Mission to Ruusan

After successfully acquiring the location of the Valley of the Jedi – a secret previously held only by Kyle's father, Morgan Katarn – from the remnants of the droid 8t88, the New Republic, acting on Kyle Katarn's suggestion, formulated a strategy to infiltrate Ruusan. This strategy involved disguising themselves as the crew of a captured Imperial freighter named High Hauler, with the Moldy Crow secretly hidden onboard.

In preparation for this undertaking, ten male human agents were handpicked to impersonate the Imperial crew members. This choice reflected the humanocentrism and chauvinism prevalent within the New Order. Jan Ors, Kyle Katarn's partner, was the only exception to this selection. The team underwent rigorous training, simulating over twenty boarding scenarios. They donned Imperial uniforms, applied bandages and makeup to resemble wounded survivors, and were provided with counterfeit ID cards and other personal belongings.

The issue of confirmation codes was addressed through the fabricated cover story: "engineering officer Hortu Agar" lacked the necessary codes because he had replaced "Captain Drax" following the captain's demise in battle. Agar made sure to emphasize the delivery of proton torpedoes to the battle group flagship, the Vengeance. This highly sought-after cargo made security protocols appear less critical, and the Imperial officer was deceived into granting security clearances to the freighter.

The High Hauler was subsequently boarded by an assault shuttle. The crew underwent inspection, and the torpedoes were loaded, although they had been secretly sabotaged. The High Hauler then jumped to hyperspace, allowing the Moldy Crow to detach from the freighter's docking bay and proceed towards the surface of Ruusan.

Following a coded signal received by the Crow, Kyle guided Jan to a landing zone situated several kilometers south of the fort. There, they encountered a group of refugees, led by Grif Grawley, who had survived Jerec's assault on Fort Nowhere. After defending a group of Bouncers from a Imperial Remnant speeder patrol, Kyle, Jan, and Grif were joined by Floater, a member of the Bouncer tribe.

The Bouncer served as their guide, leading the Rebels through the treacherous mountains and ravines that led to the Valley. However, approximately half a kilometer from their destination, the group triggered a probe droid. Grif, using his hunting knife, managed to disable the machine, but was unable to escape its grasp before it collided with the valley wall and detonated. Floater then led Kyle and Jan to an ancient aqueduct, which provided direct access to the Valley. As they approached the command tower, Kyle and Jan assessed the strength of the Imperial forces.

Regrettably, the Remnant forces, under Jerec's command, had arrived weeks earlier and were in the process of establishing an outpost and excavating into the Valley. Katarn skillfully evaded or defeated patrols of Imperial stormtroopers, dangerous local creatures, and even AT-STs, successfully navigating through the canyon where the Remnant had set up their base. Eventually, Katarn reached a lift that transported him to a docking platform utilized by the cargo ship, the Sulon Star—the same vessel where he ultimately confronted 8t88, and battled Pic and Gorc.

At this critical juncture, the Dark Jedi Maw suddenly appeared behind Katarn, using the Force to knock him down while verbally provoking him into a duel. The ensuing battle took place on the narrow walkways of the cargo depot. Maw's ability to levitate granted him immunity from the perilous drops on either side, while Katarn struggled to maintain his balance while simultaneously defending against Maw's relentless attacks. Eventually, Katarn managed to force Maw into a more exposed area – the landing pad directly adjacent to the cargo ship.

With his movement significantly enhanced, Katarn gained the advantage and defeated Maw, knocking him to the ground. Sensing the growing presence of the dark side within Katarn, Maw taunted him about his father's death, claiming that Jerec had bestowed upon him the "honor" of displaying Morgan Katarn's head on a spike for the residents of Barons Hed to witness. Katarn succumbed to his rage and executed Maw in cold blood, bringing him dangerously close to succumbing to the dark side.

Fighting back tears triggered by the memory of his father, Kyle attempted to regain his composure. However, Jerec, who had been observing the duel, chose that precise moment to approach Katarn from behind, accompanied by his subordinates Boc, Sariss, and Yun, with Kyle's partner Jan Ors held captive. Jerec presented Kyle with a choice: yield to the dark side and submit to him by killing Jan, or face death. Kyle made his decision and deactivated his lightsaber. Disappointed, but not entirely surprised, Jerec unleashed a powerful blast of Force Destruction.

Whether intentional or accidental, Jerec's attack missed Katarn, merely knocking him back into the cargo ship, which absorbed the full force of Jerec's power. The supports buckled, and the ship began to plummet into the deep canyon. Realizing that he could not activate the engines and repulsorlifts in time to save the ship, Katarn searched the nearly deserted vessel for a means of escape. Eventually, he discovered his own ship, the Moldy Crow, docked in the craft's underbelly.

Katarn managed to board his ship and escape the Sulon Star just in the nick of time. Immediately after he exited the cargo vessel, it crashed into the canyon floor. However, Kyle was far from safe. The shockwave from the explosion caused Kyle to lose control, and he was unable to prevent his beloved vessel from crashing as well, landing a mere few meters from the wreckage of the Sulon Star.

Kyle was rendered unconscious by the crash, awakening after nightfall to find himself in the presence of Boc, Sariss, and Yun. Recognizing that Katarn was awake, Boc approached him and began to mock him, making comments about his lightsaber's design, before crushing it beneath a rock. Sariss ordered Boc to inform Jerec that Kyle's death was assured, then ignited her lightsaber and prepared to strike Kyle down.

However, Yun, remembering how Kyle had spared his life on Barons Hed and unwilling to allow him to die in such a callous manner, drew his own lightsaber and blocked her attack. The deflected blow grazed him, inflicting a mortal wound. Surprised by Yun's actions, Sariss questioned why he had prevented her from killing Kyle Katarn. With his last breath, Yun explained to Sariss that Kyle, as a Jedi, at least deserved a fair fight. As Yun, now redeemed from the dark side, passed away, Kyle rose to his feet, picked up Yun's yellow-bladed lightsaber, and engaged Sariss in combat. Despite her power, Sariss proved no match for Katarn's determination and rapidly improving skills in the Force, and ultimately fell to Katarn's saber. Katarn utilized a simple melee technique known as the Flowing Water cut to defeat her, impaling her through the heart.

With the main lift destroyed in the cargo ship's crash, Kyle was forced to use the Valley Tower's internal cargo conveying system to ascend and reach the Valley's outer perimeter. Navigating the powerful airflows of the mining exhaust ports, Kyle gained access to the excavation site and the ancient chambers below, dispatching stormtroopers and Imperial commandos along the way.

Upon finally entering the heart of the Valley, Kyle located Jan Ors and had just severed her bonds when Boc the Crude, disguised as a statue, revealed himself. Kyle then engaged him in a duel and defeated him, but not before coming dangerously close to succumbing to the dark side. Provoked by the spirits of long-dead Sith Lords trapped within the Valley of the Jedi, Katarn instinctively employed an ancient dark side technique known as spear of midnight black. This involved materializing dark side energy into a javelin-like object and hurling it at his opponent. The attack caught Boc by surprise, resulting in his almost instantaneous death as the dark spear pierced him.

With Boc eliminated, Kyle entered the Valley's core, where Jerec had been meditating. By severing Jerec's connection to the Force-stream, Kyle was able to overpower him. In a final attempt to sway Kyle to the dark side, the helpless Jerec reminded Kyle that he was Morgan Katarn's murderer. Rather than killing him in cold blood, Kyle returned Jerec's lightsaber to him. Jerec then launched an attack, but Kyle defended himself and struck him down, utilizing an ancient lightsaber technique known as the Falling Leaf cut. With Jerec and his remaining followers dead and defeated, Katarn was able to liberate all of the Jedi and Sith spirits trapped within the Force nexus.

With Jan Ors and WeeGee by his side, Kyle erected a monument to Qu Rahn and Morgan Katarn, expressing his gratitude to his father for his assistance.

In the game's alternate, non-canon dark side storyline, certain events unfold differently. After defeating Maw, when provoked by Jerec, Kyle succumbs to the dark side and his desire to seize the Valley's power for himself, striking down Jan. Jerec once again forces Kyle onto the Sulon Star and sends it crashing into the valley below. However, upon escaping, Kyle avoids the shockwave and manages to land the Crow, seemingly undamaged, near the crash site, where he duels Yun instead of Sariss. This time, Kyle "rectifies his earlier mistake" and kills Yun. He then proceeds into the Valley, where he defeats Boc and Jerec and claims the Valley's power for himself, paving the way for him to assume the throne of Galactic Emperor with Sariss as his apprentice.