The Thrawn Saga - Heir to the Empire

Grand Admiral Thrawn takes over the remnants of the Empire and begins a program of reconquest. From a raid on the Obroa-Skai system, he learns the locations of the things he needs.... In a dream on Coruscant, Ben Kenobi visits Luke for the last time. He predicts great dangers, yet also new friends. With a final farewell to "the first of the new" Jedi, he journeys to the afterlife.

Thrawn's ship, the Star Destroyer 'Chimaera', arrives at Myrkr to pick up Force-repelling creatures called Ysalamiri. Talon Karrde, currently stationed there, helps them out. Thrawn (along with Captain Gilad Pellaeon) then travels to the planet Wayland, home of Mount Tantiss (the Emperor's personal storehouse). They find the mad Jedi clone Joruus C'Baoth, whom he convinces to help him in return for Luke, Leia, and her unborn twins. He also finds a working cloaking shield - and a "small, trivial piece of technology" called Spaarti cylinders.

Luke, Leia, and Han makes a diplomatic visit to Bimmisaari, where they are attacked a group of Noghri commandos ordered by Thrawn to kidnap the Jedi. The heroes kill them off and escape Bimmisaari. Thrawn's forces attack the planet Bpfassh. When Han and Leia arrive there, more Noghri attack them. This time, they barely avoid capture. They decide to hide out on Nkllon at Lando Calrissian's Nomad City. Based on information Leia gave him, Luke travels to Dagobah and finds an old beacon call used by a Dark Jedi before being killed by Yoda. He also receives a vision of himself at the Sail Barge battle on Tatooine - only this time, a red-headed woman defeats him....

Just as Han, Leia, and Luke arrive at Nkllon, Thrawn attacks the planet and steals 51 "mole miner" machines. During the fight, C'Baoth contacts Luke through the Force. Chewbacca takes Leia in the 'Lady Luck' (Lando's ship) to Kashyyyk, while Han and Lando use a reprogrammed Threepio to pretend Leia's still with them while they look for Talon Karrde, and Luke heads to Jomark, where C'Baoth is rumoured to be. Thrawn sees right through the deception. He sends Noghri to Kashyyyk and ambushes Skywalker en route to Jomark. Luke barely escapes, but is picked up by Talon Karrde's ship, piloted by Mara Jade - the woman of the vision. He is held prisoner on Myrkr.

On Abregado, Han and Lando get a contact to Karrde. They hear from Coruscant that Councillor Borsk Fey'yla is planning something big - something that will put him in Ackbar's position of Commander in Chief. The contact takes them to Myrkr to talk to Karrde. At the same time, Luke escapes. Mara chases him, and both end up crashing in the forest. At the same time, Thrawn arrives in orbit. On Kashyyyk, another near miss for Leia - but this time, one Noghri is caught. The Noghri, Khabarakh, abruptly realises that Leia is the "Mal'ary'ush" - daughter of Darth Vader, who once saved the Noghri people. Leia promises to visit his homeworld of Honoghr in hopes of luring the Noghri to the Republic's side.

With Karrde's help, Luke and the others escape Thrawn's clutches and leave Myrkr, as Karrde starts to evacuate. The 'Millenium Falcon' travels to the Sluis Van shipyards, just in time for a massive attack - Thrawn has used a cloaked freighter to sneak TIE's and mole miners into the shipyards. The mole miners are being used to transport boarding parties to steal the entire New Republic fleet. Lando uses his command codes to start up the miners' engines, disabling the escaping starships. Thrawn muses that he is lost only a battle, not the war. A few hours later, Leia contacts them from Coruscant with devastating news: Fey'yla has had Admiral Ackbar arrested on charges of high treason and has taken over the second most powerful position in the Republic....