@katiekats @purplehippo Thrawn's arc and the background stuff about the Chiss Ascendency I thought was a startlingly brilliant examination of how even the idealistic bad guys who believe in those sorts of central screeds like the Empire's anti-aliens thing will gladly cooperate with their supposed ideological opponents if they think it will serve their purposes.  Half of that arc is essentially Thrawn manipulating that for the greater good of his people.