Keel
Keel is an Imperial Navy Captain, who has served for decades in the Odoacer System's defense fleet and commands the Exorcist Class Grand Cruiser Orlanda's Wrath. Despite this though, he has been passed over for command of the fleet twice; though the Captain seemed to hold no grudge over this and in fact seemed relieved he was not chosen. According to his superior Commodore-Captain Aldo Ware, who is the commander of the defense fleet, Keel's career has effectively stalled because the Captain is merely capable enough at his current rank. This would soon change though, in the aftermath of the Great Rift's creation, which left the Odoacer System isolated from the wider Imperium. The catastrophe led to a series of upheavals in the System, which the defense fleet worked tirelessly to put down. A greater disaster struck though, when Ware ordered several ships to enter the Warp in an attempt to contact other Systems. This endeavor ended in failure, however, as these ships were either lost or returned fully corrupted and were quickly destroyed. When Ware finally ceased sending ships, the defense fleet was severely decreased in size and Keel found himself among its most veteran members still alive. A year after the Great Rift's creation, Keel's star would rise again, when Ware's Chief Astropath, Klemistos, warned the Commodore that he sensed a great threat would soon enter the System. Ware took Klemistos' warning seriously and after the Astropath gave the location the threat would come from, the Commodore split the defense fleet in two. While his half would go to confront the coming threat, the other half would be placed under Keel's command and return to the Cardinal World Almace. Keel protested the decision, but Ware's decision was final and the Captain's fleet soon departed for Almace. Though the Commodore did not think much of Keel's abilities, Ware hoped the veteran Captain would be up to managing the fleet, should the worst happen to him.[1]
Sources
- 1: Apocalypse (Novel), Chapter 1
