Knowledge Bank The Knowledge Bank was a sentient native to Mon Calamari that was aware of all events that happened on the ocean world . Consisting of a cluster of mollusks , the Knowledge Bank used telepathy to gain information on events all across the planet as well as from the minds of those who visited it . It would then relay that information to those who could communicate with it , either telepathically or with the special ritual language other denizens of Mon Calamari used . The Bank was sacred to the native Mon Calamari and Quarren , and its existence was kept a closely guarded secret . A group of smugglers and bounty hunters accessed it in 1 BBY in their search for the treasure known as the Yavin Vassilika , and the Jedi Cilghal used it in 11 ABY to find the missing Admiral Gial Ackbar . Biology and appearance . The Knowledge Bank was composed of a colony of sentient bivalve mollusks who inhabited the oceans of the planet Mon Calamari . The Bank had existed for millennia , though whether it was the same individuals or whether they had reproduced is unknown . The Knowledge Bank was highly intelligent , though because the intelligence was so different from other sentient beings , some observers gained the impression that it was not intelligent at all , but rather a passive recorder and transmitter . The shells of Knowledge Bank mollusks were about a meter wide and glowed faintly . The mollusks opened with a groaning noise . Their interiors were soft and fleshy and had the appearance of a large , pulsing brain . They shone with a strong golden light reminiscent of sunlight . Once open , the mollusks emitted a slow pulsing sound through the water . The Bank used telepathy to store information in its database and communicate it to those who sought their knowledge . A network of non - sentient fish scattered throughout the oceans of Mon Calamari collected information and relayed it to the Bank . The Bank mollusks themselves had incredible data storage abilities , allowing them to record the details of every event that had taken place in the waters of Mon Calamari . However , the Bank only held information on events within the Mon Calamari ocean , as well as any information in the thoughts of those who had come near it . Furthermore , the information could become distorted over time . Leia Organa Solo theorized that the Bank ' s abilities were due to the Force , though she was unable to detect any Force usage from the organisms . Role on Mon Calamari . The mollusks of the Knowledge Bank sat in a scattered jumble on a coral shelf twelve meters below the surface , in a narrow canyon near the city of Coral Depths . Only a handful of Mon Calamari ' s inhabitants knew of the existence of the Knowledge Bank , most of them leaders and diplomats . They were also taught how to communicate with the organism . Even fewer , mostly high - ranking leaders and priests of Mon Calamari , knew that the Bank was a communal intelligence . Leia Organa Solo believed herself to be the only Human to know of the Bank ' s existence , although at least two others , Lando Calrissian and her own husband Han Solo , had visited it too . However , there were others who knew of it as well . In the year 1 BBY , a local on Mon Calamari was known to rant to customers of his boats that the Bank was dangerous . Despite that , it was still a very well - kept secret , and many natives of Mon Calamari would have given their lives to prevent the Empire from learning of it . The Mon Calamari and Quarren considered the Knowledge Bank the most precious resource of their world , and a priceless record of history . They treated it as a sacred object , and therefore refrained from performing any studies on it . To be allowed to visit it was an honor granted to few . Usage . Those who wished to communicate with the Knowledge Bank first needed to be in open water . Telepathic thoughts from the Bank could be heard as far away as the surface , at least twelve meters away . The inhabitants of Mon Calamari communicated with the Knowledge Bank in a highly ritualized way . They would first address the Bank , asking it to give them the knowledge they were looking for . One of the shells would then open , revealing its swirling brain - like interior , and would emit a stream of yellow light . If the Bank chose to accept the question , several other shells would open and begin processing the information . A long communion with the Bank would then begin , during which visitors had to use a special , slow , rhythmic language . There were also several ritualistic motions and sounds made in this part of the rite . The Bank would finally telepathically transmit images and sounds directly into the mind of the questioner to answer their query . It was also possible to communicate with the Bank telepathically through the Force , without the use of the Mon Calamari rituals . That grew more difficult when more remote or specific memories were needed to be retrieved . Some individuals were even known to access the knowledge of the Bank without the use of ritual or the Force . If the shells were open and broadcasting telepathically , they could sift through the millions of voices to find the one of the person whose information they sought . Use of the Bank by weak - minded individuals could be highly dangerous . Beings caught unaware could find their minds overwhelmed by the rush of thoughts . Some believed the Bank to be a dangerous organism that devoured minds and souls . History . In 32 BBY , Tikkes kept an intelligent mollusk , presumably a member of the Knowledge Bank , in a pool in his Senate office for record - keeping . In 1 BBY , Illyan Webble came to Mon Calamari while on the run from a group of Hutts . When his skiff sank near the Knowledge Bank , Webble was eaten by Mon Calamari ' s native sea life , but his thoughts were stored within the Bank . A group consisting of Han Solo , Chewbacca , Calrissian , Greedo , and Jozzel Moffet later came to Mon Calamari in search of Webble , who knew the location of the treasured Yavin Vassilika . The local who rented them their skiff warned them of the Bank , insisting that it would devour their minds and take their souls . Ignoring them , they went in search of it anyway and eventually heard distant voices coming from the water below . Han , Lando , and Jozzel dove into the water , where they soon found Webble ' s sunken skiff and partially eaten body . They continued to follow the voices to their source , arriving at the Knowledge Bank . The trio listened to the millions of voices surrounding them , attempting to pick out Webble ' s voice . Jozzel eventually did , but was almost overwhelmed by the voices and had to be carried back to the surface . Over a decade later , in 11 ABY , Cilghal and Organa Solo swam to the Bank in their search for Admiral Gial Ackbar , who had gone into seclusion after destroying the Cathedral of Winds on Vortex . Cilghal communicated with the organisms using the proper Mon Calamari rituals and soon learned where to find him . Leia would later reminisce about the event in her diary , though she believed herself to be the only Human who knew of the Bank ' s existence . Cilghal later seemed regretful that she had shown it to Leia . Behind the scenes . Though most sources indicate that even the existence of the Knowledge Bank is a secret , some sources portray it as open information . " The Official Star Wars Fact File " , for instance , states that Mon Calamari is famous for it . In addition , " " has inhabitants of Mon Calamari freely speaking of it . Furthermore , as indicated above by the different ways of accessing the Bank , " Underworld " gives a different picture of this process . The mollusks are already open and telepathically broadcasting any thoughts they have received . Nothing needs to be done to get them to open or communicate , and no special ritual or Force ability is needed to listen to them .