Established along the Galactic Frontier in the Inugg system, the Jedi temple outpost on Banchii was the second such location in the system, opening after the on Hon-Tallos. Located within a grove of enormous trees with large boughs of billowing, narrow leaves on whip-like branches, the Temple itself was constructed inside and around two of these trees. The larger of the two trees housed the main hall of the Temple at its base, while a central tower erupted from the top of the trunk, with a large bough of branches hanging to the side. The pinnacle of the tower resembled the three-finned crown of the Grand Jedi Temple on Coruscant. A viaduct connected the middle portion of the temple to a neighboring tree trunk. A second tree's upper boughs had been removed and replaced with a large landing platform that connected to the central structure by a hanging bridge. The temple forecourt was a grassy area framed by the tree's great roots and was situated on the shores of a large lake that bordered the surrounding forests and grass lands.
The interior of the Temple was austere and sparse, with large open rooms open to the settlers that inhabited the surrounding region. An Archives maintained by Jedi archivist Ru-Ru contained the accumulation of knowledge the Order had about the planet's ecosystems. The Temple also contained an infirmary staffed by Doctor Silar was equipped with tools and medical equipment needed to treat most injuries that could be sustained on an agrarian colony world. A communications suite within the Temple was key to the planet's infrastructure. A small balcony situated on the lower trunk of the central tree was dotted with small potted plants that were maintained by the attentive Jedi Master Arkoff.
Established by the Jedi Order during the administration of Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh, the Temple served as the hub of activity of a fledgling farming settlement in the surrounding fields. The settlement's population was bolstered by refugees of the Great Hyperspace Disaster and Nihil attacks, such as a group from Ta'klah. The Temple was under the command of Master Arkoff, a venerable Wookiee who was accompanied by his former student, Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi and her Padawan Keerin Fionn. In addition to Archivist Ru-Ru and Doctor Silar, the two Initiates Nima and Viv'nia lived at the Temple.
As the settlement around the Temple began to thrive in the wake of the Emergences, a string of odd events took place within the Temple proper, and the greater community. Arkoff discovered several potted plants destroyed on a balcony, while Tora-Asi reported strange sounds in the night. In the settlement, Mr. Kooba suffered from a strange paralysis before being completely turned into wood. The source of the disturbances was discovered to be an infestation of Drengir, giant plant creatures seeded in the community by a Nihil infiltrator in the community. As the settlers retreated to the safety of the Temple, the Jedi outpost was attacked by Drengir, one of which had managed to get inside the main hall and attack the civilians. Drawn out of the Temple's front gates by Jedi Tora-Asi, the Temple and its people were saved while only sustaining minor damage during the rampage. A week after the attack, following the disaster at the Republic Fair on Valo, Master Stellan Gios arrived at the Temple to call on Master Arkoff and request his assistance off world, leaving Jedi Tora-Asi in charge of the Banchii Temple.
Following the Drengir attack and fearing further Nihil incursions, Tora-Asi led the settlers in the construction of bunkers in the village. During this work, the Jedi welcomed Master Sav Malagán who came bearing difficult news of impending Nihil attacks and the violence that would befall Banchii if the settlers planned only to hide from the marauders rather than meet them in open battle. Advising the Banchii Jedi to prepare the settlers for a hard fight for their lives, Malagán openly clashed with Tora-Asi, who sought to continue on with her plans for the future of Banchii. Returning to the Temple for further discussion, the Banchii Jedi assembled in their operations hall to review what they knew about the Nihil and their interference in the village. When Ru-Ru discovered planetary communications systems were inoperable, Tora-Asi agreed to take the Initiates to Starlight Beacon and alert the Jedi there to the communications breakdown. While Tora-Asi was away, Padawan Fionn discovered sabotage within the Temple's internal systems and alerted Master Malagán to the impending invasion.
As the Nihil starfighters dropped into the skies around the Temple, Master Malagán and Padawan Fionn led the defense of the Temple and the settlers. As Nihil marauders made their way to the Temple on foot, the Ru-Ru defended the gates using the Force to hurl the attackers away while the armed settlers fired on the terrorists. Within the forests, Nihil setup cannons and began to rain artillery fire on the Temple's spire I an attempt to compromise the Jedi's hold on the facility. Recognizing that the Temple was lost, the returned Jedi Knight Tora-Asi ordered the evacuation of all settlers and Jedi before using her own Vector starfighter to fire on the Temple in an attempt to prevent the Nihil from gaining access to the Archives within. Tora-Asi's attack collapsed the Temple spire, which fell onto the landing platform and destroyed the facility. As smoke billowed from the ruins of the Temple, the surviving Jedi and settlers boarded the Temple's remaining cargo ship and retreated to Coruscant.
Over the following year, Tora-Asi reestablished the temple.
- Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Timelines
- Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees