The engagements between the Vagaari pirates and the Chiss Ascendancy are referred to as Vagaari pirate operations. These operations saw the Chiss, under the leadership of Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, capture a gravity well projector from the Vagaari during their initial encounter with the pirates. Later, a starship originating from beyond the [Unknown Regions](/article/unknown_regions], a region the Chiss and others in the Unknown Regions call Lesser Space, became entangled in the Vagaari pirate operations. Mitth'ras'safis, a Syndic and Thrawn's brother, along with a human woman, absconded with the starship from the Chaf family after a Chaf task force had seized it. To save those on board, the pair then intentionally crashed the vessel, which, according to Thrass's human companion, allowed the survivors to prosper for generations using the ship's resources, but resulted in their demise. In his final moments, Thrass voiced his hope that Chiss and humans could one day coexist peacefully.
The Ascendancy's governing body expressed displeasure with Thrawn due to the loss of the Lesser Space vessel's Galactic Republic technology and the death of Syndic Thrass. As a consequence of his failure, Thrawn's Chiss heavy cruiser, the Springhawk, was confiscated. During the Vagaari pirate operations, Senior Captain Thrawn of the Chiss Ascendancy sustained injuries, necessitating physical rehabilitation at the Chiss Expansionary Fleet medcenter located on Naporar.
The Defense Hierarchy Council's dissatisfaction with Thrawn for conducting the operations without authorization and losing the Lesser Space technology was later cited as the official justification for removing him from command of the Springhawk. However, Supreme General Ba'kif believed that Chiss family politics were the true motive. Thrawn's actions had brought fame to the Springhawk, and the Ufsa family desired that one of their own, Ufsa'mak'ro, command it. Ba'kif suspected that the Ufsa family Syndics had secretly exchanged favors with members of the Defense Hierarchy Council to ensure Samakro received command of the Springhawk. Ba'kif reflected that, despite Thrawn's strategic brilliance, he had overlooked the underlying political machinations, believing the "official" explanation for his removal from the Springhawk.
The 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, the first book in the Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, first referenced the Vagaari pirate operations. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good, the 2021 sequel to Chaos Rising, provided further details, hinting at a connection to Zahn's 2006 Legends novel, Outbound Flight.
The Outbound Flight Project from the Star Wars Legends continuity is analogous to the Vagaari pirate operations. Similar to the canon Vagaari pirate operations, Force Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo launched an unauthorized preemptive strike against the Vagaari. Mitth'ras'safis, a Syndic, perished on a starship originating from coreward of the Unknown Regions following a battle involving the Vagaari and Thrawn's task force. Likewise, Thrawn obtained a gravity well projector during this campaign.