Bacta/Legends

Bacta was a medical miracle which allowed for quick, often scarless healing of even severe wounds. This fluid, invented by the Vratix of Thyferra, is a mixture composed primarily of alazhi and kavam. It can be said to be the synthetic kolto.

Description
Bacta could be administered either through disposable bacta patches or by submersion in a bacta tank. Bacta was also used in portable lotion form. The method of administration depended on the severity of the wounds. Bacta must be applied in a solution of clear synthetic fluid which mimics the body's own vital fluids.

Bacta had a smell that was described as 'sickly-sweet'; immersion in a bacta tank could leave one with the taste and smell of bacta for weeks afterwards, and even bacta patches left such residue (although presumably less strong and shorter lasting).

During the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire allowed production of bacta only on Thyferra and was stored in large amount on Bespin. The two main producers of bacta were the Zaltin Corporation and the Xucphra Corporation.

Later during the Swarm War, the Killiks staged a coup on the Thyferran government, thus cutting of the Galactic Alliance supply of bacta on the crucial moment of the war, namely the Battle of Tenupe.

Behind the scenes
In terms of in-universe chronology, the earliest mention of bacta occurred in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 3: Commencement, Part 3. However, the author, John Jackson Miller, admits that this may be a continuity error, proposing a possible retcon asserting that Marn Hierogryph was referring to some other thing coincidentally named bacta in the comic. It is unknown which stance is canonical and whether the famous healing substance indeed existed as early as 3,964 BBY.

Notes and references
"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #3", John Jackson Miller, last accessed on April 11, 2006.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
 * Shatterpoint
 * Star Wars: Republic Commando
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)
 * Empire at War
 * Rebel Dawn
 * ''Walking the Path That's Given
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * X-wing Alliance
 * The Truce at Bakura
 * Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
 * X-wing (novels)
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Junior Jedi Knights: Kenobi's Blade
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Star by Star