, but why him not Master Shi or Allera?
“Why me, what do you want?” Lord Bane asked as calmly as he could give the current situation.
“Now isn’t the time for questions. Come or stay, those are your only options right now. And staying will leave me one option on what to do with you.” Revan gestured with his hand again. “Take my hand.” Lord Bane took Revan’s hand and they both vanished from the tomb.

It had been four years since the incident on Korriban. Allera had finally gotten to the rank of Knight. She still dreamt of the soldier named Lord Bane that had disappeared from the tomb they were trapped in. She didn’t like dwelling on the past, but something about that whole operation didn’t seem right. She had asked Master Shi about that once a long time ago, he didn’t give her a straight answer. He only told her “It was a risk to go there.”
They did go there and they lost good soldiers. She wouldn’t admit it then but she was attracted to that young captain. His confidence, his leadership, and his arrogance all made him appealing to her. Not to mention is didn’t trust the Jedi, no matter what she said to him he would fight her saying, “Jedi beliefs conflict with the views of the people they are sworn to serve. Walk down the streets of any planet that has seen war. Look into the eyes of the soldiers that have seen Jedi die and you will finally learn that you are no better than a normal person.” He was always that way for the short time she had known him. Sometimes she thought he was right, she had seen many things since that day and yet she still liked him and he was gone.


When she regained consciousness and found Master Shi sitting in the corner. He looked like he had seen something horrible. He kept mumbling, “he lives in the Force…He is alive…he lives in the force…he is alive…” He repeated those words until he was out of tomb which Allera had to drag him out. When they did get out Master Shi seemed to come back to normal and had no memory of what he was saying. When he let Allera mind probe him she found nothing, the council even came up empty handed. It was when the ship was on approach that she realized she had forgotten about Lord Bane. She left Master Shi to signal the transport while she ran back inside to get the young captain. She found nothing, no trace of Captain Mare anywhere. He was simply gone.
When she had gone back into the tomb looking for Lord Bane she had noticed something strange. The decoration that was in the far corner of the tomb was open. She walked closer and noticed the incomplete holomap that filled the center. She had taken a description of the device and the planets listed on the map and then returned to Master Shi. He was waiting on the transport boarding ramp signaling to her to hurry up. When they had returned to Coruscant she researched the relic and the coordinates that it had given her. Nothing, there wasn’t a single topic or reference about the strange relic. So she looked toward the unofficial historians.


All in all Allera was happy with her life. She was a Jedi Knight in one the most peaceful times in known history. There were some border skirmishes here and there, but nothing negotiations and small military interventions couldn’t stop. For the most part everything was as it should be. Allera couldn’t get the feeling of a horrible thing coming toward them. It was dark, evil, but it lacked something and she didn’t know what it was. Whatever this thing was on its way, the Council had even informed the Senate of this unknown threat that lurked beyond sight.
She was about to confer with the council on a dream she had last night. This dream had disturbed her, she didn’t know the name the man had claimed himself to be, but she knew he was evil. She could feel it with every word he spoke. Something he had said had urged her to have this meeting to discuss the detail of this dream. The evil man had spoke of Lord Bane or so she thought. He said, “The young one I took will one day return to you. He will be your master and you his apprentice.” She hoped the council will tell it was all just a dream, but she thought that unlikely.
She walked into the council room. It’s plush carpet floor and high windows made the room feel oddly comfortable. The Council Masters sat in a semi circle around a small fountain. She walked to the center and stopped just before the fountain. The formalities were skipped as the Grandmaster asked what was disturbing her. She told them of the dream she had the night prior and of what the evil one had said to her. After she finished the Masters sat quietly, the Grandmaster asked what the evil one looked like. Allera explained the detail of the red and black mask, the black robe and the dark red armor. This time the Masters seemed to stir restlessly in their seats.


“You have described in detail a powerful Dark Lord that was the cause of the Jedi Civil War some six thousand years ago. His name is Darth Revan. This is who you saw last night.” The Grandmaster told her. He spoke with great certainty of this evil one named Darth Revan.
“Yes, Grandmaster, the name feels right. But, what would he want with me?” Allera was afraid. She had read about what happened to those dead Sith Lords focused on, horrible things happened. “Could this be the disturbance you and the other Masters have felt?”


“Its possible that Revan is the source of the disturbance, but if you remember four years ago while you and Master Shi were trapped in the tomb the council felt a similar disturbance, one far more powerful.” The Grandmaster said, “But you are not the disturbance we’re are feeling, of that we are sure.”
All in the room seemed to stop breathing when the fountain fell silent. The fountain was designed to continue to flow as long as Jedi were in its presence. The sudden cease of flowing water while six Council Masters were present…something was wrong. A darkness fell over the room every Jedi Master could feel it, someone powerful was here in the room. They reached out with the Force and located its source. They all starred at Allera as she looked in horror at their faces. It was then that the Grandmaster yelled to move aside. As she did a red blade cut though the air, were she was standing a split second earlier.
A sadistic menacing laugh filled the Council room, “Silly Jedi. Do you really think that you can sense what is to come? Maybe if you spent less time speaking of dreams and visions you would have known that I was coming.” Darth Bane walked forward toward the five Masters and Grandmaster, they all had their lightsabers ignited and at the ready. Bane stopped before the fountain and placed a foot on top of it. He bent forward and rested his elbow on his elevated knee.


“What is it you want?” The Grandmaster said as he studied the relaxed composure of the Sith before him.
“I want nothing.” He said simply, “It is what my mentor wants that brings me here. He wants you to know that he will not kill you, but rather condemn you to an eternity of nothingness.” Bane finished the message. He turned to see two more Masters entering the room. He walked toward the door, not caring about the Masters behind him, but focused on the two that just entered.
The first one lunged at him and sliced though where Bane’s chest should have been, if he wasn’t a ghost. Bane let out a vicious laugh and stuck his arm into the shocked and rather exposed Master Jedi’s chest. He reached for the Jedi’s spirit, to rip it from the body so both would die and live an eternity in oblivion. The limp Master’s body fell to the floor, it acted as if was alive, but all could see that it would soon die. The spirit in Bane’s hands screamed in agony as the pain of being ripped from its vessel. The spirit was the Inner Being that would live out the body and become one with the Force. Now it was in the hands of Bane.
“You see. This is what will become of all of you.” Bane raised the spirit high in front of himself. “You will not have as easy this one, I will kill this one, but you will live on in nothingness.” As he finished what he was saying the spirit began to stop fighting, after a few more seconds all in the room could tell, could feel that it was dead. With the death of the spirit Bane left the council room and returned to his tomb, his mission for Lord Revan was complete.
**

Lord Bane lay on the beach were Revan had walked six thousands years ago and where Darth Bane had walked a couple thousand years after. He was dreaming of the day in the tomb when Allera had tried to get into his head and he showed her is lust for her. The waves washed over his bare legs and then retreated. He awoke and scanned the horizon he didn’t look at anything in particular, but looked for everything. He had been on this planet for four years now. Growing more powerful in the arts of the Force as each day passed. Revan had taught everything about he knew about tactics, deception, combat, and the Force. Lord Bane was ready or so he thought, but his Master didn’t think so. Revan kept saying that there was more to learn, but never taught what lessons remained. He said that some lesson can’t be taught by words. Instead they need to be taught by actions.

Revan walked his ghostly form across the beach towards were Lord Bane was sitting. As he got closer he spoke to his apprentice, “How are you this morning?” He didn’t force the Dark Side upon his student. He had simply shown him the fundamental weakness of Jedi pacifism.
“I’m fine.” Lord Bane responded flatly. “Why won’t you let me return to show the galaxy my new power and defeat them.”
Revan stood next to his apprentice, “Its not just power that you should be concerned with. You need to use your brain along with strength to be able to use your power.” Revan turned to face the jungle behind them, “By using everything you have you show them that you are more powerful than you really are. And they will fear you. There are so many techniques in the Force that focus on power and power alone. Nobody that has used them succeeded in their goals or at least not for very long.”

“What do you mean?” Lord Bane asked.
“Sidious used a power of mass deception. With minimal planning on how he was going to maintain his Empire. Instead he relied on the continued deception of his officers to keep order. When that failed he used fear, out of that fear came the Luke Skywalker and his legacy that stands today. Fear is a convenient tool, but not a solid method of control.” Revan spoke as a teacher would to a student. That’s what he like of his apprentice, he had the patient to learn all he could, while eager to show of his skills.
Lord Bane thought of what he had just learned. He would need a plan on how to maintain what he built. He couldn’t rely on people fearing him, because eventually the fear will drive them to action. “I understand, Master. If I am to truly conquer the galaxy I must not rely on the Force, I must remain confident in my own abilities to destroy what stands against me.”

Revan nodded. His student was learning much in his short time in training. But, that he was of Revan’s bloodline and that was expected. Revan tapped Lord Bane on the shoulder and when the young apprentice turned to face him, Revan motioned him to follow. He took Lord Bane into the jungle. They walked for a few kilometers until they got to a ruined temple.
“I told you once that this place had great meaning to me. Now I will tell you why.” Revan said with sadness in his voice. It was the first time Lord Bane had ever heard emotion in his Master’s words.
After the story had been spoken Lord Bane looked at his Master in a new way. It was then that Lord Bane realized that he was not being trained to destroy the galaxy, but to simply conquer it. Like what Revan had tried to do so many years ago. Revan never wanted to lay waste to millions like his first apprentice did. Revan knew in that war, as he did in the war to come, that the real fight will be between Jedi and Sith.

Just like is war six thousand years ago. The armies that each side would amass would be only tools to distinguish the sides, the ideals of good and evil. But, like Revan had taught him early on, one must have a clear definition of Good to define Evil and vice versa.
“Master, I think that I understand what you want me to do.”
“The Jedi will need to see you as evil, if you hope to accomplish your goal.” Revan looked at his apprentice, “are you sure you know what I have been training you for?”
“Yes Master. You want me to conquer the galaxy and achieve what you failed to do.” Lord Bane said flatly.
“No, that’s not what I have been training you for.” Revan sat on a collapsed pillar, “When a droid or a computer malfunctions what you do? You wipe its memory and then reformat it, right?”
“Well yes.”


“And when you do that all data and any files that are corrupt go away, forever. That’s what I want you to do, but to the Force instead.” Revan seemed old at that moment. The way he sat on the fallen pillar, his tone of voice was soft and steady, “There is no balance anymore, everything is wrong. The Jedi are too powerful in their teachings and are starting to influence the Force. The Sith are so perverted in their evil deeds that they are causing echoes that fuel the ancient dead back to existence. It’s all about to tear itself apart.”
“So instead of letting the Force tear itself apart and die, you want me to reset it; purify it.” Lord Bane was stunned and his words reflected it as he barely, was able to speak. “But, how is such a thing possible?”
Revan stood once again. “You must not be evil or good. Walk the line of Light and Dark and you will see the weakness of both, exploit those weaknesses and you will know what you must do.”
“I can’t stay. You must do this on your own.” Revan pointed to the ruined temple, “in the basement of the temple you will find me. And on the other side of the island is a ship that will bring you back to the known galaxy.” With that being said Revan was gone.

Lord Bane fell to his knees and starred at the ground. He could barely conceive what he was being tasked to do. What would happen to the galaxy without the current Jedi Order to keep order? Or to the Sith who feed on the life the Force flows in. He brought himself back to his feet. His thoughts would have to wait until he was back in the known galaxy. He would do what Revan had told him; walk the fine line of Light and Dark. Until then he wanted to see his Master one last time.

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