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Cade McDonough: Difference between revisions
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==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===War and Plunder=== | ===War and Plunder=== | ||
At some point after his eighteenth birthday, Cade enlisted with the [[UNSC Marine Corps]]. As a marine, he fought in numerous theaters during the decades-long [[Human-Covenant War]]. During the war, his home world was [[glassed]] by the [[Covenant]] and his entire family was killed. When he was honorably discharged the return to civilian life was difficult for him, as he had nowhere to go and nobody to call family. Eventually, he found work on a [[salvager|salvage]] ship and it was there that he first met Rion Forge. Rion would go on to become the captain of the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'', a modified {{Class|Mariner|transport ship}}, and Cade was an original member of her crew. [[New Tyne]], [[Venezia]], became the place from which they conducted salvaging runs. On a few occasions, the crew stumbled upon human remains amidst wreckage. In December of [[2556]], the crew of the ''Ace of Spades'' fell into one of its largest paydays ever. Rion personally participated in a four-way bidding war for a small piece of a Forerunner navigational databoard at a small bazaar on [[Komoya]], and after winning the bidding war, she sold the databoard to a Sangheili for a large profit.<ref name="F289/290">''[[Halo: Fractures]]'', ''[[Into the Fire]]'', ''pages 289-290''</ref> In January of the [[2557|new year]], the crew returned to Venezia after having been gone for six weeks. There, another profit was made through the sale of a [[stasis field]] generator, [[Type-25 Spiker]]s, and [[Type-51 carbine]]s. | At some point after his eighteenth birthday, Cade enlisted with the [[UNSC Marine Corps]]. As a marine, he fought in numerous theaters during the decades-long [[Human-Covenant War]]. His encounters with [[Mgalekgolo]] especially left deep scars, as he saw people killed ruthlessly by them a hundred times or more. During the war, his home world was [[glassed]] by the [[Covenant]] and his entire family was killed. In one fell swoop, he lost his wife, his two children, his parents, and his siblings. When he was honorably discharged the return to civilian life was difficult for him, as he had nowhere to go and nobody to call family. Eventually, he found work on a [[salvager|salvage]] ship, the ''[[Hakon]]'', and it was there that he first met Rion Forge. On Rion's twenty-fourth birthday, she got into a fight with a crew member named [[Sorely]] in the ship's cargo hold. A crowd gathered to watch the fight and place bets. When Sorely tried to throw Rion against the bulkhead, she instead was slammed into Cade. He caught her and whispered in her ear that sorely had bad knees and a left shoulder injury before smacking her on the ass an pushing her back toward him. So shocked at his audacity, she was blindsided by a punch to the face and dropped to the deck. However, Cade's advice ultimately caused her to overcome Sorely, who she killed. Rion would go on to become the captain of the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'', a modified {{Class|Mariner|transport ship}}, around [[2551]], and Cade was an original member of her crew. [[New Tyne]], [[Venezia]], became the place from which they conducted salvaging runs. On a few occasions, the crew stumbled upon human remains amidst wreckage. In December of [[2556]], the crew of the ''Ace of Spades'' fell into one of its largest paydays ever. Rion personally participated in a four-way bidding war for a small piece of a Forerunner navigational databoard at a small bazaar on [[Komoya]], and after winning the bidding war, she sold the databoard to a Sangheili for a large profit.<ref name="F289/290">''[[Halo: Fractures]]'', ''[[Into the Fire]]'', ''pages 289-290''</ref> In January of the [[2557|new year]], the crew returned to Venezia after having been gone for six weeks. There, another profit was made through the sale of a [[stasis field]] generator, [[Type-25 Spiker]]s, and [[Type-51 carbine]]s. | ||
While Rion was in New Tyne with [[Kip Silas]] and [[Lessa]], two other members of the crew, Cade remained at the [[New Tyne Airfield]] so he could perform maintenance on the ship's track system. When the three finally returned they found him seated a story up on a catwalk, still hard at work. Rion notified him of a planned meeting to take place in fifteen minutes and he responded with a curt nod. When those fifteen minutes had passed, the crew found itself gathered around the ship's mess table to hear what the captain had to say. Rion revealed that she had used some of their recent windfall to purchase information regarding another potential claim; specifically, the wreckage of a ship that could very well be a military vessel downed during the war. The possibility of discovering a UNSC ship sparked a debate between Kip and the siblings, Lessa and [[Niko]], as Kip believed the [[UNSC Salvage Directive]] would need to be followed in such a case. Cade leaned back in his chair and quietly observed the argument with crossed arms. Rion met his somber gaze before she added her voice to the discussion by assuring Kip that she would do the right thing if any heavy ordinance was discovered. When Cade then spoke, he told Kip he should stop worrying and that Rion would be fair. He then asked her what their destination was, to which she replied "[[Ectanus 45]]". Their prize was located on a moon in that system, [[Eiro]]. Cade thoughtfully considered the news and reminded Rion that it was right on the edge of the [[Inner Colonies]], which was not their usual haunt and could lead to trouble for them. Rion was resolved to make the journey regardless, justifying it by way of the reward it could bring. After the conclusion of the meeting, Cade sparred with Rion after she worked out by herself. By the time they finished it had been an hour since they had left Venezia.<ref name="SAS"/> | While Rion was in New Tyne with [[Kip Silas]] and [[Lessa]], two other members of the crew, Cade remained at the [[New Tyne Airfield]] so he could perform maintenance on the ship's track system. When the three finally returned they found him seated a story up on a catwalk, still hard at work. Rion notified him of a planned meeting to take place in fifteen minutes and he responded with a curt nod. When those fifteen minutes had passed, the crew found itself gathered around the ship's mess table to hear what the captain had to say. Rion revealed that she had used some of their recent windfall to purchase information regarding another potential claim; specifically, the wreckage of a ship that could very well be a military vessel downed during the war. The possibility of discovering a UNSC ship sparked a debate between Kip and the siblings, Lessa and [[Niko]], as Kip believed the [[UNSC Salvage Directive]] would need to be followed in such a case. Cade leaned back in his chair and quietly observed the argument with crossed arms. Rion met his somber gaze before she added her voice to the discussion by assuring Kip that she would do the right thing if any heavy ordinance was discovered. When Cade then spoke, he told Kip he should stop worrying and that Rion would be fair. He then asked her what their destination was, to which she replied "[[Ectanus 45]]". Their prize was located on a moon in that system, [[Eiro]]. Cade thoughtfully considered the news and reminded Rion that it was right on the edge of the [[Inner Colonies]], which was not their usual haunt and could lead to trouble for them. Rion was resolved to make the journey regardless, justifying it by way of the reward it could bring. After the conclusion of the meeting, Cade sparred with Rion after she worked out by herself. By the time they finished it had been an hour since they had left Venezia.<ref name="SAS"/> | ||
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===Laconia=== | ===Laconia=== | ||
[[Nor Fel]] informed the ''Ace of Spades'' crew that the ''Radiant Perception'' had spent the last twenty-six years grounded on the surface of [[Laconia]] in the [[Procyon system]], where it had crashed during the war. The Covenant and [[Covenant remnants]] had stayed away because of the presence of [[Mgalekgolo]] that had apparently killed the [[destroyer]]'s crew and multiplied for the following decades. After jumping to a point six million kilometers outside the Procyon system, Cade monitored [[Lessa]]'s attempt to course correct and take them to Laconia. Rion added that she wished to swing by [[Arcadia]] so that it was in visual range, and upon seeing it the entire crew was silent in the face of the [[glassed]] world. Once arriving in low geostationary orbit over Laconia, Cade and Lessa pulled up the best image they could of the CPV-heavy destroyer through the planet's ashen atmosphere using lidar and the ''Ace'''s quick mapping system. Life detection software confirmed the presence of a solitary lifeform inside the ship, but also eight smaller forms gathering outside it. Another vessel was also sighted: a Covenant [[war-freighter]]. Cade was confident the eight were Sangheili, but the software was at first inadequate to confirm whether the large form was a Mgalekgolo or not. Upon observing that the ''Perception'' was wedged in an old lava flow, Cade suggested that they might approach from a position three klicks away because deep scores and ridges of the volcano between could provide cover. He asked Rion for her thoughts, and she floated the idea of waiting for the Sangheili to leave. To this, Cade replied that there could be months' or even years' worth of salvage below, and that it would take that long for the Sangheili to finish going through it. He was determined that if they were going to stake a claim there, they would need to do so before the aliens called for reinforcements. However, Cade's enthusiasm drastically was cut short when it was realized the form inside the ship was not only Mgalekgo, but that it was on the [[bridge]] and thus unavoidable. Cade suddenly had serious doubts about whether their plan to enter the destroyer was worth it. He described what he had seen Mgalekgolo do as a marine and also cautioned that in all likelihood, another one was lurking nearby but unable to be detected by them for some reason. Rion was obstinate to his protestations in the face of this threat and in response, Cade stormed off the bridge. Rion found him in his quarters soon afterwards lying on his bunk and staring at the ceiling. He expressed frustration at her stubbornness and perceived disregard for her own safety but ultimately smiled because this was just who she was. He then found himself struggling to ask questions about where there relationship was heading, if anywhere. Before she could give an answer, he reminded her of the day they met to emphasize that he had her back. | |||
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==Personality and traits== | ==Personality and traits== | ||
Cade had grim eyes | Cade had grim eyes, a deep voice, and a tic in his jaw. He stood a good deal taller than Rion, who was herself 5 feet and 10 inches tall. His face was usually stoically passive. Rion thought him to be "all business", as he brought a sense of order and efficiency to the ''Ace of Spades''' small crew. It was not uncommon for him to serve as the "voice of reason" when Rion was prepared to push their work beyond their capable limits. He was steady, stoic, reliable, and the kind of person who could get a job done. He often didn't say much, but when he did, others tended to listen. Rion was amused by the fact that he called her "Forge" when he was pissed. He also simply called her "Ri" on occasion. Cade never had the same outward disgust for the UNSC that Lessa and Niko did. but the trauma of losing his family made him have his own personal issues with the way the military had made certain strategic decisions during the war. | ||
When he and Rion met, they would passionately debate about politics and wars, but as their relationship deepened, they stopped doing so and focused their energy and loyalty on the one thing they could truly count on: themselves. They were the one constant in each other's lives. The reality of having someone you could truly count on was immeasurable. The number of times that Cade and Rion had been in impossible situations but gotten out okay was more than Rion could count. Many of these situations had caused the two of them to almost come to blows over Rion's tactics. Cade and Rion's relationship repeatedly cycled through stages of friendship, sex, and tumult, though it was the deep, abiding friendship that was a steady constant. Cade understood Rion's drive better than anyone. It was his own similarities to her in that respect that led to their becoming friends to begin with, even though they each did dance around their future prospects. Both of them, scarred as they were, didn't want to experience more loss and hurt, so it was easier to pretend to be noncommittal. | |||
Cade's experience as a marine and later a salvager made him a man who knew more than anyone the price of taking risks, of jumping systems, and hunting salvage others would fight and kill for. For this reason, Rion valued his insight and considered him her second-in-command. Despite their closeness, Rion still never knew what Cade did with the [[credit]]s he earned. Even after fully committing to being a part of the crew on the ''Ace'', Cade maintained a clandestine network of former contacts from previous portions of his life that he could rely on for information.<ref name="SAS"/> | |||
==Equipment== | ==Equipment== | ||