During the times of the Old Republic, the Jedi were in great number throughout the galaxy. Many planets had Jedi training temples, but there were also a few space-based training areas. One of these was the huge Chu’unthor, which had been under the command of Yoda and a few other Jedi Masters.
The Chu’unthor measured two kilometres long, a kilometre wide, and forty metres tall. There was enough room to train 10,000 students, with areas to hone each of the Jedi’s skills. Workshops allowed the students space enough to build their lightsabres, while sparring rooms let them train with their new weapons. Meditation is a big part of becoming a Jedi, and special meditation rooms let the students attune themselves with the Force. In short, the ship would give the students all that they needed to know, so that when they received their call to step out into the galaxy alone to help others, they would be able to do so to the best of their abilities. Libraries made sure the soon-to-be-Jedi knew all there was to know about the alien civilisations of the galaxy, from languages to art; Jedi teachings to theoretical and advanced sciences; literature to history.
By the time Luke arrived on the planet Dathomir, the Jedi ship was four centuries old. The ship’s mission had been to find young Jedi throughout the galaxy, and to train them on board. This was made easier by the way the Chu’unthor had been constructed. It is well-known that alien species, indeed even the most seasoned spacers, sometimes find starships claustrophobic. To alleviate this, the Jedi ship was built with wide corridors and high ceilings. Large viewports and domes were scattered throughout, and classes were held in large rooms that looked out on to the stars. This served two purposes: firstly, the young Jedi would not feel closed-in and cut-off from the stars, and secondly they would also remember that what they were learning was not just for themselves, but the good of the galaxy.
Unfortunately the Chu’unthor tragically crashed on Dathomir, a planet that was strangely in tune with the Force. The Nightsisters that populated this planet had learned how to harness the Force, and used it to gain power and control the rancors that ran wild on Dathomir. When the huge ship crashed, the Nightsisters surrounded and attacked it. Thankfully Yoda managed to negotiate a truce with a young witch named Rell, whose life he had saved. The truce meant that the Jedi had to leave their reader tapes behind, but at least they were free to go.
Unbeknownst to the Nightsisters, Yoda had asked Rell to hide the reader tapes. He told her that one day a Jedi would arrive on Dathomir and rid it of the evil Nightsisters, and that she should give him the tapes. The Jedi was Luke, and he did indeed fulfil Yoda’s prophecy. Rell gave Luke the reader tapes, which he used as a foundation for his Jedi praxeum on Yavin Four.
Not all prophecies come true, although some are still to be fulfilled. The story of the Chu’unthor showed what can happen if one never loses faith in something one knows might happen.