Andor, the prequel series toRogue One, a 2016 addition to the ever-expanding, sprawling world of Star Wars takes fans on a nostalgic and oft-surprising trip to places and planets that may or may not have been featured before. One of them includes Aldhani, the seemingly deserted planet that Luthen (Stellan Skargard) brings Cassian (Diego Luna)to after recruiting him fora revolutionary mission the rebels seem to have planned. The mission involves infiltrating and stealing from an Imperial garrison - a feat whose undertaking would simply be foolhardy should a distraction not be created or taken advantage of. That’s where the Eye of Aldhani comes in - the rebels’ escape plan seeming to hinge on its occurrence.
Taking place once every three years, The Eye of Aldhani is a breathtaking phenomenon that the residents of Aldhani used to eagerly wait for and gather in one place to witness before the Empire took over the planet and left its people, like in many a planet before, little to hope or even life for. Given that the rebels seemed to have hinged all their retreating options on the Eye of Aldhani, not that it seems to have formed many, it is incredibly crucial to the success of their rebellion - the beginning of a revolution.
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Why Is the Eye of Aldhani so Important to the Rebels?
Judging by all the awe surrounding the Eye of Aldhani, there is no doubt as to how mesmerizing the phenomenon would be when viewers finally get to see it on the small screen. That being said, the show seems to focus more on its essentiality rather than its unparalleled beauty. After all, the future of the galaxy, in very indirect terms, of course, seems to depend on the success of the rebels, be it one way or another.
Episode 4 ofAndortakes viewers on a trip to Aldhani, a picturesque planet, so liberated from the penetration of science and technology that it reminds one of the primitive times, with nature being the sole nurturer. Star Wars features a number of planets, each more fascinating to the imaginative mind than the other, but Aldhani is entirely new to the fandom, having never been mentioned before in any of the movies or prequels. Full of hills and grasslands, this seemingly abandoned planet allows the rebels to prepare for their grand robbery.
By the time Luthen and Andor arrive at Aldhani, one of the major conflicts from the beginning episodes is out of the way: Cassian drops his resigned attitude towards the Empire and consents to taking the gigLuthen had come to recruit him for- although, of course, his motivations are debatable and arguably noble, whether he is aware of it or not. Vel (Faye Marsay), the badass leader of the rebel group, is not very keen on letting Cassian in on the mission, at least in the beginning, majorly because the new recruit, going by the name of Clem, is a wild card and a mercenary. Thanks to Luthen vouching so earnestly for him, however, Vel agrees to take him on board.
The rest of the rebels on Aldhani, don’t warm to Cassian easily, given how little he is willing to reveal. Thanks to Vel saying that he has been part of the mission from the very start, however, Cassian is allowed a begrudging place in the band of rebels but a place nonetheless. Cassian doesn’t reveal that he is only part of the mission because he is being paid for it, at least not until Arvel (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) makes agrab for the necklace around his neck and demands an explanationas to where he got it from in Episode 5.
Vel gives Cassian a quick rundown of the planet and its history and how the Empire made its natives’ life a living hell. Since the planet is heavily guarded by the TIE Fighters, it would be practically impossible for the rebels to enact the heist without getting caught. That is when Gorn (Sule Rimi) brings up the Eye of Aldhani.
What Exactly Is the Eye of Aldhani?
As the name of the phenomenon implies, the Eye of Aldhani reveals the eye of the universe after the meteor shower that blankets the sky all at once. Although viewers are yet to see the virtual manifestation of the Eye of Aldhani, they can just imagine how breathtaking it would look - especially on screen. As the event takes place only once every three years, it’s supposed to be a big deal for the natives of Aldhani. Ever since the Empire took over the planet, however, the gatherings have become smaller and smaller
Nemik (Alex Lawther), perhaps the only nerdy guy in the band, points out that what blankets the sky on the Eye of Aldhani is not exactly a shower of meteors but a “recurrent band of crystallized noctilucent micro densities.” When the planet of Aldhani passes through the belt, these crystallized noctilucent micro densities tend to heat up and explode - a thing of beauty for those on the planet, pure chaos in the sky.
Nemik goes on to explain how the plan hinges on calculative precision. Should things not go as planned, that is, should they not happen exactly when they are supposed to, they all might get caught and well… the rest can be left to the imagination of those who are well acquainted with the heartless atrocities of the Empire. The Eye of Aldhani would allow the rebels to hide from the authorities and make their escape from the garrison before the Imperial Tie Fighters can get to them in time.
Since viewers have yet to see the Eye of Aldhani on screen, one can only conjecture that the event would light up the sky so brightly that the troopers wouldn’t be able to tell that a band of rebels has found a way into their base. Another possible explanation is that the Eye of Aldhani, being a thing of beauty, would tempt the troopers into abandoning their posts for a while - an opportunity that would allow the rebels to sneak into their base. We saw that the Imperial officers were actually excited to see the Eye, as it’s one of the few perks of being assigned to Aldhani.
Since the mission primarily depends on a natural phenomenon and not an elaborately planned distraction, there is a high probability of things going astray. But a clean, sweeping victory is the last thing viewers expect from aStar Warsshow, so there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming episodes ofAndor.
