Beyond - Legends What I Did On My School Vacation ~ A Ben Skywalker Diary ~ Entry 9 (Jan 1, 2011)

Title: What I Did on My School Vacation: A Ben Skywalker Diary
Author: Divapilot
Characters: Ben Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, OCs
Time frame: Legacy of the Force (non-Sacrifice)

Summary: Ben's four-week holiday from the Jedi Academy becomes far more than he anticipated.

Author?s Notes: Written for the Dear Diary 2010 Challenge. You can find that here.

This diary is AU in that Sacrifice never happened. Of course, Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, my heart belongs to you, and any use or broadcast of this telecast is forbidden without the express written permission of Major League Baseball.

(Frank McCourt, commenting on being a high school teacher, said, "If they opened your head they'd find a thousand teenagers clambering all over your brain." Yes, 'tis. Thus Ben Skywalker wanted his say. RIP, Mr. McCourt: a true teacher man.)


PM List
NYCitygurl
Ceillean
Kataja
Jade_Eyes
Lady_Misty
JEDIFLYSWATTER
G__Anakin
Tahiriveilax
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Zardi
Jade_Pilot
JediKaren
Jedi Trace
Wifflesnip
divinerose
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[b] RECORDER ON -- TEXT ONLY[/b]

Here?s the thing. My parents are strange. They aren?t ?Oh, that?s such an unusual hobby your father has? strange or ?My, what interesting clothes your mother wears? strange. They are certifiably, undeniably weird.

Take my mother, for instance. Now, most moms are gentle, lullaby-singing ladies, soft on the outside and even softer on the inside. Sure, I can remember my mom singing to me. I also remember her teaching me how to hold a knife so that I could throw it with precision. ?Sleep my pretty one? -- thwack goes the knife into the tree-- ?while the stars drift above? --crack goes the branch-- ?nighttime is falling? --twang goes the hilt-- ?on the angel I love.? For stars? sake, she flips knives for fun while making dinner. Dad never bats an eyelash.

Dad?s even stranger. Some days he?ll disappear for hours, just sitting out in the sun like he forgot it burns. He?s had entire conversations with dead people. His brain seems to be some enormous clearing house for every stray thought within a hundred clicks, including yours. Don?t even try to get away with anything. Not only will he know you didn?t do your chore, he?ll know the exact moment you decided to blow it off and what you did instead. Then you?ll get this long lecture on responsibility, blah, blah, blah. So just clean the garage like he asked you to. Not that I?m speaking from experience or anything.

So at the end of last term, I was thinking, ?What are we going to do for fun?? My friends were getting picked up by their families and going to all kinds of interesting places. I was really hoping that we could go to Corellia like when Uncle Han brings me. He?s this big hero there so he gets into all the great concerts and shows. Front row. And he doesn?t have to pay, although I?m not supposed to tell that to Aunt Leia. Then we?ll spend a couple hours goofing around with the ships and we?ll go out to eat (Uncle Han doesn?t cook much). He doesn?t have to pay for that either. He just signs a bunch of autographs and has holos taken with the owners and they squeal with happiness and we get dinner for free. (He says that eventually Aunt Leia finds out, then she sends enough to cover the cost of what we ate plus a little extra ?for the inconvenience.?)

Anyway, I?ve been looking forward to a break for a long time, right? Because school is hard, and on top of the training, I have to learn physics and math and all that, so I?m really tired and I need a rest. The Academy only gives us a four-week holiday, and I?m planning on having some fun. Well, surprise. Dad says that we are going to spend the break back on his homeworld. The Big Sandball. Ew. I mean, I love you, Dad, but your world is just nasty.

Well, you can guess what happened. Dad ?overheard? my mental complain

 

This is soooo good!! Ben is very funny I particularly like the Uncle Han bits, and:

My parents are the Heroes of the Galaxy, and I can?t even cash in.

And booy guy, having to spend his break on Tatooine - especially since he's a redhead (I can just imagine the sunburns ).

Great start!! If you have a PM list, please add me!!

 

Oh my, this is too funny! Hilarious. The natural red-head part had me laughing out loud.

Would you PM me when you update please?

 

This is hilarious! Count me in on the PM list, please!

"My parents are strange. They aren?t ?Oh, that?s such an unusual hobby your father has? strange or ?My, what interesting clothes your mother wears? strange. They are certifiably, undeniably weird. "

and
"Take my mother, for instance. ( - - -) For stars? sake, she flips knives for fun while making dinner. Dad never bats an eyelash. "
Not only is this hilarious, you also catch Ben's dry teenage humor perfectly!!!

 

Mara's lullaby! Ben must had a disturbing childhood with his 'weird' parents.

 

Diva's doing a diary! Ooh alliteration
Jinkies!

Ben's voice is so hilarious!!!! That lullaby

His feelings on everything and everybody rings so true I just hope he realizes how blessed he is to still have his mum sorry that was the fangirl talking

If you keep a PM list, I'd adore updates.

 

Ben is so funny.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has love/hate feelings about LotF especially Sacrifice.

1!

2

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5



Could you PM me when you update?

 

Poor Ben. It's hard having strange parents. Now they're all stuck together on Tatooine, which I'm surprised Luke went to willingly. Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder. hm.

I can't wait for more! Too funny girl!

 

Beautiful. Great characterization, and it'll be fun to see Luke, Mara, and a teenage Ben doing something fairly ordinary. Mara not dying is a nice touch, too. I like.

 

That was so classic from the intermost thoughts of a child. Better yet a teenager. So many things hit close to home with me. Have many family members in Florida and had a beach house on the Atlantic Ocean My poor sister has very fare skin and curly auborn hair so she burns like a lobster in about 10 minutes. Then peals in sheets. I always got a deep tan and my hair got blonder. Made her very jealous. I think all kids think thier parents are strange or out to just embarrass them completely. Love it and please put me on a PM list. Thanks.

 

Looks cool! Did you write another diary several years ago? I think I read a diary of yours.

Will you offer a PM list? If so, please add me!

 

A Diva Diary!!!

This is awesome already!

For stars? sake, she flips knives for fun while making dinner. Dad never bats an eyelash.



Love it!!

 

Here?s the thing. My parents are strange. They aren?t ?Oh, that?s such an unusual hobby your father has? strange or ?My, what interesting clothes your mother wears? strange. They are certifiably, undeniably weird.

Take my mother, for instance. Now, most moms are gentle, lullaby-singing ladies, soft on the outside and even softer on the inside. Sure, I can remember my mom singing to me. I also remember her teaching me how to hold a knife so that I could throw it with precision. ?Sleep my pretty one? -- thwack goes the knife into the tree-- ?while the stars drift above? --crack goes the branch-- ?nighttime is falling? --twang goes the hilt-- ?on the angel I love.? For stars? sake, she flips knives for fun while making dinner. Dad never bats an eyelash.

Dad?s even stranger. Some days he?ll disappear for hours, just sitting out in the sun like he forgot it burns. He?s had entire conversations with dead people. His brain seems to be some enormous clearing house for every stray thought within a hundred clicks, including yours. Don?t even try to get away with anything. Not only will he know you didn?t do your chore, he?ll know the exact moment you decided to blow it off and what you did instead. Then you?ll get this long lecture on responsibility, blah, blah, blah. So just clean the garage like he asked you to. Not that I?m speaking from experience or anything.
This is so brilliant!! I could quote the whole thing back! You really nailed everyone's character. I loved it! Looking forward to more!

 

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!!!! You go girl!!! I'm in!

 

This is great! I'm so happy I came across this. I know how he feels, just go back from one of those holidays.

Ben is too funny. He cracks me up. Jedi sarcasm, I'm wounded

Please send a PM this way when you update!

 

Oh diva, this is just too good!

I would pick a favorite part but then I would just be copy/pasting the entire thing and that isn't very helpful! LOL!
Poor Ben! Most people think their parents are the strangest ever and while his might not be the strangest, I'd say they are pretty far up there.


I promised myself I wouldn't ask for PM's on diary's this year but I just can't help myself on this one... it's too good to miss! If you have one, would you add me to your PM list?



I look forward to more!!

 

I wonder if Ben would think differently about Tatooine if the GFFA had someone like Anthony Bourdain go there.

 

I loved this bit:
His brain seems to be some enormous clearing house for every stray thought within a hundred clicks, including yours. Don?t even try to get away with anything. Not only will he know you didn?t do your chore, he?ll know the exact moment you decided to blow it off and what you did instead.

Poor Ben. He must never get a break. If you have a PM list, I'd love to be added!

 

PM list:
NYCitygurl
Ceillean
Kataja
Jade_eyes
Lady_Misty
JEDIFLYSWATTER
G__Anakin
Tahiriveilax
Mavjade
zardi

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[b]NYCitygurl: [/b] Thank you so much! I was partial to the Uncle Han parts too. I bet Han would spoil his only nephew to bits, if he could.

[b]Ceillean: [/b] I?m glad you liked this. Yes, a redhead on Tatooine can?t be a good fit. Thanks for replying!

[b]kataja[/b] I have a lot of experience with teenagers, having two in the house and 100 at work every day. Ben?s voice comes pretty readily. Thanks for your reply!

[b]LittleMissNightsaber: [/b] Ben?s childhood was anything but ordinary. Maybe it?s time he got a glimpse at how the rest of the ?ordinary? galaxy lives? Thanks! I?m so glad you liked this.

[b]Jade_Eyes: [/b] Thank you very much! I?ve taken some liberties with the profic, but that?s my fanfic prerogative. I?d like to imagine a galaxy that had the luxury of a normal life for the Skywalkers at some point, anyway. I?m glad you enjoyed this, Jade_eyes!

[b]Lady_Misty: [/b] I like to think that Ben inherited his mom?s snarkiness and his dad?s dry sense of humor. Add to that his intelligence and you?ve got a pretty funny guy. Thanks for the reply!

[b]Ginchy: [/b] Thank you, Ginchy! I know, I know, Tatooine isn?t the place you?d think of first for Luke to want to spend time. But I?m thinking maybe Ben can see what it means to have a home, at least from Luke?s perspective.

[b]Gabri_Jade: [/b] Thanks! I appreciate it! The Skywalkers never seem to get much of a chance to interact as a family, and I would like to give them this situation.

[b]JEDIFLYSWATTER: [/b] All kids probably do think their parents are strange, but Ben?s can?t get much stranger. Ben will be having some surprises coming up ? his parents will come up with even stranger ideas than even he can think of. Thanks for reading and replying!

[b]G__Anakin: [/b] Hello again! Yes, I wrote [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/25900097/p1/?60]The Keeper of Memories[/link] a while back, and I think you read [link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27121846/p1/?4]Nobody?s Baby[/link] last year. Glad to have you along on this story! Thank you for reading and replying.

[b]Jedi_Trace: [/b] Thanks, Trace! Glad you enjoyed it.

[b]Dancing_star: [/b] Thank you very much! I?m happy you liked this.

[b]Jade_Pilot: [/b] Wow! It sounds like you enjoyed! Hope I can keep up the expectations. Thank you!

[b]Tahiriveilax: [/b] Thank you! Ben is 15 years old and thinks he knows everything. Maybe there?s something he can learn after all. Glad you enjoyed it!

[b]Mavjade: [/b] Thank you! I really appreciate your kind comments. Yes, I imagine having Luke and Mara as your parents really skews your idea of what a ?normal? family is, huh?

[b]Celera:[/b] Thanks for replying! Ben?s got a lot of preconceived notions about what Tatooine is all about. Even if Anthony Bourdain was there, I don?t think Ben would change his mind! He?s got a lot to learn yet.

[b]Zardi:[/b] Thank you! Imagine living with parents who are both psychic. You wouldn?t get away with anything! I?m glad you liked this.

 

Entry 2
RECORDER ON -- TEXT ONLY

Two weeks, exactly, have passed since I pulled this datapad off the shelf. Why exactly two weeks? Because I have to write in here every two weeks. Mom said so. (Thankfully, that means I only have to write twice, since I?m already halfway through my school holiday.) Mom doesn?t need to check the datapad to make sure I?m writing; she says she just knows from my mental state whether or not I?ve done this. So here I am, typing away. Blah blah blah. Type type type. I wonder if this counts.

I suppose I could tell you what wonderful things have occurred since I got here. Well, for starters, I got some news from my friends at the Academy. They?re all off on holiday too. Rinxia went back to Ryloth, and she tells me that her brothers arranged a huge party in her honor. She?s the first Jedi in the family, so that?s a big deal to them. She went on for about ten minutes describing all the great music and food and the clothes and everything. (Granted, I didn?t really care whether her third gown was blue or green. Whatever. Good for Rinxia, I guess.) Either way, can you imagine the money they spent on that party? All for her.

Then there was the one from my friend Hyatt. His parents are taking him to Zeltros for a two-week vacation at the Lakeshores. Two weeks of partying, dancing, and relaxing; two weeks of beach and tropical weather. Then he leaves for a week to go hiking in the forests of North Rim on Bakura. Lucky guy! Those forests are beautiful, especially this time of year. If he gets to go to Mount Katiden, I will spit.

Of course, if I do spit, only sand will come out. The highlight of my week was when dad taught me how to wrap my boots so that the grit doesn?t make its way down to my feet. You wouldn?t think that those little grains could become so abrasive when you walk. Yes, Dad?s slouched right back into being a desert rat. He walks with his head down, plodding along, like he never left the moisture farm.

Mom?s not adapting as well as Dad is, although she?d never admit it. She does this fist-clenching thing when she doesn?t feel comfortable. And I can tell her barriers are a little too tight, like she doesn?t want anyone to get what she?s thinking.

I asked Dad about it the other night. He told me that Mom has given him strict instructions to stay out of her head, so he figures if and when she wants to talk to him about whatever?s bothering her, she will. She probably just feels the same way about Tatooine that I do ? I bet Mom?s trying to make the best of it, like always.

Well, I guess there was one thing interesting that happened. Dad took me out to the old Kenobi homestead earlier this week. It was kind of weird. I mean, this is the guy I was named after, you know? I guess I didn?t really know what to expect. It was way farther out than I thought it would be. We had driven out past it when we first got here, but we didn?t stop in. Dad said that Ben Kenobi lived there for about 20 years, hardly getting out to see anyone. I can?t imagine how awful that life would be. What did he do to pass the time?

We got there, and the place was a wreck. The door had been bashed in, and this big drift of sand was angling into the doorway. Dad muttered something about ?Sand people,? then he went in. The place was a dump. Stuff was thrown all over. I have to assume from Dad?s expression that this wasn?t the way it looked when Dad left it.

But then again, how long had that been? Dad was 19 when he finally escaped Tatooine. He?s 60 now. Of course the place is going to go to ruin. I could sense how sad it made him, though, so I didn?t say anything. He got into that mood where I just know he?s seeing things in his mind?s eye that I can?t. (For all I know, what he sees is actually there. That?s the weird thing about Dad. His memories might be happening in real time.)

He pulled a few pieces of what must have been furniture out of the sand. There was an old chest, its lid pried off . The thing was empty, but Dad looked into it as if there might still be som

 

From the ages 12-18 I went on camping trips with girls of said ages from my church. four of those years we when to a campground of some type. I found that I enjoyed the two times we went camping in the woods better than camping on a campground. One of those years we went to a boy scout camp and that wasn't so bad either.

The reason I brought camping up is that for the moment Ben envies his friends because they are doing 'fun' things. He might find out that he had the better vacation than everyone else.

 

From the ages 12-18 I went on camping trips with girls of said ages from my church. four of those years we when to a campground of some type. I found that I enjoyed the two times we went camping in the woods better than camping on a campground. One of those years we went to a boy scout camp and that wasn't so bad either.

The reason I brought camping up is that for the moment Ben envies his friends because they are doing 'fun' things. He might find out that he had the better vacation than everyone else.

 

From the ages 12-18 I went on camping trips with girls of said ages from my church. four of those years we when to a campground of some type. I found that I enjoyed the two times we went camping in the woods better than camping on a campground. One of those years we went to a boy scout camp and that wasn't so bad either.

The reason I brought camping up is that for the moment Ben envies his friends because they are doing 'fun' things. He might find out that he had the better vacation than everyone else.

 

As I am 15 myself, I can relate to him a lot in this story, though he's more like my sister who would rather be home with her friends, at parties and with internet!

Great job of Chapter Two. I wonder if Ben and older Ben will have a bit of a heart to heart. Who knows with the Skywalkers.

 

Super update. Liked the bits Ben put in about his frends and their vacations. So ... Mara's wound tighter than a corkscrew spring. Kind of puts a damper on ... couple-like activities ... blast it I bet Luke's The scene with him and his dad meditating was cool though.