"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 Crion's face as his only son was taken from his
home planet 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 one 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 had listened more closely to his own hesitation. The decision
to take the child would have been different. All of their lives would
be so different...."
(p.4)
"Xanatos was not an easy student. Though he was very young when he left
Telos, he remembered that he had come from a powerful family on a powerful
planet. He used the information to impress the other students, most
of whom were from less privileged backgrounds. Qui-Gon was patient with
this fault, he considered it a childish failing that would disappear
with time and teaching. When they first arrived at the Temple, most
of the students missed their families and home planets. Many of them
spun tales about their backgrounds or retold remembered stories. Xanatos
really wasn't that different, Qui-Gon told himself. And the boy made
up for his snobbery with a genuine desire to learn and excellent aptitude
for Jedi skills. When the time came, Qui-Gon chose Xanatos as his Padawan
learner."
(p.
18)
"'I didn't start it,' Xanatos would say whenever a fight broke out between
him and another apprentice. His blue eyes would blaze with sincerity
and sorrow.
Like
a father, Qui-Gon would always try to believe him."
(p.
26)
"There was a time when the circle was not broken. There was a time when
everything was as it seemed. When there were no secrets."
(p.
39)
"Now Qui-Gon could see his mistakes. He had been blind to Xanatos' faults.
He indulged the boy. He gave without seeing. He was a failure as a Master,
because he trusted the apprentice too much. He let his fondness blind
him to what he should have seen all along."
(p.
51)
"Qui-Gon was sure Xanatos was ready. He had spent years with the boy,
watching him become a man. His mastery with the lightsaber was unsurpassed
in his class. His ability to focus on the Force matched his Master's.
He passed the preliminary tests with a near-perfect score. Qui-Gon was
ready to welcome him as a Jedi Knight. It was a proud moment.
But
Yoda was not so sure. Yoda said there would be one last test."
(p.
57)
"We have one last mission," was all Yoda would allow Qui-Gon to say
to Xanatos. "And then you will become a Jedi Knight...."
(p.68)
"The trip to Telos should have been uneventful. Yoda had found someone
willing to transport them, a pilot ferrying a shipment of droids to
the Telos system. From the first, tension sparked between the pilot
and Xanatos. Stieg Wa was young, brash, and confident. He'd been on
his own since he was a child and had prospered in treacherous adventures.
He good-naturedly needled Xanatos about being sheltered in the Jedi
Temple and knowing nothing of real life.
Perhaps
Yoda had forseen the clash of personalities. Perhaps this was another
test. Qui-Gon warned Xanatos to keep his temper, to not let the pilot's
genial barbs affect him. Smiling, Xanatos assured Qui-Gon that he would.
The
one danger of the journey was crossing the Landor star system, known
to be overrun with pirates. Stieg Wa was confident that they could slip
through; he'd done it countless times. But when three pirate ships ringed
the transport and warned Stieg Wa to surrender, he discovered that a
crucial indicator light was faulty. The transport's cloaking system
had malfunctioned.
Stieg
Wa, refusing to surrender, pushed the small transport, evading blaster
fire in a stunning display of skill. After they lost the ships, Stieg
Wa announded that the cloaking system had been sabotaged. He blamed
Xanatos. Qui-Gon, of course, believed Xanatos when he swore he had nothing
to do with it. Why would he risk pirates attacking a ship he was on?
Stieg
Wa was out on the dorsal platform fixing the device when the pirates
returned. He was hit by blaster fire and captured.
Xanatos
led Qui-Gon to the escape pod. He had already programmed the coordinates
for Telos. When Qui-Gon asked him why he'd taken such a precaution,
he smiled.
'I
always make sure I have a back door,' he said."
(p.
83)
"'Each Jedi apprentice brings something unique to the Temple,' Qui-Gon
began. 'Even at a young age, Xanatos stood out. His intelligence was
fierce and quick and agile. He was a leader. I thought he was the most
promising boy to come to the Temple in many years. So did Yoda.'
[...]
'Yet Yoda had questions. As Xanatos grew and I took him as my apprentice,
I resented Yoda's hesitations. I thought Yoda was questioning the boy.
He saw something that I did not. When Yoda suggested one last mission,
I was glad. At last, I thought, I can prove to Yoda that I was right.
Xanatos will prove himself, prove what I'd seen all along.' [...]
'Yoda
sent us to Telos, the home planet of Xanatos. Xanatos had not see his
father Crion in many years. In that time, Crion had grown in power.
Telos is noted for its scientific research. Telosian scientists are
brilliant innovators. Crion used their discoveries to create wealth
for the planet. And for himself. He built on his power and ruled the
planet as governor. Yet he did not rely on advisors or his Senate. He
ruled alone. Xanatos saw how powerful his father was. How luxurious
a life he led. All of the riches of the galaxies were at Crion's fingertips.
Xanatos saw this, and a hunger began to grow in him. An anger. He saw
that in taking him away, we had deprived him of a different kind of
power. *I* had deprived him. He hated the Jedi for that.' [...]
Crion
saw his son weaken. He had come to regret his decision to let Xanatos
go. He was an old man and had driven away every friend, every ally.
So Crion urged Xanatos to join him in his great plans. I saw that Yoda
sensed this would happen, that this was the last, great test.'
Qui-Gon
sighed. 'I did not doubt Yoda's wisdom. I did what I knew I should.
I stepped back. I did not attempt to guide Xanatos. He was ready to
make his own choice.'
'He
made the wrong one,' Obi-Wan said softly.
'Crion
had grown greedy, as the powerful often do. He had secret plans to wage
war against a neighboring planet. It was not enough to have the research.
Of Telos had access to the resources - the minerals, the factories -
it could grow even more powerful. The treaty between the two worlds
was automatically extended every ten years. This year, Crion called
for renegotiations. I found out later that it was a ruse, a way to delay
until he could raise an army. I was to monitor the negotiation. Xanatos
deliberately sabotaged the first meeting, according to his father's
direction. They wanted to enrage the population of Telos, you see. But
I knew, and I revealed what I knew to the population of Telos. They
rose up against Crion. But Crion did not retreat. Xanatos urged him
to fight instead. They hired an army to put down the rebellion and stay
in power. Civil war broke out. Suddenly, people were dying. The situation
was out of my control. And all because I did not see clearly what Xanatos
was capable of.' [...]
'Xanatos
led the army. The last battle was fought at the governor's quarters.
Crion was killed.'
Qui-Gon
paused, his expression grim. 'I killed him,' he said solemnly. 'In front
of his son I dealt the killing blow. My lightsaber sliced through the
ring on Crion's finger. As he lay dying, Xanatos picked it up from the
fire where it had fallen. He pressed the hot metal to his cheek. I can
still hear the sound of the burn. You can still see the scar.'
'A
broken circle,' Obi-Wan said.
Qui-Gon
turned to face Obi-Wan. His face was bleak, harsh with memories. 'He
said the scar would serve to remind him always of what I had taken from
him. How I had betrayed him. The fact that thousands had died because
of his father's greed meant nothing to him. The weight of those deaths
meant everything to me.'
[...]
'He drew his lightsaber against me,' [...] 'we battled to the point
of exhaustion. At last I knocked the lightsaber from his hand and stood
over him. But I couldn't deliver the fatal blow. Xanatos laughed at
me. He ran out. I searched Telos for him, but he had stolen a transport
and the treasury and had escaped into deep space. He disappeared without
a trace... until now.' "
(p.94)