Editing Thomas Lasky (section)

==Biography==
===Childhood and education===
{{Quote|multi=more
|1=Chyler Silva
|q1=Look, you want people to change, you want this war to end?
|2=Thomas Lasky
|q2=Yeah, of course.
|3=Chyler Silva
|q3=Then you're going to need people to follow you.
|4=Silva and Lasky exchanging words following Mehaffey's lecture on Hannibal{{Ref/Reuse|fud2}}
}}
[[File:FUD - Thomas.jpg|thumb|left|Lasky as a cadet at Corbulo Academy.]]
Thomas Lasky was born on [[2510|August 15, 2510]]{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} to [[Audrey Lasky|Colonel Audrey Lasky]], his mother, in [[Tricode Village]], [[Mare Erythraeum]], [[Mars]] and grew up in [[New Harmony (city)|New Harmony]].{{Ref/Note|In the final cinematic of the ''Halo 4'' level ''[[H4:Midnight|Midnight]]'', Lasky states that he grew up ''on'' New Harmony. This appears to suggest he is referring to the planet [[New Harmony]], as opposed to the [[New Harmony (city)|city of the same name]] on Mars. However, Mars is established as his homeworld in ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn'' and it is mentioned in the fourth issue of ''Halo: Escalation'' that he grew up with Petra Janecek on Mars. Thus it is most likely that the reference to the planet in ''Halo 4'' is a production error and Lasky is meant to be referring to the Mars city.}} During his childhood, he became friends with [[Petra Janecek]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/schlerf/status/437019297299181568 ''Twitter'': ''@HaloArchive @HaloWaypoint Was wondering how long it would take for someone to find that.'']</ref>{{Ref/Novel|FS|Detail=''[[Petra]]''|Quote=...at one of the carnivals she and her buddy Tom went to as kids.}} He began his officer training as a freshman cadet in [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]] on [[Circinius IV]] sometime preceding spring [[2526]], months after [[Human-Covenant War|hostilities]] between the [[United Nations Space Command]] and the [[Covenant]] began. The existence of the aliens was covered up by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] at the time, however, and the cadets continued to train to fight human rebels. Organized into [[Hastati Squad]], a freshman unit in the class of 2529, Lasky originally began as a team leader during field exercises.{{Ref/Film|Id=fud1|FuD|Detail=Part 1}}

During his time at the school, he regularly exchanged video messages with his brother [[Cadmon Lasky|Cadmon]], a former student of Corbulo Academy then serving as an [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers|ODST]] fighting in the front lines of the [[Insurrection]]. Enjoying a close friendship with his brother, Thomas was deeply struck when Cadmon was killed, starting to express doubt about the sensibility of the UNSC waging war against the Insurrectionists and viewing his training with cynicism, failing to take the exercises seriously anymore. As there were no remains their mother felt Thomas should not leave school to attend his brother's funeral. Meanwhile, Lasky continued to replay his brother's messages in his spare time.{{Ref/Film|Id=fud2|FuD|Detail=Part 2}}{{Ref/Reuse|fud1}}

Lasky's reputation suffered at his constant disregard for the orders of his superiors and displaying a lack of proficient knowledge of infantry tactics. He was subsequently relieved of his duties as team leader, which then fell to squadmate [[Walter Vickers]]. Despite this, he continued to ignore orders and continued to lead Hastati in receiving low combat scores. Lasky's sympathy for the Insurrectionist cause earned him a great deal of denigration from the rest of the squad. Worse, his health declined rapidly during the school's mandatory acclimation to [[Cryonics|cryosleep]]; he suffered from large blisters and a persistent cough.

[[File:CAMS - Lasky space elevator.jpg|thumb|250px|While at Corbulo Academy, Lasky would often retreat to brood near the Academy's [[space elevator]].]]

His classmates were unrelenting in their provocation of Thomas, affirming their distaste for the freshman who did not live up to the example set by his brother. Lasky's anti-UNSC views were frequently challenged by fellow [[Chyler Silva|Cadet Chyler Silva]], a staunch UNSC supporter and keen Corbulo student, who attempted to convince Lasky about the value of their training. In spite of their opposing viewpoints, their conversations led to the formation of a friendship and eventually romance between the two. Days prior to the end of the 2525-2526 school year, Lasky and Vickers were singled out by their squad leader, Senior Cadet [[April Orenski]], in response to Hastati's disciplinary physical training. Frustrated by the verbal and physical harassment he had received from Vickers, Lasky assaulted his squadmate in the school's mess hall. Senior cadets and underclassmen alike watched the altercation without intervening. Lasky mildly injured Vickers and stopped only to acknowledge [[K. L. Mehaffey|Colonel Mehaffey's]] presence. The professor took advantage of this quarrel in her mentorship of Lasky, hoping he would embrace the warrior culture of the UNSC and inspire him to become a better leader.{{Ref/Reuse|fud2}}

Mehaffey's efforts dawned on the young cadet and he volunteered to lead Hastati moments prior to the start of their final combat exercise, a contest of [[Capture the Flag]]. While waiting for [[Zuma Squad]] to approach their flag's location, Lasky had organized Hastati into cover in a tight formation adjacent their flag, an apparently senseless maneuver. Lasky ordered his men to remove their helmets as they contained [[Identification friend or foe|IFF]] transponders that were detectable by the enemy's motion sensors. With Zuma converging on Hastati's flag, Lasky positioned his squad in a formation reminiscent of the [[Wikipedia:Pincer movement|pincer movement]], a tactic utilized to great effect by [[Wikipedia:Hannibal|Hannibal]] at [[Wikipedia:Battle of Cannae|Cannae]] in 216 BCE, taught to the freshman cadets only a day before the exercise by Colonel Mehaffey. The enemy soon realized that Lasky had funneled them into a trap and they were swiftly dispatched by two sections of Hastati cadets. The two Hastati elements continued to press in on Zuma's flag with ease, eliminating or capturing all enemy cadets, suffering no casualties of their own in the process. An emboldened Lasky, charging towards Zuma's flag, finally succumbed to his ailing health and collapsed meters away from completing the objective.{{Ref/Reuse|fud2}}

Examination by [[Hughes|Doctor Hughes]] of the academy's medical staff revealed that Lasky's condition was an allergic reaction to the cryo drug [[cytoprethaline]]. As cytoprethaline is vital for cryosleep to prevent damage to cells, Lasky was judged to be unfit for UNSC service and was given the option of a medical discharge. Cadet Chyler Silva approached Thomas about his decision to leave. Silva told Lasky that she would miss him and the two shared a kiss.{{Ref/Film|Id=fud3|FuD|Detail=Part 3}}

===Human-Covenant War===
{{Main|Battle of Circinius IV}}
{{Quote|Well done, soldier.|The Master Chief acknowledging cadet Lasky's bravery{{Ref/Reuse|fudp5}}}}
[[File:FUD - LaskySilvaSword.jpg|thumb|250px|Cadets Lasky and Silva face a Zealot's [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]].]]
Before Lasky had decided whether he would accept his voluntary discharge, [[Circinius IV]] was attacked by the [[Covenant]]. The Covenant completely overwhelmed the academy's Marine garrison within minutes, forcing Lasky and his fellow cadets into combat.{{Ref/Reuse|fud3}} Much of Hastati Squad was killed early in the assault, with Lasky, Silva, Orenski, and [[Michael Sullivan]] eventually becoming among the only survivors on the entire planet. The attack on the academy prompted one of the first deployments of [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II supersoldiers]] in the war; [[Blue Team]], led by [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]], rescued the cadets. John killed the [[Sangheili Zealot]] that had been pursuing the squad and escorted them outside to [[Black|General Black]]'s [[M12 Warthog]] to escape to a [[D79H Pelican|Pelican]] extraction point. Lasky drove the Warthog out of the combat zone.{{Ref/Film|Id=fud4|FuD|Detail=Part 4}}

During their escape on one of the academy's access roads, Silva was killed by a stray shot from a [[Kig-Yar]]'s [[Type-33 Needler]]. Silva's death drove Lasky to despair, though he quickly became emboldened by her sacrifice. After the squad had run out of ammunition, the Spartan planned to distract a pursuing [[Mgalekgolo]] while the cadets escaped; however, Lasky sprinted ahead, drawing the Mgalekgolo's fire in an almost suicidal maneuver. John killed the Hunter while it focused on Lasky. After the group escaped on the Pelican, the Chief commended Lasky for his valor and gave him a shard of the Hunter's shield as a [[keepsake]], which he wore on a chain for over thirty years along with Cadmon's and Chyler's [[dog tag]]s.{{Ref/Film|Id=fudp5|FuD|Detail=Part 5}}

Some time after the battle, Lasky was commissioned into the [[UNSC Navy]] and qualified himself as a Naval aviator, flying fighter craft. Lasky was later retrained as a ship warfare officer.<ref name="h4guide">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/halo4guide ''Halo 4 Interactive Guide'']</ref> During the Covenant's [[Battle for Earth|attack on Earth]] and the rest of the [[Sol system]], Lasky demonstrated notable skill in flying a [[Type-26 Banshee]] in [[Ankara]], [[Luna]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=escalation2|HE|Issue=2}}{{Ref/Note|It is never stated when or under what circumstances Lasky flew the Banshee in Ankara. However, given that he makes a reference to an after-action report of the incident in ''Halo: Escalation'', it is most apparent that it occurred during the [[Battle for Earth]].}}

===Post-war===
{{Quote|People make stupid decisions in war. Wrong kit, wrong assets, wrong places, egos taking precedence over common sense, politics - the men and women at the sharp end up dying when they don't have to because someone further away from danger is more concerned about budgets or votes or ambitions. Well, we cut the politicians out of it. We've only got ourselves to blame now.|Cmdr. Thomas Lasky on the UNSC's emergency powers over the UEG{{Ref/Novel|TTW}}}}
[[File:Initiation - S-Deck's decompression.png|thumb|250px|Lasky is nearly sucked out of the ''Infinity''.]]
By the end of the war, Lasky had risen to the rank of Commander and had been appointed as the [[executive officer]] of the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, the most powerful vessel in the fleet. This posting was partially arranged by [[Margaret Parangosky|Admiral Margaret Parangosky]], who thought highly of Lasky.{{Ref/Reuse|ttw48}} In [[2553]], he gave a tour of the ship to [[Jun-A266]] and four of the first [[SPARTAN-IV program|SPARTAN-IV]]s, including [[Sarah Palmer]].

This was interrupted when [[Ilsa Zane]] and a group of Insurrectionists [[Raid on UNSC Infinity|took control of the ''Infinity'']] disguised as construction workers while Lasky and the Spartans were on ''Infinity's'' S-Deck. The insurgents were a part of the [[New Colonial Alliance]] and wished to steal the ''Infinity'' so they could use the vessel for their own ambitions. Zane and her rebels took Del Rio and the ship's bridgecrew hostage and shut down [[Aine]], the ship's temporary [[AI]], leaving Lasky and the Spartans to end the raid.{{Ref/Comic|Id=initiation2|HInit|Issue=2}} As Lasky and the Spartans made their way to the bridge, Zane decompressed S-Deck, ejecting several of the ship's crewmembers into space, with Lasky and Jun being saved by Palmer and [[Edward Davis]].

With the Spartans' help, Lasky was able to reach a security panel and input override codes, which gave Del Rio and the other officers access to the bridge and reactivated Aine. Meanwhile, Palmer and Davis made their way to the bridge along the exterior hull of the ship. When Zane attempted to have her insurgents attack Lasky and the other Spartans, Lasky closed a [[blast door]] between them. While Davis eliminated most of the rebels, Palmer ejected Zane into space. With the UNSC in control of the ''Infinity'' again, the remaining insurgents were captured and interrogated by the UNSC.{{Ref/Comic|Id=initiation3|HInit|Issue=3}}

He was present aboard ''Infinity'' during [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Lord Hood]] and Admiral Parangosky's inspection of the ship and the subsequent trial deployment on [[Sanghelios]] to test the ship's capabilities in the guise of assisting [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] and his forces in the ongoing [[Blooding Years]] in [[2553|March 2553]].{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=235}} With the help of the ''Infinity'', the Arbiter was able to defeat the [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]] at [[Vadam]].{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=405}}

===Expedition on Requiem===
{{Main|Battle of Requiem}}
[[File:H4 Cortana post-outburst.jpg|thumb|250px|Commander Lasky, John-117, Cortana and Captain Del Rio on the bridge of the ''Infinity''.]]
{{Quote|Weapons, prepare firing solution! We promised to get the Chief inside that ship, and I am not about to let that man down!|Lasky preparing to fire the ''Infinity''{{'}}s MACs upon the Didact's ship {{Ref/Reuse|mid}}}}
When ''Infinity'' began its operations on [[Requiem]], Lasky, along with [[Sarah Palmer]], a few Marines and SPARTAN-IVs went out to recon the area. When they were pinned down, he sent out a distress signal that was answered by the very same Spartan who had saved his life back on Circinius IV 31 years before: John-117, the Master Chief. After ridding the ''Infinity'' of [[Promethean]] and [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] forces, Lasky briefed John and [[Cortana]] on the ''Infinity's'' mission to locate the other [[Halo Array|Halos]].{{Ref/Level|H4|H4:Infinity|Infinity}} Lasky then led a "blowthrough op" to shut down the [[particle cannon]]s protecting the [[gravity well]] generator that was preventing ''Infinity'' from escaping Requiem. Lasky commanded a [[M510 Mammoth|Mammoth]] through the battlefield, but was ultimately left behind when the badly damaged Mammoth could go no further, and the Master Chief decided to go on alone.{{Ref/Level|H4|H4:Reclaimer|Reclaimer}}

When Captain Del Rio decided to flee Requiem rather than trying to stop the [[Didact]], Lasky supported the Chief in trying to convince him otherwise and only reluctantly tried to take Cortana when ordered to do so. Later, after the Master Chief defied Del Rio's orders to go after the Didact by himself, Lasky was ordered to stop him at all costs. Ostensibly in case the Chief had already left, Lasky had a [[D79H Pelican|Pelican gunship]] prepared for full combat pursuit, but really with the intention of giving it to the Master Chief. After informing him of the fact and wishing him good luck, Lasky left him be.{{Ref/Level|Id=shutdown|H4|H4:Shutdown|Shutdown}}

Upon return to Earth, Lasky passed on the Master Chief's warning and as a result of Del Rio's cowardice and Lasky's support of the Master Chief, Del Rio was removed from command and Lasky was promoted to Captain to replace him. When the Didact's ship, ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' arrived, Lasky led the Home Fleet against the ship and was contacted by the Master Chief in a [[Broadsword]] fighter on the outer hull of the Didact's ship. After being informed that the fighter was equipped with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon|nuclear weapon]], Lasky supported the Master Chief's efforts to board the ship, using ''Infinity's'' main gun battery to blast a hole in the enemy ship once the Chief took down ''Mantle's Approach's'' point-defense guns. After the Spartan destroyed the ship, Lasky dispatched [[Pelican 096|a Pelican]] to search the wreckage for him. The Pelican rescued the Chief and Lasky tried unsuccessfully to console him over the death of Cortana.{{Ref/Reuse|mid}}

===Return to Requiem===
{{Main|Requiem Campaign}}
{{Quote|no=two|q1=Commander Palmer. Things get boring in Spartan town?|Lasky|q2=Captain Lasky. You know I come here for my peace and quiet. I'm not interrupting naptime, am I?|Palmer|Cpt. Lasky and Cmdr. Palmer exchanging niceties after his promotion{{Ref/Reuse|Departure}}}}
[[File:Palmer and Lasky - Security.png|thumb|250px|Captain Lasky with Commander Palmer.]]
Six months after the initial battle in Requiem, Lasky was sent to Requiem again as the Captain of ''Infinity'' to deploy and provide support to the ground forces sent onto the surface.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Departure|Departure}} Later, [[Fireteam Crimson]] brought a [[Requiem translocation artifact|Forerunner artifact]] onboard which started draining power from the ship. After Commander Palmer managed to temporarily deactivate the artifact, Lasky joined [[Henry Glassman|Doctor Glassman]] and Palmer to inspect it. When the artifact suddenly began to absorb the doctor, Lasky attempted to save Glassman, but was getting pulled in as well. Commander Palmer tackled him, and they both watched as Glassman was disintegrated and pulled inside.{{Ref/SpOps|[[Artifact (Spartan Ops)|Artifact]]}} Sometime later, Lasky brought in Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]], matriarch of the SPARTAN-IIs and engineer of the ''Infinity''{{'}}s engines in order to study the artifact in Glassman's absence, much to Palmer's dismay.{{Ref/SpOps|Catherine}}

Lasky went over a debriefing with Sarah Palmer about [[Fireteam Castle]]'s demise at the hands of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant and found that their [[Jul 'Mdama|leader]] was on Requiem. He sent Crimson to take him down, only to fail, but they managed to retrieve a [[Didact's Gift|strange device]] that he was in possession of.{{Ref/SpOps|Didact's Hand}} An analysis by Dr. Halsey revealed the artifact to be the AI matrix of a Promethean Knight, filled with human memories. Lasky admitted to Halsey that the UNSC was aware of the Knights having been created from ancient humans; however, the memories in the device were far more recent, originating from a resident of [[New Phoenix]] [[Composer|Composed]] in the Didact's attack six months prior. Furthermore, the artifact retrieved by Crimson earlier on was somehow linked to the attack. Lasky and Palmer accompanied Halsey as she examined the artifact, but they became suspicious of [[Jul 'Mdama|who]] she was communicating with. After inspecting Halsey's [[data pad]], Lasky ordered Palmer to take Halsey into custody.{{Ref/SpOps|Memento Mori}}

[[File:H4-CaptainLasky-M45DShotgun.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Captain Lasky carrying an [[M45 shotgun|M45D shotgun]] during the Promethean incursion on ''Infinity''.]]
Later, Halsey managed to override Roland's control and found out everything that was kept from her, including the return of John-117. Despite her fury, she contacted Jul 'Mdama and attempted to meet him, only for Roland to retake control of himself and contact Lasky. When he arrived, he decided to keep her in a [[cryo chamber]] rather than a cell. In response, Halsey slapped him, scolding him for not telling her that John was alive. The two were interrupted, however, when Promethean forces gained access to the interior of ''Infinity''. Fending off the Prometheans with his Marines, Captain Lasky picked up Halsey and attempted to escort her to safety.{{Ref/SpOps|[[Invasion (Spartan Ops)|Invasion]]}} As the attack on the ''Infinity'' dwindled down, he went to the bridge with Halsey and Palmer, where he attempted to get away from Requiem to prevent more Promethean forces from teleporting to the ship. At that moment, a Promethean Knight translocated above them, knocking Palmer down and swiftly capturing Halsey, taking her away and revealing the purpose of the intrusion aboard the ''Infinity''.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=expendable|Expendable}}

[[File:H4 SerinSkypeCall.png|thumb|250px|Captain Lasky contacting [[Admiral]] [[Serin Osman]], CINCONI.]]
After the incident, Lasky contacted [[Admiral]] [[Serin Osman]], Commander-in-Chief of ONI. She told him that she had been recommended by [[Margaret Parangosky|her predecessor]] to keep Halsey imprisoned or have her executed; due to the doctor's recent actions, Osman chose the latter and ordered Lasky to have Doctor Halsey killed.{{Ref/Reuse|expendable}} However, Lasky did not see the execution of a civilian as necessary and ordered Palmer—who was gearing up to finish the job—to stand down but to no avail. In an attempt to thwart the assassination, Lasky requested the assistance of Fireteam Majestic to rescue Doctor Halsey from [[Copernicus Base]]. Both Majestic and Palmer ultimately failed in their respective missions, as Halsey was eventually abducted by Jul 'Mdama who took her with him as he left Requiem.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=key|Key}}

Later, Lasky was present as Dr. Glassman outlined a plan to free ''Infinity'' from the slipspace conduit system anchoring the ship to Requiem when multiple Covenant ships began to exit the shield world. Lasky quickly ordered the crew to battlestations, but Roland informed him that Jul 'Mdama's Covenant were not attacking—instead, they were leaving Requiem, which had been set on a collision course with the system's star by Jul 'Mdama, pulling the still anchored ''Infinity'' along with it. Fireteams Majestic and Crimson were dispatched to take out two artifacts keeping them attached to Requiem and eventually succeeded. Once the ship was free and Crimson and Majestic were aboard, Lasky ordered [[James (lieutenant)|Lt. James]] to move ''Infinity'' away from Requiem. ''Infinity'' made an immediate jump into slipspace, narrowly escaping the [[supernova]] generated by Requiem's collision with its sun. After exiting slipspace, Lasky informed the crew they made it and congratulated them. Later, he discussed sending Majestic to rescue Halsey with Commander Palmer, which she saw as an attempt to stop her. They entered a lab where Dr. Glassman was studying the half of the [[Janus Key]] given to Thorne. Glassman informed them that while the artifact seemed inert, it was in fact incomplete, and they were only seeing half of it.{{Ref/SpOps|[[Reach:Exodus|Exodus]]}}

===Peace talks===
[[File:HE2 delegation in depot.jpg|thumb|200px|Lasky, Arbiter, Palmer and Adm. Hood during peace talks.]]
{{Main|Battle of Ealen IV}}
{{Quote|I've never been much for letting other people take a punch for me.|Lasky to Spartan Ray fighting side by side {{Ref/Reuse|escalation2}}}}

Upon returning to Earth, Lasky was requested to appear before the [[UNSC Security Council]] at [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]]. He and Palmer were debriefed about the [[Requiem Campaign]]. Admiral Serin Osman berated him regarding the complete destruction of Requiem and the failed assassination of Dr. Halsey. Palmer defended Lasky's actions in order to spare him of any ramifications. Shortly after, Lasky met with [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]] who pulled ''Infinity'' away from the pursuit of 'Mdama in order for it to partake in a more pressing matter. Lasky accompanied Hood on a diplomatic mission to [[Ealen IV]] to provide security in peace talks between [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] and [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain]] [[Lydus]]. During the negotiations, [[Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group|Covenant mercenaries]] attacked the delegates. Lasky and the Spartan-IVs defended the delegation and evacuated them from the chamber. When their evacuation ship was destroyed, they proceeded to escort the delegates to a nearby parts depot. With communications to their ships having been blocked, they were left without any reinforcements.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE1|HE|Issue=1}}

Lasky ordered Palmer and the protection detail to escort the delegation to a fortified redoubt, while he would try to reestablish communications with the fleet orbiting Ealen IV. Palmer refused to let him go alone and tasked [[Naiya Ray|Spartan Ray]] of [[Fireteam Jackknife]] to escort the captain and utilize her SIGINT background. As they searched the facility, hoping to find the old Covenant network and utilize the facility's transponders to triangulate the source of a jammer, Lasky and Ray were attacked by a [[Sangheili Warrior]]. Upon eliminating the Elite, Ray discovered that the network itself was responsible for the jamming and informed Lasky that she could track the source of its power. After securing a pair of [[Banshee]]s, they observed Covenant ships take off towards the redoubt.{{Ref/Reuse|escalation2}}

[[File:HE Lasky.png|thumb|250px|left|Lasky striking a Sangheili Warrior.]]
Ray and Lasky attacked one of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant bases and destroyed the source of 'Mdama's Covenant jamming signal. Once the communications interference was cleared, Lasky contacted ''Infinity'' and told them about 'Mdama's Covenant attack. [[Bradley|Commander Bradley]] informed him of the situation between the feuding Jiralhanae and Sangheili ships in orbit. Lasky told him to patch him through to the fleets and ordered them to cease their infighting and direct their ships to the planet in order to save the delegation.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE3|HE|Issue=3}}

Lasky then contacted Palmer and informed her of 'Mdama's Covenant cruisers enroute to their site. With reinforcements too far way to help, Lasky was forced to make a costly decision. He ordered Palmer to evacuate the delegates on a [[Covenant cargo tug|small transport craft]] while [[Paul DeMarco]] and [[Fireteam Bailey]] stayed back and operated an [[Cheru-pattern Tyrant|anti-aircraft cannon]]. DeMarco and his team provided cover long enough for the delegates to escape but were subsequently killed when their cannon was obliterated. Lasky later presided over a memorial service aboard ''Infinity'' where he commemorated their sacrifices.{{Ref/Reuse|HE3}}

===Unearthing the mole===
{{Quote|no=two|q1=I agree this investigation needs to be off the books. My concern, Tom, is exactly how far off the books you're willing to take it. Or rather who you're willing to take it to.|Adm. Hood|q2=Sir. I know the two of you have some... history. But she and I have more. This isn't trusting her. It's trusting me.|Cpt. Lasky|Adm. Hood and Cpt. Lasky about the secrecy of their investigation{{Ref/Reuse|HE4}}}}
[[File:Escalation - Lasky and Petra.png|thumb|250px|Lasky and Petra discussing the UNSC traitor.]]
Days later, he and Lord Hood discussed the troubling prospect that the UNSC's hierarchy had been severely breached, as only someone in the upper echelon could have leaked the location of the negotiations. Both men agreed that the matter needed to be investigated off the books. Lasky sought to enlist the help of his childhood friend, the journalist [[Petra Janecek]], although Hood was uneasy about this decision. Lasky departed ''Infinity'' along with Spartan Ray