Artus had heard the stories of Darth Bane from his Jedi Master. The Sith Lord had been dead for nearly a thousand years. Yet here he was. Despite his fear, Artus kept his stoic pose; his blade pointed at Bane's head.
"What do you want? You must be an illusion." He growled. Bane removed his helmet to reveal a bald, pale head. His skin was smooth to an unnatural degree. Around his eyes were black tattoos, projecting an image of shadow around two burning yellow irises.
"My Jedi friend. You sought me."
"You wish."
"You know it to be true. You came to Korriban. You ventured to my temple. You placed my holocron on its pedestal." Bane continued. "Every choice you have made, has led you to this moment." Artus was taken aback by the Sith's comments. He could not help but wonder whether Bane was telling the truth. He had ventured to Moraband to find anything to help fighting the Empire. Had he also come for something more?
"What could you teach me?" Artus replied. His tone caused a sick smile to cross Bane's face. He shook his shoulders, causing the black robes to fall away to reveal a sleek set of armour. A belt of severed horns was wrapped around his waste.
"You must abandon the light. Tap into the darkness." Said Bane.
"Never!" Artus snapped back. Bane's smile vanished.
"Fool. You think you have a choice in the matter. You can delay it all you want but I can sense your future."
"You lie!" Artus leapt at Bane. He swung his lightsabers at the Sith Lord. His methodical strikes turned to desperate slashes as Bane effortlessly weaved in-between the blades. The Sith raised his arm; a powerful blast of lightning erupted from his outstretched palm. Before Artus could react the electricity wrapped around him, throwing him back across the ground. His robes smoked from the attack. Artis looked up as a drop of blood fell from his brow. Wiping his face, he hurled his lightsaber at Bane. The Sith simply stopped the weapon in the air. Artus could only watch on in horror as Bane corrupted the weapon, imbuing the yellow kyber crystal with the Dark Side until it turned to a deep crimson. Bane tossed the weapon back to Artus. It clattered on the floor by the Jedi's feet.
"See the power of the Dark Side! See the power you could possess!" Bane exclaimed. "Use your hatred and you can tear the very air apart with your power." The Sith raised his hand. Artus felt his throat closing as Bane lifted him off the ground with the Force. He coughed; tears reached the corner of his eye. With all his remaining strength, Artus pushed back with all the power he could muster. Bane staggered, dropping Artus. The Jedi coughed and spluttered as he regained his breath; specks of blood splashed onto the ground. Artus raised his remaining yellow lightsaber. Bane removed a hilt from his belt; a red blade appeared. The tip of Bane's black cut and burnt through the stone floor as the Sith walked towards Artus. The Jedi charged at the Sith.
Artus was considered a lightsaber prodigy as a Padawan. It was part of the reason he had served with Tau Squad during the Clone Wars. Artus was no match for Darth Bane. He could barely hold his own against the Sith; every move was a desperate attempt to stifle Bane's strikes. After only a few moments Bane sliced through the hilt of Artus's weapon; two sparking halves fell to the ground. Artus staggered back, knocking into the plinth housing the holocron. Bane bolted forward, grabbing Artus by the throat. He raised his weapon to Artus's neck; the Jedi could feel the heat radiating off the blade.
"You could have had the power to achieve whatever you wanted!" shouted Bane. "You are weak! The Jedi Order fell because it was weak! I thought you could be different, but you too are infected with the same weakness!" Whilst Bane was talking, Artus pulled his second lightsaber from the ground to his grasp. He felt the cool metal reaching his outstretched palm. Without hesitating, the Jedi slashed the plinth behind him, slicing the holocron in half. Bane dissipated in an instant. Artus fell to his knees, clutching his remaining lightsaber. He looked at the weapon to see the red plasma emitting from its hilt. He stumbled down the steps of Darth Bane's temple and back into the Valley of the Sith Lords.