A recent fan conspiracy theory about Season 2 of Andor posits that the Empire really didn’t need Kalkite. Instead, Galen Erso devised this scheme to distract and delay the construction of the Death Star. This theory has merits and could very well have been planted by Erso. It is also problematic and fitting for this series.
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The Theory Explained
As posted here, the conspiracy theory suggests that Kalkite wasn’t “necessary to complete the Death Star” but part of “a ruse” by Galen Erso to delay its completion. He intentionally sent the Empire off to find and extract this rare mineral to waste their time and contribute to the growing Rebellion.
The combination of Kalkite and Galen makes this theory quite plausible. Kalkite was an underground mineral found on Ghorman in “deep substrate foliated deposits.” This resource could coat reactor lenses and generate “vast amounts of energy” and thus could very well be essential to the Death Star.
As this article elaborates, Director Krennic ostensibly sought out Kalkite for the Empire’s “energy initiative,” but he aimed to power the Alderaan-destroying weapon with it. As we learned from the second season, Krennic had tried to develop a synthetic version to no avail. So, they moved to “gouge mining” the mineral from Ghorman.
The talented scientist and energy-enrichment expert Galen Erso knew about this mineral and could have conceivably worked it into his plans to intentionally delay the completion of the Death Star. As a “gifted theoretician, mathematician, and experimental physicist,” Galen won several awards and knew how to understand the scale of the Death Star project and stall it.
We can review the elements of Galen’s life in this video and the steps that led to him devising away in 0 BBY to plant a weakness in the Death Star. This ingenious move could have been coupled with a second element to distract the Empire and make them dig for Kalkite, although it was not necessary.
The above theory goes on to indicate how Galen miscalculated, though, by underestimating “the Empire’s capacity for callous cruelty and deceit.” That may be true, but it may indicate a problem with Erso’s plan.
The Problematic and Fitting Part of Erso’s Plan
If Galen Erso was smart enough to design the Death Star and plant a fatal flaw in it, then he also knew the capabilities of the Empire. His own treatment would have taught him that lesson. Instead of not recognizing the Empire’s capacity for genocide, he may have overlooked it.
On that basis, the conspiracy theory also raises the disturbing prospect that Erso may have been complicit or at least willing to risk mass casualties on Ghorman. This aspect of his plan is both problematic and fitting.
The problematic side is apparent in the Ghorman Massacre depicted in Episode 8. This massacre has been aptly described as “the second half of ‘Les Misérables,’ when everything goes to hell and bodies start dropping like flies.” That Erso could have accepted this type of devastation in his plan, and the ongoing plundering of the planet, reflects a cold nature to the Rebellion, along with the true heart of the Empire.
Problematic indeed, but fitting for Andor. This series has gone to great lengths to show the complexity and moral ambiguity of the Rebellion. We may think of Luther Rael first in this respect with his willingness to take out Lonni Jung, among others, to keep the Rebellion moving forward.
Throughout the two seasons, Andor has stressed the theme of a down-in-the-dirt rebellion that is messy and not the good light side versus the bad dark side. We can remember that from the beginning, the show has delivered ambiguous characters that align with Tony Gilroy’s vision that delves beneath the Jedi and Sith.
To that end, Cassian had mixed motivations in Season One and serious reservations in Season Two about his role in the Rebellion. The Aldhani heist reflects the former, and his desire to leave with Bix the latter. If Galen was aware of what would occur on Ghorman, perhaps he could overlook it for the good of the Rebellion or see it as a means to the greater end of destroying the Death Star.
The Empire Didn’t Need Kalkite
The Empire not actually needing Kalkite is an interesting theory that fits well with the intersection of Galen Erso and this rare mineral. This premise also rests comfortably with how the Andor series has pushed audiences into a realm of realism that aligns with a global view even while the scale is galactic.