Kyber memory crystal/Legends

"The Kyber crystal, the data on which can only be read by holocrons.''" "What's on the crystal?" "''A list of every known Force-sensitive child in the galaxy, the future younglings, the future of the Jedi Order."

- Mace Windu and Ahsoka Tano

The Kyber memory crystal, or simply the Kyber crystal, was a memory crystal that contained a list of all known Force-sensitive children in the galaxy. As it was considered to hold the future of the Jedi Order, it was highly valuable to the Jedi. The information contained in the crystal could only be accessed when placed in a holocron which, in turn, could only be opened with the Force. It was vital for the operation of the Acquisition Division of the Order, for they actively sought potential students of the Force. During the Clone Wars, the crystal was kept and protected by the Rodian Jedi Master Bolla Ropal. While Ropal was on Devaron, Duros bounty hunter Cad Bane kidnapped him and stole the memory crystal. Later, during a mission to recover a holocron Bane had stolen from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was coerced into opening the holocron to save his Padawan's life. Bane then inserted the Kyber crystal into the holocron, making it possible for his client to access the information stored within. The crystal was believed destroyed, along with Bane, when the Munificent-class frigate they were on exploded. Bane survived, however, taking the crystal and holocron with him when he escaped the doomed frigate.

Characteristics
The Kyber memory crystal was a small, blue, diamond-shaped crystal which held the identities of every known Force-sensitive child in the galaxy. This information was critical to the future of the Jedi Order, as without it, the next generation of Jedi could not be trained, and was therefore extremely valuable. The crystal was designed in such a way that its data could only be accessed if it were to be installed in a Jedi holocron. In turn, the holocron could only be opened by a Jedi's use of the Force. The two components were kept separate; the holocron was stored within the Holocron Chamber of the well-protected Jedi Temple on Coruscant, while the crystal itself remained in the care of a Rodian Jedi Master named Bolla Ropal.

History
"Now we'll combine this holocron with the memory crystal I acquired from your dead Jedi friend."

- Cad Bane

Around 21 BBY, Darth Sidious hired the Duros bounty hunter Cad Bane to infiltrate the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and steal a holocron necessary to accessing the information stored on the Kyber crystal. After executing his operation and escaping the temple, Bane was given command of a Separatist task force to attack a Republic outpost on Devaron, where he kidnapped Master Bolla Ropal, the keeper and guardian of the crystal.

While departing Devaron Space, Bane's fleet was intercepted by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's flagship, the Resolute. The bounty hunter's task force was systematically eliminated by the Venator-class Star Destroyer until only Bane's command ship remained. When Bane's Munificent-class frigate attempted to escape, the Jedi ship shot the bounty hunter's hyper drive. Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, then led a team of clone troopers and boarded Bane's vessel with the intent of rescuing Master Ropal and recovering the stolen holocron and memory crystal. Once on board, the Jedi were lured into a trap by the Duros hunter. Skywalker was forced to open the holocron and let Bane insert the crystal in order to save his Padawan's life. Bane then took the completed holocron, opened an airlock to blow the two Jedi into space, and escaped. The Jedi were able to close the airlock in time and escape the doomed ship. Bane and the memory crystal were believed to be destroyed when the frigate exploded; however, he escaped the destruction of his ship disguised in clone trooper armor aboard the same Sheathipede-class shuttle Skywalker and his team had commandeered. When Bane escaped with the crystal he captured two out of the three children he was sent to get before fallen into a trap planned by Skywalker and Tano. Only after Masters Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Skywalker coerced Bane with the Force did the Duros take them to his hideout. Once on his space station, Windu and Kenobi were able to recover the holocron; though Bane fled after activating the security measures installed in his sanctuary. It was said that the Bane never copied the list before it was recovered by the Order.

Behind the scenes
"This holocron carries information I've been paid to collect."

- Cad Bane's incorrect statement

The Kyber memory crystal was first mentioned in early drafts of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope as the "Kyber crystal." It was a Force artifact sought by both the Jedi and the Sith. The plot line was ultimately removed from the story in later drafts of the script. The crystal was revived as the Kaiburr crystal in the 1978 novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye. During early development of the script for Episode II, the term "Kyber" was considered for use once again. The poison dart Jango Fett used to assassinate Zam Wesell was originally going to be identified as a Kamino kyber dart. This was again changed in the finished film to be a saber-dart. Though it has taken 30 years, the first episode in the second season of The Clone Wars television series has made the term "Kyber", in its original spelling, officially part of Star Wars canon.

During "Cargo of Doom," Cad Bane states that the holocron contains information he's been paid to collect. This is inaccurate, as the Kyber crystal contains the actual information and the holocron is only the means of accessing the data. It is unclear if this was an oversight by the script writers or an intentional element.

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct
 * The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct

Notes and references
Kyber-Speicherkristall Kyber Crystal Kyber-muistikristalli