Chapter 93: Complications
Summary: An unusual sort of new companion...
Chapter 93: Complications
“These implants are a work of art!”
Mei’s delighted exclamation was certainly one way to describe the data that she, Aayla, Izuku, and a 2-1B surgical droid were pouring over. To be honest, Izuku had copied enough information on both medical and engineering over his life that he couldn’t even refute the statement. While he’d never focused any effort on cybernetics specifically, the skillsets of several people he’d used his telepathic gifts to absorb skills from had enough crossover over for him to understand what he was looking at.
At the least, he could get more out of it than Aayla, who had stuck to the descriptions of what the various cybernetics in their unconscious Sith guest did, rather than dive into the technical documentation. Speaking of her, Aayla was looking at Mei with raised eyebrows after that statement had broken their quiet perusal of the data. It was obvious from Mei’s excitement that there was more to what she was reading than she understood, and she visibly braced herself before asking the question that generated.
“Okay, I’ll bite. I admit that how extensive they are is crazy, and some of them seem like…well…potentially a lot of fun with a willing individual. But what makes them a work of art?”
Mei was back to looking distractedly through the technical details, clearly barely listening, so Izuku explained what he’d gathered himself. Mei would undoubtedly fill them in on more once she was properly satisfied.
“It’s not just how extensive they are, or even their functions. It’s the complexity and quality. I’m sure I’m not getting half as much out of the Empress’s documentation as Mei, but I can already see that these implants? They are bleeding edge for current generation cybernetics. The sort of thing you’d only see on rich Core Worlds that specialize in medicine, rather than something you can get through the Republic as a whole. Here, let me give you an example.”
Taking control of the holo-screen Aayla had been using, he minimized the overviews she’d been skimming and instead pulled up the detailed data on a single ‘implant.’ It was, in truth, hard to even call it a single implant, as it was a full body ‘Bone Lace,’ so described by Empress Acina’s own notes on her Hand. Nanites had been used to thread microscopic artificial fibers through every bone in Zavra S’hi’s body. According to the notes on the experiment, the process had been slow, taking several weeks. Weeks during which all of the woman’s bones would have constantly ached in a way virtually no medication would have alleviated.
The results, however, were a spectacular increase in the strength of the woman’s bones…and she’d had a similar, even longer, process done to her muscles for a similar boost in strength. Sith Purebloods were already about fifteen percent stronger on average than a baseline human. With the Bone and Muscle Lace that had jumped to nearly two hundred and fifty percent. Which didn’t even account for the way that various Force abilities tended to boost based on your baseline, as opposed to a set amount for everyone. Adding in even modest Force Augmentation, Zavra would be monstrously strong. Worse, the spectacular effects weren’t even why he’d chosen the Bone Lace as an example.
“This? This ‘Bone Lace’ wasn’t some off-the-cuff experiment that was done brutally or to cause pain. This thing is the result of meticulous planning and, most likely, some seriously unethical testing of earlier iterations. I can only think of maybe a dozen worlds in the entire Republic that even have the level of nanotechnology required to pull it off, and it would likely cost millions to do just this one procedure. But…”
Izuku shrunk the skeletal view that showed the Bone Lace, placing it alongside three more. The Muscle Lace that had done the same thing to Zavra’s muscular system, a ‘Skin Weave’ that had done it yet again to her very skin, and an extra organ that was full of nanites.
“…it wasn’t just one procedure. The entire network of implants, even most of the ‘fun’ ones you commented on, was obviously pre-planned and balanced perfectly. Without the Muscle Lace, the Bone Lace wouldn’t be that useful, without the Bone Lace the Muscle lace would break her bones trying to make full use of it. The Skin Weave is required to support the sheer strain both of the others can put on her, and that extra organ is filled with nanites that can make more of the nanites used in all three by consuming biomass and some extremely basic supplements. Making all the other implants self-repairing.”
Aayla blinked, face shifting slowly into incredulity as what he was saying properly sunk in. Then, proving she was listening after all, Mei added her own two credits.
“It’s more than just that! If you really start looking, the modifications go way deeper. Modified joints to make her far more flexible, which wouldn’t even support her skeleton properly without the Bone and Muscle Lace modifications. Augmented lungs, providing more efficient oxygen processing so that those other mods don’t kill her from starving her blood of oxygen to fuel themselves. If you gave me a billion credits and the top five geniuses I could find, I’m not sure I could replicate all of this so seamlessly. Not from scratch, at least. I could easily reproduce it with the notes the Empress left…eventually.”
That last comment made even Izuku’s eyes widen. Mei wasn’t the sort of genius who admitted she couldn’t do things. She was the sort that took the suggestion she couldn’t better someone else’s work as a challenge and turned the results into a potential war crime too often for anyone’s sanity. For her to outright and openly admit she wasn’t sure she could have done something that was clearly possible? Literally the only time Izuku had ever heard her say the same was about a few of Melissa Shield’s works. Even most of those, she’d long since overcome with access to the greater tech base of this universe.
“Mei, these are thousands of years out of date! I mean, I know we’ve had a dark age since then, but…are you serious?”
Aayla sounded even more shocked than Izuku felt, possibly because this was her first time hearing Mei say something like that. That and perhaps the idea that an ancient Sith technological working was far more advanced than anything modern might just be messing with her. Despite exposure to Mei, Aayla was far more rooted in her understanding of what ‘was’ and ‘wasn’t’ possible within the techbase she’d been born to. A techbase she’d had access to the top levels of, or close to the top levels at least, from a young age.
“It’s barely been a thousand since that dark age of yours. Half the tech on that station is as good or better than anything the Republic has. Not the weapons or armor, that’s crap compared to modern standards. But whatever the hell that Isotope-5 stuff is, it’s way better for power generation anything currently on the market. The battledroids aren’t as good as mine, but they are head and shoulders better than the Trade Federation’s. The computers are comparable to modern systems, and obviously these cybernetics are on par with the bleeding edge anywhere in the galaxy. Though part of what makes them special was the blatant genius of this Empress that put them together. The total is more than the sum of the parts here, by a lot.”
Mei voice was utterly no nonsense, and the explanation far more thorough than she normally gave without descending into technobabble. The last bit, about the Empress, even sounded outright admiring. Which might be dangerous, actually. He was going to have to make sure Nikkila kept a closer eye than usual on just what projects Mei started after this. Making a mental note of that, he decided to shift the conversion a bit, taking the chance to ask an important question.
“So, is she going to be stable? Medically, I mean. Any issues with the cybernetics from the long-term stasis?”
Mei shrugged, shaking her head.
“Impossible to say until she’s fully awake, but I doubt there will be any major problems. The stasis is way weirder than the cybernetics. It’s got to be some of your Force mumbo jumbo bullshit, since it seems to have suspended time for her. As far as I and the droid can tell, even her cybernetics were affected and still retain almost the same power readings as those the ship took from her before putting her under. I’d say maybe only a month or so worth of biological and mechanical time has passed for her. Enough to heal any wounds she had, but not enough to drain the cybernetics.”
Aayla brought the conversation crashing back down to the deck.
“Which doesn’t tell us anything about her mental state. Sure, physically she’ll be fine, and a Sith thought she was psychologically stable…ish. But even if that was actually true by normal-people standards, she’s also lost everything, including her mistress. Only to have her more…creative…implants and supposed loyalty pawned off on Izuku by her ship.”
Izuku winced, but Mei surprised both of them by speaking up on the topic.
“I think you’re underestimating the Empress.”
When they both swiveled to her in surprise, she actually looked up from where she’d still been pouring over more information on the woman in question.
“I’ve taken a peek at more of the station’s files than you two, and I’ve cross-referenced them with Acina’s journals. That station was part of a serious attempt at the Sith Empire of the time and the Republic to work together against a common enemy that was schooling them both. Zavra was Acina’s attempt to create a ‘Hand’ that could work seamlessly with Jedi. I don’t know much about how your Force stuff works, but her journals claim Zavra was explicitly trained in how to use the ‘Light Side’ just as much as the ‘Dark Side.’ I know the Jedi don’t see the Force that way, but the Sith do.”
Aayla’s expression twisted at that. It was a bit of a standing issue of terminology. Even some Jedi referred to ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ sides, simply for clarity. Even if the reality was that Jedi only believed in The Force as it naturally existed versus the ‘Dark Side,’ which really meant an ‘unnatural corruption’ of the Force. Still, now wasn’t the time for rehashing that debate again. Instead, she focused on what Mei was implying.
“So, she was trained to work with Jedi. Which might be helpful in her not being quite as psychotic as a normal Dark Sider. There’s at least a chance she’s genuinely stable. That doesn’t answer for the bit about her losing everything.”
Mei shrugged.
“Nope. But, looking over how she was trained, I’m pretty sure she was some flavor of neruo-divergent too, which is why she took to Acina’s conditioning so naturally. So don’t expect her to react normally, either.” Mei hesitated, looking far more vulnerable than normal for her, “I…she…I think she’s going to be like me, after I…”
Izuku moved on instinct, not even Force guided ones, just ones he’d developed after first meeting Mei. He was beside her quickly, pulling her into a side hug, where she shuddered for just a moment.
“So, possibly manic and hyper-focused on goals so she forgets.”
It wasn’t a question, but Mei nodded into his chest anyway. Discarding the topic entirely for the moment, Izuku focused on sending feelings of reassurance to her. More than any combat ability he’d gained, the ability to send Mei his own honest emotions instead of merely reading hers was a gift he thanked the Force for…
… … …
Izuku, Aayla and Mei were all three standing in the otherwise emptied-out hangar of the Knight Errant. It wasn’t, of course, one of the main hangars, as those were simply too full of everyday activity. Instead, this particular hangar normally housed VIP craft. A few well-appointed shuttles, visiting ships like the highly customized H-type Nubian Yacht that was serving as Padme’s diplomatic vessel, and their own Wandering Fate all being prime examples. At the moment, those handful of vessels had all been moved to other hangars, leaving the only ship now present the Acina’s Fist. Thankfully, once registering Izuku as its new owner, the ship’s intelligence had accepted orders to move to this private hangar of the Knight Errant.
Now, they waited through the final few minutes of the countdown provided by the ship for waking up its occupant. They’d arrived early, just in case the count was off, but so far it was looking as if the ship had known exactly how long the process would take. Perhaps that shouldn’t have been a surprise, given the insane precision and skill that had been hallmark of the Empress’s work on Zavra, but it was still almost unnatural for what was ultimately a Force technique.
It was in the silence of these final few minutes that Izuku carefully reviewed everything they’d found over the last few days, about the woman they were about to meet.
In some ways, the biggest boon had honestly come from the recovery work on the station and its memory core. Mostly, it had to be said, because it had given them a greater context and third-party confirmation for what had been in Empress Acina’s notes. In addition to quite a few records regarding the fighting between the Eternal Alliance and Eternal Empire, the station had possessed at least some anecdotal records regarding Zavra S’hi. The ‘Hand of the Empress’ had been prominent enough as Acina’s agent that they’d been able to confirm instances of her working alongside Jedi, even occasionally acting to resolve conflicts between more traditional Sith and various Republic Forces.
While she hadn’t really interacted with the highest levels of the Alliance, Zavra had apparently been a preferred agent for dealing with the next tier down. The best descriptor they’d found of her had been from a private journal entry belonging to a Republic intelligence agent, which had described her as ‘a whirlwind of good cheer both in and out of combat.’ The description had been put in context by holo-imagery of Zavra grinning hugely as she went through a legion of Eternal Empire troopers, thankfully mostly droids, like a buzzsaw. The sheer glee she’d radiated in the recording had been palatable, and should have been a little disturbing. Somehow, it wasn’t. Not quite, at least. Which honestly made the whole thing more disquieting, rather than less.
Any farther contemplation was brought to a halt by the ship, a modified ancient Sith Meditation Sphere according to the details they now had, abruptly starting to hiss with pressure equalization. Focusing on not bracing themselves, instead doing their best to radiate calm, they waited with bated breath…then blinked as the Sith they were waiting for bounded out of the ship with a bubbly energy that made their previous tension just sort of…implode?
“New Master! Oh, sweet…you’re as hot as I thought you were! Oh, and the Twili is sexy too…oh, oh, and pinky has those epic tits that you just want to shove your face in! Can I do that later? Or now! Now would totally be fine too! We can totally put off the questions and stuff for later if you want to skip to the kinky sex! I’ve been supppppppeeeeerr horny and bored for millennia, you know!”
Izuku’s brain just sort of froze, trying to process the unexpected stream of chatter combined with a hefty dose of genuine good cheer radiating off the woman. The half-naked woman that seemed to have gotten her combat attire from a fetish shop, the entire thing looking as much like bondage gear as armor. Mostly due to the number of straps and the suggestive way it clung to her. It did cover all her vitals, at least, even if it did so in the most provocative way it could. Aayla, despite radiating just as much surprise as Izuku was, managed to blurt out a question faster than he could get his own brain rebooting and functional again.
“Wait, you were aware while you were in stasis?!”
Zavra blinked, cocked her head in an adorable way that made everyone present instantly want to give her head pats, and then grinned as she made a so-so waggle with one hand.
“Sort of! Kinda! Not like, constantly or anything! More like a supppppppeeeeerrr long dream! Some stuff was pretty clear, but time was really wonky and weird! Like, I know it’s been a few thousand years, but I’d say it sort of only feels like it’s been maybe a couple months or something? Long enough to feel boooorreed, but not go crazy! I was super annoyed I couldn’t masturbate, though! Even if I was locked out of cumming by Mistress’s death, I could have at least has some fun edging while I waited for new Master!”
…
…
…
Okay, there was a lot to unpack there. But now that his brain was sort of catching up, he needed to make sure she was actually as okay as she somehow felt.
“Err, so…you know that Empress Acina is dead and the ship made me your Master? Are you…okay with both of those things?”
Way to go, Izuku. That was awkward as fuck. He almost flinched as a lot of the bubbliness fell away from Zavra, but surprisingly she only felt a little sad, rather than devastated or angry.
“I knew she was dead even before the ship put me in stasis, and despite time passing all weird, I still had a lot of time to process, you know? I’ll miss Mistress, of course. A lot. She was awesome and I’m pretty sure she came closer to legit loving me than she had to anyone or anything else since she became a Sith. But…she’s gone. Didn’t even leave a ghost, since she wasn’t the type of Sith to mindlessly chase immortality. I’ve said my goodbyes in the Force a long time ago, and she’d have hated seeing me sad.”
Zavra’s voice had taken on a much more wistful tone, at odds with her previous bubbliness, yet no less real feeling for the change. She wasn’t just saying the words, either. Aayla and Izuku could both feel the emotions flowing freely through her. A complex mix of faded sadness, happy memories, and acceptance. Oddly, or perhaps not given both the length of time and the way she’d been trained in the Light as much as the Dark, there was nothing of bitterness, rage, or pain mixed in. It also passed fairly quickly, a few moments taken to remember, then a bright smile that felt genuine rising back onto Zavra’s face.
“I mean, she even made sure I would find a new Master! An awesome one! The Force totes gave me a glimpse of you! All growly and fierce taking on the slimy worm people! Ohhh, and you’ve got a reallllly nice cock, too! I want to try it! Empress barely ever let me do anything with guys, she was all jelly and didn’t want me to get addicted to dick, I think!”
Aayla, completely surprised, lost it and started snickering. Izuku was a bit too stunned at the 180 for even that…but Mei jumped in immediately to match Zavra’s energy.
“I know, right! Izu-dick is almost better than my invention-babies! Ooooh, I bet you’d love my remote fucking system! It let’s me have Izu-dick even when he’s halfway across the galaxy!”
Zavra perked up…then actually seemed to understand Mei as she started talking about her chastity-belt-cum-portal-sex-toy. As in, she picked up enough to start asking about technical details and offered suggestions for improvement instead of just following along. It was with this that, finally, something sunk in from the details they’d gotten out of Zavra’s dossier. That, along with being an agent sent to solve problems with a lightsaber, Zavra Sh’I had also been Empress Acina’s apprentice in technology. In experimental Sith technology that often classified as War Crimes.
Oh dear. Now there were two of them…
... ... ... ... ... ... ...A/N 1: For those that recognized them...yep, I took inspiration from Cyberpunk 2077's biomods for some of Zavra's implants, though not all of them. Frankly, we see examples of nanotech in various eras of Star Wars...but it seems to be super rare. So here I went with the fact that is IS rare and Zavra's implants probably cost more than a Harrower would have even with Acina getting data the horribly unethical way. But that she was first a member of the Dark Council, then Empress, so she could in fact throw that kind of money at her personal pet project to make the perfect 'Hand.'
A/N 2: So, I THOUGHT about going all gloomy and angsty for a bit with Zavra having to get over her trauma. Then I went 'you know what, nope. I originally gave Harley Quinn as an example of what her personality would be like.' So I skipped the angsty doom and gloom and presented you straight with a dose of Chaotic Sexy. Which is what I'm calling Zavra's actual alignment. Highly intelligence but...differently sane, and with a lot of Horny Energy.