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Qui-Gon looked at the man in front of him in annoyance. The creature was dressed in furs, way too hot for the Tatooine sun, and carrying large pieces of equipment. He was also stubbornly refusing to let Qui-Gon pass. The Jedi Master was fighting annoyance. Dealing with Wattoo had been unproductive and he needed supplies.

"Not the one. The boy is not the one. Zathrus listens, yes he does. The boy is not the one," the creature glared at him.

"The boy? Not the one what?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Not the one. The boy you saw. He is not the one," Zathrus explained. "Zathrus was warned. Zathrus was told to tell you. Zathrus listens, yes he does."

"Who warned you, Zathrus?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Can not say. Told not to say. Zathrus was told to warn Qui-Gon that the boy is not the one," Zathrus said confidently. "Zathrus does what Zathrus is told."

Qui-Gon waved his hand in front of Zathrus' face and used a force suggestion, "Who told you to warn me?"

"Not tell, Zathrus promised. Zathrus can only warn of great danger the boy will cause. The One saw the danger and told you to warn you before I left. No, before you left. No, before we both left," Zathrus started to sound confused. "Zathrus tells, but Zathrus not understood."

Only his years as a Jedi Master prevented Qui-Gon from responding with a pithy comment. Qui-Gon suddenly missed Yoda. Yoda's grammar was different from most of the Jedi, but he could be understood. "What danger do you sense?"

"Darkness. Darkness all over. Terrible war. Many people dead. The Jedi gone. Danger for you. No, Zathrus not mention that," as Zathrus spoke Qui-Gon felt a chill run through him. He was not yet ready to accept Zathrus' words, but he was concerned. He wished he could get a midi-chlorian count on him.

"If the boy is not the One how do I stop the danger?" Qui-Gon asked trying to gather as much information as possible.

"Do not take the boy. He is dangerous. The One will warn you, but you will not listen. This time you will listen," Zathrus told him. "Everything depends on it."

"This time? Are you saying that you are from the future?" Qui-Gon asked. It made a little more sense.

"I am from your future not mine. My future is your future, but my past is your future. So am I from the future? Zathrus does not know. It depends on your point of voo [view] the One tells me. Too many Ones. Three ones before and not the One. Two Ones here and one not the One," Zathrus chattered. "Minbari based on three. Jedi based on two. Jedi can not have three. It causes great disruption. The boy will be the three. You three are not Minbari so you can not be three."

"Who is Minbari? Is he the One who sent you?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Minbari not a person. Minbari a people. Sent by the Minbari to this time? Yes. No. Maybe. Confusing to Zathrus. Minbari not send me to you. The One sent me to you. The One you know," Zathrus explained.

"I know this one? Is it Shmi? Wattoo?" Qui-Gon asked.

"No. They are not the One. Hurry you must. Do not take the boy. The One needs you," Zathrus said. "Zathrus must go. Zathrus used to being messenger. Zathrus has more messages to deliver."

"Wait!" Qui-Gon called, but Zathrus continued on and was soon lost in the crowd.

*****

It was a trying few days. Despite Zathrus' warning, Qui-Gon had stubbornly chosen to take the boy with him. They were near the ship when a Sith attacked and Qui-Gon had barely managed to escape alive.

"What are you doing?" Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan.

"Giving you a massage. Your shoulder cords are tight enough to hold up several bridges," Obi-Wan said sternly. He enjoyed giving Qui-Gon the message almost as much as Qui-Gon enjoyed receiving it. His Master's pleasure flowed through their bond back to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was comforted by the feel of Qui-Gon's warm skin under his hands. He had come too close to losing the man who was so much more than a teacher to him. The man was the other half of his soul and he was not ready to lose him.

"Thank you," Qui-Gon smiled slightly enjoying the feel of his Padawan's braid brushing against his cheek. Obi-Wan's concern and gentleness touched him. He was a lucky man, a very lucky man, to have Obi-Wan.

"You are troubled about something on the planet, something besides the Sith," Obi-Wan said quietly.

"It is never easy to see people kept as slaves," Qui-Gon said. "The Republic has gotten too complacent and turns a blind eye on too much suffering. We Jedi should be protecting the galaxy, but there are too few of us and the Council is too concerned with its own internal matters."

"There is something more, Qui-Gon. I can feel you blocking me. I am an adult. You do not need to protect me. If you are troubled I should know why," Obi-Wan said.

"Obi-Wan... It is nothing to concern yourself with. I am just worried about what the Sith represents. If the Sith are back than we are all in great danger," Qui-Gon tried to reassure Obi-Wan without directly lying to the younger man.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to argue and then stopped. Qui-Gon's muscles were finally relaxing and he hated to undo the positive effects of his massage. An explanation could wait a few more hours.

*****

"Zathrus warned him. Just like you told Zathrus," an elderly Zathrus defended himself.

"Not well enough," the One snapped, angry at fate more than Zathrus. Despite his unJedilike manipulation of the past it looked as though the future would continue as he had lived it. Qui-Gon would die. Obi-Wan would fail at training Anakin and the galaxy would be plunged into darkness. He had come dangerously close to the dark side to correct the past and it had all been for naught.

"Zathrus tried, but nobody listens to Zathrus," Zathrus said sadly.

The One was no longer listening to Zathrus. "Qui-Gon, what do I have to do to get you to listen to me? Why is it so hard for you to trust my judgement?"

*****

"The boy is dangerous. They can sense it. Why can't you?" Obi-Wan asked his Master in frustration. He loved his Master, but he often became frustrated with the older man's stubbornness.

Qui-Gon turned to look at Obi-Wan ready to defend the boy and then stopped. Zathrus had told him that the One would warn him. Could Obi-Wan be the One he was talking about? Could an older Obi-Wan have somehow sent Zathrus into the past to warn him of coming danger?

Qui-Gon know that it was dangerous to follow such reasoning. Zathrus could be simply a crazy inhabitant of Tatooine. He reached out with the Force, begging for answers. None came, at least none came verbally as they had in Jedi lore. He only sensed a waiting as if his decision now would have lasting repercussions. It was as close to an answer as he expected to get from the Force.

"What would you suggest be done with the boy if he is not trained, Padawan? With such a high midi-chlorian count it would be dangerous to not train him," Qui-Gon said looking for answers.

"Have him sent to the agra-corps. Several worlds near the Rim have experienced severe food shortages. He could help them without endangering us all," Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon paused. It was a good idea and he told Obi-Wan so.

The young man smiled brilliantly at his Master, but Qui-Gon was still uneasy wondering whether he had made a decision that would save millions or destroy billions.

*****

"Obi-Wan," a soft voice sounded tenderly.

The One turned around. Tears came to his eyes and he saw his former Master standing before him, alive and well. "Qui-Gon."

With a few brisk steps Qui-Gon held his former Padawan in his arms as the younger man fought back tears. "It is ok, Obi-Wan. Let it out. I am here to hold you."

The love and concern in Qui-Gon's voice pushed him over the edge. Between the tears he managed to get out, "I missed you more than I thought possible. It was terrible. The Council gone. Master Windu dead. Master Yaddle dead. All of them gone. The Temple burnt to the ground. Anakin in the pit. But nothing hurt as much as losing you. Nothing."

"I know. I could feel your pain, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon. "I am here. None of it happened. The past is different than we remember it. The pains are different. The joys are different. We are different. But most of all we are together and we will face the future that we created together."

*****

The Council agreed to have Anakin Skywalker receive basic training in the crèche and extra lessons with Qui-Gon before being sent to the agri-corps. They decided that Obi-Wan was not quite ready for his trials. Confidence was part of becoming a Jedi Knight and Obi-Wan was not yet ready to stand alone and trust himself without the guidance of his Master Qui-Gon.

Anakin was disappointed at not becoming a Knight, but he accepted it. His future was still much brighter than that of a slave and he looked forward to helping others. He heard a whispered conversation about eventually sending him back to Tatooine to help with food production. He hoped it would happen so that he could visit his mother. He missed her. Until then he was being sent to Naboo. After the fighting they still needed help to bring food production up to normal. He was excited about the possibility of spending time with Queen Amidala.

The Council decided that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were the best suited pair to investigate Qui-Gon's report of the reemergence of the Sith and the two would leave Courescant as soon as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had fully recovered from their battle. They had been defeated the Sith- Qui-Gon was sure that he was the apprentice-, but unknown to them he had not died in the fall.

On Naboo a Sith Lord looked at his still healing apprentice and frowned. He had foreseen that Anakin would become his apprentice, but now that looked unlikely. Instead Darth Maul continued to serve him and together they would plot to rule the galaxy. It did not matter who his apprentice was as long as he became Emperor, as long as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were dead.