Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of Andor.It’s incredible to think about Genevieve O’Reilly’s trajectory within the Star Wars franchise. Although her scenes from Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith were cut from the final film, O’Reilly provided in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Rebels that she had the dramatic range to bring Mon Mothma’s heroism to life. Given the rapturous response to Andor thus far, it’s hard to imagine that O’Reilly won’t be a contender for next year’s Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

“Announcement” explores Mothma’s search for allies to fund the rebel groups that Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) is developing. During a party at her home hosted by her husband, Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie), she takes a moment to converse with the banker Tay Kolma (Ben Miles). Kolma is also from Mothma’s homeworld of Chandrila, and has not been back to Coruscant in many years. It takes a moment for him to adjust to life at the heart of the Empire, and he even warns Mothma that his political opinions might be too radical for her taste.

Mon Mothma Plans to Use Tay Kolma to Help Her Fund the Rebellion

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Kolma is taken aback when Mothma delicately explains that she is helping fund Rebel Alliance operations. Although they must act under the guise that they are having a normal conversation, Mothma indicates that Kolma is in her circle of trusted allies. She tells him that only “three people” know about her true allegiance, which is perhaps an indirect reference to Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits). Given that Mothma and Kolma are old friends, she knows that his pursuit of democracy is devout.

Mothma needs Kolma’s assistance in accessing funds from her family account on Chandrila. Since she is unable to freely take capital without attracting suspicion, Mothma plans to start a charitable front organization to mask the money she is sending to Luthen and the other rebel groups. She plans to name Kolma as the chairman of the organization, which would require him to frequently travel back and forth between Chandrila and Coruscant.

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Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma in Andor
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Chandrila is a planet in the Core Worlds that is close in proximity to Coruscant. Similar to Alderaan, Chandrila is a peaceful world with a highly-educated society of scholars, politicians, activists, and artists. Although Chandrila remains neutral during the early Imperial era, it’s ultimately declared a threat after Mothma publicly calls the Rebel Alliance to arms. Chandrila is among the planets that the Empire plans to destroy with the Death Star. This would suggest that even if Kolma isn’t in danger now, he’ll ultimately get pulled into the conflict in one way or another.

Mothma's plan would allow her to maintain her public persona, one where she does not publicly declare her support for the Rebel Alliance until a pivotal episode of Star Wars Rebels. She needs to remain in the Imperial Senate to gather intelligence. Another charitable cause will simply be scoffed at by her peers in the Senate, but it won’t draw any eyeballs to her real intentions. However, Mothma tells Kolma that he’s better off not knowing any further details of her plan.

Who Is Tay Kolma Exactly?

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Little is known about Kolma’s backstory, but he does mention that he has two sisters, Adrine and Marsa. He indicates that he is involved in some resistance groups on Chandrila, where he serves as a banker for his family’s fund. Chandrila is a relatively peaceful world, so it’s unlikely that Kolma’s activities are as extreme as he indicates to Mothma. Mothma takes a moment to introduce Kolma to her daughter, Leida (Bronte Carmichael), who he last met when she was much younger.

There’s a subtle suggestion that Kolma and Mothma may have been romantically involved at some point. There’s no indication of Kolma’s marital status, but we know Mothma is severely unhappy in her marriage to Perrin. Perrin is a devout Imperialist, and frequently insults Mothma’s interest in charitable causes. They just emerged from an argument in the previous episode, where Leida decided to seek her father’s help instead of her mother’s. It’s implied that Perrin and Mothma had an arranged marriage, so perhaps her heart belongs to someone else. However, some fans have also speculated that Mothma could be queer.

What Else Is Ben Miles Known For?

Ben Miles is an English actor who is best known for his endearing performance as Peter Towsend, the love of Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby), in the first two seasons of The Crown. Miles has also appeared in the comedy series Coupling, Matthew Weiner’s anthology series The Romanoffs, the British serial The Forsyte Saga, and the Wachowski Sisters’ adaptation of Speed Racer. He will next be seen alongside Taron Egerton and Toby Jones in the Apple TV+ film Tetris.