Cade McDonough

Cade was a former UNSC marine and a salvager working on the modified, the Ace of Spades. He was romantically involved with the ship's captain, Rion Forge. In January of 2558, he was killed by the Sangheili Commander, Gek 'Lhar, during an altercation in the debris field of the Etran Harborage, a Forerunner shield world.

War and Plunder
At some point after his eighteenth birthday, Cade enlisted with the UNSC Marine Corps. As a marine, he fought in numerous theaters during the decades-long Human-Covenant War. His encounters with Mgalekgolo especially left deep scars, as he saw people killed ruthlessly by them a hundred times or more. During the war, his home world was glassed by the Covenant and his entire family was killed. In one fell swoop, he lost his wife, his two children, his parents, and his siblings. When he was honorably discharged the return to civilian life was difficult for him, as he had nowhere to go and nobody to call family. Eventually, he found work on a salvage ship, the Hakon, and it was there that he first met Rion Forge. On Rion's twenty-fourth birthday, she got into a fight with a crew member named Sorely in the ship's cargo hold. A crowd gathered to watch the fight and place bets. When Sorely tried to throw Rion against the bulkhead, she instead was slammed into Cade. He caught her and whispered in her ear that sorely had bad knees and a left shoulder injury before smacking her on the ass an pushing her back toward him. So shocked at his audacity, she was blindsided by a punch to the face and dropped to the deck. However, Cade's advice ultimately caused her to overcome Sorely, who she killed. Rion would go on to become the captain of the Ace of Spades, a modified, around 2551, and Cade was an original member of her crew. New Tyne, Venezia, became the place from which they conducted salvaging runs. On a few occasions, the crew stumbled upon human remains amidst wreckage. In December of 2556, the crew of the Ace of Spades fell into one of its largest paydays ever. Rion personally participated in a four-way bidding war for a small piece of a Forerunner navigational databoard at a small bazaar on Komoya, and after winning the bidding war, she sold the databoard to a Sangheili for a large profit. In January of the new year, the crew returned to Venezia after having been gone for six weeks. There, another profit was made through the sale of a stasis field generator, Type-25 Spikers, and Type-51 carbines.

While Rion was in New Tyne with Kip Silas and Lessa, two other members of the crew, Cade remained at the New Tyne Airfield so he could perform maintenance on the ship's track system. When the three finally returned they found him seated a story up on a catwalk, still hard at work. Rion notified him of a planned meeting to take place in fifteen minutes and he responded with a curt nod. When those fifteen minutes had passed, the crew found itself gathered around the ship's mess table to hear what the captain had to say. Rion revealed that she had used some of their recent windfall to purchase information regarding another potential claim; specifically, the wreckage of a ship that could very well be a military vessel downed during the war. The possibility of discovering a UNSC ship sparked a debate between Kip and the siblings, Lessa and Niko, as Kip believed the UNSC Salvage Directive would need to be followed in such a case. Cade leaned back in his chair and quietly observed the argument with crossed arms. Rion met his somber gaze before she added her voice to the discussion by assuring Kip that she would do the right thing if any heavy ordinance was discovered. When Cade then spoke, he told Kip he should stop worrying and that Rion would be fair. He then asked her what their destination was, to which she replied "Ectanus 45". Their prize was located on a moon in that system, Eiro. Cade thoughtfully considered the news and reminded Rion that it was right on the edge of the Inner Colonies, which was not their usual haunt and could lead to trouble for them. Rion was resolved to make the journey regardless, justifying it by way of the reward it could bring. After the conclusion of the meeting, Cade sparred with Rion after she worked out by herself. By the time they finished it had been an hour since they had left Venezia.

Eiro
"Niko"

- Cade

Eiro is tidally locked to an uninhabited planet, but there is a narrow twilight ring on its surface that supports a small settlement. The crew's target was purportedly located around fifty-six kilometers from this ring on the dark side of the moon. Once settling into geosynchronous orbit, it didn't take long for Lessa to locate the ship. Given the moon's deathly cold temperatures, Cade joined Niko in sarcastically remarking on an eagerness to freeze. As Rion and Lessa stayed on the birdge to land the Ace, Cade, Kip, and Niko headed for the staging bay, referred to as the "locker room", to suit up. With sixty seconds until touchdown on Eiro's surface, Cade broached the subject of dead bodies over comms to Rion. The captain gave a noncommittal answer that suggested she didn't want to think about it unless and until they needed to. Once the two women joined everyone else, Cade showed Kip how to link his wrist commpad to his helmet's HUD and to the rest of the crew. Accepting Kip's thanks, he smacked Niko on the helmet as he walked past him and jokingly reminded him to not forget his plasma cutters, as he had done during a previous excursion. Cade rallied the crew to disembark into the snowy outside and upon first viewing the ship, a, Niko innocently asked him if it brought back memories. For his oblivious insensitivity, Lessa smacked her brother in the head, but Cade just calmly affirmed that it did indeed. After walking around the hall of the cruiser, it became apparent that at best, only a quarter of the ship was present and that it had been cut in two by a Covenant weapon. Cade identified the damage to have been done by a plasma energy projector. In order to cover as much ground as quickly as possible, Rion had the crew split up. Cade was directed to find an armory.

He set off in search of one near the bridge, as it was likely there were one or two located in close proximity to it. Around forty-five minutes after their scavenging began, Rion checked in with Cade over their comms. He let her know he had discovered a decent payload: thermite paste, small arms, rifles, jetpacks, body armor, and heavy ordinance. Rion reiterated that the heavy stuff would be left for the UNSC to recover but she instructed him to pack up everything else. After Rion went to explore the cabin of the captain of the cruiser, discovered to have been named the, she exclaimed and made other noise over the comms upon making some shocking discoveries. Cade and the others, unaware whether everything was okay, filled her earpiece. Just then, a hard blast struck the Roman Blue and made the whole thing shudder. Cade was the first one to react with a clear pronunciation that they were under attack. Rion ordered everyone back to the Ace, but seeing as she was still back at the captain's quarters, it would take her around fifteen to twenty minutes more than everyone else to get there. Cade let her know that he would by no means be leaving without her but she overrode him by reminding him she could fend for herself and that they had been in similar situations before. Cade reluctantly gave in and agreed to get airborne in their ship and to go dark and lie low to wait for a further signal from her. The unknown attackers glassed the Roman Blue, but Rion managed to escape in one piece and the Ace remained hidden.

Rion reestablished contact with her crew after the coast was clear and the ship set down to pick her up with just ten minutes of her oxygen to spare. As the ramp descended, Cade was waiting for her. She could tell he was pissed at her from the way he commented on her general appearance and his use of her surname. The two of them made their way to the lockers to they could get out of their coldsuits. Cade used his knife to help Rion get one of her boots off that had partially charred in the recent plasma-generated heat. After establishing that she was okay and despite a tension between the two of them, Cade agreed to meet in the lounge with everyone else in thirty minutes. When Rion first arrived after showering, she found Cade standing at the observation deck and staring out into space. He refocused his attention on the others and made his way to the meeting table once the conversation started. Rion appealed to Cade when she found herself having to defend her decision to have the Ace go dark, but Cade admitted that it had been a difficult thing to do with her life on the line down below. Then, when Rion announced they would not be going after the ship that had glassed the Roman Blue, even Cade was puzzled. He quickly guessed, however, that the responsible party had in fact been UNSC Armed Forces, lending some credence to the call. Rion then produced a data crystal chip she gathered from the and gave it to Cade to insert into the holotank. He navigated through the data for her until the footage she wanted to show them was located: a recording from William Webb, the captain of the cruiser. The log revealed that a log buoy had been dropped by the in 2531 just before it went missing. Rion's father had been assigned to the Spirit of Fire at the time, and Rion had been wondering what had happened to him since she was a little girl. Webb had stated that a Covenant, Radiant Perception, may have intercepted the buoy those many years ago. Rion was determined to find the Radiant Perception, it being her first real lead on her father, and at this, Cade smiled. Salvaging a Covenant destroyer like the Radiant Perception meant they they could also come upon a luminary, which was a prospect Cade called "salvage gold".

Chi Rho
"You're not one to stay grounded, Forge. A stationary life, it's not for everyone. Out here... It calls to people like us. Calls so hard we walk away even from those we love."

- Cade encourages Rion.

In order to begin the investigation into the whereabouts of the Radiant Perception, a course was plotted for the in-system planet, Chi Rho, as there was a communications satellite orbiting it that the crew could use to research their target. Four hours out from Chi Rho, Cade shared his thoughts about their chances of actually finding the destroyer with the other members of the crew. He admitted that as much as he wanted Rion's plan to work out, it was a big galaxy and the likelihood of success was slim. Despite this, he and other others remained hopeful for Rion's sake, which genuinely moved her. Cade even gathered glasses so that they could toast Alt Burgundy to finding the answers they sought. After the others had dispersed, Cade approached Rion with another glass of burgundy while she found herself staring out into the void. The two of them embraced the silence of the moment, and though Rion initially felt there was still a lingering tension from on Eiro, she finally leaned against him when he started talking about ways in which the log buoy could just be waiting for them to find it. Rion found herself appreciative of his warmth and stability, and he put his arm around her back. Cade then let Rion know that he sympathized with her struggle, as he could relate to agonizing over losing family members and to having personal demons and regrets. This actually made Rion feel slightly guilty, as she at least still had family, including her mother, back on Earth. Regardless, Cade's words did comfort her and the two were evntually joking with one another. Rion finally lay her head on Cade's shoulder as he pulled her even closer. When the ship was approaching Chi Rho, Cade was back in its old once more, working on the tracking system. By the time the satellite was accessed for Niko to begin researching the they sought, Cade had discreetly reached out to old contacts of his that might know something about the ship, but it would be a while before any responses could make it back to him. While Niko collected information, he also managed to discover a tracking device Rion had previously suspected the Ace had been tagged with at some point. Cade helped him pry it out of its hiding place in a well of the 's aft landing gear.

Laconia
Nor Fel informed the Ace of Spades crew that the Radiant Perception had spent the last twenty-six years grounded on the surface of Laconia in the Procyon system, where it had crashed during the war. The Covenant and Covenant remnants had stayed away because of the presence of Mgalekgolo that had apparently killed the destroyer's crew and multiplied for the following decades. After jumping to a point six million kilometers outside the Procyon system, Cade monitored Lessa's attempt to course correct and take them to Laconia. Rion added that she wished to swing by Arcadia so that it was in visual range, and upon seeing it the entire crew was silent in the face of the glassed world. Once arriving in low geostationary orbit over Laconia, Cade and Lessa pulled up the best image they could of the CPV-heavy destroyer through the planet's ashen atmosphere using lidar and the Ace's quick mapping system. Life detection software confirmed the presence of a solitary lifeform inside the ship, but also eight smaller forms gathering outside it. Another vessel was also sighted: a Covenant war-freighter. Cade was confident the eight were Sangheili, but the software was at first inadequate to confirm whether the large form was a Mgalekgolo or not. Upon observing that the Perception was wedged in an old lava flow, Cade suggested that they might approach from a position three klicks away because deep scores and ridges of the volcano between could provide cover. He asked Rion for her thoughts, and she floated the idea of waiting for the Sangheili to leave. To this, Cade replied that there could be months' or even years' worth of salvage below, and that it would take that long for the Sangheili to finish going through it. He was determined that if they were going to stake a claim there, they would need to do so before the aliens called for reinforcements. However, Cade's enthusiasm drastically was cut short when it was realized the form inside the ship was not only Mgalekgo, but that it was on the bridge and thus unavoidable. Cade suddenly had serious doubts about whether their plan to enter the destroyer was worth it. He described what he had seen Mgalekgolo do as a marine and also cautioned that in all likelihood, another one was lurking nearby but unable to be detected by them for some reason. Rion was obstinate to his protestations in the face of this threat and in response, Cade stormed off the bridge. Rion found him in his quarters soon afterwards lying on his bunk and staring at the ceiling. He expressed frustration at her stubbornness and perceived disregard for her own safety but ultimately smiled because this was just who she was. He then found himself struggling to ask questions about where there relationship was heading, if anywhere. Before she could give an answer, he reminded her of the day they met to emphasize that he had her back.

Personality and traits
Cade had grim eyes, a deep voice, and a tic in his jaw. He stood a good deal taller than Rion, who was herself 5 feet and 10 inches tall. His face was usually stoically passive. Rion thought him to be "all business", as he brought a sense of order and efficiency to the Ace of Spades' small crew. It was not uncommon for him to serve as the "voice of reason" when Rion was prepared to push their work beyond their capable limits. He was steady, stoic, reliable, and the kind of person who could get a job done. He often didn't say much, but when he did, others tended to listen. Rion was amused by the fact that he called her "Forge" when he was pissed. He also simply called her "Ri" on occasion. Cade never had the same outward disgust for the UNSC that Lessa and Niko did. but the trauma of losing his family made him have his own personal issues with the way the military had made certain strategic decisions during the war.

When he and Rion met, they would passionately debate about politics and wars, but as their relationship deepened, they stopped doing so and focused their energy and loyalty on the one thing they could truly count on: themselves. They were the one constant in each other's lives. The reality of having someone you could truly count on was immeasurable. The number of times that Cade and Rion had been in impossible situations but gotten out okay was more than Rion could count. Many of these situations had caused the two of them to almost come to blows over Rion's tactics. Cade and Rion's relationship repeatedly cycled through stages of friendship, sex, and tumult, though it was the deep, abiding friendship that was a steady constant. Cade understood Rion's drive better than anyone. It was his own similarities to her in that respect that led to their becoming friends to begin with, even though they each did dance around their future prospects. Both of them, scarred as they were, didn't want to experience more loss and hurt, so it was easier to pretend to be noncommittal.

Cade's experience as a marine and later a salvager made him a man who knew more than anyone the price of taking risks, of jumping systems, and hunting salvage others would fight and kill for. For this reason, Rion valued his insight and considered him her second-in-command. Despite their closeness, Rion still never knew what Cade did with the credits he earned. Even after fully committing to being a part of the crew on the Ace, Cade maintained a clandestine network of former contacts from previous portions of his life that he could rely on for information.

Equipment
Like the other crew members of the Ace of Spades, Cade had his own set of armor for working in cold environments. This coldsuit included a helmet with an opaque visor made of a tempered glass composite. He kept a knife sheathed in his belt.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Fractures
 * Into the Fire
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow