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 resisted the idea of Luke marrying Mara, they eventually acquiesced. 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.
Zahn imagined Jade as a strong, complex female character, somebody he thought lacking in the Star Wars universe. Her first appearance was in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire (1991). She has been voiced by Heidi Shannon, Edie Mirman and Kath Soucie in various Star Wars video games. She appears in the now non-canon Legends series as the wife of Luke Skywalker and mother of Ben Skywalker. Mara Jade Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise.
