Thrawn's ambitions seemed to be hanging by a molecule-thin thread.
He'd dutifully heeded the summons of High Command, returning to the capital city of Radiance on Malachor. There, he'd been confined to a room in the Temple of Light. It wasn't a prison, nor was Thrawn a prisoner- at least not officially. And indeed, his room was extravagant beyond even the most discerning standards. It was spacious, its floor intricately tiled. There was a fine sofa, a crystal-glass dining table, and a holoprojector terminal with restricted access to the local network. Meanwhile, the far-side wall was a hologlass window with a spectacular view of the cityscape outside. At night, the lights would come alive, giving the place a breathtaking, almost ethereal quality. Though pleasant the room was, as the days went by, Thrawn couldn't calm his growing restlessness. He was not permitted any communication with the outside world- he could only observe its happenings through the Light's carefully curated local net. And so he was powerless to prevent the approaching tragedy.
The few surviving engineers who'd returned from Thrawn's doomed mission had done so with chilling reports. They'd analysed the Watch's interdiction field generator and found technology of impossible sophistication, extraordinary and horrifying both. In theory- or so his engineers speculated- it could produce a gravity well orders of magnitude stronger than what was needed to pull a ship from hyperspace- and indeed, beyond anything even Thrawn believed was possible. The significance of this discovery was not lost on him. While gravity well technology was first conceived as a tool, according to legend, the design could be twisted into something far more sinister. For generations uncountable, stories from those ancient days when the Chiss still inhabited Lesser Space had been passed down amongst his people- stories of the singularly powerful superweapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator.
Thrawn only learned of Concordia's fate days later, when the Empress' official address to the galaxy reached the local net of Radiance. He'd learned that the Children of the Watch were no more- victims of their own wretched technology. And as he listened, he couldn't help but feel unnerved- not just by the destruction wrought by this mythical weapon, but also by the strength of his new master. If the reports were true, Ahsoka had single-handedly stopped the moon- the entire moon- from crashing down on the planet below. Anakin Skywalker had impressed him- but Ahsoka's strength terrified him. And this revelation only made his mission all the more critical. Thrawn's people- the Chiss Ascendancy- were already on the brink of a conflict that might destroy them. If they were to become targets of the Light... but that would not happen. Not as long as Thrawn was an asset. The Empress had seen value in retaining his loyalty, in wielding him as a weapon against those who would defy her. And as long as he remained that- as long as he remained useful- his people would be safe from her ire. First, however, he would need to deal with the tribunal who would soon stand as his judge and executioner. Bo-Katan had accompanied him to Radiance despite his protests, determined to testify in his defence. It was an admirable- though certainly futile- gesture. Luckily for him, the day of his trial never came. Instead, he received a different call. A call from the Empress herself.
He'd been standing by the window, lost in thought, when Ahsoka's holographic figure appeared behind him without warning. Immediately, Thrawn turned around and, eyes widened in short-lived surprise, knelt before the Empress.
"Y- your Luminance. Forgive me, I did not expect-"
Ahsoka waved her hand, gesturing indifference.
"At ease, Captain. You've nothing to apologise for. You may rise."
Thrawn nodded, standing and turning his gaze to look directly into the eyes of Ahsoka's projection.
"I take it you're aware of... the outcome of my mission? And of the charges levelled against me?"
Ahsoka gave Thrawn an easy smile.
"I am. But you can rest easy. After the past few days, well... High Command won't be able to lay a finger on you."
For a moment, Thrawn was silent, then said, "...I don't follow."
"You had the Children of the Watch contained, did you not? But thanks to High Command's meddling, the Watch were emboldened to launch a counterattack which, as you must know by now, culminated in the destruction of all of Concordia! Yes, I think that their position is far more tenuous than your own."
"Surely the realities of the situation are irrelevant. They are powerful. Respected. I am not."
"I'm glad you're learning to pay attention to the politics of this empire. But you should know by now that there isn't a voice in the galaxy that carries more weight than mine. "
"Their distaste for me stems from your own doctrine," replied Thrawn, a note of suspicion in his voice. "I'm Faithless. Those of us from systems not integrated into the Light have always been seen as lesser... and that was before you declared war against all Faithless worlds."
"Learn this lesson and learn it well: the faith serves me, not the other way around. These priests and Missionaries and temples and scriptures were conceived as extensions of my will. That is what I need them to remain. That is the truth my people must be reminded of. The opportunists who so quickly used my religion as a justification for their stupidity will pay the price for their trespass. But you, Thrawn? You're a story I think will prove quite useful. Far more useful than whatever political favour I'd gain by condemning you."
"I'm a... story?" echoed Thrawn.
"You are. 'The Faithless prodigy who walked the path of redemption'. People will look to you and see a man who rose above his base nature, a man who, in defiance of his former people, chose to embrace the compassion of the Light. The circumstances of one's birth are out of one's control. But in you, my people will learn that nobody is born without a path to piety. They'll learn that Faithlessness- true Faithlessness- is a choice. A choice to reject goodness, a choice driven by temptation and sin. And, as you will demonstrate, a choice that can be resisted. It's my hope that you'll stand as an icon in our empire- a symbol of the fact that no matter who we are, we are all free to walk the right path."
"...I see. And that makes those who oppose us... those who 'walk the wrong path'... even less sympathetic. In me, you're making the statement that Faithless systems are not that way by happenstance. They're choosing Faithlessness. Choosing evil."
Thrawn'e gaze turned once more to the window as he mulled over his own words.
"And should you meet with the face of evil..." he quoted.
"...devote yourself to its destruction," finished Ahsoka with a smirk. "I wasn't aware that you'd read the scripture. I'm glad. But should you rise to the position of prominence I have foreseen, remember this: you are the only Chiss most people of my empire will ever know. Whether you intended it or not, you are the singular standard by which your entire people will be judged. So... I pray you won't let us down."
"I won't," Thrawn replied curtly, his eyes narrowing at the veiled threat. "But if I- my story- is so important... why did you set me up to fail?"
For a moment Ahsoka was stunned into silence, unsure how she'd even begin to answer that question. Then, mustering all the indignation into her voice that she could, she spoke.
"Excuse me?"
"I was given just one cruiser and less than a handful of barely functional fighters... and I'm to believe you genuinely expected me to be equipped for a threat that had evaded the abilities of higher ranking officers with twenty times my resources?"
Ahsoka clapped her hands together.
"A keen observation as always, Thrawn."
"Actually, the observation was not mine. It was my subordinate's- Commander Sitrep's."
"...well. I suppose I should have expected nothing less. In any case, you're absolutely correct and yet so far from the truth."
"Again, I do not follow."
"I did not want the rebels on Mandalore eliminated. Not immediately, in any case. I wanted you to squeeze them- to back them into a corner and make them desperate. If I'd equipped you with additional resources, it would have undermined that objective. But alas, I underestimated you. Even with minimal support, you came terribly close to wiping out the Children of the Watch entirely."
"You did not desire your enemies vanquished?"
"Oh, I did. But to establish order, you must first sow chaos, and there is no better catalyst for chaos than desperation. My plan was for these rebels to be pushed to the brink- to be driven so close to oblivion that they were willing to do something drastic. I needed them to commit an act so heinous that it would forever poison the idea of rebellion against the Light. And in the end, that's exactly what happened. Thanks to what happened on Concordia, no Mandalorian will ever be able to voice- let alone fight for- the ideals the Children of the Watch espoused without being associated with this unforgivable act. It's the final nail in the coffin for insurgency on Mandalore."
Thrawn's eyes widened.
"So then... you were the reason I was pulled back from my siege!"
"In a sense... yes. Though the intention was never to set you on a path to failure. On the contrary, the moves I've made were all so that you could achieve the potential I see in you. The first move, if you hadn't noticed, was Bo-Katan Kryze."
"What does High Paladin Kryze have to do with anything?"
"Bo... High Paladin Kryze's loyalty is difficult to win. But once secured, it will never once waver. That's just the kind of person she is. A loyal hound, and exactly the kind of ally you needed in our empire. Brilliant though you are, reports from your superiors have been less than flattering. You don't know how to play politics. You're naive, a pawn destined to be moved about by those with grander ambitions. Paladin Kryze was my remedy for that. Though she despises politics, she understands them. And more importantly, there is no one in the Light who does not admire or respect her. If she were to become your ally, your ascension through our ranks would be made far easier, but she needed to do so of her own accord. She's... stubborn that way."
"...I see. I'd been wondering why a High Paladin- and a member of the Ruling Council no less- was assigned to escort a lowly officer such as myself."
"Now you know," smirked Ahsoka. "The intention was always for you to establish a rapport with her. I knew it wouldn't be easy, and I knew it would take time. That's why I dispatched the two of you on parallel assignments- assignments that I was near-certain would someday converge. Bo-Katan was sent to sit before the Ruling Council and determine how best to combat insurgency on Mandalore. You were sent to quell one such insurgency. Given your familiarity, I thought it only a matter of time before the two of you made contact. I didn't account for the Council Chamber bombing, but in the end, that only accelerated my plans."
"There's no way you could have known I would win her over."
"You're right. It was a test. If you truly were as valuable as I believed, it would only be a matter of time until you managed to win her loyalty. Like I said, she's stubborn, but given time, there are few judges of character and capability as good as Bo-Katan. Of course, that wasn't the only way I tipped this game in your favour. That clone you spoke of earlier- Sitrep? Before the days of the First Light- before even the days of the Old Empire- he was an Arc Trooper in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was among the most elite soldiers the Republic had ever known... and I suspected his insight might serve you well."
"Truly? I've read over the records of the Clone Wars. I do not believe there was ever an Arc Trooper listed under the alias 'Sitrep'."
Ahsoka's voice grew stern.
"And you accessed those records how?"
"I- High Paladin Kryze lent me her accesses."
"Hm... I'll need to ask her why she thought such a risk was necessary. In any case... during the war, he was CT-5597, more commonly known as Arc Trooper Jesse. But the war left its scars, and... many felt the need to distance themselves from their old identity."
It was a lie, and he knew it perfectly well. Thrawn had already deduced that the clones hadn't chosen to cast aside their old selves. There were gaps in their memories- inexplicable yet precise- all seeming to originate from the Empress herself. During the war, Ahsoka had been a commander of the 501st- his conversations with General Skywalker had made that abundantly clear. But though the clones remembered bits and pieces of the war, memories of her were absent even from the elite clones who'd served under her directly. Whatever happened had been deliberate. Targeted. And Thrawn suspected that it all tied back to the enigmatic Protocol 66. But he knew better than to voice such suspicions here. Instead, he redirected the conversation to a safer topic.
"And... what would you have done if I'd failed this test of yours?"
"I wouldn't have needed to do anything at all. You spoke before about the fact that it appeared like I set you up to fail. There was a purpose for creating that impression. Though I am Empress, my power is not yet as absolute as I'd like. Sometimes, certain... concessions... must be made... to appease the nobility. The owners of shipyards, weapons manufacturers, and all manner of wealthy and well-connected power brokers- without their support, my influence would be weakened. And such people are made apprehensive by the idea of elevating an outsider such as yourself. If you'd failed, it would appear that everything I've done has been for the sake of cleaning house- removing a rogue element from our ranks and bolstering my support among those who wanted you to fail. But the fact that you've succeeded proves you're worth the political repercussions."
Ahsoka paused, her projection turning so that she too appeared to gaze out the same window Thrawn did. Then, she let an authentic grin fall over her face.
"Anakin was right about you. You've exceeded even my most optimistic expectations... so elevate you I shall."