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Thrawn had given his oath of loyalty to the Empire. But that loyalty had never been fully tested. Vader stood beside Palpatine as the Sith Master’s apprentice. But his previous life among the Jedi could not simply be ignored nor casually dismissed.
It was the place where he and Thrawn had long ago interfered, albeit unwittingly, with one of Palpatine’s own plans.
Time for Thrawn to face his future. Time for Vader to face his past.
the texture of his mind was unlike anything Anakin had ever touched before. It was neat and well ordered, the patterns of thought flowing smoothly and precisely in ways not unlike those of scientists or mathematicians. But the content of that flow, and the muted emotions accompanying it, were completely opaque. It was like a neat and precise array of unfamiliar numbers.
“It can be useful for people to underestimate you.” “It can be equally useful for them to overestimate you,” Thrawn said.
“We use a different navigational method,”
there was quiet speculation that Vader would at some point simply declare himself the Chimaera’s master, no matter what navy protocol said.
“The warrior’s path lies before us,” he said. “Let us follow its guidance.”
“Just remember that the goal in war is victory, not revenge.” “Don’t worry. We all know that.” “Good,” Thrawn said. “Remember that on this mission, as well.”
Subtlety. In an Empire filled with men like Tarkin, perhaps that was what the Emperor found most useful in this Chiss.
anything that could startle Grand Admiral Thrawn was something Vader very much wanted to see.
everyone in the First Legion knew what happened when Lord Vader wasn’t happy.
“My word is my guarantee,” Thrawn said. “If his servant Anakin Skywalker were here, he would speak to that guarantee.” “Anakin Skywalker is dead.” “So I have heard,” Thrawn said.
Grand Admiral Thrawn always saw the big picture,
“Calm yourself,” Thrawn said. His hand moved a few millimeters in Vader’s direction. A suggestion. Possibly an order.
“So this is a Grysk.”
Thrawn’s eyes narrowed, his face hardening. It was an expression The Jedi had seen on him once, a long time ago. An expression that spoke of imminent death.
“Most people don’t believe me,” Thrawn said. “That disbelief then biases them against the proof when it is revealed.”
He, too, had known how it felt to be powerful, yet somehow still an outsider.
“I know Separatists, and their first answer to any problem is to throw it behind a locked door.”
“She’ll recognize your weapon?” “She’ll recognize my style,” Anakin said. “And this is the first place she’ll come looking for me.” “Is falling into enemy hands part of your style?”
There was only one Jedi she knew who had both the skill and the sheer audacity to pull off a stunt like that.
“Not until now have I faced opposition that stemmed solely from loyalty. Your loyalty, specifically, to the Emperor. I am pleased, and gratified, at the reason for your reservations, my lord. For I, too, prize and cherish loyalty.”
“I am a warrior. A warrior may retreat. He does not flee. He may lie in ambush. He does not hide. He may experience victory or defeat. He does not cease to serve.”
The relationship between him and The Jedi was one of the darkest and most impenetrable secrets in the galaxy. It was unthinkable that the Chiss could have found his way through the barriers.
The grand admiral was smart and subtle, but never used his brilliance to show up or humiliate anyone. He demanded results, but never perfection, and had amazing stores of patience for those who were truly working to their fullest ability. He cared about his people, to the point of standing up for them even against the disapproval of powerful men like Lord Vader.
Astonishing as it was to Faro that Thrawn was chiding the Dark Lord, it was even more astonishing that Vader was actually standing still for it.
Thrawn never did anything without a reason.
the Separatist factory on Mokivj that we once assaulted.”
There was something going on here, something deep beneath the surface.
Thrawn’s voice had been measured, without emotion or emphasis. But there was a strength behind it, and an absolute conviction, that she’d seldom heard even in the most passionate Senate speeches.
And here, Anakin knew, was where it got fun.
For all she could tell from his helmet faceplate, he could be taking a quick nap in there.
events of significance would see echoes of themselves within new events;
Vader hadn’t seen this before. But The Jedi had. A long time ago; but he had already seen it.
The same sense that The Jedi had felt aboard Thrawn’s ship at that first meeting over Batuu.
An enemy wishing to duplicate our success cannot simply steal a computer or computer program. He must take rare and precious living beings from us.”
Trust. It was something Thrawn continued to ask for. It was something The Jedi had valued greatly. It was a quality Vader himself had little experience with.
the idea of navigating without a nav computer or an astromech droid had never even occurred to him.
I told you the Chiss call this talent Third Sight. What I hadn’t yet spoken of is the title these navigators are given once they take their posts.” “Which is?” “The Cheunh word is ozyly-esehembo,” Thrawn said. “In Basic, it translates to ‘sky-walker.’ ” Another small smile. “You can imagine my momentary confusion when I first encountered General Anakin Skywalker.”
He’d never done this before. But it seemed he could indeed do it.
Maybe what really troubled her was his suggestion that the Republic and Separatists all played by those same rules.
“Work fast, Artoo.” He gave a slightly snooty beep—of course he was working at top speed. “Right,” Padmé said, smiling. No matter what danger might be threatening, despite being in the middle of chaos, R2-D2 just kept on doing what he had to. It was a lesson a lot of people she knew could benefit from.
“Victory is the goal.” “And not revenge?” “Not revenge,” Vader said. “Not even rescue.”
Whether a Chiss’s trust for a Sith Lord was a subtle insult wasn’t really the point. And Vader didn’t think any insult was intended, anyway. The Jedi had seen enough of Thrawn’s style and way of speaking to understand that that was simply how he was.
The voice is different, but it holds the same intensity and focus. The word patterns are different, but the cadence and intonation are the same. The brashness has abated, but the firm sense of loyalty is the same.
It is a familiar maneuver, carried out with a familiar precision. It is he.
the factory was being secretly overseen by Chancellor Palpatine, who saw in the cortosis an extra guarantee of success for his upcoming Order 66.
He knew.
“Do you expect me to believe that a tactician of your skill has not yet thought of a way to kill me?” Another faint smile. “I have, in fact, thought of three ways.” The smile faded.
