Part 2

Part 2 is a lot longer, and it focuses almost entirely on Bane's training on Korriban. Chapter 9, the first chapter in this part, opens with the Sith mantra. 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. I think that's actually true if you look at things today. Is it just me, or am I becoming a Sith sympathizer (what's wrong with me )? Bane learns a lot of Sith history from not only the Masters, but also from the archives. A small part of the book focuses on the battle between the Sith and the Republic/Jedi. The battle that they described was intense, and really good. The focus does stay mostly on Bane and his rise as one of the most promising students at the Academy. He learns the techniques of lightsaber fighting, which I'm sure all of us want to learn that. During a duel between Bane and another promising apprentice, Fohargh, Bane completely lets go and ends up killing him. This takes him down a path of regret, realizing that he himself killed his father years ago. The burden of blood on his hands causes him to question his abilities and he ends up regressing in his progress. To try and get his focus back, he duels the top apprentice, Sirak, and pretty much gets his you know what handed to him on a silver platter. After that, he gets ignored...by everyone.

We meet a new student, Githany, who is a former Jedi that goes over to the Dark Side. She allies herself with Bane, thinking that she can control him and use him as pawn to destroy Sirak. He starts training not only with her, but also with the Blademaster, Lord Kas'im. Along with that, he does massive studying in the Sith Archives. This is where he learns about the title Darth and most of the true history of the Sith. See kids...this is what happens when you study...you learn things. Once he finally gets back in touch with his inner anger and darkness, Bane challenges Sirak again. This time, the turnout is opposite. Lord Kas'im, very impressed with Bane's progress, gives him a lightsaber, the same that he took from his own master when he killed him. After a conversation with Lord Qordis, Bane realizes that the Sith are corrupted, not the true form that they should be, and seeks out answers in the Valley of the Dark Lords, final resting place of Sith Lords from times long past. After disappointment there, he returns to the Academy and learns that Githany had betrayed him and allied herself with Sirak. Probably the most intense battle in the book yet takes place and Bane finally accomplishes what he had been trying to do during his entire time on Korriban. He becomes a true Sith Lord.

The Sith army is in desperate need of more Lords and Masters, so all the students from the Academy are sent out to battle the Jedi. Bane refuses to go and takes off in Lord Qordis's ship and leaves the Academy behind.

Analysis

Wow! This section of the book was intense. We see Des take up a new name, Bane, and go from a former miner and soldier into the most powerful Dark Lord of the era. A lot happened here, so it's really hard to focus on what I liked most. I def loved the battle sequences between the apprentices. Meeting Githany was interesting. Coming from a Jedi standpoint, once a Jedi leaves the order, we know pretty much nothing about what happened afterwards, with the exception of Dooku. I loved this part. I couldn't put it down for the life of me. Most of it was read in the span of a few hours.