The Solitair skirmish unfolded above Solitair, the Garwian homeworld and capital of the Garwian Unity. This clash, a part of the broader Lioaoin pirate campaign, occurred some years before the Nikardun Destiny's defeat in 19 BBY. The Lioaoin Regime came with the intention of negotiating a surrender to end their conflict with the Garwians. However, the Ruleri misrepresented the situation to visiting Chiss dignitaries, portraying it as an assault on the Garwian home system. A general from the Garwian military implored the present Chiss officers for tactical insights to overcome the "invaders", intending to utilize this information to attack and seize portions of Lioaoin space.
Senior Commander Thrawn initially began to offer tactical evaluations of the Lioaoins' vulnerabilities, but was stopped by Commodore Ar'alani, who insisted on adhering to a policy of remaining neutral. Ar'alani attempted to contact the Destrama to retrieve the two Chiss, but discovered their communications were being jammed. After Thrawn convinced the Garwians to cease the jamming, they learned that the Lioaoins had arrived to discuss surrender terms with the Garwian Unity. Angered by the manipulation that forced them to violate Chiss law, Ar'alani and Thrawn departed, delivering a warning.
Prior to Ar'alani's rise to the rank of Commodore, she and Senior Commander Mitth'raw'nuru "Thrawn" of the Chiss Ascendancy's Expansionary Defense Fleet aided the Garwian Unity in repelling an assault by Lioaoin pirates above the Garwian colony world of Stivic. This event became known as the Stivic incident.
The Ruleri of the Unity extended an invitation to Thrawn and Ar'alani to visit Solitair, the Garwian homeworld and capital planet, ostensibly to express their gratitude for the assistance in their defense. The two Chiss officers viewed it as a significant honor to be presented before the Garwian Unity's leadership to receive thanks. Upon their arrival on Solitair, they were welcomed by Security Chief Frangelic, the very officer who had issued the distress signal that prompted the Chiss to assist in Stivic's defense. Frangelic provided them with a tour of the capital city, educating them about Garwian culture, including the Creators' Market and occasions such as remembrance parties.
Following their immersion in Garwian culture, Ar'alani admitted to Thrawn that she had previously perceived non-Chiss "aliens" as akin to intelligent animals, but now recognized them as individuals. The commodore assumed that Thrawn had always regarded aliens as individuals, but Thrawn responded that he primarily viewed them as assets, and secondarily as people.
As Thrawn, Ar'alani, and Frangelic approached the Solitair planetary security center, emergency klaxons began to sound in the market area. The Security Chief informed his Chiss guests that Solitair was under attack, urging them to proceed to the underground security center without delay. During their hurried movement, they observed two Lioaoin vessels passing overhead.
Upon entering the bunker, the Chiss officers informed their hosts that standard Chiss Defense Force protocols prohibited their presence in a foreign nation's war room. A general from the Garwian military insisted that Thrawn and Ar'alani were guests, and that "guests must be protected" should the Lioaoin "invaders" manage to breach their defenses. Thrawn countered that the Garwian defense platforms in orbit should be "more than adequate" to defend Solitair against two warships, but Frangelic questioned what would happen if more were lying in wait. Frangelic then pleaded with Thrawn for any tactical insights the Chiss could provide.
Thrawn analyzed the situation on the tactical displays, identifying weaknesses in the Lioaoin ships. However, he deferred to Ar'alani's insistence that the Ascendancy must remain neutral. Frangelic entreated Thrawn, emphasizing that the situation was even more critical than the Stivic incident. Thrawn began to yield, but before he could disclose information about the Lioaoi's tactical blind spots, Ar'alani interrupted him. The Commodore had observed that the Lioaoin ships were not actually attacking the defense platforms, and none of the Garwian officers present were monitoring their screens or directing defenses. Instead, all of their attention was focused on Thrawn. Ar'alani discovered that her communications with her Chiss heavy cruiser Destrama were being jammed.
Thrawn demanded that the Garwian officers cease their jamming, at which point Ar'alani overheard an officer informing her that the Lioaoi had arrived to negotiate the surrender of the Lioaoin Regime. The Garwians' forces were disregarding the Lioaoi's plea and attacking them. Her officer had been attempting to contact her for instructions. Ar'alani realized that the Garwians had invited them to Solitair under false pretenses, fabricated a pirate attack, and manipulated them into violating their non-intervention protocols to assist in their war. She deduced that the Garwians were seeking to conquer portions of Lioaoin space, a fact that the general confirmed. He informed the Chiss that further insights into the Lioaoins' vulnerabilities would have been "useful," but thanked them for their "sufficient" previous assistance at Stivic.
This deception infuriated Thrawn and Ar'alani. Thrawn requested Ar'alani's authorization to order the Destrama to engage the Garwian defense platforms. Ar'alani responded that she would like to do so and that it would be "fully justified," but the Ascendancy's military protocols forbade them from taking such action.
At that moment, a Garwian officer informed the general that the Lioaoi were ceasing their attack. The general stated that they were undoubtedly being recalled to defend their worlds, which he dismissed as "a futile gesture." He inquired whether Ar'alani wished to depart. The Chiss commodore responded with a warning that Thrawn could exploit the Garwians' weaknesses just as effectively as the Lioaoi's, and advised them to hope that they never encountered the Chiss again.
Following Thrawn's unauthorized assistance to the Garwians in violation of the Ascendancy's non-intervention policy, the Defense Hierarchy Council reduced Thrawn's rank from Senior Commander to Mid Commander. However, due to the influence of Thrawn's Mitth family Patriarch Mitth'oor'akiord "Thooraki" and Supreme General Ba'kif, Thrawn was designated a Trial-born of the Mitth and granted command of the heavy cruiser Springhawk and Picket Force Two. Shortly before Thrawn was scheduled to assume command of the Springhawk, he and his friend Syndic Mitth'ras'safis "Thrass" were assigned a special mission by Patriarch Thooraki to assist the Stybla family. Thrawn initially objected, as he was due to report aboard the Springhawk in several hours. Thrass grimaced at Thrawn's remark, correctly inferring that the Defense Hierarchy Council was eager to dispatch Thrawn far from the Ascendancy on a pirate hunt to prevent further embarrassments like the one at Solitair.
Years after the skirmish, Thrawn had attained the rank of Senior Captain within the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. Upon the senior captain's return to Solitair, Frangelic informed him that the majority of the Ruleri considered Thrawn's termination of assistance and threat of attack as a "betrayal." Frangelic, now elevated to Second Defense Overlord, assured Thrawn that his personal recollections of the Chiss's visit to Solitair were more favorable than those of the Ruleri.
The mission to Solitair and the subsequent skirmish were presented as a flashback sequence in the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn, serving as the inaugural installment of his Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy.