Chapter: 21
A couple off hours later Vader was woken by doctor We.
"How do you feel, my lord?" asked the doctor.
Vader frowned. "My skin itches. It's driving me crazy actually."
Doctor nodded, unconcerned. "That is normal. It means your skin is knitting together as it should and it is not being rejected by your immune system. I recommend a couple of hours in the bacta tank to further speed the healing of your skin."
Vader nodded.
"And when your bacta treatment is finished, we'll fit you with new prosthetic limbs."
"Very well, doctor. I presume that Doctor Tulo will meet me after that."
"Yes, my lord."
***
After hours allotted to bacta treatment passed, Doctor We fitted Vader with new prosthetics.
So it was that a lot better looking, and better tempered, Vader was waiting for a meeting with the much praised (even in Kaminion's terms) Doctor Tulo.
As expected the door swished opened and a Kaminion entered the room gracefully like all of his species. But unlike the others Vader had ever encountered, this one was different.
***
Doctor Tulo entered the room where his newest patient was resting. To say that this patient's condition intrigued him was the understatement of the millennium.
"Good evening, Lord Vader," he greeted the man sitting on the chair. The patient's blue eyes focused on him as if Vader was trying to work out something about his newest doctor.
"You are force sensitive," Vader stated in his smooth deep baritone voice.
Tulo stepped calmly to the console by the bed and answered simply. "Yes, my lord."
Vader regarded the calm Kaminion for a while more, wondering how this one slipped trough the cracks. But then again so had he.
"Jedi didn't come here often. In fact there have been only three Jedi visitors: Mater Syfo-Dyas, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and lastly Master Yoda. But even if they had found any Force sensitive's on this planet, they would be refused."
Vader nodded. That explained much but it wasn't really relevant now or ever really.
"What can you tell me of nano cells?"
"In short, nano cells rebuild tissue. If you agree to the process I'll take some samples of cellular tissue from your lungs and then program nano cells with the harvested DNA to repair your injuries from inside."
"How long will the healing take?" asked Vader, who really wanted to get better as soon as possible so that he could begin working on his Burning-the-Empire-Down-Around-Palpatine's-Ears plan, as Buffy would call it.
"Normally it is a slow process, but since you are Force sensitive it would probably take only half the time. I would say two months for you, but an exact time however is impossible to estimate with any hope of accuracy..." Doctor Tulo explained to his patient.
Vader nodded.
"Now if the procedure works, and I feel that I must inform you that there is a slight chance that it won't, you will still have to use your respirator for at least a couple of hours per day and constantly during the first five weeks."
"How long before you can determine if it works?"
"If it works, there will be measurable results within an hour of releasing the nano cells into the injured tissues."
"When can you take the cell sample?"
"Right now, my lord. But I have to warn you, it will not be pleasant. I can't sedate you so soon after the massive surgery you went trough."
"Very well doctor."
***
Two months later.
Palpatine was pleased with his apprentice, but not enough to let Vader near his secrets and his long term plans. Oh no, that was Palpatine's alone. It was with that reason in mind that he ordered some time off for his apprentice.
Later on he would set his other plan in motion, but for that he would have to gain Buffy's trust…which Palpatine thought wouldn't be so hard since the young woman was trusting towards him already…he would wait for couple days then send a shuttle to pick up Buffy from Vjun.
***
When the notice (or order to phrase it more correctly) came, Vader was relived. No Palpatine meant more time for him to adjust to everything. He finally had organic limbs and could breathe without the mask, but he was quickly weakened by the effort.
He was so weak that at one time Pali had managed to make him lose his balance and collapse. To make matters worse, Buffy was in the room at the time.
Not that she laughed or anything, she just helped him stand up and went back to whatever she was currently doing. He was just happy that Jix or any of the troops weren't present. Not that his troops knew anything about the operation he went through. He was not so trusting that he would broadcast that he was not a walking tin can anymore. They didn't even know about his pet Mucki named Pali.
Jix knew, but luckily for himself didn't comment.
Vader knew that Jix wanted to. He smirked at the memory; Jixton had just opened his mouth when Buffy slapped him upside the head.
Besides Jix and Buffy the only other being that knew off his transformation was Qui-Gon … he also suggested that he teach Buffy some basics in using the Force….she could mind shield already and see Qui-Gon, which surprised him since he didn't sense any Force potential in her…Qui-Gon just smiled at that. In fact, Vader thought, that probably meant he knew. why is that? Not that Master Jinn would tell him. And when he did ask, all he got as an answer was "all in good time, Anakin."
What he found most annoying was that his ghost of a mentor told Buffy some incidents that happened when he was Obi-Wan's Padawan. Though he was touched that Qui-Gon was watching him, it brought on warm feelings for the old Jedi.
There was also Buffy, who, after she heard how he lost his lightsaber for the first time, practically fell down from laughing. Which he honestly didn't mind that much. What he did mind was his new nickname … kind off … though if he was completely honest with himself he really didn't mind it that much.
"Hey Sky."
Speaking of new nicknames…Vader sighed then looked at Buffy, who looked up from the data pad interrupting his musings.
"What is Vjun like?"
"It's desolate because of the slightly acidic rain. The Dark side of the Force is also very powerful there."
"And we are going there why? It hardly sounds like vacation spot."
Vader shrugged. "I feel at home there. And Palpatine doesn't like the place," he smirked. "That is an added bonus."
"What's to not like," Buffy grumbled, studying the data pad containing the history of the planet. "Acid rain, acid moss and people going crazy and killing each other."
"Not to worry. Bast Castle is fortified so that the acid can't harm the structures. As for the Dark Side... you don't need to worry about that either."
"If you say so."
Jix came in the common room. "We'll be exiting hyperspace soon."
Buffy quickly stood up to make her way to the front of the ship wanting to see this new world.
Looking at the approaching planet Buffy started to sulk. It wasn't much. It was kind of a boring brownish colour and Bast Castle didn't exactly look like a castle either. It looked more like a really ugly cross between a worn out shoe and an iron frying pan.
Oh yeah, this stay on Vjun would be so exiting…she just knew she would be bored to tears.
How wrong she'd been…
***
A week later Jix was laughing so hard that tears were leaking from the corners of his eyes. And every time he thought back on the particular incident which took place the night before he practically doubled over and roared with laughter.
Said incident had Vader avoiding Buffy like a plague and Buffy...well, she went out of her way to make sure that her path didn't cross with Vader's.
Ironically, they seemed to meet this way more often then not, which was an additional tickle for Jix. He heard voices ahead and instantly recognized them as Buffy's and Uncle Dee's. He grinned. It looked like they managed to avoid each other so well that they were accidentally meeting one another.
Again.
Tip toeing closer, he hid himself to listen in on the conversation. Not to mention see their reactions. That was always fun.
***
"...I think I have to apologize," Vader was saying, completely serious. He stood facing Buffy, who had a natural expression on her face. "You were drunk and I had my meds which resulted in that …insanity."
"It's okay, really. Water under the bridge and over."
"It won't happen again ... You are not that attractive in any way."
"Hey!" she exclaimed, annoyed. Not attractive…didn't look like he found her unattractive yesterday…but she won't point that out for him. Nuh, uh. She really didn't want to think of it herself….or remember anything of it. No matter how intense that … Incident-That-Should-Not-Be-Mentioned. Ever….was.
When Vader opened his mouth again Buffy jumped in, really not wanting to hear more of Vader's irritating apology, to use the term loosely.
"You know, you really don't need to go on with this …yeesh, and they say that I babble."
"Sith don't babble, and I certainly do not. I just want to make clear you are the last woman I would be attracted to."
"Well fine, cuz you are the last person in whole galaxy I would be attracted to."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Jix couldn't hold it anymore he started to chuckle drawing identical glares in his direction. Not that he cared much about that.
"Hey Uncle Dee! Hey Buffy. Did I interrupt some action again?"
Buffy scoffed. "There was no action then or now. Or ever. In fact ... I … I don't remember anything really. It's a blur …so it probably wasn't much."
"Excuse me?" Vader turned back to her breaking off his glaring at the irritating Corellian.
"You heard me." Buffy answered then pivoted around and stormed away.
Jix chuckled again at Vader, causing the taller man to turn sharply. "Enough of this Jixton, we have to make a small side trip to Bellassa."
Bellassa was a thriving peaceful world and for once his visit wasn't tied to his master's wishes or command. In fact, Vader was taking the trip incognito.
He will start looking for help there. Not that he particularly wanted to ask this person for help, but he'd had a dream about the past and one sentence in particular keep repeating itself even after he awoke.
"If the Jedi need me, I will be there. That includes you, Anakin"
So to Bellassa he would go. And maybe he would stop thinking things he really should not.
TBC…