How Andor’s Shocking Moment Perfectly Sets Up a Key Rebels Plotline!

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One significant moment we’ve been anticipating since the start of ‘Andor’ unfolded in season two, episode nine. In this instalment, Senator Mon Mothma from Chandrilla, spurred by the Ghorman Massacre the previous day, openly accused Emperor Palpatine of orchestrating the brutal massacre within the Imperial Senate chambers. This was a development that fans had expected, as ‘Star Wars Rebels‘ showed us Mon Mothma making this announcement. Later in the continuity, ‘Rogue One’ depicted her in exile on Yavin 4 leading the Alliance. However, does ‘Andor’ align well with ‘Rebels” narrative? For the most part, yes.

In this episode of Andor, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) bravely decides to openly challenge the Emperor in a Senate meeting, with Senator Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt) granting her the opportunity to speak. She candidly admits, “I feel we are facing a critical situation. The gap between spoken words and real truth has grown into an immense chasm. Among all things at stake, the extinction of factual reality might be the most perilous. The end of truth is the greatest triumph for evil.” Aware that her next words could cost her career and potentially her life, Mon Mothma proceeds.

Mon Mothma went on, stating, “When we let the truth go, when it slips through our fingers, taken from us, we expose ourselves to the loudest, most fearsome beast. The hold this chamber had on the truth was shattered in Ghorman plaza. What transpired on Ghorman was an unprovoked act of genocide. And that truth has been banished from here. The beast roaring the loudest now? The beast we helped bring to life? The beast that will soon come for us all is Emperor Palpatine.

In this episode, she bravely denounces the Emperor as a ruthless mass murderer, which nearly costs her life within the Senate building. Fortunately, she’s aided by Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna), whom she encounters for the first time here. With quick thinking and a narrow escape, she manages to avoid harm. As she goes into hiding in Luthen’s safehouse, she learns that rebel operatives will secretly transport her out of Coruscant. Upon leaving the planet, she is promised a Yavin escort. Although we don’t witness Mon’s departure from Coruscant in this episode, Cassian departs for Yavin 4 ahead of her.

Upon reaching Yavin 4, Cassian is briefed by his commanders that Gold Squadron is escorting Mon Mothma from Coruscant to a hidden base. She’s not only being safeguarded but also preparing a speech for galactic broadcast. This is where “Andor” and “Rebels” intertwine. In the third season episode of “Rebels,” titled “Secret Cargo,” we witness Gold Squadron transporting fugitive Mon Mothma to the “Ghost” ship for refueling. Her senate ally, Bail Organa, orchestrates this rendezvous.

Just as Mon Mothma is about to arrive, the Ghost’s crew listens to her speech over the HoloNet in Andor. In this speech, she openly condemns the Ghorman Massacre. She calls out Emperor Palpatine, stating that he is merely a deceitful executioner who has established tyranny throughout the galaxy under the guise of security. It leaves Zeb, one of the Ghost’s crew members, in disbelief that she’s still alive after making such accusations against Emperor Palpatine. Now, viewers of Andor understand how close Mothma was to capture and possible execution.

As a devoted cinephile, I’d rephrase that sentence like this: In the “Rebels” episode, Imperial forces discover Mon Mothma’s location. With the Imperials hot on her heels, she becomes our secret cargo for the Ghost crew. We manage to outmaneuver the Imperial forces, and Mon Mothma is tasked with traveling to Dantooine – a planet that was once home to an older Rebel base, which Princess Leia had given as the location of the Rebel Base in “A New Hope.” Leia knew it wasn’t their main headquarters anymore. It was during this critical moment that Tarkin decided to destroy Alderaan instead. Upon reaching Dantooine’s orbit, Mon Mothma delivers another broadcast, uniting the various rebel cells into what we later came to know as the Rebel Alliance in the original trilogy.

In the series Andor, Mon Mothma doesn’t interact directly with the Rebel crew on the Ghost. However, the story cleverly sets up the events leading to such encounters. Although it would have been delightful to see a brief appearance by the Ghost crew or even a casual reference, the connection we do get is rather subtle. Yet, from episode nine of Andor’s second season and the Rebels episode “Secret Cargo,” a clear narrative emerges that portrays Mon Mothma’s courageous choice to abandon her luxurious lifestyle for a life dedicated to freedom in the galaxy. Actress Genevieve O’Reilly plays Mon Mothma in both Andor and Rebels, and these episodes collectively paint an inspiring picture of her as the galaxy’s most selfless heroine.

Star Wars: Andor season two and Star Wars Rebels are currently streaming on Disney+.

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2025-05-07 05:39