the Star Wars timeline.

This included the Ghorman Massacre, during which Imperial officers, droids, and stormtroopers wiped out peaceful protesters in incredibly gruesome ways. Yet, one of the grimmest lines in Andor season 2, and in Star Wars more broadly, had nothing to do with the Ghorman Massacre. Rather, one line delivered by Dedra Meero in Andor season 2 revealed one of the most insidious aspects of the Empire, and it wasn't overt violence at all.

Luthen Rael (Essentially) Sacrificed His Own Life In Andor Season 2

Luthen Would Rather Die Than Potentially Betray The Rebellion, Even Against His Own Will

In Andor season 2, episode 10, "Make It Stop," Dedra Meero finally confronted Luthen Rael after years of him secretly furthering the Rebel effort even as he maintained his gallery and a facade of innocence to deceive the Empire. However, realizing that he was about to be taken into Imperial custody, Luthen decided to attempt taking his own life rather than risk being tortured into revealing details about the Rebels to the Empire. Sadly, this wasn't a fatal blow, and Kleya eventually had to find Luthen and end his life.

Even so, this very effort reveals just how dedicated Luthen was to the Rebel cause. He proved, with this act, that he was willing to end his life if it meant giving the Rebellion a chance. It's very unlikely that Luthen would ever have betrayed the Rebellion of his own accord, but, as was proven with Bix in season 1, the Empire had tactics that may have forced even Luthen to break. What stands out about this scene isn't just Luthen's loyalty to the Rebellion, though. It's also Dedra Meero's chilling response to his self-inflicted injury.

As Luthen Was Dying, Dedra Yelled That He Was "Destroying Evidence"

Dedra Completely Dehumanized Luthen In This Moment

When Dedra realized what Luthen had done, she immediately called for backup. Once the other ISB agents arrived, though, the very first words out of her mouth had nothing to do with Luthen lying near dead on the floor in front of her. Instead, the first thing Dedra said to the other Imperials was, "In back! He's destroying evidence." For one, this line proves that Dedra's priority at that moment was unequivocally recovering any information, much more so than Luthen's state.

While that's unsurprising, given the Empire's willingness to kill, there was something much more insidious about that line. In reality, this line from Dedra had a double meaning: not only was Luthen destroying physical evidence in the back, but also, his death in and of itself was 'destroying evidence.' Although the latter is a much subtler meaning of the line, what Dedra said next made it clear that this was an aspect of what she meant.

Specifically, Dedra began panicking about Luthen dying, not because she cared about him as a person whatsoever but because he, too, could provide or serve as evidence. As the med team pushed her out of the way, Dedra told them, "I need him alive. Keep him alive. He can't die." These lines showcase the extent to which Dedra had dehumanized Luthen—he was no more than evidence to her, the same as the information being destroyed in the back of the gallery.

He was no more than evidence to her, the same as the information being destroyed in the back of the gallery.

In The Eyes Of The Empire, Rebels Weren't Even Seen As People

This Wasn't Just Dedra; This Was A General Mindset

While this is a dark thing for Dedra to say, that wasn't just her mentality; this was the approach to Rebels, if not the many beings throughout the galaxy, from the perspective of the Empire. The Imperials saw these Rebels, and others, like the citizens of Ghorman, as subhuman (or, as lesser beings, given this refers to myriad species/races throughout the galaxy). This is what allowed them to do things like blow up Alderaan and wipe out the Ghor with no remorse or feeling.

Andor season 2 also brilliantly showed how the Empire managed to foster this mentality among their own ranks and their sympathizers across the galaxy. This is why one entire branch of the Empire, the "Ministry of Enlightenment," was dedicated to spreading propaganda. While this line from Dedra Meero therefore revealed her own cruelty and willingness to dehumanize Luthen Rael, Andor season 2 also revealed how widespread this mentality was with all Imperials, shedding a brand-new light upon the evils of the Empire.