Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7
Grand Admiral Thrawn's plans have begun to take shape as seen in The Mandalorian season 3. Having been absent from the known galaxy since the events of the animated Star Wars Rebels series, the key Imperial leader missed the entirety of the original trilogy of Star Wars movies. However, Thrawn is coming back, being declared as the Empire's best hope and heir.
In The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7, Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon is revealed to have been freed from his incarceration by the New Republic, now operating within a secret facility where he meets with members on the Imperial Shadow Council. While this council includes Gideon's fellow Moffs who maintain their own sectors of the galaxy, representatives from Project Necromancer are present as well as an officer speaking on behalf of Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. As such, The Mandalorian season 3 reveals initial insights into what Thrawn has planned for a resurgent Empire.
Even The Shadow Council Doesn't Know Thrawn's True Plans
Surprisingly, Gideon and his fellow Moffs have been kept in the dark regarding Thrawn's plans. In contrast, it seems Commandant Brendol Hux (Brian Gleeson) and his work with clones for Project Necromancer is more of a known operation within the greater Imperial Remnant, and it likely has to do with the future resurrection of Palpatine as seen in the sequel trilogy. As such, Gideon in particular has a hard time providing Thrawn with resources from his sector when the full scope of his plan to restore the shattered Empire has been kept so close to the chest, especially with the Grand Admiral having never met with the Shadow Council directly.
As it stands, it seems Thrawn needs Gideon and the rest of the Shadow Council for the time being. The confirmation that he's been taking their resources suggests he's building something to help tip the scales in the Imperial Remnant's favor when they become ready to strike back against the New Republic government. Based on Legends material and teases from the new Ahsoka trailer, Thrawn might be constructing a new naval force such as his Katana fleet which the Grand Admiral used during his campaign to bring back the Empire, first seen in Timothy Zahn's original Thrawn trilogy of novels (which are now non-canonical).
Gilad Pellaeon Is Acting As Thrawn's Representative
Despite Thrawn's apparent absence from Shadow Council meetings, he's still been sending proxies to speak on his behalf such as his right-hand-man Captain Gilad Pellaeon (Xander Berkeley). A character who first appeared in Legends alongside Thrawn, Pellaeon was also brought back to the Star Wars canon with a voice line in Star Wars Rebels. Now, Pellaeon has debuted in earnest with The Mandalorian season 3, confirming the critical nature of the planet Mandalore and how its reclamation by Bo-Katan Kryze would hinder the Imperial Remnant's plans.
According to Pellaeon's words with the Imperial Shadow Council, it's clear secrecy is the best advantage Thrawn has, wanting to wait as lost as possible before the Remnant reveals its true power to the New Republic. To that end, Pellaeon urges the Moffs to display more caution than they have been. He also claims that Thrawn's return will "herald in the reemergence of our military" while giving Hux enough time to deliver on Project Necromancer. Although he reiterates that success is dependent upon the secrecy behind when and where Thrawn will officially return, keeping the Moffs in the dark has created the aforementioned doubts (and potentially future conflict).
Ahsoka Has Heard "Whispers" Of Thrawn - What Has She Heard?
While Gideon may have not heard any whispers about Grand Admiral Thrawn's return, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) certainly has. In the new trailer for Ahsoka, the titular Jedi outcast has heard that Thrawn intends to become "Heir to the Empire" (the name of the first book in the Thrawn trilogy from Zahn). This certainly suggests that Thrawn will be seeking to rule the entire galaxy just as Palpatine once did in the established Star Wars canon. At any rate, it's going to be very exciting to learn more about what Grand Admiral Thrawn has planned in both Ahsoka and in the upcoming finale for The Mandalorian season 3.
The Mandalorian season 3 finale releases Wednesday on Disney+.