Ive never read a lot of the expanded universe, but Ive read the best stories that there are and these are Thrawn trilogy and Darth Plagueis. Plagueis could be left intact and still leave a lot of room for imagination unless they plan to change and improve Darth Maul's story that in this books it seals it as a very simple story (SPOILERS: A a runaway force witch gives it to Palpatine since in her clan, male babies are not allowed. He raises him as a war machine, but he was never meant to be the true successor of the rule of two... he had no social skills and knew almost nothing of the galaxy and the Sith plan to rule forever). Thrawn on the other hand could not fit the story line, but he is such a good character that he should be used somewhere. He could be the new leader of the empire or something. Use the character, but not what he did (Jorus Ceebaoth or whatever its spelled SUCKS). Mara Jade could be used in the same way.