Nicolas Strauss

Major General Nicolas Strauss is a two-star general of the UNSC Army and a member of the UNSC Security Council.

Biography
In September 2552, Strauss represented his service branch on the UNSC Security Council, which convened within HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 in Sydney, Australia, on Earth. Strauss was present on the committee that debriefed ONI Lieutenant Wagner. Strauss was shocked that the Covenant had glassed the planet Reach, the UNSC's primary fortress world.

During the Battle of Earth, Sydney was devastated by Covenant forces. However, Facility Bravo-6 was left unscathed and Major General Strauss survived. On July 25, 2557, Strauss was a part of the Security Council with Admiral Serin Osman, Admiral Terrence Hood, General Hogan, and General Dellert. The committee was called together to debrief John-117 following the New Phoenix Incident, the destruction of Cortana and Mantle's Approach, and the defeat of the Didact. During the debriefing, he questioned the Master Chief about Cortana's status, to which the Spartan confirmed that she was destroyed. After Hood questioned Strauss' reason for asking, Strauss stated that Cortana is one of the UNSC's most valuable assets. He asked why she was left adrift in space, unprotected, for four years, to which the Master Chief assured him that he was protecting her. The Security Council decided to tell the general public that the incident was a Covenant attack stopped by the return of the Master Chief.

In March 2558, Strauss served once more on the Security Council. They evaluated Captain Thomas Lasky's handling of the Second Battle of Requiem.

Personality and traits
Strauss was intimidated by Colonel James Ackerson (two ranks his junior), likely because he knew details of the SPARTAN-III program. Admiral Terrence Hood claimed that Strauss was one of the officers serving in the UNSC Security Council that did not possess the ability to think before he spoke.

List of appearances

 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo: Escalation