Cade McDonough: Difference between revisions

After going through a rundown with the crew, Rion and Cade stopped at the weapons store before disembarking from ''Ace''. Cade grabbed his [[assault rifle]], a sidearm, and the sack of grenades once more. His environment suit told him that the atmospheric conditions and temperature of the rock they were on were safe for humans, and so he removed his helmet. Their target was an identifiable door at the end of what seemed to be a flagstone road. Niko guided them through rocks along the road as they made their approach. Before landing, faint life signs had been detected just meters below the surface at the structure. Cade confirmed with Niko that they were still present and openly wondered what could be down there. A few steps into the structure, a blue light swept over Rion and Cade, who figured they must have tripped a sensor. Lights on the floor also were illuminated to show a path to a central console. Rion was inexorably drawn to place her hand on it, but Cade prevented her from doing so by grabbing her wrist. A flare of anger rose in her, but then she wondered why he hadn't had the same urge come over him. She asked "You don't want to touch it?" and he smiled, turning her question into one of sexual innuendo. Just then, Niko started shouting that the war-freighter from Laconia had followed them and was already present on this slab of debris. Cade ran to the entryway to begin laying down covering fire so the ''Ace'' could get airborne without being shot at. He noted that he could see the Sangheili vessel. Suddenly, Gek 'Lhar revealed himself by surprising Rion from behind and effortlessly tossed her against the console in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, Cade shouted orders to the crew aboard ''Ace of Spades''  and tossed a [[fragmentation grenade]] to provide a distraction and cover. Two other Sangheili present in the structure headed for the exit to ambush Cade, but Rion shouted a warning and he was able to dispatch them both with a [[thermite grenade]]. He turned to head back to where Rion was, but was caught completetely off guard by Gek. Right before the [[Sangheili Commander|Commander]] plunged his [[Type-1 energy sword]] through Cade's chest, he slide the remaining grenades across the floor to Rion. Gek bent over to rip Cade's dog tags from around his neck and add them to his [[keepsake|collection]] on his shoulder before leaving, having been injured by Rion. Cade's massive wound had been cauterized by the [[plasma]] of the sword, but his breathing was shallow and his gaze was unfocused as he fought to blink. He grabbed Rion's hand and tried to speak, but blood is his throat nearly prevented him from doing so. He managed to just tell her that it was okay before slipping away.

{{Quote|He's with his family now. He's got to be, right? There has to be more out there...Right?|[[Lessa]]|Lessa struggles to cope with the loss of Cade.}}

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.