I must say, this is quite an auspicious start.
—Admiral Hetton
Rear Admiral Kedlis Hetton was a Human male from Corulag who served as a career officer in the Republic Navy during the years of the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War. Having started his active service as a helmsman aboard a destroyer in the years after the Great Sith War, he climbed steadily up the ranks, eventually assuming command of a border patrol task force based around the Centurion-class battlecruiser Stalwart Defender.
During the Jedi Civil War, Admiral Hetton's flotilla was called up to front-line service, having become one of the few mobile reserve units left in the wake of the disaster at Foerost. Deployed to the Mid Rim after shipping out from Coruscant with the 3rd Marine Battalion onboard, Hetton hoped to harass the flanks of the Sith Empire's line of advance. The battalion's commander, Captain Laera Reyolé, however, had come up with an ambitious plan that aimed to seize the initiative once more. After the successful Iridonia-Lannik Campaign, Hetton continued to hold the line for the Republic throughout the war.
Biography[]
Early service[]
Kedlis Hetton was born on Corulag and was a graduate of the world's famous military academy. His first posting was aboard a Republic destroyer, where he served as helmsman and, later, the vessel's first officer. It was during this time that he met a Jedi Knight for the first time; he found the Jedi to be decent company, though not exactly sociable. After a succession of postings of increasingly higher prestige, he was eventually given command of the then-new Centurion-class battlecruiser, the Stalwart Defender.
Some years prior to the outbreak of the Mandalorian Wars, Hetton was promoted to Rear Admiral, planting his flag on the ship he had, up until then, commanded. A trio of Hammerhead-class cruisers, the Endar Spire, Delta Dagger, and Horseshoe, were assigned to his command, filling out his newly-activated task force. Charged with protecting the fringes of Republic space from pirates and raiders, his sectors of coverage ended up being nearly on the opposite side of the Outer Rim from the fighting brought on by the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. As such, he was never tasked with joining the war effort led by Revan and his followers.
Jedi Civil War[]
At the start of the Jedi Civil War, Hetton's task force was still out on patrol, only returning to the Core Worlds after receiving news of Darths Revan and Malak's betrayal at Foerost and their declaration of war. Having arrived at Coruscant with all possible speed, his forces were replenished; the addition of the 3rd Marine Battalion and 23rd Marine Starfighter Squadron increased the striking power of the forces under his command. Ordered to the Mid Rim of the galaxy, he hoped to initiate a campaign of raids and convoy harassment. However, the 3rd Battalion's commander, Captain Laera Reyolé, persuaded him to authorize a bold counterattack on the recently conquered world of Iridonia.
The resulting battle was a significant victory for the Republic, with Admiral Hetton's task force ambushing and destroying a flotilla of Sith Interdictor-class cruisers as the Marines on the ground overran the outposts and supply depot. In the wake of the planet's liberation and rejoining with the Republic, Hetton was asked to rendezvous with the rest of Vice Admiral Forn Dodonna's Second Fleet in order to join the defense of Rodia from an impending attack by the Sith. Along with the success at Iridonia, the victory there initiated the Republic's first viable counteroffensive against the invading empire of Revan and Malak, with Hetton's warships taking part in battles at Mon Gazza and Lannik.
By 3,956 BBY Admiral Hetton and his task force, now with the Hammerhead-class cruiser Kickboxer replacing the Endar Spire, had been carrying out hit-and-fade operations for quite some time. After undergoing replenishment and refitting operations at Kuat, Hetton and his flotilla was assigned to bolster the defenses around the industrial world of Eriadu on the Outer Rim. Later that year, his other veteran warships, the Hammerhead cruisers Delta Dagger and Horseshoe, were reassigned to escort the Endar Spire once again, after the vessel had been given over to Padawan Bastila Shan as her de facto flagship.
Personality and traits[]
Though somewhat staid and not given to bombastic speeches or overt displays of confidence, Admiral Hetton nevertheless displayed a quiet sort of leadership. He encouraged his subordinates to think outside of established military doctrine and philosophy, and supported their efforts in going above normal expectations. He also made it a point to generously reward those under his command when their ideas and actions netted positive results. He greatly admired the Marine-cum-Padawan Laera Reyolé, both for her tactical skills and the fiery confidence she possessed.
Behind the scenes[]
The character of Kedlis Hetton first appears in the fan fiction novella Star Wars: Saber Battalion by Sean "Goodwood" Nash, which establishes his backstory as well as his general nature. He is also mentioned in Nash's follow-up novels, The Last Full Measure and The Great Leap Forward.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Saber Battalion (First appearance)
- The Last Full Measure (Mentioned only)
- The Great Leap Forward (Mentioned only)