A sigma male is a man within the socio-sexual hierarchy who chooses to live his life outside of society’s normal social dominance hierarchy structures. Sigma males share many traits in common with the alpha archetype. However, their tendency to walk outside of traditional social dominance hierarchies sets them apart and makes them different. (source)
Mitth’raw’nuruodo, or Thrawn, who became a grand admiral in the Galactic Empire, left his home system, Chiss Ascendancy, to pursue his life in “lesser space” humans.
Humans have a range of emotions and display it outwardly; whereas, Chiss Ascendancy social behavior restrains emotions. Thrawn had some difficulty in that for a Chiss, but displaying emotions appears normal in humans. It became an issue for him when he learned that humans classify each other by prowess and libido. Thrawn thought that subjective classification silly. He never outwardly says it for concern of him being an alien serving in high command in the Empire.
Then, Thrawn was labeled as a Sigma Male. He did not appreciate that. It limits him. It automatically assigns him to behavior he does not have or is incapable of doing. It was not in his character to express a haughty, arrogant emotion for humans to create a basis of who he was, rather than interacting with them for an individual to decide. It also reminded him of some individuals in the Chiss Ascendancy who accused him of using his emotions to make decisions rather than prudent and efficient.
Thrawn is a Sigma Male–a lone wolf, despite his working to educate others in military strategies and tactics. He walks his way from his people to pursue what he thinks is right, then mindlessly follows an autocracy based on greed, which Chiss did, then denies it.
In this fan-fiction, the Patriarch Mitth’oora’kiord (Thooraki), who is the leader of the Mitth Ruling Family, needed Thrawn to visit his old friend (spelled frienemy), Emperor Sheev Palpatine or Darth Sidious. Thrawn should be under his tutelage to take over the Chiss Ascendancy. Whether or not Thrawn knew this, figured it out, or truly had no idea that this was to happen, Thrawn followed what his Patriarch said — or those parties who ordered him to live in lesser space among the humans.
What Thrawn learned and provided reports for the Chiss Ascendancy is of question. What secrets did he expose? Why did he request humans to help him? What were his thoughts on the Mandalorians?
The Chiss worked with the Mandalorians before in the Sith Empire Wars. The Chiss had detailed documentation of who the Mandalorians are and their capabilities. It had been thousands of years since any Chiss interacted with a Mandalorian. When the Chiss closed their borders, forming an “iron curtain” within the Chaos of space, the communication between the Chiss governments and the Mandalorians leadership stalled, and active memory is forgotten. Mandalorians fought wars for so long, and their scions lost any memories of the Chiss. But, the Chiss might not have known all details of the Mandalorians, they did not forget. They still had their records of them, especially as fierce warriors.
That fervent battle mentality made Thrawn curious, and he started his art studies to understand them. He did not find the art difficult for him to comprehend, but he came upon a young woman’s art confounding, filled with lots of emotion and care, but remains strong in her convictions. This woman is Sabine Wren. The more he studied her art, the more he saw her as a person. Her art was personal. She uncovered herself before him with every line, with every color, with all the elements and content. She literally was fully naked in front of him because of her passion expressed in her art. Perhaps she knew she was exposing herself to an art critic like him, naked, alone, but strong with gumption. Was it intentional? Did she know this was what she was painting? The more he studied, the more he began to be pleased by it and look forward to finding more of her art for his collection. He conveys his ideas to others that Sabine is talented as an artist. He means he is turned on by it. Only a Force User could read his mind to see how he felt interpretation of Sabine’s art. He should not have obsessively collected her art to fantasize about it.
He found himself caring for her, having never formally met her. He tried to meet her and foiled plans. He accepts it is not meant to be. But why have so much passion for her? What purpose did it serve? He knew better than that, and his goal was to learn as much as he could about lesser space and bring it back to the Chiss Ascendancy. To gain insight into the sky-walkers: Those within the Force who can manipulate actions by not touching them. But, most Mandalorians are not Force Users. In fact, they use to hunt Jedi and return them for a bounty. Sabine was a bounty hunter. That is how he knew Sabine was stronger than what other individuals dismissed about her.
And she is an artist. She loves art as he does. Her discussions about art could be intense. She just fit. Her Mandalorian-ness, some saw as a threat. Thrawn saw it as an opportunity to recruit her for his selection of humans to fight for his cause, to take over the Chiss Ascendancy for Mitth Rule.
What he was NOT supposed to do is fall in love with her…
Thrawn figured that Sabine is the true inheritor of the Darksaber that the Mandalorian clans honor the most. But as a youth, Sabine gave Bo-Katan Kryze the Darksaber. Something Sabine should have never done. But she did. If Sabine had it, she could raise a true Mandalorian Army to fight united for a cause. All Sabine would have to do is be advised as to how to control her allegiant military. A fight for the Queen. Who could guide her properly in military strategy and tactics? He could. He would have to persuade her to hear his advice and heed it. She needed to trust him to bring her victory. Since he was defeated by her friend Ezra Bridger, ruling all of Chiss Space would require warriors to fight for them. Since there were treaties between Chiss and Mandalorians long ago that have not ever been changed, the old warrior codes would be sealed with a union between the two species, again.
Unifying two groups of warriors will help the galaxy fight these new enemy invaders called the Far Outsiders or the Yuuzhan Vong.