'Enter,' came the voice from within.
Trying to ignore a feeling of trepidation, Bane did as he was told. Lord Qordis was in the center of the room kneeling on his meditation mat. It was almost as if he hadn't moved: his position was exactly the same as it had been at their last meeting.
'Master,' Bane said, making a low bow.
Qordis didn't bother to rise. 'I see you have a lightsaber on your belt.'
'Lord Kas'im gave it to me. He felt I earned it with my latest victory in the ring.' Bane suddenly felt very defensive, as if he was under attack.
'I have no wish to contradict the Blademaster,' Qordis replied, though his tone suggested the opposite. 'However, though you now carry a lightsaber, do not forget that you are still an apprentice. You still owe your obedience and allegiance to the Masters here at the Academy.'
'Of course, Lord Qordis.'
'The way in which you defeated Sirak has left quite an impression on the other students,' Qordis continued. 'They will look to emulate you now. You must set an example for them.'
'I will do my best, Master.'
'That means your private sessions with Githany must end.'
A chill washed over Bane. 'You knew?'
'I am a Sith Lord, and Master of this Academy. I am not a fool, and I am not blind to what is happening within the walls of the temple. I tolerated such behavior when you were an outcast because it did no harm to the other apprentices. Now, however, many of the students will be watching you closely. I do not want them following your path and trying to train one another in a misguided attempt to duplicate your success.'
'What will happen to Githany? Will she be punished?'
'I will speak with her just as I am speaking with you. It must be clear to the rest of the apprentices that the two of you are not training together in private. That means you cannot see her anymore. You must avoid all contact except in the group lessons. If you both obey me in this, there will be no further consequences.'
Bane understood Lord Qordis's concerns, but he felt the solution went too far. There was no need to cut him off from Githany so completely. He wondered if the Masters knew of his attraction to her. Did they fear she would be a distraction?
No, he realized, that wasn't it. This was simply about control. Bane had defied Lord Qordis; he had succeeded despite being shunned by the rest of the Academy. Now Qordis wanted to claim ownership of Bane's accomplishments.
'That is not all?' Qordis continued, interrupting Bane's thoughts. 'You must also put an end to your study of the archives.'
'Why?' Bane burst out, surprised and angry. 'The manuscripts contain the wisdom of the ancient Sith. I have learned much about the ways of the dark side from them.'
'The archives are relics of the past,' Qordis countered sharply. 'They are from a time that has long since vanished. The order has changed. We have evolved beyond what you learned in those musty scrolls and tomes. You would understand this if you had been studying with the Masters instead of rushing off on your own path.'
You're the one who forced me down that path, Bane thought. 'The Sith may have changed, but we can still build on the knowledge of those who came before us. Surely you understand that, Master. Why else would you have rebuilt the Academy on Korriban?'
There was a flash of anger in the Dark Lord's eyes. He obviously didn't like being challenged by one of his students. When he spoke, his voice was cold and menacing. 'The dark side is strong on this world. That is the only reason we chose to come here.'
Bane knew he should let the matter drop, but he wasn't ready to back down. This was too important. 'But what about the Valley of the Dark Lords? What about the tombs of all the dark Masters buried on Korriban, and the secrets hidden inside them?'
'Is that what you seek?' Qordis sneered. 'The secrets of the dead? The Jedi pillaged the tombs when Korriban fell to them three thousand years ago. Nothing of value remains.'
'The Jedi are servants of the light,' Bane protested. 'The dark side has secrets they will never understand. There may be something they missed.'
Qordis laughed, a harsh and scornful bark. 'Are you really so naive?'
'The spirits of powerful Sith Masters are said to linger in their tombs,' Bane insisted, stubbornly refusing to be cowed. 'They appear only to those who are worthy. They would not have revealed themselves to the Jedi.'
'Do you really believe ghosts and spirits still linger in their graves, waiting to pass on the great mysteries of the dark side to those who seek them out?'
Bane's thoughts turned back to his studies. There were too many such accounts documented in the archives to be mere legend. There had to be some truth to it.
'Yes,' he answered, though he knew it would infuriate Qordis even more. 'I believe I can learn more from the ghosts in the Valley of the Dark Lords than the living Masters here at the Academy.'
Qordis leapt to his feet and slapped Bane hard across the face, his talon-like fingernails drawing blood. Bane held his ground; he didn't even flinch.
'You are an impudent fool!' his Master shouted. 'You worship those who are dead and gone. You think they hold some great power, but they are nothing but dust and bone!'
'You're wrong,' Bane said. He could feel the blood welling up in the scratches on his face, but he didn't reach up to wipe it away. He simply stood still as stone in front of his seething Master.
