He wasn't getting through to him. He tried to talk to Obi-Wan multiple times over the course of the flight to Bandomeer, but the boy refused to say anything or even acknowledge what was said to him.
When they landed, Obi-Wan turned to him and looked at him with dull, defeated eyes. It was only then that Qui-Gon could tell the boy had been crying. He wanted to scoop him into his arms right then and never let him go. It pained him so to see his Padawan hurting so.
"We will be meeting with Milna Tarr of the Agricultural Corps. She is very eager to have us onboard." There was a spark, just a glimmer, of hope in Obi-Wan's eyes at the word 'us,' but it was gone too soon for Qui-Gon to count it as having gotten through to the boy.
"Why Bandomeer?" The question was barely a breath from the younger man's mouth, but Qui-Gon heard it loud and clear.
"There are unstable mines being used by unskilled miners. We're here to help clear a particularly nasty cave in that has over fifty men trapped." He put a comforting hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and was astonished at how rigid he was. "Not every mission will be filled with excitement and adventure, Obi-Wan. You will do well to remember that. As peacekeepers, we sometimes—"
"You can stop pretending now," Obi-Wan said, cutting him off. He wouldn't meet Qui-Gon's eyes. "I know why we're really here." He shrugged Qui-Gon's hand off of his shoulder.
"Obi-Wan, please just listen to me," Qui-Gon pleaded. The younger man shook his head.
"You lied to me." The accusation was spoken as softly as his earlier question, as though he couldn't quite bring himself to believe the words he spoke. "You said I would be a Jedi Knight one day. You said it was only a matter of training and time and I would be ready for the Trials. But now you're going to leave me here, just like the Masters were going to do years ago."
"Obi-Wan, that's not—"
"Why, Qui-Gon?" he asked. "Why did you make me believe I could trust you only to break my heart?" His voice cracked horribly on the last word and he looked at the floor as he turned away from the Jedi Master.
Qui-Gon didn't know what to say.
"Obi-Wan…" He sighed and shook his head. "It wasn't my intention to break your trust. And it was never my intention to leave you here."
"You're lying," Obi-Wan sniffled.
"I promise you, I'm not." Qui-Gon was being sincere, but even without the Force he could see that his Padawan did not believe him. He could see that there was no consoling the boy.
Obi-Wan managed to compose himself before the two men exited the ship. He still couldn't bring himself to look Qui-Gon in the eye. As they made their way to go see Milna Tarr, Obi-Wan stayed a few steps behind the Jedi Master, head down, saying nothing.
How he wanted to trust Qui-Gon. There was nobody in his life that he wanted to trust more. How many times had the older man saved his life? How many times had he risked his life to save him? He'd thought he'd known him better than he knew himself.
Yet here he found himself back on a planet to which he had never wanted to return. How desperately he wanted to cling to the hope that Qui-Gon was telling him the truth. But after what he'd heard when Qui-Gon had been speaking to Milna before, he didn't know what to believe.
Something deep inside told him Qui-Gon wouldn't abandon him, but that did little to quiet the tiny voices of doubt that did their very best to drown all else out.
When Qui-Gon stopped short, Obi-Wan very nearly ran directly into him he was so lost in thought. Again, Qui-Gon spoke, but Obi-Wan couldn't quite piece together the words. He wanted to sleep for a month.
He drifted in and out of the conversation, only picking up certain words. It wasn't enough to understand what was being said.
As he greeted Milna Tarr, Qui-Gon's commlink chirped, alerting him to an incoming long-range communication. He could already sense that something was terribly, horribly wrong elsewhere in the galaxy. The Council would be pulling them to give aid, but the work contract he'd signed for them would complicate things, as would Obi-Wan's distrust. Only one of them would be able to leave the planet before the the week was up.
"This is terribly rude of me, but I must return to our ship. I've an urgent incoming transmission. If you would please fill my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in on what he will be doing during his stay, I shall catch up."
He turned to address Obi-Wan, who still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I am not abandoning you here," he said, his voice so quiet that only Obi-Wan could hear him. "But I may need to leave you here for a short while."
Obi-Wan said nothing. Qui-Gon sighed, shook his head, and hurried back to the ship. Behind him, Milna wasted no time in dragging Obi-Wan off on a tour of the facilities.
And there he goes, Obi-Wan thought miserably as Qui-Gon pushed past him. Without even saying goodbye, he leaves me to my new life.
The woman in charge was talking to him. He couldn't piece together what she was saying. She was clearly speaking Basic, but he couldn't follow what she was saying at all.
She led him around, showing him the basic layout of the place, before finally bringing him to a small barracks.
"…Sorry it's so… dirty. With all the cave ins lately, we haven't had much time for cleaning. I'd offer you a private room, but I'm afraid the habitat wing was completely destroyed by a quake a few rotations ago. We've got to make do."
"This will be fine, thank you, Milna," he said. She offered him a sad smile.
"Get some rest, Obi-Wan. It's nothing but hard labor while you're here. The unfortunate reality of working the mines here on Bandomeer." With that, she was gone, and Obi-Wan found himself alone with a few exhausted-looking miners covered in soot and dirt.