He thought it was in the past. All of it. Then, upon his arrival on Bandomeer, he was handed a note. It had welcomed him to the planet, and it had been signed Xanatos.

Jedi are taught to value dreams, but not to trust them. Dreams can confuse as well as illuminate. A Jedi should test a dream much as he tests unstable ground. Only when he's sure of his footing should he move on. Dreams can be random energy, nothing more. Some Jedi see things in dreams and others do not.

Qui-Gon rarely had the gift and preferred not to dwell on dreams. He managed to push dreams away in the daylight. But at night, it was harder. If only he could ban his nightmares, and memories. Then they would not be able to haunt him so.

He had been all over the galaxy, from the Galactic Core to the Outer Rim Territories. He had seen many things that pained him, and many things he wished he could forget.

Now his worst pain, his worst regret, had caught up with him at last.

Chapter 2

Qui-Gon was the one who discovered Xanatos, the one who took the midi-chlorian count and brought the child back to the Jedi Temple.

He remembered the look on Cion's face as his only son was taken from his home planet of Telos. Crion was the wealthiest man on Telos, but he knew, despite all his riches, he could not offer Xanatos what Qui-Gon could. He could not deny his son. Qui-Gon saw the heartbreak on the man's face, and he hesitated. He asked on last time if Crion was sure of his decision. Slowly, Crion nodded. The decision was final. Qui-Gon would take Xanatos to be trained as a Jedi.

If only Qui-Gon has listened more closely to his own hesitation. The decision the take the child would have been different. All of their lives would be so different…