Dru Valan, a Human admiral within the Imperial Navy, originally demonstrated allegiance to the Fel Empire. During the time of the Sith–Imperial War, he received orders to prevent Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance from fleeing Caamas. However, Valan underestimated Stazi's capabilities, resulting in his failure to stop the escape. Subsequently, when the One Sith took control of the Empire, Valan chose to align himself with them.
In the year 137 ABY, Valan assumed command of the Outer Rim Third Fleet with the mission to eliminate Stazi and obliterate the Galactic Alliance Remnant. Employing a new Star Destroyer as a lure, Valan attempted to ensnare Stazi's forces. Nevertheless, the Alliance successfully evaded the trap, seizing the Star Destroyer in the process. Once again disgraced, Valan was left to contemplate suicide.
In 130 ABY, Admiral Dru Valan participated in the Battle of Caamas. Following the surrender of the Galactic Alliance, led by Rear Admiral Piers Petan, Admiral Gar Stazi opted to escape and continue resisting the Empire. Grand Admiral Morlish Veed tasked Valan with ensuring Stazi's capture and the destruction of his fleet for their defiance. However, Valan's underestimation of Stazi allowed him to escape via a concealed hyperspace route. Consequently, Valan faced blame for Stazi's successful evasion. Later, Valan decided to support Darth Krayt when the Sith gained control of the Empire.
Sometime between 130 ABY and 137 ABY, he found himself serving under Admiral Sha Dun within the Outer Rim Third Fleet (likely as a consequence of his failure to prevent Stazi's escape at Caamas). However, after the Sith Lord Darth Azard executed Sha Dun for his inability to halt Stazi's attacks on the Empire, Valan was promoted to command of the fleet, charged with hunting down Stazi. Valan, a believer in Human High Culture, ordered his second in command to remove all alien crew members from the fleet, asserting that "only the best" should serve under his leadership. He even crushed a portion of the Kel Dor's breathing mask beneath his foot following the elimination of his former commander.
Now in command of the Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer Relentless, Admiral Valan devised a plan to trap Stazi by enticing him with the potential capture of the Imperious-class Star Destroyer Imperious. Having analyzed Stazi's strategies, he believed the Alliance admiral lacked strategic thinking. A female Toydarian named Niffla informed him that she had spotted Gial Gahan's niece, a member of Rogue Squadron, at the shipyards. This information solidified Valan's belief that he would soon redeem himself for allowing Stazi's escape at Caamas.
Days later, Stazi's fleet arrived in the system with the intention of seizing the Imperious. However, Gial Gahan had been apprehended for attempting to disable the shipyard's defenses, and stormtroopers had reclaimed control of the Imperious from Stazi's forces. Upon Valan's fleet's arrival, it appeared to him that Stazi's fleet was cornered between his forces and the shipyards. However, Stazi had anticipated Valan's trap and set up his own. Monia Gahan manipulated the shipyard's automated defenses to target Imperial vessels, and the combined firepower from the Alliance fleet and the shipyards inflicted significant damage on Valan's fleet. Adding to the humiliation, the stormtroopers who had retaken the Imperious were, in fact, Alliance Remnant troops. They commandeered the advanced Star Destroyer and delivered it to one of the Alliance's bases.
Despite being outmaneuvered, Valan ordered his ships to attack the Indomitable, hoping to eliminate Stazi and cripple the Remnant. While the Indomitable sustained heavy fire, the rest of the Alliance fleet escaped. After Stazi was evacuated from the Indomitable, its captain, Jaius Yorub, piloted the ship into the Mon Calamari Shipyards, destroying a third of them.
By the battle's conclusion, the Imperious was in Alliance hands, Stazi had escaped, the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards had suffered extensive damage, and Valan's fleet had been decimated. Defeated and demoralized, Valan retreated to his quarters with a blaster pistol from his personal collection, seemingly contemplating suicide.
Despite the Imperial Military's acceptance of alien service alongside humans during his time, Dru Valan displayed blatant speciesism and a strong Humanocentric bias, believing in human superiority over "aliens." This was evident when his first action as commander of the Outer Rim Third Fleet was to dismiss all non-human personnel and replace them with humans.
Having been previously outmaneuvered by Admiral Gar Stazi, Valan harbored a deep-seated grudge against the Alliance admiral. This vendetta against Stazi clouded his judgment, causing him to overlook the broader strategic picture. While he believed he had "trapped" a portion of the Alliance fleet at Dac, his obsession with Stazi allowed the remainder of the fleet to escape.
Valan's name was incorrectly spelled as "Valens" in the opening crawl of Legacy (2006) 22.