In the Star Wars universe, there's been no shortage of suggested violence against women (we don't even want to know what Jabba was planning to do with "Slave Leia"). But in episode 3 of the second season of Andor, the show crosses a dramatic rubicon for the franchise and depicts an attempted rape. As Imperial forces descend on the planet where Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is hiding out, she and her fellow Ferrix refugees are kept on their toes. Alone in her safe house, Bix is pinned down by Imperial lieutenant Krole (Alex Waldmann), one of the officers conducting a purported audit on the planet. After telling her, “I know you’re illegal. We’ve been counting visas. It’s a tough spot for everyone," he then offers a repulsive deal — have sex with him and he won't turn her in. When she begs him not to do this, he ignores her pleas and attempts to force himself on her, provoking Bix into self-defense, which includes bludgeoning him with a wrench several times as they descend into a brawl. Though the scene was brutal and taxing, Arjona praises director Ariel Kleiman for creating an environment that felt safe for the performers. "We had an amazing stunt team and partner in Ari as a director, who shot that scene scientifically and in such a precise way so as to save us from doing a million takes," Arjona notes. "It was challenging because everyone involved in the creation of that scene felt the importance of what this scene meant, not only for the show, but for Star Wars," she adds. "But I also felt incredibly safe and cushioned in the process of doing it. It's something Tony Gilroy does. He brings this mirror effect that [shows] the things that happen in our world can also happen in a galaxy far, far away." Before Krole attacks Bix, he circles her like a predator in earlier scenes in which she invokes the tried and true female line of defense, mentioning her husband. Arjona wants to assure fans, however, that though they essentially act like a married couple, we didn't miss a Bix and Cassian (Diego Luna) wedding in the off-season. "It's a way of escaping," she explains. "It's very different for her to say, 'My boyfriend is coming.' She might feel that he won't respect her, right? But if she says, my husband, there's power to that. There's respect to that. She hopes in her wildest dreams that he respects that. Of course he doesn't, but she feels incredibly cornered at that moment." "It's more complex than a cute wedding in the gap year." she continues. "She's trying to get out of a very tricky situation that, as women, we unfortunately are stuck in quite a bit." Bix is put through the proverbial ringer this season, with the first block of episodes culminating in this attempted assault. But she's already not doing well; she's suffering from nightmares about the torture she experienced in season 1. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. For Arjona, she found solace and inspiration in real-life accounts of women who have survived rape and torture. "I felt like I went through the acting Olympics," she says of season 2. "The research was heavier. I've read so many interviews and I saw so many videos of people that have actually gone through this." "That process was the most draining," she reflects. "And it stayed with me. By the time that I was doing the scenes, it felt like I was telling a little part of the story of the five individuals who I really honed in on their stories. [People] that no one really knows about. It felt like I was making them proud. They have no idea who I am, but it was a little homage that I was carrying through." Andor season 2 drops new episodes Tuesdays on Disney+.