In Heir to the Empire, the New Republic’s perspective correlates order with good, and chaos with evil, applying an ethical element to the binary. The New Republic may have defeated the Empire, but the people they have freed—and those waiting to decide whether to join them—await the reestablishment of order in the aftermath of the Rebellion. While the Empire excelled at a particular type of order, they did so by oppressing their people and enslaving other peoples—a kind of moral chaos. The New Republic must rebuild order out of the chaos created by dismantling the Empire’s oppressive regime. True order, Timothy Zahn suggests, can only be achieved in the context of an ethical and equitable society.

In the wake of their defeat, the Empire struggles to re-establish a sense of order, which, for them, is analogous to control and oppression. Pellaeon and Thrawn fight against the chaos of an army that has been left with too-young crew members and without the unifying, coordinating power of the Emperor’s Jedi presence and abilities. Thrawn condemns a man to death for a mistake that costs the Imperial army the capture of Luke, making a grim example of him for the man’s commanding officer and emphasizing the need for thorough training of all younger crew members.