Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

The Sith Order used to have many members. But there were flaws with this. They were divided, battling each other to be the highest of the Sith ranks. One Sith Lord sought to end this, so he erected the Brotherhood of Darkness, where all Sith were equal and had two goals in mind. To conquer the galaxy, and destroy the Jedi.

Dessel has lived and worked in the Apatros Cortosis Mines his entire life with an abusive drunk for a father. He dreams of the day that may never come—when he finally gets to leave the desolated planet of Apatros. One day, when a not-so-friendly game of sabacc with some Republic soldiers turns deadly, suddenly Dessel is in need of an escape route.

As his only way of escape, Dessel is smuggled off of the planet to join the Sith Army. He joined the bloody war between the Jedi and the Sith, working his way up the ranks due to his strength, cunning, and his power over the Force. But the Sith Masters have much bigger plans than Dessel knows—if he can prove himself.

Dessel is taken to the Sith Academy on Korriban. He thinks it's because he is being punished for disobeying the direct orders of a superior officer. But little does Des know, he's on his way to becoming a member of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

As a student of the Sith, Dessel is studying the secrets of the Dark Side under its greatest masters and embracing his new title: Bane. But in a dream, he learns that he unconsciously killed his father when he was younger, which due to self-doubt, cripple his abilities. To try to redeem his abilities, Bane challenges Sirak, the Academy's most powerful student. But it is in vain, as he is nearly killed in the battle.

Nursed back to health and tutored by Githany, a fellow student, he redeems himself by crushing Sirak in a duel. He then leaves the Sith Academy, looking in the Valley of the Dark Lords for teachings by the original Sith Lords.

Finding nothing in the Valley of the Dark Lords, Bane returned to the Sith Academy for the night. Githany came to his room and invited him to the archives, but it was a trap. Sirak and two of his goons were waiting for him there so they could kill him.

But Githany was tricking Sirak. What she actually wanted was for Bane to finally kill Sirak. Githany killed both of Sirak's goons. Sirak pleaded for Bane to have mercy, and then Bane decapitated Sirak.

Bane then left Korriban for the planet Lehon. He found a holocron made by Darth Revan. Kas'im, the swordmaster at the Sith Academy, was ordered to come and either kill him or get him to join the Brotherhood. Bane chose the latter, but instead of being killed by Kas'im, Bane killed him.

Githany was then sent to do the same thing. She poisoned Bane with a kiss, by masking an odorless poison with the Rock Worrt Venom. He had to go find a legendary healer, and the healer only agreed to help him when he threatened the healer's daughter.

Bane sent a gift for Lord Kaan back with Githany. It was a ritual called the Thought Bomb, which would destroy all force-sensitive beings within a very large radius. When Bane arrives on Ruusan, Kaan is very surprised by his arrival. Bane convinces Lord Kaan and all of the other members of the Brotherhood of Darkness to use the Thought Bomb when the Jedi, led by Master Hoth, make their final assault. As the Jedi attack, entering the cave system the Sith were hiding in, Kaan and every member of the Brotherhood of Darkness, except Bane, used their collective force powers to summon, and then detonate, the Thought Bomb. Realizing too late that Bane had tricked him, Kaan, the Sith Lords, and many of the Jedi to include Master Hoth, were destroyed. Bane had brought down the Brotherhood of Darkness, leaving himself as the only Sith left in the galaxy. As he prepares to leave Ruusan, Bane finds a young Force-sensitive girl named Rain. She had just used the force to kill two Jedi scouts in a fit of anger. Sensing her rage, Darth Bane takes her as his apprentice, and she becomes Darth Zannah.

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction reached 11 on the New York Times bestseller list on October 15, 2006.[1]

This novel has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.[2]

Review at Geeks Of Doom

• Darth Bane: Path of Destruction on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki