How Mon Mothma’s Mysterious Homeworld Performed Its Function within the Insurgent Alliance

You is perhaps forgiven, given Mon Mothma’s increased importance to fashionable Star Wars, for considering that her homeworld of Chandrila was one of many galaxy far, far-off’s most explored locales, up there with the likes of Coruscant, Hoth, Tatooine, Alderaan, and extra for his or her pivotal roles throughout the Skywalker Saga. However even now, after years of potential examine in each the outdated expanded universe and up to date canon alike, Chandrila at giant is a thriller: and even its position within the Insurgent Alliance has largely been rendered symbolic quite than notably materials.

Andor‘s upcoming second season will mark the primary time we’ve truly visited Chandrila on-screen in present Star Wars canon, the world’s significance to continuity past it being extra for its position within the early days of the New Republic quite than the time of the Empire. However even within the EU, Chandrila remained, very similar to its erstwhile Senator, extra of a figurehead of resistance to the Empire, quite than essentially a very very important participant within the Alliance to Restore the Republic. So what do we all know concerning the planet’s position within the Galactic Civil Warfare in both very of Star Wars story? The reply is in the end not a lot, which itself says lots.

Chandrila’s Function in Star Wars Canon

In each renditions of its historical past, Chandrila is a key participant within the basis of the Republic. One of many main worlds within the galactic core, regardless of its proximity to the center of what would change into galactic civilization, little has been actually explored concerning the world till the time of the mainline Star Wars motion pictures. Even Chandrila’s position within the Clone Warfare is basically left untouched—though we did not less than study not too long ago throughout Alexander Freed’s novel Masks of Concern that its capital, Hanna Metropolis, was focused by prolonged orbital bombardment in the course of the battle, largely resisted by planetary shielding.

This thriller continues all through the rise of the Empire itself. Though Mon Mothma’s public historical past of opposition to the brand new Emperor, and her legacy in Padmé Amidala’s Delegation of two,000 would make her a chief participant within the Imperial Senate’s makes an attempt to dam overreach of energy, it wouldn’t be till Mothma’s personal departure from workplace within the wake of the Imperial army’s massacre on Ghorman, and the formal announcement of the Alliance to Restore the Republic in 2BBY, that Chandrila would change into often known as a sympathetic world to the Insurgent trigger. Even then, its direct position within the battle stays obscure—the world was merely one amongst 1000’s that suffered within the shadow of the Empire, quite than being a very centered goal. Chandrila was thought-about an necessary locale to the Alliance by way of materiel and secure provide caches, its status was largely symbolic because of its connection to Mon Mothma—a symbolism that may partially lead the world, alongside Mon Cala, to be on the listing of meant targets for the second Dying Star after the Insurgent fleet’s destruction over Endor.

As an alternative, Chandrila’s significance within the rebooted Star Wars canon comes with a a lot clearer position within the wake of the occasions of Return of the Jedi. With Coruscant embroiled in planetary civil battle within the wake of the Emperor’s dying, it will be Chandrila that may change into the capital of the reformed Republic, its first senate being known as to quorum in Hanna Metropolis, with Mothma as its first Chancellor. Within the following 12 months, Chandrila would change into an necessary army and legislative hub for the nascent Republic as army campaigns towards the Imperial remnant continued. However an tried terror assault by brainwashed liberated Imperial prisoners at peace talks between the New Republic and the Empire noticed the primary try and deliver an finish to the Galactic Civil Warfare crumble, and Chandrila’s place as the center of the New Republic in jeopardy.

Though it will stay the Republic’s capital, even after Coruscant’s liberation and the formal finish of the battle with the signing of Galactic Concordance, the Republic Senate itself would set up a rotating residency throughout member worlds, relocating yearly till the physique’s destruction on Hosnian Prime in 34ABY.

Chandrila in Star Wars‘ Expanded Universe

Way more is understood about Chandrila’s time in the course of the rise of the Empire within the Expanded Universe (largely by way of the sheer quantity of content material), however even then what we did study of the planet was in the end a mirror in prelude to what was going to return in rebooted continuity. Within the EU, Chandrila was nonetheless a largely symbolic consultant of resistance to the Empire, however a much more proactive one: though tensions between itself and different worlds concerned within the early formalization of the Alliance (particularly Corellia and Alderaan) as soon as once more largely made Mon Mothma a political figurehead of the group quite than a specific army power, Chandrila was a key world for Insurgent recruitment and provides all through the Empire’s rule.

It might take the Insurrection’s destruction of the primary Dying Star to actually make Chandrila a very focused world by Imperial effort, nonetheless. After Mon Mothma’s alternative as its consultant within the Imperial Senate, Canna Omonda, was executed a 12 months after the Battle of Yavin for publicly decrying the Emperor’s dissolution of the governing physique, Chandrila—which had already been topic to retaliatory tariffs on luxurious agricultural exports by COMPNOR (the Fee for the Preservation of the New Order)—was topic to blockade by the Imperial Navy.

Though Insurgent forces, lead by Rogue Squadron, managed to liberate the port metropolis of Nayli from floor assault and provide restrictions, Imperial forces within the sector stationed fleets across the close by worlds of Brentaal IV and Corulag, successfully threatening Chandrila with a bigger planetary blockade that successfully stored the planet out of open participation within the Galactic Civil Warfare. It wouldn’t be till after the Battle of Endor (simply as could be the case in revised continuity, victory for the Empire would’ve meant a full planetary invasion of Chandrila and its eventual destruction by the second Dying Star) and the liberation of Coruscant itself that the blockade could be lifted, permitting Chandrila’s provisional authorities to formally be part of the nascent New Republic.

Chandrilan Society, and a Planet of Politics

The relative lack of exploration of Chandrila—both from its actual lack of focus in present Star Wars canon past Mon Mothma herself, or the planet’s blockade within the EU largely leaving it as a main think about that rendition of the Galactic Civil Warfare—has left the world’s society likewise solely touched on in broad strokes. In some ways, Star Wars‘ love of single-biome worldbuilding utilized to Chandrilan tradition within the small methods it was touched upon: as a result of or main lens on the world was by way of the existence of Mon Mothma, herself largely solely explored as a political chief of the Alliance and ultimately the New Republic, what details about Chandrila we discovered would change into filtered by way of her. Mon Mothma was into politics? Okay then, Chandrila is now an complete planet of politics, with a cultural status for sturdy debate and curiosity in civics to match, its individuals outlined by outspoken political candor.

That not less than may change slightly after we go to the world for the primary time in Andor season two. A lot of the present’s prior, however transient exploration of Chandrilan tradition—once more framed by way of the angle of Mon Mothma’s private interplay with it—touched on a divide between fashionable cosmopolitan society and historical cultural traditions, particularly these round organized marriage. Chandrilan tradition, when not expressly about politics, had an identical undertone within the EU: an agricultural world, Chandrila was identified for its steadfast nurturing of the planetary ecology, advocating that its pure world might co-exist with the technological development of interstellar society.

There’s little doubt what we see of Chandrila in Andor will proceed to give attention to that side of the normal parts Mon Mothma bristles towards, moreso than the rest. However past being our first time to see the world on-screen, it’ll not less than add some a lot wanted texture to a big place in Star Wars‘ galaxy.

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