Richard Lash

Commander Richard Lash was a UNSC Naval officer who served from the mid-2540's until the end of the Human-Covenant War. He was one of the first humans to witness the outbreak of the Great Schism.

Early career
He transferred to the Prowler Corps in 2545, by 2552 he was the first officer of the prowler Dusk.

Lash's father was a welder on the Cradle and was killed when it was destroyed during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV on July 17, 2552. Lash knew his father wanted an opportunity to be a hero during the war, and was glad in a sense that he got the chance to.

Battle of Earth and the Great Schism
Shortly before the Battle of Earth, Captain Iglesias was injured and undergoing radiation treatment Earthside, forcing Lash to take command. Lash took the Dusk into the fight during the Battle of Earth.

Lash eventually had to take the Dusk into Slipspace to follow the as well as the Prophet of Regret's assault carrier. Once they arrived at Installation 05, Lash witnessed the beginning of the Covenant civil war, as the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity destroyed itself. Lash was the first human to return to Earth and give details of the Covenant civil war.

Battle of Onyx
Lash was quickly ordered to take the Dusk to Onyx to provide the UNSC Stalingrad and its battle group with tactical data as well as observe the battlefield. Against Lash's better judgment, the Stalingrad's battle group charged into Onyx and was crushed by superior Covenant forces, forcing the Dusk to float adrift in space until they could escape. This opportunity came when Onyx disintegrated into millions of sentinels which assaulted the Covenant fleet.

Trivia

 * Lash owned an ancient spring-and-gear wristwatch, which he received from his father upon his graduation from OCS. He always kept it wound tight for luck, as his father had advised.