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OverviewCaptain Orri Hekekia is the commanding officer of an Imperial Navy heavy carrier. While for most navy captains this would already be a busy and demanding posting, Hekekia's role is even more involved: his ship — the Night's Shadow — is one of several heavy carriers tasked with maintaining a permanent Tanker presence.
The ICS Night's Shadow is home not only to Hekekia's crew, but also to half of the 1085th Battalion comprising two companies from Tanker Regiment. As such, Hekekia's duties not only include all the usual day-to-day activities of a navy captain, plus the strategic demands of the Imperial Combine, but they also involve a large amount of diplomacy and accommodation. The most difficult and common issue faced by Hekekia arises when members of his crew clash with the Tankers. It is a matter of fact that Tankers are irascible and insular to begin with; the situation is provoked by their almost universal reliance on steroids and other androgenic drugs. From his performance so far Hekekia appears to be very accomplished in keeping the peace aboard his ship, indeed he has demonstrated on several occasions that he often sympathises with the Tanker commanders posted to his vessel. He possesses several qualities which doubtless contribute to this accomplishment: willingness to credit others for their own successes, a keen ability to see to the heart of a problem very quickly, and a calm, even temperament. While he is shorter than virtually all Tankers he has a stocky build and hands like shovels, and it is unlikely that anyone would want to tangle with him if it were at all avoidable. Recent EventsThe presence of Tanker Regiment's Downfall Company on the surface of Mibes implies that Hekekia had brought Night's Shadow to assist the Imperial fleets in liberating the planet from the Viskr occupation (→LOTD).
Night's Shadow was one of the ships deployed to Operation Keystone, where it delivered a Pale Horse ground superiority tank to the surface of Guathelia. The purpose of this insertion was to draw enemy fire towards the Horse, allowing Elm Caden — and his combined team of MAGA and Tanker soldiers — to investigate the strange Shaeld Hrathan structures on the planet (→TRD). Caden was so impressed with the performance of the Tankers and the Horse that he requested the Shadow be sent with his task force for the mission to the Viskr homeworld Riishi. This proved to be a good choice, since Hekekia's crew performed admirably and doubtless contributed to the success of the mission (→TRD). Hekekia was instrumental in solving the navigational problems which had plagued Imperial Combine vessels for several weeks during the Great War of the Shaeld, and was thus also responsible for returning Caden and his companions to the Orion arm of the galaxy following the Riishi mission. It was while all that was going on that Hekekia informed Caden how guarded Tankers are around outsiders (→FSS). Captain Hekekia delayed the Shadow's departure from Fort Laeara, specifically to allow Caden and his team to gather their kit and board the ship. This was after Caden discovered that the Night's Shadow was about to head out to Lopama — the location of Forge Ruinous — a destination which Caden had come to realise was well worth a visit of his own (→FSS). In the Forge Ruinous briefing, Hekekia managed to intercede when Caden provoked hostility from Lieutenant Colonel Jolan Straeger. After diffusing the situation, Hekekia then did his best to keep the meeting on track. When the briefing was interrupted by the arrival of Shadow at Lopama, Hekekia ensured Caden could not get himself into another confrontation with Straeger by inviting him to the command deck. Their conversation as they entered the bridge showed that — despite his experience with Tankers — Hekekia had never considered trying to communicate with them in the same way as Caden (→FSS). At Lopama, Shadow faced a dreadship which was protected by a number of hostile escort vessels. Captain Hekekia was quick to accept Caden's unconventional recommendations in the ensuing conflict, and appreciative for all the right reasons when they turned out to be excellent advice (→FSS). At Caden's suggestion, Hekekia volunteered the Shadow to be included in Operation Sabre, an offensive strike against the occupied planet Palanda Ire. When Lt Colonel Straeger expressed strong concerns over the mission — and almost refused the use of his soldiers — Hekekia was instrumental in shaming him into cooperation. The captain played his part well in the invasion of the system, and was amused by Caden's lack of understanding of the tactics he employed (→FSS). After Operation Sabre, Hekekia was in full agreement with Straeger and Caden that it was high time someone kicked Fleet Command out of their relative inaction. He ferried Caden to Fort Sol for that express purpose (→FSS). Hekekia was last seen carrying Caden and Tanker assets to Damastion, where Caden considered it necessary to secure the planet's defences from the surface. The status of the Night's Shadow has not yet been ascertained in the wake of the subsequent conflict (→FSS). |