Imperial rehabilitation center

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Coruscant

• Affiliation:
  Sith

• 

From the Movies

A gloomy spire dominating its particular stretch of Coruscant skyline, the Imperial rehabilitation center was where the mechanized form of Darth Vader was forged, under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine. Following Vader's gruesome injuries sustained on the fiery world of Mustafar, Palpatine shuttled his broken apprentice to the center. Vader's body was transferred from the stabilizing confines of a medical capsule, and hoisted onto an operating table deep within the building. A team of medical droids, including 2-1B, FX-6 and Galactic Chopper units, treated Vader's injuries. They augmented his body with cybernetic enhancements that kept him alive, replaced his severed limbs with mechanical ones, and encased him within a dark armored suit that forever hid his ravaged features.

As Darth Vader emerged from the tortuous procedure, the Emperor delivered one more crushing injury. Palpatine revealed that it was Vader who was responsible for the death of Padmé Amidala, his beloved wife. Rage overtook the newly remade Dark Lord. As he tore himself away from his medical restraints, Vader let loose an agonized howl, accompanied by a whirlwind of telekinetic fury that crushed many of the attendant droids and did damage to the operating room's dark interior.

From the Expanded Universe

Most Galactic citizens know it as Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center (EmPal SuRecon in shorthand city-speak). To them, it is the crown of one of Coruscant's tallest buildings, containing an elite medical facility specializing in advanced medical treatment for extremely difficult cases from around the galaxy.

Like many things surrounding Palpatine, the surface impression is far different from the darkness within. The medical center is a well-armed fortress, concealing massive VLD2261 laser cannons underneath its armored surface, operated by Palpatine's loyal red-robed guards.

The interior is an odd mixture of modern technology and ancient Sith relics. Massive Sith crystals, uncovered on the mausoleum world of Korriban, rest within, ready to lend their slivers to power the needed lightsaber weapons of Sidious and his adepts. Scrolls, weapons and other instruments of dark magic are housed within, as is Darth Sidious' private meditation chamber.

This repository of darkness helped to stabilize Vader's tenuous condition during his rehabilitation. During the lengthy procedure, the operating room was hyperbarically pressurized. Per Sidious' requests, Vader was kept awake and aware throughout the entire ordeal.

Behind the Scenes

From the lightning-flashed castle tower to the dark, steam-filled operating table within, the Vader rehabilitation scene in Revenge of the Sith was meant to suggest the famous environment where Frankenstein's monster was created. The scene of Vader's transformation was shot on September 1 and 2nd, 2003 on Stage 4 of Fox Studios Australia. The first day for Hayden Christensen in full burn makeup. The second day was for him in his Darth Vader costume. September 1, 2003, the 47th day of shooting on Episode III, a costumed Darth Vader returned in front of movie cameras after a lengthy hiatus.