First Excerpt From 'Star Wars: Thrawn' Released

By: Dominic Jones

Del Rey Books and Lucasfilm publishing have released the first preview excerpt from the highly anticipated novel Star Wars: Thrawn.  The novel is written by Timothy Zahn, and tells the canon backstory of the villain Grand Admiral Thrawn.  Zahn created the character back in the 1990s for the novel Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, which brought Star Wars back to the bookshelves after a several year absence.  Though those novels were rendered non-canon ("Legends"), the character's popularity led to him being introduced into the new canon the third season of the animated series Star Wars Rebels (where he voiced by House of Cards star Lars Mikkelsen).

The preview for the novel, which is an excerpt from Chapter Two, was released by USA Today, and features Thrawn in a meeting with Palpatine himself.  Star Wars Thrawn hits shelves on April 11th.  Read part of it below,

It was probably only five seconds. But to Eli it felt like a medium-sized eternity. The entire throne room was utterly still, utterly silent. The only sound was the thudding of his pulse in his ears, the only movement the shaking of his arms in his sleeves.

“Captain Parck,” the Emperor said at last, his gravelly voice neutral. “I’m told you bring me a gift.”

Eli winced. A gift? For the Chiss of the stories, that would have been a deadly insult. Thrawn was behind him, and he didn’t dare turn around, but he could imagine the expression on that proud face.

“I do, Your Majesty,” Parck said, bowing low. “A warrior reportedly of a race known as the Chiss.”

“Indeed,” the Emperor said, his voice going even dryer. “And what, pray tell, would you have me do with him?”

“If I may, Your Majesty,” Thrawn spoke up before Parck could answer. “I am not merely a gift. I am also a resource. One you have never seen the like of before, and may never see again. You would do well to utilize me.”

“Would I?” the Emperor said, sounding amused. “Certainly you’re a resource of unlimited confidence. What exactly do you offer, Chiss?”

“As a start, I offer information,” Thrawn said. If he was offended, Eli couldn’t hear it in his voice. “There are threats lurking in the Unknown Regions, threats that will someday find your Empire. I am familiar with many of them.”

“I will learn of them soon enough on my own,” the Emperor countered placidly. “Can you offer anything more?”

“Perhaps you will learn of them in time to defeat them,” Thrawn said. “Perhaps you will not. What more do I offer? I offer my military skill. You could utilize that skill in making plans to seek out and eliminate these dangers.”

You can read the entire excerpt over at USA Today.

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