This week's episode of The Mandalorian dropped plenty of bombshells, but one of the biggest came when we learned that Grand Admiral Thrawn was the Magistrate's master. Since disappearing alongside Ezra Bridger at the end of Star Wars Relebs, the villain has clearly been busy, especially if he has subordinates reporting to him from across the Galaxy.
While we don't know exactly what he's up to - he could be also Moff Gideon's boss, or simply looking to regain his former power after the fall of the Empire - it seems clear that there's big plans for Thrawn moving forward. Now, eagle-eyed fans have spotted what could be a key Easter Egg.
The HK-87 assassin droids that served the Magistrate quite clearly have the markings of the Seventh Fleet, a faction of Imperials better known as "Thrawn's Fleet" in the Expanded Universe.
In that continuity, they were based in the Unknown Regions during the Galactic Civil War and set out to create a defence against any outside threats to Emperor Palpatine's rule. In canon, they were a big part of Star Wars Rebels and blockaded Ezra Bridger's home planet of Lothal.
There's clearly something in the works for Thrawn in The Mandalorian or an upcoming spinoff series, and this tease appears to confirm that he may be using his old resources or still in charge of his Imperial fleet. Either possibility is intriguing, and sheds some light on what he's been up to.
Why Ezra remains M.I.A. is a story for another day, it seems...