Duel in Set Harth ' s mansion This duel took place in Set Harth ' s mansion on Nal Hutta in 980 BBY between Sith apprentice Darth Zannah and Dark Jedi Set Harth . Zannah , who had tracked Harth to his home on Nal Hutta , was hoping to enlist him as her apprentice before she challenged Darth Bane , her Master , for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith . She dueled Harth , and , impressed with his skills , decided to use Sith sorcery to defeat him and serve as his final test ; if he awoke from the comatose state in which her powers left him , she would take him on as his apprentice . Harth was reluctant to join her but , realizing that she would kill him if he did not , he accepted her request . Prelude . Sith apprentice Darth Zannah was sent on a mission to the planet Doan in 980 BBY to find out who was responsible for the murder of a Jedi Knight , Medd Tandar . While on Doan , she discovered evidence that a Dark Jedi had been there searching for Sith artifacts . Zannah knew that the time was coming for her to attack her Master , Darth Bane , and so she hoped to test this Dark Jedi to see if he was worthy to be her apprentice . After conferring with Quano and Pommat , she used several of her other contacts to track the Dark Jedi , whose name she discovered was Set Harth , to his mansion on Nal Hutta . The duel . Zannah arrived at his mansion while he was at a party . She confronted him upon his return ; and he pretended to think that she was just someone who had followed him home from the party . Harth then abruptly activated his lightsaber and threw it at Zannah , who barely managed to dodge the blade . Harth then shot a wave of dark side energy at Zannah , who raised a protective barrier to block the blow . Harth then attacked her with his lightsaber and she ignited her own , deflecting his blows . Harth threw a burst at her with the Force , but Zannah deflected it and his next attack with ease . Harth continued his attack , utilizing a version of the lightsaber combat form Ataru . Harth quickly grew angered , but Zannah , utilizing her near - flawless expertise of the Soresu form , continuously deflected his attacks without difficulty . During the brief duel , she saw several openings in which she could have killed Harth , but she had come to test his worthiness as a potential apprentice ; not to kill him . Zannah was impressed with his imagination , cunning , unpredictability , and undeniable strength in the dark side . Harth ' s weariness soon overtook him , and Zannah kicked him in the chin . She requested that he yield , but he continued to attack . However , as he drew near , Zannah conjured a spell of fear and with it attacked Harth ' s mind . He attempted to block it with a Force barrier , but his defenses were not strong enough to halt Zannah ' s attack . Rather than unleashing the full intensity of her powers upon him , she enveloped him in despair and hopelessness , causing him to collapse into a coma - like condition . Zannah decided that if Harth was strong enough to recover , then she would take him as her apprentice . Aftermath . As Harth regained consciousness , he began to wonder his next course of action , considering attacking Zannah , trying to catch her by surprise . Zannah , however , had been reading his mind , and warned him not to do so . Zannah revealed to the Dark Jedi that it had been three nights since their battle . Harth insisted that he had no idea what she wanted with him , and Zannah revealed that she was looking for an apprentice . She requested that he join her , and , although Harth was very reluctant — he did not care about the Sith , or defeating the Jedi — he realized that if he did not accept , she would kill him . On the other hand , he realized that being Zannah ' s apprentice could lead him on a path to greater individual power . Faced with this temptation , he agreed to join Zannah . However , they returned to Bane and Zannah ' s home on Ciutric IV to find that Bane had been captured by the Doan Royal House .