Map to the Valley of the Jedi

The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based on official information from the Star Wars Legends continuity, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

Morgan Katarn created a map that told the location of the Valley of the Jedi on the planet of Ruusan.^[3]

History

The planet Ruusan had been an important historical location during the New Sith Wars, but in the subsequent centuries it had been forgotten, and remained outside the knowledge of the Galactic Empire; however the legend of the Valley of the Jedi remained in the traditions of the Jedi Order.^[4]

The first who rediscovered the planet was the smuggler Jerg, who used it as a secret base of operations, before later bringing Sulonese Rebel sympathisers for their hideout; in that instance, their leader, Morgan Katarn, discovered the Valley and the tremendous power it contained. However he never talked about it to anyone, until he met Qu Rahn, a Jedi Master affiliated with the Alliance, and asked for answers. Rahn had been looking for the Valley, but refused to know more about it, as at that time they were battling the Galactic Empire; knowing that he would be caught sooner or later, he didn't wish to have its knowledge in his mind, and advised Katarn to record his knowledge until the appropriate time.^[4]

Indeed Katarn designed the map to Ruusan and the Valley on some stone plaques, from the quarry found north to his estate. He combined the designs with decorative patterns on the ceiling of his workshop. The family droid WeeGee helped him with this task, which took about one month; the droid appreciated the etched patterns, without knowing their significance; Morgan however had to hide the map by covering them with plaster, an act which the droid understood as not liking them he did.^[4] Katarn left a holo message to his son Kyle, revealing the existence of the map and its significance; the message was encrypted into a holodisk that could be played only by WeeGee.^[3][4]

Not much later, during the subjugation of Sulon the Ghost Battalion under First Lieutenant Brazack broke into Katarn's home in order to arrest him; in that moment Katarn was away and witnessed the invasion from afar, and momentarily was worried whether they would discover the map. Not long after, Morgan was captured and executed by the Dark Jedi Jerec.^[5] Ironically, Jerec would also be coveting the Valley's power, but was unaware that the man he was after, and then interrogated and executed, was the key to it. The homestead and the map remained undisturbed for the following years as Morgan's son remained away from Sulon.

Years later, after the fall of the Empire, Rahn resumed his quest for the Valley as did Jerec and his Seven Dark Jedi. Jerec managed to capture Rahn and rip any information he had in his mind; although Rahn didn't know the location, Jerec learned that Morgan, the Rebel he had kill years ago, knew it, and had made its map.^[4][3]

8t88 working for the Imperial Remnant under Jerec, investigated Katarn's home but failed to notice the map.^[4] Kyle Katarn was tasked by Rahn's spirit with returning to his home to find the map, and beating Jerec to the Valley. In the meantime the Dark Jedi were sent to Sulon, and raiding once more his house, they removed the tiles, numbered them, loaded them on a shuttle with grav pellets and transported them to Baron's Hed, expecting 8t88 to decipher it. However they removed only the central portion.^[4][3]

When Kyle and his partner arrived too at Morgan's home, he reached the workshop and noticed that the ceiling was missing; he also noticed the remaining tiles that were not there last time he had been. He immediately realised that some of the pattern were actually a map.^[4] He played the recording of Morgan and found Qu Rahn's lightsaber; hearing in the message that the ceiling was actually the precious map, Kyle looked upwards, but the ceiling was already missing; the story then was confirmed by WeeGee, once he was activated.^[4][3]

The Dark Jedi had taken the tiles to the Government House located in Barons Hed. There it was reassembled, and 8t88 deciphered it and produced a 3d digital copy, which he sent to Jerec on board the Vengeance as a holomap. With the location to Ruusan now known, Jerec promised a reward to the droid, and had his ship prepared for hyperspace. However, when 8t88 was about to leave the building, Kyle Katarn appeared in the tower, and requested the copy of the Map.^[4][3]

Destruction

The Dark Jedi Yun had been ordered by Jerec to destroy the stone map,^[2] to protect the secret of the Valley's location from Katarn. Yun rode an elevator down from the roof of the tower, jumped on the table, and destroyed the map with his lightsaber. The distraction allowed 8t88 to escape.^[4][3]

The droid went to Sulon Star to collect his reward, and Katarn went after him, knowing that with the physical map destroyed, the next available copy was in 88's memory bank. Instead of a reward, the now-useless droid was mutilated and deactivated by Jerec's minions, and when Katarn caught up with him, he conveniently collected his severed head. Not long after, 88's memory was accessed by WeeGee, who displayed the 3d holomap he had created; thus Katarn and Ors were able to follow Jerec's forces to Ruusan.^[4][3]

Appearances

• Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire (Mentioned only)
• Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
• Dark Forces: Rebel Agent audio drama
• Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (First appearance)

Notes and references