Heir to the Empire

Chapter 1

Five years after the Battle of Endor, aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer, Chimaera, Captain Pallaeon reminisces about the decline of the Empire.

A raiding mission to retrieve data from the border system of Obroa-skai brings pursuers, and Pallaeon gets to see Grand Admiral Thrawn demonstrate his tactical superiority.

Thrawn savours his progress in "the only puzzle with solving … the complete, total, and utter destruction of the Rebellion."

Transcription

Hosts’ Thoughts

Pellaeon making note of the youth of his comrades makes the apparent incompetence of the First Order more understandable. Like this batch of young blood, they’re passionate, but inexperienced.
Interesting to see Pellaeon note a flaw in Palpatine’s schemes. His ambition led him to ignore a weakness in the Death Star so he could have the Empire’s military power under his control.
I hear Lars Mikkelsen’s voice when Thrawn speaks. That was such good casting.
I agree with Pellaeon that the Rebellion would have lost if Thrawn were in command. Why wasn’t he? I like how REBELS gave him a fatal flaw that the characters exploited, and then took him out of action. I hope this book eventually gives an explanation as to why Thrawn wasn’t in command. .
I love how the Imperial Remnant still calls the New Republic the “Rebellion.”
Four named characters, one unnamed character, “the bridge”, and familiar mentioned characters of Darth Vader and the Emperor. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT HIGH REPUBLIC
Thrawn refuses to acknowledge the New Republic and only refers to it as the Rebellion. Very deliberate by Zahn - 5 times mentioned
Glad to see Zahn uses the Oxford comma
Well trained but painfully inexperienced; how great the loss of experienced soldiers was at Endor is a great point of detail
Thrawn drinks? A strong Forvish ale; maybe this is an extension of art/cultural observation
Zahn is clearly an experienced writer and knows how and when to give detail; never extraneous, very clear explanations
Rukh is unsettling: deep gravelly catlike voice, large dark eyes, protruding jaw, glistening needle teeth, nightmare in the dimness, slender assassin’s knife, steel-wire muscles, dark grey skin
Thrawn feels a little lofty for a heavily crippled army.
I love this version of Thrawn opposed to rebels which while intelligent, was the smartest person in a kids cartoon congratulations.