A trilogy of novels written by Timothy Zahn that form part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. * Heir to the Empire (1991, hardcover) * Dark Force Rising (1992, hardcover) * The Last Command (1993, hardcover) For an idea of just how much of the Star Wars Expanded Universe canon got its start in these books, go here, here and here and note how many times the phrase "first appearance" comes up. These novels basically invented the New Republic that the Rebellion became. A few years later, Zahn wrote the Hand of Thrawn duology.