Cover Artist: John Jude Palencar

As a young man on Apatros, Dessel worked in the cortosis mines for his entire life until a fight with a Republic ensign resulted in the death of the soldier. With the help of a friend, he escaped the planet and joined up with the Sith army where he became a Sergeant and was well-loved by those under him. When a disagreement with a superior officer landed him imprisoned, he was taken before Sith Lord Kopecz to await trial. Instead of being tried and executed though, he was invited to learn with the Sith apprentices on Korriban due to his Force sensitivity. He excelled and quickly caught up and surpassed most of his fellow students until he killed a student he was duelling with. That death made him realize that the death of his abusive father, previously thought to be a heart attack, was actually an early use of his own dark side talents. He lost his way for a while until a Jedi Padawan turned Sith named Githany found him. She offered to teach him what the teachers wouldn't, with the idea that she could control him. She helped him realize what was holding him back, and he went to the Blademaster Kas'im to begin his training. With renewed determination, he quickly made up for lost time, but his studying of the archives made him realize that there was something wrong with how the current Sith Brotherhood operated as equals. Eventually, he confronted Qordis, the Academy Master with his concerns and was sent out to the tombs to evaluate his ideas. He found nothing to help him out there, but his journey only hardened his resolve, and when he returned, instead of joining the rest of the Sith on Ruusan, he took the title Darth and stole a ship to go to Lehon, the Unknown World. On Lehon, he found the holocron of Darth Revan, and through study decided that the Sith needed to be recreated, but first he would need to destroy the current Brotherhood. Lord Kas'im is sent to eliminate him, but instead Bane wins the duel. He then sends a message to Lord Kaan asking to be allowed to join the Brotherhood and offered the gift of knowledge of the thought bomb. Kaan, realizing that Bane's presence would be disruptive, instead sends Githany with orders to kill him. Bane and Githany meet on Ambria where she poisons him with a kiss. He senses the poison and, believing himself capable of overcoming it, kisses her twice more. After she leaves, he eventually realizes that the poison he sensed was merely a cover for a more insidious poison that he is unable to purge from his system. He finds the healer Caleb, barely in time, but Caleb refuses to help until Bane threatens his hidden daughter. Several days later, Bane is healed and goes to Ruusan, where he convinces the Sith to join him in creating a storm to devastate the planet. Before the storm can complete its destruction though, Kaan breaks the spell and leads an assault on the remaining Jedi forces. Bane then returns to camp, where he kills Qordis who wants to join him but can't understand the need to reduce the Brotherhood to two. He then issues a command that allows the Jedi reinforcements to get through, which leaves Kaan desperate enough to use the thought bomb. As the Sith gather, the Jedi go to meet them, but are warned of the trap by a dying Lord Kopecz. Jedi Lord Hoth asks for sufficient volunteers to force Kaan to spring his trap, and they go to meet him. As the bomb is detonated and the Sith Brotherhood is wiped out, Darth Bane encounters a 10 year old girl named Zannah, who has just killed two Republic troopers with the Force. Questioning her, he believes he has found his apprentice and the Sith Order will continue under the Rule of Two.