Morgan Katarn was the individual responsible for creating a chart indicating the whereabouts of the Valley of the Jedi on the planet of Ruusan.
Ruusan had been a historically significant planet during the New Sith Wars. However, in the centuries that followed, it faded into obscurity and was unknown to the Galactic Empire. Despite this, the legend of the Valley of the Jedi persisted within the traditions of the Jedi Order.
Jerg, a smuggler, was the first to rediscover the planet. He initially used it as a clandestine base, before subsequently bringing Sulonese Rebel sympathizers there as a refuge. During this time, their leader, Morgan Katarn, found the Valley and the immense power it held. He kept this discovery to himself until he encountered Qu Rahn, a Jedi Master, and sought answers from him. Rahn had been searching for the Valley, but declined to learn more about it, as they were engaged in battle with the Galactic Empire at the time. Aware that capture was inevitable, he preferred not to possess this knowledge and advised Katarn to document his findings on a map.
Subsequently, Katarn designed the map to Ruusan and the Valley on stone plaques sourced from the quarry north of his estate. He integrated these designs with the decorative patterns on his workshop ceiling. The family droid WeeGee assisted him with this project, which spanned approximately one month. The droid admired the etched patterns without understanding their significance. To conceal the map, Morgan covered them with plaster, an action the droid misinterpreted as dislike for the patterns. Katarn left a holo message for his son Kyle, revealing the map's existence and its importance. The message was encrypted on a holodisk playable only by WeeGee.
Shortly thereafter, during the subjugation of Sulon, the Ghost Battalion under First Lieutenant [Brazack] (/article/brazack) invaded Katarn's home to arrest him. Katarn, witnessing the invasion from a distance, briefly worried whether they would find the map. Soon after, Morgan was captured and executed by the Dark Jedi Jerec, who sought the Valley's power but was unaware of Morgan's proximity to it. The homestead and the map remained untouched for years, as Morgan's son stayed away from Sulon.
Years later, after the fall of the Empire, both Rahn and Jerec with his Seven Dark Jedi resumed their search for the Valley. Jerec succeeded in capturing Rahn and extracting all the information he possessed. Although Rahn didn't know the location, Jerec learned that Morgan, the Rebel he had killed years prior, did and had created a map.
8t88, working for Jerec, investigated Katarn's home but failed to find the map. Kyle Katarn was tasked by Rahn's spirit to locate the map in his home and reach the Valley before Jerec. Meanwhile, the Dark Jedi were dispatched to Sulon. After raiding his house again, they removed the tiles, numbered them, loaded them onto a shuttle using grav pellets, and transported them to Baron's Hed, expecting 8t88 to decipher it. However, they only removed the central section.
When Kyle and his partner arrived at Morgan's home, he went to the workshop and noticed the missing ceiling. He also saw the remaining tiles that were not there during his last visit. He immediately realized that some of the patterns formed a map. He played Morgan's recording and found Qu Rahn's lightsaber. Hearing in the message that the ceiling was the precious map, Kyle looked up, but the ceiling was already gone. WeeGee confirmed the story after being activated. This set Kyle on the path to becoming a Jedi, as he now had to find his own way to the city.
The Dark Jedi had taken the tiles to the Government House in Barons Hed. There, it was reassembled, and 8t88 deciphered it, creating a 3D digital copy that he sent to Jerec aboard the Vengeance as a holomap. With Ruusan's location now known, Jerec promised the droid a reward and prepared his ship for hyperspace. However, as 8t88 was about to leave the building, Kyle Katarn appeared in the tower and demanded the map copy. The Dark Jedi Yun, ordered by Jerec to destroy the stone map, took it upon himself to protect the valley's location from Katarn. Yun descended from the tower roof in an elevator, jumped onto the table, and destroyed the map with his lightsaber. This distraction allowed 8t88 to escape.