I’m reading and listening to books about Grand Admiral Thrawn, villain of the TV series, Star Wars Rebels, and protagonist of three Legacy novels and six current timeline novels written by Timothy Zahn.

I say villain of Rebels because Thrawn is firmly in the camp of the Galactic Empire; he hunts down and tries to eliminate a heroic group of rebels based on the planet Lothal. He is, however, a complicated person whose life makes fascinating reading. The Galactic Empire is headed by Palpatine, former Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Palpatine didn’t rise to the top alone. He had allies and accomplices. He schemed his way into the top position by using the mechanisms of the Republic and the faults and failings of the beings in the system. There are thousands of worlds involved, all with internal politics to shame any home owner’s association.

Thrawn is genius at military strategy, with the social skills of a young Spock, logical among illogical beings. He served the military of his own people for years outside Empire borders before being picked up by the Empire. Thrawn was introduced to the Emperor early in his stay; the Emperor plays Thrawn as knight to Darth Vader’s bishop, with Grand Moff Tarkin as rook.

Darth Vader rules with emotion and heartfelt commitment to the Emperor. Tarkin rules with organization, systems of security and control. Neither of them worry much about the desires of individuals. Thrawn treats all lesser pieces as valuable resources. He seeks to understand, and then bend, them.

The books fit together like puzzle pieces. I am grateful for them. Timothy Zahn writes political machinations and detailed social issues masterfully. Somehow I am persuaded to care about Thrawn, whose choices lead to loss of life and liberty among the rebels. I want to know where these choices lead him when he goes home.