Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1 continues the story of Grand Admiral Thrawn that also has a connection to the Clone Wars! Timothy Zahn returns to the character he created in Heir to the Empire (1991)!, EU-TT1. Grand Admiral Thrawn made his live action debut in the eighth episode of Ahsoka, “The Jedi, the Witch and the Warlord” (2023); FC-A1/8. Timothy Zahn’s first novel, Thrawn (2017), FC-TT1, of the Star Wars: Thrawn trilogy is canon. It followed Mitth’raw’nuruodo and his exile from the Unknown Regions. He is a Chiss, race almost human-like, but with blue skin and red eyes. Thrawn has left the Chiss Ascendancy and discovered on a Wild Space world by Imperial forces. Cadet Eli Vanto was part of the scouting party.
He is taken by Vanto to see the Emperor and the duo are enrolled in the Imperial Academy. They take on pirates and eventually join Arihnda Pryce who later becomes governor of Lothal. Thrawn becomes captain of the Star Destroyer Chimaera and then made commodore. Part of his bridge crew is Commander Faro. He defeats the smuggler and leader of insurgents, Nightswan. He is promoted to Grand Admiral. This leads to the third season of Star Wars: Rebels where he is first introduced in canon. It was adapted by Zahn, Jody Houser, and artist, Luke Ross in a six issue comic book series in 2018.
The cover to first issue by Rob Reis shows a closeup of the grand admiral’s face in shadow. The writing team includes Zahn and Houser with artwork by Pat Oliffe and Andrea Di Vito. Oliffe was the artist for the comiXology sci fi comic, Edgeworld: Sand (2020). Di Vito was the artist for Star Wars #36 (2023). The comic opens with the Chimaera amoungst wreckage and several ships. Thrawn coldly points out to Commodor Faro that a smaller ship is protecting a larger ship. A tactic of a warrior of courage. He asks that they will have clemency if they do not attack the Imperial shipping lanes.
A comm officer reports that the Emperor has called for Thrawn. The grand admiral just has an acknowledgement while they deal with the other ships. A brief scene before we get the start of the novel, but details Thrawn’s strategic brilliance. At the Imperial palace, the former Jedi temple, Palpatine brings up a new mission. This is tinged with the orange sunset; excellent colors by Rachelle Rosenberg. A disturbance in the Force that he says will need Thrawn and Lord Vader who is also by the Emperors side. He brings up the planet in the Unknown Regions, Batuu. It is great that at least in some media, that Galaxy’s Edge is involved.
A stormtrooper, Commander Kimmund tells Commdore Faro about the placement of shuttles in the hangar. Kimmund is identified in the novel. He would like preference of the First Legion’s shuttle over Thrawn’s shuttle. This hints at slight racism which has been missing in Star Wars since the prison cell scene. Behind them two Stormtroopers chastize Rukh with his “personal cloaking device.” The Star Destroyer is suddenly taken out of hyperspace! Commodore Faro reports that the techs made a systems check. Vader blames the crew. Faro respectfully disagrees saying that it may be a shadow of an “unknown mass.”
Vader is doubtful, but Thrawn says that the crew is competent and orders his ship to move ahead. Great tension between Vader and Thrawn! Faro asks for a scan for objects and Thrawn adds other ships. Thrawn brings up that there were no ships in the area when he was there during the Clone Wars. This is discussed in the novel with Palpatine who asks if Thrawn would be eager to close to his home, the Unknown Regions. Vader tells Thrawn that the past is not important, only the ending of the disturbance. He leaves. The Emperor’s thoughts on the mission that will lead to Thrawn’s future and Vader’s past!
This shifts to Batuu during the Clone Wars. Padme is flying her ship sent by her former handmaiden, Dujua. She heads to Black Spire Outpost and takes a speeder to the cantina. I absolutely love Padme at Oga’s Cantina which I had seen in person a few months ago! Padme sees in a container like carbon freeze, the body of Duja, in a white suit with flowers. An alien says some traders brought her from a speeder bike accident. Padme knows that this is a lie. She was placed in the open to see if anyone recognized her. Padme asks if she can sing a song of hope that is a tradition for her people. I would love to know the lyrics of this Naboo farewell song.
Padme passes her hand to touch Duja’s forehead while quickly taking a brooch from her chest! We see in shadow Padme walking away in shadow as well as the coffin. Just an image, but a nice sentiment by Padme. The brooch is actually a beckon call that Padme uss to land Duja’s ship. She identifies herself to activate Duja’s hologram message. Duja reports that she discovered a Separatist factory on Mokivj. Padme wonders about contacting Anakin and decides that Duja’s death warrants her investigation. She takes the ship to scout Batuu, but then two ships approach! In the novel, Anakin and Padme discuss Duja’s signal, and then he finds that Padme has mysteriously disappeared!
The Chimaera has again reverted to realspace. Faro suspects an Interdictor cruiser, but one that is not detected. Vader states that it is cloaked. Thrawn says the cloak and the cruiser’s gravity well don’t work together. Vader says that there may be a new technology in the Unknown Regions. Thrawn orders a jump by jump travel to Batuu. Faro tries to make a suggestion, but we get a closeup of Vader’s helmet saying she was given an order. Thrawn gives permission for Faro to continue. She suggests plotting a course to Mokivj and then making a hyperspace jump to Batuu. This would cut time by fourteen hours. Thrawn gives the order. Vader mntions it would save eleven hours.
The Star Destroyer orbits Mokivj with a swath of destruction on the planet. Four missing moons in the novel. Vader says that they are there to find the disturbance, the pinkish lens of Vader’s visor is seen with Faro reflected in them! Thrawn orders the hyperspace jump and then mentions that the disturbance could probably be aware of Darth Vader! He looks out the window to Mokivj connected to Anakin Skywalker! In the past, Anakin arrives above Batuu in his Eta-2Actis-class light interceptor with R2. He finds an unknown ship and asks for identification. The ship passenger contacts Anakin that he was only checking on his hyperdrive ring.
The passenger with a blue face notes that Anakin’s mission is personal and not for the Republic! We had a sense that Thrawn knew of Anakin in Ahsoka, here it is! Thrawn identifies himself as Commander Thrawn of the Chiss Acendancy. In the book, Anakin sensed Thrawn through the Force and that he had anothe person, a pilot, on board. He wants to know more about the Clone Wars that might affect the Chiss. In exchange, he knows about Padme’s ship and that she is missing! I love the two mysteries across time, Clone Wars and the Rebellion, that are connected. Plus, Zahn writing about Anakin and Vader with Thrawn in both time periods! Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1 reveals two important stories that involve Darth Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn!
Five Lightsabers out of Five!
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