He had absolutely no clue what to think when the world finally slowed down enough to realize what had happened. His head was absolutely throbbing, which only made him even disoriented on his current situation.

An impossible force constricted his chest and procured a wonderfully slow, suffocating feeling, with far too much agony to inhale deeply and soothe the panic. There was hardly an attempt to do so as the first breath left him gasping in pain and the short, desperate breaths that followed only made the pain harder to ignore.

He couldn't even fully comprehend what had happened until he heard a young voice nearby, felt the sharp, quick gasps of air from his Padawan.

Everything came back to him in a blur, and Obi-Wan looked down to find the youngling in his arms. Shortly before he had realized impact was inevitable, he had dived forward to cover the boy from harm.

He recalled it now, all the events that had resulted in this. The crash. Who knows what had caused it, but the results were devastating. The wreckage left the vehicle totaled and nearly every corner now jutted claustrophobically inward, making the formerly familiar environment unrecognizable. In worse news, there currently seemed to be no direct way out.

Unfortunately, he was now on his back, suggesting very serious injuries. But, though Obi-Wan had taken most of the fall, the movements of his student suggested he was suffering a considerable amount.

"Master…?" Anakin said weakly.

"I'm alright, Anakin," he lied reassuringly. "I'm here."

He felt the Padawan shift ever so slightly and gasp in pain. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf. "Master Windu is going to kill us!" he exclaimed in frustration, followed immediately by another cry of pain.

"Don't worry, I'll take the blame," Obi-Wan murmured, looking around for a way out, as if either of them were in any condition to move if there was. "Are you alright?"

He knew the answer was no, he was only hoping his Padawan wasn't as injured as he was.

"No," admitted Anakin. "I- I can't breathe. Something's definitely broken."

That makes two of us, Obi-Wan thought.

"Anakin, I don't see another way out. We'll have to wait for help. Can you reach the emergency alert?"

Anakin reached out to the panel, biting back a whimper. "No. There's something blocking it."

Obi-Wan angled his head upward to keep the blood that was streaming steadily from his forehead controlled. "Never mind then. Take deep breaths and stay calm. I'll figure something out."

Anakin focused on his breathing.

Obi-Wan reached up, searching for any function that still worked on whatever control panel happened to be a foot above him in the wreckage. Just killing time, pretending he was doing something to ease the Padawan's panic. Really, he wasn't doing anything. There was nothing that could be done.

They were going to die.

Anakin was young and, therefore, he was the most susceptible to injury. Who knows how either of them managed to stay alive this long in an accident like this. Even if the Force was on their side, there was no way the Padawan would survive this.

It had only been 6 months since he began training him, and now he had successfully doomed them both. He had killed the presumed 'Chosen One'.

And if Anakin died, he would never forgive himself.

He had to get them out of here.

Obi-Wan paused to stifle the sharp, involuntary inhale, followed by a sudden fit of coughing. Over the ringing in his ears, he could hear himself half-gasping and half-coughing as he held tight to his broken ribs. He moved one hand over his mouth, specks of red further staining his hand and sleeve.

"Master Kenobi?" Anakin asked again worriedly. His voice was faint, like it was coming from the end of a tunnel. "Hold on, I think there's someone coming."

He froze.

"Anakin," he replied quietly after a deep, strained breath, "the people who inhabit this planet are hostile. Can you run?"

"I think so, Master," Anakin whispered back.

The Jedi paused for a moment, looking around. "Do you see that bent sheet of metal by the control panel?"

"Yes."

"Move it."

The Padawan obeyed. There was the sound of metal scraping metal and moonlight streamed into the wreckage from the window beyond.

"Can you get out through the window?" he asked.

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Get out, run, and do not look back. Find a hiding place. Master Windu will come and get you."

"What?" asked his Padawan with disbelief.

"Now, Anakin," he barked. His vision was spotting in and out. The hostiles would look for him first, and he was going to die anyway. "That is an order."

"What about you, Master Kenobi? You'll die!"

"Yes, I am going to die, Anakin. Right now you need to run."

"But-"

"I said run. This is not a negociation. GO! NOW!"

To yell took all of his breath, and he soon realized the consequences were far worse than discomfort. In the distance, now drawing nearer, were the shrieks and calls of the primitive indigenous creatures that inhabited the region.

Anakin heard it too, and after a moment of reluctance managed to pull himself through the gap in the window. He turned around.

"Promise me you'll be okay, Master!" he pleaded.

"Anakin-" Obi-Wan started in a stern tone.

"Promise!"

He hesitated. "Alright, I will be fine. Now go!"

The Padawan accepted the promise and pushed himself away from the wreckage just as the hostiles came storming to the scene in a pack. The moonlight caught briefly on an object in his pupil's hand.

He frowned, recognizing it, but he was in no condition to process what exactly it was.

Outside, he heard the growls of the hostiles, and waited with dread for them to find the broken window escape- or entrance, in their case.

He turned sharply at a sudden voice that was too close for comfort and rolled quickly to his side, reaching for his lightsaber. Despite the urgent need to protect himself, he instantly regretted the decision as an intense, coarse pain shot throughout his entire body, causing him a cutting agony and stopping him in his place. He could taste blood in the back of his throat as his vision faded out again.

He leaned his head back against a stable piece of wreckage, clenching his jaw and momentarily choking on the sudden sense of breathlessness that came with the motion. He felt around for his weapon with a shaking hand.

It was gone.

Forcing one arm underneath himself, he gently attempted to push himself up, trying to gain enough purchase to move, straining to do what should have been a simple task. Using the wall as an aid, he pushed his apathetic muscles to obey his desperate commands, to move, to stand, to go and protect his helpless and untrained Padawan. But his efforts were only in vain.

His hand slid on the pool of blood that covered the mangled metal beneath him, the slight progress he had made in lifting himself off the ground only increased the agony as he crashed back to the ground. The air was forced from his lungs and lights danced before his eyes, widened with shock and pain.

At that moment, he came to the sorrowful realization that he didn't have the strength to try again.

Obi-Wan smiled weakly- bitterly- to himself, and wondered how close the enemy was to finding him, wondered if they would discover him in the next 45-or-so seconds, while he was still alive. This death seemed quite fitting, of course: an early end caused by pure incompetence, the same lack of caution and ability that had resulted in the death of Qui-Gon. And now, it would result in his own demise, and more likely than not, the demise of his defenseless Padawan. Another young life extingished quickly and violently.

He attempted to let out a soft mirthless chuckle, but it only came out as a dry, breathy sob of regret. That seemed more tailored to what he was feeling anyway. Closing his eyes, he listened to the pained wheezing of his struggling breaths.

A welcome numbness crept through his limbs, the cold creeping into his flesh, his bone. Into his soul. His precious was life slipping away.

I've failed you, Master Qui-Gon. I'm sorry. It was his last coherent thought before he finally succumbed to the blur of hopelessness.

Somewhere nearby, he heard the familiar whoosh of a lightsaber.

The world around him faded to black and the silence slowly became deafening.

Chapter 2 in progress. To be posted soon.