My hate and despise for Darth Vader happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when I first saw the Original Trilogies. I've hated him with a passion for a very long time. Maybe hate is too powerful of a word to use, but I really, really disliked him. Nobody could change my mind about him, until now. Once again, ladies and gents, I have been forced to eat my own words and crawl into a small hole out of shame.

Since starting my new assignment earlier this year at the evil Empire, I've had nothing but Darth Vader crammed down my throat from all corners of my work force. You ask, "How can this be Mina?" Well, to make a long story short, the whole Technology department (geeks) of where I work, LOVES and I mean LOVES Star Wars. What is their No. 1 character out of the saga that they love the most? None other than the evil Sith Lord himself, Darth Vader. Needless to say, once they found out that a Jedi was working in the Legal department, all hell broke loose. There have been fierce Jedi-Sith battles at the Empire, resulting in a complete Jedi purge. There are too many of them for me to fight alone. I'm simply doomed and must accept my dark fate.

Last week, I went on vacation to Naboo with my Ancient One, Master Mamadala. We pampered ourselves at a spa and had some great food. While I was away rejuvenating my soul and restoring my "Serenity", evil forces were conspiring against me at work. Their mission was simple; turn Minadala to the dark side of the Force whether she likes or not.

Master Mamadala and I return home from Naboo, rested and at one with the Force. All is good in my universe again, except that I need a Stooge fix. The next day, nothing unusual seemed out of place. I get up, get dressed, go to work and ponder what missions will be waiting for me to negotiate. I enter the office; turn the corner only to find that my cubicle and desk have been covered from ceiling to floor in Star Wars and Darth Vader garb. Located in the center of my cubicle is a four foot balloon of Darth Vader. The file cabinets are decorated in orange and yellow ribbon, giving the eerie feeling of Mustafar. On top of my computer, sits a Darth Vader Halloween mask. The only sign of the light side of the Force in my cubicle is a miniature C3P0, limited edition, sitting in front of my monitor. Plastered to the side of the cubicle walls are 12 by 24 color pictures of Darth Vader. My first reaction to all of the Vader hoopla was a sickening fear, which eventually turned into utter joy. The whole experience was surreal to me. I felt calm, almost relieved and completely happy to be surrounded by the Sith Lord I once hated with a passion. What is wrong with me? Have I gone crazy? The shroud of the dark side is upon me. The evil Sith Lords from the Technology department (jerks) have turned my soul. I must surrender or be doomed forever. Consumed by the dark side I have become.

What sealed my fate to the dark side? Believe it or not, it was not the Technology department (losers), it was my boss. My boss pops her head around the corner of my cubicle and drops a Darth Tater "Potato" head on my desk. I was mesmerized by the shiny gift which had been placed before me. She proceeds to order me to play with Tater. I must obey my Master and do as I'm told or I will be punished. So, I play with Tater. His butt opens up to store his "spare" body parts. As my boss so eloquently states, "his body parts are stored where he poops". I love the saber; I wish it were not permanently attached to his hand so I can play with it separately. Anyway, as I'm playing in my own little Darth Vader-Tater world, the President of the Empire comes around the corner and says, "Oh, you like Star Wars?"......I respond by saying, "Yes, I do". You must understand that talking to this guy would be the equivalent of talking to Yoda or George Lucas. Get the picture? Good. As our conversation continues, I feel myself getting more and more anxious, but I force myself to relax and I try to open up to him about Star Wars. He tells me that his padawan loves Star Wars too, and that he wants to bring him into the office to meet me. I feel honored and overwhelmed. We talk for a little while longer, but before he departs, I inform him that George Lucas is making a Star Wars T.V. show and to let his padawan know about it. He smiles and tells me that he will pass the information on to his padawan.

My choice has been made. I am consumed by the dark side. I have been turned and am totally blinded by the resonating light of Anakin Skywalker. In my mind, immortal Darth Vader dressed all in black, which I use to hate with a passion, is really Anakin Skywalker. Just makes this whole process of turning to the dark side so much more palatable, from a certain point of view. Who wants some french fries?