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|image=[[File:Cole.jpg|275px]] | |image=[[File:Cole.jpg|275px]] | ||
|homeworld=[[Mark Twain]], [[Missouri]], [[United Republic of North America|URNA]], [[Earth]] | |homeworld=[[Mark Twain]], [[Missouri]], [[United Republic of North America|URNA]], [[Earth]] | ||
|birth= [[2470|November 3, 2470]]<ref name="birthinfo">'''Halo: Evolutions | |birth= [[2470|November 3, 2470]]<ref name="birthinfo">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 415</ref><ref group="note">According to the ONI Memorial, Cole was born on April 4th, 2484.</ref> | ||
|death= Officially [[2543|April 18, 2543]]<ref name="site">'''Halo 3: ODST''', ''[[ONI Memorial]]''</ref> | |death= Officially [[2543|April 18, 2543]]<ref name="site">'''Halo 3: ODST''', ''[[ONI Memorial]]''</ref> | ||
|species=[[Human]] | |species=[[Human]] | ||
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*Established the [[Cole Protocol]] | *Established the [[Cole Protocol]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Quote|They told me to fight, and that's what I've done. Let historians sort through the wreckage, bodies, and broken lives to figure out the rest.|Admiral Preston Cole <ref name="quote">'''Halo: Evolutions | {{Quote|They told me to fight, and that's what I've done. Let historians sort through the wreckage, bodies, and broken lives to figure out the rest.|Admiral Preston Cole <ref name="quote">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 414</ref>}} | ||
'''[[Admiral]] Preston Jeremiah Cole''' ([[service number]] '''03956-26127-PC''')<ref group="note">According to ''Halo: Evolutions'', Cole's service number was 00814-13094-BQ, which contradicts the typical service number format.</ref> was a [[UNSC Navy]] who served officer during both the [[Insurrection]] and the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Cole is best known for being the commander of the majority of the UNSC Navy from [[2525]] until [[2543]] and for his role in creating the [[Cole Protocol]], a central UNSC law responsible for defending [[Earth]]'s location for decades.<ref name="site"/> A military genius, he defeated the Covenant in every major battle he fought<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | '''[[Admiral]] Preston Jeremiah Cole''' ([[service number]] '''03956-26127-PC''')<ref group="note">According to ''Halo: Evolutions'', Cole's service number was 00814-13094-BQ, which contradicts the typical service number format.</ref> was a [[UNSC Navy]] who served officer during both the [[Insurrection]] and the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Cole is best known for being the commander of the majority of the UNSC Navy from [[2525]] until [[2543]] and for his role in creating the [[Cole Protocol]], a central UNSC law responsible for defending [[Earth]]'s location for decades.<ref name="site"/> A military genius, he defeated the Covenant in every major battle he fought<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 470</ref> and his battle record was considered to be without equal, even more impressive than that of the [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-IIs]].<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 414</ref> | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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Preston Jeremiah Cole was born on [[2470|November 3, 2470]], to [[Jennifer Cole|Jennifer]] and [[Troy Cole]], in the rural reconstituted township of [[Mark Twain]], [[Missouri]], [[Unified Republic of North America|URNA]].<ref name="birthinfo"/> He was the third child of [[List of "seven" references in the Halo series|seven]], having three sisters and three brothers. Growing up he was described as a precocious child who obeyed his parents. He had wild black hair and dark brown eyes. His father was a dairy farmer with no criminal record, no military background, and followed the Quaker faith with no particular zeal. His mother was arrested once at the age of twenty-one for protesting taxes (she was released on one-year parole), and both her grandfathers served in the [[Rain Forest Wars]]: one surviving, [[Captain (Ground forces)|Captain]] [[Oliver Franks]], received the [[Bronze Star]].<ref name="birthinfo"/> Tax records show that despite living in a period of prosperity, Cole's family struggled to make ends meet. | Preston Jeremiah Cole was born on [[2470|November 3, 2470]], to [[Jennifer Cole|Jennifer]] and [[Troy Cole]], in the rural reconstituted township of [[Mark Twain]], [[Missouri]], [[Unified Republic of North America|URNA]].<ref name="birthinfo"/> He was the third child of [[List of "seven" references in the Halo series|seven]], having three sisters and three brothers. Growing up he was described as a precocious child who obeyed his parents. He had wild black hair and dark brown eyes. His father was a dairy farmer with no criminal record, no military background, and followed the Quaker faith with no particular zeal. His mother was arrested once at the age of twenty-one for protesting taxes (she was released on one-year parole), and both her grandfathers served in the [[Rain Forest Wars]]: one surviving, [[Captain (Ground forces)|Captain]] [[Oliver Franks]], received the [[Bronze Star]].<ref name="birthinfo"/> Tax records show that despite living in a period of prosperity, Cole's family struggled to make ends meet. | ||
Preston's fifth grade teacher, [[Lillian Bratton|Dr. Lillian Bratton]], reported Cole as "... a boy of high natural intellect, [who] tends to work too hard even when he plays." She noted his tendency to over-analyze, and stated he had a lack of imagination. That same year he achieved an unprecedented perfect test score in Mr. [[William Martin]]'s pre-algebra class. Upon being accused of cheating and retesting, he once again produced a perfect score. A social worker was sent to Cole's home to investigate the school's claims that Preston was being overworked at home, though they found no evidence of physical or psychological abuse.<ref name="essay">'''Halo: Evolutions | Preston's fifth grade teacher, [[Lillian Bratton|Dr. Lillian Bratton]], reported Cole as "... a boy of high natural intellect, [who] tends to work too hard even when he plays." She noted his tendency to over-analyze, and stated he had a lack of imagination. That same year he achieved an unprecedented perfect test score in Mr. [[William Martin]]'s pre-algebra class. Upon being accused of cheating and retesting, he once again produced a perfect score. A social worker was sent to Cole's home to investigate the school's claims that Preston was being overworked at home, though they found no evidence of physical or psychological abuse.<ref name="essay">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 416-420</ref> | ||
When he was fourteen Cole wrote a paper in English class entitled "The Viability of Extended Colonization." Although it was not particularly well received by his teacher, [[Alexander (teacher)|Miss Alexander]], it turned out to be prophetically accurate in predicting the [[Insurrection]] about a decade before it is generally considered to have begun. Although Cole wished to enlist in the UNSC Navy upon graduation, his low grades in high school kept him from immediately attending a prestigious military college. Instead Cole enlisted as a [[crewman]].<ref name="essay"/> | When he was fourteen Cole wrote a paper in English class entitled "The Viability of Extended Colonization." Although it was not particularly well received by his teacher, [[Alexander (teacher)|Miss Alexander]], it turned out to be prophetically accurate in predicting the [[Insurrection]] about a decade before it is generally considered to have begun. Although Cole wished to enlist in the UNSC Navy upon graduation, his low grades in high school kept him from immediately attending a prestigious military college. Instead Cole enlisted as a [[crewman]].<ref name="essay"/> | ||
===Early career=== | ===Early career=== | ||
On [[2488|September 21, 2488]] Cole enlisted in the UNSC Navy. Upon graduation from [[Unified Combined Military Boot Camp]] (UCMB) [[UCMB Sierra Largo|Sierra Largo]] and vacuum and microgravity training (aka "barf school"), Cole was assigned to the [[Colonial Military Administration]] vessel [[CMA Season of Plenty|''Season of Plenty'']]. While on the ship Cole formulated a new way of calculating slipspace input parameters. This, combined with his strong work ethic, resulted in his being recommended to the [[Luna OCS Academy]].<ref name="early career">'''Halo: Evolutions | On [[2488|September 21, 2488]] Cole enlisted in the UNSC Navy. Upon graduation from [[Unified Combined Military Boot Camp]] (UCMB) [[UCMB Sierra Largo|Sierra Largo]] and vacuum and microgravity training (aka "barf school"), Cole was assigned to the [[Colonial Military Administration]] vessel [[CMA Season of Plenty|''Season of Plenty'']]. While on the ship Cole formulated a new way of calculating slipspace input parameters. This, combined with his strong work ethic, resulted in his being recommended to the [[Luna OCS Academy]].<ref name="early career">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 420-436</ref> | ||
At OCS he would fall into a scandal involving the overnight disappearances of [[Inna Volkov]], the daughter of [[Admiral]] [[Konrad Volkov]], from officers' family quarters on base. Sightings of the girl in the company of a young man were reported. Soon, a child was produced, presumably by those liaisons. On [[2492|June 7, 2492]] six cadets, one of them Cole, were brought before a Board of Inquiry to testify. Though Cole was not found guilty of any wrongdoing, he married Inna two months later. Witnessing the marriage were Admiral Volkov and Cole's brother, Michael.<ref name="early career">'''Halo: Evolutions | At OCS he would fall into a scandal involving the overnight disappearances of [[Inna Volkov]], the daughter of [[Admiral]] [[Konrad Volkov]], from officers' family quarters on base. Sightings of the girl in the company of a young man were reported. Soon, a child was produced, presumably by those liaisons. On [[2492|June 7, 2492]] six cadets, one of them Cole, were brought before a Board of Inquiry to testify. Though Cole was not found guilty of any wrongdoing, he married Inna two months later. Witnessing the marriage were Admiral Volkov and Cole's brother, Michael.<ref name="early career">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 434</ref> After their two-week honeymoon, Cole was reassigned to the destroyer {{UNSCship|Las Vegas}}. Ivan Troy Cole, who was not Preston's biological son, was born December 12, 2492.<ref name="early career"/> | ||
In his report on Cole's life, ''[[Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]'', [[Codename: SURGEON]] suggests three reasons this marriage took place. The first was that the admiral knew which cadet was the true father and did not like the truth and thus found a suitable replacement for his daughter: Cole. A second was that the child was not the offspring of any of the cadets and thus the admiral's grandchild would have been fatherless. The third was that Cole had the liaison with Inna, though was not the father of the child. Either way, Admiral Volkov either made Cole marry his daughter, else Cole was compelled by a sense of chivalry, or (as some of Cole's detractors claimed) a desire for political advancement within the military by being the son-in-law of an admiral.<ref name="early career"/> | In his report on Cole's life, ''[[Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J.]]'', [[Codename: SURGEON]] suggests three reasons this marriage took place. The first was that the admiral knew which cadet was the true father and did not like the truth and thus found a suitable replacement for his daughter: Cole. A second was that the child was not the offspring of any of the cadets and thus the admiral's grandchild would have been fatherless. The third was that Cole had the liaison with Inna, though was not the father of the child. Either way, Admiral Volkov either made Cole marry his daughter, else Cole was compelled by a sense of chivalry, or (as some of Cole's detractors claimed) a desire for political advancement within the military by being the son-in-law of an admiral.<ref name="early career"/> | ||
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===Insurrection=== | ===Insurrection=== | ||
In [[2494]], while posted on the ''Las Vegas'', Cole was involved in what would come to be known as the [[Callisto Incident|''Callisto'' Incident]]. That year Insurrectionists captured the corvette [[UNSC Callisto|UNSC ''Callisto'']]. In response the UNSC dispatched a battle group consisting of three light destroyers - the ''[[UNSC Jericho|Jericho]]'', the ''[[UNSC Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]'', and the ''Las Vegas'' - to hunt down the renegade ship. Their crews and their weapons were inexperienced and untested, and were caught by surprise when the Insurrectionists detonated an asteroid with a nuclear weapon, destroying the ''Buenos Aires'' and severely damaging the ''Las Vegas'' and ''Jericho''. The entire bridge crew of the ''Las Vegas'', save Cole, were killed or incapacitated, leaving him in command of the ship. Cole signaled the ''Callisto'', declaring the crew's surrender. However, Cole ordered the crew to remove the ship's last [[Ares missile]] from its silo and transport it to Cargo Bay 5. When the ''Callisto'' docked with the ''Las Vegas'' the missile was fired directly into the corvette, crippling it and forcing its surrender.<ref name="Callisto Incident">'''Halo: Evolutions | In [[2494]], while posted on the ''Las Vegas'', Cole was involved in what would come to be known as the [[Callisto Incident|''Callisto'' Incident]]. That year Insurrectionists captured the corvette [[UNSC Callisto|UNSC ''Callisto'']]. In response the UNSC dispatched a battle group consisting of three light destroyers - the ''[[UNSC Jericho|Jericho]]'', the ''[[UNSC Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]]'', and the ''Las Vegas'' - to hunt down the renegade ship. Their crews and their weapons were inexperienced and untested, and were caught by surprise when the Insurrectionists detonated an asteroid with a nuclear weapon, destroying the ''Buenos Aires'' and severely damaging the ''Las Vegas'' and ''Jericho''. The entire bridge crew of the ''Las Vegas'', save Cole, were killed or incapacitated, leaving him in command of the ship. Cole signaled the ''Callisto'', declaring the crew's surrender. However, Cole ordered the crew to remove the ship's last [[Ares missile]] from its silo and transport it to Cargo Bay 5. When the ''Callisto'' docked with the ''Las Vegas'' the missile was fired directly into the corvette, crippling it and forcing its surrender.<ref name="Callisto Incident">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 436-446</ref> | ||
Cole's faked distress signal was both a stroke of genius and breach of protocol so severe that UNSC CENTCOM dithered over whether to award him the [[UNSC Legion of Honor|Legion of Honor]] or to have him court martialed. Ultimately they did neither, to avoid setting precedent. From that point on Cole resolved to never again send a distress signal in enemy territory, as he felt that no one would believe it.<ref name="Callisto Incident"/> As he stated in his personal log: | Cole's faked distress signal was both a stroke of genius and breach of protocol so severe that UNSC CENTCOM dithered over whether to award him the [[UNSC Legion of Honor|Legion of Honor]] or to have him court martialed. Ultimately they did neither, to avoid setting precedent. From that point on Cole resolved to never again send a distress signal in enemy territory, as he felt that no one would believe it.<ref name="Callisto Incident"/> As he stated in his personal log: | ||
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Cole would spend several years fighting Insurrectionists across the Outer Colonies. He would achieve victory in nearly all his battles, though he suffered psychological problems due to his divorce. | Cole would spend several years fighting Insurrectionists across the Outer Colonies. He would achieve victory in nearly all his battles, though he suffered psychological problems due to his divorce. | ||
When Preston was on leave in [[2502|November 2502]] he married his second wife, [[Lyrenne Castilla]], after a fourteen-month romance. Unfortunately for Cole, she turned out to be a high-ranked Insurrectionist and captain of the ''Bellicose''. When the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] found out about Lyra's double-life, Cole's integrity was put into question and he was recalled to [[Reach]] for debriefing. Only his fame as a war hero and the efforts of [[Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]], a close friend of Cole, kept him from facing a court martial, but not a thorough interrogation by ONI agents.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | When Preston was on leave in [[2502|November 2502]] he married his second wife, [[Lyrenne Castilla]], after a fourteen-month romance. Unfortunately for Cole, she turned out to be a high-ranked Insurrectionist and captain of the ''Bellicose''. When the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] found out about Lyra's double-life, Cole's integrity was put into question and he was recalled to [[Reach]] for debriefing. Only his fame as a war hero and the efforts of [[Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]], a close friend of Cole, kept him from facing a court martial, but not a thorough interrogation by ONI agents.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 453-458</ref> Shortly before Cole's debrief, the ''Bellicose'' was apparently lost with all hands during the [[Battle of Theta Ursae Majoris]]. The ONI interrogators read him the after-action report in an attempt to break his spirit, but all it did was cause Cole to remain stoic and silent and utterly stubborn in attempt to preserve Castilla's honor. | ||
Cole was sent back to Earth and given a desk job; he was promoted to [[rear admiral]] to keep him quiet. All his requests for reassignment back to space were denied, and all of his proposals to make the UNSC fighting forces more effective against the insurgency were ignored. After eight months at his desk job he was quietly offered early retirement with an honorary skip promotion to [[vice admiral]]. He accepted. | Cole was sent back to Earth and given a desk job; he was promoted to [[rear admiral]] to keep him quiet. All his requests for reassignment back to space were denied, and all of his proposals to make the UNSC fighting forces more effective against the insurgency were ignored. After eight months at his desk job he was quietly offered early retirement with an honorary skip promotion to [[vice admiral]]. He accepted. | ||
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===Battles against the Covenant=== | ===Battles against the Covenant=== | ||
{{Quote|Cole won every major engagement he committed his forces to against the Covenant. On only two occasions did he encounter an enemy fleet he considered too large to take, and then he would return in both cases with reinforcements....|[[Codename: SURGEON]]'s report, ''Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J''.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | {{Quote|Cole won every major engagement he committed his forces to against the Covenant. On only two occasions did he encounter an enemy fleet he considered too large to take, and then he would return in both cases with reinforcements....|[[Codename: SURGEON]]'s report, ''Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J''.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 471</ref>}} | ||
After the {{UNSCShip|Heracles}} returned to [[Reach]], badly damaged from [[First Battle of Harvest#CMA investigation|first contact]] with the [[Covenant]],<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', page 98</ref> the Office of Naval Intelligence requested that Cole return to service to lead the largest battle group in recorded history, consisting of forty ships, to [[Harvest]] in hopes of defeating the extraterrestrial threat. He reluctantly accepted their request, and his old rank of vice admiral was restored.<ref name="Genesis"/> | After the {{UNSCShip|Heracles}} returned to [[Reach]], badly damaged from [[First Battle of Harvest#CMA investigation|first contact]] with the [[Covenant]],<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', page 98</ref> the Office of Naval Intelligence requested that Cole return to service to lead the largest battle group in recorded history, consisting of forty ships, to [[Harvest]] in hopes of defeating the extraterrestrial threat. He reluctantly accepted their request, and his old rank of vice admiral was restored.<ref name="Genesis"/> | ||
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[[File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png|thumb|200px|right|Cole's defeat of the Covenant at Harvest.]] | [[File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png|thumb|200px|right|Cole's defeat of the Covenant at Harvest.]] | ||
On [[2526#March|March 1, 2526]], Cole fought the [[Second Battle of Harvest]], in which the forty ships of [[UNSC Battle Group X-Ray|Battle Group X-Ray]] engaged [[Covenant super-destroyer|a single Covenant vessel]]. The aliens' superior weaponry and technology overwhelmed the fleet, and Cole's adjutant commanders suggested a full retreat. However, with the use of intelligence gathered during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]], Cole realized that Covenant shield technology was vulnerable to massive, concentrated fire. Cole ordered all ships fire everything they had at the ship, with MACs first, followed by Archer missiles and Shiva nuclear warheads. This last-minute tactical inspiration worked. Although Battle Group X-Ray defeated the vessel, thirteen UNSC ships were destroyed during the fight.<ref name="Genesis"/><ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | On [[2526#March|March 1, 2526]], Cole fought the [[Second Battle of Harvest]], in which the forty ships of [[UNSC Battle Group X-Ray|Battle Group X-Ray]] engaged [[Covenant super-destroyer|a single Covenant vessel]]. The aliens' superior weaponry and technology overwhelmed the fleet, and Cole's adjutant commanders suggested a full retreat. However, with the use of intelligence gathered during the [[Battle of Chi Ceti]], Cole realized that Covenant shield technology was vulnerable to massive, concentrated fire. Cole ordered all ships fire everything they had at the ship, with MACs first, followed by Archer missiles and Shiva nuclear warheads. This last-minute tactical inspiration worked. Although Battle Group X-Ray defeated the vessel, thirteen UNSC ships were destroyed during the fight.<ref name="Genesis"/><ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 462-467</ref> | ||
The news of his promotion to full [[admiral]] was announced on UNSC-controlled television. However, ONI had removed information of the Covenant and replaced the battle information with that of a communications satellite captured by Insurrectionists, which Cole was said to have been ordered to destroy. The worlds of [[Second Base]] and [[Green Hills]] were initially reported as attacked by Insurrectionists, but were in fact glassed and their combined population of two million killed. The abandoning of [[Chi Ceti IV]] was kept secret. | The news of his promotion to full [[admiral]] was announced on UNSC-controlled television. However, ONI had removed information of the Covenant and replaced the battle information with that of a communications satellite captured by Insurrectionists, which Cole was said to have been ordered to destroy. The worlds of [[Second Base]] and [[Green Hills]] were initially reported as attacked by Insurrectionists, but were in fact glassed and their combined population of two million killed. The abandoning of [[Chi Ceti IV]] was kept secret. | ||
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Due to the impossibility of keeping the war a secret indefinitely, ONI's Section II went public with the conflict and gave Cole command of the majority of their warships.<ref name="Genesis"/> Cole continued the fight throughout the [[Outer Colonies]] for five more years. | Due to the impossibility of keeping the war a secret indefinitely, ONI's Section II went public with the conflict and gave Cole command of the majority of their warships.<ref name="Genesis"/> Cole continued the fight throughout the [[Outer Colonies]] for five more years. | ||
At the [[Battle of Alpha Aurigae]] in the [[Origami Asteroid Field]] in [[2526#October|October 2526]] Cole had a total of 117 UNSC vessels and defeated the Covenant's twelve (at least three of which were {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s); thirty-seven UNSC ships were lost. The [[Battle of XI Boötis A]] in [[2528]] saw the loss of thirty ships out of the UNSC's seventy to the Covenant.<ref name="battles">'''Halo: Evolutions | At the [[Battle of Alpha Aurigae]] in the [[Origami Asteroid Field]] in [[2526#October|October 2526]] Cole had a total of 117 UNSC vessels and defeated the Covenant's twelve (at least three of which were {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s); thirty-seven UNSC ships were lost. The [[Battle of XI Boötis A]] in [[2528]] saw the loss of thirty ships out of the UNSC's seventy to the Covenant.<ref name="battles">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 470</ref><ref name="Genesis"/> | ||
The [[Battle of the Great Bear]] at the [[Groombridge 1830 system]] in [[2530]] saw eleven destroyers out of the fleet of seventeen destroyed by three enemy ships. Following the conclusion of the battle, a [[Sangheili]] [[Subject 386|survivor]] was recovered. Admiral Cole then began writing what would become known as the Cole Protocol after interrogating it knowing now that the Covenant had little knowledge of humanity; he realized that secrecy would be their best defense against them.<ref name="Genesis"/><ref name="battles"/> | The [[Battle of the Great Bear]] at the [[Groombridge 1830 system]] in [[2530]] saw eleven destroyers out of the fleet of seventeen destroyed by three enemy ships. Following the conclusion of the battle, a [[Sangheili]] [[Subject 386|survivor]] was recovered. Admiral Cole then began writing what would become known as the Cole Protocol after interrogating it knowing now that the Covenant had little knowledge of humanity; he realized that secrecy would be their best defense against them.<ref name="Genesis"/><ref name="battles"/> | ||
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It is possible that at some point after 2531, Admiral Cole was demoted or that his rank expired from full admiral to vice admiral.<ref group="note">''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' makes no mention of Cole's promotion to full admiral and consistently refers to him as a vice admiral, even as late as the Battle of Psi Serpentis. However, ''Halo Wars: Genesis'', the pre-release ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' timeline, and the in-game and online ''Halo Wars'' timelines explicitly mention his promotion to full admiral after the Second Battle of Harvest, and his memorial plaque refers to him as a full admiral. This may suggest that his rank expired or that he was demoted and that he was posthumously promoted back to full admiral. In the [[ONI Directorate Memorandum Interrogation Findings]], Cole identifies himself as a fleet admiral, though he has not been referred to as such in other media.</ref> | It is possible that at some point after 2531, Admiral Cole was demoted or that his rank expired from full admiral to vice admiral.<ref group="note">''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' makes no mention of Cole's promotion to full admiral and consistently refers to him as a vice admiral, even as late as the Battle of Psi Serpentis. However, ''Halo Wars: Genesis'', the pre-release ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' timeline, and the in-game and online ''Halo Wars'' timelines explicitly mention his promotion to full admiral after the Second Battle of Harvest, and his memorial plaque refers to him as a full admiral. This may suggest that his rank expired or that he was demoted and that he was posthumously promoted back to full admiral. In the [[ONI Directorate Memorandum Interrogation Findings]], Cole identifies himself as a fleet admiral, though he has not been referred to as such in other media.</ref> | ||
The biggest and most crucial battle in Cole's career was the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]],<ref name="Psi Serpentis">'''Halo: Evolutions | The biggest and most crucial battle in Cole's career was the [[Battle of Psi Serpentis]],<ref name="Psi Serpentis">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 476-482</ref> in which he led a fleet of 162 warships against two Covenant fleets totaling over 300 ships. The engagement began when Cole's fleet, [[UNSC Battle Group India|Battle Group India]], exited slipspace on the far side of the gas giant [[Viperidae]]. The Covenant fleet which had assembled there moved to engage the human ships, but Battle Group India split into two parts and attacked the Covenant from both sides of the planet. After tricking the Covenant into splitting their own forces, Cole's fleet quickly regrouped on one side of Viperidae and opened fire at one group of ships. With two thirds of the Covenant group decimated, the alien fleet regrouped and attacked Cole's fleet.<ref name="Psi Serpentis"/> | ||
As the Covenant moved in to attack, an Insurrectionist fleet led by the ''Bellicose'' suddenly exited slipspace and charged the Covenant ships. The Insurrectionist fleet blew through the Covenant ships, and as suddenly as they appeared, jumped to Slipspace. With only a handful of Covenant ships left, Cole's fleet began to flee the battle. However, another Covenant fleet, numbering in over two hundred ships, then exited Slipspace to reinforce their other fleet. Cole ordered the remnants of Battle Group India to fall back from the planet, leaving Cole's command ship, {{UNSCShip|Everest}}, to face the enemy alone. The ''Everest'' sped towards Viperidae, powered down all non-essential systems, but opened all missile silo doors. Cole beamed an open-com transmission to the Covenant fleet, openly mocking them and questioning their religious superiority: | As the Covenant moved in to attack, an Insurrectionist fleet led by the ''Bellicose'' suddenly exited slipspace and charged the Covenant ships. The Insurrectionist fleet blew through the Covenant ships, and as suddenly as they appeared, jumped to Slipspace. With only a handful of Covenant ships left, Cole's fleet began to flee the battle. However, another Covenant fleet, numbering in over two hundred ships, then exited Slipspace to reinforce their other fleet. Cole ordered the remnants of Battle Group India to fall back from the planet, leaving Cole's command ship, {{UNSCShip|Everest}}, to face the enemy alone. The ''Everest'' sped towards Viperidae, powered down all non-essential systems, but opened all missile silo doors. Cole beamed an open-com transmission to the Covenant fleet, openly mocking them and questioning their religious superiority: | ||
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{{Article Quote|Listen to me, Covenant. I am Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole commanding the human flagship, ''Everest''. You claim to be the holy and glorious inheritors of the universe? I spit on your so-called holiness. You dare judge us unfit? After I have personally sent more than three hundred of your vainglorious ships to hell? After kicking your collective butts off Harvest - not once - but twice? From where I sit, we are the [[Reclaimer|worthy inheritors]]. You think otherwise, you can come and try to prove me wrong.|Preston Cole's taunt towards the Covenant}} | {{Article Quote|Listen to me, Covenant. I am Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole commanding the human flagship, ''Everest''. You claim to be the holy and glorious inheritors of the universe? I spit on your so-called holiness. You dare judge us unfit? After I have personally sent more than three hundred of your vainglorious ships to hell? After kicking your collective butts off Harvest - not once - but twice? From where I sit, we are the [[Reclaimer|worthy inheritors]]. You think otherwise, you can come and try to prove me wrong.|Preston Cole's taunt towards the Covenant}} | ||
The Covenant then ignored Battle Group India and all moved toward the ''Everest''. Cole plunged into the immense gravitational pull of Viperidae, now unable to get back out. The Covenant fired at the ship, but the [[Wikipedia:magnetosphere|magnetosphere]]<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | The Covenant then ignored Battle Group India and all moved toward the ''Everest''. Cole plunged into the immense gravitational pull of Viperidae, now unable to get back out. The Covenant fired at the ship, but the [[Wikipedia:magnetosphere|magnetosphere]]<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 481</ref> provided enough interference against the Covenant's plasma based weaponry and prevented a kill. Cole taunted the Covenant one last time: | ||
{{Article Quote|Is that the best you can do? Watch what one unworthy human can do!}} | {{Article Quote|Is that the best you can do? Watch what one unworthy human can do!}} | ||
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After his apparent death, there was speculation that Admiral Cole, after completely destroying two Covenant fleets, might have made a last-minute jump into slipspace. He apparently used the crippled {{UNSCship|Io}} as a substitute for the Everest, prematurely detonated a flock of Archer missiles in front of his ship as a decoy to prevent anyone from seeing the slipspace rupture, and then safely escaped. According to Codename: SURGEON, AIs have analyzed footage from the Battle of Psi Serpentis, and calculated that there was a 89.7% chance that Cole survived and escaped in an emergency slipspace jump; before the battle, he had consulted the [[Reach super-AI network]] to calculate the parameters for a jump in conditions identical to those at Viperidae. | After his apparent death, there was speculation that Admiral Cole, after completely destroying two Covenant fleets, might have made a last-minute jump into slipspace. He apparently used the crippled {{UNSCship|Io}} as a substitute for the Everest, prematurely detonated a flock of Archer missiles in front of his ship as a decoy to prevent anyone from seeing the slipspace rupture, and then safely escaped. According to Codename: SURGEON, AIs have analyzed footage from the Battle of Psi Serpentis, and calculated that there was a 89.7% chance that Cole survived and escaped in an emergency slipspace jump; before the battle, he had consulted the [[Reach super-AI network]] to calculate the parameters for a jump in conditions identical to those at Viperidae. | ||
It has also been speculated that he may have found a planet to colonize on with his lover, Lyra, as he always wanted to retire to be a farmer. After the battle, rumors of independent human forces successfully fighting the Covenant begins to emerge, but eventually died out. Preston Cole was remembered by humanity as a brilliant military tactician and a symbol of hope, now lost, and the day of his supposed death was designated a day of mourning. Codename: SURGEON recommended to Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS that the UNSC should try to find Cole and persuade him to fight for humanity again, considering the highly unstable and weakened state of humanity after the Human-Covenant War's conclusion.<ref name="p486">'''Halo: Evolutions | It has also been speculated that he may have found a planet to colonize on with his lover, Lyra, as he always wanted to retire to be a farmer. After the battle, rumors of independent human forces successfully fighting the Covenant begins to emerge, but eventually died out. Preston Cole was remembered by humanity as a brilliant military tactician and a symbol of hope, now lost, and the day of his supposed death was designated a day of mourning. Codename: SURGEON recommended to Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS that the UNSC should try to find Cole and persuade him to fight for humanity again, considering the highly unstable and weakened state of humanity after the Human-Covenant War's conclusion.<ref name="p486">'''Halo: Evolutions''', ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', pages 486-487</ref> | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
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In December of 2552, [[Codename: SURGEON]] stated that AIs [[Phoenix]] and [[Lackluster]] had analyzed the footage from the Battle of Psi Serpentis and had calculated that there was an 89.7% chance that Cole survived and escaped in an emergency slipspace jump. SURGEON also speculated that if Cole survived he may have found a planet to colonize on, as he always wanted to retire to be a farmer.<ref name="p486"/> | In December of 2552, [[Codename: SURGEON]] stated that AIs [[Phoenix]] and [[Lackluster]] had analyzed the footage from the Battle of Psi Serpentis and had calculated that there was an 89.7% chance that Cole survived and escaped in an emergency slipspace jump. SURGEON also speculated that if Cole survived he may have found a planet to colonize on, as he always wanted to retire to be a farmer.<ref name="p486"/> | ||
Whatever happened to Admiral Cole, he was remembered by humanity as a brilliant military tactician and a symbol of hope, now lost, and the day of his supposed death was designated a day of mourning.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions | Whatever happened to Admiral Cole, he was remembered by humanity as a brilliant military tactician and a symbol of hope, now lost, and the day of his supposed death was designated a day of mourning.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions''' - ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', page 483</ref> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
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*''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}} | *''[[Halo Wars]]'' {{Mo}} | ||
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' {{Mo}} | *''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' {{Mo}} | ||
*''[[Halo: Evolutions | *''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'' | ||
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' | **''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]'' | ||