Cade McDonough: Difference between revisions

|gender=Male<ref name="ITF"/>

**[[UNSC Marine Corps]] {{c|formerly}}<ref name="SAS"/>

*''[[Ace of Spades]]''<ref name="ITF"/>

'''Cade McDonough'''<ref>''[[Halo: Renegades]]'', Chapter ??</ref> was a former [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] and a salvager working on the modified {{Class|Mariner|transport ship}}, the ''[[Ace of Spades]]''.<ref name="ITF"/> He was romantically involved with the ship's [[captain]], [[Rion Forge]]. In January of [[2557]], he was killed by the [[Sangheili]] [[Sangheili Commander|Commander]], [[Gek 'Lhar]], during an altercation in the debris field of the [[Etran Harborage]], a [[Forerunner]] [[shield world]].<ref name="SAS"/>

At some point after his eighteenth birthday, Cade enlisted in 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. The last time he saw one was around [[2551]], after he had already been discharged and become a salvager. He killed more than his fair share of [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]], and even a few [[Sangheili]], during the war. On a select few occasions, he had even seen [[Spartan]]s in action. During the war, Cade's 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.<ref name="ITF"/> 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 in [[2549]], 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 and 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 ''[[Hakon]]'' in [[2551]] after the deaths of its captain, [[Bjorn Birger]], and his wife, [[Unn Birger|Unn]]. Eventually Rion left the ''Hakon'' behind and instead acquired the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'', a modified {{Class|Mariner|transport ship}}. Cade followed her. [[New Tyne]], [[Venezia]], became the place from which they conducted salvaging runs.<ref name="ITF"/> On a few occasions, the crew stumbled upon human remains amidst wreckage. In July of [[2556]], the crew of the ''Ace of Spades'' vacationed on [[Sundown]], and by December of that same year, it 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.<ref name="ITF"/>

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.<ref name="ITF"/> 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 ordnance 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]].<ref name="ITF"/> 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"/>

Eiro is tidally locked to an uninhabited planet, but there is a narrow twilight ring on its surface that supports a small settlement. The crew's target was purportedly located around fifty-six kilometers from this ring on the dark side of the moon. Once settling into geosynchronous orbit, it didn't take long for Lessa to locate the ship. Given the moon's deathly cold temperatures, Cade joined Niko in sarcastically remarking on an eagerness to freeze. As Rion and Lessa stayed on the birdge to land the ''Ace'', Cade, Kip, and Niko headed for the staging bay, referred to as the "locker room", to suit up.<ref name="ITF"/> With sixty seconds until touchdown on Eiro's surface, Cade broached the subject of dead bodies over comms to Rion. The captain gave a noncommittal answer that suggested she didn't want to think about it unless and until they needed to. Once the two women joined everyone else, Cade showed Kip how to link his wrist commpad to his helmet's [[HUD]] and to the rest of the crew. Accepting Kip's thanks, he smacked Niko on the helmet as he walked past him and jokingly reminded him to not forget his plasma cutters, as he had done during a previous excursion. Cade rallied the crew to disembark into the snowy outside and upon first viewing the ship, a {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}, Niko innocently asked him if it brought back memories. For his oblivious insensitivity, Lessa smacked her brother in the head, but Cade just calmly affirmed that it did indeed.<ref name="ITF"/> After walking around the hall of the [[cruiser]], it became apparent that at best, only a quarter of the ship was present and that it had been cut in two by a Covenant weapon. Cade identified the damage to have been done by a [[plasma]] [[energy projector]]. In order to cover as much ground as quickly as possible, Rion had the crew split up. Cade was directed to find an armory.<ref name="ITF"/>

He set off in search of one near the bridge, as it was likely there were one or two located in close proximity to it. Around forty-five minutes after their scavenging began, Rion checked in with Cade over their comms. He let her know he had discovered a decent payload: [[thermite paste]], small arms, rifles, [[jetpack]]s, body armor, and heavy ordnance. Rion reiterated that the heavy stuff would be left for the UNSC to recover but she instructed him to pack up everything else. After Rion went to explore the cabin of the captain of the cruiser, discovered to have been named the {{UNSCShip|Roman Blue}}, she exclaimed and made other noise over the comms upon making some shocking discoveries. Cade and the others, unaware whether everything was okay, filled her earpiece.<ref name="ITF"/> Just then, a hard blast struck the ''Roman Blue'' and made the whole thing shudder. Cade was the first one to react with a clear pronunciation that they were under attack. Rion ordered everyone back to the ''Ace of Spades'', but seeing as she was still back at the captain's quarters, it would take her around fifteen to twenty minutes more than everyone else to get there. Cade let her know that he would by no means be leaving without her but she overrode him by reminding him she could fend for herself and that they had been in similar situations before. Cade reluctantly gave in and agreed to get airborne in their ship and to go dark and lie low to wait for a further signal from her. The unknown attackers [[glassed]] the ''Roman Blue'', but Rion managed to escape in one piece and the ''Ace of Spades'' remained hidden.  

Rion reestablished contact with her crew after the coast was clear and the ship set down to pick her up with just ten minutes of her oxygen to spare. As the ramp descended, Cade was waiting for her. She could tell he was pissed at her from the way he commented on her general appearance and his use of her surname. The two of them made their way to the lockers to they could get out of their coldsuits.<ref name="SAS4">'''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''' ''Chapter 4''</ref> Cade used his knife to help Rion get one of her boots off that had partially charred in the recent [[plasma]]-generated heat. After establishing that she was okay and despite a tension between the two of them, Cade agreed to meet in the lounge with everyone else in thirty minutes.<ref name="SAS4"/> When Rion first arrived after showering, she found Cade standing at the observation deck and staring out into space. He refocused his attention on the others and made his way to the meeting table once the conversation started. Rion appealed to Cade when she found herself having to defend her decision to have the ''Ace'' go dark, but Cade admitted that it had been a difficult thing to do with her life on the line down below. Then, when Rion announced they would not be going after the ship that had glassed the ''Roman Blue'', even Cade was puzzled. He quickly guessed, however, that the responsible party had in fact been [[UNSC Armed Forces]], lending some credence to the call. Rion then produced a [[data crystal chip]] she gathered from the {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}} and gave it to Cade to insert into the [[holotank]]. He navigated through the data for her until the footage she wanted to show them was located: a recording from [[William Webb]], the captain of the cruiser. The log revealed that a [[log buoy]] had been dropped by the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} in [[2531]] just before it went missing. Rion's [[John Forge|father]] had been assigned to the ''Spirit of Fire'' at the time, and Rion had been wondering what had happened to him since she was a little girl.<ref name="SAS4"/> Webb had stated that a Covenant {{Class|CPV|heavy destroyer}}, ''[[Radiant Perception]]'', may have intercepted the buoy those many years ago. Rion was determined to find the ''Radiant Perception'', it being her first real lead on her father, and at this, Cade smiled. Salvaging a Covenant [[destroyer]] like the ''Radiant Perception'' meant that they could also come upon a [[luminary]], which was a prospect Cade called "salvage gold".<ref name="SAS4"/>

In order to begin the investigation into the whereabouts of the ''Radiant Perception'', a course was plotted for the in-system planet, [[Chi Rho]], as there was a communications satellite orbiting it that the crew could use to research their target. Four hours out from Chi Rho, Cade shared his thoughts about their chances of actually finding the destroyer with the other members of the crew. He admitted that as much as he wanted Rion's plan to work out, it was a big galaxy and the likelihood of success was slim. Despite this, he and other others remained hopeful for Rion's sake, which genuinely moved her. Cade even gathered glasses so that they could toast [[Alt Burgundy]] to finding the answers they sought. After the others had dispersed, Cade approached Rion with another glass of burgundy while she found herself staring out into the void. The two of them embraced the silence of the moment, and though Rion initially felt there was still a lingering tension from on Eiro, she finally leaned against him when he started talking about ways in which the log buoy could just be waiting for them to find it. Rion found herself appreciative of his warmth and stability, and he put his arm around her back. Cade then let Rion know that he sympathized with her struggle, as he could relate to agonizing over losing family members and to having personal demons and regrets. This actually made Rion feel slightly guilty, as she at least still had family, including her mother, back on Earth. Regardless, Cade's words did comfort her and the two were evntually joking with one another. Rion finally lay her head on Cade's shoulder as he pulled her even closer. When the ship was approaching Chi Rho, Cade was back in its old once more, working on the tracking system. By the time the satellite was accessed for [[Niko]] to begin researching the {{Class|CPV|heavy destroyer}} they sought, Cade had discreetly reached out to old contacts of his that might know something about the ship, but it would be a while before any responses could make it back to him. While Niko collected information, he also managed to discover a tracking device Rion had previously suspected the ''Ace'' had been tagged with at some point. Cade helped him pry it out of its hiding place in a well of the {{Class|Mariner|transport ship}}'s aft landing gear.<ref name="SAS"/>

Sometime later, the others from the crew joined Rion where Cade's body lay, having brought a grav stretcher to transport it. They all mourned together there before returning to the ship. Its service elevator was used to take it to the medbay, where Rion spent around two-and-a-half hours removing his gear, cleaning him, and putting him in his dress blues. Then, having approached [[Korinth Prior system|Korinth Prior]], they all watched as a personnel pod with Cade's body inside was fired into the dwarf star. Rion reflected on all the ways Cade has changed her life and changed who she was. She felt guilty for what had happened and regretted their refusal to commit to each other long-term. In addition to finding her father, she now had another goal as well: to make Gek 'Lhar pay for what he'd done.<ref name="SAS" />

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"/>

Like the other crew members of the ''[[Ace of Spades]]'', Cade had his own set of armor for working in cold environments. This coldsuit included a helmet with an opaque visor made of a tempered glass composite. He kept a knife sheathed in his belt and had his own [[MA5 series|MA5 assault rifle]].<ref name="SAS"/> In the thin-[[oxygen]] environment of Laconia, Cade donned a jacket to keep warm and in order to approach the ''Radiant Perception'' unseen he used active camouflage. He also took a sack of grenades with him on multiple occasions, which included [[M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose grenade]]s, [[thermite grenade]]s, and [[flashbang grenade]]s, a few of which he would strap to his belt for quick access. Cade never got rid of his dress blues from his time in the [[UNSC Marine Corps]] and also continued to wear his dog tags after being discharged. These were forcibly stolen from him by Gek 'Lhar following his impalement.