Jedi Archives/Legends

"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist."

- Jocasta Nu

The Jedi Archives was a fathomless collection of ancient knowledge and research dating back thousands of standard years. Located in the First Knowledge quarter of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the Archives were open at all hours and were accessible to all Jedi in need of information.

Layout


The Jedi Archives consisted of many levels of shelves and computers. The general collection was located in a two story chamber arranged in four long halls that all met in a large Rotunda in the center. Each of the four halls had a central aisle that ran its length, with several tables topped with computer terminals that were linked to the main index catalog. Off of these main aisles were hundreds of smaller ones that divided the stacks. Each stack contained trillions of datatapes and datacards, carefully sorted and arranged in categories and subcategories. Ringing the cross-shaped general floor was a walkway with stairs leading to a floor directly below. This pillared area was used as a hub for navigating between the general information and the stories beneath it that held more broad ranges of information. Accessed by a turbolift bank in the center of the large room, curious Jedi could delve through several stories of shelves and computers that housed great amounts of knowledge. Ranging from artifacts to small ships, these stories were used for further analysis and a more detailed research.

The Rotunda
The Archives were accessed via the First Hall which would deposit a visitor in the Rotunda from where they could access any of the other halls and terminals. A massive, circular chamber; the four walls had vaulted terminals that emptied into the four main halls. The center point of this chamber was the Great Holocron; the Archive’s greatest treasure. Only accessible to the most powerful Jedi; it was kept on a pedestal in the center of the rotunda.

The First Hall
The first and most visited hall, contained great records on philosophy and the records of the Republic. Personal journals of over a billion Jedi were also held here. While on missions, Jedi sometimes recorded their thoughts and would turn them over to the Archives. Many of the more in-depth works were restricted to Padawans, unless they were granted permission from the Chief Librarian.

The Second Hall
Running perpendicular to the first and third halls, the second hall contained data dedicated to mathematical and engineering science. Works related to the topics on hyperspace and how to achieve it and construct engines and vehicles capable of such feats were among the blue-glowing stacks. Floor-plans of the Galaxy’s government buildings and other points of interest were found here, along with many manufacturers’ weapon designs. The computer systems here had readouts on all Temple activities including a databank dedicated to the Jedi Council's current seating arrangements.

The Third Hall


The third hall was directly opposite the first and was filled with information on the geography and culture of each and every known planet in the Republic. Starmaps of interstellar and planetary regions and detailed analysis on specific civilizations were updated and stored here.

Just before the Clone Wars, somewhere between 32-22 BBY, information within the third hall’s scope of knowledge concerning the planet Kamino, the Kaminoans, and their cloning industry was erased. It was done by former Jedi Master Count Dooku, in order to conceal the creation of the Clone Army from the Jedi Council. This was uncovered by Obi-Wan Kenobi when he tried to identify the origin of Senator Amidala's attacker, who used Kaminoan saber darts. This discovery eventually led to the uncovering of the Separatists' plans for war, putting into motion the start of the Clone Wars.

The Fourth Hall
The hall running on the same plane as the second was dedicated to zoological research relating information on every known species of flora and fauna.

It was within these stacks in the year 990 BBY, that Darth Zannah, disguised as Jedi apprentice Nalia Adollu, researched the crustaceous orbalisks, a task she had undertaken in order to save her master, Darth Bane's, life. With a reference disk provided by then-Chief Archivist Barra-Rona-Ban she was able to uncover the secret to their removal in a text written by Dr. Osaf Hamud. The visiting Darovit, Zannah’s cousin, discovered her, and because she had found what she was looking for, she kidnapped him and fled. In her rush, she had forgotten the datadisk with all of her information, and the Jedi were able to track her back to her master on Tython.

The Analysis rooms


Located two stories below the main hall of the Jedi Archives, the analysis rooms were staffed exclusively by the SP-4 and the JN-66 droids. Sealed off to organics, the chamber hosted state-of-the-art polysensitive graspers and multispectral readers capable of detecting symbols, odor, and skin deposits. This collection of chambers was separate from the general collection of wisdom and required permission from the Chief Librarian in order to visit.

The Holocron chamber


The Archives, located in the quarter of the Temple that was crowned by the Tower of First Knowledge, used this tower to store the most potent of the Jedi holocrons in a chamber sealed off to all but masters. Master Astaal Vilbum was the fourteenth Caretaker of this chamber. The less powerful of these artifacts were kept in the main Archive hall for general use.

The Chief Librarian’s quarters
The Chief Jedi Librarian who oversaw the Archives night and day had their own private office off of the main halls of the great collection of knowledge. During Master Barra-Rona-Ban’s time as Chief Librarian, he had a small desk covered in neat piles of notes and datacard. Along one of the walls was a viewscreen and terminal with hook-ups to the main index catalog: allowing Master Barra to reference any material at will.

The Chief Archivist was also responsible for briefing Jedi who were preparing for missions, gathering data before hand and presenting it in a quick session. From their quarters they could quickly created a portfolio and transmit it to the Jedi High Council for review and to help them reach a more informed decision.

History
After the world of Ossus was devastated, the Jedi fled the Great Library of Odan-Urr, taking with them what artifacts they could and storing them within the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. In the year 2,519 BBY the Jedi Archives were constructed in order to hold these treasures.

While the founding scripts of the Order would be stored within the Sacred Spire upon its completion, the Archives covered a vast range of criteria, including details on supposedly every planet and species in the Galactic Republic. Their records even included accounts of the Unification Wars that predated the Republic.



Amongst the four main aisles were Bronzium sculptures of some of the most famous Jedi Masters known to the Order; displayed at intervals on stone pedestals. Among these busts were depictions of The Lost, members of the Order that had willingly left the Order. On each pedestal rested a plaque describing the great acts of the displayed master; although, they did not list a reason for leaving. Likenesses of Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Saesee Tiin, and Dooku were only a few of the many depicted.

After discovering information was missing from the stacks, Yoda investigated the missing planet Kamino from the Archives and found at least 37 additional systems that were erased, including Dagobah and Dromund Kaas. He kept the former secret for his eventual exile.

The Archives were equipped with private rooms used for diligent researches that went days without sleep. The Chief Archivist would also present information here for Jedi preparing for missions. Service hallways ran adjacent to all of the halls allowing members of the Temple Security Force to patrol without being seen.



During the invasion of the Jedi Temple, Sith Lord Darth Vader was responsible not only for slaying all of the Jedi inside, but also preserving, recovering, and securing the Sith holocrons in the Archives. Vader marched into the Rotunda and murdered Jocasta Nu and all Jedi reading amongst the stacks. Unfortunately for the Sith, some of the Jedi succeeded in destroying many bookcases filled with very valuable holobooks, in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Sith. Although much was destroyed, some stacks went untouched and the secret data of the Jedi fell into Darth Sidious’ hands. He was known to wander the stacks reviewing knowledge long left inaccessible to him and his predecessors. It is during this time the Great Holocron disappeared, falling out of all memory until it resurfaced over fifty years later. Sidious would later be accused of changing some of the data in the Archives to support anti-Jedi propaganda.

During the Temple's silent decades of inactivity, Darth Vader would send his apprentice Starkiller to the Temple to complete the Jedi Trials. After getting past the black doors installed by the Empire, Starkiller entered a damaged hall of the archives. Because of the extensive damage in this wing, the Sith was forced to go through the databank room that contained all of the large supercomputers capable of storing all the information for the holobooks. After reentering the Archives proper, Starkiller was forced to duel the Trials' program, which had taken on the guise of Darth Phobos. After she was defeated, Starkiller left the damaged hall and the Temple. When security crews returned, they quickly locked the Archives down, sealing it off to everyone but Palpatine.

In the later years of the Galactic Civil War, after the retaking of Coruscant by the New Republic, Jedi historian Tionne Solusar presided over the restored Archives, adding to them the history of the Rebel Alliance.

When the old Jedi Temple was finally destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong, the Archives went with it. Fortunately for the Jedi; all of the data was scanned during the evacuation and placed in the Archives of the Ossus Academy.

Reconstruction


When the New Jedi Temple was erected, the Archives were fully restored to their former grandeur, with every bust  and pedestal being replicated. Jacen Solo used the depths of the stacks as a starting point when he flow-walked back to the time of the Great Jedi Purge.

When the Temple once again fell to the Galactic Alliance, under control of Darth Caedus, apprentice Seha completely drained the Archives of knowledge to prevent it from once again falling into Sith hands.

Staff
The Archives Library was run by a staff of Jedi scholars under the control of the Chief Librarian. At the end of the Old Republic, the Archives was under the control of Madame Jocasta Nu, a former Jedi Council member who was assisted by several JN-66 and SP-4 analysis droids. These droids operated the Jedi Analysis chambers and wandered the stacks in the main hall assisting those Jedi in need of direction.

The Archivists prohibited any original source to be taken from the Archives. All information had to be copied in some way in order for it to pass through the library’s doors.

Behind the scenes
The appearance of the Jedi Archives in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is an almost exact digital reconstruction of the Long Room of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Its imitation extends to the busts of the Lost Twenty which, in Trinity Library, are busts of former alumni, including writer Jonathan Swift.

According to Pablo Helman on the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones DVD Commentary, the bronzium busts that are shown in the room during the scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi speaks to Jocasta Nu include busts of himself, George Lucas, Rob Coleman, and John Knoll.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two
 * Jedi Apprentice: The Only Witness
 * Jedi Council: Acts of War
 * Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: The Followers
 * Jedi Quest: The Master of Disguise
 * Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones junior novel
 * Precipice
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
 * Legacy of the Jedi
 * Shatterpoint
 * Star Wars: The New Droid Army
 * The Cestus Deception
 * Clone Wars Chapter 25
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith game
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
 * The Last of the Jedi: The Desperate Mission
 * The Last of the Jedi: Underworld
 * The Force Unleashed novel
 * Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
 * Bloodlines