The Blackwing Virus, otherwise known as The Sickness, is a viral agent which is present within the Star Wars franchise. It is present in both Legends and Canon continuity. In legends, it is referred to as Imperial Bioweapons Project I71A as well as the other names mentioned.
Origins[]
Though the virus is indeed present within the galaxy far, far away, the origins of the disease varies, depending on the continuity one follows.
Canon[]
In the canon continuity, the virus was a result of Project: Blackwing. This project was created by the Galactic Empire to unlock immortality, utilizing the modern sciences and Sith alchemy. The virus' creation was purely by accident when members of the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research Division experimented with reviving necrotic tissue. They found that the host infected with the disease were killed by the virus, attacking the tissue of the host and turning them into flesh eating zombies.
Legends[]
Where as the virus was created in canon during the reign of the Galactic Empire, in legends however, the virus had been made over 4000 years before the Battle of Yavin. It all began with Darth Drear, who was living during the time of the reconstituted Sith Empire. He had established a Sith Academy on the planet Odacer-Faustin, a frozen world, similar to that of Hoth. Drear, while he set up a laboratory and experimented with several specimens in his possession, his desire was for one thing and one thing only: Immortality. He recorded all of his findings within a holocron and utilized a rare Murakami black orchid as his elixir's active ingredient. Upon ingesting it, Drear was indeed capable of achieving the immortality he desired, but there was a major flaw. This flaw came in the form of the virus, which began shutting down the body and causing it to become merely an undead husk.
Drear planned for this and ordered his acolytes to find him a Jedi strong with the force, as a Jedi, rich in midi-chlorians would help keep the virus from killing him. He also had a special sword designed to take out the beating heart of the Jedi and he had to devour it when he had it, allowing him to complete his ritual. Unfortunately for Drear, a Jedi wasn't found with an adequate amount of midi-chlorians, causing Drear to succumb to the illness and die. Despite this however, the holocron holding all of his findings remained in his academy for the next millennium.
Biology[]
The biology of the virus remains consistent for the most part, but there are, however, differences. This is due to the continuity between both canon and legends. Such things that vary include when it was created, treatments and even transmission.
Canon[]
Those infected with the virus, usually die and are reanimated by the disease. Their bodies become extremely decomposed, as the virus attacks the tissue of it's host organism and causes them to attack anything living. The virus itself is capable of communicating with itself, giving those infected by it, a form of hive mind and enhances their strength and stamina surprisingly well. They also have enough intellect to pilot ships and even use weapons like blasters. The virus is transmuted to others through bites, much like typical zombies and they can be killed by destroying the brain or severing the head from the body.
Legends[]
Much like the canon version of the virus, the legends version remains rather consistent, as a synthesized viral agent. The virus was synthesized by means of alchemy by the Sith Order, with the use of a rare flower called the Murakami black orchid. The plant itself is highly force-sensitive, giving it telepathic abilities, capable of speaking with other force-sensitives. The immortality elixir created through the use of this plant created the viral agent. The elixir had to be enriched within a living being for a successful synthesis of the agent. To this end, mechanical pumps and surgical tubing would be needed so that a circuit was made between the host and a reservoir of the mixture, where other ingredients can be added. A yellowish-red liquid is the result, which then courses through the host body and cycled through again. There are, however, other methods of manufacturing the disease, such as the use of the human lungs was used to enrich the virus, where it can be studied further. For those who wished for it's immortal properties, they simply drank the final product, where as those who wished for the virus, would collect it from the host body as a highly refined version and placed in air tight containers.
The Blackwing Virus is one, if not, the most persistent and contagious pathogen ever devised. In a contained population, excluding those who were naturally immune, the virus was 100% communicable. It can infect a number of sentient such as Humans, Twi'leks, Whiphids, Wookiees, Rodians, Dathomiri, Mon Calamari, Trandoshans, Zabrak, Ithorians, Devaronians, Delphanians, Sullustans and even Bothans. The virus could even infect non-sentient creatures, such as a Rancor and even the Tauntaun, as well as plant life. Considered the most common and highly effective means of transmission comes in the form of being bitten, which causes the most drastic of symptoms in a victim. The virus can also be transmitted via contact with bodily fluids, such as blood or saliva. Victims can become infected via having saliva or blood enter an open wound or into a mucous membrane, enabling it to enter the body and replicate. A strain of the virus developed as an airborne strain was capable of being released into an atmosphere and bypass any quarantine or efforts of containment. In this form, it's even capable of getting through hazmat gear, despite the equipment designed for such attacks.
While it is mostly transmissible, the Blackwing virus could be countered through various treatments and methods of killing various infectees. The virus does however require the need to have an accessible viral supply of the Blackwing Virus, otherwise the existing virus in its hosts will begin to shutdown the zombified victims.
Treatments[]
While the virus is mostly communicable by various ways, there are ways to treat the virus or prevent infection. People possessing natural immunities can synthesize an anti-virus, which has proven effective against infection. Purge Chief Medical Officer Zahara Cody was immune and synthesized such an anti-virus to counter the effects of the virus. She tested it on Han Solo first, who proved to have no side effects. Chewbacca however, underwent a side effect of a swelling throat, as well as hallucinating. Cody was able to counter it, using that same syringe she injected the pair with, now empty, to extract 3 syringes full of pinkish-gray liquid from his throat, saving him. During his initial research, Darth Drear, surmised that the virus could be permanently sated if he was to infect himself and then right before turning, allow himself to feast on the heart of a Jedi possessing a high level of midi-chlorians to achieve true immortality. Darth Scabrous, who continued the research of Darth Drear, found a way to slow his condition upon infection. The virus can also be slowed by flushing the site of transmission with a saline solution and attaching an intravenous pump, as well as performing regular blood infusions. Darth Scabrous was able to delay his infection this same way before attempting to perform the ritual to feast on a Jedi's heart before succumbing to the virus.