Mitth'urf'ianico, also known by his core name of Thurfian, was a Chiss male of the Mitth family who served, at various points in his life, as an Aristocra, Syndic, Syndic Prime, and Patriarch for that family. Despite sharing a family with Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn," Thurfian grew to be one of Thrawn's greatest enemies within the Chiss Ascendancy, as he was vehemently opposed to Thrawn's obliviousness to politics. He and Irizi'stal'mustro plotted to bring down the Senior Captain.

Biography[]

Recruiting Thrawn[]

Years before the Nikardun conquests, Thurfian was tasked with recruiting cadet Kivu'raw'nuru of Rentor to join the Mitth family as a merit adoptive. Kivu'raw'nuru, then known by the core name Vurawn, was from an obscure family of low prestige. In spite of Vurawn's humble origins, he had grades, aptitude, and logic matrix that were "off the boards," making him a prime candidate to become a cadet at the Taharim Academy on Naporar. After realizing that Vurawn was immediately accepted into the Mitth family as a merit adoptive, Thurfian was confused as to why he was sent to interview him. Thurfian then realized that someone high up in the Mitth family was keeping a close eye on Vurawn and that he was just sent to cover that fact up. Unbeknownst to Thurfian, Mitth family Patriarch Thooraki had insisted on recruiting Vurawn to the Mitth. This political maneuver was likely the first seed in the sour relationship between Thurfian and Vurawn (who would later become Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, better known as Thrawn.^[1]

Opposing Thrawn[]

Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo had a reputation in the Ascendancy for brilliant military successes but also occasional disastrous political results from his campaigns. Such events included the Lioaoin pirate campaign. Despite Thrawn's service in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, and despite the Fleet's mission to evaluate threats to the Ascendancy beyond their borders, Councilor Thurfian ardently opposed any action on Thrawn's part for fear of political fallout on the Ascendancy and on the Mitth. Thurfian regularly viewed Thrawn as violating the Ascendancy's non-aggression protocols, even when others viewed Thrawn's actions as permitted. Despite the honor Thrawn would come to bring the Mitth family, Thurfian became an ardent enemy of Thrawn's. Thurfian considered Thrawn as likely to bring great ruin on the Mitth family as honor and glory. At one point, he conspired with Syndic Irizi'stal'mustro (Zistalmu) of the rival Irizi family in order to manipulate Thrawn's career and embarrass him, but the pair failed to stop Thrawn's rise.^[1]

After Thrawn's failure at the Garwian Unity capital of Solitair at the end of the Lioaoin pirate campaigns, Thurfian found out that Thrawn had been given the rank of Trial-born in the Mitth family. He spoke to the Mitth Speaker, Thistrian, who explains that he was forced to give Thrawn that rank because the Irizi were preparing to give him the rank of Ranking Distant. Thurfian believes that the Irizi are bluffing and hope to push Thrawn further into the Mitth family, so that if he were to make a mistake, the Mitth would suffer. Thistrian informs Thurfian that Thrawn had been demoted a rank but has been given command of the Springhawk. Thrawn is also being considered for the command position over Picket Force Two, which is currently stationed on the east side of the Ascendancy. Thurfian is pleased to know that Thrawn will be operating on the other side of the Ascendancy from the Lioaoi and the Garwians. Thurfian and Thistrian also theorize about who is pulling the strings for Thrawn.^[1]

At the time of the Vagaari pirate operations, Thurfian was working as an overseer of a transportation and commerce office. At that time, Thrawn conducted a militarily successful but political mixed result with the acquisition of a gravity well projector from Lesser Space but the loss of the life of Syndic Mitth'ras'safis and a starship containing untold valuable Lesser Space technology.^[2]

After Thrawn had regained command of the Springhawk after a foreign attack on the Chiss homeworld of Csilla, Thurfian was involved in getting Mitth'ali'astov (Thalias) aboard the Springhawk. She originally wanted to come aboard the Springhawk as a Mitth family observer. However, someone in the family conveniently delayed the submission of the relevant paperwork. At the last minute, Thurfian arrived at a conversation between Thalias and the Springhawk's personnel officer. Thalias explains that someone in the Mitth family delayed her datawork, preventing her from boarding as an observer. When she explains that there is an opening as a sky-walker caregiver, Thurfian begins filling out the necessary forms, explaining that every ship needs a sky-walker and caregiver, as the Ascendancy is currently under threat. Hearing the urgency in Thurfian's voice, the personnel officer concedes and allows Thalias to board the Springhawk. On the way to the Springhawk, and in exchange for helping her get on the ship, Thurfian demands that Thalias spy on Thrawn and relate any wrongdoings back to him.^[1]

After Thrawn captured a Nikardun vessel in the Rapacc system, Thurfian and Zistalmu confront Thrawn, Admiral Ar'alani, and Supreme General Ba'kif in the latter's Csilla office. Together, they rebuke Thrawn's battle with the Nikardun, calling it unauthorized. They ask whether an upcoming mission of Ar'alani's relate to the recent Rapacc incident. Thurfian rebukes any consideration of sending Thrawn to investigate the Lioaoin Regime, reminding the group of Thrawn's past failure with them. After Thrawn reiterates his belief that the Nikardun and working with the Lioaoi, Thurfian states that events outside the Ascendancy's borders should not be of anyone's concern. He and Zistalmu also express their lack of concern over the Nikardun conquests of surrounding nations. In order to keep Thrawn away from the Lioaoi, the Syndicure has tasked Ar'alani and Thrawn with accompanying ambassador Boadil'par'gasoi (Ilparg) to the Tower Dimension capital world of Urch. Thurfian breaks this news to Ba'kif, Ar'alani, and Thrawn, much to their dismay. Thurfian also states that sky-walker Che'ri and Thalias are to be temporarily transferred to the Vigilant while the Springhawk undergoes repairs.^[1]

During the Vigilant's mission to Urch, it encounters an attempted capture by Urchiv-ki, Lioaoin, and Nikardun ships. Thrawn and Ar'alani decide to go to Lioaoi to demand answers, where they learn of a Nikardun and Lioaoin alliance. Thrawn also decides to head to the Garwian Unity to request help with covert information gathering of other systems in the region and their status concerning the Nikardun. Ar'alani drops him off at the Garwian capital of Solitair and makes plans to retrieve him at the Vak Combine homeworld of Primea. Upon returning to the Ascendancy, she is brought into a meeting with Ba'kif, Thurfian, and Zistalmu. The syndics grill her for letting Thrawn mingle with the Garwians again. Thurfian and Zistalmu reiterate their opposition to Thrawn's investigations with the Nikardun, citing no evident Nikardun aggression towards the Ascendancy. Thurfian also questions why Ar'alani is currently the acting caregiver to Che'ri, and Ar'alani explains that Thalias is currently on a mission with Thrawn and personally chose her as Che'ri's temporary caregiver. Thurfian tells Ar'alani that her admiral duties prevent her from acting as an adequate caregiver and proposes that a new caregiver be brought aboard the Vigilant whilst Thalias was gone. Thurfian, wanting Thalias to remain as caregiver aboard the Springhawk, purposefully withheld the fact that Thalias was not an official caregiver and, therefore, did not have authority to select a temporary substitute. Ba'kif states that all available caregivers are already assigned to other ships, and Zistalmu offers that his wife (who was a former caregiver) could take up the role. Ba'kif agrees.^[1]

After Thrawn and Thalias return to the Ascendancy after an attack against the Lioaoin Regime, who had attacked the Vigilant at the previous excursion to Primea, Thurfian approaches Thalias, who is waiting outside Ba'kif's office, where a meeting between the Supreme General and Thrawn is taking place. He instructs her to come with him to his office. Thalias, after trying to stall and find another "more important" place to be, is forced to go with him. Arriving at his office, Thurfian instructs Thalias to tell him everything she had learned about Thrawn. Thalias continues to stall, and Thurfian threatens to rematch her to her old family (who are not doing well due to recent mineral prices). Thalias asks if betraying Thrawn is the only way that she can remain in the Mitth family, to which Thurfian retorts by stating that not reporting any questionable activity would be a betrayal. Thalias halfheartedly gives a response, stating that she has never seen Thrawn do anything questionable, but Thurfian sees through it and states that he will soon start the rematching process. Thalias pulls out her questis and reveals that she is going to the Mitth family homestead to take the Mitth Trials, receiving permission from the Mitth Patriarch. By taking the Trials, Thalias would become a Trial-born of the Mitth, thereby making it much harder to rematch her with her old family. Thalias also reveals that the Patriarch wants Thurfian to personally escort her to the homestead. Defeated, Thurfian curses to himself and agrees to take her, theorizing to himself that Thrawn must have had a hand in this maneuver.^[1]

Upon arriving at the Mitth family homestead mansion, Thurfian instructs Thalias on her first trial. He witnesses her pass this trial before spending the next day in the mansion, where he would further observe her progress. After Thalias successfully completes the Trials, she returns and meets Thurfian at the mansion. Thurfian was needed back at the Syndicure, but he was instructed to return Thalias to the Vigilant, where Ar'alani was requesting her presence. He also reluctantly confirms her status of Trial-born of the Mitth.^[1]

Many weeks later, Thrawn hatches a plan to trap and defeat Yiv and the Nikardun at Primea. He sends Thalias and Che'ri to Primea, disguised as family hostages, to return a stolen Vak Combine patrol craft, intending for them to be captured by Yiv. He plans on forcing the Ascendancy into taking military action to extract its captured sky-walker. Upon learning of this plot, Thurfian joins a Syndicure emergency meeting at Convocate Hall to discuss this matter. He exposes to the audience the true identities of the two hostages, hoping that Thrawn would be immediately taken out of command. However, to his dismay, the mood of the chamber leaned towards immediately taking military action against the Nikardun.^[1]

Syndic Prime[]

Thrawn and Ar'alani's Picket Force Six was sent to Primea to rescue Che'ri and Thalias, and, in the process, Thrawn defeated Yiv and the present Nikardun forces. Sometime after this, Mitth'urf'ianico was secretly promoted to the rank of Syndic Prime. After another victory against the remnants of the Nikardun, Thurfian again met with Zistalmu to discuss Thrawn's success. Thurfian was frustrated that everytime Thrawn would make a mistake, a glowing success would immediately follow and would help boost the Senior Captain's image. In this meeting, Zistalmu refers to Thurfian as "Syndic", and Thurfian gloats to himself that Zistalmu would never learn of this true rank, as it was typically a closely guarded family secret. Thurfian and Zistalmu would agree to establish credible rumors that the Paataatus Hiveborn had allied themselves to a group of Vagaari pirates, so that Thrawn would be sent far away from the Ascendancy to deal with them. They hope that Thrawn would either make a self-distructing mistake or perish.^[2]

Later, Thurfian would meet with Mitth family Speaker, Mitth'ykl'omi (Thyklo). In this meeting, Thurfian would confirm that he has finished his deliberations with the Krovi family. He reached a deal where the Mitth family would provide the transports for the Krovi's expected harvest overage in exchange for one percent of that overage, and Thyklo is pleased with the outcome. Thurfian also confirmed that Zistalmu has agreed to back off from the Krovi to focus on their current partnership with the Boadil and their new Rentor defense platform. Thurfian explained to Thyklo that his next meeting is with the Csap family, where they will discuss their proposed building project in the Dioya system. Thyklo, however, asked Thurfian to first settle a dispute between two lower-level Mitth Syndics. After finishing these two tasks, Thurfian would further research how he could use Thalias in his vendetta against Thrawn.^[2]

Soon thereafter, Thurfian would work to resolve a dispute between the Xodlak and Evroes families. Thurfian would be led by Evroes'pu'titor (Oesputi) to a cliff overlooking the border between local Xodlak and Evroes land. Oesputi pointed out a section of forest that had spread from the Xodlak side of the border, citing that the Evroes could not remove these trees due to the Xodlak having an exclusive title to the specific hybrid species. When Oesputi expressed his belief that nothing could be done, due to the Evroes lack of prestige in the Chiss family structure, Thurfian stateed that every family in the Ascendancy deserves justice. Thurfian pointed out the spread of an Evroes-derived purple crop into the Xodlak lands, and pointed out that, since the Evroes could not destroy the Xodlak trees, the Xodlak cannot destroy the Evroes crops. Oesputi, recognizing this bargaining tool, thanked Thurfian for his help in the matter, and the deliberations between the two warring families were finalized by midnight.^[2]

Thurfian's plan to send Thrawn hunting for a made-up Paataatus-Vagaari alliance failed, as Thrawn has successfully defeated a secret Nikardun remnant at the Paataatus Hiveborn hive-home of Nettehi. This opened up diplomatic relations between the Chiss Ascendancy and the Hiveborn, which brought Thrawn even more glory. Thurfian, soon thereafter, met with Zistalmu in the March of Silence, where he would angrily express his frustrations. Since Thurfian's plan had failed, Zistalmu proposed another plan to disrupt Thrawn's success. He suggested that, instead of having Thrawn receive any more glory from defeating any potential Vagaari pirate remnants, the Grayshrike, captained by Xodlak'in'daro (Lakinda) (a member of the Xodlak family, allied to the Irizi family), would join Thrawn and share the glory. Thurfian would accept this new plan.^[2]

Soon thereafter, Thurfian dealt with a pair of Obbic and Clarr representatives from Sposia, who claimed that the Universal Analysis Group had caused the fish population of a nearby lake to die due to runoff from their facility. After being subjected to an hour's worth of complaints and arguments, Thurfian states that he will send an inquiry to the UAG concerning the matter. He also encourages the representatives to crack down on any poachers that may be artificially decreasing the fish population of the lake. This resolution seems to satisfy the representatives, and they leave Thurfian's office. Soon after this, Speaker Thyklo enters Thurfian's office to compliment him on his handling of the situation, commenting that the representatives told her that he had been the most helpful Syndic they had talked to. As Thyklo leaves the office, Thurfian reflects on the rumors concerning the Speaker's early retirement and determines to prove himself a worthy replacement candidate.^[2]

Patriarch[]

Shortly after a mysterious battle over the planet of Hoxim, Thurfian would receive a call from Thyklo early in the morning. She informed him that Mitth Patriarch Mitth'oor'akiord (Thooraki) had died and that he had been chosen as his replacement. Thyklo explained that she and all the Patriels did not feel comfortable leaving their current positions and that Thurfian was the next best choice. Thurfian, surprised, would accept the position, and Thyklo informed him that Senior Aide Mitth'iv'iklo (Thivik) would be arriving shortly to take him to the Mitth homestead. When Thivik arrived, he would inform Thurfian of his itinerary for the next two days, which concluded with learning of the true history of the Mitth and of a weapon called Starflash.^[2]

Mitth'urf'ianico had a strong disdain for Senior Captain Thrawn, which grew over time into a conspiratorial vendetta to derail Thrawn's career.^[1] His distaste for Thrawn was motivated by fear that Thrawn would lead the Mitth family, and possibly the whole Chiss Ascendancy, into ruin.^[2]

In spite of his animosity towards Thrawn, Thurfian was shown to have a strong sense of justice, or at least to present one, regarding everyday citizens of the Chiss Ascendancy.^[2]

Appearances[]

• Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising (First appearance, simultaneous with audiobook)
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising audiobook
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good audiobook
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil
• Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil audiobook

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Del Rey (@DelReyStarWars) on Twitter: "When the #ThrawnAscendancy trilogy begins, you'll be going beyond the galaxy far, far away.... into a new world of stories. Take a look at the Dramatis Personae along with helpful info about the Chiss Ascendancy, both included inside #StarWar #ChaosRising." (backup link)