Ahsoka: Is the Eye of Sion bringing back more than just Thrawn?
Ever since the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels, many of us wondered if we would see Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn again. How would it happen? What would that return even look like? Are the Purrgil involved? All are solid questions considering the abrupt end to the Rebels storyline and the use of the Purrgil to remove Ezra and Thrawn from Lothal.
Well, thanks to the Ahsoka series, we are within arms reach of having these questions answered. We also see that the Ahsoka has added a few of its own twists and turns in ways that may add some great value not just to the storyline itself, but also to the viewing fanbase. Ahsoka has added the character of Morgan Elsbeth, a surviving Nightsister and Thrawn loyalist, and the massive ship Eye of Sion into the mix.
It appears that the Eye of Sion was built by Morgan Elsbeth to retrieve Thrawn from exile in another galaxy. With a construction very similar to the hyperdrive rings we saw during The Clone Wars era, the Eye seems well suited for hyperspace travel. We do well to remember that those smaller hyperspace rings took interplanetary ships flown by Republic pilots like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker from jump to jump with only two hyperdrive engines. However, with the Eye of Sion having seven hyperdrive engines and much grander in scale, what could they be planning to bring back from Thrawn’s location?
If you look at size comparisons in Episode 3 of Ahsoka between the Eye of Sion and Ahsoka’s shuttlecraft, it’s clear that the eye is designed for something larger. Much larger. Like destroyer of the Imperial Navy larger. Like bringing back Grand Admiral Thrawn’s ship, The Chimaera. This is the ship that the Purrgil carried away while Ezra and Thrawn were still aboard.
The Chimaera was a fantastic ship, although, like many of the other ships in the imperial navy, it also had its notables that separated it from the herd and marked it as exclusively Thrawn’s. For instance, the addition of extra turbo lasers would make this destroyer far more lethal than the average destroyer class ship. Also notable is the insignia of Thrawn on the bottom of the ship. If this ship is hyperspace travel worthy, it would make a very formidable addition to the Imperial Navy that is attempting to regroup after the fall of the Empire and fight the fledgling New Republic.
If Thrawn is able to bring that ship back, it helps give credibility to the Imperial Navy that has to be rebuilt. That ship carries thousands of people loyal to the Empire and Thrawn. Also, if Morgan Elsbeth has people on Corellia and other planets willing to openly work against the New Republic while remaining loyal to the Empire, it would legitimize Thrawns claim as Heir to the Empire.
Keep in mind, too, that nine hyperspace drives were taken from Corelia for the Eye of Sion, but only seven were used on the Eye. So what happened to the other two? Are they just extra? Are they to be applied to and fashioned to fit the Chimaera once they meet up with Grand Admiral Thrawn?
I assume that it’s the latter. The two remaining hyperspace drives taken from Corelia will be used for the Chimaera as replacements for the originals if they were damaged on their initial travels with the Purrgil. Not only do the Purrgil travel at hyperspace speeds across galaxies, but they exude a tremendous amount of energy at the same time. It would be logical to assume they would be damaged from the travel and other necessary electronic elements in the Chimaera.
When will this all happen? Well, that remains to be seen, but I think we won’t see Thrawn and Ezra until late in this season, perhaps even the season finale of Ahsoka.