Mine towns The five mine towns contained the human population of Mimban . They were established and overseen by the Galactic Empire , and consisted primarily of miner s operating the energy drill and other mine equipment gathering resources for the Empire . Description . When the Galactic Empire set up a mining operation on Circarpous V , also known as Mimban , they required housing for the many miner s that would operate their energy drill and other equipment , as well as Stormtroopers and other Imperial officials to administer the Empire ' s interests . For this purpose the five mining towns were established . Since Imperial operations on Mimban were secret , the towns catered to no visitors beyond the occasional migrant from one of the other towns . Indeed , outsiders would find themselves subject to arrest . Law in the towns was lax . The Captain - Supervisor believed that it was necessary for miners to blow off steam every so often , and so a blind eye was turned toward brawls or roughhousing . Use of deadly weapons , however , or other more serious crimes brought swift arrest and punishment . History . Long before the Galactic Empire came to Mimban an unknown race constructed gray - stone ruins and temples across the surface . This race may have been related to the Thrella , who made the Thrella well s , but the Empire believed whatever race constructed them is long extinct . By 2 ABY the Empire had discovered that Mimban contained materials valuable enough for energy mining . Energy mining was illegal on worlds with a native population , such as Mimban , and so the Empire decided to keep their operation a secret from the rest of the Circarpous system , particularly the inhabitants of Circarpous IV and Circarpous X . To facilitate this deception they constructed the five mining towns and the mining equipment , particularly the energy drill , to be shut down if any starships passed within several planetary radii of Mimban . Mimban ' s naturally thick atmosphere provided another layer of concealment , and the fallout from the energy drill would also short - circuit any starship entering Mimban ' s atmosphere . Although the Galactic Empire set up a small science outpost among the five towns , they were not particularly interested in the history of the planet or its inhabitants . The Coway stayed clear of the mining towns , and the Mimbanite s were quickly subjugated . In 2 ABY Captain - Supervisor Grammel administered the five towns efficiently , and gained a reputation for cruelty that kept the miners in line . While en route to a conference between the Alliance to Restore the Republic and various Circarpous resistance groups , Princess Leia Organa suffered a malfunction to her Y - wing . She detected a landing beacon from the five towns and , incorrectly assuming it was a small automated station or scientific outpost , she and her droid companion C - 3PO changed course to land on Mimban . Luke Skywalker and R2 - D2 , accompanying her in an X - wing , followed . Both were affected by the energy drill ' s electromagnetic discharge and crashed . While passing themselves off as miners , Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa were approached by a force - sensitive woman named Halla , who sought their help in recovering the legendary Kaiburr crystal . Before they could assist her , however , they were arrested and brought to Imperial headquarters . Captain - Supervisor Grammel soon saw through their miner disguise , and threw them in jail . Grammel soon discovered their true identities , from his superiors , and was ordered to keep them imprisoned until Darth Vader could arrive to collect them . Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker had befriended two Yuzzem captives , Hin and Kee , and with their help they were able to escape despite Grammel ' s best efforts . Halla stole a swamp crawler , and the Rebels successfully escaped the five mine towns with Grammel and Darth Vader following after . Inhabitants . The population of the five towns was mostly human , including miners , other workers , and servants . There were a few non - human workers like Hin and Kee . There was also a population of Mimbanites , a species native to Mimban . They had become degraded by Imperial oppression , and many were addicted to alcohol , debasing themselves to get a fix from the miners . The other known sentient natives of Mimban , the Coway , avoided the towns altogether . Locations . The towns were built among ancient gray - stone ruins . One of these ruins was used to house the Imperial headquarters and prison , near one of the towns . From there the Captain - Supervisor could properly administer mining operations . The towns also included residencies , shops , and taverns that catered to the miners . A small scientific station had been established in the towns as well , to study the Mimban ruins .