Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers from Episodes 1-3 of Andor.Although Andor is a much different type of Star Wars adventure than what we have seen before, Cassian (Diego Luna) shares some qualities with the franchise’s most beloved heroes. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) all have an inherent ability to “fly almost anything.” This goes back to one of George Lucas’ oldest influences on the saga; as a teenager, he became an ace engineer and racer when he was growing up in Modesto, California.
We learn a lot about each Star Wars heroes’ personalities through the relationships that they have with their vehicle of choice. Han pours his heart and soul into a “piece of junk” like the Millennium Falcon, a young Anakin’s creation of a (Jake Lloyd) podracer shows his ingenuity, and even Din refashions his N-1 Starfighter so that it has a spot for Grogu. In Andor, a young Cassian (Antonio Viña), who is then known as “Kassa,” is rescued from his homeworld of Kenari by Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw). She takes him away from the dangerous environment in a starship, thus introducing him to the larger galaxy.
Cassian spends a lot of time on this same starship once his family settles down on Ferrix. In the first three episodes, Cassian hides items like his starmap in the quarters of his ship. It’s likely that we will see more flashbacks sprinkled throughout the first season that will look back on Kassa’s childhood, but we can already deduce some things about him based on what he does with the ship.
Maarva and Clem Andor Were the First to Own the Ship
When Maarva and her husband, Clem (Gary Beadle), first land on Kenari, they are not looking to adopt any children. They are clearly in a warzone and based on the design of the Republic gunships that fly overhead, this is set around or before the Clone Wars. A young Kassa explores the wreckage of a crashed spacecraft, where he sees the body of an unidentified man. Maarva knows that if more Republic forces are coming, Kassa will be in danger.
It’s not clear where Maarva’s allegiance lies; the insignia on the ship has the logo of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but she tells Clem that “people who’ve just killed a Republic officer, it’ll be open season here the moment that frigate lands,” in reference to Kassa. Is Maarva a Separatist sympathizer, or did she have an ulterior motive for making Kassa join her? Either way, it’s clear that Maarva is an experienced pilot who has made many enemies throughout her exploits.
If this is the ship that Maarva eventually “settles down with,” it does suggest a few things. Perhaps, Maarva, Clem, and Kassa may have been on the run for long enough that they didn’t have time to claim another ship. We also know that Star Wars characters have a habit of tooling with their ships to enhance them; Han is constantly adding new additions to the Millenium Falcon throughout the saga. The Andor family’s ship is now far removed from whatever its original purpose was.
Cassian’s Introduction To Flying
It’s important to note that prior to being picked up by Maarva, Kassa likely did not have any experience with off-worlders. Kenari is a largely primitive world that seems relatively untouched by the rest of the galaxy until the Clone Wars-era battle in “Reckoning.” The voyage that Kassa takes at the end of the episode when Maarva leaves Kenari is likely the first time that he has been off-world. It’s his first introduction to the larger galaxy that exists beyond his home.
This may give Kassa (now Cassian, as he’s been adopted by the Andors) a nostalgic feeling for the same ship. Maarva and Clem are scavengers who search throughout the galaxy for tools and remnants, so a young Cassian probably spent a lot of time with his parents as they traveled to different worlds. Cassian’s journey is ultimately an immigrant story; he may not feel “at home” on any planet other than Kenari. The ship (and as a result, the Andors) is perhaps a stand-in for the family that was taken from him.
It’s unclear when the Andor family chose to “settle down” on Ferrix, but Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) mentions that Clem was killed by the Empire at one point. Maarva may have stepped back in her duties after losing her husband, and transferred some of her responsibilities to Cassian. Maarva was a “rogue” of sorts in her day, and Cassian is now inheriting that family legacy.
Maarva's Ship Becomes Cassian's When They Are on Ferrix
Cassian has clearly taken the ship for himself as he takes care of his adopted mother on Ferrix. He is able to travel off-world to Morlana One to search for his sister, unbeknownst to Maarva. When he visits her in her small apartment space, she is seemingly retired from her life of scavenging. Cassian now hides his ship in a junkyard. He takes time to relax here in between gigs, and it is where he hides his starmap, an expensive and rare bargaining chip. We see this hiding place used by Clem and Maarva in flashbacks as well.
Based on Cassian’s interactions with Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), he is involved in some black market smuggling operations that could attract the attention of Preox-Morlana. It’s clear that Cassian has the heart of an adventurer; his determination to find his sister and his quick on-the-fly thinking serve him well, but he will face danger when tangling with the empire. The ship is a symbol of his hope, and later on, the spark of his rebellious instinct.
Cassian is able to escape with Luthen at the end of “Reckoning” after eluding the Pre-Mor authorities. Although they may be traveling off-world, Cassian still has ties to Ferrix, and feels obligated to help Bix and Maarva. It won’t be the last time he visits the planet, and it won’t be the last we see of his ship either.