Beyond - Legends Whatever Tomorrow Brings (Dear Diary Challenge 2008) -- Completed 12/16

Title: Whatever tomorrow brings (Dear Diary Challenge 2008)
Author(s): Ceillean
Timeframe: 30 ABY
Characters: OC's
Notes: After the Yuuzhan Vong war, two sisters must deal with life without their family. Along the way they meet a new friend yet enemies as well. Life unfolds in unexpected ways for all of them -- good as well as bad.

My answer to the [link=http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/27816976/p1]Dear Diary Challenge 2008[/link]

[hl=tomato]PM List[/hl]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1207678]Kelia[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1213679]mavjade[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1211455]obi[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1245385]Weyr[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1267886]Alexis_Wingstar[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1288081]Rosa-Bellchen[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1140098]Jade_Eyes[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1322091]jadesabre75[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1242003]Cem_Fel[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1067681]VaderLVR64[/link]
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/pm_send.asp?usr=1291299]angry_bendu1[/link]



Loss leaves us empty - but learn not to close your heart and mind in grief. Allow life to replenish you. When sorrow comes it seems impossible - but new joys wait to fill the void.
? Author unknown



?You?re cold inside.?

My little sister mumbled these few words before she fell asleep. I don?t suppose she knows how much those words hit me. I was more than just a little surprised.

I?ve been trying my best to keep my innermost feelings to myself, to show her that life still goes on even though both of us have lost so much over the past few years. I?ve tried to be a sister and an ersatz Mom and I dearly hope I?ve done a good job so far.

But it?s hard.

The two of us have been on our own for almost five years now. Our parents were killed when the first wave of Yuuzhan Vong entered our galaxy. They had been on vacation and I remember telling them to enjoy themselves since they hardly ever left to be on their own.
They never came back.

Ti?ana and I ended up as refugees when our home had been evacuated. Months turned into years until we were finally able to settle down and watch from afar, as the Vong threat was neutralized.

And we?ve lived in peace ever since and I?m utterly grateful to finally be living a half way decent life. But hearing my ten-year-old sister say I am cold inside?

It?s an indescribable feeling ? because she?s right.

I?ve tried my best to keep everything bottled up inside; I guess I wasn?t doing a good enough job.

Considering that she?s everything I?ve got left, considering that our entire family?s been wiped out and considering that the place we once called home is destroyed, I?m not surprised that the coldness is slowly but surely seeping through.

My current mood matches the weather outside. There?s a storm raging in front of my window. I?m enjoying watching a silver stream of water running down the streets, listening to the rain hammering away against the transparasteel. The wind?s howling, blowing up dirt and debris, twirling it around in the air.

Sometimes I get the feeling that this is the planet?s way of expressing itself. It?s a silly thought, I know, but what if rain was its tears? The wind its way of telling us to back off a bit?

I?m trying to pass the time and I?m babbling again. I?m not good at expressing myself with words. This is my first try at a journal and I suppose I?ll just have to see how this turns out.

Someone once told me it would be very interesting to read the pages in a few years, smiling at the written words and shaking my head in amazement at what had bothered me when starting this journal.

Instead of dwelling on the past, I?ll look ahead into the future. There?s

 

That was such a devastating start!

I hope that Ti'ana and her sister will find peace and some happiness on Denon.

Please PM me when you update

looking forward to more

 

Wonderful start, Ceillean!!!

So sad, yet, a warm feeling of something new on the horizon!

?You?re cold inside.?
That killed me!

It?s a silly thought, I know, but what if rain was its tears? The wind its way of telling us to back off a bit?
I love that!

If you have a PM list, could I be on it?

Wonderful job!!

As for titles... I'm really bad at them, so I don't know I'm trying to help!
One Step at a Time
Putting the Past Behind Us
What She Deserves

So yeah, those weren't the best, but I have a hard time without knowing where you are going!

 

Very nice start. I like how you're portraying the effects the Vong War had on the 'common folk'. Add me to PM list if you would?

Hmm...as a matter of fact...how about 'Common Folk' for a title?

 

I'm so glad you liked it so far. PM is on the way.

Thanks so much! The title suggestions are great. I'll definately keep them in mind.

Thanks for reading! I thought it was finally time to show the common people. ^^ Thanks for the title suggestion. I'll also keep in mind.

Thanks so much for reading, guys!






[color=royalblue][i]In the middle of every difficulty, lies opportunity. [/i] [/color]


We arrived on Denon yesterday morning. The flight was more comfortable than I had expected and Ti?ana was ? for lack of a better word ? exhilarated once she set foot onto the small passenger liner. She began telling me about all the quirks this particular ship had. To be honest I have no clue what it was she was saying but it brought a big smile to her precious little face as she told me everything she knew.

To me, she seemed to be speaking in a different language. I only understood half of her techno babble.

The spaceport was packed when we exited the ship. I told Ti?ana to stay close. All these different people from various species reminded me too much of the time we were running. Ana, of course, was overly excited. She kept pointing at aliens she hadn?t seen before, asking me questions I had no way of answering. I had thought I had about seen every alien within the Galactic Alliance but it seems I was wrong.

We made it to customs and had to stand in line for almost an hour. A young Bothan male attended to us and I still have this feeling that he doesn?t like humans too much. His questions were short, his answers even shorter and his whole being screamed out to me: Go back to where you came from.

A very unfriendly Bothan, one I?m sure not to forget too soon.

Our first stop was a place called ?The Home Company?. An elderly woman I had talked to before leaving had a few apartments we were to look at. It was a tiring procedure.

The first two apartments were beautiful. They were located in the middle of the city, the view was breathtaking and I would have loved to move in on the spot. The problem was that our savings didn?t even cover the first month of rent.

My hopes of finding a decent place to live diminished with every other apartment we looked at, either being too expensive or downright disgusting to live in.

The best offer we could afford was a one-bedroom, already furnished place (in desperate need of cleaning), thankfully near the spaceport, in a neighborhood I need to get used to first.
Our first night in our new home was very quiet. I listened to Ti?ana talk about all the great things that were laying in wait for us here on Denon. I?m amazed at how much my sister?s grown up over the past few months. Sometimes I forget that she?s only a ten-year-old child.

Mom and Dad would definitely be proud of their little girl.

I hope we can start over here, lead a normal life with normal every-day problems to deal with. My job interview?s in two days and I?m getting nervous. Ti?ana, as usual, is the optimist, always reassuring me that everything will turn out all right.

I guess we?ll just have to wait and see.
>

 

I'm very excited by this diary and glad to see you doing the challenge!

I like the girl's name: Ti'ana. I like apostrophes in the middle of names, it's cool.

Please add me to the PM list.

 

I should probably know this, but why does Denon ring a bell? I could look it up but where's the fun in that?

 

Hi Cei!

Great start, this woman seems interesting... And she's on Denon... Isn't that the homeworld of someones favourite Jedi Master?

Great start please add me to the PM list!

PHGS Weyr

 

Uh-uh! Not this time. I will try to avoid a certain Jedi Master. It's my fanfic resolution for this year: one fic without Kyp Durron in it. Think I'll manage?

Kyp's from Deyer Colony (Anoat System).

The temporary capitol of the Galactic Alliance following the Vong War and it was chosen as the new galactic HQ. Nice little place to live. Heavily populated, sort of a Coruscant #2. At least that's how I imagine it.

Thank you! I hope I can finish it, too.

I borrowed the name from one of my favorite books, I have to admit. It's a beautiful name and I think it fits well to the character.

Thanks for reading everyone!

 

Awwww...Ti?ana is so adorable!!

I loved her enthusiasm after everything she has been through.

I hope this neighborhood will be a safe one.

Great update

 

Through your character's eyes, I've already grown to love Ti'ana. I love her enthusiasm.

Could you PM me when you update this, please?

BTW, here are some suggestions for titles (though Mavjade's "What She Deserves" is beautiful):

Filling the Void
Rediscovering Normalcy
In Search of Normality

 

Glad you like Ti'ana. She has a bigger role than I'd first anticipated and I hope I got the ten-year-old behaviour right.

I'll definately PM you when I update. Thanks so much for reading.
And for the title suggestions, of course. ^^



I already have a whole bunch to choose from. Thank you!





[color=darkblue]The very young do not always do as they are told. ? Parents[/color]


Ti?ana about gave me a heart attack today.

I came home from the job interview around six o?clock this evening. I had told her to stay at home because, in my opinion, it doesn?t matter where in the galaxy one resides, a young girl her age has no business wandering the streets by herself.

The interview was all I had expected. I had a long talk with the boss?s assistant, a boy ? the emphasize lies on boy ? half my age, claiming to have all the experience a waiter could need.

It?s pathetic, to tell the truth. I?ve been degraded to a mere server.

I start next week and I?m very glad it all worked out. I?ll just have to get used to the idea that I?ll have to take orders and run around a stinking restaurant while Ti?ana?s in school.

I was deep in thought ? I find myself doing this a lot lately ? when I entered our building. I dug through my backpack, looking for my key card and stepped into a dark living area.

I would have thought Ti?ana would be watching a holo vid to pass the time, since I?d been gone for almost two hours.

But the place was quiet. All I heard was traffic from the outside and instantly fear settled into the pit of my stomach.

These are the times I wish my little sister would listen to me.

I paced back and forth in the living area while switching through various holo channels, images of her lifeless body crossing my mind, or some maniac hurting her, disfiguring her beyond recognition.

I was shaking all over, hoping that she was alright, that the front door would open any minute and she?d come running in with a smile on her face.

But nothing happened.

I sat down on the sofa for another twenty minutes, my attention fixed on a strange talk show about interracial relationships.

I couldn?t take it any more. I jumped up and had one hand already resting on our old com unit when I heard the soft sound of the door buzzer.

I suppose I radiated relief when I gathered Ti?ana up into my arms and just held her for a very long moment.

?I?m sorry, Marrim.? She kept saying, hugging me back, ?I forgot the time. I wanted to be back before you got home.?

I held her at arm?s length, (taking in dark smudges around her nose and cheeks) words to chastise her on the tip of my tongue. But I couldn?t get myself to scold her. I was just glad that she was home.

?Don?t run off like that again, sweetie.? I said in a low voice but I did make sure that I was not smiling. If I didn?t have the guts to scold her, at least I had to try to show her I was scared to death.

?I don?t know how many times I?ve told you that some people out there aren?t the nice people they seem to be. You have to be careful!? I took a deep breath, ?If something ever happened to you ??

She hugged me then and kissed my cheek, ?I won?t run off again, I promise.?

After calming down, while cooking dinner for the both of us, I asked Ti?ana what she?d been up to. And once she starts talking, it?s severely difficult to make her stop.

?Promise you won?t get mad??

I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh. I hated when she started her stories this way.

?I went back to the space port.? She helped set the dinner table while talking, discreetly avoiding my eyes, ?I just wanted to take a look around. I ended up in a private section of >

 

Oh goodie! More!

Ti'ana is a cool character. I like her spirit and love of all flying things! I thought this captured her naivity well:

She shook her head, ?He?s not anymore. His name?s Devon and when you know someone?s name, that person isn?t a stranger anymore.? She grinned at me while chewing on her food. ?He?s so nice, Marrim.? She continued without letting me get a single word in between, ?He showed me all his neat tools and told a lot about the Empress ? it?s the ships name, by the way.?

I like your names: Marrim and Devon (we have 4 Devon's in 6th grade at my school)!

Thanks for the PM...can't wait to see what happens next.

 

As a mother, Ti'ana's naivity is both endearing and scary. I just hope her trusting nature is not taken advantage of by those Marrim is trying to warn her about... and hope Devon is truly a nice guy.

Thanks for the PM, and can't wait for more!

 

Awwww, Ti'ana made a friend! How very sweet

At least, I hope he's a friend

I hope Marrim will meet him. That way she can see for herself.

It'll probably be better for Ti'ana to have something to do while her sister is at work.

The very young do not always do as they are told. ? Parents

Do they ever?

Great update

 

Ti'ana's really starting to grow on me

Devon..possible love interest?

And 'The very young do not always do as they are told' is from Stargate:SG1 I believe?

 

I finally get to review this...

and I love it, it's sort of..don't know, you can't stop reading
hope you will doing this all year.
I am on the om list?

 

I'm already behind on this! I'm sorry!
You are moving to quick for me!


I love how protective Marrim is, and how worried she was when Ti'ana wasn't home.. I could really feel her worry!

And Ti'ana is so cute with her love of the ship!

Great updates!!

 

Just found this delightful diary. Could I have PM's? Your OCs are quite endearing. As for titles, I can't think of exact wording--but the feeling I get from the entries is that both are trying to find home & hope and rebuild after a lot of loss--so they're hoping their tomorrows will hold promises of good things... & I do too.

 

Thanks for the PM.
I like your diary. It isn't often that we get to see what life for the average person in the Star Wars galaxy is like. It's really easy to relate to your characters because they're so much like us.
....
So...you're going a whole year without a Kyp fic, huh?
No Kyp for Ceillean.
None.
Not a bit.
...
Suuuuuure.

 

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for your suggestions concerning a title.
I ended up with "Whatever Tomorrow Brings" because I think it fits perfectly. I still want to try and incorporate everyones suggestions in Chapter titles.
Thanks so much everyone!

I'm really glad you like Ti'ana. I keep having trouble portraying her, because I hardly ever deal with ten year old's. So I'm really happy the way the characterization is going so far.

I had played with the thought of turning Davon into something of a bad guy, but I just couldn't. The both of them have been through a lot so I think it's time for nice things to happen. To a degree.

Yeah, he's a friend alright. ^^

Devon possible love interest? Maybe.
And yes, it's a Stargate quote. It stuck with me since the first time I saw that Episode and I thought it fit. ^^

I'm planning on doing this all year. I have a basic plot line and I hope I can continue this way.
Of course you're on the PM list, Rosalein!

Thanks for reading and I'm really glad you like it so far.

Of course you can have PM's. Thanks for reading.

I'm going a whole year without Kyp in this fic.
Uh uh, there's not way I can go a year without Kyp.

Thanks everyone for reading!

I hope you enjoy the next update as well.





?I?m so glad we came here!? Ti?ana exclaimed as she led me through the private section of the space port. The security guards seemed to remember my quirky, little sister and let us pass without question.

I raised my eyebrows but continued on without a word.

It?s been a long while since I?ve seen Ti?ana so full of life. The haunted expression in her dark eyes is slowly fading away and seeing her happy, makes me feel better all together. But this coldness within me will take a very long time to dissipate.

Since we arrived here there hasn?t been a night I haven?t woken up from a nightmare. I have seen things no one should ever see and I suppose these images will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Imagine a small child screaming for its mother to wake up but she never will. Because her life is drained, because she was literally trampled to death. She had tripped with her son in her arms, hurrying with everyone else to get to an escape vessel.

She had protected her little boy and she had paid with her life. I will never let myself forget this scene, as the little boy clutched at his mothers clothing begging her to wake up and hurry to the ship.

An elderly man had picked him up off the dirty ground and carried him to safety, while the boy wriggled and screamed at the top of his lungs, tears streami>

 

FIRST!
w00t.
...
Sorry.
Anyways, I think Marrim's got it bad. She just doesn't know it yet. And then Devon's "Friend" was being all argumentative and psychotic, and threatened to lock him in her basement if he ever left her, and he told her about the restraining order, and she retorted that the cops would have to find him first, and that she's had experience hiding bodies....yeah, I know how these relationship thingies go.
....
Ooh, look, a title! I likey.

 

Great update!!
I like the title!!

Imagine a small child screaming for its mother to wake up but she never will. Because her life is drained, because she was literally trampled to death. She had tripped with her son in her arms, hurrying with everyone else to get to an escape vessel.
How sad!! The imagery was heart breaking but wonderfully written!

Even though it?s absolutely none of my business, curiosity kicked in and I couldn?t help but wonder what Devon and his ?friend? had argued about.
My curiosity is peeked too!!!

I'm excited for more!!

 

Wonderful new title & super update. Thanks for the PM. Devyn sounds dreamy

 

An amazing update...and a title!!

I really like Devon..he is the so very anti-Kyp until now .
Marrim's getting jealous^^