Artifacts

"Gather around Younglings!"
In the elderly woman's hand rested a cube, made of a beautiful blue crystal, and ornately decorated with copper accents. It was small, about the size of a small puzzle box. It gleamed in the light of the sun from the high windows, the polished copper reflecting the wide eyes of the crowd of children surrounding the woman in their short robes.
"Now, who can tell me wha-"
"Thats a Holocron Master!" answered a small dark haired girl from the front of the group.
Master Jocasta Nu smiled at the eagerness of the Youngling, "Very good Maeveli. Yes, this is a Holocron. Now can anyone else tell me what its purpose is?"
Maeveli frowned in disappointment, as she knew the answer. She was fascinated with old artifacts, and had studied them with a curiosity and eagerness not out of character for an already eager student.
Another student answered, "They're like fancy datapads!"
Jocasta chuckled, "Yes. They are storage devices powered by the Force itself. Only a Jedi may activate them, and we store our most sacred knowledge within the Holocrons."
Master Jocasta let the holocron float into the air, and with no visible effort slowly opened the holocron as the Younglings watched. The corners of the cube turned with an acute deliberateness, each floating away from the central octahedron. The entire apparatus rotated slowly, Jocasta imparting a small flare of the dramatic for the Younglings. This was the first time they had witnessed the opening of a Holocron, and she wanted it to be a special memory for them. As the final corner opened, she moved the holocron higher and the corners darted farther away, a bright blue light shining from them to form a hologram of a Jedi Master.
"Hello Younglings."
This would elicit awe from the Younglings to the tune of a few gasps and "wows!". In response the hologram chuckled, appearing amused with himself, eliciting even more awe.
"Master, is the holocron alive?" Maeveli asked, staring at the hologram that appeared to be interacting with the small crowd of Younglings.
"Well yes, and no, in a manner of speaking." answered the hologram. At the back of group a Togruta youngling unmistakably mouthed the words "thats so cool!"
"Younglings this is Master Baku, he was on the High Council hundreds of years ago and is the Gatekeeper of this Holocron." said Jocasta.
"You see Younglings, when a holocron is created a Jedi imprints their neural patterns into the crystal that powers it. We call this imprint "gatekeepers", and they exist to guide Jedi and assist in accessing the information held within. So when I created this holocron, I imprinted myself onto it. Through it and the Force, I may speak to you now hundreds of years after my body has joined the Cosmic Force."
"Well if they're called "Gatekeepers", doesn't that imply that you also withhold knowledge too?" Maeveli asked aloud.
Master Baku gave a slight smile, like that of a patient parent, "Yes. We also exist to keep information safe from those who should not have it."
"Well if only Jedi can access it, who would we keep information from?"
"There are more Force users in the galaxy than just Jedi young one. And even amongst the Jedi there is information that is not safe for all, especially for you, Younglings."
"But if we invented Holocrons how does anyone else know how to open them? Didn't we have to teach them?"
Master Baku made a pained face for a moment, looking at Jocasta Nu who nodded slowly. "The Jedi didn't invent the Holocrons Youngling. No, the Sith had invented them generations before the Jedi ever learned of their making, and the method of doing so is not far from the original methods of the Sith. That is why so few are made, and the teaching of their making is so limited to only those who are truly centered in the Force. You see the Light and Da-"
Jocasta Nu interjected quickly, "But that is not something you all are quite ready to learn, Younglings."
The group of Younglings had fallen silent at the mention of the Sith, and the interruption of Master Baku's musings. Master Jocasta turned and gave a slight bow to Master Baku, who nodded in return as the hologram disappeared. She turned to the Younglings beckoning them to come as she began to guide them, one by one, through opening the holocron.
"You must be focused! Clear your mind, and be at peace. It is only then that you may sense the mechanism within and open the holocron." She mused, watching as some pupils struggled to calm themselves while others opened it with some difficulty.
Maeveli, unsurprisingly, opened the holocron with ease, earning the praise of Master Jocosta. As the class went through one by one and everyone had managed to open the holocron, Master Jocasta spoke to the group.
"Now Younglings, that is all for today. I believe tomorrow Master Yoda wishes to show you all something very special! Off you go!" She watched as they filed out of the archives, waiting to make sure they were all on their way when she turned and saw Maeveli waiting for her.
"Master, I was wondering if I could learn more about the holocrons?"
Jocasta frowned slightly, "Maeveli you are still too young for that. You have so much other training that you should be focused on!"
Maeveli's heart sank, and Master Jocasta could see it. She took pity, the girl only wanted to learn. She was a very smart girl, and was well ahead of her peers when it came to artifacts after all. What harm could there be?
"Alright, but you may only use this holocron, and only here in the archives! Bring it straight to me when you're finished!" With that she handed the holocron over to Maeveli, and motioned her over to a small table where she could be seen from the archive's center. Maeveli excited took the holocron and opened it immediately, seeing the blue visage of Master Baku come alive again.
"Oh, well hello little one. Back again so soon? And where is Master Jocasta?"
"She let me borrow the holocron so I could learn more! Shes right over there!" as she pointed to Jocasta at her desk.
"Ah, well then" he smiled "what would you like to know?"