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Semi-mature content warning. Probably not a big deal for most, but whatevs.
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Chapter 22 – Scalpels & Sith Alchemy
Dusk tinted Rakata Prime in gray hues when Vader landed on the distant planet. The streets, bustling with the odd-looking Rakata people, were gray. The horizon was nothing but striated bands of gray, blending into the colorless clouds above.
All was gray from ground to sky. But nowhere was it more saturated than the room in which Vader soon found himself sitting.
The walls and floor were just two or three shades lighter than black. The only colors visible were tiny blinking lights on surgical equipment. Most blinked red, but blue and green were intermixed. It was all a jumble of fearsome-looking machinery and probes, some hanging from the ceiling, others bolted in place next to the operating table. A table that looked about as inviting as the one he'd laid on five years ago.
It's different this time, Vader tried to breathe calmly. I'm choosing this on my own terms, not Palpatine's. He doesn't even know I'm here or what I'm about to do.
If he ever found out…
He extinguished the thought as the door to the surgical suite creaked open. He stiffened, watching and waiting for an ungainly Rakata to enter – the Dr. Korta he'd communicated with last week.
Instead, he found himself staring at an average-looking human who couldn't be a day over thirty. Dressed in pale green medical attire, the man cautiously shut the door behind him. Waves of fear radiated off him as he drew closer, datapad in hand.
"Good evening, Lord Vader," he greeted with trepidation. He almost missed the stool cushion when he sat down.
Vader was in no mood for pleasantries. "Where is Dr. Korta?"
"Dr. Korta transferred your case to me. He feels I'm better qualified since I know human physiology firsthand," the man explained. "My name is Kornell Divini, but I go by Uli."
Vader froze. He knew this man – or had been acquainted with him once. Uli Divini had served at a surgical outpost during the Clone Wars. If Vader wasn't mistaken, Barriss Offee had befriended him. His name arose often within the Jedi temple walls.
In order to neutralize this liability, Vader would have to proceed carefully.
"You know I am human, then. What else do you know of me?"
"Only the information in your file."
"My age and birthplace?"
"Your age is listed as twenty-seven standard years, but your birthplace is missing from our records."
Good, the alterations Palpatine made still stand. Time to test Divini further. If he failed, he simply wouldn't leave the room alive. "If I told you my home world is Tatooine, would that hold any meaning for you?"
Confusion clouded Uli's face. "Yes… how do you know where I'm from?"
Vader, in turn, grew equally confused. Uli hailed from Tatooine as well? He hadn't known that. "What region are you from?"
"Bestine."
The capital city. No wonder he appeared to be the result of a privileged upbringing. "Tell me, did you ever attend podracing contests as a boy?"
"Only once or twice," Uli found the track of this conversation increasingly odd. "They stopped holding them when I was about eight."
Vader quickly did the math. He recalled Obi-Wan informing him when the races had been cancelled. He'd been a padawan for just under a year, making him ten at the time. Which meant the surgeon sitting before him was all of twenty-five years old.
"You're awfully young to be assigned a case like mine," Vader critiqued.
"I graduated with honors from Coruscant Medical Academy," Uli defended, shaking off his intimidation. "I am a Captain in the Imperial Surgical Corps with five years of experience on the Medstar Four frigate. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I am more qualified than half the surgeons at this facility – which is why Dr. Korta chose me without hesitation."
Vader leaned forward, bringing a shade of fear back into Uli's eyes. "Technically qualified, perhaps. But are you prepared for the mental and ethical challenges?"
"What are you referring to?" Uli tried to keep his voice calm.
"The face you'll see if you're as good as you say you are!" hissed Vader. "My face. Will you be able to maintain medical standards of confidentiality?"
"Absolutely. My record is clear of any lapses in judgment."
"Only because you've never had a patient like me," Vader said with chilling certainty. "I am warning you now, Divini. Your professional and personal integrity are about to be tested in ways you can't imagine. Are you still willing to accept my case?"
Doubt flickered across Uli's face, yet to Vader's amazement, he held firm. "If I can't perform my duty in extraordinary circumstances, I'm not much of a surgeon."
Vader admired the man's courage, whether misplaced or not. At least he detected no artifice behind Uli's statements. Though young, he was a medical prodigy, experienced with caring for severe war casualties. And enlisted with the Imperial Corps, no less. Aside from his age, everything made him the ideal candidate for this procedure.
Should he be inclined to expose Vader's secret at the end, Vader would make sure to know that before Uli himself did. And Vader would be in prime condition to do something about it.
"Your courage defies your age. I am impressed. But know this – I will be reading your thoughts constantly, and the moment you think of revealing my identity, you'll be dead. Is that understood?"
Uli swallowed the last of his fear. "Yes."
"Very good. You may proceed."
"All right," Uli collected himself, consulting his datapad. "I have Dr. Korta's notes here. He sent you the preoperative kit, correct?"
"Yes, and I completed each stage of it."
"And you're currently ingesting nothing but the electrolyte serum?"
"That's right."
"Good," Uli typed briefly on the pad. "Now on to the procedure itself. You've selected a wide range of options. You'll need to be anesthetized for over sixteen hours. Are you aware of the inherent risks associated with extended sedation?"
"More or less. I may not wake up."
Uli nodded soberly. "And when you do, there's no guarantee we'll have successfully operated on all the parameters you requested."
"Understood. Dr. Korta explained the risks to me."
Glancing down the list in front of him, Uli read quietly, pressing his lips. Something troublesome had crossed his mind. Vader could read the drift of his thoughts, so what came next wasn't a total surprise. Not that that made it any less awkward.
"Um, Mr. Vader, I see here that you've asked for full reproductive reconstruction," Uli cleared his throat. "I'm not asking this to be impertinent, but what are your… expectations with that?"
Not impertinent? Vader felt like choking the man here and now, but somehow he restrained himself. "What part of 'fully functional' don't you understand, doctor?"
Sweat beads started appearing on Uli's forehead. "There are two things to consider. One is basic mechanics, so to speak. Another is plumbing, for lack of a better term. Are you looking for both or just the former?"
Vader realized the distinction Uli was making, and the choice wasn't necessarily as easy as he might think. No doubt Uli was asking because the combined procedure would be more difficult. Which, by default, carried greater risk of complications. He'd have to weigh that against the potential benefits and decide.
He was having difficulty doing so.
Because this decision shouldn't entirely be his alone to make. Padmé should have a say in this too.
The issue of fertility seemed so far beyond present concerns. In order to even approach that decision point, the full scope of surgery would have to go off without a hitch. And that was only half the equation. Convincing Padmé to resume their friendship would be a feat in and of itself, to say nothing of marital relations. She'd spat at the idea of lying with him again. What sort of miracle would he need to make her want more children? A miracle too big to request on top of everything else, surely.
Maybe he should hedge his bets and pick the safer path – the one less likely to crush his spirit in the long run.
That was what reasonable thinking told him to do. But something other than reason formed his answer.
"I want both, if possible," he stated quietly.
"Very well," Uli tried to stifle images of Darth Vader seducing a woman. His professional poker face had never been more tested. "There are, of course, no guarantees. Your sperm count may or may not return to former levels, even with all parts restored."
Vader acknowledged this without a word. Uli cleared his throat again and scrolled to the bottom of the datapad file. And then a disconcerting frown creased his brow.
Before Vader could ask what was wrong, Uli was out the door, squinting at the pad as he tracked down a colleague. Ten minutes later he returned with a homely Rakata at his side. Neither wore an expression that put Vader's mind at ease.
"Lord Vader, I'm pleased to meet you in person," the Rakata extended his hand. "I'm Dr. Korta."
"Yes, I recognize you from our holo conversations," Vader nearly crushed Korta's fingers. "What's the matter?"
Korta's wide-set eyes trembled with apprehension. "Well, there's no easy way to say this, and it reflects poorly on this facility and its members…"
"Out with it!" snapped Vader.
"We lack equipment necessary for your procedure!" Korta gulped.
"What?!" Vader rose, towering over them. "You personally assured me you had all I require!"
"It was a clerical error. Our electronic inventory showed more ulium extract than we actually have. And with new restrictions on cortosis mining, we've lost our supplier! The Intradane laser won't work without ulium!"
The only thing keeping Vader from killing them both was a memory triggered by the word cortosis…
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Vader took a closer look. "Those conduits will rupture so close to that reactor."
"Not if they're lined with cortosis ore," suggested Xizor.
"Cortosis mining is illegal."
"In most systems, yes. But not on Helska."
Palpatine raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to own cortosis-rich land on Helska, would you Xizor?"
"Indeed. Black Sun controls one-third of Helska's mining operations."
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"If it's cortosis you need to get ulium, I can find some for you."
Korta and Uli exchanged looks. "It's not that simple. As of this morning, our license to use ulium has also been suspended."
Damn it, Palpatine! Your cursed laws and regulations are nothing but a thorn in my side!
But this was no time to lose focus. Vader forced himself to breathe steadily.
"What does the intradane laser do?" he asked, hands on his hips to resist choking the doctors. "What role does it play in the procedure?"
"It's critical for pulmonary revascularization," Uli answered.
"In layman's terms, Divini."
"We can't heal your lungs and remove your ventilator without it."
Then I may as well stay in this wretched suit forever. Freedom from the control box mounted on his chest was a deal-breaker. If they couldn't even do that, the rest was a lost cause.
And all because the blasted intradane laser needed…
Vader's dismal train of thought halted. Just as cortosis had dredged up fragments of auditory memories, so too did intradane. Neurons flashed to resurrect an ancient echo from five years ago, on the very night he was entombed in his suit.
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"Patient is stabilizing," a droid's metallic voice buzzed.
"Are the artificial limbs ready?"
"Yes. Preparing to administer systemic analgesic now."
"No, give him nothing for the pain!"
"That violates standard medical ethics."
"As of today, this galaxy has a new code of ethics. Now do as I command!"
Pain. Excruciating pain that almost made Vader lose consciousness. Yet somehow he stayed awake to hear the rest.
"Limb fitting complete. Preparing intradane laser for lung regeneration."
"Cancel that as well!" Sidious commanded. "I want a cardiopulmonary control box implanted instead."
"But sir, we possess the skills and resources to keep him from needing –"
"You will comply or be deactivated!" shouted the Emperor.
Helpless against the deplorable choices being made for him, Vader went numb to the pain, slipping into a dark nebula of misery until rising again.
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Funny how he'd buried it for five years, only to have it revived by a single phrase.
Intradane laser. Palpatine had had access to one that day – and prohibited its use.
Perhaps choosing between light and dark wouldn't be half as much of a struggle as Vader feared.
The time to plot his full revenge would come, but for now, a minor retaliation would do. He'd use the facility that made him a monster to make him whole again. They said the best revenge was living well, and he planned to do just that – at Palpatine's ignorance and expense. With Sidious occupied with the Death Star's construction, Vader might just be able to pull this off. It'd take a colossal effort to cloak his presence on the planet, but it could be done.
Pacing before the still-terrified doctors, Vader felt his control slowly returning. "What if I told you I have access to both ulium and an intradane laser?"
Uli's skepticism showed. "Where might that be?"
"The Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center."
"The what?" Uli widened his eyes, bemused. "That's quite a mouthful!"
"Do not mock it," warned Vader. "It holds more state-of-the-art equipment than anything you have here."
"Then why not go there for the procedure in the first place?"
"I have my reasons! It is not your job to question my choices, but to honor them. And my present choice is for you to perform the surgery on Imperial Center."
Uli looked anxiously at Korta. "I'd still be operating without a license to use ulium."
Vader stepped closer. "As a Captain in the Imperial Surgical Corps, you have sworn to serve the Empire above all other interests. My orders supersede any licenses, or lack thereof."
The young doctor searched his mentor's eyes for counsel, but Korta made no contest.
"You'll protect my record and reputation?" Uli turned back to Vader.
"If you perform your duty well, your reputation will be cast in gold."
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Blanketed by the darkest of nights, Imperial City's skyline welcomed Vader and his entourage with chilly indifference. The shadows in the southwest corner of the palace district seemed darkest of all. It was there that the Dark Lord led Uli Divini's medical team, concealing their presence from the Emperor who slept just half a mile away. Doing so would soon exhaust Vader, but he'd soon be unconscious anyway. His Force signature should then fade enough to keep Sidious from detecting their operation – no pun intended.
There were too many high-stake pieces to this puzzle. Vader stopped juggling them halfway up the turbolift to the main surgery suite. Time to surrender himself to this, all or nothing.
Strange sounds emanating from the corridors he passed through. His skin crawled at the thought of Palpatine's Sith alchemy experiments left to fester. Force only knew when Sidious had last checked on them, and what he'd find when he did so again. Revolting creatures fabricated from dark matter and evil debris. Things too hideous to ever be shown the light of day.
Vader vowed there'd be one less monster of Palpatine's making by tomorrow's end.
The terrible legacy of this laboratory would soon be over. All he had to do was lie down on the same slab of metal as before and trust the outcome would be radically different this time.
And so he did.
He heard the shuffling and clinking of surgical instruments being set into place around him. The faint smell of latex gloves reached his nose. Cold, sterile air bit his skin as his armor was disassembled piece by piece. Blinding lights swiveled into position overhead, mercilessly illuminating the blisters covering him from head to knee.
He saw his horrid reflection in Uli's surgical goggles. And then, seconds later, he didn't.
He saw nothing for the next sixteen hours. But he heard plenty.
"Whether you see it or not, you're changing. More than you realize."
"If the procedure fails, you must overcome selfishness to do right by your family. And if it succeeds you must do the same."
"Either you undergo an internal transformation despite no physical one, or because of one. Neither will be easy."
"You can't serve two masters, son."
"Your family won't automatically love you more if your body is restored. Nor will they love you less if it isn't."
"What they want is for your soul to heal – and that's something no doctor can help you with."
Ainar's was the face Vader thought he saw upon waking, though he soon recognized it was Uli.
And Anakin Skywalker's was the face Uli recognized lying on the operating table.
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I had to poke fun at the "Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center." A name like that is just asking to be laughed at.
Divini is another canon character I altered slightly. He was originally forced to serve on the 1st Death Star and resented it, but here he shows more pride in his rank within the Imperial surgical unit. Ulium and the intradane laser are both invented, but cortosis ore is neither fake nor insignificant – it'll come into play later on.
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