Andrew Del Rio

"I'd think you, of all people, would appreciate the benefit of living to fight another day."

- Andrew Del Rio to John-117 when the latter insists that the Infinity should stay on Requiem to attack the Didact.

Captain Andrew Del Rio is a senior officer in the UNSC Navy, serving throughout the Human-Covenant War and into the post-war years. Del Rio served as the commanding officer of the from 2552 until July 2557.

Biography
Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Commander in Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence, noted that Del Rio is more of a manager than a leader. She considers him unable to inspire those under his command. She conceded to making him captain of the UNSC Infinity only because Commander Thomas Lasky was assigned as his executive officer. A few years prior to the end of major hostilities in the Great War, Del Rio was leading the military personnel assigned to maintain, repair, and protect the Infinity ; he had received this assignment for his status as a seasoned naval line officer and because he could drop off the grid with little trouble. Later, he would be given the honor of being the first commanding officer of the UNSC's largest and most advanced warship to date. Del Rio and the sailors and Marines under his command would take the Infinity out for her first space trials in mid-2553.

During an inspection of the ship by Admirals Terrence Hood and Parangosky]], he pointed out the ship's Huragok working after they had been transplanted from Trevelyan. Talking with Lasky, Parangosky told Del Rio to choose a top-level AI. At the request of the Admirals, Del Rio took the ship into Slipspace to aid Thel 'Vadam in the Sangheili Civil War on Sanghelios. Parangosky purposefully played on his nerves as he came into space above Sanghelios, as Del Rio was running a high-profile operation with high commanders on board. Soon the Defender of Faith began attacking Vadam Keep and the UNSC Infinity. In it's first real scenario weapons test, Del Rio destroyed the ship and beat back the Servants of Abiding Truth. Overall, Del Rio succeeded in saving 'Vadam and his keep from the well-organized opposition.

Following the disappearance of a science team on Ivanoff Station in 2557, the UNSC Infinity went to assist, and Del Rio picked up a distress call from the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, sent out by John-117 and Cortana. Del Rio then found the Forerunner shield world of Requiem and began to approach the planet, sending out transmissions to try and contact John-117. Eventually Cortana was able to respond to Del Rio's transmissions, but they continued to be garbled. Not fully hearing Cortana's warnings not to approach Requiem, Del Rio guided the Infinity to the entrance portal and was pulled in the planet, crashing in the jungles of Requiem. Del Rio sent out Lasky and fourth-generation Spartan Sarah Palmer to retrieve John-117. Del Rio believed the Infinity could provide covering fire and defend itself. However it failed in both, as Covenant remnant forces led by the Didact forced their way to the bridge. Only John-117 was able to save the ship by activating the defenses using a Mantis.

Meeting with John-117 and Cortana on the bridge, Del Rio discussed the hostile Promethean response that he has seen on Requiem. He sent John-117 and Gypsy Company to disable the Gravity well keeping the ship on the planet as he wanted to leave immediately. Del Rio showed disrespect for the Spartan, and refused to give him optimal intel on the op, though he did provide a Mammoth. However the op went south and Covenant forces hammered the Infinity. John-117 managed to disable the gravity well, and defeat the Covenant. Once again John-117 tried to convince Del Rio not to leave Requiem, siting his encounter with the Librarian AI. Del Rio did not believe him, and a rampant Cortana yelled at Del Rio, causing Del Rio to ask Lasky to remove her. John-117 took Cortana and left. Del Rio sent Lasky to stop John-117 from leaving, but Lasky presumably told him John-117 had already left. Del Rio then returned to Earth in the Infinity. Some time before the Didact reached Earth, however, FLEETCOM disagreed with his decisions on Requiem, especially his abandonment of the Master Chief. Del Rio was relieved from Infinity's command and replaced with Thomas Lasky.

Production notes
American actor Mark Rolston, best known as the Colonial Marine smartgunner Private Mark Drake in the 1986 film Aliens, portrays Del Rio in The Commissioning and in Halo 4. In the latter, he both voices and provides motion capture for Del Rio. Whereas Rolston's eyes naturally have a bluish tint, as seen in The Commissioning, those on the captain's in-game model are light brown. Facial motion capture for Del Rio in Halo 4 was provided by American actor Allen Perada.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Glasslands
 * The Commissioning
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 4