Kaden landed his ship on planet Veldin, a sandy, desert planet with a similar climate to Fastoon. This planet was in the Solana galaxy, far away from Tachyon's reach. Kaden pulled his son into his arms and hopped out of the ship. The minute he felt the sun on his fur, Kaden was immediately reminded of home. A home that was now gone.

The planet was clearly populated, as there was infrastructure integrated into a path leading toward what looked like a city in the distance. Sadly the technology wasn't nearly as advanced looking as the ruins on Fastoon, but it wouldn't matter much to his son.

Kaden found himself surprisingly calm as he stared at the arid desert that loomed before him. He could smell the dry air and the gentle wind blowing through his fur was soothing. The Lombax was so reminded of his home on Fastoon that he could close his eyes and pretend he was there.

But, of course, that was why he picked this planet. It was the closest environment to Fastoon in this galaxy.

Kaden was so absorbed by the sight of the desert wilderness he had landed on that he nearly forgot the reason he was there. His son started squirming in his arms and reached up for Kaden's face. The small hand nearly grabbing his chin snapped Kaden back to thoughts of his son.

Was he really going to leave the boy here? He had thought about it as if it were nothing, just one small step before he would try to take on Tachyon. But now that his separation from his son was enclosing on him, Kaden suddenly felt distraught. He had lost so much already thanks to Tachyon. His home, his people, his wife, his closest friend. Was he really going to get rid of the last thing he had? Was he really going to get rid of his son, just for some mad desire to take on Tachyon himself? Give up the last piece of himself to satisfy some mad craving for revenge?

Was abandoning and orphaning his son really worth that? Couldn't he just hide with the boy on this planet and live here without the threat of the Cragmite?

Kaden pulled his son against him, embracing him tightly as he thought of the seriousness of what he was about to do. He couldn't just leave Tachyon in Polaris. He couldn't just run away like a coward and accept all of the things the Cragmite had done. He had to try and punish him, try and fight him, try and gain his vengeance.

A tiny hand suddenly smacked his cheek and Kaden was snapped out of his thoughts again. The little boy just gazed at him with an innocent expression. Kaden smiled down at his son and held him up to stare the boy in the eye. Green eyes blinked back at him. Those eyes were so similar to Kaden's own. Except innocence reflected back at Kaden, rather than the hurt and suffering in his own eyes. The boy would forgive him for this. Perhaps he would never learn of what happened on his home. He might not even learn that Fastoon was his homeworld. But if he ever did, he would understand Kaden's decision. Understand that Kaden had to protect him and the Dimensionator. It was the only way he could make up for what he had allowed Tachyon to do to the boy's mother.

Kaden bit his lip as he pulled his son back against him, rubbing his cheek against the soft fur on the top of the child's head. He found himself shaking as he pressed himself tightly against the boy. He was really going to do it. He was going to leave his son and try and face Tachyon alone.

I'm going to die. Kaden realized. There was no way he could handle Tachyon on his own. This plan was insane and so was he for wanting so desperately to carry it out. But his vengeance was the only thing he was living for anymore, and he would fulfill it at any costs. His mouth opened in a little "o" as he realized the fate he was thrusting upon himself and his son. I'm going to die and leave my son alone in this universe.

Kaden moved his mouth to his son's ear, whispering, "Promise me that you'll make me proud, my son. Promise me that you'll be stronger than I am, alright?"

The boy suddenly pulled away from Kaden. He blinked at his father and tipped his head. The child looked so lost and Kaden squinted his eyes shut, unable to look at him. He was going to abandon his son. He was really going to do it. He pressed the boy against him again as he made his way to the city, prepared to leave his child in the hands of someone who could take better care of him. In the hands of someone who wouldn't allow themselves to get so consumed with rage that even the most important things in life didn't matter anymore.

As he walked, Kaden didn't let himself focus on his thoughts. They were too messed up and conflicted already. Instead he found himself noting the sand leaving footprints from his hoverboots, the cool breeze causing his ears to fly in the wind, the sun warming his fur, the weight of his child in his arms. They felt so familiar and yet so wrong to him at the same time. The sand, the wind, the sun. They weren't Fastoon and they never would be. The weight of his son in his arms should have felt like something for him to protect, something for him to love and care for. Instead in the back of his mind was the littlest thought letting him know that the boy was a burden. The one thing that was preventing him from taking on Tachyon already. The one thing that was preventing him from joining his wife.

No. He would never think such a thing. He was leaving his son in good hands, to protect him from Tachyon, not because he was a burden! Kaden growled at himself for daring to think of his son like that. He wanted to be with the child, but he couldn't. Not while the threat of Tachyon was still in Polaris. Not while there was a possibility of his son being hunted by the Cragmite. In this galaxy, barely anyone would be aware of what a Lombax even was. In this galaxy, no one would know Tachyon had a bounty on Lombax heads. In this galaxy, there wouldn't be a chance for that damn Cragmite to even touch him.

Kaden pressed his son protectively against his chest as the thought of Tachyon being anywhere near the baby crept into Kaden's mind. It would not happen. Kaden would not allow the boy to be found by that monster. He would not let him remember the horrors he had been forced to live through, nor let someone remind him once he had forgotten them. He wouldn't let the boy learn of how his father had failed him.

The child reached small arms up at Kaden, grabbing around his father's neck and pulling into his hold. As Kaden looked down at his offspring, a sudden feeling of warmth overcame him. The boy trusted him, loved him. And he could feel his love through his armour, feel the heat of his son against him.

It felt so strange. He hadn't felt warmth like that for a long time. Not since before his wife had died. He hadn't allowed such feelings to penetrate his mind, hadn't allowed for anything other than the cold thoughts of defeating Polaris's cruel oppressor. He hadn't opened himself up for the love he needed, the very reason he was protecting his son.

He couldn't allow it.

He carefully ripped his son's arms away from his neck as he approached the city he had seen when he had landed. He had barely noticed the distance, as his thoughts had spiraled around his son. How he had thought of the love he could not reciprocate. Not anymore.

"I want you to take care of yourself, my son. Take care of yourself like I couldn't." Thoughts of his wife passed through his mind and he looked down at the boy, pouring his heart out to the child who could barely comprehend what he was saying. "Because I can't. Not while I'm like this."

There had been times when his thoughts of Tachyon had conquered his mind for days on end. His revenge was always at the forefront of his mind. His plotting for taking on the Cragmite, his horrific dreams of the little monster's death, each so different and so much gorier than the last. His thoughts of his wife, the smile that always brightened her beautiful face and how Tachyon had torn it all away from him, making his thoughts fall right back into their cruel sadism before they could creep out. Sometimes these thoughts were so strong that even his son's cries couldn't pull him away.

While revenge was on his mind, while Tachyon's crimes burned in him, with the knowledge that he would never get to hold his wife in his arms ever again, while all of these were in the forefront of his mind, the poor baby was shoved aside. The boy needed someone to watch him, to protect him. And Kaden should have, but he couldn't. Not while his severe thoughts cut all concern for the boy away.

He was a horrible father. And he would be even worse if he didn't get the boy someone who could take care of him.

It wasn't the reason Kaden wanted to admit, but it was the truest one for why he had to leave his son. To protect the boy from the man who should have been looking out for him.

Kaden knelt down on the ground, ignoring the strange stares he received from citizens who were living their lives normally, as if nothing had happened. Of course, their homeworld hadn't been torn apart and they hadn't been forced to watch their people run like cowards. To them, life was perfectly normally. They didn't realize that the man kneeling on the ground was about to break off the most important part of him, his hopes, his dreams, his compassion. His son.

"I need you to stay here. This is home now, alright?" Kaden tried to explain to the small child as he placed him on the sandy ground. "I can't stay with you, but I need you to be just as brave and as strong as if I was still here for you." Tears pricked Kaden's eyes as he grasped what he was doing. As he realized what he was giving up and throwing away. "I love you," He added as he kissed his son on the top of his head. "But I can't take care of you."

"Da," the little boy mumbled. Kaden found his ears shoot straight up, not expecting a response from the boy. He stared at him carefully, wanting to see what his son would do next. The little boy raised his arms, pulled on Kaden's hand and exclaimed again, "Da!"

"Don't do this to me," the man begged. His son was so innocent, so unaware of what was going on. He would never understand. No one would. But Kaden knew. Kaden knew how much better off the boy would be without him. He could see what his son could become, but only if he was here, on Planet Veldin, without his father. So why should the boy be allowed to make it so hard? How could his son just blink up at him with those innocent, wide, green eyes and make Kaden want to break down in sheer confusion and anguish? He didn't want to leave his son, but he had to! For his sake! But the boy only kept staring at him, wanting answers he was far too young for. "I said, don't do this to me!" Kaden cried, sweeping his son into his arms and holding him tightly. He rested his head on his son's and sobbed, cried harder than he had in his life. "I'm doing this for you! I'm protecting you! I'm trying to fight Tachyon for what he did to you!" Kaden protested to the young child, hoping he would hear the hurt in his father's voice and stop boring into him with those naïve, clueless eyes! The boy was killing him right now, worse than any death he could experience in a confrontation with Tachyon. And because it was Kaden's fault, it made the pain eat away at him twice as badly.

Kaden pressed his eyes shut and buried himself into his son, smothering his cheek against the boy's head as if that would make the situation any easier. Kaden pushed thoughts of Tachyon away for the first time in months, thinking of when his son was first born. Of holding the boy against him, gently, sure that any wrong move would break the long awaited for child. One little mistake would destroy all he and his wife had hoped and prayed so much for. He had been so sure that now that his family was complete, now that he was so happy, nothing could ever ruin it, as long as he took care of that final piece of who he was.

But so much had been torn away from him already. His home, his love, his morals, his mentality, his friendships, his people, his happiness. What was tossing one more piece in order to sustain the rest that you had? What was wrong with losing that last important part of who you once were in order to maintain that one selfish desire burning in the back of your mind, the one that would make everything right if you fulfilled, the one that reflected the person your loss had made you into?

Kaden knew the answers to his own questions. It was different if what you cared for was taken away from you. Tossing it away would mean that it was unimportant to you anymore, that it was worthless, that you didn't need it. That your own selfish desires came first.

But that was wrong! His son was worth more than anything else. That was why he could not allow the child to get tied into his own selfish wants and needs. That was why he had to leave him, so that he wouldn't corrupt him the way Kaden's dreams of malevolence had corrupted himself. This was the only way he could keep his son pure from the way that this battle had poisoned his father.

By leaving him in better hands.

Kaden put his son back down on the ground and murmured, "Take care of yourself, and never forget who you truly are. No matter what happens to you, what sadness, what anger, what regret, don't let it consume you. Don't let it do to you what it did to me." Slowly, achingly, Kaden managed to get up without even looking at the boy. He walked away and didn't turn back, knowing that if he caught a glimpse of his son he would run right back to his side. So, he didn't see it, but his boy watched his every step, so sure that his father would turn around and return to him.

But when he didn't, shock and confusion overwhelmed the infant instead. He responded the only way he knew how. Tears. He started screeching, reaching the highest octave his tiny lungs could permit as he wailed for his father to return.

However, Kaden had already made his choice. He ran, pushing past confused people, some who simply ignored him, some who saw the baby and began shouting at the Lombax, calling him horrible things for his abandonment. But Kaden didn't care. The sounds of his son's cries and the people's insults were deafened by one thought that brought a twisted smile to his face.

Now he could face Tachyon, without a care in the world.

But little did the Lombax know that his son had stopped crying. People had crowded around the small child, trying to reassure and help him, to replace his father. But he didn't want it. He shoved away the concerned strangers. With strength that the baby had never used before, he flopped onto his hands and knees, staring at his father as the older Lombax ran in the distance. He put one arm in front of him, then a knee, then the second arm. Crawling for the first time in desperation to get to his father. Kaden should have turned, should have seen the boy vehement in an attempt to get back to his father's side. Instead he just kept running, already drowned in thoughts of his revenge.

He missed his son crawling for him, wanting nothing but him.