The entire Star Wars universe may be large and vast, but the thing is that almost every major event that occurred in the galaxy is linked with one another through the different people that are involved in them. One such event that was mentioned in the new Andor series is the Battle of Mimban, which was a war that Cassian participated in when he was just a teenager. And we know that Mimban is also something related to Han Solo. So, what is the Battle of Mimban, and how does it connect with Andor and Han Solo?
The Battle of Mimban was a campaign between the Mimbanese Liberation army and the Empire during the early years of Imperial rule. Cassian Andor took part in the Battle of Mimban at the age of 16. Meanwhile, Han was dispatched to Mimban by the Imperial Academy during his younger years.
In a way, there is a good chance that Cassian and Han may have crossed paths in Mimban during their younger years, as we aren’t sure for certain whether or not they have met in the past. But what we do know is that both of these men, who have a lot of things in common, are Rebel heroes. And they have histories that can be tied to the Battle of Mimban.
What Is The Battle Of Mimban?
When it comes to Star Wars, there are a lot of different planets and systems involved in the larger scheme of things, as the galaxy is huge. But the thing is that there are some important events that tend to link different people and storylines to the point that they converge. In a way, this must be the will of the Force, as the Jedi would say. One such event is the Battle of Mimban.
Back in the days of the Clone Wars, the Separatists sought to control the swampy planet of Mimban, which is home to the native Mimbanese species that lived there. That’s because the planet is rich in hyperbaride minerals, which the Separatists wanted to control. As such, the Republic sent some Clone Troopers to aid the Mimbanese Liberation Army against the Separatist forces.
But the problem was that the Mimbanese ended up getting into another conflict because the Separatists were only traded for the Empire. In 19 BBY, the Empire sought to exploit Mimban for its rich resources so that the large war vessels that the Imperial forces controlled could have enough power and sustenance. Of course, the Mimbanese once again rose up to challenge their invaders.
The problem of the Empire was that it was difficult for them to fight the Mimbanese resistance due to the swampy terrain of the planet. That was when, in 10 BBY, the Imperial Army Swamp troopers and wet-weather gear stormtroopers were deployed in Mimban to defeat the Mimbanese Liberation Army one and for all.
It is unknown whether or not the Empire was truly successful in defeating the Mimbanese, but we do know that the Imperial forces deployed in a series of trench battles against the Mimbanese were able to win several battles against the native inhabitants of the planet. And while this event wasn’t too big when it comes to the grander scheme of things in Star Wars, it potentially connects two of the most important Rebels in history.
How Does The Battle Of Mimban Connect With Cassian Andor?
Episode 4 of Andor continued where episode 3 left off by allowing us to see Cassian in Luthen Rael’s ship as they were escaping Ferrix. In this scene, Luthen was trying to win Cassian over to his cause because he believed that Andor had gifts and skills that shouldn’t be wasted on a scavenger. On top of that, Luthen believed that Cassian had more reason to hate the Empire than anyone else, and that was one of the things that made him think that Andor would want to fight the Empire.
Still, Cassian initially didn’t want anything to do with Luthen’s war with the Empire because of the fact that he simply wanted to live his life in peace while earning money without getting into trouble with the Imperial forces. And one of the things he said was that he was affected by his participation in the Battle of Mimban.
Cassian said that he was there in Mimban at the age of 16, as he fought in the Battle of Mimban for two years. He did so straight out of prison, as he wasn’t too specific about which side he was fighting for. However, he did say that he was only one of the 50 people that survived the Mimban Campaign, as it was clear that this battle he participated in was not exactly successful.
However, Luthen was quick to show Cassian that his intel on Andor was actually quite vast. He told Andor that he knew about his participation in Mimban. However, Luthen also knew that Cassian was only there as a cook and not as a fighter. And the only reason why Andor survived the Mimban Campaign was the fact that he ran away from it.
In a sense, it is clear that Cassian Andor, as a teenager, was already experienced in war, despite the fact that he may have only participated in the Mimban Campaign as a cook. Of course, we are not sure which side he was fighting for, but it could be possible that he was fighting for the Empire, as the Imperial forces made him work as a cook there after he was released from prison.
At this point, whatever we know about Andor and the Battle of Mimban is still very scarce. However, we do know another character who has a vast history with Mimban because of the fact that the Battle of Mimban was what changed his life forever.
How Does The Battle Of Mimban Connect With Han Solo?
Even though Andor participated in the Battle of Mimban, the one character we know actually battled the Mimbanese was Han Solo, as this story was told in the Solo movie that allowed us to understand more about the history behind the popular Star Wars character.
Straight out of the Imperial Academy, Han Solo was deployed to the Battle of Mimban so that he could participate in the Campaign against the Mimabense Liberation Army as a young trooper that still needed to learn more about what it meant to be in a real battle. He did so as a Swamp Trooper that was trained to handle fighting in the swamps of Mimban.
However, Han ended up getting into trouble with one of the other leaders that participated in that battle, as he was framed for desertion. In fact, these leaders were actually smugglers that were abler to find themselves there when they stole Imperial uniforms. However, the infiltrators were able to convince the other officers that he was planning on deserting the cause in Mimban.
That was when Han Solo was thrown into a pit to be fed to “the beast,” who happened to be Chewbacca. Due to his knowledge of Shyriiwook, the native language of the Wookiees, he was able to befriend Chewy as they both escaped Mimban.
In a way, the Battle of Mimban was Han Solo’s origin story as a character as he ended up becoming a smuggler after he escaped the events that involved him on that planet. And it is possible that, during that time, he and Andor were actually on the same planet.
But whether or not they were able to meet while they were both on Mimban is something that we aren’t quite sure of. And we aren’t even sure whether or not they met during the time of the Rebellion because Han Solo only joined the Rebels right after Cassian perished on Scarif.
