Lit Legends reading order between ANH and ESB

I've been trying to find a proper media timeline for the period of time between ANH and ESB in the Legends continuity.

Wookieepedia has a decent timeline but all the 0 ABY stuff is sort of stuffed together. Might be the best list though.
EDIT: looks like Scoundrels should come after at least Marvel Star Wars #7 but Wookieepedia has it before any Marvel comics of that series (besides 1 through 6).

Starwarstimeline.net also has a decent list. But some things are jumbled. The first Rebel Force book is supposed to happen 2 weeks after the Battle of Yavin and the other books in that series come at 1 month or 2 months later (I think). This site has the series all together without specific placement.

A lot of timelines put the Rebel Force books together after a lot of Marvel comic content.

Does anyone have a clear and well though out sequence of stories in the time period?

It is a busy period in the timeline. Trying to make a chronological sequence of Rebel Force, the various Marvel lines (classic and Star Woods), Vader's Quest, etc. seems very challenging.

If someone has already done the work it would be nice to have a look.

 

In terms of novels, here are some I think would fit chronologically: Scoundrels (the first of Timothy Zahn's three novels set between ANH and TESB), followed by Allegiance and Choices of One. Then the Han and Leia novels (forget their titles at the moment) would follow.

 

Yeah I do think the Wook has the best consistent timeline but needs improving. Last night I did some poking around and would say this much in terms of order based on research so far:
1. Rebel Force: Target is one of the earliest stories. Han makes no mention of any reward money from the Rebels. This could be because Leia is trying to scrounge it up.
2. This puts Marvel Star Wars #7 after the above story, as now Han and Chewie have the eventually provided cash that is subsequently stolen by Crimson Jack, leading to the first Mavel arcs.
3. Scoundrels can fit in within Marvel Star Wars #7, between pages 7 and 8. Scoundrels being a part of the period Han and Chewie are looking for jobs to pay back Jabba. Alternatively it could be placed after the Adube-3 arc.

 

Todd, thank you for your list. I'll look to incorporate it as I can. I have access to most materials in this period either from Marvel Unlimited, physical books, or ebooks that I own.

I'm willing to share my research here in this thread, maybe modifying the initial post with a clearer timeline as it can be formed.

Broadly speaking, I suspect that many stories can fit between significant milestone events between ANH and ESB that logically separate the chronology:

• Han receives a reward for the Battle of Yavin and supporting the Rebels but it is stolen by Crimson Jack (Marvel #7).
• Hoth is discovered, would be considered as a potential new base for the Rebel Alliance (Classic Star Wars, in issues #12 and #13).
• Relocation of the Rebel Alliance base assets to Hoth has occurred. (Circa 2 ABY? Wookieepedia says the Hoth base was used for around one year before the Battle of Hoth)

So the random stories out there could be placed between these milestones based on context. Are the Rebels shown operating out of Hoth? Are they till operating out of Yavin? Etc.

 

Okay, I've been doing some research, combining Wookieepedia listings as a start, but then mashing actual novel text and comic evidence to put together a version 1.0 of a coherent timeline of major accessible media for the Original Trilogy Era. The one hitch right now is the placement of the Classic Star Wars arcs about the evacuation of Yavin IV and the establishment of Echo Base at Hoth, with some effects on the 2013 Star Wood series.

The Classic SW comic has the Rebels fleeing to Hoth directly, while other media after the end of the Yavin Blockade (6 months ABY) portrays the Alliance trying to figure out where to put a permanent base. I have placed the relevant Classic SW arcs at 8 month ABY to reflect this understanding of Hoth being the destination, however those arcs could be placed back at 6 months if one takes the character dialogue about Hoth to mean it is a temporary rendezvous point or someone jumping the gun on decision making. I may put those arcs in the 6 months ABY section in version 1.1. Any input is appreciated.

-------------------------------------

A New Hope (0 ABY)

-----

Rebel Force #1: Target (2 weeks ABY)

Rebel Force #2: Hostage

Rebel Force #3: Renegade

Rebel Force #4: Firefight

Marvel #7 Pages 1-8 (Han receives and loses reward)

Scoundrels (scheme to make up for the lost reward)

Marvel #7 Page 9-end (picks up on a new scheme, leads into more Marvel arcs)

Empire #16-18

Marvel #8-15

Marvel #24

Marvel #16-23

Empire #7

Marvel #25-34

Classic Star Wars #1 and #2: The Bounty Hunter of Ord Mantell

Classic Star Wars #2, #3, and #4: Darth Vader Strikes

Classic Star Wars #4, #5, and #6: The Serpent Masters

Classic Star Wars #6 and #7: Deadly Reunion

Classic Star Wars #7 and #8: Traitor's Gambit - Placement of this is dependent on Vader's knowledge of 'Skywalker'

Classic Star Wars #8 and #9: The Night Beast

Classic Star Wars #10 and #11: The Return of Ben Kenobi

Rebel Force #5: Trapped (2 months ABY)

Vader's Quest (2 months ABY; Before leaving Yavin) - This comic is a milestone as it specifies how Vader learns the name 'Skywalker' as the destroyer of the Death Star.

Marvel #35* - First few pages

Annual 1: The Long Hunt - Likely takes place in time gap of Marvel #35

Devilworlds 2: Tilotny Throws a Shape - Likely takes place in time gap of Marvel #35

Marvel #35* - Rest of the issue.

Marvel #36-37

Devilworlds 1: Dark Lord's Conscience

Rebel Force #6: Uprising (3 months ABY)

Classic Star Wars #11 and #12: The Power Gem

Shadow Stalker comic

Classic Star Wars #12 and #13: Rebel Storm - Iceworld (Hoth discovered)

Classic Star Wars #13 and #14: Revenge of the Jedi - Mon Calamari join Rebels. This is placed here due to the presence of MonCal ships in the Rebel fleet in the 2013 series and beyond.

Star Wars 2013 Series #1-20 - Either after leaving Yavin or during blockade; is after 'Skywalker' name is known to Vader, not clear on first name knowledge but likely after Vader's Quest. Classic SW issues have the Rebels go from Yavin to Hoth as a known destination. So this may be simply preparation to leave during the Yavin Blockade, since breaking the blockade to travel about seems to not be an issue for the primary heroes. There is an arc all about Leia trying to procure a base location on another planet so Hoth wasn't settled on if it was known.

Empire #19 (5 months ABY)

Allegiance (5 to 6 months ABY) - Wookieepedia page synopsis has reference to abandoning Yavin though the novel itself doesn't state Yavin has been abandoned yet. This is assumed to take place during the blockade of Yavin, perhaps near the end of it.

-----

Empire #20-22 (6 months ABY)

River of Chaos comic (6 months ABY)

Empire #23-25 (6 months ABY)

-----

Empire #26-28 (7 months ABY)

Empire #29-40 (8 months ABY)

Choices of One (8 months ABY) - The Big Three is searching for a new base, though it is not clear if Yavin has been completely taken by the Empire.

Honor Among Thieves (8 months or possibly 1 ABY) - First part of the novel involves the Rebels discussing potential base options, Hoth being one. So they have not settled on a future base yet, but are narrowing choices.

*Classic Star Wars #14 and #15: Doom Mission (Evacuation of Yavin begins here) - The comic shows the Rebels have selected Hoth as the destination for the Rebel base, which puts the evacuation 2 months later than Legends normally places it (at six months). This could be moved back to 6 months ABY if we assume the person stating Hoth was the destination was jumping to conclusions or Hoth was a temporary rendezvous point.

*Classic Star Wars #15 to #16: Escape to Hoth (Dodonna holds out on Yavin) - See note above about placement.

Rebellion Comic #1-16 (9 months ABY) - Definitely after Vader's Quest due to references to 'Skywalker'. The HQ for the Rebels appears to simply be the main fleet, which would point to the relocation to Hoth and the establishment of Echo Base is underway.

Classic Star Wars #17 to #20: Escape to Hoth (Rebels arrive at Echo Base) - I may need to read these issues more carefully to get the right context of events.

-----
1 ABY

Devilworlds 1: Blind Fury!

Devilworlds 2: The Pandora Effect

Marvel #38 (1 ABY)

Ruins of Dantooine (1 ABY)

Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures #1-9 - Wookieepedia points to 1 ABY being the timeframe for this series.

-----

* 2 ABY * - Relocation of Rebel base to Hoth complete by now

Splinter of the Mind's Eye (2 ABY)

Star Wars Adventures: Princess Leia and the Royal Ransom (2 ABY)

Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge (2 ABY) - Beginning of novel indicates Echo Base is not yet completed but may simply be a case of perspective.

-----

Rebel Heist Comic (2 ABY or 3 ABY) - Materials are gained to improve Echo Base.

-----

Empire Strikes Back (3 ABY)

-----

Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader comic (3 ABY)

Marvel #45-49

Devilwords 2: Rust Never Sleeps

Devilworlds 1: Dark Knight's Devilry

Marvel #50

Marvel #108

Marvel #51-52

Marvel #86

Marvel #53-57

Marvel #64

Marvel Annual 2: Shadeshine!

Marvel #58-72

Shadows of the Empire (3.5 ABY)

Marvel #73-80

Marvel Annual 3: The Apprentice

-----

Return of the Jedi (4 ABY)

 

Part of The Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy takes place between just after the events of ANH - specifically the 'Then' sections. The 'Now' sections take place during the events of RotJ.

 

Yes. According to my last read-through (transcribed from notes I took in 2001), the "Then" sections span from roughly 5 to 6 months ABY, or approximately 28 days in total. I think the key indicator for the time period was that in The Mandalorian Armor, Vader is onboard the Devastator, and by the time of Slave Ship and Hard Merchandise, he is using the Executor, which of course had been given to him to use against the siege of Yavin at 6 months ABY.

I have the "Then" part of the trilogy taking place concurrently with Allegiance. Or, in a simple list, placed right after Allegiance.

 

I will be making some edits to the above list and can incorporate suggestions. I forget the forum rules but it appears I'll need to post a new reply for 1.1 and cant edit my existing reply any longer.

Already I need to fix some Classic SW stuff. I was reading the 'Return of Ben Kenobi' arc this morning and Vader knows the name Skywalker and has Executor so I'll need to move some of those arcs to after Vader's Quest. May have to do a quick reread of all of Classic SW to make sure the earlier stories dont need adjusted.

 

The line in Rebel Force: Target is "They'd been at the Rebel Base for almost two weeks now - which meant two weeks of fruitless lightsaber practice." This does not mean the book takes place two weeks after ANH (if it did, that would also imply that they'd been doing nothing the entire time). It just takes place after a two-week period of inactivity.

 

I do not see an issue placing it at 2 weeks ABY because that is as much evidence to work with as I have. It is certainly before VQ. And the implication is that it is an pretty early story. Will need to do a solid read through to be sure though. That's what I've been doing the last day or so, reading or skimming through comics and books looking for evidence. It is fun in its own way.

 

Quest had a fun thread going that tried to timeline this period in real-time; I'll have to see if I can find it. I think we dealt with some of the Rebel Force stuff by breaking the events up chapter by chapter and inserting other stories in between.

 

Can you dig up that thread, Talon? I'd like to peruse it myself.

 

This thread?:

https://boards.theforce.net/threads...cw-events-occur-in-real-time.50010159/page-10

Also of interest:
https://boards.theforce.net/threads/yavin-to-hoth-revisited.9300948/

https://boards.theforce.net/threads...iscussion-canon-continuity-and-fans.29814968/

http://theforce.net/timeline/pdf/SWEUC-p3_TFN_REBELLION.pdf

http://www.starwarstimeline.net/EraofRebellion.htm

 

That's the one!

One thing that's not easy to pick up on is that Marvel's Annual #1: The Long Hunt should probably be placed in 2 ABY after the other Marvel comics. The reason for this is that Rebel Dawn mentioned that Katya M'Buele took part in the raid on Ylesia, which wasn't long before the Battle of Yavin. Han Solo personally recruited most, if not all of the smugglers that took part in that raid. In the comic, Han mentions that it's been "years" since he's seen Katya. (This also has the advantage of taking it out of the relatively crowded period just after ANH.)

There's also a number of minor comics and kids series that take place in this time period: Galaxy of Fear, Science Adventures, Star Wars Kids comics, Star Wars 3-D #1-3, Star Wars Missions, and so on. And then there's the video games...

TC

 

Good catch on Marvel Annual #1. For what it's worth, here's one more attempt to make sense of the ANH-TESB EU order, including the SW Kids comics, SW 3-D, etc. Plenty still missing (Tales, Ewoks, etc.), and the placements are certainly subject to revision.

I. “Shortly” after the Battle of Yavin
- The Day after the Death Star
- Rebel Thief (First three-and-a-half panels)
- Missions #1-4
- Science Adventures #1-2
- “Breaking Free: The Adventures of Dannen Lifehold”
- “Changing the Odds: The Adventures of Dannen Lifehold”
- “A Certain Point of View”
- “Droid Trouble”
- “The Occupation of Rhamalai”
- “To Fight Another Day”
- “Sandbound on Tatooine”
- Empire #14: Savage Heart
- Darksaber (flashback: Palps kills Bevel Lemelisk)
- Empire #16-18 To the Last Man
- Vader: The Ultimate Guide (“The Path of Evil” information – sent back to Vaal by Palps)
- Rebel Force: Target (after 2 weeks on Yavin 4)
- Rebel Force: Hostage (Vader never shows up on Delaya)
- Marvel #7: New Planets New Perils (beginning – Crimson Jack steals Han’s reward)
- “Heist”
- “Winner Lose All”
- Scoundrels (Jabba raises Han’s debt to 500,000)
- The Keeper’s World (R2’s repairs don’t last)
- The Kingdom of Ice/War on Ice
- The Weapon’s Master
- Marvel #7-15, 24, 16 (reward recovered from Crimson Jack [returned to rebels])
- The Bounty Hunter of Ord Mantell (per the 5/31/81 comic, this is weeks before Fondor)
- Rebel Thief (Han offers 500,000 to Jabba [refused] and gives 500,000 to rebels [who return reward])
- Missions #9-12
- Rebel Force: Renegade (Han accused of spying for Empire) [Combine with Marvel #31 beginning – Luke’s 1st return to Tatooine, sees Fixer.]
- Marvel #17 Crucible
- Stenax Shuffle (flashbacks in Marvel #70-71)
- Scoundrel’s Luck (Han gambles away reward; 2nd bounty hunter on Ord Mantell; Vader recovered by Imperials)


II. First Evacuation of Yavin 4
- X-Wing Marks the Spot
- Imperial Spy (Han playacts as an Imperial spy to reveal the real one – Rogor)
- Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
- Death Star Pirates


III. Beginning of the Blockade
- Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (Crime lord Tyber Zann scavenges DS wreckage; tangles with Rebels, pirates, and Imperials)
- Battlefront II (501st raid on Yavin 4)
- Force Commander (Veers rescued)
- Marvel #18-27

IV. Han debt and bounty free/Vader does not know Luke Skywalker’s name
- Marvel #28-30
- Marvel #31 Return to Tatooine (middle and end) (Luke’s 2nd return to Tatooine)
- Marvel #32 The Jawa Express [Combine with Blackthorne #1 and Applejacks Droids comic.]
- Marvel #33-34
- Missions #17-20 (Vader’s 1st post-DS in-person meeting with Palps)
- “Small Favors”
- Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy flashbacks (?)
- Darth Vader Strikes (Fondor)
- The Serpent Masters
- Deadly Reunion
- Traitors Gambit
- The Nightbeast
- Rebel Force: Firefight


V. Han debt and bounty free/Vader knows Luke Skywalker’s name
- Marvel #35 Dark Lord's Gambit (beginning) [Combine with opening of Vader’s Quest, per Pablo Hidalgo’s NEC endnotes – Vader learns Luke’s name. Assume Manga Silver and Black N-canon.]
- Rebel Force: Trapped (ostensibly 1 week after RF: Firefight; Vader orders X-7 not to kill Luke)
- Vader’s Quest (Vader’s 2nd post-DS in-person meeting with Palps; faces Luke on Jazbina)
- The Holiday Special/The Wookiee Storybook/The Kashyyyk Depths (Happy Life Day!)
- The Constancia Affair
- Gambler’s World
- Tatooine Sojourn (Luke’s 3rd return to Tatooine)
- Princess Leia, Imperial Servant
- The Second Kessel Run
- Bring Me the Children
- As Long as We Live
- Planet of Kadril
- Jedi’s Honor
- Devilworlds: Pandora Effect; Tilotny Throws a Shape (Leia sprains her ankle)
- Marvel #35 (the rest of it) -37


VI. Han’s bounty back on/Vader continues to search for Luke
- World of Fire
- Marvel #37 In Mortal Combat (Epilogue: Jabba restores bounty on Han, 3rd Ord Mantell)
- Marvel # 38 Riders in the Void (Yuuzhan Vong?)
- The Frozen World of Ota (Fett reminds Han Jabba’s bounty is back on)
- Brian Wood’s Star Wars (1-20) (Luke’s 4th return to Tatooine)
- Allegiance
- Rebel Force: Uprising (ostensibly a month after Rebel Force: Trapped)


VII. End of the Blockade/Final Evacuation of Yavin 4
- “Doctor Death: The Tale of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba”
- “The Great Herdship Heist”
- “Fair Prey”
- Galaxy of Fear #1-4
- “Only Droids Serve the Maker”
- “A Bitter Winter”
- Galaxy of Fear #5-8
- Shadow Stalker
- The Return of Ben Kenobi
- The Power Gem
- Iceworld
- Choices of One
- Galaxy of Fear #9
- Missions #5-8
- Revenge of the Jedi
- Doom Mission
- Race for Survival
- “The Most Dangerous Foe” (frame story)
- Imperial Spy (final panels with Vader confronting Rogor on Yavin 4)
- Blackthorne #2


VIII. Post-Yavin 4
- Chewbacca and the Slavers of the Shadowlands (frame story)
- Empire #19-22
- River of Chaos
- Empire #23-40
- Rebellion #1-16
- Boba Fett: Overkill
- Galaxy of Fear #10
- “Priority: X”
- Galaxy of Fear #11
- “Uhl Eharl Khoehng”
- “Finder’s Fee”
- “The Breath of Gelgelar”
- Galaxy of Fear #12
- Marvel Annual #1
- The Maverick Moon
- The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot (5th? Return to Tatooine)
- Honor Among Thieves
- Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
- “Lando Calrissian: Idiot’s Array”
- Splinter of the Mind’s Eye
- Razor’s Edge
- Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear
- Princess Leia and the Royal Ransom
- “Crimson Bounty”
- “Combat Moon”
- “Do No Harm”
- “The Capture of Imperial Hazard”
- “Idol Intentions”
- “The Last Hand”
- “Side Trip”
- “Command Decision”
- “Laughter after Dark”
- “The Draw”
- “Double Cross on Ord Mantell”


IX. Lead-up to Hoth
- Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell (4th bounty hunter on Ord Mantell)
- Rebel Heist
- Blackthorne #3
- Missions #13-16
- Paradise Detour
- A New Beginning
- Showdown (5th bounty hunter on Ord Mantell)
- The Final Trap
- A Valentine’s Story

 

Five returns to Tatooine? Five "bounty hunters of Ord Mantell"? Those need to be condensed whenever possible. Two is acceptable...three is incredulous...but four or more is just stretching even the bendable limits of the Expanded Universe.

Also, don't forget Luke's return to Tatooine for the first mission of Rogue Squadron 3D.

 

I'll have more detailed notes later, but The Holiday Special, The Wookiee Storybook, and The Kashyyyk Depths depict three separate events about three years apart. The Wookiee Storybook isn't about Life Day; it's about Chewbacca's 200th birthday, which was shortly before ANH. The Holiday Special occurs on the first Life Day after the Battle of Yavin. The original Essential Guide to Characters explained that the Life Day holiday only occurs about every three years. In that book, Kashyyyk Depths is stated to be a separate incident that occurs on the Life Day before the Battle of Hoth, about three years later.

 

QuinlanSolo that is some nice work. I'll have to compare it with my working version of the chronology. I've been sidetracked by the US holidays and family visiting.

 

Thanks! The heavy lifting was done by 2ndQuest and TalonCard in that thread years back. Changes/errors are my own (or stolen from elsewhere).

(Underlining added.)

It's a catch-22. I agree it's implausible, but any attempt to be completist about Yavin to Hoth EU probably requires OneCanon levels of credulity (I would prefer "suspension of disbelief" - which OneCanon Yavin to Hoth requires even more of). I try to condense where I think "possible" (e.g., rolling Blackthorne #1 and Applejacks Droids into Marvel #31-32), but condensing most of the Tatooine trips or Ord Mantell bounty hunters into each other in effect involves deciding which ones "really happened" and which ones didn't. Per the Steve Sansweet line, all EU stories may be "foggy windows" into the SW galaxy, but unless we're talking headcanon, we probably can't treat them as straight-up opaque.

For example, the the first three pages of the Star Wood Tatooine episode could be combined with the Rebel Force one (both feature Luke and Leia at Owen and Beru's graves), but the last three pages presuppose earlier stories in Star Wood in which Vader knows Luke's name. Han's bounty is still on in Rebel Force #3, but Vader doesn't learn Luke's name until the bounty is off (thanks to Mosep Bineed, aka "Jabba the Hut"). Further, in RF#3, Han is suspected as a spy, which has to be before he pretends to be a spy in Star Wars Kids, which depicts the first evacuation, which per Force Commander is before the blockade, which begins before Vader learns Luke's name. It's like dominoes. So, if we roll Star Wood Tatooine into RF#3, we have to pretend the last three pages didn't really happen.

Most of the others face similar difficulties. Though we can strike the Marvel #37 bounty hunter from the count, as he's never been confirmed to be on Ord Mantell. (Is there a path through Scoundrel's Luck that avoids the bounty hunter?) And Rogue Squadron 3D (thanks for the catch!) looks like it might be able to be combined with Rebellious Robots. But I'm having a hard time with the others. But it is (my pretense aside) an inescapably subjective project. I privilege Vader's movements and the status of Han's bounty as my chronological backbone. Different preferences will result in different solutions. Mileage may vary.

In any case, my Tatooine rationalization looks like this. Biggs says in the radio drama: "Wind's rising all over the Empire, Luke. Even Tatooine will feel it, sooner or later." What we seem to have is a progression from breeze to hurricane. The Rebellion goes from just sending Luke to Tatooine (Marvel), to having spotters/agents already on Tatooine (newspaper strips), to running patrols on Tatooine (Rogue Squadron 3D), to having a full base on the planet (Rebellious Robots). Per the old Marvel intro, a thousand more worlds were on the edge of revolt before the Death Star was destroyed; it's not surprising the Imperial presence on Tatooine became ever more tenuous as resources were reallocated to suppress resistance on more important worlds. Even the Republic didn't care about Tatooine (TPM); it only begins to get a foothold there in TCW (movie) thanks to the treaty with Jabba for use of Hutt space hyper-routes. I think Tatooine had an Imperial governor at some point, but not much of one. A remote, disaffected planet ripe for Rebel interest.

As for the Kashyyyk returns, fair point on The Wookiee Storybook. I only know it second-hand, and was too quick to condense there. However, I think Rebel Dawn and the Kashyyyk Depths together would suggest that the first edition of the Essential Guide to Characters is in error on this point. Kashyyyk Depths says that Life Day only happens every three years, and Rebel Dawn (p.66 in the Legends paperback) places the last Life Day shortly after 3 BBY. The next one would be shortly after 0 ABY, and as TESB is in 3 ABY, we don't have time for two Life Days between it and ANH. Unless the claim that TKD and THS are different is repeated in the New Essential Guide to Characters, we can probably treat that as retconned away.

 

@QuinlanSolo, I'm highly impressed with your knowledge on this era. It rivals anything that me, @TalonCard, @The2ndQuest, or TheGatherer have conjured up over the years. And yes, it really is like dominoes. It's like the Rubik's Cube of Star Wars. For me, the most frustrating aspect is that the stories and media from that time period don't stop coming. It's a huge selling point, because novels and comics can reliably depict Luke, Leia, and Han as they appear in their Classic Trilogy prime, as we all mythologize them to forever be. Not to mention showing the classic struggle of the Rebels and Empire, Vader, and Boba Fett, as well as all of the classic starships and vehicles. The New Canon has done a pretty decent job with it, and done a good job tying in prequel and sequel-era aliens and locations, which is always fun.

But man. I'm excited to explore more eras. Especially ones that are relatively untouched. I still don't know why Del Rey never heavily mined the period between the Last of the Jedi series and the Han Solo Trilogy, roughly 17 to 5 BBY. There is a solid fifteen years that only have a sparse few novels and comic series. I've always felt that a massive 20-book "Dark Times" saga, bridging Episode III to IV would be really awesome. Instead, they pushed their limits of the continuity by going too far beyond the New Jedi Order, and all of that came back to bite them in the ass with The Force Awakens.

 

Hopefully with Empire Ascendant in a week and a half capping off NuCanon ANH-TESB, there will be a moratorium on any more Yavin to Hoth material for a good while. I think there had been plans to delve into the Dark Times, but they kept getting pushed back.

http://geekosity.blogspot.com/2005/10/endnotes-for-star-wars-new-essential.html

That was in 2005. I think they were waiting until the planned Live Action/"Underworld" series got up and running, but then it fell by the wayside and 1313 fell through. If George had been able to make that work, I wonder if he would have considered selling to Disney at all. In any case, hopefully the Story Group starts exploring that era in the coming years. Maybe a Disney+ miniseries in which Boba Fett helps the Empire take down Crimson Dawn and Vader duels Maul.