By Chris Snellgrove | Published
As a general rule, TV fans don't take Easter eggs seriously. After all, these aren't usually small jokes inserted into an episode by someone trying to keep themselves funny. Every once in a while, though, an Easter egg introduces something else entirely to change the game effects of a fictional universe. That is exactly what is happening in the area Andor episode “The Announcement,” but most Star Wars fans didn't see it because the Easter egg is almost unreadable.
At the end of the episode, Cassian Andor is arrested by a Stormtrooper and sentenced to six years in prison despite having committed no crime other than trying to reason with a space police officer. Like most of the show, this episode emphasizes the prevention of evil and shows how the cogs of fascism are anointed by the bureaucracy like blood. Look closely at some of the data plates in this episode, and you can see what the various prisoners were imprisoned for. Another infamous prisoner was arrested for “suspected military sensitivity,” which secretly explains how the Empire kept the galaxy safe without firing a single shot.
Hope You Brought Your Decoder Ring
In “The Proclamation,” the prisoner arrested on suspicion of military activity is not a real character. Name given by Keith Seymoure, which is in honor of Andor set up a concept artist for the decoration of the same name. Yes, you cannot read easily anywhere of this because the data plate in question is written in Aurabesh, the fictional language that Star Wars characters used to communicate in Galactic Basic. If you know how to read Aurabesh (there are an alarming number of guides on the Internet), it is very easy to interpret what the data plates say.
Keith's plate has two charges written on it. First, he was charged with assaulting an officer of the Governor, which makes sense. Obviously the Empire would like to discourage violence against Stormtroopers or other Imperial agents, especially as the Rebellion's influence grows. However, the second case is more interesting. According to the data plate, Keith was also arrested because the authorities suspected that he might use the Force.
Intergalactic Witchhunt
Now, it will be known to scan prisoners' blood samples for midichlorians to determine if they are Force sensitive or not. This is exactly what Qui-Gon Jinn does to ensure Anakin Skywalker's strength in the Force. But we never saw the Imperials Andor make an effort to do so. Given the game's extremely bleak portrayal of Imperial justice, it seems that most of the police don't care if the case is true or can prove it or not. Instead, this becomes the Star Wars equivalent of an ongoing witch hunt, allowing the Empire to track down, imprison, and kill anyone it doesn't like.
It's a smart strategy, really. In addition to giving the Empire a reason to incarcerate innocent people, the law against Force sensitivity helps keep people from fearing the Jedi. This law paints the Jedi as criminals and makes people even more afraid to associate themselves and someone who can use the Force. At the same time, it effectively encourages citizens to report any unusual activity from their friends, families, and neighbors. Over time, this may lead to the arrest, investigation, and actual execution of more than a few genuine sympathizers. Mostly, though, this law does what the State does best: it keeps everyone in line through fear.
When Sithi's Revenge came out, many of us were shocked that all these powerful Jedi were taken out by the Clone Troopers. As it turns out, magic power and a laser sword can only do so much if enough people shoot at it. Now, Andor he has revealed that the Jedi can be defeated by something far more insidious than military might: mindless neighbors. Because of this law, anyone can be arrested at any time and held indefinitely for “crimes” they did not commit. Are these things scary? Definitely. But what else would you expect from a kingdom led by a lightning-firing monster and his asthmatic robot?
