So I guess I should tell you what I look like, not that it will make much of an impression on you. If someone were to describe me in one word, it would be something like bland, uninteresting, unremarkable. Ok, that was three words, but you get the picture. I have light brown eyes, light brown skin and light brown hair. I generally don't wear bright flashy clothes. I'm not a big fan of standing out in a crowd, and I don't; not usually, anyway. I don't like attracting much attention to myself. It's just easier that way. And yet all this still happened to me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again. I tend to do that sometimes. I will go back to the day I was speaking of, the day that I realized perhaps there was something to that Jedi religion I had obsessed so much about.

Back at home I frantically paced the length of our small sitting room, thoroughly shaken by the possibility that I made a rock fly through the air without touching it. After repeatedly telling myself that telekinesis was not physically possible, and not believing a word of it, I decided to go to the palace. I don't know if I originally intended to go to the palace library or if I simply knew my father would be there and it made me feel safer. Either way, I headed out in the direction of the palace; careful to keep my head down and not make any more weird things happen.

Regardless of my intentions, my feet automatically took me to the library. Here, the anxiety over what happened began to wash away and I felt a familiar calm begin to envelop me. I know it sounds stupid if you are not one of those people who delight in being alone in the tranquil quiet, surrounded by books of history and possibility, but the library always felt like a safe haven to me; one where nobody could bother or hurt me and I could leave my current life and live others through my reading.

But today I was not here to lose myself. Today, I needed answers. Specifically, what had caused that dratted rock to hurl itself through the air? I surely had not heard the end of this little incident and I wanted to be armed with facts and knowledge if and when it came up again. Besides, I needed an explanation to ease my own uncertainty.

I had no sooner assembled several books in piles on the floor and sat down, ready to begin my research, when a voice – a male voice no less – startled me from behind.

"You're Lana, aren't you? Faolan's daughter?"

I jumped up and whirled around to face the owner of the voice, knocking over several piles of books in the process. Much to my surprise, I recognized the man standing there. He had been at the last excruciatingly inane quarterly reception Bail Organa held for his palace workers and their families. He was the son of one of the new palace guards – the need for additional guards an obvious reflection of the increased unrest in the galaxy – and much sought after by the ladies of the town. Why, I have no idea, for he did not look anything spectacular to me. But he was a new face, and single, and they were stupid cows.

"What are you doing here?" I narrowed my eyes at him and put my hands on my hips, quite annoyed that I had been interrupted before I even had the chance to start.

His laugh startled me, both its quality and the fact that he was laughing at me. "So confrontational, aren't we?" His voice turned mock serious. "But then, I had heard that about you."

His easygoing manner, as well as the fact that he was quite obviously insulting me, continued to aggravate me and I snapped back at him. "I suppose then you have nothing better to do with your buddies than discuss my confrontational manner?"

He smiled and shook his head at me. "Relax, Lana. All I wanted to do was introduce myself, since I didn't get a chance to do so last week at the party." He laughed again. "I didn't expect to have to…"

A sudden burst of giggles coming from the hallway outside interrupted his reparation. We both snapped our heads around to look towards the entrance of the library. I had a funny feeling I knew who I would see walking by. Before anyone came into view, the guy grabbed my wrist and practically dragged me behind one of the larger shelves, knocking over the rest of my piles of books. I pulled against his grip to get free.

"Let go of me, you big lout!"

He motioned urgently with his free hand for me to be quiet. I would have continued to struggle if it hadn't been for the look of pure terror in his eyes. Intrigued by this interesting development, I stopped fighting and followed his gaze through the bookshelf out the door just as the very same two women I encountered earlier passed by.

As the giggling sounds faded, he released my wrist and stepped back out from behind the shelf motioning for me to follow. I carefully walked around my disheveled books, trying to push them into a pile with my foot. I didn't suppose he would stick around long enough to assist in the clean up of the mess he helped to cause. I rubbed my wrist and looked up at him. It didn't help my mood that his expression was once more relaxed and calm.

"Well, that was close," he said with a smile, widening his eyes expressively.

I was not amused. That was it? After all that, that's all I got? My hands once more returned to my hips and I cocked an eyebrow at him. "I think I deserve an explanation. And perhaps a warning next time you decide to handle me so roughly."

He laughed again at me, and then schooled his expression when he must have finally noticed I was not currently appreciating whatever humor he found in the situation. "It's just Mairi and Selia, constantly following me around. If I have to pick up one more of their handkerchiefs that they 'accidentally' drop in my presence…"

He shuddered and I finally began to see some humor. At least I wasn't the only one who couldn't stand those girls.

"As for my rough handling of you, I'm sorry," he continued. "I just didn't want them to spot me and I've seen how they act towards you. I was afraid they'd see you and come in here for the sheer joy of tormenting you."

I laughed at that, against my better judgment before I could stop myself. He seemed pleased with himself at getting me to laugh.

"I'm sure tormenting me, as you say, gives them pleasure." I smirked at him. "Their pea-sized brains can't come up with other amusement, and I guess I'm an easy target."

He gave me a large smile and despite myself, I noticed how it made his eyes crinkle. "Ah, a kindred spirit. I'm glad to find someone with less love for them than I have." I found myself smiling back at him and quickly schooled my features and looked away. I waited, expecting the clever comment about my confrontational nature, or lack of it now, but it didn't come.

We stood in silence for a few moments before I glanced back up at him. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as if he were searching for something in my face. Uncomfortable under his scrutiny, I dropped my gaze again and saw my books still sprawled all over the floor. I knelt down and began to straighten them up, mostly for something to occupy my mind and my hands, when I heard him speak again.

"Why do you do that?"

"Well someone went and knocked them all over..." I began, knowing full well he wasn't talking about the books.

"Lana…" He knelt down across from me and put his hand over mine, stopping my actions. I pulled my hand away and sat back on my feet, completely unnerved by his calm voice and gentle actions.

"Go ahead…" I jutted my chin defiantly at him. "Tell me I'm confrontational. Or that I'm miserable to be around. How nobody would ever want to be my friend."

He held my gaze, his eyes wide and honest. "I want to be your friend."

Well, I knew how to respond to that. My brain went right into autopilot.

"I don't need any friends." His sympathetic smile was too much and I went back to straightening my books, not wanting to meet his gaze any longer.

"Sure you do," he said kindly and took the book I was holding. He placed it on the floor and put a hand on my arm. That got me to look up at him. "Everybody should have at least one friend."

The warmth of his touch on my arm and the sincerity in his eyes were making me uncomfortable, so the next words tumbled out uncontrolled.

"I don't want any friends." My voice was cold and my eyes narrowed but I didn't mean what I said and regretted it almost immediately. Unfortunately, all he saw was my facial expression and all he heard were my harsh words.

"Very well," he said tersely as he stood up. "Perhaps someday you will change your mind. I just hope it won't be too late then to find some."

He turned and walked out of the library leaving me to my books at last but for the first time in my life, I had no desire to read. I couldn't help thinking about what he had said, about everyone needing a friend when I realized I hadn't even found out his name.