Tag: vader

Things Fall Apart

No, I am not referring to Chinua Achebe’s debut novel (one of my favorite reads from high school). What I’m here to talk about is when plans go caput, like they did over the last two months since my last blog entry. The feature image of this post is a very good hint as to what may be responsible.

Before you proceed, beware, the Force (for all those Star Wars fans out there) is strong with this post.

A recurring theme of parenthood is the inability to exact on the plans and goals we set for ourselves. You may ask, “What happened? Where were you all these days?”

Put it simply, I became Obi-Wan Kenobi. Holed up in my office, I have spent the last two months reminiscing the glory days…

For almost 8 years, I was a happy man in an awesome relationship. There was peace and tranquility…before the dark times, before my Republic fell against the onslaught and ascendance of an empire led by a baby Darth Vader.

Unlike the actual Darth Vader, this baby Darth Vader is just so much more difficult to handle. Why? Because the chaos that ensues in her presence is accompanied by a forceful load of cuteness and all sorts of mushy feelings.

Nevertheless, our battles have been legendary. Collateral damage was inevitable. The state of my home speaks to that. The battles have taken their toll on my body as well and battle scars have been plenty with the most worrisome being a recurring shoulder injury that set me back from doing any writing or art for nearly a month. Recovery has been gradual but investing in an ergonomic office set up has made a big difference. The rings under my eyes are now a permanent addition to my battle-hardened persona, and with every passing day, I feel more like this guy,

Meanwhile, my partner hasn’t been faring so well either. Setting aside the reality of dealing with teething, baby vaccinations, and COVID scares, a potent combination that screwed up all the routines that I had set in place to assist the two of us, my wife has transformed into this guy (by her own admission),

Stress is a difficult opponent, and looking after a baby can sometimes be awful especially when your time is pretty much out of your hands and serves the whims of a little human being. Mixed emotions follow when you are uncertain if you are actually happy or extremely frustrated as everything that is orderly crumbles to dust.

So, as things fell apart, I realized that it was more important to give my wife as much support as I could (not to say that I haven’t thus far). I’m grateful that I was able to land a job that enabled me to work from home. I can’t say that I succeeded 100% when it comes to helping out. It has been a work in progress as we learn from one another and our individual mistakes but on the brighter side of things, it is an experience that has only deepened our relationship as partners and as parents to our lovely angel.

Treats have been the way to go to deal with the constant stress and any unhealthy weight gain is offset by having to run after our baby daughter. Despite all these difficulties, we have had a few occasions to celebrate. Most notably, my first purchase of a car. A Mazda, my very own Razor Crest, that will serve as our family transport as we explore the endless boundaries of the galaxy that unravels in the wake of our daughter’s growth.

Today, I feel very happy to get back on the block and write this post but I can’t be certain as to how “back” I actually am. Fingers crossed that things do settle down over the next few weeks so that I can hit my groove again. If not, that is alright as well, because nothing is more important than family…actually, scratch that, nothing is more important than you, baby Lord Vader.

Here’s to seeing you all again next week, with a new hope, and a new blog post to boot.

Book Review: The Dark Lord Trilogy

My first experience of a Star Wars movie was Return of the Jedi. I was quite young, and with little to zero knowledge of the English language. Nevertheless, George Lucas’ creativity, and the seemingly expansive world of Star Wars with its magnificent Star Destroyers, exotic planets and alien species, the imposing Darth Vader, and the pure awesomeness of lightsabers got me hooked. I have remained a fan of the franchise ever since.

Star Wars The Dark Lord Trilogy was an engrossing experience that revisited events surrounding my favorite movie of the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith. The book is in fact a combination of three novels: Labyrinth of Evil, Revenge of the Sith, and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.

While the book is not necessarily considered to be fully canon (excluding the novelization of Revenge of the Sith) in the present state of the franchise, the volume as a whole offers a unique perspective for the reader into the struggles of the “hero with no fear” Anakin Skywalker, his fall, and subsequent evolution into the dark lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.

Having watched the animated Clone Wars series (2003 and 2008 versions) I initially didn’t expect to be surprised (in terms of content) by the book. Having now completed the volume, I  can say I was sorely mistaken.

Knowing what is to come in Revenge of the Sith adds a sense of emergency throughout James Luceno’s Labyrinth of Evil. The Labyrinth of Evil provides an in-depth perspective of the epic chain of events leading into the last days of the Republic and the inevitable fall of the Jedi Order. Luceno takes the audience deeper into the pysche of the prominent players of the stage including fan-favorites Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Master Yoda, Padme Amidala, and many more as they walk towards their irrevocable fates in Revenge of the Sith. The events play out through the thoughts of the characters rather than as standalone observations adding greater depth and personality to the encounter.

“The circle is now complete” in Stover’s Revenge of the Sith where our heroes meet their  inenvitable downfall. As readers, we are left to wonder what could have been had certain plot threads met their rightful end but these thoughts are drowned amid the torrent of emotions that surround Anakin Skywalker: fear, guilt, betrayal, trust, friendship, and love, and leaving him the burned and mutilated husk of a man eventually reborn as Darth Vader. 

“You killed her because, finally, when you could have saved her, when you could have gone away with her, when you could have been thinking about her, you were thinking about yourself…and now your self is all you will ever have.”

“The hero with no fear” is an ironic moniker for Anakin Skywalker as throughout the events of his life leading up to his fall, he lives very much in fear, and rightfully so. Anakin’s childhood as a slave, his love for his lost mother, and wife Padme Amidala, alongside an uncertain future where he perceives the loss of his loved ones, are the instruments of his fall and the crux of his fears. Yet, it is those very same fears that make him who he is, a human.

Master Yoda’s perception and neglect of this basic fact, and the Jedi Council’s twisted interpretation of human emotion run contradictory to their own attachments to the Republic. Consequently, the fall of the Jedi becomes a foregone conclusion and to the readers, a deserving end to an order that had become stale, ignorant, and self-absorbed in its own search and control of power.

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Anakin is reborn in the fires of Mustafar as the newly christened Darth Vader. Despite the various “machinations” that he now dons as the impregnable Dark Lord of the Sith, the final story of the volume, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, covers Anakin’s misconceptions, enduring guilt, self-doubt, and his true rise as “the hero with no fear.” With his rise, the Jedi endure a humbling transition under the hand of the galaxy’s ruthless new Emperor and his dreaded right hand, Darth Vader.

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The Dark Lord Trilogy is a must-read for all Star Wars fans alike. A tale of epic proportions, the stories add even more perspective to the classic space opera that is Star Wars.  While I would not suggest the novella for the newly initiated, the rich literature of the Star Wars universe beckons you forth to a galaxy far, far, away.

You can get started with this guide on the now defunct expanded universe which remains the source of Disney’s inspirations for current Star Wars products.