Bacta

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"Can you get rid of hangovers by dunking yourself in a bacta tank?"

―Thane Kyrell^[src]

Bacta was a thick, gelatinous substance with seemingly magical healing properties. It helped the body regrow tissue, including nerves, skin, and muscles.^[3]

Description[edit | edit source]

"It is a form of barley—specifically Vratixia renanicus. Originally cultivated on Thyferra, it is a key ingredient of bacta alongside alazhi and kavam."

―Estala Maru^[src]

Bacta was a mixture of kavam and alazhi bacteria combined with ambori fluid^[2] and a type of barley known as Vratixia renanicus.^[4]

Promoting rapid regeneration of organic compounds, bacta could be used in a variety of both critical and noncritical medical situations. Described as being warm to the touch, the bacta liquid could aid in the healing of concussions, internal organs, and broken ribs. Furthermore, it could be placed in small dishes to help regrow fingernails, mend cuts, burns, and other injuries. Due to its "one-size fits all" use in medical applications, it was a highly prized and commonly used medical treatment for most, if not all, injuries.^[5] Bacta could also knit together broken femurs.^[6]

Despite its highly regenerative properties, some individuals harbored negative feelings towards the substance, finding its viscosity somewhere between liquid and slime. Additionally, most bacta patients felt as if they were being swallowed alive upon being submerged in the substance. As such, most doctors injected sedatives first, while subsequent waves of relaxation would slowly overcome the patient, sending them into a meditative state. While most retained consciousness, the combination of drugs and bacta commonly lead patients to feeling like they were drifting into another world, with some comparing it to being in a mother's womb. Upon emerging from the liquid, many would describe feeling worse for a few days due to the loss of serenity precipitated by the substance.^[7] However, some would find the opposite to be true, describing their bodies as feeling light and free from pain.^[5]

In order to allow a patient to retain normal functions, a breathing apparatus was provided to the individual along with specialized sensors that allowed the doctor to monitor their patients' bodily functions while submerged.^[5]

History[edit | edit source]

Bacta was invented by the Vratix, an insectoid species from Thyferra, and manufactured by two companies, Zaltin Corp. and Xucphra Corp.^[2] It came into use during the High Republic Era as a replacement for juvan. The agriworld Hetzal Prime attempted to grow bacta during this time.^[8]

During the Clone Wars, clone troopers of the Galactic Republic often recovered from battle injuries in bacta tanks.^[2] After his commanding officer, Clone Captain Rex, was injured during a battle on Saleucami, clone trooper medic Kix dressed the captain's wound with a bacta patch.^[9]

In the safety of his compound on Mustafar, Darth Vader would often have his suit removed and submerge himself in a bacta tank in order to heal the pain caused by his injuries. Vader also hoped that with continued bacta use, his lungs might be healed, freeing him from the breathing apparatus that he was forced to use.^[10]

When the Rebel Alliance was stationed on the frozen planet of Hoth, Luke Skywalker had to be put in a bacta tank after being attacked and maimed by a wampa ice creature.^[11] During this time, grenade-like bacta bombs were used to heal soldiers on the front line.^[12]

In 9 ABY^[13] on the planet Nevarro, reprogrammed bounty hunter droid IG-11 used a bacta spray to help heal Din Djarin's head after severe injury from an explosion.^[14]

A flexpoly bacta suit was a special type of suit that could be worn by a patient to treat them with artificial bacta, an advancement over bacta tanks. The First Order defector Finn was equipped with one of these after being attacked with a lightsaber by Kylo Ren after joining the Resistance.^[15]^[16] The blend used by the Resistance was synthetic in nature, but was, nevertheless, still quite expensive.^[17]