Knowledge Bank

The Knowledge Bank was structured as a community of bivalve mollusks with sentient qualities, residing within the oceans surrounding the planet of Mon Calamari. The Bank had been present for countless years, although it remains unclear whether it consisted of the same individual organisms or if they had reproduced over time. The Knowledge Bank possessed considerable intelligence, yet its nature differed so significantly from other sentient beings that some observers mistakenly perceived it as merely a passive recorder and transmitter rather than a truly intelligent entity.

The shells of the mollusks comprising the Knowledge Bank were approximately one meter in diameter and emitted a faint glow. When opened, they produced a groaning sound. The interiors of these mollusks were soft and fleshy, bearing a resemblance to a sizable, pulsating brain. They radiated a powerful golden light, evocative of sunlight. Upon opening, the mollusks generated a gradually pulsing sound that resonated through the water.

To store information within its database and communicate it to those seeking knowledge, the Bank used telepathy. A network composed of non-sentient fish, distributed across the oceans of Mon Calamari, gathered information and transmitted it to the Bank. The Bank mollusks themselves possessed remarkable data storage capabilities, enabling them to record details of every event occurring within Mon Calamari's waters. However, the Bank's information was limited to events within the Mon Calamari ocean, as well as any information present in the thoughts of individuals who approached it. Furthermore, the information was susceptible to distortion over time. Leia Organa Solo proposed that the Force was the source of the Bank's abilities, although she could not detect any Force usage emanating from the organisms.

The Knowledge Bank's mollusks were positioned in a disorganized arrangement on a coral ledge located twelve meters beneath the surface, within a narrow canyon close to the city of Coral Depths.

Only a select few of Mon Calamari's inhabitants were aware of the Knowledge Bank's existence, primarily leaders and diplomats. They were also instructed on how to interact with the organism. An even smaller number, mostly high-ranking leaders and priests of Mon Calamari, recognized the Bank as a collective intelligence. Leia Organa Solo believed she was the only Human familiar with the Bank's existence, despite the fact that at least two others, Lando Calrissian and her husband Han Solo, had also visited it. However, there were others who knew of it as well. In the year 1 BBY, a Mon Calamari local was known to warn his boat customers about the Bank's potential dangers. Nevertheless, the Bank remained a closely guarded secret, and many Mon Calamari natives were willing to sacrifice their lives to prevent the Empire from discovering it.

The Mon Calamari and Quarren held the Knowledge Bank as their world's most valuable resource, and an irreplaceable historical record. They regarded it as a sacred entity, refraining from conducting any studies on it. The privilege of visiting the Bank was an honor reserved for only a select few.

To communicate with the Knowledge Bank, individuals were required to be in open water. The Bank's telepathic thoughts could be perceived as far as the surface, at a distance of at least twelve meters.

Mon Calamari's inhabitants employed a highly structured ritual when communicating with the Knowledge Bank. They would begin by addressing the Bank, requesting the knowledge they sought. Subsequently, one of the shells would open, revealing its swirling, brain-like interior, and would release a stream of yellow light. If the Bank decided to accept the question, several other shells would open and commence processing the information. A prolonged communion with the Bank would then commence, during which visitors were required to use a specialized, slow, rhythmic language. This part of the rite also involved several ritualistic motions and sounds. Finally, the Bank would transmit images and sounds directly into the questioner's mind telepathically, providing the answer to their query.

It was also possible to use the Force to communicate with the Bank telepathically, bypassing the Mon Calamari rituals. However, this method became more challenging when retrieving more distant or specific memories. Some individuals were even known to access the Bank's knowledge without relying on ritual or the Force. If the shells were open and broadcasting telepathically, they could sift through the multitude of voices to locate the voice of the person whose information they were seeking.

Using the Bank could be extremely dangerous for individuals with weak minds. Unprepared beings could find their minds overwhelmed by the flood of thoughts. Some believed the Bank to be a dangerous entity that consumed minds and souls.

In 32 BBY, Tikkes maintained an intelligent mollusk, presumably a member of the Knowledge Bank, within a pool in his Senate office for record-keeping.

In 1 BBY, Illyan Webble arrived on Mon Calamari while fleeing a group of Hutts. When his skiff sank near the Knowledge Bank, Webble was consumed by Mon Calamari's native sea life, but his thoughts were preserved within the Bank. Later, a group consisting of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Calrissian, Greedo, and Jozzel Moffet traveled to Mon Calamari in search of Webble, who possessed knowledge of the location of the treasured Yavin Vassilika. The local who rented them their skiff cautioned them about the Bank, warning that it would devour their minds and steal their souls. Ignoring the warning, they proceeded to search for it and eventually detected distant voices emanating from the water below. Han, Lando, and Jozzel dove into the water, where they soon discovered Webble's sunken skiff and partially consumed body. They continued to follow the voices to their origin, arriving at the Knowledge Bank. The trio listened to the countless voices surrounding them, attempting to isolate Webble's voice. Jozzel eventually succeeded, but was nearly overwhelmed by the voices and had to be carried back to the surface.

Captain Bok expressed praise for the Pakoukou after surviving the attack on Tak Base.

More than a decade later, in 11 ABY, Cilghal and Organa Solo swam to the Bank in their search for Admiral Gial Ackbar, who had retreated into seclusion after destroying the Cathedral of Winds on Vortex. Cilghal communicated with the organisms using the appropriate Mon Calamari rituals and quickly learned where to locate him. Leia later reflected on the event in her diary, believing herself to be the only Human aware of the Bank's existence. Cilghal later appeared regretful that she had revealed it to Leia.

While most accounts suggest that even the existence of the Knowledge Bank is a secret, some sources depict it as publicly known information. For example, The Official Star Wars Fact File states that Mon Calamari is renowned for it. Furthermore, Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika portrays inhabitants of Mon Calamari speaking freely about it.

Additionally, as indicated above by the different ways of accessing the Bank, Underworld presents a different depiction of this process. The mollusks are consistently open and telepathically broadcasting any thoughts they have received. No action is required to prompt them to open or communicate, and no special ritual or Force ability is necessary to listen to them.

Strongholds of Resistance established that Pakoukou, initially mentioned in "Sand Blasted," was an alternate name for the Knowledge Bank.