Preston Cole

Vice Admiral Preston Cole led a task force to retake the Harvest System during The Battle of Harvest, after the UNSC Heracles returned to Reach, badly damaged from first contact with the Covenant. During the ensuing battle, he lost two thirds of his fleet and only achieved "victory" through a last minute tactical inspiration. The system was lost nontheless. The decisive advantage of the superior Covenant convinced him to issue the Cole Protocol.

Cole returned home to discover that he had been promoted to Admiral and branded a hero for his victory at Harvest. After Harvest was lost, he set out to defend the rest of the Outer Colonies. His fate is ultimantely unknown, but he was not sucessful in holding back the Covenant onslaught.