Disclaimer: I don't own any Star Wars stuff, just having fun with the SW universe.

Synopsis: This is an AU set during AOTC. Imagine that Qui Gon fell, but so did Obi, or so everyone thought! Maul survived and continues his master's work, always with an eye to replacing his master. It's definitely Obi-sentric with the usual suspects popping up to aid and abet our favorite 'jedi'.

Reviews: Always welcome! This is a monster of a story that I have written long hand and I'm slowly converting it to the PC to post, so chapters and posts may be slow in coming. Apologies in advance!

His face felt like it was on fire. He tried moving, but everything hurt and screamed at him to just stay exactly where he had fallen. He knew he couldn't stay there, he had to move before the next exhaust cycle flooded the tunnel with burning toxic waste from the city's main reactor, so despite his injured body's complaints he rose to his feet and clinging to the tunnel wall, slowly made his way out and to the service entrance, which he found to be locked.

His heart sank as his grief overwhelmed him. What was the point in going on? Qui-Gon was dead and the sith monster still lived, it was probably tearing the castle apart right now, no one able to stop it as it decimated the small rebel forces of the Queen. The Queen! That poor child! He gripped his chest as it was suddenly hard for him to breathe.

He clung onto his connection to the force and let the grief flow through him and into the force around him, giving him some comfort. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and realized the sith had just left the planet. How could he possible know that?

The unmistakable rumbling signifying the exhaust vents were preparing to open, sent a ripple of force warning to him and without really thinking about it he used his force skills on the lock mechanism and swept inside, feeling briefly strengthened by the cleansed force around him, no longer powered by the sith's presence. The door swung shut behind him as the super heated material engulfed the tunnel.

His spurt of energy waned, however, and he found himself stumbling over the service tunnel and into the Naboan night where his exhausted mind gave in to his screaming body and he collapsed into the long vibrant green grass.

The memories of the fight with the sith came flooding back to him, unwanted, filling his mind with grief and despair at his lack of control that led to his downfall.

Qui-Gon and the sith were separated from him by the energy barrier and he looked on in horror as Qui-Gon fell. Almost immediately after the mortal strike, the barrier opened and Obi-Wan launched himself at the sith. His movements were so fast and fluid, the force guiding him so completely, he hardly noticed his anger rising as he failed again and again to find the killing blow to bring down Qui-Gon's attacker. He could feel Qui-Gon's life force draining away, the jedi master dying while he continued the frustrating battle. The more they fought, the angrier Obi-Wan became, taking foolish risks to end the battle quickly instead of gauging his enemy and pressing him into making a mistake. At one point the sith had tried to push Obi-Wan down the shaft behind him, but Obi-Wan had rolled to the side and sprung back to his feet to continue the assault on the tattooed menace before him.

He would remember the moment Qui-Gon died for as long as he was granted life. The strong bond they shared was shattered inside his mind and the pain and overwhelming loss caused him to scream and clutch his head. The sith's blade had been mid strike and without Obi-Wan defending himself it swept up into the padawan's face, burning the skin across the right side from the ear to his cheek and up into his hair line.

The force of this blow did have him tumbling into the shaft and the last thing he remembered was the sensation of falling.

He opened his eyes on the Naboo night, the stars bright above him. They grew blurry as tears filled his eyes and flowed down his face. The physical pain he could deal with, but the trauma of the severed bond was in danger of consuming his soul, his utter failure to protect his master shamed him to the core. How could he face the council after this? The simple answer was that he wouldn't, couldn't go back. They had been right all along, he had never deserved the right to be a jedi knight, why hadn't he just stayed on Bandomeer like they had wanted? What foolishness to think he could possibly be worthy of Qui-Gon. His betrayal seemed worse than that of Xanatos. Qui-Gon had placed such faith in him and he had repaid it by allowing that monster to destroy him.

He couldn't go back, he could just let the life force drain out of him, here on this world, become one with the force and rejoin Qui-Gon in its warm eternal embrace.

But the Queen, his thoughts drifted back to her, for some reason. It suddenly felt like the will of the force was pulling him in her direction. She still needed protection, his mission was not yet over it seemed. The sith lord had left, but he could easily return and Padme was vulnerable to his presence. He would complete the mission set out to him and Qui-Gon, he would protect the young Queen from here on. Padme would still have her protector. But how to do so without being detected?

His thoughts went back to the handmaidens Padme constantly had with her and the ease with which she had concealed herself within that group. He could do something similar. His obvious skills could get him close to her, within her security detail and his force presence could be shielded, he had done that before. His physical wounds would heal, but the scarring on his face would remain, he decided, to further hide himself, but also as a reminder of his failure, an open wound to his arrogance and anger enveloping him during the fight, a path he would not take again. When next he faced the sith lord, he would be ready, he would be focused and with the will of the force behind him, he would succeed.