Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of Andor.War is never an easy thing to portray. There is almost never a proper path to follow, and most decisions one might take often lead to casualties, bloodshed, loss of life. It doesn’t matter what you’re fighting for or what your ideals motivate your actions, the only way to not get dirty is to not engage in one. We learn this lesson in real life and in many movies and series, one of the most emblematic ones beingStar Wars- “wars” are even in the title, you see. Now,Andoris further consolidating the franchise’s status as one that best navigate this theme.
Over the show’s second arc, main characterCassian Andor(Diego Luna) found himself as part of a small group of rebels preparing to attack an Imperial garrison in Aldhani. The goal was to steal a quarterly payroll for an entire sector of the galaxy, and the mission was accomplished, but, unfortunately, it also left behind a trail of blood, as it often happens. The mind behind the attack was Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), who saw in this the possibility of jump-starting the feeling of rebellion in people across the galaxy, and he was successful in doing so, turning even senator Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) concerns into motivation, as seen in the show’s latest episode, “Announcements”. But is this really the best way to get the point across?
Was the Aldhani Operation Really Necessary?
What happened in Aldhani was not a terrorist attack, and it wasn’t a war operation. It was a heist. At that point in time, theRebellionwasn’t really a thing yet - although mentioned by name in different moments of the show and by different characters. It lacked many things in order to be an actual movement, such as a unified leadership, a consistent plan of action and, of course, funding. Unfortunately, we cannot escape the importance of money in this galaxy or one that’s far, far away, regardless of one’s political and ideological views.
We still haven’t seen the money stolen from the Aldhani garrison get its proper use explained on screen, but it certainly is not staying in the hands of Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu), the only rebel survivors who were not in it for the money. And we know Luthen and Mon Mothma are desperate for funding that will allow the Rebellion to properly take shape, so it’s likely the Imperial Credits will indeed become the fuel that keeps the engine running.
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That said, it was highly unlikely that Luthen and Mothma could access funds in any other legal way. With the Empire tightening its grip around the galaxy’s throat through theImperial Security Bureau’s(ISB) newly instated powers as the de facto political police, even a Senator as Mon Mothma has her assets frozen, and we bet Luthen’s antique shop doesn’t make enough money to keep everything going, too.
But the Aldhani robbery was important for far more than just the practical side of taking money from the enemy. It was also thefirst time the Empire had its authority contestedin such a public fashion, for all the galaxy to see. The ideological goal, then, was to let everyone know that there are people standing up to oppression and that this is worth fighting for. But you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and even spill some blood. Yours and the enemy’s.
Is It Possible to Fight Fair Against the Empire?
Another important moment in “Announcements” is when Mon Mothma confronts Luthen about the risk of losing innocent lives at first, but slowly accepts that, perhaps, there is indeed no other way (“Perhaps you’d find that my politics are a bit strong for your taste,” she says at one moment). She is right in her concern, of course, and Luthen knows it, too. He also knows that many of those lives are bound to be lost one way or another, be it as casualties in a war for freedom or victims of the oppression of an undisputed Empire.
In that sense, Luthen is shaping up to be a ruthless leader for the Rebellion, defining very clearly the boundaries as to what is acceptable and necessary against the Empire. He chooses to act on the very speech he made to Cassian on Ferrix on the third episode of the show, “Reckoning”. “Wouldn’t you rather give it all at once for something real?” he asks Cassian, but this question is one that he is also imposing on anyone that could be a casualty in his crusade. He might be willing to pay the price of his own life and other people’s, too, but are they? That is an unfair choice to put on someone, let alone impose it on others unknowingly.
Fighting oppression is necessary, and Luthen understands that sacrifices have to be made more often than not. Aldhani, then, was a fair blow to the Empire, and it had its cost on the Rebellion, too. But, in order for this spark to catch fire, you need more than just sheer idealism, you have to be ready to pay the price.
Engaging in conflict, then, is not “being the same as your enemy”, as, sometimes, you cannot defeat evil without clinging to a little darkness yourself. If the enemy is bigger, stronger, and fights dirty, you won’t win by fighting clean. This is basically the question that drove Karis Nemik’s (Alex Lawther) meditations on the war against the Empire, and, by the end, he was convinced thateven mercenaries like Cassianhad their place in this fight, too,as much as himself.
Accepting that lives will be lost and that a price will be paid (by yourself or innocent people) is a cruel thing to do, for sure. And, even, byAndor’s sixth episode, it’s clear that Luthen understands and fully embraces the madness that is required. We’ve seen the effects it had on his character, especially in histransformationscene in the fourth episode, “Aldhani”.
His peer in leading the Rebellion, Mon Mothma will havea lot of workbeing the moral compass of the movement. InRogue One: A Star Wars Story, she mentions Saw Gerrera’s (Forest Whitaker) extremist methods and ideology as having caused a great many problems. We know she eventually manages to keep the Rebellion on a successful path, but, until then, she will have to navigate a very thin line between the cost and the madness of war.
