She belonged here, and she would prove it. Now matter what anyone said about her age or ability; no matter what suspicious looks they gave her; no matter what, she had finally found a place where she fit. She was older by far than any initiate in the Jedi Temple, but most of them didn't yet have a Master, and she did. While things between herself and Obi Wan were still stiff, he was never anything but pleasant to her. The loss of Qui Gon had changed him—aged him—and left a quiet sadness behind his eyes. Their shared grief had created a bond between them.

Back on Naboo, after the funeral, Padraig had invited Anneke and Obi Wan to a ceremony where he honoured those who had distinguished themselves during the battle. Anneke could hardly believe her ears when she heard her name called. Padraig said something about the space battle, and heroic actions, but she had no idea what was going on until Obi Wan leaned over and whispered, "You blew up the Federation Space Station. Turned the tide of the battle."

Still, she stared at him until he gently pushed her. "Go on. He's waiting for you." Was that the first time she had seen Obi Wan smile?

Walking toward Padraig with hundreds of Naboo troops applauding her was like walking through a dream. She felt like a fraud accepting the adulation for doing something she hadn't even known she was doing. Later, Obi Wan told her that the Force had guided her on the space station, but standing in front of Padraig, seeing the gratitude shining in his eyes, made her want to blurt out that they had the wrong person.

Padraig lifted a medal on a wide ribbon. She bent, and he placed it over her head, his fingertips grazing her neck as he stepped back. Her breath caught, and a shiver of heat ran through her veins. She swallowed and stood straight, forcing her suddenly rubbery legs to hold firm. She silently recited the beginning of the Jedi code: "There is no emotion; there is peace." No matter what she felt for Padraig—or what he might feel for her—nothing could ever come of it. She was a Jedi, and that was where she belonged.

A/N: Here ends the first episode of A Shadow in the Glass. Episode II is coming soon.