Exmar Kloris

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"My driver is an ISB plant and reports on my secret humanitarian programs."

―Mon Mothma, to Tay Kolma^[5]

Exmar Kloris was a human from the planet Coruscant who worked as an operative for the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau. In 5 BBY, he was tasked by ISB Supervisor Lieutenant Blevin to spy on Chandrilan Senator Mon Mothma on Coruscant. Disguised as Mothma's personal chauffeur, he personally reported Mothma's and her family's activities to his handler, unaware that Mothma would come to realize his duplicitousness.

Kloris drove Mothma between her various tasks, trying to keep his eye on her when he could. Multiple times, they visited the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, where Mothma secretly discussed rebel activities with the proprietor and secret rebel coordinator Luthen Rael. While driving them back from a party, Kloris spied on an argument between Mothma and her husband, Perrin Fertha, about the latter's alleged gambling habits. The driver reported the conversation back to Blevin at the ISB Central Office.

Continuing as Mothma's driver through 3 BBY and to 2 BBY, Kloris stood by for Mothma when she went to the Imperial Senate Building following the Ghorman Massacre. Mothma failed to return to him that night, and so he discussed such to the ISB control center. Mothma ultimately made a speech calling out the Empire for their recent massacre, with the Empire seeking her arrest. Eager to help with Mothma's capture, Kloris impatiently defied orders to standby and searched for Mothma. The spy ultimately found Mothma with the rebel spy Cassian Andor, who killed the driver.

Biography

Spying on a senator

"They're watching me now."
"Oh, they're watching everyone."
"This is different. They're everywhere. There's a new spy every day at the Senate. I visit the bank, they're all new faces."
"You've got a new driver."
"I feel under siege."

―Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael^[3]

Exmar Kloris went undercover as Mon Mothma's driver.

Hailing from the galactic capital planet of Coruscant,^[1] Exmar Kloris was an operative for the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) during the reign of the Empire.^[4] In 5 BBY,^[6] he was assigned by ISB Supervisor Blevin to spy on the Chandrilan Senator Mon Mothma, who had become of great interest to the ISB^[7] due to her humanitarian efforts.^[5] Kloris became Mothma's new driver of her JPP-192 limospeeder, taking her between appointments^[1] and other tasks^[3] and events^[8] while monitoring all of her activities and interactions to report back to Blevin.^[1] The spy particularly listened in on her secret humanitarian programs for his real superiors.^[5] Mothma, though, was aware of the true nature of Kloris, wishing to use the wide range surveillance on her to sow disinformation to her watchers.^[4] This was to hide her true intentions from the Empire,^[5] having secretly been funding a rebel network against the Empire that was ran behind the scenes by the antiques dealer Luthen Rael.^[4]

Kloris accompanied Mothma when she visited Rael's shop, the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, where she claimed she was buying a present for her husband, Perrin Fertha, for his Day of Days. In reality, Mothma was there to meet with Rael to discuss her ability to continue funding their hopeful rebellion. As Mothma arrived, Rael's assistant, Kleya Marki, quickly noticed that the driver was new, and the two briefly discussed whether he was familiar or even Chandrilan. Rael then welcomed Mothma in and began showing her items while Kloris waited. Marki asked the undercover driver if she could show him anything. Kloris remarked that he could not afford anything in the shop, but the assistant insisted that he was still welcome to look, convincing the driver to let her show him some old coins.^[3]

Kloris tried to keep an eye on Mothma at the shop.

Rael guided Mothma to the back room to speak privately, pretending to be showing her a new item. Kloris looked over to them, but Marki quickly diverted his attention again to the coins. In the other room, Mothma stressed to Rael that increased surveillance on her was making diverting funds impossible, Rael recalling to her that the driver was new. They soon concluded their short meeting and went back to the main room, publically agreeing on a loaned artifact for Fertha. Kloris thus drove Mothma back to her residence at the Chandrilan Embassy, handing Fertha's gift to one of the servants when they arrived.^[3]

Chaffeuring

"They called from the residence. Your cousin, she's arrived."
"What?"
"Your cousin."
"At the embassy? She's there now?"
"Well, they said you wanted to know."

―Kloris and Mothma^[9]

Kloris chaffeurs Mothma and her husband, Perrin Fertha.

The next day, Kloris was arranged to take Mothma and her daughter, Leida Mothma, to the latter's class. The driver arrived while Mothma and Fertha had breakfast, the senator having to remind her husband of Kloris's name. However, that morning, Leida insisted on Fertha taking her instead, insulting the senator without any objection from her father. That night, Kloris drove Mothma and Fertha when they attended an event. On the way back Fertha and Mothma briefly discussed the latter's new foundation in the back and, after asking his wife for Kloris' name, Fertha requested the driver to take the Expressway.^[10]

Three days later, following a heist of the Empire's cached credits on the planet Aldhani, Kloris drove Mothma towards the Imperial Senate Building, stopping back to the Antiquities & Objects of Interest on the way. Mothma met with Rael pretended to change the gift she had previously been taken for her husband; in truth she was there to question Rael of his involvement on the Aldhani incident. Mothma left Kloris at the speeder, telling him that she would be right back. Kloris passed his time pacing and looking into the shop until the end of the conversation, driving Mothma onwards to the Senate.^[5]

Kloris drove Vel Sartha from the Chandrila Embassy.

A month later Kloris drove when Mothma spoke at another session at the Senate. During the session, the Chandrilan Embassy called in to Kloris, passing on the news that Mothma's cousin, Vel Sartha had arrived at the residence. When Mothma returned to the speeder and asked Kloris to drive, he gave her the news of her cousin's visit and drove her back to the embassy. Sartha left the next day, claiming to be going to the Pilgrimage on Chandrila. Kloris collected Sartha's bags and drove her elsewhere.^[9]

Great gambles

"Was she more angry about him lying or the possibility of gambling debts?"
"Hard to say."
"Mon Mothma is of great interest here. Having her husband dig a hole for himself could be helpful in many ways."

―Blevin and Kloris discuss a conversation between Mothma and Perrin Fertha^[7]

After another few days, Mothma and Fertha attended a party, Kloris being available to drive them back. Mothma left first and waited in the speeder until Fertha joined them. The senator then asked the driver for privacy and he complied. After a short wait, though, Kloris reactivated the driver-passenger comlink to spy on the conversation.^[7] Listening attentively,^[11] he overheard Mothma scolding Fertha for losing their money and accusing him of gambling, which her husband passionately denied. Mothma told him to keep his voice down, but Fertha insisted that Kloris could not hear him.^[7] In truth, Mothma knew they were being overheard and was using the accusation to cover^[11] for her banking activity directed towards Luthen Rael's rebel network.^[9]

The next day, Kloris met with Blevin in the ISB Central Office, reporting word for word the conversation he had overheard between Mothma and Fertha. The supervisor wondered if Mothma was more mad about Fertha lying or the possibility of gambling debts, Kloris unsure about which. With Blevin believing Fertha's problems could be beneficial to them, the undercover driver added that it sounded like the gambling problems were a repeated matter. The briefing was interrupted by Supervisor Lagret, who told Blevin he was missing the meeting and the trap the ISB was watching play out.^[7]

Driving Mon crazy

"It's just, they're asking for schedules this week. Parking and movement."
"Who's asking?"
"Senate Security."
"Oh, ridiculous. I'll speak to them. Thank you."

―Kloris and Mothma^[12]

In 3 BBY,^[13] Kloris drove Mothma and Fertha as they were discussing upcoming functions they were to attend for the annual Senate Investiture event. The next night, Kloris dropped the couple off at the Chandrilan banker Davo Sculdun's party, seeing them out of the limospeeder before he drove it away.^[8]

In 2 BBY, Kloris took Mothma and her aide, Erskin Semaj, to the Senate building's garage. Once his passengers had disembarked, Kloris inquired if Mothma intended to go the office today, adding that Senate Security wanted to verify senators' parking permits. Mothma dismissed the inspections as nonsense and vowed to speak with them. As the two walked away from Kloris, Mothma impulsively expressed her desire to have Kloris replaced, but Semaj advised against it to avoid the ISB sending someone "smart."^[12]

End of the road

"That's my driver."
"Would he help?"
"No, no, no, he's an ISB plant!"
"What's his name?"
"[…] Kloris."

―Mothma and Cassian Andor find Kloris^[14]

Kloris reports to Lagret from the Senate Garage.

Not long after, the Empire conducted a massacre on the planet Ghorman.^[15] The event drove Mothma to consider speaking out about it at an ensuing emergency session at the Senate. Kloris drove Mothma to the Senate Building and waited in the limospeeder for her to return. When she spent all night in the building, without letting him know. The driver informed ISB staff at their control center, where Attendant Felzonis explained the situation on to Supervisor Lagret.^[14] Kloris, asleep, was soon contacted by Lagret, scrambling to answer when his comlink sounded.^[16] Asked about Mothma's whereabouts, the spy^[14]—eager to help^[16]—assured assured Lagret that Mothma had not left the building and mentioned that Mothma had been upset by the massacre. The supervisor asked him to let them know if anything changed, before hanging up.^[14]

Indeed, Mothma spoke out about the massacre, calling out Emperor Sheev Palpatine in doing so. Kloris listend to the speech over a radio in the limospeeder, keeping a blaster pistol by his side. Lagret ordered for the Senate building to be locked down and Mothma to be arrested. Still waiting in the limo, Kloris contacted the ISB again, but an annoyed Lagret told him to continue standing by and only call if there was something to report. The driver started pacing in front of the limospeeder,^[14] alarm sounding in the distance.^[16] A nearby driver asked what was going on up at the Senate building, Kloris replying that he wish he knew.^[14]

Impatient,^[16] Kloris left the limospeeder and headed to the Senate Building to find Mothma himself,^[14] scanning the faces of those he passed as he walked up the stairs^[16] and into a causeway. When^[14] the unsure^[16] Kloris finally spotted her on the causeway, she was guarded by rebel operative Cassian Andor, who was attempting to smuggle her out of the Senate to safety. Learning his name from Mothma, Andor faked being an ally to Kloris, shouting his name and telling him he had captured Mothma. Before^[14] the mystified and hesitating^[16] Kloris could question the ruse, Andor suddenly drew his blaster and shot him in the chest.^[14] Kloris was dead before he had even hit the ground.^[16]

Personality and traits

"Have you located Senator Mothma?"
"No, sir. She's been in their all night."
"Or she's gone home without you."
"Without letting me know? That's not like her. I doubt it. She was upset, sir. The news out of Ghorman."

―Lagret and Kloris^[14]

Kloris was a spy for the Imperial Security Bureau.

Exmar Kloris was a Coruscanti human^[1] with light skin, silver hair and brown eyes.^[3] An undercover agent for the Imperial Security Bureau^[4] and someone who was eager to help the group,^[16] he kept an eye on Mon Mothma whenever possible while maintaining a formal demeanour, always standing straight and smiling when convenient.^[3] On top of that, he listened in and reported on her secret charitable efforts.^[5]

When left outside the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest shop on one occasion, he boredly paced around while glancing through the windows towards Mothma.^[5] When asked for privacy by Mothma later on, Kloris defied orders and eavesdropped on her argument with Perrin Fertha about gambling debts,^[7] knitting his brow at what he was hearing.^[17] The driver relayed his findings and deductions to Blevin,^[7] unbeknownst that Mothma was trying to feed him disinformation all along.^[4]

Kloris was impatient to help in Mothma's capture.

When Mothma failed to return to him from the Senate, Kloris raised his suspicions to the ISB,^[14] eager to help them. Impatient,^[16] he contacted the control center when he had nothing to report and kept a blaster pistol at hand. He was pacing in front of the limospeeder before he chose to search for Mothma himself, rushing up the stairs and looking around.^[14] He was at first unsure when he spotted Mothma with Cassian Andor, hesitating when the latter called out his name. Andor's ruse mystified the driver,^[16] allowing the rebel spy to shoot him dead.^[14]

Equipment

"May I show you something?"
"Oh, don't bother. I couldn't afford anything here."
"Please. There's no harm in looking. We just got in some terribly interesting coins."
"Yeah."

―Kleya Marki and Kloris^[3]

Kloris waits at the airspeeder in his uniform

Kloris wore a blue uniform that was lined with gold features on the legs, forearms, and shoulder areas, as well as his hat. He additionally donned dark gloves and boots.^[3] When meeting Blevin at the ISB Central Office, he donned a long, dark blue-gray leather trench coat with a white shirt, a black tunic, and black trousers and footwear.^[7] Kloris also owned a blaster pistol that he kept within the JPP-192 limospeeder he drove for Mothma, as well as a comlink that he used to contact the ISB.^[14]

Behind the scenes

"In my drafts, it was very clear that he was against everything it was for right up until the end. And I watched the final episode, I got the reaction you did. I said this is very interesting. Kloris is certainly listening."

―Dan Gilroy on his view of Kloris in "Welcome to the Rebellion"^[18]

Exmar Kloris^[4] first appeared in "Aldhani,"^[3] the fourth episode of the first season of Tony Gilroy's live-action Disney+ series Star Wars: Andor,^[19] being played by actor Lee Ross.^[3] The episode aired on September 28, 2022,^[19] but footage of Kloris was first seen in the official trailer for the season on August 1 of that year.^[20] Kloris's last name was first given in a promotional asset released as part of The Walt Disney Studios section on the Getty Images site on August 8.^[21] His first name was identified in the 2023 reference book Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide, written by Pablo Hidalgo and Emily Shkoukani.^[4]

In his last scenes, some fans interpreted an ambiguity in Kloris's resolve after listening to Mothma's speech, a detail that was not present in writer Dan Gilroy's first draft of the episode "Welcome to the Rebellion." In Tony Gilroy's view, rather than having second thoughts about his work for the Empire, an unrepentant Kloris may have instead been excited at the prospect of bringing in a new piece of information into the ISB in exchange for a better position within the organization.^[18] The final script for the episode—dated March 3, 2024—makes it a point to mention that Kloris's blaster cannot be seen in his hands as he approaches Mothma and Andor, albeit while also leaving out the reason as to why.^[16]