Jaru was a male stormtrooper in service to the Imperial warlord Jerec. He participated in Jerec's quest to locate the Valley of the Jedi, a powerful Force nexus. In 5 ABY, when the Valley's location was pinpointed on the planet Ruusan, Jaru was part of the stormtrooper detachment sent to excavate the site. Following a significant seismic event on Ruusan, Jaru became trapped beneath a large section of the collapsing ceiling. However, he was saved by Yun, a Dark Jedi serving Jerec.
As a male stormtrooper, Jaru was a member of the Imperial warlord Jerec's forces. Jerec was on a mission to find the legendary Valley of the Jedi, a Force nexus rumored to contain the trapped spirits of many Jedi souls. The Valley was located on the planet Ruusan in 5 ABY, and Jerec sent a group of stormtroopers, including Jaru, to begin digging. These troopers were under the command of Major Vig.
Some days into the excavation, a major earthquake struck Ruusan. Jaru was near a cargo module inside one of the underground chambers when the quake hit. A huge piece of the ceiling collapsed, pinning Jaru. He survived because he was bending over when it happened. The cargo module absorbed the initial impact and kept the slab from crushing him completely. However, Jaru was still trapped under a rock the size of a hovercraft, which was slowly sliding down and threatening to crush him. An Imperial officer, several other troopers, and a pair of construction droids tried to lift the rock but couldn't. Further tremors caused more rocks to fall, killing one of the troopers.
Yun, one of Jerec's Dark Jedi from his cadre, was watching the excavation. He saw the rescue attempt. The spirit of the deceased Jedi Master Qu Rahn influenced Yun, bringing him closer to the light side of the Force, and he decided to save Jaru. Using the Force, Yun lifted the rock, allowing the officer and troopers to pull Jaru free. They then put Jaru on a makeshift stretcher and carried him to the surface.
Jaru was well-known among Jerec's forces due to his prominent nose and his exceptional ability to spit over long distances. He also possessed considerable skill utilizing a grenade launcher.
The character of Jaru initially appeared in Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, a novella authored by William C. Dietz. It was released on October 14, 1998. Jaru later featured in the audio dramatization of the same novel, which came out in December of that year. The audio drama presents some inconsistencies compared to the novella. For instance, it describes a piece of wall falling on Jaru, rather than a piece of ceiling. Additionally, the construction droids are said to arrive in three minutes, instead of participating in the first rescue attempt. Also, in the audio dramatization, Major Vig is the one commanding the rescue team.