Mara Jade was introduced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, which Lucasfilm would later brand as non-canonical to the Star Wars franchise. Her first appearance was in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire (1991). Zahn imagined Jade as a strong, complex female character, which he found was lacking in the Star Wars universe. While competent, she is also flawed. When the Thrawn Trilogy ended in 1993 with The Last Command, Zahn thought it was the last book for which he would develop the character. When he was asked to write another novel, he established two goals: "to end the war between the New Republic and the Empire, and to get Luke Skywalker and Mara together.'' Although Lucasfilm initially resisted the idea of Luke marrying Mara, they eventually acquiesced.