#paccosh

[gia-batmm-crickle22]

You expect me to believe Thrawn is extremely loyal to the Empire? Almost everything in the Chimaera is stamped with the logo that belonged to his Paccosh lover. Bro made every officer and trooper uniform in this Star Destroyer have that symbol 😂🤣

[the-evil-skull]

Highlights of my fifth fucking Lesser Evil reread

Prologue

Jixtus: NO!!!!!!! THIS ASSHOLE AGAIN. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!!!!!!!

Thrawn: can i please have the Watith refugees :)

Jixtus: NAKIRRE DONT TELL HIM ANYTHING HES LIKE SHERLOCK HOLMES EXCEPT HE'LL BURN YOUR CROPS AND STEAL YOUR HUSBAND!!!!

Nakirre: Wait..... you know this guy?

Jixtus: ....

Jixtus: just MAKE HIM LEAVE

Thalias: bro our emotional support navigator is having nightmares again

Thrawn: can I PLEASE have the Watith refugees:)

Thrawn: aw kiddo I hate it when that happens. What are you dreaming of?

Che'ri: A voice was heard in Rama, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children because they are no more

Thrawn: um.......... fuck. Don't sleep, I guess.

Thalias: my brother in christ she's TEN.

"If it sucks..... hit da bricks!" -Qilori of Uandualon

"Thalias listen to me. Are you listening? Okay I have to leave the Springhawk and ride with the Paccosh to Sunrise-- please don't panic I'm telling you now because if I disappeared without warning you would start chewing on the walls--" -Thrawn

Roscu on the phone with Wutroow: Admiral Ar'alani is the nastiest skank BITCH!!!!! she's a FUGLY SLUT

Wutroow, unblinkingly looking Ar'alani dead in the eyes: uh huh, yep honey, totally

[empress-violetlight]

Imperial Handbook: Empire of the Hand - Capital Ships of the Navy of the Hand

Another Worldbuilding exercise for my Empire of the Hand AU. See my Ranks document here:

-----------

While it might have began as a small task force under Thrawn’s command and whatever largely Clone Wars era scraps the Empire proper would send their way, as time went on and the Empire of the Hand began to build up the infrastructure needed to build its own ships, the variety of vessels available to it increased.  Here some of the Capital ships used by the Navy of the Hand, including some unique classes.

Renaissance-class Super Star Destroyer  (about 12 km long)

Built:  Kuat Drive Yard’s Spiral Shipyards, Nirauan system.  Officially finished construction in 21 ABY, but Admiral Parck would occasionally make use of its incomplete state before then. 

The Renaissance class is a shorter, wider, heavier-set, ship than the more familiar Executor-class SSDs from the old Galactic Empire, taking several design features from the prototype Eclipse class, including integrated interdiction technology, a complement of over 400 TIE Defender fighters, and a superlaser capable of cracking a planetary crust (or a Yuuzhan Vong world ship). Like other Empire of the Hand designs, the Renaissance-class’ bridge is not located in an exposed tower, but rather deep inside the ship, with cameras and a powerful sensor suite compensating for the lack of viewports.  Borrowing from Mon Calamari designs, the Renaissance-class also utilizes overlapping shield technology.  As well as standard Imperial weaponry like turbolasers, tractor beams and ion cannons, the Renaissance -class also utilizes Chiss Ascendency weaponry such as Plasma ball launchers and breacher missiles.

The main difference from the earlier class (and, the "selling point" that convinced then-Grand Moff Xelarra to sign off on its creation) is the ability of the Renaissance-class to carry up to five Imperial or Spiral- class Star Destroyers on the hull itself, with the smaller (but still capital sized) ships docking on five triangular recesses on the main hull, 3 on top of the superstructure, two below.  The Renaissance-class can thus act as a mobile repair station as well as the command ship.  Its main hanger bay can internally carry ships up to 300 m in length (i.e. the size of an Arquitens-class light cruiser or an Explorer-class research/scout vessel).

The Renaissance also has integrated Interdictor technology, and is equipped with several cloaking devices (necessary because of the ship’s size).  These two systems cannot normally be used at the same time, though Grand Admiral Thrawn remembers a few tricks learned earlier in his career to get around this limitation.  As cloaking devices are double-blind – they protect a ship from detection, but said ship also cannot see outside of it when activated through conventional means, the cloak is most effectively used with the cooperation of an Imperial Knight, who can use the Force to sense outside the cloak.  However, with proper timing and practice the cloaks can be used without the assistance of Force-users. 

As the Empire of the Hand did not sign the Pellaeon–Gavrisom Treaty, they are not prohibited from using cloaking devices. 

Known vessels in the class:

SSD Renaissance        

CO:  Fleet Admiral Voss Parck (19-28 ABY), Grand Admiral Thrawn (28 ABY +)

XO:  Commodore Eli Vanto (28 ABY+)

Starfighter commander:  Colonel Jagged Fel (28 ABY +)

Flagship of the Navy of the Hand.  Displays the same Paccosh signil as the ISD Chimaera on its hull.

Commissioned by Fleet Admiral Parck, in anticipation of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s rumoured return in 19 ABY.  Thrawn (actually his clone, known as ‘Raw’nuru’ until he was ready to retake the mantle of Grand Admiral) did not take command until the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, after the Evacuation of Lysatra.

Imperial-Class Star Destroyers

These iconic ships were inherited from the Galactic Empire.  Only a few were assigned to Thrawn’s task force in the Unknown Regions/The Chaos, and he chose the leave the ones he did have behind in the Empire of the Hand during his campaign of 8-9 ABY.  The Empire of the Hand has been retrofitting the ISDs when they can with more automation, in order to reduce its crew component from over 37 000 personnel down to 10 000.  As the less crew-intensive Spiral-Class Star Destroyers became more prominent in the Navy of the Hand, the remaining, aging Imperial-Class Star Destroyers were mainly regulated to defensive roles around prominent star systems and installations.  

Differences with standard Imperial Class ISDs:

As opposed to the “mobile base” role that the Old Galactic Empire used the Imperial-class for, Empire of the Hand ISDs are more starfighter-focused, with the majority of their standard ground forces (an entire legion of Stormtroopers, 20 AT-AT walkers and associated vehicles at the Empire’s height) regulated to the Clone Wars era Acclimator and new Nightstalker-class assault cruisers instead, unless the mission profile specifically calls for their inclusion.  With more room that would have been otherwise been taken up by ground vehicles, Hand ISDs have more than doubled the number of TIE –series fighters carried. 

To accommodate the additional TIES, the bridge tower has been reassigned to be a communications tower, focusing on air traffic control.  The actual bridge of the ship has been moved to a far more secure location in the interior of the ship, with cameras and sensors making up for the lack of traditional viewports.  

Known Vessels in this Class:

ISD Admonitor

CO:  Captain Dagon Niriz, then-Captain Voss Parck

The Star Destroyer first assigned to Thrawn’s “mapping expedition” in the Unknown Regions/The Chaos which would grow into the Empire of the Hand.  It later serves as the Hand Fleet's flagship until the Renaissance’s construction is completed in 21 ABY. 

ISD Vengeance  renamed the Resolute once in Hand space

CO:  then-Captain Thrawn (6 BBY), Commodore Karyn Faro (1 BBY +)

This is (officially) the first ISD Thrawn was assigned to as captain, which he used to subjugate the Kaleesh colony world of Oben.  Surprisingly, Thrawn earned the fierce, reptilian aliens’ respect for not just defeating, but crushing them in battle.  After the Battle of Endor, Thrawn personally extends an invitation to the Kaleesh to join the Empire of the Hand.  The say they will consider his offer, but don’t actually join until after Thrawn’s death.  

Commodore Karyn Faro served as Thrawn’s executive officer on the Resolute for many years, before being promoted to commanding officer of the Resolute itself, then climbing ever higher in the Hand Navy. 

The Resolute, along with the Admonitor, were also largely responsible for the creation of “Thrawn’s Cut” -- the hyperspace beacon route through The Chaos stretching from the Nirauan system to the border with the Chiss Ascendency. 

Beacons are modified Imperial probe droids, deployed in small groups that transmit real time astrometrics along a frequency that to anyone other than Empire of the Hand communications networks, appears as regular galactic background radiation.  By deploying the beacons in regular intervals, they form a trail of “breadcrumbs” that subsequent Hand ships can follow, allowing navigation through the Chaos without relying on Force users, though the initial deployment can be quite slow, relying on jump-by-jump navigation to plant the next “crumb” in the trail.  It took nearly a decade to carve Thrawn’s Cut, and the time involved convinced the Grand Admiral of the need for a dedicated exploration and beacon planting corps. 

ISDs the Empire of the Hand wants:

ISD Chimaera, currently serving as the flagship of the Imperial Loyalists (aka the Imperial Remnant)

CO:  Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon Possibly the most famous ISD in the Galaxy, the Chimaera served as Grand Admiral Thrawn’s flagship during his campaign to retake the galaxy in 9 ABY, with Gilad Pellaeon serving as his XO.  Both Fleet Admiral Parck and Empress Xelarra herself have made numerous offers to the Imperial Loyalists to acquire the historic ship, including offering the trade several state-of-the-art Spiral-class Star Destroyers for her.  Grand Admiral Pellaeon declines to give up his flagship every time.

Spiral-class Star Destroyers

Named for the magnificent ringed gas giant Spiral, the fifth planet in the Nirauan system, around which the Empire of the Hand’s main shipyards are built, these slim, daggerlike ships are smaller than Imperial-class Star Destroyers  (1.2 km long compared to an ISD's 1.6 km) and take a lot less crew (only about 5000).  As is standard on newer Hand ships, the Bridge tower is eliminated, with the bridge itself nestled deep within the structure of the ship.  They are powerful for their size.  Like a “mini-Renaissance”, (though they are, in fact, the basis for the larger ship) SpSDs are equipped with both Imperial and Chiss Ascendency weapons, featuring banks of turbo and spectrum lasers, deployed in retractable turrets, tractor beams, ion cannons and/or plasma spheres and breacher missiles. Some, though not all (usually 1-2 per battle group) have interdiction technology equipped.   Like the Hand’s ISDs, SpSDs also focus on starfighter deployment over ground forces, even though their TIEs usually consist of hyperspace-capable TIE Defenders.

Spiral class ships are predominantly assigned to Fleet Admiral Karyn Faro's Seeker Fleet, whose primary mission is to patrol the Galactic Rim hunting for any signs of the Far Outsiders.  As an added bit of psychological warfare against the technophobic Far Outsiders, Seeker Fleet ships are usually named after fictional machine lifeforms from a children’s novel and ani-holo series once popular in the Core. 

They also perform limited exploration duties (at least until the dedicated Explorer program is implemented) and plant hyperspace beacons.  They are slowly replacing the aging ISDs to become the premier battleship in the Navy of the Hand. 

Spiral-class ships use the designation “HMS” - “her Majesty’s Ship”, in honour of her Imperial Majesty, Lexx’elarra’nuruodo (Xelarra), Empress of the Hand. 

Known vessels in the class:

HMS Starscream

CO:  Fleet Admiral Karyn Faro (2 ABY +)

Flagship of Seeker Fleet, for a short time Flagship of the Navy of the Hand, during Admiral Faro’s tenure as Supreme Commander. 

One of the first four Spiral-class ships built, and founding member of Seeker Fleet. 

(featured in "Seat of Command" as the site of Thrawn and Xelarra having some "quality time" - NSFW)

HMS Thundercracker

CO:  Captain Rae Sloane ( 5 ABY)

Thrawn’s flagship while assisting the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet against Ssi’ruuk incursions (“Reunion”).  Captain Sloan was personally mentored by the Grand Admiral, and is considered Admiral Faro’s protégée.   

One of the first four Spiral-class ships built, and founding member of Seeker Fleet. 

HMS Skywarp

Torguta CO

Equipped with Interdiction technology, its smooth lines are broken up by its spherical, gravity well generators.

One of the first four Spiral-class ships built, and founding member of Seeker Fleet

HMS Shockwave

CO:  Captain Kyra Pyrondi

Captained by a long-time crewmate of both Grand Admiral Thrawn’s and Admiral Faro’s, this ship serves as a testbed for new weapons developments, with Captain Pyrondi herself often participating in the design teams. 

One of the first four Spiral-class ships built, and founding member of Seeker Fleet.

Victory-Class Star Destroyers, Venator-Class Star Destroyers

Clone Wars-era capital ships, regulated to less-important sectors of the Galactic Empire during the Imperial era as the larger Imperial-class better fulfilled the Tarkin doctrine of “rule by fear”, even if the larger ships were far less efficient in other respects.  Thrawn managed to get a number of these older ships assigned to his “mapping expedition” in the Unknown Regions/The Chaos, mostly because they were undervalued by that point by mainstream commanders in the Galactic Empire.   

Like the Imperial-class, these older ships are slowly being phased out in favour of the Spiral-class, but are still in use – mostly used against known threats in the Chaos (like the Vagaari pirates, and some client species of the Grysts – themselves clients of the Far Outsiders).  While these aging ships may be less effective in Lesser Space, even Clone Wars-era shields and weaponry is superior to most technology that cultures of the Chaos can muster, including the Chiss Ascendency.  Thrawn has a talent for using limited resources in the most effective way possible, and these older star destroyers are no exception.

Arguably, these ships make up the backbone of the Navy of the Hand, and keep the Empire of the Hand safe from the known threats of the Chaos.  Whether they will be effective against the Far Outsiders remains to be seen.   

Known vessels in these classes:

VSD Strikefast

CO:  Captain Voss Parck (19 BBY), Commodore Rae Sloane (10 ABY +)

The Victory-class Star Destroyer which was commanded by Voss Parck when he made first contact with Thrawn in 19 BBY.  While Parck himself was reassigned to the ISD Admonitor, Thrawn did manage to get the Strikefast herself assigned to his “mapping expedition”.   

The Strikefast, under Commodore Rae Sloan, later became the flagship of the Explorer program.  Though the Explorers themselves would later use primarily their own class of ship, modified Arquitens-class light cruisers, the Strikefast remains in service, stationed at Watchtower Station – the space station built at the Ascendency-end of Thrawn’s Cut, and the Explorer program’s base of operations, still serving as now-Admiral Sloane’s flagship (and is to Watchtower what the USS Defiant is to DS9). 

Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers

Pre-Clone Wars capital ships are rare, due to the Old Republic’s anti-military policies.  Nevertheless, Grand Admiral Thrawn managed to discover the location of the legendary Katana fleet during his campaign of 9 ABY.  Though the majority of the 178 ships he acquired were used in his campaign, with surviving vessels becoming Imperial Loyalist property, He did manage to send 30 of the vessels home to the Empire of the Hand. 

Though older, like with the Venator and Victory-Class Star Destroyers, the Dreadnaugts still outgun anything native to the Chaos, as demonstrated by the Chiss Ascendency’s efforts to acquire the six Dreadnaughts of the Outbound Flight expedition.  Surviving Dreadnaughts usually server as auxiliary craft in the Hand Navy, backing up Star Destroyers.  Five vessels, unfortunately, were in such a state of disrepair that they had to be decommissioned and scrapped.  (“Nightfall of the Final Day”).

Like with other Clone Wars and earlier era ships, the Hand is occasionally able to procure additional vessels from Lesser Space scrapyards in the Outer Rim, though as our own shipbuilding capabilities have improved, this has become far less necessary. 

Known Vessels in the Class:

HMS Rapier

Official transport of her Imperial Majesty, Empress Xelarra.  The Empress declines to use a Star Destroyer for her needs, preferring that the newer, stronger vessels serve in “more important” Naval missions.  Instead, she uses one of the Katana Fleet dreadnaughts, saying she has an “appreciation” for such ships.  As the Imperial transport, the Rapier has civilian amenities more typical to diplomatic vessels (including relatively large shipboard library) and is more comfortable than most navel vessels, even for its enlisted crewmembers.  However, make no mistake – it is still a warship, and is perfectly capable of defending itself.

The Rapier features an upgraded Class 1 hyperdrive, stronger shields (even with the typical strong armour of a Dreadnaught) and its nose cargo bay is more accurately deemed a hanger, housing a full wing of TIE Defenders, as well as having dedicated landing spots for both Empress Xelarra’s and Princess Andorra’s personal Lambda-class shuttles.  The cargo bay can also hold the Empress’ personal combat vehicle, the AT-AT Toraton (her Majesty is a qualified reservist AT-AT driver) though it is more usually stationed on the Renaissance, or on Nirauan itself.      While the Empress is on Nirauan, the Rapier serves as part of the capital’s planetary defense fleet, though it can be ready for Her Majesty’s departure within one standard hour.   

Acclamator and Nightstalker-Class Assault Ships

The Clone Wars-era Acclamator, and its “descendant”, the Nightstalker-class, serve primarily as ground troop transports, assault vehicles and landing craft for the Army of the Hand, Stormtroopers and member world elite troops.  As such, these ships will be described in more detail in the chapter on the Army of the Hand.   

Nightstalker-class 

Grievous

Named for the legendary, deified  leader of the Kaleesh and General of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, this ship is the flag of Army General Bentilais San Sk’ar, commander of the Army of the Hand.  See the Army chapter for more details.

Interdictors

Immobilizer-class cruisers 

These rare ships have the ability to project an artificial gravity field, mimicking the mass shadow of a large object (i.e. a planet) in hyperspace, and subsequently pulling other ships out of hyperspace.  They were not built in great numbers, despite being perhaps the best Rebel-hunting tool at the Empire's disposal.  Thrawn saw their potential when pretty much no other Imperial commander did, and managed to get a large percentage of the Empire's Interdictors assigned to him in the Empire of the Hand. 

While Interdictors are usually used to pull enemy ships out of hyperspace for easier capture/destruction, the “Thrawn Pincer” is a space battle tactic developed by Thrawn, where Interdictors are used to pull his own ships out of hyperspace in a specific formation, with a lot more control than would be possible with usual hyperspace jumps.  He uses the technique in his Campaign of 9 ABY to great affect.   

Immobilizers are about 600 m long, looks like a small Star Destroyer with 4 gravity projector domes sticking out from the lines of the hull)

Known Immobilizer cruisers:

Maelstrom

An old Immobilizer scheduled to be scrapped by the New Republic (as they didn't know how to use it properly).  Raw'nuru (Thrawn's clone) joins a band of pirates in capturing the ship, then seizes command himself.  He uses the Maelstrom as his primary vessel while patrolling the Empire of the Hand's borders, taking on privateer missions, recruiting allies, and protecting his Empire from the shadows as he regains the confidence he needs to retake his old mantle.

Between 20 and 28 ABY, the Maelstrom is involved in several notable events, such as destroying a New Republic vessel that attacked them unprovoked without even firing a shot, which subsequently leads to Raw'nuru finally getting to warn Admiral Ackbar about the Far Outsiders, and the start of their "long distance" friendship (fic idea - "Pen Pals").

The Maelstrom is destroyed in the Evacuation of Lysatra, at the onset of the Far Outsiders War, holding off an invading Vong force long enough for the Hand Fleet to arrive.  Most of the crew, however, survives, and rejoin their Captain (now once again Grand Admiral) on the Renaissance.

The Maelstrom is also where Imp Squadron is assigned.  These near-washout fighter pilots are given one last chance by Wing General Soontir Fel to prove themselves, so are given just standard TIES and assigned to "the Empress' favourite privateer" to shape up.  Under Raw'nuru's command, they become an elite fighter squadron, basically the Hand's version of the NR's Wraith Squadron.  They also join their commander aboard the Renaissance.

Other Interdictors (undetermined class):

Scylla and Charybdis

Assigned to the Renaissance's battle group, these two Interdictors are commanded by Devola and Popula, two redish-orange twin Twi'leks who were trained by Raw'nuru on the Maelstrom.  They had originally been slaves belonging to the first pirate captain, who were freed by Raw'nuru when he overthrew and spaced that captain.  He saw their potential, and personally mentored them into Imperial officers.  Both are good friends (sometimes with benefits) of the Explorer Captain Shran.

Some Spiral-class Star Destroyers are also equipped with Interdiction technology, including Seeker Fleet’s HMS Skywarp.  The Renaissance itself is also Interdiction-capable. 

Arquitens-class Light Cruisers 

Considered the Imperial answer to the Rebellion’s/New Republic’s CR90 Corvette (aka the Rebel Blockade Runner, often nicknamed the “Rebel Ass-Hauler” by Hand navel personnel), the 300-metre long Arquitens has been in service since the Clone Wars, and was of the few ships from that era to remain in service in the Galactic Empire for the entirety of its existence.  The Empire of the Hand likewise inherited a large number of these ships.  While most serve essentially unchanged from their roles in the Galactic Empire as support and scout/recon craft, notable Arquitens have become something more. 

Explorer-class research and scout vessels:

Between 10 BBY and 6 ABY, while Thrawn was building up the Empire of the Hand, it became apparent, especially during the decade-long establishment of the "Thrawn's Cut" hyperspace route, that relying on Star Destroyers and other navy vessels to plant hyperspace beacons and for the diplomatic relations with non-hostile civilisations of the Chaos was unsustainable, and frankly a waste of the Navy's time when they need to be preparing for the upcoming Far Outsider invasion.

With the assistance of Xelarra's research into past exploration initiatives in Lesser Space (both historical and fictional), Thrawn began developing the foundation of a new, offshoot from the Hand Navy, to focus on (relatively) peaceful exploration exclusively.

That said, the Explorer ships, while small, needed to be tough and fast, to survive encounters with less-friendly forces, and to eventually transfer to scout duties in the Far Outsider War.

The ubiquitous Imperial Arquitens-class light cruiser (like Thrawn's first Imperial assignment, the Thunder Wasp) would make an ideal basis.

Explorer-class ships differ from their foundation in having even their limited weapons further reduced, in order to make room for science labs, a larger hanger to hold more than two shuttles at a time, and the most advanced sensor suite in the known Galaxy.  The crew compliment is also reduced, to about 200, from an Arquitens' 700.

Explorer ships are not entirely helpless -- their weapons may be limited, but they pack a punch, and can handle nuisances like smugglers/pirates perfectly well.  Standard procedure has the ships in constant communication with the nearest active Navy vessel (as detected over the Hand's hyperspace beacon network), which is obligated to come to the Explorer's aid if called.

Explorer-class vessels are highly modular, and can be easily customized for different mission profiles.

Thrawn unfortunately did not live to see the Explorer program officially start, but after his death, the program was finally pushed through by Empress Xelarra, with support from Admiral Faro. 

While officially under Admiral Faro’s jurisdiction, she delegated command of the Explorer program to Admiral Rae Sloane.  The program is officially based on Watchtower Station, a space station built at the Ascendency end of Thrawn’s Cut, right outside the border with the Chiss Ascendency.  From this point, Explorer vessels begin their deep space expeditions.

Explorers primarily rely on their planted hyperspace beacons, and on their powerful sensor suites to plot jump-by-jump navigation.  If in a hurry to go somewhere uncharted, Explorers will (begrudgingly) hire the help of a Force-sensitive navigator (the Pathfinders Guild has a franchise based on Watchtower Station), or ask for the assistance of an Imperial Knight.  They will not, under any but the most dire circumstances to the Empire of the Hand as a whole, use Chiss sky-walkers, as the Empire of the Hand considers child labour abhorrent, illegal, and basically slavery.  Like all Hand Imperial forces, they will offer political sanctuary to any sky-walker who asks for it, and their immediate family (parents/caretakers, siblings), and will ensure their transport to Nirauan or another long-time (and well-protected) Hand member world.  Explorer-class vessels use the designation “RRS” for “Royal Research Ship”  

Known Explorer ships:

RRS Stargazer

CO:  Captain Rosk’alem’izeq - Kalemi

Commanded by the Chiss Captain Kalemi, a former member of the Rogue Phalanx, who specialises in astronomy and served alongside then-Govoner Xelarra and Phalanx Commander Stent on the Honoghr mission. ("Nightfall of the Final Day") 

Xelarra and Thrawn's son, Shran, is assigned to the Stargazer as a cadet, and is mentored by Kalemi.  It is the Stargazer that first encounters Mara Jade when she goes looking for the Explorers after hearing rumours about them from spacers/smugglers, and she meets Shran, growing more interested in her connection with the Empire of the Hand (upcoming fic “Daughter of the Empire”).

The Stargazer comes under attack from a trigger-happy New Republic vessel in 22 ABY, mistaking it for an Imperial Remnant Arquitens, in complete violation of the  Pellaeon–Gavrisom Treaty.  Mara distracts the NR ship long enough for a Star Destroyer to come to its rescue, then works with Shran to devise an excuse that the NR ship wandered into an old Clone Wars minefield, despite Mara’s attempt to warn them. 

Cadet Shran serves aboard the Stargazer for the first decade of his career as an Explorer, eventually rising to the rank of First Officer, until he gets his own command.

(named after the USS Stargazer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's first command).

RRS Intrepid

CO:  Captain Mitth’shra’nuruodo – Shran

Notable officers:              XO and Communications:  Commander Dee (human augment - Tattooine)

Helms officer: Lieutenant Cherith Fel (human - Nirauan)

Navigation:  Hex (Tripod)

Chief Engineer:  Commander Gorbash (Draconian)

CMO:  Doctor Jackie Hatch  (human – Lysatra)

Engineering:  Lieutenant Neela Drakesdaughter (Twi’lek)

Quartermaster:  Ensign Sali Vanto (human – Lysatra)

Commanded by Captain Shran a year or two after start of the Vong War.  Involved in many adventures, including tricking a Vong ship into getting sucked into a black hole, and the raid on Ossus.   Visits the Renaissance often enough that the crews of the two ships know each other pretty well.

(“hero” ship captained by Thrawn’s son. Named after the Intrepid-class ships in Star Trek, the most prominent example being the USS Voyager)

RRS Nonsuch

CO:  Captain Davi Cecelia.  (Quarren) 

XO:  <Unnamed Gungan who speaks with a distinguished Core World accent>

This ship specialises in exploration of ocean worlds.  The majority of her crew are from species that can breathe underwater unaided, and the ship itself is specialised to be able to land (and float) on water.

Captain Cecelia is begrunding friends with Captain Shran, and the two ships collaborate more often than they wish, with the Nonsuch backing up the Intrepid during the Ossus raid. 

(named after the Nonsuch, an 18th century merchant ship which explored Hudson’s and James’ Bays, and helped to start the Canadian fur trade.  A replica – which can be boarded and explored by guests – is on display at the Manitoba museum in Winnipeg.)

[marroniere]

fic: strength of heart (tenderness of the soul), thranto, E, WIP

Word count: 179,243 words so far (5000-word chapters are posted twice a week, 37 chapters overall)

Warnings: canon-typical violence, angst with a happy ending, mpreg, Thrawn dealing with his traumatic past

Excerpt:

A few minutes later, as Thrawn walks into his room, he stills. Never in his life has he been so sharply aware of the fact he may be seeing this house—and everyone who lives here, all the people who have become his family—for the last time. Death is always a possibility, especially in his line of work. He is, first and foremost, expendable. If he is to give his life, he will plan it in such a way that it wins a little time for those staying in the Ascendancy to protect themselves.

Only he doesn’t want to.

Instead of giving up his life, he would like to stay on Naporar, renovate certain parts of the house, expand his new art collection, add more ships to the Stybla fleet, raise Rikeil, Riste, Riat, and Larass to be brave, decent, curious, and hard-working people, show them the world or at least the Ascendancy worlds they have never seen, show them the planet he grew up on, wake up by Eli’s side every morning, have another child with Eli—the list is extensive.

When he thinks about those things, he realizes that they only make what he is fighting for even clearer.

He casts a glance at the small wooden cabinet by the window and opens its top shelf. Looks at its contents. The artifacts of all the lives he has managed to live and abandon. An old Imperial rank plaque. A ring with an engraving of entangled snakes. The same snakes he ordered engraved on the Chimaera’s hull. The first piece of art he was ever given, by an alien and a comrade-in-arms, a token of gratitude from the Paccian people. Thrawn never believed he deserved it. The Paccosh did far more in their own defense and the defense of Sunrise than he did. But he did allow himself to hold onto that memory.

Holding onto certain memories—of friendship, of camaraderie, of love—is beneficial. As well as holding onto certain hopes.

In the meantime, an idea comes into Thrawn’s head.

He traces the engraving on the ring with his finger.

Perhaps some things do not have to stay memories, old and distant.

Perhaps accidental allies can unite for more than one battle, even if decades have passed.

[electricnik]

Thoughts on Thrawn Ascendancy, Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn.

This is the first novel of the Ascendancy trilogy and takes you deeper into the world of the Chiss. You get to meet a whole load more new characters and find out a lot more about their culture. The novel starts with snapshots of Thrawn's early years after his recruitment into the Mitth family. You start to realise that Chiss do a lot of things totally different from Humans, there is a lot of behind the scenes sexual politics, real or symbolic. Thrawn courts Ziara (later Aralani). taking her to an art gallery and then challenged her to a sparring session. Now she is a member of the rival Irizi family, so her family wanted him to join them, on top of that, Thrawn is a bit cosy with Thalias and Thrass who are also incomers to the Mitth family. Patriarchs of both families, Thurfian and Zistalmu are annoyed by his behaviour, expecting that his relationships were more politically useful. We find out that like dolphins, Chiss can use the halves of their brains separately, which gives them greater multitasking abilities. We get to see some more aliens, there is another navigator called Quilori who from the description probably looks like a cross between a Human and a manta ray, the Paccosh, who are birds and the Chiss' adversaries, the Nikardun who seem to be a more assressive version of the Chiss who have teamed up with symbiotes similar to Venom from the Marvel universe..Thrawn, although he is not supposed to be force sensitive has moments of prescience that inspire him to go on quests for solutions to the situations the characters find themselves in. At one point the book overlaps with Alliances where Thrawn teams up with Anakin to steal a force field generator.

[timeladix]

Lesser evil spoilerssssssss

beware

So. Thrawn goes with the paccosh. Thalias protests at samakro that it's not ok to just abandon thrawn like that. And one of her arguments involves the fact that allegedly the magys refered to thrawn as the guardian. She later muses to herself that she doesn't remember che'ri telling her that the magys communicated that with the young girl, but all chances are the magys told thalias that directly through the force.

What shocked me is the fact that the last 3 letters in thrawn's name odo literally mean guardian or protector.

[insert audio] : she knows..... she knows....

//// edit : ok so it seems i was slightly wrong, the guardain being uigali... stillll ... really interesting connections going on here:))

[shards-of-silver]

Last Line Challenge

thanks for the tag, @seikilos-stele

This is from my longfic Halfway to Martyrdom. I'm in the middle of a chapter at the moment.

"'The Paccosh in the cockpit with you. He will be pointing a blaster at your head. Rest assured the soldier has no intention of firing on you. He simply has to maintain the illusion that we are being taken against our will.'

'I don't think it's much of an illusion,' Naylaub grumbled."

Tagging @tennyowithaluger, @raelilac, and... Gosh, I need to learn more people's Tumblr names.

#tag game

[oenimo]

Nothing like drawing barely described alien characters from books to really make you get creative

[skywalkerthrawn]

my concepts for how uingali foar marocsaa looks

[ladyespera]

smol chimaera jacket pin made from COVID pin and paper and glue my beloved

[daniellescottart]

So here’s my theory…especially after finishing Thrawn: Ascendancy Trilogy:

The double snake head decals on Thrawn’s star destroyer Chimera is of course symbolising the creature itself & would simply be seen as such by imperials but a fact known to us novel fans is that it is the design on his ring gifted to him by Uingali & the Paccosh. Symbolising him as a Guardian & friend. My bets are on Thrawn having this design added to his flagship as a contingency plan should it ever come into danger within the unknown regions. (cue the Rebels season finale) we know the Paccosh do this to their own claimed enemy ships therefore the Chimera would instantly be identified & assumed by any outsider as being associated with or owned by the Paccosh - meaning they would likely be contacted & would lead to an investigation/ rescue or recovery.

I furthermore guess that eventually this leads to Ezra being introduced to the Magys in hopes of helping the Chiss predict upcoming battles & finish off the Grysks. I mean like - he can access the world between worlds and literally time travel the past so why not the future? Whilst the nyix mines on the “off radar except to those who know” planet Sunrise are used to rebuild Thrawns imperial ships.

[empress-violetlight]

Empire of the Hand Military Ranks and the Explorers Branch

Just a little worldbuilding exercise of mine for my Star Wars AU.

I’m using Star Trek’s Starfleet, and Canada’s military ranks, as a basis, since Imperial ranks, in both the old EU and Disney Canon, are just a giant mess with no consistency whatsoever.

---

Empire of the Hand Military Ranks

The Empire of the Hand uses a more streamlined rank system compared to the old Galactic Empire or the Chiss Ascendency, with the colours of the squares used in the rank plates denoting personnel's area of service -- Navy, Explorers, Army, Starfighters or Intelligence.

Military personnel wear similar uniforms as in the Imperial Navy, with the exception of the Explorers (see “Explorer” section”), and Flag officers, who have a variant over that of the Old Galactic Empire, as described in their section. 

The Stormtrooper Corps uses an identical rank structure to the Army.  Member species elite forces (such as the Paccosh Commandos, Kaleesh Kolkpravis, etc.) have systems unique to their own cultures, and are issued equivalent rank plates while working with the rest of the Hand's military.

Details below the break

Non-Commissioned Ranks (from lowest to highest):

Navy/Explorers:                                              Army/Starfighter Corps:

Crewmember                                                    Private

Able Crewmember                                         Able Private

Leading Crewmember                                   Corporal

Master Crewmember                                    Master Corporal

Junior Petty Officer                                         Sergeant

Senior Petty Officer                                        Drill/Flight Sergeant

Master Petty Officer                                      Warrant Officer

Chief Petty Officer                                          Chief Warrant Officer

Notes: 

"Crewmember" is often shortened to “crewman”, regardless of gender.

It is entirely possible for enlisted personnel to be promoted to officer rank due to exceptional service.

Commissioned Officers:

Navy/Explorers:   

Junior Cadet (1st, 2nd  years)

Senior Cadet/Acting Ensign (3rd, 4th years)

Ensign

Sub-Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutentant-Commander

Commander

Captain

Senior Captain

Army/Starfighter Corps:

Junior Cadet (1st, 2nd years)

Senior Cadet / Acting Lieutenant (3rd ,4th years)

Second Lieutenant

First Lieutenant / Flight Lieutenant

Captain/ Flight Captain

Major / Flight Major

Lieutenant-Colonel / Flight Commander

Colonel / Flight Colonel

Senior Colonel / Wing Colonel

Notes:

“Acting Ensign/Lieutenant” are only used when the cadets are on field assignments.

“Lieutenant” uses the Core World (i.e. British) pronunciation (so like “left-tennant”) 

Specialist titles can be used alongside formal ranks, such as “Doctor”, “Medic”, “Specialist”, “Ranger”, “Scientist” etc.

A senior officer’s aide can use the courtesy title “Yeoman”, regardless of whether they are an enlisted or commissioned officer (i.e. Yeoman Eli Vanto).

Flag Officers:

Navy/Explorers:                                      Army/Starfighter Corps:

Commodore                                            Brigadier-General

Rear Admiral                                            Major-General

Vice-Admiral                                            Lieutenant-General

Admiral                                                      General

Fleet Admiral                                            Army General / Wing General

Notes:

The Commander of the Starfighter Corps (actual rank of Wing General) is given the specialist title “Flight Baron”, in honour of Baron Soontir Fel. 

Navy flag officers are allowed to wear lighter grey uniforms, with silver epaulets. (rather than the grey-green of most navel ranks).  Fleet Admirals/Army Generals/Wing Generals additionally wear white cuffs on their uniform sleeves.

Grand Moffs (a civilian title, held only by Xelarra – given to her by Thrawn before her ascension to Empress) can wear a similar grey uniform to flag officers.  Planetary leaders wear what is deemed appropriate in their cultures, which can include flag officer-style uniforms for planets with Imperial-style governors, like Nirauan and New Cardia.  Galactic Empire-style Sector Moffs do not exist. 

 

Supreme Commander of the Empire of the Hand military:

Grand Admiral

Notes: 

In theory, both Voss Parck and Karyn Faro, during their times as Supreme Commander, were entitled to use the rank of “Grand Admiral”, but both declined, preferring “Fleet Admiral”.  There has only ever been one Grand Admiral of the Empire of the Hand, Grand Admiral Thrawn. 

Grand Admirals wear unique, all-white uniforms with gold epaulets. 

Only the Empress can give the Grand Admiral orders.  More usually, the Grand Admiral and the Empress work in tandem to effectively govern the Empire of the Hand.  

Explorers:

The Explorers are an offshoot of the Navy, focused on (relatively) peaceful exploration, planetary/sector surveys, and planting the hyperspace beacons used to navigate by the Empire of the Hand’s Navy throughout the Unknown Regions/Chaos without reliance on Force-users.  They use an identical rank structure to the Navy.

Explorers wear blue uniforms with black pants, with a variant for field studies.  Uniform details indicate specialties:

Explorer Shipboard Uniform Examples:

Explorer Field Uniform Examples:

(art my by husband)

Field variants come with matching backpacks, in their division colours, customized to the Explorer’s role. 

Explorer Division colours:

1.  White = command

2.  Scrub Green = Medical

3.  Forest Green = biology/life sciences

4.  sky blue = chemistry / meteorology

5.  black = physics/space sciences

6.  Grey = geology/geography

7.  Red = Survival/Combat/security

8.  yellow = Engineering, ships operations

9.  lilac purple = First Contact/Cultural studies/diplomacy

10. magenta - Communications/Linguistics

11. silver - helm, astro-navigation. 

Explorers of non-Chisslike species may have uniform variants customized to their physiology. 

Explorers in the “command” division (most especially Captains) are expected to have at least a working knowledge of all the other disciplines, so they can more effectively lead their crews.

Standard issue for all field Explorers includes a handheld scanner, vibro-blade multi-tool, and blaster pistol. 

Imperial navy-style hats, in black, are available, but a little-used option

Weather appropriate-hats for field uniforms are usually worn on-planet. Explorer rank plates have built-in communications and personnel tracking systems (and are informally referred to as ‘comm. badges’).  These are slowly being adopted by the rest of the military.

[ashen-sky]

I think Ascendancy is a good read for anyone that's watched Rebels, because it adds a whole new angle to Thrawn. And I'm going to preface this by saying what he does is still pretty messed up, and I'm sure many of his friends in the Ascendancy would kick his butt if they knew half of what he'd done, so this is in no way me trying to brush it under the rug. Also, spoilers ahead for Ascendancy, and the end of Rebels.

But reading Ascendancy and learning that he joined the empire with the intent to find help against the Grysks makes him so much more interesting.

Because suddenly he's not just some selfish, imperial tyrant who takes art from worlds he destroys in the name of cultural preservation. He's not taking over these worlds because he enjoys it or because he wants to steal their cultures and art, infact I'd venture to say that if he wasn't the reason their cultures were going extinct it would be a somewhat nobel venture (like when Uingali foar Marocsaa gave him his ring in hopes of preserving a piece of the Paccosh).

Suddenly he's Mitth'raw'nurodo, senior captain of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, so devoted to his people he'd continously risk his career for their safety. A man who's name literally ends in "guardian" and who was scouted by the patriarch of a family who's emblem represents one of the greatest (if not greatest) sacrifice in the history of the Ascendancy. A captain that even though he pulled insane stunts, his crew trusted him to come out on top.

The man Thoorkai, Ba'kaif, and Lamiov thought could rival the tragic Patriarch in terms of greatness and ability. The man Thrass saw as his brother and entrusted his greatest secret to. The man Ar'alani, Samakro, Ziiara, Ba'kif, and Lamiov were willing to stand with in the face of an insane plan that even if successful would still have terrible repercussions because without their trust there wouldn't have been any more volunteers.

Thrawn that Ar'alani risked her record on after not even knowing him a day.

Thrawn that Thalias chased after because he showed her she still had purpose.

Thrawn that Samakro, a complete stickler for regulations, was willing to risk his career to follow.

We see him engineer plans that will result in as little backlash for his crew as possible, and encourage people around him on multiple occasions.

His actions in Rebels are just him trying to earn favor with the empire for his people, because he's a loyal soldier and his loyalty will always be to the Ascendancy. Even though they exiled him in an act of petty aggression, used him as a scapegoat for their own short comings, he stuck with it and made the best of it for their sake.

So even of you don't read Thrawn, I recommend you pick up Ascendancy because it is still very much the same character, we even see Grand Admiral Thrawn poke through a few times, but he's also more than what Rebels could show us. He was the villain in Rebels, and an amazing one at that, but Ascendancy makes you feel for him. When he's dragged away at the end, you feel for Ezra because we've followed him throughout the series and we know what he's left behind, but through the lens of Ascendancy I've started to notice that he and Ezra are far more alike than Ezra (and maybe even Thrawn) realizes.

Infact, I would say Thrawn and Kallus are fairly alike too. Both Thrawn and Kallus are just following orders to survive, and Thrawn and Ezra are both fighting for the future of their people. Though Thrawn's methods are sometimes more akin to Saw Gerera's methods, didn't Ezra give into the sith holocron in hopes of saving his people? Is that not similar to Thrawn pledging allegiance to the empire?

On another Thrawn and Ezra note, I feel like their relationship is similar to Negan and Carl from the walking dead.

(Is this even completely coherent? I wrote it over a week while finishing Ascendancy)

[asteroids-and-tractorbeams]

Some thoughts about why the multi-snake Paccosh symbol Uingali gave Thrawn might have been painted on the Chimaera because I didn’t feel like Lesser Evil had a great answer for that:

Thrawn might have lost the ring somewhere on his way to getting the Chimaera like he was afraid he would with the pinwheel pin and he painted the symbol on his ship to make up for it

Given that it was painted on the Paccosh ship at the battle over Sunrise, it could be so if any Grysks or any of the other aliens that were there see it they’ll know it’s Thrawn/a Paccosh ally

It could be so Thrawn’ll automatically get an audience at Sunrise or with the Paccosh if he ever takes the Chimaera into the Chaos to meet with them

The Chimaera could have interacted with the Paccosh or Uingali and gotten permission to paint it on if Thrawn was ever sent to do mapping of the Unknown Regions like he did in the legends books

Thrawn might have painted it on so if Ba’kif or Ar’alani (or Thalias or Samakro or Ziinda or Apros) ever saw the Chimaera they would know it was him from a distance even though it’s an Imperial ship

[solar-writes]

just finished Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, and WOW 10/10 HIT IT RIGHT OUT OF THE PARK I loved the action scenes, the world-building, and am fully a Chiss lover now. Maybe my only gripe with it was more detail (aside from the Paccosh) could be given to describe how the Vaks, the Lioaoi, the Nikardun looked like, but still it was amazing (although I am naturally biased to anything Star Wars) 🌚 Already have Lesser Evil queued up in my reading list for next!

[doctorwenqing]

confession: i always get the paataatus and the paccosh mixed up 🙈