The Valance, a diminutive freighter, sat docked at the spaceport situated near Cadgel Meadows on the planet of New Plympto, during 19 BBY. After the Galactic Empire's skirmish with the indigenous Nosaurian inhabitants, the Empire grounded the Valance and all other starships present at the spaceport. The crew of the Maka-Eekai L4000 transport Uhumele, another vessel docked there, suspected the Valance's crew intended to support the Imperial forces. Consequently, they fired upon and damaged the Valance as the Uhumele made its escape from the planet.
The Valance was a compact silver freighter, distinguished by a pair of wings extending from each side of its primary fuselage. Each wing housed an engine adorned with green markings. Three landing struts – one beneath the fuselage, and one under each engine – provided support for the ship when it was grounded. The vessel's body also featured a forward-facing viewport and a pair of rear-facing fins, both positioned amidships.
In 19 BBY, a single month following the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Valance and its personnel found themselves on the planet of New Plympto. They were stationed near the southern perimeter of the spaceport within the area recognized as Cadgel Meadows. During its time on New Plympto, the Valance, along with all other vessels at the Cadgel Meadows spaceport, was ordered to remain grounded by Imperial authorities following the Empire's conflict with the native Nosaurian species.
While the Valance was immobilized, the crew of the Maka-Eekai L4000 transport Uhumele, who were similarly grounded at the port, came to the conclusion that the Valance's crew was more inclined to inform the Imperials of any escape attempts, rather than participate in one, in hopes of avoiding potential repercussions. When the Uhumele attempted to flee in order to avoid being searched by the Imperials, one of its crew members, the Jedi Knight Dass Jennir, commandeered an Imperial Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter. Acting on the assumption that the crew of the Valance would not defy the Imperials, he unleashed fire upon the small freighter to create the impression that Imperial forces were attacking the grounded ships. The Valance sustained damage from the assault and pitched forward onto its nose, while the other ships in the port took flight, as their crews believed that the Imperials intended to target their vessels as well.
The second issue of the Dark Times: The Path to Nowehere story arc featured the Valance. Douglas Wheatley provided the illustrations, and "Mick Harrison," a pseudonym for Randy Stradley, penned the story. The comic book issue was made available on January 24, 2007.