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"I'm going to walk again if it kills me."
—Mathieson, after talking with Baird about building him prosthetic legs

Major Donneld Mathieson was a Gear officer in the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army, but was placed on light duty at Coalition High Command after losing both of his legs in combat. After Lt. Anya Stroud transferred from working in the CIC to the frontline, Mathieson became the head controller, directing much of the response to the Stranded Insurgency and the Lambent Pandemic. When the COG collapsed, Mathieson joined many Gears and civilians aboard the CNV Sovereign, serving as a controller for the rapid response force that looked after onshore communities. Matheison was eventually promoted to Major during the Outsider Movement and Swarm Invasion. In 42 A.E., Mathieson secretly assisted with Colonel Victor Hoffman's rogue operation against the Swarm.

Biography[]

Locust War[]

Promoted, Ambushed, and Crippled[]

"Mathieson, it's me. It's Colonel Hoffman. You hang in there, Donneld. Soon as you're out of here, we'll have you back at work, okay? Don't you worry."
—Hoffman to the unconscious Mathieson at Jacinto Medical Center

Eleven years after Emergence Day, Mathieson had recently been promoted to Second Lieutenant. He had quickly established a reputation for himself as a cheerful soldier who volunteered for dangerous assignments, and several people believed he would be given his own platoon soon. After drinking with some friends at The Rusty Nail one day, he left the bar and headed to play a game of Thrashball with his friends.[4] A year later, Mathieson's patrol was hit by a Locust ambush, and his legs were severely injured by a mine.[5] Two of his Gears, Witmann and DeVere, were also killed in the attack, and the rest had minor blast injuries. Mathieson was airlifted to Jacinto Medical Center for treatment, where Dr.Isabel Maryon-Hayman operated on him, but was forced to remove his legs in order to save his life.[6] He survived the operation against the expectations of several hospital personnel and was sent to a recovery room. Col.Victor Hoffman came to the hospital to visit him, but Mathieson was kept heavily sedated. Hoffman promised the unconscious Gear that he would find a way to get him back to work once he recovered enough. Hoffman was then forced to leave by nurse Maura Jarvi, who needed to take Mathieson to another ward.[7] By early Rise the next year, Mathieson had started physical therapy, and Hoffman promised him a job in the CIC once he was in a wheelchair.[8]

Working in the CIC[]

"I'm okay, sir. I can do this."
—Mathieson to Hoffman, as he attempted to put a pin at the top of a tactical map on the CIC wall

After recovering, Mathieson began working in the CIC as a control officer. During his first week, planning for the campaign to retake the West Barricade was underway. Mathieson joined Hoffman and fellow control officer Lt.Anya Stroud in the briefing room to present the plan to the unit commanders. Chairman Richard Prescott arrived to view the briefing as well, and welcomed Mathieson back to duty, and asked him to let him know if there was anything he needed. Mathieson was pleased by this, and thanked him for his attention.[9] As Mathieson continued to work in the CIC, he began standing in more and more for Anya to give her much needed time off. In early Frost, he contacted Hoffman when Pvt.Padrick Salton contacted the CIC to inform them of something he had discovered. He patched Hoffman through to Pad, who also transmitted his coordinates to Mathieson, which marked where he was observing a Locust sinkhole that was deploying Reavers. Hoffman then came down to the CIC to make a secure call, and he asked Mathieson where Anya was. He told Hoffman that he had sent to get some sleep since she looked tired. Hoffman told him that he was doing a good job in the CIC, and Mathieson asked him if he wanted some privacy to make his call. Hoffman told him he did not, and he was just calling Prescott to see if they could use the Lightmass Bomb on the new Locust sinkhole. After Hoffman finished his call, Mathieson wheeled himself over to a tactical map to stick some pins in it. He had trouble reaching a location at the top, but managed to stretch himself far enough to reach it. He saw Hoffman coming over to help, and assured his commander that he had it under control. Hoffman told him he would get a ramp installed, and that Mathieson had already proven how tough he was, and there was no reason for him to strain himself. Mathieson was not convinced, and finished putting the rest of the pins in before returning to his desk. Hoffman then asked him to recontact Pad, and Mathieson contacted him and patched Hoffman through. Several minutes later, the CIC came under attack from Reavers. Anya, who had just returned, began directing the response, but an explosion knocked them around and destroyed the comms antenna. After everyone checked to make sure they were okay, Mathieson tried clearing debris from his desk. A medic and several Gears arrived to get them out and to safety, and the medic apologized to Mathieson because there was no clear path for his wheelchair, and someone would have to carry him out. They relocated to the ballroom of the House of Sovereigns to establish a new CIC, and Mathieson worked with Anya and the rest of the staff to get it working.[10]

Lightmass Offensive[]

"You want me to let the Chairman know Schachter... completed the extraction?"
—Mathieson, asking Hoffman if he wanted him to inform Prescott that Marcus had not been rescued from The Slab

A year later, the Locust launched a massive assault on the remaining COG territory in Ephyra and Jacinto City. However, work on the Lightmass Bomb was complete, and Hoffman decided to begin the Lightmass Offensive to beat them back. He ordered Mathieson to find Cox and get him to deploy all available Centaurs to patrol between Timgad and the East Barricade Academy, and also to find Major Aleksander Reid. Mathieson told him that Reid was at the refugee center on Corren Way, but Hoffman ordered him to get him back to Wrightman Base to help run the operation. Hoffman also ordered Lt.Schachter to evacuate the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison and conscript the prisoners, including imprisoned Sgt.Marcus Fenix, under the orders of Prescott. However, Marcus was unable to be found, and was suspected to be trapped in the basement. Hoffman was forced to order Schachter to fall back due to the approaching Locust, and Mathieson asked Hoffman if he wanted him to inform Prescott about the "success" of the operation. Hoffman told him to be diplomatic, but not to lie for him, and Mathieson promised he would do his best.[11]

Evacuation of North Gate[]

"It might just be coincidence, but if you extend that line... well, you can see where they're heading."
—Mathieson, reporting to Hoffman about the Locust advance on the food production areas

One week after the Lightmass Offensive, Mathieson was working in the CIC. When he began receiving reports of new Locust breakthroughs that were threatening to cut off the COG's access North Gate Agricultural Depot, Mathieson brought the incursions to Hoffman's attention. Hoffman asked for his opinion on the Locust movements, and Mathieson thought while it might be a coincidence, but did not think it was worth risking doing nothing if it was not. Hoffman wondered how the Locust were able to tunnel there when they had not been able to before, and Mathieson theorized that the Lightmass Bomb had opened new fissures when it detonated. Mathieson handed Hoffman status updates as he briefed Chairman Richard Prescott on the situation, and put three squads on standby to escort a convoy to evacuate the area.[12]

Port Farrall[]

"They're emerging around the communal buildings. Food center, medical stations, latrines. All squads, engage."
—Mathieson, directing the response to a Locust incursion into Port Farrall

Three hours after the Sinking of Jacinto, Mathieson manned a comms post in an APC, keeping a tally of Gears and directing them to security duties and rest periods as they arrived in Port Farrall. He told Lt.Anya Stroud that she should get some rest, since she came back on watch in seven hours, but she refused. Hoffman arrived a few minutes later, and informed them that the CIC Truck was operational, and also asked Anya to find out some information about Cpl.Dominic Santiago. Anya began driving Mathieson to the CIC Truck, and he asked her why Hoffman was asking about Dom, and she responded that she didn't know he knew him. Mathieson told her that everyone knew Dom, who was perceived as Hoffman's favorite, and about his search for his missing wife. Anya told him that Hoffman had been asking because he was his favorite, unwilling to tell Mathieson that Dom had found his wife and been forced to euthanize her. When they reached the CIC Truck, Mathieson returned to manning a comms station. He then informed Anya on the location of Delta Squad after she asked him to locate them.[13] Several days later, when Delta investigated the underground areas of Merrenat Naval Base, Sgt.Marcus Fenix contacted Mathieson and told him to panic if they were late reporting in.[14] During the Battle of Port Farrall, Mathieson directed Gears to the emergence holes around the city, informing them that the Locust had attacked the communal buildings, and ordered all squads to engage.[15] After KR Eight-Zero and KR Three-Three killed a group of Locust, Mathieson dispatched a Armadillo to inspect the remains.[16] When Delta-One and Sigma-Four were ambushed on a scouting mission, Mathieson sent Bravo-Three and KR Eight-Zero as reinforcements, and told the Gears to hang in there until they arrived.[17]

Stranded Insurgency[]

On Task in the CIC[]

"No need to be insulting, sir..."
—Mathieson, after Hoffman suggested that he could be a politician

Several months later, the COG had moved to the island of Vectes, and entered into a war against Stranded Insurgents, who carried out hit and run attacks against the COG. When Hoffman came into the CIC and asked him for a status update for the day, Mathieson told him that Sigma Squad had encountered several insurgents, and killed two of them. Hoffman asked where Anya was, and Mathieson informed him that she was on patrol with Sgt.Bernadette Mataki, testing a new canine unit. He then asked Hoffman if he could assign Pvt.Samantha Byrne to help the two of them in hunting down Stranded, and Hoffman agreed, remarking that he felt sorry for whatever Stranded ran into the three of them. Mathieson agreed, and said that he always thought that female Gears were a lot more dangerous when they got going. Mathieson then told Hoffman he had tapped into the Republic of Gorasnaya's, a band of Union of Independent Republics survivors who had just joined the COG, comm channel, and discovered that their frigate, the Nezark, had sent out a distress signal and then had lost contact. Hoffman asked if he had informed Captain Quentin Michaelson of this development, but Mathieson told him he hadn't because Michaelson was meeting with Commander Miran Trescu, the leader of the Gorasni, and Mathieson didn't want to tip off that he was able to listen in on the Gorasni network. Hoffman told him he had done good work, and remarked that he would make a good politician someday. Mathieson told him that there was no need to be insulting, wishing that he could transfer back to the frontlines. Hoffman understood, and told Mathieson to keep him updated on any further developments.[18]

Ambush in Grid Echo-Three[]

"Well, you didn't specify Gears reinforcements."
—Mathieson, after Marcus told him that the Gorasni had arrived to help them

Later that day, the Stranded ambushed a Packhorse on patrol, killing several Gears. Mathieson contacted Hoffman and informed him of the attack, and Hoffman swore that he would make the Stranded rue the day they decided to attack the COG. Gears were deployed into the forest to hunt down the Stranded, and Dom contacted Mathieson to let him know he and Marcus had spotted contacts in Grid Charlie-Four. A few minutes later, Marcus contacted him and said told him to warn the other patrols to watch out for Gorasni in the woods, and that they didn't seem to be big on patrol discipline. Mathieson told him he would, and that he would try to avoid using the words "friendly fire" in regards to them. Several minutes later, Marcus contacted him again and said he and Dom had fallen into a Stranded ambush in Grid Charlie-Three, about fifteen hundred meters from the road. Mathieson told him he would try to find them some backup in the area, and managed to contact the Gorasni patrols and direct them to the battle. After the ambush was defeated, Marcus contacted Mathieson and told him the Gorasni had shown up to help, and Mathieson told him that Marcus hadn't specified that he wanted Gears as reinforcements.[19]

Battle of Vectes[]

"Say again, Ten-Kilo. How many down? Is Andresen T-one? How bad is he?"
—Mathieson, responding to the ambushes that started the Battle of Vectes

Two days later, Mathieson got a report from Anya that they had located enemy personal, and requested backup to help ambush them. He sent in Echo Squad, led by Sgt.Drew Rossi, to assist them.[20] However, Anya and Bernie's Packhorse, P-Twelve, hit a roadside bomb on the way to the ambush, but they survived. Anya asked Mathieson to send a King Raven to pick them up, and he complied, sending KR-239 and Delta to secure the area. He also sent another squad to help assist in the ambush.[21] However, the Stranded managed to get away, and Mathieson was suddenly overwhelmed by reports coming in of roadside bombs and ambushes. He received a report from Omircron that their commander, Sgt.Rory Andresen, was badly wounded, and as he attempted to determine how badly Andresen was hurt, Mathieson dispatched KR Three-Three to extract him and other wounded Gears. Mathieson was joined by Anya, who had just returned from the field, in coordinating the response to the battle.[22] When Cpl.Dominic Santiago and Pvt.Augustus Cole contacted him to ask for an assignment, he told them to get up to the CIC and help man the comms system. When they arrived, he directed them to a comms desk without even breaking off from his conversation with a Gear squad.[23]

Forest Raid[]

"Sorry, sir, he's not using the kit we gave him. He's on his own net. They've got a transmitter on board one of their ships."
—Mathieson, to Col.Hoffman after he was unable to raise Commander Trescu on the radio

Several days later, after Commander Trescu launched a raid on Stranded camps in the forest without Hoffman's permission, Mathieson was contacted by Hoffman. He was told to raise Trescu on the radio, but Mathieson discovered that Trescu was using his own radio network and not the COG's, due to a transmitter Trescu had aboard one of the Gorasni ships. This angered Hoffman, and he ordered Mathieson to shut it down.[24] A few days later, Bernie reported to Mathieson that she had engaged and killed three Stranded. Mathieson told her that Sam could pick Bernie up on her Rat bike, but she told him she had Mac, her dog, with her, and he couldn't ride the bike. Mathieson told her to keep her channel open, and to let the Gears at the gate to the city know she was coming, since everyone had gotten jumpy after the Emerald Spar Imulsion Platform had fallen to the Lambent.[25]

Lambent Pandemic[]

Preparing for Battle[]

"Ollivar's vessels are moving into the MEZ. Quite a few more hulls than we'd imagined- the Stranded contingent her must be bigger than we thought. He wants to talk to you."
—Mathieson, telling Hoffman that the Stranded fleet had arrived

As the COG put defenses in place to defend Vectes against attack by the Lambent, the Stranded fleet arrived to take the remaining Insurgents away, and Mathieson was surprised by how large the fleet was, and guessed the Stranded presence on the island was larger than they had suspected. The Stranded leader, Lyle Ollivar, contacted the CIC and demanded to speak with Hoffman. Mathieson contacted Hoffman and informed him of the situation, but Hoffman informed him to tell Ollivar to cut the crap and pull his people out, and that he did not have to fear being ambushed by vengeful Gears. Mathieson passed on that message, but Ollivar was insistent that he speak to Hoffman. Mathieson told Hoffman that, so Hoffman ordered him to patch Ollivar through to him.[26]

The Battles of Pelruan and New Jacinto[]

"Three. There's three."
—Mathieson, reporting to the Gears that there are three Lambent Leviathan's assaulting Vectes

A few days later, the Lambent attack began. Sam and Bernie called in a Lambent Leviathan at Pelruan, and Mathieson sent back-up to the town.[27] Soon after, a second Leviathan was spotted by Stranded infantry, which had joined with the COG to help defeat the Lambent for one battle, and Mathieson contacted all the Gears and sent them to their battle positions. He also ordered all King Ravens into the air, and ordered the Rig drivers to prepare to begin defensive operations.[28] When a second attack on Pelruan began, Mathieson tried to find two Gear squads to free up, but a Gorasni squad led by Yanik Laas volunteered instead. Mathieson also reported to all forces that they were dealing with three Lambent Leviathans.[29] When Hoffman came to the CIC, Mathieson told him that the evacuation of civilians deeper inland was underway, but many of them were staying put and refusing to go. He also told him that Bernie was still alive and fighting at Pelruan. Hoffman told him to keep him updated on the status of Pelruan no matter what, and Mathieson told him he would. Hoffman then dismissed him so that he could look at a data disk he had taken from Prescott's desk. Mathieson understood he needed to leave, and quickly rolled himself out of the CIC.[30] During a break in the battle, and the end of the battle at Pelruan, Mathieson gathered with several other officers and Gears in the CIC to plan their next move. Hoffman ordered him to contact Michaelson and find out what the submarines were doing. After he made contact, he told Hoffman and the others that Michaelson and the submarines were tracking the Leviathans.[31] When they prepared to use the Hammer of Dawn on the last Leviathan, Mathieson kept track of the CNV Falconer which was being used to bait the Leviathan. When Baird fired the Hammer, it was close to the cliffs next to the base, and the blast knocked out all of the buildings windows, and damaged the building. Mathieson managed to avoid getting injured, and got out the CIC room as it fell apart.[32]

After the Battle[]

"No, go get yourself a coffee and clean up. I've lost track of who needs an extra pair of hands until Major Reid gets back."
—Mathieson, to Bernie after she comes in asking if there is an assignment she was needed for

The day after the battle, the CIC and Mathieson moved to the infirmary wing. When Bernie arrived looking for Hoffman, he told her that he was meeting with Trescu and Michaelson. Since he had no assignments for her, Mathieson sent her down to get a coffee and clean her armor up until Hoffman could see her.[33] Later that day, he ate lunch while talking with a pilot of a patrolling Raven. Hoffman wandered by, and Mathieson told him that with the Stranded gone, and that he couldn't get used to it. Hoffman told him to make the most of it, and the longest the COG had ever gone without something happening was the six weeks between the Pendulum and Locust Wars. Hoffman then noticed that he had a UIR canteen, and Mathieson told him that Yanik had given it to him, and that he thought the Gorasni soldier felt sorry for him being stuck in the CIC. Hoffman then asked him where Sam was, and Mathieson told him to check the mess hall, and asked if he was getting a tattoo. Hoffman told him that he needed a scar removed, and Mathieson tactfully didn't ask him what he meant.[34] Mathieson quickly became friends with Yanik, and the two of them talked often. Mathieson told him about how Dom's brother and Anya's mother had been killed during the Pendulum Wars, which is why both of them were slightly distrustful of the Indies.[35] He also mentioned that Hoffman had lost his wife during the Hammer of Dawn Counterattack.[36]

Battle of Grid Echo-Five[]

"I heard you, Eight-Zero, but echo-five is inland. Please confirm your position."
—Mathieson to Gettner, after she reported stalks emerging in the middle of the island

Ten days later, KR Eight-Zero and Delta-One reported in that they had found Mac, Bernie's dog, with fresh burns from a Polyp. Mathieson told them that he was issuing a warning across the island. Minutes later, Major Gill Gettner reported back to him that three Lambent Stalks had come up in the middle of the island, and requested backup.[30] Mathieson quickly asked her to confirm her position since they had never had stalks inland before. Gettner yelled at him that she knew that, and that was why she was asking for backup quickly since they shouldn't be there. He asked her how many polyps there were, and she told him there weren't any yet. Mathieson told her he understood, and to stand by for reinforcements. However, nothing emerged from the stalk, so the area was assumed safe and Hoffman and Prescott began heading to the area to investigate. However, polyps soon attacked Delta from holes that opened up around the stalk, and quickly spread to areas nearby. Hoffman eventually contacted Mathieosn and told him that they had a dead civilian they needed to explain to Pelruan, and ordered him to contact Trescu and brief him on the situation before he thought they were holding out on him. Mathieson told him that Trescu likely already knew since the Gorasni monitored voice traffic, but Hoffman told him that made it all the more important to come clean with him, and that he would talk with Trescu as soon as he got back to VNB. A few minutes later, he contacted Lt.Mel Sorotki and told him that Pvt.Dizzy Wallin would be at the emergence site in half and hour with his Assault Derrick, Betty, and asked him to pass the information onto Hoffman.[37]

Tracking a Signal[]

"I've heard it a few times before.. I just caught a blip on a weird frequency, that's all. Like a satellite databurst."
—Mathieson, discussing the mysterious signal with Baird

Later that day, Mathieson picked up a strange signal on a weird frequency that he had detected several times before. He began concentrating on tracing it, closing his and working exclusively on trying to determine what it was. He heard someone walking up behind him, and gestured for whoever it was to wait. He opened his eyes and saw Baird settling into a seat, and explained what he was doing and told him that he would be with him in a moment. Baird mouthed Hoffman at him, but Mathieson shook his head to indicate he couldn't help him for a moment. When he finished, he slipped off his radio headset and apologized for keeping Baird waiting, and told him that Hoffman had gone to Pelruan to talk with the upset civilians. Baird asked him if the signal was Stranded, and Mathieson told him that he didn't have any idea, and that it appeared to be a satellite databurst. Baird suggested that it might be a Hammer satellite on the fritz, but Mathieson informed him that it was on an old meteorology satellite frequency. He then asked Baird if he wanted him to contact Hoffman for him, but Baird said it was fine and he could talk to him later. Mathieson then asked Baird if he could build socket joints, because he had found a Gorasni guy who could make prosthetic legs if he could get the metal components. Baird told him he could do that and that he would talk to the Gorasni. Matheison thanked him, and remarked that he would walk again even if it killed him. He put his headset back on and realized the mysterious signal was broadcasting again. Baird told him that he spent too much time at his desk, and that he needed to get out more. Mathieson looked at him and remarked that he knew things nobody else did since he was always on duty, and that he could get out more if Baird built the socket joints. Baird was chastised, and promised that he would make Mathieson a champion sprinter. Mathieson smiled at the thought and returned to monitoring the radio net.[38] Later that day, Marcus and Dom went out on a patrol aboard KR-239, and Mathieson drew them a map of Vectes that showed where the volanic fissures were on the island.[39]

Telling Hoffman about the Signal[]

"It's always the same time- not every day, but when it happens, you can set your watch by it. No idea what the data is. That'll be decoded by the receiving station."
—Mathieson, telling Hoffman and Michaelson about the mysterious data bursts

Two days later, Mathieson detected the signal again, and decided to tell Hoffman about it. He saw him walk past the CIC room with Michaelson, Trescu, and Emergency Management Chief Royston Sharle, and asked to see him after he was done with his meeting with Prescott. Hoffman told him that he was free right then, but Mathieson quickly glanced at Trescu and the others to indicate that this was something he needed to just tell him, and said that it could wait until later.[40] As he waited for Hoffman to return, Mathieson examined a metal socket joint that Baird had built and given to Mathieson to show how his progress was coming on making him some prosthetic legs. Hoffman then arrived and asked if everything was okay, and Mathieson handed him a radio headset and played a recording of the latest encoded data burst transmission. Hoffman called Michaelson in to hear it as well, and asked Mathieson how he had found it. He told Hoffman that it got too regular, and while it was not sent out every day, it always happened at exactly the same times. Michaelson speculated it could be Stranded, even if it was high-tech for them, but Mathieson showed them his calculations and said that it had to be coming from somewhere on Vectes. Michaelson then noticed the joint socket on his desk, and asked if it was Baird's work. Mathieson explained what Baird and the Gorasni were doing for him, which Michaelson was happy to hear about. He then questioned if the data burst could be coming from a metrological satellite, and Mathieson told him that it was possible, but he wasn't sure why anyone would want to do that. Hoffman asked how long it had been going on, and Mathieson said that he had started picking it up six weeks prior, but was becoming more frequent. Hoffman told him to log all instances of it happening, and congratulated him on his good work finding it.[41]

Monitoring the Signal[]

"Our databurst friend's been busy overnight. Different times, but the activity's definitely picking up."
—Mathieson, telling Hoffman that the messages were increasing

Mathieson contacted Hoffman again the next day and informed him that Lt.Kevan Mitchell had just reported in after looking at recon images of the contaminated zones around the stalks that had appeared around the island, and said that they had all stopped expanding except for the newest one south of Pelruan. Hoffman was pleased, and Mathieson also asked to see him the next time he passed by the CIC. Hoffman told him that he was on his way now, and when he arrived, Mathieson presented him the radio records for all of the unknown transmissions that had gone out since the last time they spoke. He told Hoffman that whoever was sending the messages had sent a lot last night at different times, so the activity was definitely increasing as more Lambent appeared on the island. Mathieson also told him that Bernie had stopped by looking for him, and that he thought that she appeared to be annoyed with him about something. Hoffman thanked him for the heads up and the radio records, and set off to investigate them.[42]

Second Battle of New Jacinto[]

"Control to all callsigns, it's going for the oiling jetty. Everyone get clear. I said get clear."
—Mathieson, ordering Gears away from the oiling jetty before the Lambent Leviathan reached it

When a Lambent Leviathan was spotted approaching Vectes the next morning, Mathieson was joined by Anya and Baird in the CIC, and directed the navy vessels and Gear squads into defensive formation on the docks while they prepared the Hammer of Dawn. Commander Alisder Fyne and CPO Frank Muller took a Marlin out to get close to the Leviathan and paint it with a targeting laser. The first attempt missed the Leviathan, and Mathieson told all call signs to stand by while they tried again. The Leviathan avoided the Hammer again, and Mathieson announced that the Hammer had gone offline due to a lack of targeting satellites. The naval ships opened fire on the Leviathan, but it avoided their fire, and Mathieson calculated that it was on a direct course for the oiling jetty. He ordered everyone to get clear, but many Gears rushed to it to try and find some way to scare the Leviathan off, because if it reached the jetty and exploded, it would take half the dockyard and ships with it. Yanik and SWO Teodor Marisc went out on a RIB and dropped depth charges on the Leviathan, causing it to surface and allowing Marcus to throw a Bolo Grenade down its throat, destroying it before it reached the jetty.[43]

Meadow Skirmish Aftermath[]

"Sir, Lieutenant Stroud's on her way back with the patrol. Sergeant Mataki's got something weird to show you."
—Mathieson, informing Hoffman of another skirmish against the Lambent

After Anya took out a patrol to locate missing livestock, she contacted Mathieson and informed him that her squad had fought a new kind of Lambent, and she and Bernie were bringing pieces of it in to show Hoffman. Mathieson contacted Hoffman and told him about the situation, making sure to let him know immediately that Bernie was okay. Hoffman asked if Anya had said what kind of Lambent creature it was, but he told him that she didn't, but that it wasn't a Lambent bull, which had been spotted earlier. Hoffman also asked if he had told Prescott, but Mathieson remarked that he could never get hold of him, so he would leave it up to Hoffman to tell him if he wanted, which Hoffman thanked him for.[44] Hoffman joined him in the CIC a few minutes later, and Mathieson directed him to a desk where he could sit and see Anya and Bernie's APC arrive back at the base. Hoffman asked if there had been anymore databurst activity, but Mathieson told him that he had been too busy to monitor for it. Hoffman told him that it was fine, and that everyone was having a bad day. Mathieson asked him if he was alright, and Hoffman told him that it was just the usual frustrations boiling over. Bernie entered the CIC a few minutes later, along with her dog Mac and a sack carrying remains from the new Lambent creature. She began showing them to Hoffman and describing the battle, but Mathieson noticed Prescott approaching and tried to warn Hoffman before he arrived, but was too late. Prescott took over the examination, and had Hoffman and Bernie follow him upstairs to his office to inspect the remains in private.[45] Hoffman returned a little while later and told Mathieson he was going to go catch up with Delta, and asked if anything had happened while he was meeting with Prescott. Mathieson told him that there had been two more databursts but no more Lambent incursions, and that Bernie told him that she would be in the mess hall for half an hour if Hoffman wanted to drop by and talk to her about the Lambent dogs.[46]

Crisis[]

"Control to any callsign north of the base. We've got a possible polyp incursion near the old reservoir. Gird delta-seven."
—Mathieson, calling for someone to investigate Lambent activity

Two days later, Mathieson got a report of a possible polyp incursion near an old reservoir in grid delta-seven, which was outside of the area where volcanic fissures were used by the stalks to emerge. He contacted all units north of VNB and asked for someone to investigate, and Dom, Sam, and KR Eight-Zero responded and headed to check it out. They encountered polyps, and a stalk emerged through the ground there, meaning that no area on Vectes was safe any longer.[47] The next day, Mathieson began picking up irregular databurst activity, and made a note to tell Hoffman. Commander Garcia also contacted him from the CNV Clement and told him that he had picked up possible contacts on the continental shelf, which may or may not be have been a Leviathan. Pvt. Iasso also began complaining to him about the Lambent specimens Prescott was having stored in the food freezer. Several veterans who had lived in Pelruan wanted to return there to remove the name plaque from the memorial there, and Mathieson made a note to himself to talk to Anya about it.[48] A few days later, Prescott had suddenly abandoned the COG and disappeared on a short range trawler with his bodyguards. Mathieson stayed in contact with Trescu, who was following Prescott in the Zephyr, and Trescu reported to him that they were on Prescott's tail, and could hear his ship halfway across the ocean. Mathieson figured that Prescott had to be heading for a rendezvous, and Trescu agreed. However, Prescott managed to give Trescu the slip and escape his boat with his bodyguards undetected.[49] The next day, Mathieson contacted Hoffman and informed him that there hadn't been any databursts since yesterday, which surprised Hoffman, and he told Mathieson he would be done to see him later.[50]

Third Battle of New Jacinto[]

"Oh yeah. Like you wouldn't believe. But I'm walking, aren't I? Baird and his Gorasni buddies really did it."
—Mathieson, after Hoffman asked him if his prosthetic legs hurt

Three months later, the Lambent attacks continued to grow worse, and Hoffman, Michaelson, and Trescu began planning for the evacuation of Vectes, with the survivors splitting into several groups that would maintain radio contact but signify the end of the COG. One day, as the ships were being prepared to leave the island and Gears and civilians worked to strip the island of everything useful, Mathieson sounded VNB's base alarm and contacted all units, informing them that tremors had been detected near the bases north perimeter. The Gears rushed to their defensive positions, and stalks emerged within the housing district. The Gears fought off the polyps and other Lambent creatures that emerged, but many civilians were killed and the timetable for withdrawal was moved up to the within the next two weeks. Hoffman contacted Mathieson after the battle and told him to contact Trescu, Sharle, SSgt.Lennard Parry, Maj.Aleksander Reid, Lewis Gavriel, and Keir Ingram for a meeting. While Hoffman was in the meeting with them, Mathieson put on the prosthetic legs that Baird and the Gorasni had built for him, and began walking around the CIC with the help of forearm crutches. When Hoffman arrived in the CIC a few minutes later, he stood in shock at seeing Mathieson walking, and Mathieson grinned as he sat down and asked Hoffman what he thought. Hoffman asked him if he was in any pain, and Mathieson told him that it hurt so much that he couldn't believe it, but was just happy to be able to walk again because of Baird and the Gorasni. Hoffman patted him on the back and told him that he had just given him some hope, and Mathieson asked if they were really leaving. Hoffman told him they were, but they were not going to let the Lambent finish them off and would survive whatever came next. Mathieson said it was a good thing he was walking then, and smiled as he returned to work.[51]

Flooding of Pelruan[]

"Anyone out there who can call in at Pelruan? We still haven't recovered the war memorial plaque. The vets are still going on about it. We can'l leave it behind."
—Mathieson, asking for a volunteer to go to Pelruan

One week later, Cpl.Frederic Benten, one of the veterans from Pelruan, asked Mathieson again about the plaque at the war memorial in Pelruan. Mathieson agreed that it shouldn't be left behind, and contacted all the units currently active, asking if anyone wanted to go to Pelruan to recover the plaque. Marcus responded, telling Mathieson that he and Dom would recover it, which Mathieson thanked him for. A few minutes later, Sam contacted him and asked where Hoffman was, and he told her that he was on the bases walls with Anya.[52] Marcus contacted him a while later and requested an evac for himself, Dom, and Benten from Pelruan, which had begun sinking into the ocean when an Imulsion pocket opened beneath it, and Mathieson sent KR-80 to rescue them.[53] Several minutes later Mathieson heard an explosion come from Pelruan, and Gettner contacted him, saying thousands of polyps had emerged from the sinking Pelruan, and they had set off the Imulsion field to create a chain reaction to destroy as many of them as possible. Mathieson asked how many polyps there were, and she told him that there were at least a million covering more than a kilometer of land, and the thousands of survivors were still moving inland, so she was going to evacuate the Imulsion drill site. Mathieson told her would warn them she was incoming. When he contacted Stefan Gradin and told him about the incoming polyps, the Gorasni decided to evacuate themselves in their vehicles. Mathieson contacted Gettner again and told her, so she decided to fly cover for them if the polyps reached them before they could all pull out.[54]

Contacting Anvil Gate

Mathieson trying to contact Anvil Gate.

On the Sovereign[]

"All watches to auto-repeat contact attempt daily until further notice."
—Mathieson, ordering his other controllers to continue attempts to reestablish contact with Anvil Gate

When the evacuation occurred, Mathieson elected to go aboard the CNV Sovereign and serve as a controller for the rapid response force stationed aboard it, which responded to threats posed to the eight seaside communities they had set up. When a Stranded ship was spotted approaching the Sovereign eight days after the evacuation, Mathieson manned the ships radar station. The ship contacted them, and it was revealed that the ship’s captain was Lyle Ollivar, who claimed to have something the COG wanted. Mathieson and the others hoped it was Prescott, but were disappointed when it was revealed that Ollivar just wanted to help them set up onshore communities in exchange for Imulsion.[55] Several days later, Mathieson lost contact with Anvil Gate, where Hoffman had taken several thousand civilians and some Gears to set up a secure outpost. He believed that it was due to the failing satellite network, and worked on trying to establish a better signal. Mathieson also ordered all watches to continue attempting to contact Anvil Gate until further notice.[56] Two months after leaving Vectes, Mathieson was still trying to contact Anvil Gate. Michaelson listened in, and Mathieson told him that he guessed the comm satellite had gone down, and that they only way they would be able to contact Hoffman would be to pay a personal visit. Michaelson was upset, but told Mathieson to stand easy and that he would take over watch for an hour. As he left the bridge, Mathieson warned him to keep an eye on the radar since there were a lot of Stranded out that day. The next day, the settlement at Gerrenhalt contacted the Sovereign and told Mathieson that they were under attack by Lambent. Mathieson told the Gears to stand by, and ordered KR Eight-Zero to get ready for takeoff, and for Delta-One to board the Raven and head to Gerrenhalt to assist in the defense.[57]

Victory Day[]

"Prepare to evacuate! All nonessential personnel, report to lifeboats immediately! Prepare to evacuate!"
—Mathieson, ordering the evacuation of the Sovereign after it is attacked by a Lambent Leviathan

About fourteen months later, Mathieson was working in the CIC while the Sovereign was anchored off of the coast of Hanover when KR Zero-One approached the ship, and the pilot claimed to have Prescott aboard. Mathieson summoned Marcus, Dom, and Cpl.Jace Stratton to the CIC immediately to meet with Anya. A few seconds later, the Sovereign entered Lambent waters, and a dormant Stalk grazed the ship, Mathieson issued a warning to the crew, and ordered the damage control team to report to the hanger deck, and put the crew on alert state two. He then ordered deck two to secure all hatches, and for a sea safety team to go to deck two and prepare for the incoming Raven. Several minutes later, Lambent attacked the ship, and after Mathieson received reports about it, he quickly issued an alert, telling all hands to go to action stations, and that the Lambent had boarded on the starboard bow with several unidentified variants. The first wave was repelled, but more Lambent attacked, and Mathieson issued another alert. After the new Lambent were taken out, Mathieson put the ship at action stations until they were clear of Lambent waters. When more stalks were spotted approaching the ship, Mathieson warned the crew to brace for impact. The Stalks hit the Sovereign and dumped hundreds of more Polyps, Lambent Drones, and Drudges aboard. When a fire erupted in the galley flat, Mathieson directed fire control teams to suppress it.[58] When a Lambent Leviathan attacked the ship, Mathieson gave the order for all nonessential personnel to evacuate the ship and report to the lifeboats immediately. Once all the lifeboats were away and heading for shore, Mathieson informed the remaining Gears defending the ship. The Sovereign took heavy damage from the Leviathan, and part of Delta was forced to drop Tickers onto the Leviathan from the Centennial Bridge in order to stop it. However, the Leviathan exploded, destroying most of the ship and beaching the remaining hull onto the Hanover shore.[59] Mathieson survived the explosion, and regrouped with the other survivors.[60]

Mathieson takes a break

Mathieson walking with crutches.

Interwar Period[]

Mathieson survived the war and continued his military service with the new COG over the next 25 years. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Major.[2]

Swarm Invasion[]

Hivebuster Offensive[]

In 42 A.E., Colonel Victor Hoffman recruited Major Mathieson into his rogue operation. Matheison selected Team Scorpio's members for Hoffman and sent a disk drive containing a message about his selection with the Vulture carrying the DeeBee forces intended to be used in the mission. The Vulture crashed on Pahanu, but someone, presumably Hoffman, was able to access Mathieson's message remotely.[2]

Personality and Traits[]

"Delta, Sigma, all squads- this is Control. Bravo-Three's heading your way. Hang in there."
—Mathieson, informing a group of ambushed Gears that backup is coming

As a former frontline Gear, Mathieson did not like being forced into desk duties after losing both legs in combat,[61] and was determined to find some way to walk again.[62] When Baird began working on prosthetic legs for Mathieson, the idea of walking again cheered him up greatly, and he began acting happier than he had in a long time.[46] When his prosthetics were completed, Mathieson was overjoyed to be walking again, even though the pain was severe.[63]

Mathieson could be diplomatic when he needed to be, but was insulted when Hoffman said that he could have been a politician, since he would have rather been fighting.[64] He had a habit of using long silences to add negative adjectives that he didn't want to say aloud to something he had just mentioned.[65] After Anya became a frontline Gear, Mathieson's skills as a controller increased greatly, and he managed to perfect having a calm, reassuring voice that was also able to let Gears know what he was telling them was important.[28]

Twenty-five years later, Mathieson retained his loyalty to Hoffman and went behind First Minister Mina Jinn's back to help Hoffman with his rogue operation, suggesting that Mathieson didn't share in Jinn's faith in the DeeBees and as such was willing to trust in Hoffman's plan more.[2]

Behind the Scenes[]

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 3 images related to Donneld Mathieson.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 14
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gears: Hivebusters
  3. Gears of War: The Slab pg 291
  4. Gears of War: The Slab pg 208
  5. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 45
  6. Gears of War: The Slab pg 285-286
  7. Gears of War: The Slab pg 291
  8. Gears of War: The Slab pg 332
  9. Gears of War: The Slab pg 349-350
  10. Gears of War: The Slab pg 361-369
  11. Gears of War: The Slab pg 421-425
  12. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 45-47
  13. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 28-35
  14. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 107
  15. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 118
  16. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 161
  17. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 171
  18. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 14-15
  19. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Two
  20. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 31
  21. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 35
  22. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 41-42
  23. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 46-47
  24. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 141
  25. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 251
  26. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 306
  27. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 321
  28. 28.0 28.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 327
  29. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 334
  30. 30.0 30.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 345-346
  31. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 356-358
  32. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 391-393
  33. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 429
  34. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 437-438
  35. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 70
  36. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 84
  37. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 7-27
  38. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 45-47
  39. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 88
  40. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 140
  41. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 142-143
  42. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 206-208
  43. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 210-213
  44. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 274
  45. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 280-281
  46. 46.0 46.1 Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 285
  47. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 295-297
  48. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 318
  49. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Three (Need to Know)
  50. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 343
  51. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 381-392
  52. Gears of War: pg 402-404
  53. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 410-411
  54. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 416-417
  55. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 437
  56. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 443
  57. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Four (Diaspora)
  58. Gears of War 3: Anchored
  59. Gears of War 3: Abandon Ship
  60. http://twitter.com/#!/karentraviss/status/119539636216401920
  61. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 29
  62. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 46
  63. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 392
  64. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 15
  65. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 14
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