Chewbacca Secretly Created a Wookiee Spy Network in Solo

Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars #13 ahead!

The latest issue of Star Wars reveals that Chewbacca’s actions in Solo: A Star Wars Story led to the creation of his own Wookiee spy network. The current Star Wars comics continue to incorporate characters and ideas from recent films and shows to build out the universe. This latest storyline shows that Chewie’s actions in the standalone prequel film have a ripple effect on the hunt for Han Solo’s frozen carbonite body, and on the Rebel Alliance as a whole.

A key scene in 2017’s Solo: A Star Wars Story sees Han, Chewie, and the rest of their crew storming the spice mines of Kessel in order to steal some unrefined coaxium. They encounter a number of slaves working in the mines, including some Wookiees, the most notable among them being a male Wookiee named Sagwa. A revolt breaks out among the slaves and Chewie risks his life to rescue Sagwa and the other Wookiees. The mission is successful, and he and Sagwa embrace before Chewie departs with Han on the Millennium Falcon.

Chewbacca’s heroism pays off years later, as seen during Star Wars #13 by Charles Soule, Ramon Rosanas, Rachelle Rosenberg and VC’s Clayton Cowles. Taking place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the Rebels are attempting to rescue Han Solo’s frozen carbonite body before Boba Fett can take it to Jabba the Hutt. Chewie interrupts Luke’s Jedi training to tell him that they have a lead on Han’s location and they head off to the smuggler moon of Nar Shaddaa. When they arrive, it is revealed that Chewie’s contact is none other than Sagwa, who is now working as a guard in the fighting arena on Nar Shaddaa, where Boba Fett was last spotted.

Threepio translates the conversation between Chewbacca and Sagwa, and tells Luke that Chewie apparently spread word among the galaxy’s free Wookiees that he was looking for Boba Fett and Sagwa reached out. This seems to imply that there is a network of communication among the Wookiees. After resisting the Empire following Revenge of the Sith, the Wookiees were enslaved and shipped off to places like the spice mines of Kessel, where they were forced into manual labor. While some Wookiees were freed during Solo and others are seeing being rescued during the events of the Star Wars: Rebels show, there are still not many free Wookiees in the galaxy. It would make sense that those who are free from the Empire’s clutches would stay in contact with each other and rely on one another for information.

As shown in the issue, Wookiees are intensely loyal to each other and to those who help them. This has been seen in the relationship between Chewie and Han, and Threepio mentions that Sagwa feels that he owes a great debt to Chewie, whom he sees as almost a brother. Sagwa ends up losing his home and livelihood on Nar Shaddaa as a result of helping Chewie – which he must have known was a strong possibility. He ends up joining the Rebellion after he escapes the moon with Luke and Chewbacca.

Time will tell whether or not Chewie calls on other free Wookiees for assistance in the comics or other Star Wars stories. Wookiees are incredibly tough and fierce warriors who are often underestimated as being nothing more than dumb beasts. Sagwa and Chewbacca’s other Wookiee contacts would have a lot to offer the Rebellion. At the very least, Chewbacca’s choices in Solo: A Star Wars Story end up helping in this mission and getting them closer to tracking down Han Solo, proving that seemingly small actions can have huge repercussions.