From the holo-diary of Aran Liander: Jedi Apprentice

981 ARR I haven't written in a month and the reason behind that is the fact that I've been so busy. Natalie and Ben have been shipping me from shop to shop, trying to find me a myriad of outfits to wear to school which starts tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the morning or the rest of the day but I have a bad feeling that something will go wrong and my identity will be revealed and the two whose roof I live under will reject me or worse, be put into danger because of me. I don't know how regular kids can put up with this stuff, especially the shopping. If I hadn't been trained in patience as a Jedi, had not those laws been drilled into my very psyche, I might have started complaining. Natalie and Ben seem to find me strange and I don't know why. I do everything I am asked and I don't complain or whine or pitch a fit. You know, maybe that's the reason. I know I need to learn to fit in with the crowd but from what I've seen of other adolescents, I don't really, really don't want to since the behavior of the majority of them is horrendous. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful to Natalie and Ben. I couldn't ask for kinder people to stay with as I begin this new life. They aren't my parents and I don't consider them family, but they are my friends and I will make sure to protect them should the need arise. I still don't know their stance on the Jedi since they don't bring it up, but I hope it's favorable. The ashes of my heart would dissolve if they hated that which I loved most dearly. I watched those holofilms I mentioned in a previous post and I can't believe how warped and romanticized the image of war is. I also can't believe the amount of innuendo and sexual content there is in some of those films. I've learned a lot of things I really wished I hadn't. Some, however, were actually good. I even enjoyed one of the films about war. The story and characters touched me in a way I'd never experienced. Sadly, this film is, from what I've heard from some jerks next store, is a 'girly war flick.' Which brings me to another thing, why do the genders seem to have so much disdain for the other yet crave carnal pleasures? I don't think I'll ever understand these people, they are nothing like the children I grew up with. In the Temple, we all respected each other and everyone was equal; no one made fun of anybody by calling something “girly” or “Only for boys”. You know, I don't think I really want to understand these people. So, tomorrow I embark on the next leg of my new, slightly terrifying life....I'm not sure I'm ready but when I remember the look in my Master's dying eyes and feel the lack of my braid on my cheek, I realize that I must. May the Force be with me and with everyone in the galaxy. Always Aran Liander Sorry for not posting this story for so long; I just kept putting it off and for that I apologize. Hope you enjoy and May the Force be with you..Always Jedi Shena Tokala out