Crisis of Faith

Crisis of Faith is an novella by Timothy Zahn released on September 6, 2011, included in Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition and features Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Plot summary
Taking place in 8 ABY, about a year before the Thrawn campaign, Grand Admiral Thrawn has finally tracked his archnemesis, Nuso Esva, down to a relatively primitive world, where Nuso Esva has allied himself and his forces with the planet's ruling queen. Thrawn and Nuso Esva play their resources against each other until it all culminates in a battle between Thrawn's forces and Nuso Esva's forces, who are still allied with the planet's indigenous forces. As this battle begins, it appears that Nuso Esva is gaining the upper hand; however, it turns out that, as usual, Thrawn was simply making it appear that he was losing so that he could play his trump card and turn the tide of the conflict. When that happens, Nuso Esva's alliance with the planet's queen is broken and he and his followers kill off the queen and her own entourage. However, as he knows that his defeat in the battle is imminent, Nuso Esva spares the queen's servant, Trevik, so that Trevik can tell Thrawn that even after he dies, his followers throughout the galaxy will remain to vow vengeance on Thrawn. With that, Nuso Esva and his followers on the planet are killed by the queen's army, who had turned on Nuso Esva and his followers after they killed the queen. In the aftermath, Thrawn, his war on Nuso Esva over, decides to return to Imperial space so that he can take command of the Star Destroyer Chimaera from Captain Gilad Pellaeon, setting the stage for the Thrawn Trilogy.