Qui-Gon turned to Obi-Wan. "You see my failing here." It wasn't a question.

Obi-wan nodded. "I think so. What you could prove. What you wanted."

"So it was a test for me, too," Qui-Gon said. "I didn't know that at the time. I let my ego and pride take over. My need to be right. It's important that you know this, Obi-Wan. Even a Jedi Knight is still a living being, with the same failings."

"We are not saints, but seekers," Obi-Wan said, repeating a Jedi saying.

Yoda sent us to Telos, the home planet of Xanatos. Xanatos had not seen 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 great 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. Hoe 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."

Qui-Gon stared at the mist, "We give up many things when we choose this life, Obi-Wan. We are destined to have no home, no measurable power. Xanatos had these things in his grasp. 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. If Telos had access to the resources — the mineral, 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 a renegotiation. 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 people 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."

Qui-Gon gripped the controls of the boat. "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."

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He drew his lightsaber against me," Qui-Gon said, his gaze shifting once again to take in the past. "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."

Qui-Gon looked at the instruments. "We're approaching Bandor harbor."

"We have to get the transmitter," Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon. "I promised Guerra."

Qui-Gon nodded and headed toward the Offworld loading dock. They tied the hydrocraft and headed for the Offworld security office.

"Do you have a plan?" Obi-Was asked.

"We don't have time for a plan," Qui-Gon said, kicking open the door. Three Imbat guards looked up in surprise. Before they could make a move toward their blasters, Qui-Gon's lightsaber sang through the air. The three blasters clattered to the floor as the guards clutched their wrist and howled.

"Transmitters, please," Qui-Gon remarked pleasantly. When they hesitated, he casually brought his lightsaber down on the power terminal. It sizzled and collapsed into a molten heap.

The three guards exchanged frightened glances. Then they threw down their transmitters and dashed out the door.

"It's nice when it's easy." Qui-Gon remarked. He bent down and picked up the three transmitters. Striding back onto the dock, he threw two into the sea. Then he pressed the button on the third.

"Guerra is free," he said. "Now let's see if we can get that collar off."

Qui-Gon placed his large hands around the collar, searching for a catch or seam. He could not break the collar, or twist it apart. He set hid lightsaber to low power and tried to cut it, but could not.

"I need a high power, and that would injure you,' he said.

"Or behead me," Obi-Wan pointed out cheerfully.

Qui-Gon smiled briefly. "We'll just have to find a way to get it off in Bandor." He tossed the transmitter to Obi-Wan. "You'd better keep this until it's off."

Obi-Wan tucked the transmitter into an interior pocket of his tunic. "What now?"

Qui-Gon's blue eyes gleamed. "Xanatos." He said the name like a curse. "We need to get back to Bandor."

Qui-Gon climbed into the driver's seat of an Offworld security landspeeder.

He powered up the vehicle, and Obi-Wan jumped in. The landspeeder roared toward the city in the distance.

The sky was dark and low. The mining towers in the distance looked like spidery traces against it, growing larger as they sped toward Bandor. As they reached the outskirts, Obi-Wan saw a dot on the horizon.

"Someone is heading this way,' he said.

Qui-Gon nodded. He had seen it. Obi-Wan felt something dark in the Force. He glanced at Qui-Gon.