Coded Transmission: Jan Ors to Mon Mothma

The document introduces Kyle Katarn as a defector from the Imperial forces, who previously held command roles, resulting in fatalities. Subsequently, he transitioned into a freelance agent and mercenary for the Rebel Alliance, though never officially enlisting (it is implied that Katarn and Ors had a prior encounter with Boba Fett). Given his past and uncertain allegiance, Jan Ors communicated to Mon Mothma a coded message titled "Reliability of Kyle Katarn". In it, she reassured Mon Mothma that his experiences within the Empire were the very reasons he turned against it, and that these experiences would ultimately draw him closer to the Alliance.

Ors then continues with his personal narrative: Katarn began as a farmboy hailing from Sulon. He then enrolled in the Academy to further his father's profession, where he discovered aptitudes in cybernetics and information engineering. All this occurred without him realizing the Empire's growing influence over the Academy. Kyle later uncovered an Imperial cover-up, revealing that his parents had been killed in a Rebel ambush during an Imperial rescue mission on Sullust. He was deeply saddened when the Academy denied his request for extended leave.

Driven by intense hatred, he accepted a position within the special operations division, serving for several years. During this time, he encountered Ors, who was operating as a double agent. She recognized beneath his exterior a traumatized individual, disillusioned with the institution he served. The two formed a friendship, and Ors seized an opportunity to share reports about the true events that transpired on Sullust.

Katarn was compelled to choose his path when Ors's identity was exposed, leading to her arrest. He rescued her from torture and facilitated her escape. He abandoned his post and returned to the Outer Rim, where he later reunited with Ors at a Rebel base. There, he associated with smugglers and pirates, acquiring his unconventional yet highly effective sabotage techniques.

Ors concluded that his background prevented him from fully embracing the Alliance's ideals until they could earn his allegiance. Until that time, his hatred for the Empire remained unwavering.

The manual featured the original account of Kyle Katarn's history. Subsequent works, such as Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire, contradicted this initial version (though the writers acknowledged and incorporated aspects of it). The Dark Forces Saga attempted to reconcile these discrepancies by suggesting that Jan Ors, in the period between Katarn's defection to the Rebel Alliance and his first mission for them, exaggerated details of Katarn's past to convince Mon Mothma of his trustworthiness.