Mercenary Kyle Katarn and his partner Jan Ors investigate a supposedly abandoned Imperial outpost on the planet Kejim, only to find it swarming with Imperial forces and home to a secret research center studying crystals like those used to power lightsabers. Tracing the crystals' origin, the pair travel to Artus Prime, a mining colony where the workers have been enslaved and experimented upon. There, Kyle uncovers a sinister operation overseen by the Dark Jedi Desann and his apprentice Tavion, but he is easily overpowered and suffers a devastating personal loss at their hands. Consumed by grief and fury, and having long ago turned away from the Force to avoid the dark side, Kyle resolves to reclaim his abandoned Jedi powers and lightsaber to hunt down those responsible.