'I have something for you,' the Twi'lek said, brushing away the folds of his cloak and reaching for his lightsaber on his belt. No, Bane realized. Not his lightsaber. The handle of Kas'im's weapon was noticeably longer than most, allowing it to house two crystals, one to power each blade. This hilt was smaller, and it was fashioned with a strange curve, giving it a hooked appearance.
The Blademaster ignited the lightsaber: its single blade burned a dark red. 'This was the weapon of my Master,' he told Bane. 'As a young child I would watch for hours as my Master performed his drills. My earliest memories are of dancing ruby lights moving through the sequences of battle.'
'You don't remember your parents?' Bane asked, surprised.
Kas'im shook his head. 'My parents were sold in the slave markets of Nal Hutta. That's where Master Na'daz found me. He noticed my family on the auction blocks; perhaps he was drawn to them because we were Twi'leks like himself. Even though I was barely old enough to stand, Master Na'daz could sense the Force in me. He purchased me and took me back to Ryloth, to raise me as his apprentice among our own people.'
'What happened to your parents?'
'I don't know,' Kas'im replied with an indifferent shrug. 'They had no special connection to the Force, so my Master saw no reason to purchase them. They were weak, and so they were left behind.'
He spoke casually, as if the knowledge that his parents had lived and probably died as slaves in the service of the Hutts had no effect on him whatsoever. In a way his apathy was understandable. He'd never known his parents, so he had no emotional ties to them, good or bad. Bane briefly wondered how his own life might have been different if he had been raised by someone else. If Hurst had been killed in the cortosis mines when he was just an infant, would he still have ended up here at the Academy on Korriban?
'My Master was a great Sith Lord,' Kas'im continued. 'He was particularly adept in the arts of lightsaber combat, a skill he passed on to me. He taught me how to use the double-bladed lightsaber, though as you can see he preferred a more traditional design for himself. Except for the handle, of course.'
The blade flickered out of existence as he shut off the weapon and tossed it to Bane, who caught it easily, wrapping his hand around the hooked handle.
'It feels strange,' he muttered.
'It requires a minor variation in your grip,' Kas'im explained. 'Hold it more in the palm, farther away from the fingertips.'
Bane did as instructed, letting his body grow accustomed to the odd heft and balance. Already his mind was beginning to run through the implications of the new grip. It would give the wielder more power on his overhand strikes, and it would change the angle of the attacks by the merest fraction of a degree. Just enough to confuse and disorient an unsuspecting opponent.
'Some moves are more difficult with this particular weapon,' Kas'im warned. 'But many others are far more effective. In the end I think you'll find this lightsaber will suit your personal style quite well.'
'You're giving this to me?' Bane asked incredulously.
'Today you proved you were worthy of it.' There was just a hint of pride in the Blademaster's voice.
Bane ignited it, listening to the sweet hum of the power pack and the crackling hiss of the energy blade. He performed a few simple flourishes, then abruptly shut it off.
'Does Qordis approve?'
'The decision is mine, not his,' Kas'im stated. He almost sounded offended. 'I haven't held on to this blade for ten years just so Qordis can decide who I give it to.'
Bane answered with a respectful bow, fully aware of the great honor that Kas'im had just bestowed upon him. To fill the uncomfortable silence that followed he asked, 'Your Master gave you this when he died?'
'I took it when I killed him.'
Bane was so stunned that he couldn't cover his reaction. The Blademaster saw it and smiled slightly.
'I had learned everything I could from Master Na'daz. As strong as he was in the dark side, I was stronger. As skilled as he was with the lightsaber, I became better.'
'But why kill him?' Bane asked.
'A test. To see if I was as strong as I believed. This was before Lord Kaan rose to power; we were still trapped in the old ways. Sith versus Sith, Master versus apprentice. Foolishly pitting ourselves against one another to prove our dominance. Fortunately, the Brotherhood of Darkness put an end to all that.'
'Not completely,' Bane muttered, thinking of Fohargh and Sirak. 'The weak still fall to the strong. It is inevitable.'
Kas'im tilted his head to the side, trying to gauge the meaning behind his words. 'Don't allow yourself to be blinded by this honor,' he warned. 'You are not ready to challenge me, young apprentice. I have taught you everything you know, but I haven't taught you everything I know.'
Bane couldn't help but smile. The notion of facing Kas'im in a real fight was preposterous. He knew he was no match for the Blademaster. Not yet. 'I will keep that in mind, Master.'
Satisfied, Kas'im turned to go. Just before Bane closed the door behind him he added, 'Lord Qordis wants to see you first thing in the morning. Go to his chambers before the morning drills.'
Even the sobering prospect of meeting with the Academy's grim overseer couldn't dampen Bane's elated spirit. As soon as he was alone in his room he reignited the lightsaber and began practicing his sequences. It was many hours before he finally put the weapon away and crawled wearily into bed, all thoughts of Githany long banished from his mind.
The morning's first light found Bane at the door leading into the private quarters of Lord Qordis. It had been many months since he had last been here. At that time he had been chastised for killing Fohargh. This time he had severely injured one of the top students of the Academy, one of Qordis's personal favorites. He wondered what was in store for him.
Summoning his courage, he knocked once.
