Thrawn 6

THE RISE OF THE GRAND ADMIRAL REACHES ITS CLIMAX! THRAWN at last meets his greatest enemy face-to-face! Will PRYCE's final gambit to save her family succeed? And what role will ELI VANTO play in Thrawn's ultimate plan?

Admiral Thrawn lands his shuttle outside the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex. The Batonn insurgents' leader Nevil Cygni is pleased that Thrawn is a man of his word. Thrawn replies that Cygni is no use to him dead or captured. Cygni points out that he saved Thrawn's life during the Dromedar hijacking by persuading Angel to take the buzz droid aboard his ship Marauder. Thrawn explains that he had stationed a second buzz droid on the Marauders hull as a backup.

Cygni responds that he played to Thrawn's sense of obligation. Thrawn replies that obligations are not a stable basis for a relationship except if he was in the Mining Guild. Cygni asks Thrawn how he was aware of his Mining Guild background. Thrawn responds that Cygni had taken advantage of the disappearance of doonium from the Imperial metal markets.

Cygni admits that he was involved in doonium smuggling but he did it to help those hurt by the Empire. He tells Thrawn that he is aware of rumors that the Empire was running a secret project that consumed vast amounts of doonium, iridium and other metals. Cygni tells Thrawn that he has heard rumors of entire planets being strip-mined. Thrawn responds that he is also investigating this mysterious Imperial project.

Cygni then asks Thrawn why he continues to serve the Empire despite not being blind to its evil. Thrawn responds that there are things in the galaxy far more evil than the Empire and far more dangerous to all living beings. Thrawn explains that he sought out the Empire to discover if they would serve better as allies or as easier prey than his people. When Cygni raises the topic of Thrawn being rescued from exile, Thrawn reveals that his exile had been a ruse by the Chiss to lure an Imperial ship to the uncharted planet so that Thrawn could make contact with the Empire. Thrawn tells Cygni he wanted to study the Empire's political and military structure.

Cygni tells Thrawn that his Imperial uniform has blinded him to reality. Cygni refuses to abandon his people and join Thrawn in his fight for a better Empire. Thrawn clarifies that he is seeking to offer Cygni a position with the Chiss Ascendancy.

Back at the Pryce Residence, Elainye Pryce insists on packing Arihnda Pryce's childhood records. Pryce gives her mother fifteen minutes. Just then, Imperial Security Bureau Agent Gudry appears at the Pryce household, having realized that Pryce had returned to her parents. When Pryce tells him that she wanted to evacuate her parents, he responds that this is a search and destroy mission.

Gudry reveals that he has attached remote bombs to the mine's explosive's cache and shield generator. Pryce insists that her parents accompany her but Gudry raises his blaster. Pryce hurls several datacards at Gudry. She and Gudry struggle for the gun. Gudry strikes her in the head but Pryce uses her martial arts skills to break his wrist. Pryce then shoots Gudry dead. Pryce tells her shocked mother that Gudry was going to leave her and Talmoor behind. She tells them that they are leaving.

Meanwhile, Cygni considers Thrawn's offer but refuses to abandon his followers. Thrawn promises that if the insurgents disperse and leave their weapons behind, this will be the end. However, Cygni does not trust the Empire and believes that their struggle is not over. Despite their conflicting ideologies and goals, the two respect each other as worthy adversaries.

Thrawn asks Cygni if he would reconsider joining the Chiss Ascendancy if Thrawn were to aid him in his search for answers about the Empire's mysterious project. However, Cygni thinks this would make little difference since Thrawn serves the Empire. Cygni believes that this project represents a great deal of Imperial resources. Thrawn reveals that he also serves the Chiss Ascendancy and that he would reconsider his allegiance to the Empire if this project poses a threat to his people.

While Cygni is sympathetic to Thrawn's efforts to unearth the Empire's mysterious project, Cygni is unwilling to abandon his followers. Before leaving, Thrawn tells Cygni that he has read about the Nightswan and how it sings only as night falls. When Thrawn asks why Cygni would cling to a cause despite having little chance of success, Cygni responds that "a man must do what he must... even if his stand is against the fall of eternal night."

Meanwhile, Pryce and her parents approach the insurgents' perimeter. Pryce tells the guard that her mother is sick and that she needs to get them out. The guard asks for their identity cards but Talmoor tells them that is not necessary. At that point, Imperial forces begin bombarding the perimeter of the Creekpath mine. While the guards are distracted, Pryce shoots them. When her parents ask what happened, Pryce claims that the guards were killed by shrapnel.

Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, Admiral Thrawn briefs Commanders Eli Vanto and Karyn Faro and Colonel Wullf Yularen about the siege of the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex. Thrawn tells Colonel Yularen that his plan is to proceed with the assault if they have not heard from Governor Pryce and Agent Gudry. Thrawn also orders Commander Faro to prepare the Chimaera for combat. Vanto reports that the insurgents may be sending thirty midsized ships based on the shipping records from the captured base.

Shortly later, the insurgent ships exit hyperspace in groups of ten. Thrawn orders Vanto to contact the ground commanders to bombard the western and northern perimeters of the Creekpath insurgents until the shield is down. As the insurgent ships approach the light cruisers, Thrawn tells Vanto that he is prepared to gamble on whether he read Nightswan correctly.

Meanwhile, Governor Pryce and her parents approach the Imperial perimeter where they are greeted by several stormtroopers. The stormtrooper commander informs Pryce that Colonel Yularen had sent a rescue team to her parents' house. Pryce claims she was separated from Gudry. The commander evacuates Pryce and her parents while leaving the last transport for the rescue team.

Back in space, Faro asks why the enemy cruisers are not firing on the light cruisers. Thrawn explains that the attackers were never going to fire on defenseless cruisers due to Nightswan's orders. He reminds them that Nightswan ordered his pirates to spare the lives of prisoners. Vanto and Faro question Thrawn's decision to trust that Nightswan would never fire on defenseless Imperial cruisers. Thrawn tells his commanders to be patient.

At that point, the light cruisers disgorge several TIE fighters. Thrawn explains that he had arranged to bring three full TIE squadrons from the Star Destroyer Judicator in repair barges. The TIEs attack the passing cruisers from behind, preventing them from assisting Nightswan's forces on the planet.

Meanwhile, the Imperial rescue team arrives at the Pryce residence only to discover a dead Gudry. At the same time, Pryce ignites Gudry's remote controlling the explosives cache, creating an explosion that destroys all evidence of Pryce's crime along with the Creekpath insurgents but kills numerous civilians.

Aboard the Chimaera, Colonel Yularen expresses disgust at the high number of civilian deaths, likening it to the horrors of the Clone Wars. Thrawn questions Governor Pryce how the explosives came to be detonated before the planetary shield generator. Pryce claims that she and her parents waited for Agent Gudry to leave. When he didn't return, they left. She claims that Gudry may have been trapped by the insurgents and ignited the charges to prevent himself from being taken prisoner.

Yularen tells them that the Imperial Senate has ordered a full inquiry but doubts that the investigation will yield anything useful since the inner section of the complex was reduced to dust. Yularen confirms that Nightswan's body was found in the outer areas where the damage from the explosion was less severe. A visibly uncomfortable Pryce tries to salvage the situation by telling them that the Emperor Palpatine is pleased with the battle's outcome.

In private, Thrawn asks Pryce about the Creekpath explosion but Pryce responds he has no evidence against her and that he lacks political savvy. She reminds him that his entire career in the Imperial Military has been one of "military triumphs and political bumps" and hints that she has used her political skills to help him. Pryce knows that Thrawn suspects that she knows more about what happened on Batonn but tells him him not to forget that he still needs her to navigate through his "political bumps."

Seeking to find a mutually beneficial opportunity, Pryce briefs Thrawn about the insurgent situation on her homeworld of Lothal. Since Grand Moff Tarkin is unhappy that the Lothalian rebels are targeting other places in the region, she enlists Thrawn's help in eliminating them. Pryce entices Thrawn with the benefit of political guidance and military victories. She also informs him that the Seventh Fleet is looking for a new commander. Thrawn says he will consider her proposals . Before leaving, Pryce tells Thrawn to thank the Emperor for whatever accolades or trinkets he heaps on him during their meeting.

At the Emperor's throne room on Coruscant, the Emperor promotes Thrawn to the rank of Grand Admiral, outfitting him with a new white uniform. On behalf of his people, Thrawn asks about the Death Star project, telling the Emperor that he learned about it from unguarded dispatches. Given the vast amount of material allocated to it, Thrawn asks about its purpose.

The Emperor reassures Thrawn that he has no ill intentions towards the Chiss Ascendancy. Thrawn counsels the Emperor not to divert too many of the Empire's resources away from a flexible Navy, opining that massive projects such as this can only bring the Imperial presence to one system at a time. The Emperor responds that the there will be no need to spread the Imperial presence across the galaxy since a fully operational Death Star will suppress all opposition.

While the Emperor presents Thrawn with his new rank insignia, Darth Vader enters the throne room. The Emperor introduces Thrawn to Darth Vader, whom Thrawn has heard a great deal about. Thrawn says he is pleased to finally meet Vader, who responds that he shares the same sentiments.

Meanwhile, Commander Eli Vanto reaches a Chiss heavy cruiser in his shuttle. Vanto introduces himself to Admiral Ar'alani of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet via holoprojector. He tells her that he was sent by Mitth'raw'nuroudo, who believes that he could be of some use to the Chiss Ascendancy. Ar'alani bids him welcome and says that they will learn if Thrawn was correct to send Vanto.

The novel only hinted that the Spectres were part of the Lothal insurgents. The comic adaptation directly links the Thrawn novel to the animated Star Wars Rebels television series by depicting several members of the Spectres rebel cell: Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Garazeb Orrelios, Hera Syndulla, and Sabine Wren. The Spectres serve as the main cast of Star Wars Rebels and become key opponents of Thrawn in the series' third and fourth seasons.

• UPC 759606088409; July 11, 2018; Marvel Comics

• Star Wars: Thrawn TPB