BOOK REVIEW: Star Wars: The High Republic - Into The Dark, by Claudia Gray; The Crossover Paradox, by Rob Edwards; Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon, by Brent A Harris; Hell Divers, by Nicholas Sainsbury Smith; The Silver Archive: Dark Skies, by Matthew Kresal; Apotheosis: Stories of Human Survival After The Rise of the Elders Gods anthology; The Fall, by Alan Baxter

 It's been a while since I did a review round - for reasons I'm hoping to blog about in the very near future - but time to catch up on what I've been reading, starting by picking up a lightsaber... 

Star Wars: The High Republic - Into The Dark, by Claudia Gray

Star Wars blew my mind when I was a kid. I remember getting my parents to walk me backwards out of the cinema so I could see the credits rolling up the screen for as long as I could. 

After that, I devoured the pages of the Star Wars Weekly comic, with stories about the Starkiller Kid or Valance the Bounty Hunter and more. 

And yet, I've been away from reading Star Wars for a while.

I picked up this book in the High Republic series after a recommendation - and the appeal of it for me was new characters on new adventures rather than being too closely hooked into movies or TV shows. 

In it, a padawan, Reath Silas, is travelling on board a transport ship in a group of Jedi when a disaster hits. Some kind of explosion rips through hyperspace, throwing ships violently into normal space. Silas and his allies find themselves near an ancient space station, and pull together with other survivors to get on board. 

Once on board, they start to explore - and the station is not quite as empty as it first seemed, with a sinister presence making it felt at the edge of their senses. 

So far, so good - and with the prospect of an alien menace to top it all. 

I probably enjoyed about half the book - but I'll confess it frustrated me. The trouble was, the Jedi themselves are regarded as wise and powerful, but it's mostly their decisions that mess everything up. 

The central plot events simply don't happen if the Jedi aren't there to cause the problem. It's like that whole debate about Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant, where the Nazis don't get it without Indy's involvement. 

That and there are some moments where it beggars belief that the lead characters could be quite so dim or give up so easily. 

So, while the setting is great, and the characters draw you in... in the end, the book just annoyed me. 

I'll dive back in to another Star Wars book before long, but this was the wrong one to pick for me. 

AI Rating: 2/5

Star Wars: The High Republic - Into The Dark is available on Amazon.

The Crossover Paradox, by Rob Edwards

It's sequel time! The Crossover Paradox is the sequel to The Ascension Machine, a tale of alien superheroes learning to handle their powers and... well, life itself, at a futuristic academy. 

I loved the first book, in which the lead character, Grey, finds himself masquerading as someone else and unexpectedly making friends along the way. 

The sequel brings the characters back for a new term at the academy - but there have been some unexpected shifts along the way. There's a distance between Grey and some of his closest friends, which leaves Grey feeling a little out of place again. Which would be fine if it wasn't for the murder. 

Oh yes, there's a murder. And after a year of lying about who he really is, Grey becomes a suspect. There's only one person who knows he is innocent - Grey himself, and so he sets about investigating who the real killer is. 

What he uncovers won't just impact his own future at the academy, but perhaps even the academy itself. 

It's full of twists and turns, without getting too slowed down by the mystery - there's plenty of action along the way too. 

Most of all, I love the personal touches, the way in which Grey questions the friendships he has unexpectedly come to rely on, and the way those friends prove their worth as the mystery deepens. 

It's a fun read, a warm, witty, clever read, and I loved it. 

AI Rating: 5/5

The Crossover Paradox is available on Amazon.

Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon, by Brent A Harris

Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon is a short story collection from Brent A Harris - and I'll freely confess I'd read most of these in different publications over time, but it's lovely to have them all collected together. 

Let's start with the headliner - Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon was nominated for a Sidewise Award, and deservedly so. A collaboration with Ricardo Victoria, it told of time travelling space dinosaurs trying to save their future. I'll say that again: Time. Travelling. Space. Dinosaurs. 

C'mon, a hook like that, how can you not want more? And more you get, because this collection has a new story in the same setting, a prequel. 

There are a lot more stories in here to discover - with hardly any other dinosaurs in sight. Ok, maybe a couple more dinosaur stories. I loved The Terrible Lizard of Holborn Hill, for example, or the story Dust of the Earth, which imagines a world where Jurassic Park was never written. 

Personally, perhaps my two favourite stories are Lost Treasure, about time pirates, and The Ellian Convergence, which is as sweet a literary love letter to Star Trek as you could wish for. 

The nicest thing of all about the collection, however, is you can never tell where each story will take you - the world is not the limit when there are different worlds, different universes, different dimensions to go and explore. 

Dive in. Have fun. Don't get bitten by a dinosaur. 

AI Rating: 5/5

Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon and other Time Travel Twists is available on Amazon.

Hell Divers, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Never mind the logic, look at how freaking cool everything is!

Hell Divers reads like a computer game shoot-em-up turned into a book. The lead characters are Hell Divers - big, brave heroes doomed to die parachuting from the huge flying airships housing the last of humanity to retrieve precious supplies from the ravaged Earth below. 

It's a turn-the-brain-off kind of book. There are two airships left, each of which holds around 500 people, and yet somehow people don't recognise one another within these ships that has been their only home for their entire lives. Then there's the supplies down below, somehow still usable a couple hundred years after global war torched the Earth, and somehow packed nicely into what seem like loot boxes ready to attach a hot air balloon too and lift back to the airship. 

That's before you even get to the inexplicable mutant monsters, but hey, if you can accept the rest, go all in. 

It all plays out in as macho a fashion as you would expect, with thinly painted characters about to get into life and death situations that some of them aren't going to get out of intact. 

But you know what? Sometimes, you need something to clean the palate. It's a speedy read. It goes exactly the way you'd expect it to. And if that's what you need? It scratches that itch. 

It makes no sense. But it's fun. 

AI Rating: 3/5

Hell Divers is available on Amazon.

The Silver Archive: Dark Skies, by Matthew Kresal

OK, this is a very, veeeery niche product, so I gotta give you some homework. Stop reading this, and go and watch every episode of the 1996 one-season wonder that was Dark Skies, and sadly never got a second season, then come back. It's probably on YouTube these days. Go ahead. I'll wait. 

Ok, you probably didn't go do all that, and if you're reading this still, you're probably aware of the show, perhaps even a keen fan. It was a conspiracy show, weaving a story of alien invasion around particular moments of American history. 

Matthew Kresal delves behind the scenes of the show in this book, and discovers all kinds of interesting nuggets. Think of it as a DVD commentary on the show, if you will. 

There is, for example, the very weird interactions the showmakers had with shady people who claimed the show was closer to "the truth" than they realised. I laughed out loud at the moment where one showmaker declared he wasn't going to go and meet someone at midnight in a cemetery for anything. 

Then there are the details of the show itself, and the resolution it found its way to when they got word that it was being cancelled. 

Dark Skies was a great little moment in US TV, and this book adds depth to the experience for those who have fond memories of the show. It's really absolutely not for someone who doesn't know the show - and more than 25 years on from the show, there's not many newcomers finding it now. But if the series still tickles an itch in your brain, this is a delight. 

AI Rating: 5/5

The Silver Archive: Dark Skies is available from Obverse Books.

Apotheosis: Stories of Survival After The Rise of the Elder Gods

What if the bad guys win?

That's the premise at the bleeding heart of this cosmic horror anthology - and the bad guys here are the elder gods of Lovecraftian mythology. 

It starts with a belter of a story. The Smiling People, by Andrew Peregrine, follows the last survivors of our world, going about their daily business in a city surrounded by a wall made of the dead bodies of their loved ones. As they struggle to exist, they are followed by the Smiling Ones, strange entities who watch, and provide packages of food, and follow, and destroy whoever they wish. And they smile. 

It follows one character as he hides his remaining secret, as he tries to talk to a woman he works with, as he perhaps hopes of escape. Brilliantly written, and utterly terrifying. My first work I've read by this author, I look forward to more. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed The Pestilence of Pandora Peaslee, in which partisan resistance fighters take on Ythians who have occupied the world, but might just open the door to worse. 

Some of the other stories aren't as strong, and a couple are a little muddled - but The Smiling People makes the anthology worth reading alone. 

AI Rating: 4/5

Apotheosis: Stories of Survival After The Rise of the Elder Gods is available on Amazon.

The Fall, by Alan Baxter

This is a return to the world of The Gulp, the five-story collection of interwoven stories from Alan Baxter that tells of the bad town of Gulpepper, where reality warps and twists so hard it will choke the life out of an unwary visitor. 

The first book introduced us to the world, and this visit again sees stories bumping into one another's locations as Bad Things begin to happen. 

This time round, the greater evil at the heart of the town starts to show itself. But not so quickly. Baxter takes his time to show his hand. First we have a curio shop that ensnares an outsider with its weird magic. Then there's the fishing boat that takes us to a place even local residents are afraid of. Then there's the disintegration of a farmer's life and the extent he goes to in order to cover up a crime he has committed. And a group of scouts who find themselves pursued by horror and forced to seek refuge in the one town they shouldn't set foot in. All that before the grand finale itself. 

Think of it as a series of Twilight Zone one-shots that wind together in the end, but with an Australian accent and a satisfying squelch as a shotgun blasts a whole in something that used to be flesh. 

Warped. Twisted. Fabulous. 

AI Rating: 5/5

The Fall is available on Amazon.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Spoiler FREE review

Guest blogger Ricardo Victoria has seen Star Wars already. Yes, we are letting the hate for him flow through us. Pesky staggered release dates. But here he shares a review of the movie that dodges major spoilers. ONE CAVEAT: The review does discuss briefly Luke Skywalker's role in the movie  so if you want to know absolutely nothing about that, don't scroll down. The review starts after this really rather lovely poster.

One of the apparent perks of living in Mexico, is that we got The Force Awakens as a midnight premiere a few days before the USA, so in true geek fashion I went to the event (it was my first time going to a midnite premiere of anything Star Wars related). Also, as I promised to Stephen and Brent, I would write a review free of spoilers, since they haven't seen the movie but want to be assured that it works. Thus, I ask you kindly to keep this clean of spoilers.

Now, back to the movie. It works. It not only works, but I would dare to say that this is the best Star Wars Movie since The Empire Strikes Back. It is not without faults (I will go on to that later), but it felt like a proper Star Wars movie, even more that the Prequels (full disclosure, I liked the prequels, but I admit they are not very good Star Wars movies). It has the same epicness of the Originals and even just with the screen crawl blew away the prequels. You won't see fancy duels or philosophical debates, this is a proper non-stop (literally) action film in a far, far away galaxy that does a superb job of mixing old and new faces, makes you care about the newcomers and yet, it feels like home made cookies: full of flavor and love.

JJ Abrams has created the ultimate Star Wars fan homage, while keeping it a deserving entry of the saga. Interesting enough, while you can see the shared DNA of the previous movies in this one, you can also see Abrams keeping his own directorial choices and personal freedom. It doesn't feel like a bad parody, but as a homage made by someone that is a good director and a fan. The movie feels unique and familiar at the same time. Oddly enough, there are a couple of visual choices in two scenes that felt more like an Alien film or a Star Trek one, but nothing too jarring. The FX here is a mix between CGI and practical, taking the best of the previous six movies and casting away the jarring efforts of late period Lucas. There are also a couple of really hilarious scenes that help to flesh out, curiously enough, the stormtroopers.

LAST CHANCE TO AVOID ANY DISCUSSION OF LUKE SKYWALKER, 

WHICH IS AFTER THIS PICTURE.

Plot twists? Plenty, including a couple that anyone familiar with writing tropes or the mythos supporting the saga can see coming beforehand or guess with accuracy. Nonetheless, they still hit you in the gut as they should. Thankfully, no cheesy dialogue this time. Harrison Ford must be glad of that. And for those that were worried, the mystery of Luke's absence is solved in the crawl, so sit and relax.

On the downside, the pace of the film is a bit uneven. It's not structured as the classical first act of a trilogy (like A New Hope was, despite being located at the middle of the saga chronologically speaking) and as such it feels like a weird epilogue mixed with a start of a new story. I'm not a fan of the soundtrack, in my opinion it's the weaker part of the movie. It lacks strength and force. And the plot hits some very, very familiar points that made me joke with my friends after it (I won't tell the joke because it would be a spoiler).

By the time the credits were rolling, I ended up yelling that I wanted more. The final scene alone will make you hope that the next one comes fast. All in all, The Force Awakens is a great movie and a superb Star Wars movie. So I will end with this: if you haven't seen it, stop reading this and go to watch it now. If you have already seen it, go again and watch it. Now.

And May the Force be with you. Always.

P.S: It was odd to do not hear the 20th Century Fox fanfare at the start.

In case you are looking for somewhere to discuss Star Wars: The Force Awakens with full spoilers - we've opened up a blog post here that you can make free use of. Want to compare notes with Ricardo on his review? You can catch him on Twitter here.

You can also read Ricardo's fanfic story... What If Vader Survived? ... here. 

Star Wars: Was R2 a secret agent of Darth Vader? Let's investigate...

Brent A Harris stops by the blog with a spot of Star Wars speculation - asking whether that innocent little robot was really as innocent as he seemed...

R2-D2 is my favorite Star Wars character. But, while watching The Empire Strikes Back recently, a realization hit me, and suddenly my fundamental understanding of my favorite character was questioned in a way that led me to discover a horrible truth: R2 is not who we think he is. It was a first step into a larger theory that had me question all of R2’s actions in the original trilogy. And upon examination, I’ve discovered something that I can’t unsee—that I don’t want to be true—it’s impossible. But, search your feelings, and ask yourself: who programmed R2, just before the droid fell into the hands of those who began the Rebellion? I love R2, but the inescapable truth is that all during the original trilogy, R2 is serving Darth Vader.

It is with a heavy heart that this article shows that R2 received all of his later programming and upgrades from Anakin Skywalker, and as a result, R2 serves Darth Vader. Even in a galaxy such as Star Wars, droids can only act on programming they receive. Thus, during the original trilogy, R2 is an active double agent within the rebel alliance because of his programming by Anakin Skywalker.

R2D2 can fly when he wants... but only in the prequels. A suspicious secret to keep...

Somehow, R2 can fly in episodes II and III, but not in any other film, so we immediately know that R2 is full of surprises—there is more to the little droid than we can see. During Episode 3 onboard Grievous’ ship, where the chancellor is being held, it is revealed that R2 has received multiple upgrades and programming from Anakin. We also see R2 in Anakin’s Starfighter at the beginning of the movie; indeed, R2 is constantly by Anakin’s side throughout the film. Anakin has taken to R2 and defends him saying, “No loose wire jokes… he’s trying.” This means we can deduce several facts: R2 is Anakin’s droid. R2 has been programmed by Anakin to serve as his droid. R2 serves Anakin to the best of R2’s ability.

Don't shoot that droid, you fool, don't you know how long it took me to build it?

Recall that C3P0 was also built by Anakin and he is protective of his droids, even after his transformation to Sith Lord, as evidenced by the scene in Empire, where Vader saves C3P0 from Boba Fett. And, while it is possible that ol’ Goldenrod is also a double agent for the Empire, there is no overt evidence to support that claim, while plenty of evidence suggests R2 continued to serve his master during the original trilogy.

Agent R2D2 secures the stolen plans. Another job well done. 

As the Tantive IV comes under fire in A New Hope, one wonders how the Empire tracked the stolen plans to the Death Star to a diplomatic ship. This is left unanswered, which offers us room for speculation. Could there have been a double agent onboard who signaled Darth Vader? We don’t know for sure, but here is what we do know: R2 manages to get the plans to the Death Star from Princess Leia. In doing so, R2 learns that Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the planet below. Sometime between learning this information, and escaping in the pod, R2’s mission changes. As the Death Star plans are now recovered, R2 is tasked with finding Obi-Wan—and if the Imperials find the droids they are looking for, they’ll find the fugitive Jedi. This is further reinforced by the escape pod; why else was such a flimsy excuse provided to not fire on every escaping craft? They must have been ordered to not fire on any pod that held no life-forms. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that R2 was the acting mole inside the Tantive IV who informed the Empire of the whereabouts to the stolen Death Star plans.

R2 successfully finds Obi-wan, and they all make their way to the Death Star. Everything is going to plan. But why, do you ask, does R2 save the gang in the trash compacter? This is because, in the control room with C3PO, R2 receives new orders, which is confirmed by Moff Tarkin as Darth Vader’s idea: Let the ship escape with a tracking device (R2) to find the rebel base. This required the assistance of at least, Han, which meant R2 had to shut off the trash compactor and aid in the rebel escape. This escape happens after Obi-Wan’s death, which would not have been possible without R2’s help. What makes R2’s actions even more apparent is when Luke targets the Death Star. R2 couldn’t stop Luke from destroying the Death Star because he turned off his targeting computer and fired manually—if he hadn’t, R2 could have easily made the shot miss.

Hush your beeping, R2-D2, we're trying to work out who is sending a signal to the Empire. 

In Empire, R2’s status as a double agent is even more firmly established. If you will recall, Hoth was not the first outpost used by the fleeing rebel fleet. The Empire kept finding the rebels, which they hadn’t been able to do at all during the first movie. This more than likely means that R2 had not been to the rebel base before Empire. But once he was embedded with the rebels, it was only a matter of time before the Empire found them—time and time again. R2 must be signaling the Empire. This is even shown on Hoth. While under the guise of locating Luke, R2 broadcasts the location of the rebel base. This suggests that there was cooperation between the probe droids and R2, as the galaxy, and even planets, are large places that would need to be narrowed down and/or confirmed before launching a massive ground assault.

This would also suggest why the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon kept malfunctioning. R2 is behind the sabotage. But why, do you ask, did R2 fix the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon at the end of Empire? He didn’t, not at first. In the encounter between Darth Vader and Luke, Luke tried to kill himself rather than let himself fall into the hands of the Emperor. As a side note, Darth Vader must have a means to directly communicate to R2 in his suit, much like Tony Stark has access to his technology via Jarvis. Thus, Vader signaled to R2, and the Falcon was allowed to escape, rather than risking the life of the Emperor’s prize. This is evidenced by Vader turning and marching away, rather than dealing with an Admiral’s incompetence by Vader’s usual means.

Finally, in Return of the Jedi, R2’s status as an agent of Darth Vader, nearly gets the entire rebel movement destroyed. Obviously, something on Dagobah prevented R2 from signaling the Empire of Yoda’s whereabouts, as evidenced by the useless ‘navigation sensors’ onboard Luke’s X-Wing. Or, maybe the Empire tried to locate Yoda later, but failed. Nevertheless, after R2 is embedded with the rebels on Endor, his constant communication with Vader keeps the Empire abreast of the Rebel movements and confirms that Luke is on Endor, ready to face Vader. But during the final battle, R2 is unable to open the bunker doors to the shield generator. This is odd, as we have seen R2 work about any imperial system easily over the course of the last three movies and more, if we dip into prequel territory. Suddenly, R2 cannot even open a door, and he must resort to sacrificing himself by getting shot rather than blowing his cover. But by not opening the bunker door, R2 nearly causes the death of the entire rebellion, except that outside forces mitigate his delaying maneuver.

Mission failed... cue dialogue reduced to a chorus of bleeps covering the sound of an infiltration droid swearing. 

In conclusion, we must face the hard reality that our favorite little droid was in fact, an imperial agent. This was because he was programmed by Anakin, who would later turn to the dark side. So, it is not R2’s fault. He was programmed that way and cannot be held accountable for his actions. But nevertheless, his programming meant he had to follow Darth Vader’s orders. He found and brought Obi-wan to imperial justice, he alerted the Empire to the rebel whereabouts, and he attempted to keep the rebels from successfully shutting down the shield generator on Endor. While it breaks my heart to write this, there is new hope that Luke has been able to reprogram the droid and that R2 will once again be my hero in the upcoming Awakening.

Thank you all, for reading.

You can catch up with Brent A Harris on Twitter, where he'll happily argue his case for the littlest secret agent. 

What if... Vader survived Return Of The Jedi? (Part One)

Guest blogger Ricardo Victoria is getting in the mood for the upcoming Star Wars movie by flexing his fanfic muscles. Without further ado, a trip into the world of what if...

Hi there, this is Ricardo. I thought I would share with you the very first piece of writing I did in English, which I found while putting my hard drive in order. Of course before posting it here, I gave it another look to correct grammatical mistakes. I mean I hope to have improved in the last ten years as writer in a second language. Now this is a very small piece of fiction, lets say is more a brief character piece that was meant to be expanded (and maybe I will expand someday somehow, taking advantage of the upcoming new movie). The idea is what if Vader survived Return of the Jedi thanks to Luke and now he is hidden, trying to work his way back to the Light Side in secret, like a recovering addict, and is keeping a holocron diary recording his inner thoughts. I hope you like it.


--------------

Holocron entry DGB17015

I woke up again, trapped in this metallic body that I´ve always hated, the true memento of my deeds, the ones that took away my love. Through the red eyes of the helmet I see the swamp and the little hut where Master Yoda lived so many years, hoping that someday I returned to the light. Well I´m working on that now...

Today, if I´m right, my son, Luke, will come to pay a visit, as sometimes he does. I don’t blame him if he still feels uneasy, after all the things that I did, to him, to his friends, but he is different from me, while I still have anger inside of me, he doesn´t, he is in full control of his feelings.. Oh Padme, you would be proud that your kid is now a Jedi Master and a very powerful one.

After the lightning of the Emperor struck my heart, I was sure that death was close, I even asked him to remove my helmet to see him with my real eyes. I felt the last of my breath escaping my burned lungs and my eyes losing the last sight of true colors, reflected in Luke’s eyes, ones that are like to my own eyes, but also hopefully have the spirit of my mother.

Strange enough was the fact that I woke up, a few days later, in a medical chamber, a secret one, where Luke spent some time, helped by a medic android, repairing not only my hand, but my vital systems. Still now, I don’t know why or how Luke kept me alive. Maybe he did so because he wanted the opportunity of knowing his father better, the awful being who tried to turn him to the dark side. Maybe it is because he is a good spirit who believes that I can reach the redemption or just maybe, because he feels alone. Being the only Jedi in the Galaxy is a heavy weight, with no one to share the fears, the doubts, the responsibility of carrying the hopes of a renewed order, and that was only my fault.

Luke told me that I just passed away, having being weakened by the Emperor's attack. So he, using an old Jedi technique, that I´m sure even Obi Wan never expected Luke was going to learn, kept my vital signs from fading. He connected my wrecked body to a stasis chamber in that shuttle, jury-rigging the life support systems – I never expected him to be as masterful with mechanics as he is - and started to work against the clock to save me, me the sinner, the killer, the bastard…

He made a fake burning ritual, burning a knock-off of my suit, since he knew that I would be sentenced to death if the Rebel Alliance upper echelons knew that I was alive. He hid that fact too, in order to avoid more pain to his sister, Leia. Ironic that the Rebel Icon, the spirit of the Allaince was my daughter, the same little girl that I tortured in the Death Star, that I forced to witness the destruction of her adoptive home planet and the mistreatment of her now husband, General Solo. Indeed, Padme, when I see Leia, I see you in her eyes, her voice, and in her resolution to fight against the odds for the helpless. She is your daughter in every sense of the word. Leia has your fire, is so alike to you as I would wish Luke was to me when I was more human than machine.

Thus my son had a great idea, at least for him, he surely has the ironic knack of you, Obi Wan. He left me here, in Dagobah, a forgotten planet, where next to Master Yoda´s hut, lurks the ancient evil of a dark side user, trapped in a tree, probably, the best place to hide a former Dark Lord who is now searching for peace.

Even more ironic is the fact that now, in some way, I’m the student of my son, through the ways of a new Jedi code, which Master Windu would find quite heretic... Love for someone special, love without attachments, freely given, freely received, appreciated for its fragile existence and eventual demise. At least he is strong enough to love without any attachment… I have a lot to learn yet from him, although sometimes I feel anger to be alive, trapped in this mechanic body … and  then I feel also the dark side running through me, enticing me, with its seductive voice, whispering me to conquer the galaxy now that Palpatine is dead. Only the memory of the selfless sacrifice of my son to bring me back no matter if he had to give his life to redeem the monster I was, that I still feel that I am. Remembering the strong will of Snips, my former padawan, keeps me on track. The patience that Kenobi tried to teach me for years, now a guiding example. The fire burning in my heart is only put out by the memories of the tears that Padme shed for my cause. Luke said in his teachings that emotions and memories like that could be used as a tether to return to the light side. His wisdom grows with every moment he used to find a way to keep me in check, like an addict in the way to recovery. And where I was prideful once, as padawan and master, now I humble myself as a willing apprentice. Ha, maybe there is still hope for me if my son bears with me long enough.

I hear my son´s star fighter landing. Soon we are going to chat about the lost memories, the paths in the Force that only a Jedi could know. But I feel in him a great sorrow, his heart and mind is in trouble. I need to finish this recording now and turn off my meditation chamber in order to wear my dammed armor and welcome my new master, my son…

End of the recording.

Anakin Skywalker

Holocron turning off.