Represent

Borderline insane

“Whoa,” Apros muttered. “Does he ever come up with a battle plan that’s not borderline insane?”

“Not that I’ve noticed,” Lakinda growled.

~

I smirk whenever someone states that Thrawn’s alignment is “lawful evil.”

I spent a gazillion words discussing the canonical inexistence of his supposedly “evil” behavior, so I won’t rant further.

I accept the “neutral” hypothesis if you feel better about it regarding Thrawn’s involvement with the Empire, but I fundamentally agree with Mr. Zahn when, questioned about the matter, he replied instantly “good” without even pondering it a picosecond.

That said, claiming that he is strictly “lawful” is hilarious.

Every of his (five?) close friends has a jar of anxiolytics at hand every time he walks into the room with an idea of his.

Ba’kif probably put a Thrawn’s face sticker on his Xanax pillbox.

Let’s face it.

The guy is brilliantly unhinged.

Quiet, polite, elegant, sure.

Still. Beautifully unpredictable.

And we (and his five friends) love him for it.

~

“An interesting thought,” General Ba’kif said, pursing his lips. “The question is whether that thought is dangerously inspired or merely criminally insane.”

“I don’t see why either adjective has to be attached, sir,” Thrawn said, his voice carrying his usual mix of respect and confidence. “The small scout ship I’m proposing—”

“You *don’t*?” Ba’kif interrupted.

~

“What in the depths of the Chaos were you *thinking*?” Ba’kif demanded [].

“It was a humanitarian gesture toward the Magys’s people—” Thrawn began.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses,” Ba’kif cut him off.

~

“*If* you’ve read him correctly,” Ar’alani said []. “Come on, Thrawn, this is crazy. Even for you.”

~

“I assume you aren’t going to let Ba’kif or Ja’fosk in on that part of the plan?”

“I’m not that crazy,” Thrawn said with a small smile.

~

“You disapprove,” Thrawn said.

Ar’alani eyed him, her head still spinning from the idea he’d presented to her []. “Of course I disapprove,” she said. “The whole thing is totally illegal in at least three directions. Not to mention insane”

“Agreed,” Thrawn said. “The question is, are you willing to go through with it?”

[Shirt by @wrecker.i.barely.know.her]

Precision

"It was a wildly unexpected move.

Bold and brave and yet so very like Viktor, who feared nothing but the limitations of his own mind even while his body crumbled around him.

Viktor, who once risked his respected position at the Academy for a complete stranger’s far-fetched dream, a smirk on his face and a ring of gilded keys in his hand."

[From "Grey Dawn" by TheTrickyOwl]

~

This quote is a gem.

I read roughly 350 #jayvik fanfictions in the last eight months.

And, yes.

This makes more than one per day, with an average of 10k words each.

If you ask me why my Star Wars TBR list became so long: that's it.

Viktor.

[And Jayce]

Sassy, fearless, bold.

[Anxious, sweet, protective]

Them.

My 2022 totally unashamed hyperfixation.

[Photo: another precious custom necklace by @caitlynminimalist. The rune is "precision"]

So what’s the story?

“I have read about the nightswan,” Thrawn called after him. “Have you?”

Nightswan turns partially back. His face is obscured by shadow. His body stance again holds weariness, along with a quiet dread. “You refer to the fact that it sings only as night is falling?”

“Yes,” Thrawn said. “You do not expect your stand to succeed, do you?”

“I know that it won’t succeed,” Nightswan said.

“That does not necessarily mean the end. I can give orders for you to be taken unharmed.”

“They’ll be ignored [].”

“Then come with me now.”

“A man must do what he must, Admiral Thrawn. Even if his stand is against the fall of eternal night.”

~

No "Andor" spoilers in here, but, I genuinely think that Nevil would be a perfect fit for it.

The Batonn insurgency and its tragic conclusion was a 2 BBY affair.

This means three potential years across the series two seasons for a Nightswan storyline.

And, no, it wouldn't be "fanservice."

Full of resentment against a nonsensically brutal Imperial domination, the miners in Batonn were normal people.

Although the movement was linked to a larger and sector-wide insurgence, its final goal wasn't a rebellion of a galactic scale, but simply a very human reaction to the longstanding abuse perpetrated by the local Governor.

Yes.

Deeply in tune with the "feels" of the new series.

Nevil Cygni.

No Force or noble origin.

Just a man and his commitment to leading other common men.

And he wears ochre shades already, a must for being in Cassian's world, it seems.

~

“Describe him, [] describe everything.”

“Dark hair,” Eli said. “Dark eyes. The textured skin of a man who’s spent a lot of time in the sunlight. Miners’ hands, scarred and callused. Slim body, but a full face. Never killed anyone unless he absolutely had to.”

He ran down the complete description []: how he looked, the sound of his voice, the way he did business. []

“Satisfied?” he asked.

“You met him, I’ll give you that,” Sisay said []. “Probably worked with him some, too,” she conceded reluctantly.

“So what’s the story?”

~

[Photo: wonderful art commission by @lucenorthstar]

Delight

The kalikori conundrum

"Admiral Ar’alani says you like art.”

“I study it."

~

No worries.

I will try not to force here the —rather controversial— point that Thrawn does not, in fact, love art but simply analyzes it.

However, I will rant a bit about the huge mischaracterization of him imperialistically exploiting it, as seen in “Rebels.”

I start by stating that I am not, by any stretch, at war with Dave Filoni.

Ok. Maybe I am a little concerned at the moment. Terrorized, more properly, about the incoming TV series. But not my focus here.

Speaking about what we *do* know, among all the possible big and small details that weren’t fully tuned in Rebels’ Thrawn, his whole relationship with art was, for me, the most striking one.

In Zahn’s work, I do not recall that Thrawn ever expressed an interest in long term collecting art for his personal enjoyment or in robbing it from the legitimate owners. He, very respectfully, gathers cultural information from paintings and sculptures, sure. He reads people souls, if you want, from their artistic expressions. But the object itself carries no specific value after the analysis. In Outbound Flight, for example, he has a total of zero intention to retain the Vagaari stolen collection he is studying, and he is fully committed to gifting it ultimately to Qennto.

So, yeah.

The kalikori conundrum.

For me, the symbol of everything Thrawn actually isn't and "Rebels" claims him to be.

Even not discussing here the absurd and complete out-of-character note he makes about Hera’s *dead brother* (I can hear the heart of Zahn’s Thrawn cracking at that moment, bleeding over cute bistros and cheese triangles), his attitude towards the kalikori is illogical.

The totem gave him the information he sought, eventually an insight into the complex mind of Hera Syndulla. But why strutting about keeping an item that doesn't belong to him with that gratuitous acid superiority?

Like... a trophy?

*Thrawn* wants a trophy?

*Thrawn*?

"I never did something for myself like ever in my life" *Thrawn*?

"I care so less about showing off that I propose to my nemesis of 15 years to join the Ascendancy because he can be actually useful" *Thrawn*?

Clearly nonsense.

Reconsider my path

“Did you learn anything?”

“We learned plenty,” Nightswan said. His expression holds determination. “We learned that Grand Moff Tarkin’s involved at the top, for one thing. We learned the work is being done at a single location, as opposed to being spread out all across the galaxy.”

“Not entirely correct,” Thrawn said. “There is a main work site, but there is also a subsidiary one.”

“Really?” Nightswan frowned. “Interesting. I don’t usually miss things like that.”

“An excusable error,” Thrawn said. “Most of the materials for the subsidiary location were delivered some time ago, with only small additions since then. []”

“Thanks, that makes me feel a little better.” Nightswan’s voice holds dry humor. “Still, it sounds like we’re talking a single main structure or interwoven structure, rather than a group of large ships or battle stations. Otherwise, it would be safer to split off the ships to different locations.”

“I agree.” []

“If I were to aid you in your search for answers, would it persuade you to join me?” []

“What exactly do you know?”

“I have no direct knowledge,” Thrawn said. “But I, too, have gathered some of the pieces of the puzzle to myself. I may also know where the main work site is located.” []

“And [] what then? What would you do? You serve the Empire, and this project, whatever it is, represents a great deal of Imperial resources.”

“I do indeed serve the Empire,” Thrawn said. “But I also serve the causes of the Chiss Ascendancy. If I deem this project to be a threat against them, I might find it necessary to reconsider my path.”

Nightswan’s expression holds interest and temptation. His fingers rub restlessly against his leg []. “And if I surrender and accept your terms? What are you offering?”

“We will journey to the site together.”

“And the people of Creekpath and Batonn?” []

“I will do what I can.”

Nightswan shakes his head, his body stance holding resignation. “And therein lies the problem. This is a political situation, and you have no political power. On one hand, we have a puzzle, and a fear of what the Empire is planning. On the other hand, I have real flesh-and-blood people to protect. I’m sorry.”

“As am I.”

~

[Charm: @_art_and_chaos_]

Leadership is a journey

"Leadership is a journey, not a destination.

It is continually challenged, and must continually prove itself anew against fresh obstacles.

Sometimes those obstacles are external events.

Other times they are the doubts of those being led. Still other times they are a result of the leader’s own failures and shortcomings.

Political power and influence are different. Once certain levels have been reached, there is no need to prove leadership or competence. A person with such power is accustomed to having every word carefully considered, and every whim treated as an order. And all who recognize that power know to bow to it.

A few have the courage or the foolishness to resist. Some succeed in standing firm against the storm. More often, they find their paths yet again turned from their hoped-for goal. But such a turn does not always mean that the victim has lost. Or that the victor has won."

~

I was planning for the second installment of my Nevil's series today.

A celebration for Mr. Zahn's birthday on a #ThrawnThursday.

And not sharing this (although magnificent) quote, which I already burned in my stories one week ago or so.

But, after my long loooooong day, these words were simply too fitting not to post.

When, once again, I am the one with "the courage or the foolishness to resist."

[Yeah, probably just the foolishness]

So, I was supposed to arrive home and take some shots at a Nevil charm.

But I saw sun and shadows on this absolutely stunning original art that @psiibee gifted me.

And I noticed Thrawn's beautiful face.

How melancholic he was.

Tired.

And so alone.

And, yet, surrounded by gold.

Rightful.

Strong.

It is a simple shot. I know.

But, photo and quote are truly me today.