The Empire and the New Republic have made peace, but the tale's hardly finished. The sense of closure provided by the Hand of Thrawn duology wasn't trod upon by the continued adventures of the next generation of Jedi for one main reason: they were published first. Many of the books published from 1991-2000 were not released in a chronological order. Instead, authors explored different parts of the timeline simultaneously. Though the 1998 Hand of Thrawn Duology seemed to end a cycle 19 years after the Battle of Yavin, the Young Jedi Knights series of the mid-1990s were set several years afterwards.

Some changes needed to take place in the galaxy to bridge both works. Most notably, Leia Organa Solo returned to the office of Chief of State, a position she did not hold in Hand of Thrawn. That re-election happened "off-screen," as Leia starts in that role in these next series of books.

The Golden Globe and Kenobi's Lightsaber covers the Junior Jedi Knights series, a young reader book program begun in 1995 by the Berkley Publishing Group. The book would showcase Anakin Solo as the main hero. The first book, The Golden Globe, introduced Tahiri and Ikrit, and featured repercussions from the era of Exar Kun. It's in the second book, Lyric's World (1996, Berkley), that Anakin and Tahiri travel to Yavin 8 to unlock the secret of the Golden Globe.

Anakin's troubling dreams bring him to Dagobah in search of answers in Anakin's Quest (1997, Berkley), the fourth book in the series. In the fifth book, Vader's Fortress (1997, Berkley), word of Obi-Wan Kenobi's recovered lightsaber brings Anakin to Bast Castle on Vjun. He faces off against the sham Mage, Orloc, in Kenobi's Blade, the last book of the series (1997, Berkley).

The Return of Outbound Flight is new to Chronology, drawn from the recently published Survivor's Quest (2004, Del Rey Books). It serves as a prelude to the prequel-era Outbound Flight (2006, Del Rey Books), in that it deals with that ill-fated exploratory venture.

The Shadow Academy and the Second Imperium were the villains faced in the first six books of Young Jedi Knights series. Book one, Heirs to the Force (1995, Berkley) has Jaina, Jacen and Lowbacca find a salvageable TIE fighter wreck in the jungles of Yavin 4. Brakiss' dark siders strike at GemDiver Station in book two, Shadow Academy (1995, Berkley). Book three, The Lost Ones (1995, Berkley) has the Jedi twins return home to Coruscant and meet Zekk. The students begin their lightsaber training -- and Tenel Ka loses her arm -- in the fourth book, Lightsabers (1996, Berkley). The attack on Kashyyyk is in book five, Darkest Knight (1996, Berkley). The assault on Yavin 4 takes place in the last book of this story-arc, Jedi Under Siege (1996, Berkley).

The series continued, but with new threats for Jacen and Jaina to face. The Diversity Alliance was the focus of the next arc, starting with Shards of Alderaan (Book 7, 1997, Berkley). The book featured Boba Fett -- but little did readers know at the time that it was actually an impersonator, Ailyn Vel, who may be Fett's daughter. This is new information posited by the Chronology, based on Vel's history revealed in "The History of the Mandalorians," Star Wars Insider #80 (2005, IDG Entertainment). The next book, Diversity Alliance (Book 8, 1997, Berkley) brought Nolaa Tarkona into the picture. Delusions of Grandeur (Book 9, 1997, Berkley) brings the kids to Mechis III, while Jedi Bounty (Book 10, 1997) takes them to Ryloth. This arc culminates in Book 11, The Emperor's Plague (1998, Berkley), which chronicled the final defeat of the Diversity Alliance.

Three more books filled out the Young Jedi Knights series, telling of The Return of Black Sun. Return to Ord Mantell, Trouble on Cloud City and Crisis at Crystal Reef (1998, Berkley) conclude these adventures of Jaina and Jacen Solo. They would be light-spirited romps compared to the darkness that would next engulf the galaxy.