Bloodmarrow 6

"You're … you're hair!" Vader exclaimed as he pointed a black-gloved finger at his son's hair, his arm trembling. This was just too much, the stress and tension building too high. If he didn't put a stop to this, he'd end up in Sick Bay himself with a nervous breakdown. And that he couldn't afford. Someone had to make the decisions for Luke; the medical decisions. Although of legal age, he was still a child and used to obeying his Uncle. His world had been simple; living a harsh life in an even harsher environment and worrying about the harvests. He'd never be able to deal with the Empire or the doctors; their words befuddling. Nor did he have any legal standing on the Star Destroyer, as he wasn't a crewmember. And he yet had to find a cure for Obi-Wan.

Self-consciously, Luke ran a hand through his thick shaggy hair. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"There's a white streak through it!" Vader cried as he reached out and securely grabbed Luke by his wrist. "You're changing already! We must return to Sick Bay immediately!"

Luke's eyes widened, shock and confusion showing clearly in the blue orbs. "What are you talking about? I don't have white in my hair…"

Ignoring the boy's protests, Vader started to haul him out of the huge bay. The rare disease was progressing more quickly than he had expected and the time for stalling was gone. Luke would have to get the transplant now. There was no other choice. If he didn't, he risked loosing his son forever.

/And that is unacceptable. I will not loose Luke now that I have found him…/

Digging his boot heels into the highly polished floor, Luke attempted to stop himself from being dragged out of the bay filled with Tie-fighters. His mind was a mass of confusion; various thoughts swirling around like a maelstrom. His father's hand was like a tight vice around his wrist and he wondered how anyone could have such a firm grip. It didn't even feel like a human grip. It was too strong. Boots sliding uselessly on the gleaming white floor, Luke lost his balance and fell, only his father's grip saving him from landing flat on his face. His knees hit the floor and he quickly stuck his other hand out to prevent smashing his chin and nose. Vader's feet paused and the Sith Lord waited for Luke to get to his feet again, his hold never lessening.

His face a short distance from the floor, Luke stared at his reflection, mesmerized. The floor acted like a mirror and he could see himself clearly, his thick locks hanging downward around his face due to his kneeling position. Moving in slow motion, he moved one hand to his hair. He could see the white streak that started at his brow and moved forward through his bangs. It was no thicker than his baby finger but it still was there. Disbelief shone in his eyes and he cautiously poked at the white hair, convinced it was a trick of the light. Gripping the affected area between his thumb and forefinger, he moved it this way and that, sure that his normal sandy coloring would return if he just held the strands at the right angle. When the clump of hair remained white, Luke began to grow agitated. "No! No, this can't be! I'm too young to have white hair! I just turned twenty!"

"Luke…" Vader said softly, his heart going out to the poor boy. He gently released Luke's wrist and watched it drop listlessly to the floor. Through their fledging bond he could feel his son's anguish and shock, his growing horror. The sight of his child kneeling on the floor in such a state was more than he could stand. It was enough to break his already broken heart.

/If only I could suffer in his place…/

He would do it in a heartbeat. He had already lived his life and besides, he was used to pain. His body had never properly healed from Mustafar and he lived with pain every day of his life. It was pushed to the back of his mind, managed with Jedi techniques he had learned in his youth but it was still there. And what was a bit of white in the hair really? He didn't even have hair anymore, just his badly burned scalp. He had been lucky his eyes, nose and lips hadn't been burned off as well. And then there was that crack in his skull as well, another souvenir of his foolish youth that dreadful day. Still, he would pile more pain on his battered body if it would spare Luke grief now.

"NO!" Luke wailed from where he knelt on the floor. Realization that something lurked inside his body was fully understood now and he frantically yanked at the clump of white hair, as if by pulling it out he could stop the disease. He winched in pain and tears appeared in his eyes.

"Luke, stop!" Vader ordered as he felt the boy's wild panic. This is what he had feared and now he would have to stop him before he did any real damage. Reaching out, he gripped Luke's hands with his own and forced him to let his hair go. Kneeling, he pulled his son to him and embraced him. "It'll be all right, Son, but pulling your hair out is not the answer."

Pressing his face against his father's shoulder, Luke trembled in fear. The idea that some foreign thing was inside his body was frightening, even more frightening than when that Tuskan Raider had suddenly appeared and swung the gaderffi stick at him. That had happened quickly and he had no time to be scared, not really. But this was different. It was horrible! He still didn't know what DNA was, but he now understood all too well what Vader had meant by the word 'change'. "What do you mean it's going to be all right? I'm turning into an old man or something! Look at my hair!"

"The doctors will fix it." Vader promised and hoped it was true. At least Luke didn't grasp the full truth and the Sith Lord doubted if it was a simple matter of fast aging. No, this was something far worse. "Dr. Corrigan already is preparing for the procedure. When it is over, hopefully you'll be back to yourself."

"Hopefully?" Luke's voice quivered and he pulled back slightly from his father's grasp so he could look at his mask. The black breath mask was all angles and shiny white reflections. It showed nothing of the man's true feelings and more importantly, it hid his eyes. There was no way to tell what the tall black-clad figure was truly feeling, if he felt anything at all. He remembered the hushed whispers about the Empire back in Anchorhead when he occasionally went to town for parts. None of the talk had been good. There had been rumors of entire cities blasted to nothingness from space, of medical experiments, of entire races turned to slaves. He hadn't wanted to believe any of it, as his only hope to get off Tatooine was going to the Imperial Academy. They provided free transport and an education to those who passed their tests; something that Luke couldn't afford to pass up. He didn't want to work the farm his whole life; he just wasn't suited to it. But if those rumors were true, how could he tell if his father was telling him the truth? "What kind of answer is that? How do I know you didn't do this to me, you and your Empire?"

Pain shot through Vader's soul at those harsh words.

/He is upset. He does not mean it…./

No, the boy didn't have a harsh bone in his body. That was evident. The Lars had been decent people, something lacking these days of greed and corruption. They had raised him to be a wholesome young man and the Sith Lord was thankful for that. Yet it was clear the boy had overheard some Alliance propaganda. The Rebels were everywhere scurrying like rats and building distrust in the hearts of good citizens. Once the seeds of doubt were sowed, they slowly did their work on the weak-minded or those suspicious by nature. The rumormongers were everywhere these days, apparently even out here in the sticks. Sometimes it was just as simple as a man sitting in a local café speaking his mind over a hot cup of caf. From there it spread until everyone had heard the news. Instead of growing angry, Vader's heart went out to his innocent son who believed everything he heard. "I would never harm you, Luke. Look within yourself and you'll know this to be true."

Luke blinked his eyes. "Look within myself?"

"Yes, Luke. You have the Force and you can tell if people are lying to you. If you look within yourself, you'll even be able to feel my feelings." Vader instructed gently, his arms still around his son as they knelt there on the mirror-like floor of the Tie-fighter bay. He didn't care what others thought if they were to walk in on them in this strange situation. It would no doubt start some very odd rumors indeed and the crew always looked eagerly for new scuttlebutt. Vader and the other high-ranking officers were prime targets, as they were the closest to celebrities that the Empire had. Even the Emperor himself was fair game. The only tricky thing with Vader rumors was you didn't live long if you were caught.

Luke had calmed down somewhat by now, his initial panic fading. His father's strong arms felt nice around him, although they weren't as soft as Aunt Beru's had been. This looking inside oneself seemed like a Jedi lesson and he very much wanted to try it, but he was unsure what the words meant. How could he look inside himself? If he closed his eyes, there was just a reddish blackness or inky blackness, depending on the amount of light in the room at the time. "I'm not sure what you mean…."

"You'll learn with time, Luke." Vader assured him as the Sith Lord slowly rose to his feet. He could sense the boy was calm now, more or less. "When I first arrived at the Jedi Temple, I didn't know anything, either. I had been using the Force instinctively, but had to learn to use it on purpose. Perhaps you've been using it, too, when you drove your T-16 through the canyons."

"Really?" Luke asked. He allowed Vader to pull him to his feet, amazed at how strong the man's arms were. His scalp pinched and burned slightly where he had yanked at his hair and he rubbed it gently now, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. He felt so stupid! He had reacted like a five-year-old and not the twenty-year-old he was. How could he have been so stupid? "I'm sorry, Father. I know this isn't your fault. I know you're trying to do everything to help me and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I feel like such a bantha fodder reacting that way. It was just shock talking. But hey, maybe it's stylish. Do you think girls would like it? Not that I know any…"

"Everyone gets upset, Luke. There is no need to apologize." Vader gently led his son from the large bay and they entered a long hallway. The Sith Lord's footfalls were loud and his black cape trailed out behind him, the fabric moving smoothly with each step. "I can be very emotional at times and I'm afraid you inherited that from me. Your mother, on the other hand, was the rational one. Still, there may be some truth to your words. Palpatine has been known to dabble in illegal things when it suited him. He had a clone army made over two decades ago. Still, this doesn't exactly sound like his sort of experiment. I fail to see how it would give him an advantage."

Luke frowned, the news troubling to his honest way of thinking.

"Luke, you must understand there is a group out there that starts these troubling rumors. The Empire is not perfect. No government or even person is perfect." Vader thought back to his youth and the joyful days spent in the Lake Country. How had Padme put it? She had always been better at politics than he had. "The trouble is, people do not always agree. One group wants this and another wants that. You can't please all the groups at the same time; no matter how hard you try. It becomes even harder when some people start lying. So that is why some people run around and say these troubling things you have heard. They wish to stir up trouble in the hopes that things will change in their favor. But the Empire tries to do what's best for the largest number of people, not only the filthy rich ones."

Vader's black-gloved robotic hand tightened into a fist. He didn't think that Palpatine had started this disease, but if he had…

/Whoever has caused this will pay with their life!./

Although Luke had shrugged it off and had even joked about it being fashionable, Vader still could feel his unease. They reached the lift and Vader motioned for Luke to get in and then the Sith Lord joined him. The doors swooshed close with a soft click and then the lift car started to move upward towards the Medical Deck. The discussion of politics had been nothing but a diversion so Luke could briefly forget it.

Lifting his eyes to his father's black mask, Luke swallowed nervously. He wet his lips uncertainly as fear clouded his eyes. "How … how is the doctor going to fix this, this whatever it is?"

"He will do a transplant, Luke."

Luke's eyes grew wide with fright and all the color drained from his face in utter horror. "A transplant? You mean he's going to cut me open?"

Reaching out, Vader placed a calming hand on the boy's shoulder. "Relax, Luke. It is not that kind of transplant. This is a bone marrow transplant. You will not be cut at all."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked, his voice uncertain. His frightened blue eyes flicked to the flashing bars of white light, each one signaling Sick Bay was getting closer and closer. Suddenly he didn't want to arrive there, ever. He didn't want doctors poking and prodding him, doing who knows what. Surely the white hair wasn't all that bad, was it? It certainly sounded preferable to a transplant.

Vader sighed, his son's thoughts easy to read. "Luke, I know what you're thinking…"

"You do?" Luke's eyes flickered back to the tall, dark figure. Surprise was etched on his face and his mouth gaped open slightly, his lips forming an "O".

"Yes. You are thinking it's preferable to live with white hair then go through a potentially painful and dangerous procedure. Am I correct?" Vader stood in the lift and patiently waited for a reply.

Luke nodded, the surprise still on his face. The long lock of white hair rested on his forehead, its lack of color startling among the rich golden brown of the rest of his hair. It looked quite odd, really, as the boy had bangs. Perhaps if he had been older with his hair swept back, it would look distinguishing. But Luke just couldn't pull that look off yet.

"Well, what if these are only the beginning of the changes?" Vader asked.

"What do you mean?" Luke replied.

"Luke, I don't mean to alarm you, but this is a very aggressive pathogen. It's likely it's going to do much more than just change your hair color." Vader informed the youth, afraid to tell him too much. Luke had already panicked once this day and with Sick Bay so near now, he needed to keep him calm. "Do you notice any other differences? I know there's white hairs growing from your bite mark."

Surprised, Luke pulled down the collar of the loose shirt he was wearing and with great difficulty peered at his injured shoulder. A gasp of astonishment escaped his lips when he saw the Sith Lord was right. Using his hand, he felt the short hairs and learned they were coarse and tough. "They don't feel like my hair at all!"

No, Luke's hair was soft and silky.

"In fact," Luke muttered as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the firm wall of the moving lift. "They don't even feel human…"

Suddenly a cold wind blew through the Sith Lord and he couldn't help but shiver. Luke was changing into something, something not even human and he was powerless to stop it. A disturbing image danced before his eyes and he couldn't help but gasp. Luke stood in a green valley somewhere, jungle growth visible behind him. A large turbulent red world hung in the sky above, the world far too large to be a moon. His son wore a long dark cloak, the cowl pulled up over his head. It was similar to the one he had worn when he had destroyed the Younglings at the Temple, before he had been forced into this cursed suit of armor. A sly grin was on the boy's face and the whiteness of his hair had grown, the color spreading to both sides of his head. Something red was smeared on his lips and his hands rested upon the backs of two huge beasts. The beasts, Vader couldn't help but notice, were the same type that had bit Luke in the first place.

Stumbling backward, Vader hit the wall behind him and the vision disappeared. His heart pounded hard in his chest, tasking his electronic systems to cope with the added strain. Uncharacteristic sweat beaded on his brow and one salty drop fell into his eye, causing burning pain. His breath was labored, his mouth open and gasping.

/No! I won't allow that to come to pass! My son will not turn into one of those horrid creatures!./

Was that what the doctor had hidden from him? Unfortunately, it made perfect sense.

Concerned, Luke rushed forward to his father's side. "Father! Are you all right? Say something!"

"A Force-vision." Vader replied and inched himself off the wall and back onto his feet. "Do not be alarmed, Luke. I am well. It was just startling…"

"Oh." Luke turned his head at the noise of the door opening. Sick Bay was visible and he trembled slightly from the knowledge of what waited for him. Turning, he gazed at his father. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No, Luke. You don't." Vader placed a hand on his son's back and gently urged him out of the lift.

/Not all Force-visions come true…./

At the moment, the Sith Lord very desperately wanted to believe that. The alternative was unthinkable.

Finally the two men entered Sick Bay and Dr. Corrigan was waiting for them. He led Luke back to his small bedroom, explaining it would take some time to get ready. First they needed to remove the bone marrow from Vader.

The Sith Lord followed Corrigan to the prepared room and started to remove his armor. "How will you remove the bone marrow?"

"We will use a general anesthesia." Corrigan explained as he rolled his equipment towards the bed that Vader soon would be resting upon. Once Vader was ready and on the bed-like table, a respirator hooked to his face so he could breath. Corrigan pulled out a big, long needle. "I'm afraid this will take some time. We'll have to insert in hundreds of times to get enough bone marrow for the transfusion."

Vader groaned silently. This was going to be worst than he had feared. He knew the needle would have to be inserted into the middle of his pelvis bone, not just through his skin. It looked like he was facing a few difficult hours ahead.

/But I'll suffer through this gladly if it'll cure Luke!./

The pain he'd feel was worth it. Luke was his son and the boy's innocence was worth saving. He said he'd do anything for him and he had meant it. He'd even willingly go through this a second time if it were required.

/I must think positively. This will work…./

Time passed and finally Dr. Corrigan was satisfied he had enough of bone marrow to do the transfusion. The marrow itself was stored in a special container until it was needed. It needed to be kept fresh. But since Luke was nearby it needn't be frozen. Vader was moved to a different room for recovery and Luke was brought out of his room. He was irradiated using a machine and then the intravenous catheter was set up. The bone marrow material was suspended in the liquid within the intravenous bag and slowly passed into his blood vessel. Once within his veins, the marrow would travel until it settled in the correct places within his bones. If all went well, the marrow would thrive and start to grow.

And now they would just have to wait….

To be continued…

Author's Note: I'm not sure of Luke's exact age in A New Hope, so I just said 20. I also forgot to check if general anesthesia knocks a person out or if it's like the local anesthesia the dentist uses. As it's just a small bit of the story, I guess it doesn't really matter. I'm also unsure if the donor has to stay in the hospital after the bone marrow is removed?