Batonn sector insurgency An insurgency was fought in the Batonn sector between a coalition of insurgent groups on the planets Batonn , Denash , and Sammun against the rule of the Galactic Empire . The insurgent coalition was led by Nightswan , a shadowy insurgent leader who wanted to overthrow the Empire . The Batonn sector insurgency came to a violent end at the siege of the Creekpath Mining and Refining complex on Batonn . Following Nightswan ' s death there , the surviving insurgents fled into space . Due to his role in eliminating the rebel presence in the Batonn sector , the Emperor promoted Thrawn to Grand Admiral and placed him in command of the Seventh Fleet . Prelude . During the Imperial Era , the pirate and insurgent leader Nevil Cygni ( or " Nightswan " ) led an insurgent campaign against the Galactic Empire ; which he regarded as a corrupt tyranny . Nightswan engaged in a range of activities including smuggling doonium , iridium , and tibanna to bankroll his campaign against the Empire . Nightswan ' s rebellious activities took the form of operating a spy ring on Coruscant and liberating enslaved Wookiee s . Nightswan ' s activities drew the attention of the Chiss Imperial Navy officer Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo , his colleague Eli Vanto , and Imperial Security Bureau Colonel Wullf Yularen , and the ambitious Lothalian Governor Arihnda Pryce . History . Following the attempted secession of the Botajef , the Batonn insurgents under Nevil Cygni captured and took hostage the Imperial garrison on Scrim Island . In response , Fleet Admiral Jok Donassius dispatched Admiral Durril to retake the island . Durril ' s 103rd Task Force was repelled by the insurgent forces on Scrim Island . Meanwhile , other elements of the Imperial Navy led by Admiral Kinshara and Commander Karyn Faro neutralized the insurgent forces on Denash and Sammun . However , most of the Denash insurgents managed to evacuate to Batonn ' s Creekpath Mining and Refining complex where they joined forces with the Batonn insurgents under Nightswan . Thrawn ' s 96th Task Force later managed to use cunning tactics to neutralize Scrim Island ' s defenses and force the surrender of the insurgents there . Thrawn ' s attempts to end the siege of the Creekpath complex peacefully were undermined by an Imperial Security Bureau operation to plant explosives in the Creekpath and Governor Pryce ' s ignition of the explosives to hide her murder of the ISB Agent Gudry . The resulting explosion wiped out the Batonn insurgents and killed many civilians . Aftermath . Despite the high death toll , the pacification of the Batonn sector was considered an Imperial victory because the rebel presence in the Batonn sector had been eliminated . As a reward for his services , the Emperor promoted Thrawn to Grand Admiral and placed him in command of the Seventh Fleet . Due to his stellar reputation , Governor Pryce ' s enlisted Thrawn ' s help in combating the Phoenix Cell and Spectres rebel cell in the Lothal sector . Following a prolonged campaign , Thrawn succeeded in identifying the Phoenix Squadron ' s base on Atollon and inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels during the Battle of Atollon . Behind the scenes . The Batonn sector insurgency was first indirectly referenced in the " Star Wars Rebels " Season Three television movie " " , which premiered at Celebration Europe on July 16 , 2016 . The conflict was later explored in Timothy Zahn ' s 2017 novel " Thrawn " , a Canon ical origins story of the titular character .