Kaiburr crystal

"Although the Force exists everywhere and within all living things, certain artifacts have demonstrated the ability to augment it. One such artifact is the Kaiburr crystal of the planet Circarpous V, locally known as Mimban."

- An excerpt of Jedi Scholar Tionne's writings

The Kaiburr crystal was a Force relic initially located on the planet Circarpous V, which, locally, was called Mimban. The crystal was initially used by followers of Pomojema to heal the sick in the Temple of Pomojema. However, due to an unknown cause, the area was abandoned, and the crystal became a legend in the eyes of the local Mimbanites. The crystal would go on as a legend until around 2 ABY, when an elder woman named Halla would purchase a map and shard of the crystal from one of the Mimbanites which lead to Pomojema's temple. After enlisting the help Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, on Mimban due to a crash, helping the two escape from prison, and catching the attention of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, she and her allies went on an expedition to acquire the ancient relic.

They would eventually reach the temple and find the crystal; however, Vader had beaten them there. Confronting Luke and Leia, Vader engaged in a duel with both of them, eventually defeating Leia and driving Luke to the ground before losing his right arm to Luke's blade. Vader, energized by his proximity to the crystal, went to finish off his son, but tripped over his own disembodied right arm into a deep abyss in the floor of the temple. Halla handed Luke the Kaiburr crystal, and he used its legendary healing to heal both himself and Leia, both fatally injured by the attack. However, unbeknownst to any members of the party, the crystal lost its power as it left the proximity of the temple, and was completely powerless once off planet. Luke was still able to find use as a teaching tool when he started his Jedi Academy and as a lightsaber focusing crystal. The shard which began the adventure on Mimban would stay in Darth Vader's possessions until he gifted it to his apprentice, Lumiya, who used it in her lightwhip.

When in its natural location on Mimban, the crystal increased a Force-sensitive's Force power a thousand times over. Among its magnification of abilities were the ability to heal, which both the priest's of Pomojema and Luke Skywalker used, and the ability to project Force lightning by those typically unable, such as Darth Vader. Being close to the crystal would empower and energize a tired person. If cut properly, the Kaiburr crystal also worked as a lightsaber crystal. Luke, Leia, and several other Jedi used the crystal in this manor, and Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya utilized it in her lightwhip.

Creation, legend, and use in the galaxy
"Remember the old legends... how the temple priests could heal?"

- Halla reminds Luke of the power of the crystal.

Little is known of the crystal's origins; it is known to have existed as early as 3,951 BBY. Due to the mysterious nature of the crystal, several myths were formulated to explain the mystery of the Kaiburr crystal. One was formulated by the residents of Circarpous V, locally known as Mimban, began attaching the crystal to one of their legends, stating that the crystal was created by Pomojema, a third-rate local god. In his temple, his priests would bolster their healing powers to aid the sick with the Kaiburr crystal. Certain elements of this particular myth were proven by Luke Skywalker; however, as it was later proven, the crystal was only the agent for healing, as it was instead the Force, acting through the priests, which was healing Pomojema's patients. Beyond the localized use, a fragment of the Kaiburr crystal was found off of Mimban, though why it was separated from the main crystal is unknown. As it was during the time of the Jedi Exile in 3,951 BBY, it is possible that, in her travels, the Exile acquired the powerful crystal, and utilized it in her lightsaber as a focusing crystal.

The shard


For almost four thousand years, though, the crystal was mainly forgotten by the galaxy, known only to the citizens of Circarpous V as a local myth. On Circarpous V, though, Halla, an elder, Force-sensitive woman who claimed to be a Jedi Master knew of the legend and the reports of xenoarcheologists concerning the crystal, after purchasing a remnant of it from a local in exchange for an alcoholic beverage. She approached Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, stranded on Mimban while en route to a Rebel Alliance meeting on the nearby world of Circarpous X, due to a crash-landing forced by the Imperial mining operations taking place on the surface, and revealed her sliver of the Kaiburr cystal, which she held in a small box for safekeeping.

After explaining the supposed properties of the crystal, Halla offered the two stranded rebels a chance to gain passage offworld, in exchange for assisting her in finding the crystal. Unfortunately for the older woman, Leia remained skeptical throughout the demonstration; it was not until Halla offered Luke the shard to hold, so he could feel its power, that Leia agreed to the expedition. However, due to a fight caused by Luke and Leia, the two rebels were detained by Captain-Supervisor Grammel and held in a converted Mimban temple, serving as the Imperial headquarters. Luke still possessed the crystal fragment; Halla and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 had escaped detection and were in hiding. Once at the Imperial headquarters, Grammel interrogated the two; Luke attempted to hide the nature of the visit to the Circarpous Major system and was moderately successful. However, Grammel did recognize the two as the same two who had met with Halla, known locally for her stories, and frowned upon by the Imperial presence. Grammel requested that Luke hand over the box containing the crystal shard. After a brief attempt at escape by Leia, Luke was forced to hand over the still-open container, and the two were placed in the maximum security cell located within the prison, shared with two Yuzzem.

Imperial entanglements


While Grammel contemplated the crystal fragment he contacted Governor Bin Essada, who in turn contacted Darth Vader because of Bin's recognizing of the young female as Princess Leia Organa. Meanwhile, the Yuzzem, who identified themselves as Hin and Kee, turned out to take a liking to the two new roommates. Luke was also able to communicate in the Yuzzem tongue, thereby allowing Luke and Leia to learn of the two's slavery and service to the Empire. The four were eventually able to escape, with the timely help of Halla, C-3PO, and R2-D2. When Halla learned that Grammel had indeed captured the fragment, she was unmoved, convinced that the group would soon possess the actual crystal.

After the escape and following destruction, Grammel, injured (and later treated) from the blasts of grenades thrown by Luke, met with Darth Vader. Vader confiscated the crystal piece as retribution for Grammel's failure in apprehending the prisoners to escape. When the Dark Lord came into contact with the shard, he decided he wanted to track down the relic in addition to catching his son and the princess.

Tracking down the Temple


"How can you be so absolutely convinced, Halla? So certain that the xenoarcheologists weren't right and that it's all a native tale?"'' ''"Because, I have proof!"

- Halla talks of her Kaiburr shard.

Both the rebels and Imperials made their way, with the rebel group leading, and the Imperials, slightly behind, tracking and following them. After an incidence with a native creature, Luke, Halla, Leia, the droids, and the Yuzzem were without a mode of transportation, and were then split up into to teams by a hole in the ground. Luke and Leia would be forced to travel underneath the surface of Mimban, with the others trekking above, until they met up at a Coway settlement. The group was captured, and Luke was pressed into a duel against one of the Coway tribe's best warriors for their freedom. An intense battle between the two ensued, with Luke as the victor. The victory, already shallow because of Luke's feelings toward injuring the Coway warrior, became short-lived, as the Imperials had caught up to them, and were about to invade the underground caverns.

Soon after the preparations were completed, the Stormtroopers started to enter the tunnels. Each wave was efficiently dispatched by the Coway and Yuzzem, and much of the number was diminished. Vader decided to personally enter the tunnels after scouting reports revealed the tactics. Vader entered the fray, along with backup; however, before long, full retreat was called due to the losses, and Vader was off to find the temple once again - this time, however, without Grammel, whom Vader had bisected from head to foot. The rebel group left shortly after in a commandeered crawler.



Pomojema's Temple found
"Pomojema, god of the Kaiburr. It almost seems familiar, somehow. That's crazy, of course."

- Halla spots the statue of Pomojema.

The rest of the journey to the temple was uneventful; both groups arrived, the Imperials beating out Luke's group. Due to the proximity to the crystal, Luke was unable to sense Vader's presence. While examining the temple, Halla located the statue of Pomojema, which held the crystal in its stony grasp. Before they could grab it, an immense hssiss appeared out of the shadows and began an attack. Luke held the creature back as Halla stood transfixed by the crystal which had consumed much of her time. Unfortunately for Luke, in the midst of the battle, he sliced through one of the support beams of the temple, toppling the roof on him and the hssiss. While it killed the beast, it also hindered Luke's movement, as his right leg was pinned underneath the fallen stone.

Duel with a Dark Lord
At this time, Vader appeared in the doorway, and began to taunt both Luke and Leia. Vader noticed the effects of his proximity to the Kaiburr crystal just before a duel with Leia started. Little by little he realized that the self-control he had was slowly fading away. His earlier intentions to apprehend the two Rebels was soon overcome with a desire to kill them. She dealt him a few blows, but was soon bested due to the Sith's skills, but she handed off the saber to a freed Luke.



Luke stood before Vader, with his saber brandished in front of him. At this point, the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke's former mentor, entered Luke and began fighting through him. Another duel, this time between Skywalker and Darth Vader, ensued. After a bit of time, Vader grew exhausted; however, a boost of energy drawn from the Kaiburr crystal refreshed him. Also due to the proximity of the crystal, Vader was able to project Force lightning, a feat thought impossible due to his artificial limbs. Much to his surprise, though, Luke managed to block the oncoming streaks due to the crystal, and was able to fight again. After more battling, Luke gained the upper hand when he cut through Darth Vader's right arm. Vader calmly removed the still-lit saber from his disembodied hand and advanced to fight again, but tripped over his right arm into a deep pit. Darth Vader would eventually exit the pit, but not before realizing just how detrimental the crystal was to his mission; while it increased his power, it also overrode his willpower.

The duel's end
"It was the crystal, Leia. It healed me, it healed you, and I wasn't even aware of it doing so. Everything Halla surmised about it is true. It does use the Force. The crystal healed you, Leia... not me."'' ''"Now, Luke boy. You were the agent the crystal worked through. Without you, wouldn't be nothin' but rock"

- Luke explains what happened as Leia was unconscious.

With the Dark Lord out of the picture, Halla approached the two fallen rebels, exhausted from the battle: Leia was afflicted with several burns and cuts, and Luke himself was close to death. Halla told Luke that she was a mere charlatan of the Force, not a master, and that she could do nothing with the crystal; after revealing this information, she handed the crystal to the young Jedi. Luke had a differing opinion - when he held it, it felt warm to him, much to the surprise of the elder woman.

Enveloped in an odd red light, Luke first went into a healing trance to fix his own injuries, them moved to Leia's side, and, with the crystal in his hands, traced over her injuries, healing them. The entire healing process took only a few seconds. Leia awoke shortly after, free of injury beyond a simple headache. The group left the temple, crystal in hand, and decided a way to get off of Mimban without notifying the Imperial presence.

Later use


"I must say that my new lightsaber is a significant improvement on my old one. But more than that, I feel more connected to this weapon because it carries a part of my history. A long time ago, Luke and I were saved by the Kaiburr crystal. Although I am prepared to activate my lightsaber in the line of duty, it is my hope to employ the crystal so that it continues to save lives, not take them."

- Leia Organa Solo, in a recording made as part of her Jedi Knight induction.

Ultimately, it was shown that the crystal lost its power directly proportional to its distance from the temple. Luke nevertheless retained the crystal, as returning it to Circapous V would make it a target for thieves or the Empire, and later used it as a teaching tool for his students at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Luke also performed some tests on the crystal, and found that, if cut properly, its shards could act as powerful focusing crystals. In a speech given to several Jedi in his praxeum, Luke stated that, while shards of the Kaiburr crystal were the most powerful and desired lightsaber focusing crystals, he did not possess any at the time. Later, however, Luke and some of his students would utilize fragments of the crystal for personal use in their lightsabers. Leia Organa Solo, after nearly forgetting about it until twenty-three years after her adventure on Mimban, used the crystal though she hoped that her use would save, not harm or take, lives.

Lumiya, an Imperial agent, infiltrator, and Emperor's Hand, also utilized a Kaiburr crystal sliver for use in her lightwhip. The piece she used was the same as the one Halla possessed, and that Darth Vader had acquired. Lumiya had acquired the crystal from her former master's personal items. Later, during the time of the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War, Alema Rar infiltrated the Dark Lady of the Sith's sanctuary, where she discovered a crate of Kaiburr crystal shards. In her searches, the Twi'lek dumped the crate, and left it scattered on the floor for Lumiya to find when she returned. Lumiya would continue to use the crystal shard in her lightwhip until her death at Luke Skywalker's hands in 40 ABY.

Properties


The Kaiburr crystal was a crimson-colored crystal, which glowed with a faint inner light. When in the presence of a Force-sensitive or in the Temple of Pomojema, the crystal shone brighter. The crystal felt much like it looked: a cool, glowing piece of glass. However, when held by a Force-sensitive, as was the case of Halla and Luke, this feeling was enhanced by a sensation much like touching a live electrical current; this was due not to any inherent chemical properties of the crystal itself, but instead its connection to the Force.

Effect on the Force


"Not... possible! Such power... in a child. Not possible!"

- Darth Vader reacts to Luke's increased power.

Proportionally according to size and density, the Force's power was magnified a thousandfold; while a single shard would give off a minor jolt, the entire crystal gave off such a feeling of power and clarity of the Force that one's entire being would course with the energy. The full crystal was also able to channel the Force into a method of healing; Luke used this inherent power, along with his limited connection to the Force, to bring both himself and Leia from death.

However, when Darth Vader was in close proximity to the presence of the Kaiburr, the residual effects of the Force caused the Sith Lord's affinity with the dark side of the Force to expand greater. As a result, Vader found himself losing what self-control he possessed, fighting his own son and (unknownst to him or Luke) his daughter against his will, as he had intended to capture them alive. Furthermore, the crystal granted Vader the ability to cast Force lightning, normally impossible due to Vader's bionic limbs and life-support systems.

Unfortunately, the crystal's abilities, be it the full crystal or a mere shard, decreased substantially in direct relation with its distance from Pomojema's temple. This meant any meta-physical properties held by the Kaiburr crystal became less and less powerful, and by the time the crystal made it off-planet, it was essentially worthless, save for its history and use as a lightsaber focusing crystal.

Use in a lightsaber
"The most powerful and sought-after gems are rare Kaiburr crystals. However, though lightsabers are powerful weapons, their design is so flexible that practically any kind of crystal can be used. And, since I don't happen to have a stash of Kaiburr crystals, you'll have to make do with something else, of your own choosing."

- Excerpt from a presentation given by Luke Skywalker on lightsaber creation

Shards could be removed from the main crystal easily; as such, these crystal fragments could be utilized as a focusing crystal in a lightsaber-type device, including variants such as the lightwhip or shoto. In fact, the crystal's properties made it, according to Luke Skywalker, the most powerful type of lightsaber crystal, and also one of the most sought after. The Jedi Exile could have utilized one such fragment, described mysteriously only as a very powerful crystal for use in a lightsaber; there was little information beyond that, possibly hinting towards a widespread unknowing of the story of the crystal. Later, Luke Skywalker, his sister Leia Organa Solo, and several other Jedi in the Jedi Praxeum also used these shards for their lightsabers. Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya would also utilize the crystal in her personal lightwhip; the fragmented piece she utilized was the same piece that had belonged to Halla, confiscated by Vader long before.

Behind the scenes


"The Force is all around us. It can be collected and transmitted through the use of a Kiber Crystal. It's the only way to amplify the power of the Force within you."

- Ben Kenobi, in "The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller, Third-Draft Summary, August 1975", an early draft of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

The idea of the Kaiburr crystal can be tracked to the earliest incarnations of the script for A New Hope; specifically, the May 1, 1975 "Story Synopsis and Typed Outline Summary" from "The Adventures of Luke Starkiller (episode one) 'The Star Wars'". There it was spelled as a "Kiber Crystal". This crystal acted as the MacGuffin for the heroes to capture; Ben Kenobi was intended to explain to Luke how the Kiber Crystal collected the Force and allowed the wielder to use it.

Eventually, in a later edition of the draft, "The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller, Third-Draft Summary, August 1975", the plot was expanded to include Obi-Wan attempting to capture his personal Kiber Crystal from the "Crystal Chamber" on the Imperial throneworld of Alderaan. The elder Jedi would explain how it had been taken from him during the Battle of Condawn - the same battle in which Luke's father died - by one of Ben's disciples. The few crystals that remained were held in the Alderaanian Crystal Chamber. Later, Luke was to utilize the crystal in his fight with Darth Vader. The idea was ultimately dropped, however, when George Lucas decided not to use a talisman such as this crystal and instead let the Force be used without an external source. He felt that the crystal detracted too much from the saga of Luke and Vader. The book Splinter of the Mind's Eye reused this idea of such a crystal.

The name "Kiber" was eventually re-used in scripts for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. There, named a "Kyberdart", it was to be the name of the dart used to kill Zam Wesell. Eventually, however, the name changed to become the Kaminoan saberdart. The Kyber dart was eventually reused in the video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, as one of Mira's armaments for her personal wrist-mounted rocket launcher.

In the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith video game, "KAIBURR" is used as a cheat code. When activated, the player's character would have unlimited Force points and thus unlimited mastery of the Force. The connection between the crystal's properties and the function of this cheat are obvious. The Kaiburr crystal also appears in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, where it is one of the most powerful focusing crystals one can install in a lightsaber or shoto.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Splinter of the Mind's Eye
 * Splinter of the Mind's Eye comic
 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
 * Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers
 * Tempest
 * Inferno