Vak Combine

During the Nikardun conquests, the Vak Combine became a target for General Yiv the Benevolent. While his warships, including the Battle Dreadnought Deathless, orbited Primea, Yiv would speak to the Vak leaders, trying to convince them of the benefits of joining the Nikardun cause.

During a mission on Primea, Chiss Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn) worked undercover to learn of the Vak Combine's current situation with the Nikardun. Thrawn would find himself in a Vak art museum, where he would discuss the Vak culture with a Vak woman. He spoke of the Vak's appreciation for all of its citizens' thoughtlines and asked about what the Vak common people thought of General Yiv and the Nikardun. Thrawn wanted to sow the seed of Nikardun distrust, stating that if the Nikardun were to gain control over the Combine, the common peoples' thoughtlines would become irrelevant. Thrawn would talk to as many citizens as he could about this subject, hoping that in the end, the Vaks would decide not to subject themselves to Yiv's rule.

Thrawn would eventually commandeer a Vak patrol craft, which he would use to escape the system. The Chiss ship Vigilant, instructed to pick up Thrawn at a specific date and time, arrived at Primea. Admiral Ar'alani contacted the Combine concerning the whereabouts of Artistic Master Svorno (the false name Thrawn would use on the mission). The Vaks responded that the Garwian ship, from which that Thrawn had arrived at Primea, at had already left the system. However, the Vigilant asks for further clarification concerning the matter. The Vaks send thirteen patrol craft on course to meet the Vigilant, as a warning not to advance any further. However, a fourteenth patrol craft (the one commandeered by Thrawn) joined the others and fired modulated laser fire at the Vigilant, containing Vak patrol craft schematics (for the Vigilant to use to defeat any potentially attacking Vak patrol ships without causing permanent damage). Thrawn's firing on the Vigilant would cause the other Vak patrol craft to pursue their rogue ship. However, four Lioaoin ships, allied to the Nikardun, arrived on the other side of the Vigilant and started to fire upon it. This caused the pursuing Vak ships to retreat, as they did not want to engage in a battle. Thrawn and the Vigilant were able to escape Primea after disabling one of the Lioaoin ship's combat ability.

Many weeks later, the stolen patrol craft appeared again above Primea. The Vaks hail it, and Thalias, introducing herself as companion to Senior Captain Thrawn, would introduce herself. She would tell the Vaks that the Chiss intend to return the stolen patrol craft. The Vak reiterate the stolen nature of the craft, asking Thalias if she thinks the Chiss won't be punished for the theft. Thalias begs the Vaks to accept the ship's return as a gesture of goodwill and states that she can explain Thrawn's thoughtlines behind his actions, which intrigues the Vaks. Thalias informs the Vaks that she brings a written explanation from Thrawn, and when the Vaks permit her to land, she states that she is instructed to bring the letter to their military leader. The Vaks are commanded, by the Nikardun, to capture the Chiss and allow Qilori, a Pathfinder commanded by Yiv, to take them to the Deathless. Upon landing, a Vak warrior, not the Vak military leader, would take Thalias's message and would give it to Yiv. Thrawn's original message contained a warning of the Nikardun's history of repression of their conquered species and an offer of an alliance with the Chiss Ascendancy. however, Yiv replaced this message with one containing a mere apology for stealing the patrol craft. However, Thrawn had foreseen this, and placed a second message in the Vak patrol craft's computer. In this message, Thrawn would state that if the two messages did not match, then it could be concluded that Yiv was deliberately kept the original message from the Combine, thus depriving them of an important thoughtline. The Vaks discovered this, and decided to allow the Chiss to come to Primea to combat the Nikardun. When Ar'alani arrived with the Chiss Picket Force Six, the Vaks were made aware of a Nikardun blockade of Primea. Feeling betrayed, Vaks stepped back and allowed the Chiss to attack the Nikardun. Later in the battle, Ar'alani instructs one of the Chiss ships, the Springhawk, to power down and act crippled. Ar'alani would then ask the Vaks to render humanitarian aid to the derelict Chiss ship, since the other Chiss ships were occupied with engaging the Nikardun. The Vaks would agree, sending two of their patrol crafts, but they were attacked and destroyed by the Nikardun. This prompted the Combine to join in the battle on the side of the Chiss, and together, they would defeat their Nikardun blockaders. The Combine would never find out about this manipulation.