Jedi Quest: Volume 4: The Master of Disguise (26 BBY)

Written by: Jude Watson

Anakin Skywalker’s education continues as we find out more about the mysterious Granta Omega…eventually. As Anakin gets older we need to see a bit more tension between Obi-Wan and Anakin but more importantly we need to see that Anakin is able to be seduced even if it is for the right reasons.

Granta is the first time we see Anakin interacting with a less overt and instead much more charismatic form of evil. Showing shades of Palpatine, Granta befriends Anakin (even if it’s under an alias) so that by the time he is revealed, Anakin has conflicted emotions.

And it’s not enough to get in the way of the mission or to come close to turning Anakin to the dark side or anything even remotely close but it is noted by Obi-Wan…and the reader…and that’s enough. Jude does a great job even in the younger tales of establishing and developing Anakin’s character (and Obi-Wan’s for that matter) so that their actions in 2 and 3 go from somewhat questionable to some to quite plausible.

The story begins on a wartorn planet with the Jedi on a rescue mission trying to extradite a group of scientists who had been running their own mission when the war escalated.

During the mission, Anakin befriends one of the group of scientists who seems to understand Anakin’s questioning relationship with the Force. It is no shock that the friend ends up being Granta, but it still works very well.

During extrication the Jedi are attacked by a militia and during the fracas, Anakin overcompensates for a fellow padawan and ends up injuring her…showing that sometimes being too good could be just as problematic as not good enough.

After they return to Coruscant they are able to track down that Granta was involved and then of course who Granta really was but he escapes again and more importantly, Anakin still seems somewhat enamored of him.

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