- "Mimbranes are as unreliable as they are cheap."
- ―Dengar
The Q'nithian mimbrane, also known as the mimbrane organism, was an unusual creature as it was essentially a living organic recording device. They appeared as thin pasty white sheets that were no longer than a Human finger. The creatures surface essentially consumed sound that was being emitted from its surroundings. They also possessed rudimentary sight buds allowing them to distinguish between light and dark. Though possessing small brains, the creatures would be trained to follow the simple commands of their owners to "play back" the sounds that they recorded. This made them the perfect recording "tool," as their small size—combined with their abilities—allowed people to smuggle them into conversations that they wanted to store for later use.
Mimbrane organisms were grown in large colonies, one of which was present on one of the Q'nithian system's moons. This group lived deep within the fault and fissures of the planet's rocky surface.
Biology and appearance
- "Drop a mimbrane close to your target and it'll absorb all sound. When you squeeze it later, it'll spit up everything it 'ate' in a perfect audio playback. Because the mimbrane is an animal (or maybe a plant—I'm not an expert) it's got no electronic components to show up on anti-bugging scans. But you won't get any pictures out of it, and a mimbrane's captured soundspace is sometimes so muddy you can't make out individual voices."
- ―Chentu Chek, The Bounty Hunter Code
Cross section of a small mimbrane
Chentu Chek, a twenty-three year veteran and the Armory Master of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, considered the mimbrane an almost untraceable listening device, though was unable to identify whether a Q'nithian mimbrane qualified as a plant or an animal. Q'nithian mimbranes were also edible by Skrillings.[2]
History
- "Fat little thing, ain't it? Looks like the Q'nithian sent it over here, all stuffed with information."
"What else? That's what these things are for. Let's see what it's got for us." - ―Vol Hamame and Phedroi
Q'nithian mimbranes were discovered by the Bounty Hunter's Guild on the Q'nithian moon, leading the organization to cultivate its own colonies of the creature. They came to reside in the cellars of many Guildhouses, where they could be retrieved by Guild bounty hunters for free.[2]
In 4 ABY, a Q'nithian Aeropteryx used a Q'nithian mimbrane to record a discussion with the bounty hunter Dengar that revealed the survival of Dengar's partner, Boba Fett. The Aeropteryx subsequently sent the mimbrane through a cantina, where it was overheard by Senni Tonnika repeating some of Dengar's words; Senni mentioned the voice to her sister, Brea. Making its way to a booth on the far side of the cantina, the mimbrane was received by the criminals Vol Hamame and Phedroi, for whom it replayed Dengar and the Aeropteryx's conversation.[3]
Appearances
- The Mandalorian Armor (First appearance)
Sources
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (as mimbrane organism)
- The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett