Minor delay in rereading Survivor's Quest.
I forgot about Mist Encounter, a short story at the end of Outbound Flight.
* Spoilers *
Enjoyed it. Ground-based military & quasi-military actions are Zahn's wheelhouse. This is the short story on how Thrawn became involved with the Empire. He's discovered living somewhat primitively on a deserted planet after having been exiled years earlier, due to his actions in Outbound Flight.