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965851d
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"It is said that one should keep one's allies within view, and one's enemies within reach. A valid statement. One must be able to read an ally's strengths, so as to determine how to best use them. One must similarly be able to read his enemy's weaknesses, so as to determine how to best defeat him. But what of friends?
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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c29a3d0
|
"One whose path has taken a new turn is often initially disoriented. But as time passes, and the path continues steadily in its new direction, there is a tendency to believe that it will remain so forever, with no further turns.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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5280dc8
|
"All people have regrets. Warriors are no exceptions. One would hope it was possible to distinguish between events caused by one's carelessness or lack of ability and those caused by circumstances or forces beyond a one's control. But in practice, there is no difference. All forms of regret sear equally into the mind and soul. All forms leave scars of equal bitterness.
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thrawn
star-wars
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Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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ea1f0ba
|
"An enemy will almost never be anything except an enemy. All one can do with an enemy is defeat him. But and adversary can sometimes become an ally. There is a cost, of course. In all things in life there is a cost. In dealing with an adversary, sometimes the cost paid in power or position. Sometimes the cost is greater. Sometimes the risk is one's future, or even one's life.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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8edfd04
|
"Thrawn shrugged. "There are two ways to destroy a person, Jorj. Kill him, or ruin his reputation."
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thrawn
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Timothy Zahn |
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4b2aeab
|
"Military leadership is a journey, not a destination. It is continually challenged, and must continually prove it self anew against fresh obstacles. Sometimes those obstacles are external events. Other times they are the doubts of those being led. Still other times they are a result of the leaders's own failures and shortcomings.
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thrawn
star-wars
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Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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38a982e
|
"There are times in every commander's life when he must yield the stick of authority to a subordinate. Sometimes the reason is one of expertise, when the subordinate has skills the commander lacks. Sometimes it is positional, when the subordinate is in the right place at the right and the commander is not. Often it is anticipated there will be loss of direct communication, which means the subordinate may be given general instructions but must then carry them out on his own initiative as the situation flows around him.
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thrawn
star-wars
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Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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a040286
|
"All strive for victory. But not all understand what it truly is. To a soldier or pilot on the line, victory is surviving the current battle. To a politician, victory is an advantage one can bring to a bargaining table. To a warrior, victory is driving an enemy from the field of battle, or bringing him to surrender.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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dbaff3c
|
"A great tactician creates plans. A good tactician recognizes the soundness of a plan presented on him. A fair tactician must see the plan succeed before offering approval.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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9d148e6
|
"Alliances are useful in some situations. In others, they are absolutely vital. But they must always be approached with caution. Unity of that sort is based on mutual advantage. While that advantage exists the alliance may stand firm. But needs change, and advantages fade, and a day may come when one ally sees new benefits to be gained in betraying another.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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1dc3b2b
|
"One is born with a unique set of talents and abilities. One must choose which of those talents to nurture, which to ignore completely. Sometimes the choice is obvious. Other times, the hints and proddings are more obscure. Then, one may need to undergo several regiments of training and sample several different professions before determining where one's strongest talents lie. This is the driving force behind many life-path alterations,
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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9cdaf24
|
"Leadership and obedience are the two legs on which a warrior's life is balanced. Without both, victory cannot be achieved.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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8b1722e
|
"No one can say where his path will take him, even for the duration of a single day. More difficult still is to see where one's path will intersect that of another warrior. A warrior must always be alert for such meetings. Some are generated by happenstance, and those may be benign. But others are arranged with purpose. Those must never be underestimated.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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ac5f094
|
War is a primarily a game of skill. It is a Contest of mind matched against mind, tactics matched against tactics. But there is also an element of chance that is more suited to games of cards or dice. A wise tactician studies those games, as well, and learns from them. The first lesson of card games is that the cards cannot be played in random order. Only when laid down properly can victory be achieved. In this case, there were but three cards. The first was played at the encampment. The result was entrance to the Strikefast. The second was played aboard ship. The result was promise of passage to Coruscant, and the assignment of Cadet Vanto as my translator. The third was a name: Anakin Skywalker.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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dcc468c
|
"No one is immune to failure. All have tasted the bitterness of defeat and disappointment. A warrior must not dwell on that failure, but must learn from it and continue on. But not all learn from their errors. That is something those who seek to dominate others know very well, and know how to exploit it. If an opponent has failed once at a lococal problem, his enemy will first try the same type of problem, hoping the failure will be repeated.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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a519d7c
|
"It is believed by many that the military life is one of adventure and excitement. In truth, that life more often consists of long periods of routine, even boredom, with only brief intervals of challenge and danger.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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3d0a3a6
|
"Thrawn smiled--a smile that sent a shiver up Pellaeon's back. "Why, the only puzzle worth solving, of course," the Grand Admiral said softly. "The complete, total, and utter destruction of the Rebellion."
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rebellion
thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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7fc3c8d
|
A life path may change because of important decisions or events. Those were what drove my current path. But sometimes the smallest event can also drive a turn. In the case of Eli Vanto, that force was a single, overheard word. Chiss. Where had Cadet Vanto heard that name? What did it mean to him? He had already spoken one reason, but there might well be others. Indeed, the full truth might have several layers. But what were they? On a ship as large as this, there was only one practical way to find out. Thus did my path take yet another turn. As, certainly, did his.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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a5a0a69
|
One may learn a great deal of a people by the stories they tell of others.
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thrawn
star-wars
stories
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Timothy Zahn |
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f3e451e
|
"The past is the past," Vader said. "The present and future are all that matter."
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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a73c33d
|
"At one time or another, every warrior wishes to have an unconquerable fortress. Such as a fortress is perceived as a refuge, a place of defiance, or a rock upon which enemies can be goaded into smashing themselves to their own destruction.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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d4edf5e
|
"Each person has goals. Some goals are open, visible to all who care to observe. Others are more private, shared only with one's closest friends or associates. Some are dark secrets that one hopes will never see the light of day. But eventually, inevitably, those deepest goals must be made manifest if they are to be reached. They must be opened for someone to hear, or see, or offer assistance.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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aa5767a
|
One may learn a great deal about a people by the stories they tell of others.
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timothy-zahn
zahn
thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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4f405b0
|
Grand Admiral Thrawn could perhaps have breathed the remaining sparks into an Imperial Victory. But Grand Admiral Thrawn was gone.
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thrawn
|
Timothy Zahn |
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93cb619
|
"There are three ways to take down a wild tusklan. The average hunter takes a large-bore weapon with which to shoot the animal. When it works, the method is quick and efficient. But if the first shot fails to hit a vital organ, the tusklan may be upon its attackerbfore a second shot can be aimed and fired. The wise hunter takes a smaller-bore weapon. The method is less likely to produce a first-shot kill, but the second, third, or fourth shot may succeed. However if the bore is to small, none of the shots will penetrate to vital points, and the tusklan will again triumph over its attacker.
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thrawn
hunting
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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0b9cc41
|
What about you, Commander? Why do *you* seek higher rank?' It was a question many had asked over the years. Thrawn had asked it of himself. The answer never seemed to satisfy the questioner. 'Because there are problems that must be solved. Some cannot be solved by anyone except me.
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thrawn
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Timothy Zahn |
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a5f866c
|
You served too long under Lord Vader, Captain. I Have no qualms about accepting a useful idea merely because it wasn't my own. My position and ego are not at stake here.
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heir-to-the-empire
thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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3ab1f49
|
I rule the Empire now. Not some long-dead Emperor; certainly not you. the only treason is defiance of my orders.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
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bd6bf99
|
"For a long moment, they stood together in silence. Vader thought about his secret... about Thrawn's loyalty... about the Emperor's continued need for him. Perhaps the entire Empire's need for him... "Anakin Skywalker is dead," he said. Thrawn lowered his head. "I know." Vader nodded slowly. *I know.* Not *So I have heard.* Not *So I was informed.* But *I know.* "We will not speak of him again," he said. "*You* will not speak of him again." "I understand, my lord," Thrawn said. "But I will always honor his legacy."
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn |
|
9afe4d9
|
"A leader is responsible for those under his authority. That is the first rule of command. He is responsible for their safety, their provisions, their knowledge, and, ultimately, their lives. Those whom he commands are in turn responsible for their behavior and their dedication to duty. Any who violates his trust must be disciplined for the good of others.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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ba36856
|
But Mount Tantiss was gone, destroyed by agents of the New Republic and C'baoth's own madness and treason. And Grand Admiral Thrawn was dead. And the Empire was dying.
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thrawn
|
Timothy Zahn |
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2fe88a1
|
"There is satisfaction in defeating an enemy. But one must never allow oneself to become complacent. There are always more enemies to be identified, faced, and vanquished.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
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c9d5259
|
"To some extent, the direction of one's chosen path automatically selects for the paths that may cross it. A warriors path will intersect the paths of other warriors, allies and enemies alike. A workers path will interest the paths of other workers. But as with games of cards and dice, sometimes unexpected crossings occur. Some are driven by chance, others by design, others by a change in one's goal. Some are driven by malice. Such manipulations can prove effective in the short term. But the longer-term consequences can be perilously difficult to predict.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |
|
91defe2
|
"All opponents are not necessarily enemies. But both enemies and opponents carry certain characteristics in common. Both perceive their opposite as an obstacle, or an opportunity, or a threat. Sometimes the threat is personal; other times it is a perceived violation of standards or accepted norms of society. In modest form, the opponent's attacks are verbal. The warrior must choose which of those to stand against,, and which to ignore.
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thrawn
star-wars
|
Timothy Zahn Star Wars: Thrawn |