Elaine Coffey

Commander Elaine Coffey was an officer in the UNSC Navy. She was a Lieutenant Commander and the watch officer aboard the, a mixed cargo hauler, when it was attacked and stranded in space in 2558. The commander of the vessel died in the process, leaving Elaine to take over command.

Biography
In October of 2558, the Nereid was carrying a UNSC Marine Corps platoon in addition to construction crews and all of their equipment. Lieutenant Commander Coffey was in charge of cargo services and also took on the role of an engineer when one was needed. She was on the bridge when there was a bright flash of light and some kind of energy pulse that hit the ship and affected every system instantly. Coffey shouted to sound the general alarm just as the Nereid was forced out of slipstream space and the powered gravity plating lost all functionality. Though the disabled systems appeared physically fine, including the interface for the gravity plating, they were totally unresponsive. Coffey ordered a lieutenant by the name of Rasul to keep trying to reestablish artificial gravity while she broadcast a message to anyone within range that could help them. She determined that they had been struck by some kind of multichannel cyberwarfare attack and was in the midst of requesting aid when Rasul cut her off to let her know she wasn't transmitting. Not even emergency power was available to get a message out. At that moment someone began pounding on the door to the bridge. Coffey figured that it might be the hauler's commanding officer, Yance, who had been off-shift in his quarters when the attack happened. It turned out to be Major Kell Tanris, commander of the marines onboard. She wished to speak with the CO, so she, Coffey, Rasul, and three of her marines propelled themselves through the weightless environment to Yance's quarters. Coffey activated a chemical torch, seeing as the other portable lights seemed to have been affected by the cyberattack due to their A.I. components. Elaine questioned the necessity of the marines' ready-carry of MA5D assault rifles, but Major Tanris rebuffed her by reminding her that they were carrying nuclear weapons and that their attackers were likely to come aboard to try to take them. After entering the commander's quarters, they found him dead--drowned in his shower due to a combination of power being lost while the water jets were on and the door was sealed shut and the loss of simulated gravity. Elaine was shaken by the loss, but Major Tanris told her to put it behind her for the moment, as command of the Nereid belonged to her now.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Undefeated