Heir to the Empire takes place five years after Return of the Jedi, with the New Republic facing a new threat in the form of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a master strategist who commands the remaining Imperial fleet and aims to dismantle the fragile New Republic. Luke Skywalker is developing his Jedi skills, and Han and Leia are married and expecting twins, but they must confront Thrawn's tactical genius, which relies on studying art to predict enemy behavior, and his plan to revive the Empire's cloning technology.
