Unknown Regions

In Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars novel, "Vision of the Future", it was revealed that Grand Admiral Thrawn had won approximately two hundred and fifty sectors for the Empire. This territory, located in the previously unexplored outer edge of the galaxy called ‘the Unknown Regions’, had been won in the time before Thrawn returned to face the New Republic. This conquest had been kept a secret from the Empire proper. This essay will speculate on how and why this feat was done, what this new area of the Empire is like, and why Thrawn waited so long before returning to fight the New Republic. Some speculation into Thrawn’s character will also be attempted.

The How

Exactly how the impressive feat of opening up the Unknown Regions was accomplished has not yet been revealed, nor has how long it took, or how much real control is exercised over this new territory. Fifteen years after the battle of Endor, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade visited what had been Thrawn’s main base. The base was located in the Nirauan system, between Wild Space and the Unknown Regions,[1] and the amount of territory Thrawn had opened up was displayed on a holographic map of the galaxy.[2]

It had been generally thought among Palpatine’s court that Thrawn was exiled by the Emperor, sent to the Unknown Regions on a mapping expedition as punishment for choosing the wrong side in a political battle.[3] In reality, although Thrawn had been dispatched to the Unknown Regions by Palpatine, it was apparently with his blessing - and orders to conquer, not to simply make maps. Although it seems initially Thrawn had only the Imperial Star Destroyer Admonitor, Commander Voss Parck, who as an Admiral would command Thrawn's base fifteen years after Endor, claimed near the beginning of Thrawn's campaign that the plan was for Palpatine to send extra forces to assist.[4] It would seem that these forces were sent, given the large amount of that was territory opened up.

It would seem that at least some of the territory had been taken by simple force – after all, it was an Imperial operation. For direct evidence, Thrawn once commented to Pellaeon that "out on the Fringes" his knowledge of a species art only once failed to give him insight into a species – so he wound up destroying the world of that species.[5] In addition, at Thrawn’s old base, during a conversation with Mara Jade, Baron Soontir Fel referred to losing an eye in the final battle against a would-be warlord "out here."[6]

But it would seem unlikely that force of arms alone was sufficient, if for no other reason than simple logistics. Even during the height of Imperial power, not every system in the Empire could be garrisoned. This would seem to mean that the Empire would not have had sufficient resources to garrison the huge amount of territory Luke and Mara saw on the galactic holo. And in order for the mission to remain as secret as it did, the forces Palpatine could funnel to Thrawn would likely not have been vast. This would have made attempts to seize and control all the territory by simple force even more difficult.

To quantify this further, the Empire fifteen years after the battle of Endor is described as eight sectors, with over 1000 inhabited systems.[7] Rounding this down to 1000, and assuming this represents the normal amount of inhabited systems per sector, (125) that would mean that 250 sectors of new territory would have 31250 inhabited systems. This figure is almost certainly inaccurate, given that the number of sectors was only estimated by Luke, and the fact that, according to the Imperial Sourcebook, sectors can apparently vary greatly in size.[8] However, this information still gives somewhere to start, and even if the number of systems comprising the new Imperial territory was half the estimate above, the territory involved is vast.

It would seem extremely difficult, even for a Grand Admiral with Palpatine’s backing, and later the services of Baron Fel, to conquer so many worlds in a few decades, let alone garrison and maintain control over them all - especially given the comparatively small forces Thrawn would have had available. Mara guessed that the actual Imperial presence in these new territories was probably limited, but that Thrawn had probably set up a network of alliances with the natives.[9] This seems to be a reasonable speculation.

Given that Thrawn’s species, the Chiss, were from the Unknown Regions,[10] it would seem plausible that he would have known a great deal about the species and cultures that called the Unknown Regions home. Given how much Thrawn later learned about the residents of the galaxy who resided closer to the Core, he would probably have known much more about his home region of space. It would seem likely that he could have used this knowledge to his advantage in more ways than simply combat. It would have been invaluable in forging treaties, perhaps using fear of the unknown dangers mentioned by Parck, Fel, and Stent, (a Chiss apparently part of Thrawn’s ‘Household Phalanx’)[11] to form and unite a new Empire under his own command. At the very least, it is known that there are a significant number of Chiss serving this new Empire, evidenced by those at Thrawn’s base[12] and Parck’s claim that there was "a steady flow of young Chiss" joining up.[13]

The Why

As for why the new territories were taken, the answer would seem to be a little more complicated than just simple Imperial expansion for its own sake. If so, what was the point in keeping it a secret? Palpatine could have used the huge victories that had been made to demonstrate the Empire’s strength and martial skill. After all, if the whole of the Unknown Regions were proven unable to stand against the might of the Empire, what chance would a "pitiful rebellion" have?

However, a variant of that explanation would be that Palpatine wanted to have the Unknown Regions conquered, but did not want to bleed the Empire dry to find the necessary resources - and besides, he needed as much resources as possible to continue tightening his grip on the Empire proper. He needed a commander who possessed both brilliance when using meagre resources and detailed knowledge of the Unknown Regions, and became convinced Thrawn was the only man for the job. But Thrawn was an alien, so Palpatine was forced to keep Thrawn’s mission a secret, just as he had kept news of Thrawn’s earlier promotion to Grand Admiral quiet.[14]

A more interesting possibility is that Palpatine had this new Empire established to form a buffer zone between the Empire proper and the unknown dangers Stent, Parck, and Fel mentioned, and that Parck seemed very afraid of, but did not detail.[15] The Empire proper may have been kept unaware of this to prevent any unease that could threaten Palpatine’s rule. This would also prevent the majority of Palpatine’s forces from being distracted outwards, which meant he could continue tightening his grip on the Empire proper. These unknown dangers could also be why Thrawn had agreed to destroy Outbound Flight, an expedition of six Jedi Masters who were touring the Unknown Regions before heading off to another galaxy. It may be that Thrawn feared the Jedi would contact these unknown dangers and perhaps draw their attention to his own species..

What would this new Empire have been like?

The new Empire Thrawn created in the Unknown Regions would most likely have been very different than Palpatine’s. There are several lines of evidence for this. The first is simply the fact it had survived and prospered. If it had been built on Palpatine’s model, like the Empire proper, it seems likely that it would have collapsed after the death of Palpatine, as his unifying power vanished. Even if Thrawn had somehow managed to prevent the collapse that was engulfing the Empire proper, that collapse would have set in again with Thrawn’s departure Coreward, or his death at Bilbringi. Obviously, this did not happen.

There is also more direct evidence. During his time with Pellaeon, Thrawn showed his dislike of the way Palpatine had tried to control his whole Empire through the Force, and referred to the Imperial forces controlled through the Force as through he had not been one of them.[16] Thrawn seemed to have regarded the Emperor’s Hands, who simply carried out Palpatine’s will,[17] as being of less importance than himself, which would seem to indicate he regarded his own position as something different. Thrawn’s leadership style was markedly different to that of Vader and Palpatine, as he had the ability to inspire his subordinates,[18] as well as to teach them, as seen by the development of Captain Pellaeon.[19] In response to one of the many tantrums thrown by Joruus C’Boath, Thrawn explained how he had not hesitated to stand up to Palpatine when the situation demanded it, and that the Palpatine had learned to listen to his counsel.[20] When considering what form Thrawn’s Empire would have taken, these references lead to some interesting conclusions.

Having Palpatine’s ear and trust – or at least as much as Palpatine can be said to have trusted anyone – it seems likely that Thrawn would have had a free hand in the Unknown Regions. This probably would have included Thrawn’s forces being free of Palpatine’s mind control. It is not known what, if anything, happened to Thrawn’s forces following Palpatine’s death, but the continued existence of Thrawn’s new Empire fifteen years later seems to imply a full recovery from any damage that may have been incurred. As for Thrawn himself, the Grand Admiral may have even been somewhat immune to influence through the Force – in the novella ‘Side Trip’, the Force-sensitive Corran Horn is unable to get any reading on Thrawn. Although Corran was untrained at the time, he had usually been able to read individuals in the past.[21] On the other hand, it could also be that it was simply Thrawn's species patterns that prevented Corran from gaining a reading – after all, when he visited Thrawn's base, by which time he was a Jedi Master, even Luke Skywalker could not get a reading on any Chiss, due to his unfamiliarity with the species.[22] This implies that a Force-sensitive who took the time to become familiar with the Chiss would be able to get readings.

Beyond the issue of mind control, Thrawn would likely have set up his Empire differently, with less brutal and arbitrary rule than was found under Vader and Palpatine. Thrawn did rule partially by fear,[23] but he also had a knack for inspiring intense loyalty that was lacked by Palpatine and Vader, who seemed to simply rely on negative sanctions.[24] This is not to say that Thrawn’s would have been a utopian Empire, with liberty and justice for all - but it would probably have been more pragmatic.

There were other practical considerations as well. The Empire proper had been formed as Palpatine had seen fit, which was all well and good, as it had emerged from the Old Republic, which had been Palpatine’s home. The Unknown Regions were a very different place – and they had been home to Thrawn. Thus it makes perfect sense for Palpatine to assign Thrawn to conquer and rule the Unknown Regions as he saw fit. Palpatine had learned to pay attention to Thrawn’s counsel, and given Thrawn’s dislike for aspects of Palpatine’s system, it seems likely that Thrawn would have requested, and Palpatine approved, this freedom.

In the end, the superiority of Thrawn’s Empire is seen in its continued existence. Whereas Thrawn’s Empire has apparently flourished, despite the death of its creator, Palpatine’s has fallen apart, despite several short-lived recoveries. An empire cannot fall unless it contains sufficient internal problems – and Palpatine’s had ample. On his death, Imperial unity gradually fragmented, helped along by the actions of the New Republic.

Why wait four years?

The question of why Thrawn remained outside the Empire proper for approximately four years [25]after the defeat at Endor is an interesting one. It has not really been addressed thus far. In Zahn’s trilogy it seemed Thrawn had simply been out of touch, although for a Grand Admiral to be so ill-informed seemed strange, even if he had been in the Unknown Regions. However, this did explain why Thrawn allowed the Empire to lose three-quarters of its pre-Endor territory before his return.

However, this explanation no longer suffices. It is now clear that Thrawn was not only aware of what was going on in the Empire proper, but also that his agents were active there long before his return. Thrawn was in contact with Ysanne Isard, the Director of Imperial Intelligence who became Empress in all but name following Endor. Isard’s capture of Baron Fel (after Fel’s conversion by Rogue Squadron) was carried out because Thrawn wanted it done,[26] and approximately three years after Endor Isard sent an incompetent officer to Thrawn to learn his lessons.[27] At about the same time, Imperial Admiral Betl Oxtroe, who was trying to form a joint monarchy with the New Republic, was assassinated by the Thrawn’s personal death commandos – the Noghri.[28] This last point is unclear, however, as there has been some suggestion that the cloned Emperor was in charge of the Noghri after Endor.[29]

So, why did Thrawn wait four years? Given his apparent conviction that, even with the combined resources of the Empire and New Republic and himself in command, there was no assurance of victory against the unnamed threats[30] it would seem time was of the essence. So why allow the Empire to lose so much ground before he returned, given that he knew what was going on, and needed as much resources as possible? Why did he return when he did? There are several possible explanations:

1 – Thrawn’s work in the Unknown Regions was at a critical stage in the early post-Endor period. Although he had been able to occasionally return to the Empire proper since his assignment to the Unknown Regions, in the years after Endor he could no longer do so. He could only spare the time to concentrate on the ‘civilized’ portions of the galaxy for individual matters of key importance - such as arranging Baron Fel’s kidnap and perhaps Oxtroe’s assassination. Only later, when his work could be safely placed in the hands of Parck and other subordinates, could Thrawn turn his attention to the New Republic and the old Empire.

2 – Thrawn would have preferred to keep at his work in the Unknown Regions, but returned to pre-empt the return of the Emperor’s clone. When the events following Thrawn's death are taken into account, it may be that Thrawn suspected the Emperor's return was imminent, and he wanted to prevent this. There are a number of reasons why Thrawn may have wished to do this. After all, the cloned Emperor’s plan was for a new Dark Side theocracy to replace the old system of Moffs and Governors,[31] and Thrawn may have had an inkling of this, and suspected that Palpatine would eventually dispense with his last Grand Admiral. The Thrawn revealed by Parck and Fel, a man who wished to defend the Chiss and the galaxy, may have been troubled at the possibility of this new Dark Empire spreading out from the Deep Core to rule over his own species. Thrawn’s statement to Mara; "I rule the Empire now. Not some long-dead Emperor . . . the only treason is defiance of my orders"[32] can be seen to be Thrawn establishing that he is going against the cloned Emperor who is waiting in the Deep Core.

3 – Thrawn wanted Palpatine's Empire to be over-run, so it could be rebuilt. He recognised that the system Palpatine had created was no longer satisfactory – it had been unstable even when Palpatine was alive, and now that he was gone, it would simply fall apart. Thrawn would allow this to happen, but be ready to step in when the Empire had suffered enough, and the New Republic was not too strong. He could proclaim himself as the Empire’s New Hope, and would have the best of both worlds – his position of Grand Admiral would hark back to old Imperial glory, and he would conquer in the name of the Empire. But he would do so at a time when the Empire proper had seen Palpatine’s system fail since Endor, so his rebuilding of the Empire in a new way would also be accepted. The assassination of Admiral Oxtroe, if this was indeed ordered by Thrawn, would make perfect sense. If the Empire and New Republic were at peace, the Empire’s decline may have been halted, and the New Republic certainly would have been strengthened – and both these outcomes would have hindered Thrawn’s plans to unite the galaxy under his own command. It was better to keep them fighting until the time was right for Thrawn to return and take charge. If the interpretation of Parck and Fel are to be believed, this new galaxy-wide Empire would have had a very different goal to Palpatine’s system. Rather than being dedicated towards the simple subjugation of its citizens to the will of a single ruler, it would be designed to unite the galaxy against the unnamed dangers. Thrawn seems to have regarded himself as the best leader to defend the galaxy, and thus decided to conquer the galaxy in order to save it.

Disclaimer

It should be noted that many of the speculations above depend fairly heavily on the assumption that everything in "Vision of the Future" is exactly what it appears to be. This may not be the case – for example, Zahn seems to have revised his view of Thrawn somewhat since the days of his trilogy – then, Thrawn seemed to be simply an Imperial striving to rebuild the Empire, albeit a particularly brilliant one. Zahn’s subsequent novels and short stories have established him as a more sympathetic protagonist, suffering exile to save the Chiss from a military disaster, but still caring for them, as well as attempting to defend the galaxy in his own way.

Perhaps it is worth recognizing that, much like Sherlock Holmes, we never really see what Thrawn is thinking. We can only imply his thoughts from his words and actions, and how these are interpreted by Watson – or in this case, Pellaeon, Parck, or Fel. When Thrawn was trying to restore the Empire with Pellaeon, he expressed himself as a loyal Imperial through and through. When he wanted to convince Baron Fel and his own species to serve under him in the Unknown Regions, he apparently portrayed himself as a protector of the galaxy. Were both these persona’s simply acts, did each contain some truth, or was one simply a cover for the other? It is impossible to say. Thrawn, despite all the information that has been given, remains a mystery.

Many thanks to Abel Pena and Jeff Boivin for their assistance with this essay.

Endnotes:

[1] Specter of the Past, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Books, New York, 1998, pg 199

[2] Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Books, New York, 1998, pg 313

[3] Vision of the Future, pg 312

[4] 'Command Decision', Timothy Zahn, in Star Wars Adventure Journal #11, West End Games, Honesdale Pennsylvania, p 10

[5] Heir to the Empire, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Books, New York, 1992, pg 176

[6] Vision of the Future, pg 326

[7] Imperial Sourcebook Second Edition, Greg Gorden, West End Games, Honesdale Pennsylvania, p 10

[8] Imperial Sourcebook Second Edition, Greg Gorden, West End Games, Honesdale Pennsylvania, p 10

[9] Vision of the Future, pg 313

[10] Vision of the Future, pg 321

[11] Vision of the Future, pg 323

[12] Vision of the Future, pg 18, 194, 316, 343

[13] Vision of the Future, pg 323

[14] Dark Force Rising, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Books, New York, 1993, pg 252

[15] Vision of the Future, pg 322, 323, 328

[16] Heir to the Empire, pg 50-1

[17] Dark Force Rising, pg 256

[18] The Last Command, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Books, New York, 1994, pg 69

[19] The Last Command, pg 52, Specter of the Past, pg 376-386

[20] The Last Command, pg 48

[21] 'Side Trip', Timothy Zahn and Michael A Stackpole, in Tales from the Empire, Bantam Books, New York, 1998, pg 269

[22] Vision of the Future, pg 18

[23] Heir to the Empire, pg 184-185

[24] The Empire Strikes Back, Donald F. Glut, Del Rey Books, 1980, pg 46, 138, Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook, Bill Slavicsek and Eric S. Trautmann, West End Games, Honesdale Pennsylvania, 1996, p 63

[25] Heir to the Empire, pg 95

[26] Vision of the Future, pg 328

[27] Wedges Gamble, Michael A. Stackpole, Bantam Books, New York, 1996, pg 55

[28] Dark Empire Sourcebook, Michael Allen Horne, West End Games, Honesdale Pennsylvania, 1993, p 33

[29] Dark Empire Sourcebook, p 37

[30] Vision of the Future, pg 328

[31] Dark Empire Sourcebook, pg 38, 65

[32] Dark Force Rising, pg 279

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