Title: The Death of All Hope
Author: Bonhomie/BaBaKaNuSh13
Rating: PG
Summary: AU for "The Death of Hope." Qui-Gon leaves Obi-Wan behind with the Rock Workers after his leg is injured, and the Jedi Master must fight to not lose all hope in his life.
Genre: Action, Angst, AU (again, the three 'A's) (Age 16)
Spoilers: Minor ones for the JA books, but mainly for "The Death of Hope."
Disclaimer: I don't own the Star Wars Universe, George Lucas and Jude Watson own all the characters and concepts here. I'm just borrowing them and making no profit, so please don't sue me. I have no money.

WARNING: There are images portrayed of the dead in this chapter that may be disturbing to some readers. Not graphic, or anything, but they may be disturbing, nonetheless. I just thought I'd warn you so I don't get in trouble. :)

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Chapter 2

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Qui-Gon sifted through the reports. As he read each body description, he couldn't stop the image of his young Padawan's haunting face appearing in front of his eyes.

The next one could be Obi-Wan.

There had been three bodies that could have possibly been his Padawan so far. They had all been around his age, but there was not enough information given on their appearances at such an early stage for him to judge anything else.

Qui-Gon pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, making stars appear in front of them. He knew it was merely a blatant attempt to force the face of his Apprentice out of his mind, but it was so much easier not to see those disturbingly stormy, oceanic eyes staring accusingly back at him.

A fresh wave of guilt rushed through him. He'd ignored Obi-Wan, ignored the Force. As a consequence his Padawan had been killed in a battle that was not meant for him to fight alone.

And he had been trying to block out the memory of Obi-Wan to assuage his guilt. He didn't deserve that mercy.

The report dura-sheets slipped out of Qui-Gon's hand and fell to the ground. The pile shuffled into an unrecognisable heap.

Somehow he had never even considered his bright, lively young Apprentice would ever die on a mission. They were given numerous dangerous assignments, and yet he had never thought it possible.

Obi-Wan was meant to have at least outlived his Master.

It was not fair.

Qui-Gon glanced down at the jumbled mess of dura-sheets. It was useless trying to search for any sign of his Padawan's body in a series of cold, detached reports. He slowly stood up. As painful as it may be, he had to go back to the Rock Worker settlement.

"Mace," he called wearily.

The Councillor sat up from his own study of reports and turned to face Qui-Gon.

"We can't tell anything from this information," he said. "I need to find him, Mace. I can't go back to Coruscant without … without his body."

Mace's often stern face softened. "Are you sure, Jinn? I could go myself and leave you with Bant to head back to the Temple. I could meet you there."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No. I need to find him, myself."

Mace stood up. "I will send Bant back with Tahl's body, then," he said. He paused. "There is no need to upset her even more, just yet."

Qui-Gon nodded. The Mon-Calamarian had been distraught when she had found out about her best friend's death. He could not blame her. She had always been close to Obi-Wan, had always stood up for him when no one else would, and vice-versa. He had been like an older brother to her. Since she'd heard of his fate, Bant had been straying deep into meditation. But Qui-Gon had felt her distress, even then.

As Mace organised a transport back to Coruscant, Qui-Gon readied their own ship. He punched in the coordinates for the settlement, and took off as soon as Windu entered the cockpit.

It seemed to take forever to finally touch down again. The familiarity of the settlement washed over Qui-Gon and sent a chill down his spine.

Obi-Wan had been here the day before. No doubt trying to protect those who needed their help. Dying for a cause not his own. Falling like a Jedi.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon had let his emotions rule him. He had ignored the Force's guidance. Acting unbefitting a Jedi.

"Through here," Mace said, after speaking with one of the Workers in charge of burying the dead. He motioned to a large tent. They stepped inside.

It was horrible. The tent had been turned into a mortuary. There were Rock Worker bodies everywhere.

Men. Women. Children.

None had been spared.

He closed his eyes to compose himself. He could do this. He would find his fallen Padawan and take him back to the Temple for a proper Jedi funeral. Qui-Gon's composure began to slip.

He pushed on stoically and moved to the first low hover-table where a man's body lay. Too old. The next was a young girl, around four standard years of age. Qui-Gon regretfully turned away and stepped up to the next body in line.

His heart skipped a beat.

It was a young man, around Obi-Wan's age, his build. It was hard to tell from the burns covering his face and dirt imbedded in his skin, but he instantly knew it wasn't his Padawan.

Qui-Gon was confused. He'd felt relief when he'd realised the body wasn't Obi-Wan's, but he wanted to find the young man. He didn't know what he would do if he was simply one of the unrecognisable corpses.

Moving past hover-table after hover-table, Qui-Gon studied each Rock Worker body, trying to locate his Padawan's amongst them. Mace was deep in conversation with a few of the Workers from the city, organising burials for the fallen community. The tent was charged with a painful sadness that made his Force senses pang.

Qui-Gon held his breath as he came to the last hover-table in the row, and warily glanced at the occupant. Another young man, though it was definitely not Obi-Wan. A little too young, too slim and gangly.

Qui-Gon's stomach dropped. He had one row left to check. Those who were almost impossible to be identified from their grievous wounds and injuries.

He couldn't bear to see his Padawan in such a bad shape.

Yet he knew he had to press on. He had to find Obi-Wan.

He clenched his fists tighter and began to walk.

The first few bodies were of an old woman, a middle-aged woman and a boy. The fourth, however, was unmistakably a young man.

He swallowed hard and leant closer. The man's face was unrecognisable, bloody, torn and beaten. Revulsion rose up in Qui-Gon's throat. His hair was totally burnt from an explosion. Gently lifting the corner of the white sheet, he looked at the young man's leg.

He breathed a sigh of relief. No sign of there having been any wound there at all, as Obi-Wan had sustained in the quarry.

But what if Obi-Wan had managed to totally heal the wound in the time he'd had to rest?

Qui-Gon frowned. He let the bottom corner of the sheet drop and drew back the top corner. He gingerly touched the ice-cold, stiff shoulder. He bit down hard on his lip and reverently rolled the body over slightly.

He had once discovered that Obi-Wan had a small, oddly-shaped birthmark on the back of his shoulder on one mission. The young man had been sliced down his back with a long, cruel vibro-blade, wielded in the expert hands of a Togorian.

It had been a nasty cut, running from his middle back, all the way up to the top of his right shoulder. Any deeper and he would have been paralysed for life. Qui-Gon had treated the wound, but both the birthmark and the scar had remained.

Qui-Gon gently lowered the body back down. It held neither a birthmark nor a scar.

Not his Padawan, then.

He inhaled deeply for a moment, taking time to let relief wash over him before he moved on.

He finished off the rest of the row. None of them were Obi-Wan, of that he was sure.

Confusion spread through Qui-Gon. What did that mean? He didn't dare to hope, but …

He walked over to Mace, his footsteps hurried.

"He's not here," Qui-Gon said as soon as he reached the Council Member. "Obi-Wan's not here."

Mace's brow furrowed. "Are you sure, Jinn?" Doubt marred his words.

"Yes. I'm certain of it. I know my Padawan, Windu. He is not here."

Mace's lips thinned as he thought. "There are no missing transports. Only the mining tools having been taken." He turned to the nearest City Worker. "Do a headcount. Are you sure that everyone from the settlement is here?"

"Already done, Master Jedi, sir," the woman said, bowing slightly. "There was a mistake earlier. There is, in fact, one body missing."

"Only counting Rock Worker numbers, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

Qui-Gon looked at Mace. "One missing. That makes it all the more possible for Obi-Wan to be alive. He may be with that Rock Worker."

He thought for a moment. He had noticed some of the Workers had been identified already, names and families indicated on their hover-tables.

He turned to the City Worker. "Do you happen to know whose missing body it is?"

The woman bit her lip. "Yes, Master Jedi. Her name is Yanci Delino. She is my cousin. I came out here to identify her body, but could not find it."

For the first time, real hope surged through Qui-Gon. Yanci. She had been Obi-Wan's medic. Maybe they had escaped together. He shared his optimism with Mace.

"Obi-Wan and Yanci missing," Qui-Gon mused. His eyes suddenly widened. "And Eritha." He had forgotten about the girl in his grief for his Padawan.

Mace nodded. "It seems as if they have escaped somehow. It is odd that all three are missing when they are so closely linked. It cannot be mere coincidence."

Qui-Gon had to agree.

He reached into the back of his mind. He still couldn't feel Obi-Wan's presence through their bond. He had first thought that it had been because of the young Jedi's death. The reason he hadn't felt him die because he'd blocked the young man out, or because he'd been so focussed on Tahl.

Now he considered other options. It could be that Obi-Wan was unconscious, he'd been drugged, was blocking or because he'd somehow been Force suppressed. There were so many possible reasons why he could not feel his Padawan.

All that he could think about at that moment, however, was the fact that there was a chance his Padawan was alive.

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Well there you go, another chapter. Duh, duh, duh … everything's happening, now. Sorry this chapter was so boring, but I had to get it out of the way. Obviously.

Also, sorry it's such a short chapter, it's just that it was part of a really long one, and that didn't work so well, so I had to split it into two.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who reviewed.

Replies:

The Burninator Named Trogdor:
Thanks for your review. I'm glad you're getting so involved in my fic … I loved the outburst! I have to agree with you there. Anyway, I'll have to read some of your work to see how alike our writing is … it must be kinda scary to read something that sounds so much like your own work. :)

Master kaym:
I think you should write up your idea! I'd love to read it. Anyway, thanks for your review, it's always great to have feedback:) I live on the stuff.

Tiamath:
Thanks once again for reviewing my fics! And thanks about the well-written part, but I still reckon I should get a beta reader:) But thankyou!

i luv ewansmile:
Thankyou to you, too, for reviewing my another of my fics! I love feedback. And I'm glad you like it! I feel like yelling at Qui-Gon, too. He is so irresponsible sometimes! But I love him. :) He's just too overwhelmed with guilt and he's a little frazzled and upset at the moment, so I do actually feel a little sorry for him. Poor Qui:) Anyway, thanks for the awesome review!

BaBaKaNuSh13