True, but Thrawn had proven himself to be a major asset for the empire. He gained his power and respect through his brilliant strategies, and his ability to effectively lead his troopers. He also embraced ideals that allowed those within his command to lend what skills they had to offer, anticipated the actions of his enemies, and responded effectively to them. He did not make mad grabs for power, he simply embraced what the empire was meant to be ideally. It just goes to show how arrogant, and incompetent most of the empires leading officials were. Thrawn worked his way up in the empire by doing the complete opposite of what his colleagues did.