A personal diary belonged to Grand Admiral Thrawn. As a symbol of their bond, he ultimately entrusted it to Commander Eli Vanto. Inside, the diary held Thrawn's reflections on various subjects, including his perspectives on strategy and the essence of malevolence. Vanto believed that the final entry, which concerned friendship, might have been the underlying motive for Thrawn's decision to give him the diary.
Passages extracted from this diary are used as the opening quotes for every chapter within the book Thrawn.