SPECULATION Let's Get a Step Ahead of Thrawn for a Change

Thrawn seems to hold all the cards, and he's always tried to stay a step or two ahead of the Rebels this season. Out of all the characters, he knows the most-

-He knows where the Rebel Base is (or has a pretty good idea)
- He knows Phoenix has a connection to Lothal
- He knows Kallus is a Rebel informant

However, there is one group that knows more than Thrawn- the audience! Because not only do we know all three of those points, but we also know that Thrawn knows about Kallus- which is a pretty big deal.

So, I figured it might be fun to speculate on what Thrawn's strategy might be in this finale. From what we've seen, Thrawn certainly seems interested in finding Chopper Base, but there also has to be a reason that he's shown interest in Lothal. So, here's my crackpot theory:

-Thrawn will force a two-pronged attack- one against Lothal, the other against the Rebel Base.

-Kallus will be set to head one of these attacks- likely the one against Lothal. This will be done with the intention of him alerting the Rebels, as Thrawn will have set a trap, knowing that Lothal is of significance to the Rebels. This trap could be one of several things, with these two being my guesses-

a) Kallus will be led to believe that the Imperial attack force is smaller than it truly is (later reinforced by Thrawn, Vader, or other Imperials). The Rebels will go in expecting an easy fight, only to be overwhelmed
or
b)By monitoring hyperspace routes (or some other means) of suspected systems, Thrawn will use the Rebels movement to finally completely narrow the location of Chopper Base.

After the Rebels have mobilized to Lothal, the attack against Chopper Base will begin. Divided across multiple systems, Thrawn will have an easier time picking off the smaller rebel groups.

A few final thoughts:
-As far as we know, Thrawn has no reason to suspect Dantooine as a possible Rebel base, nor does he know the location (or even have a guess) to other bases.

- Does Thrawn expect the Mandalorians to be an issue in the near future? I do not expect Mandalore to also be a target of his attack, nor do I think he'll expect them to really be a factor in the battle. Though, of course, it's never wise to underestimate what Thrawn has prepared for.




So, what do you guys think? I realize that these theories are completely speculative, so I'd love to hear what you think we can expect, too.

 

No doubt.

If last season's finale was dark, I think this one might be darker. I'd be really suprised if Phoenix Squadron remains unscratched by the time the thing's over.

 

Spoilers for the episode:

Spoiler: Zero Hour Spoilers

I'm actually kind of disappointed in how the episode went. Sure, Thrawn won (sort of) but I never really got much feeling it was due to superior tactics- rather, just crushing numbers and superior tech.

The best part was the space battle, in my opinion, but even then, Thawn was underwhelming, with him not even being to reel in Konstantine from breaking rank.

Hopefully, he'll be more effective in Season 4. I think he definitely has potential- and hey, maybe this is all part of his character arc, to show how he grows as a military leader.