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"That was a bastard of a war."
—Quentin Michaelson, shortly after the Sinking of Jacinto, and learning the fate of Dominic Santiago's family

Captain Quentin Michaelson was the captain of the Coalition of Ordered Governments navy vessel CNV Pomeroy and commander of D-flotilla during Operation Leveler. During the Locust War, Michaelson was in command of counter piracy for the COG Navy. After the evacuation of Jacinto City, Michaelson was promoted to head of the navy becoming in charge of the Marine Corps, and assisted in the decision to move the remnants of the COG to the island of Vectes. After the move, Michaelson led the navy in a war against Stranded insurgents, until the Lambent invaded the surface, forcing the COG back into a war for humanities survival. When Chairman Richard Prescott abandoned the COG, Michaelson served as one of the three heads of state alongside Chief of the COG Defense Staff Col.Victor Hoffman and Commander Miran Trescu. The COG eventually collapsed, and Michaelson commanded the remnants of the fleet from the CNV Sovereign, running the rapid response force that helped out the onshore communities established by the former COG.

Biography[]

Pendulum Wars[]

Michaelson Portrait

A portrait of Michaelson hung in the House of Sovereigns.

Early Life and Career[]

When Michaelson was a child, he liked digging holes in his moms garden. He once buried her best porcelain teapot the garden, pretending it was pirates treasure, which angered his mother.[2] Michaelson later joined the Coalition of Ordered Governments Navy , and fought in the Pendulum Wars. He was busted as a cadet when he was caught drunk entering the underground complex of Merrenat Naval Base.[3] Michaelson also led amphibious special forces during the war.[4] At some point he met Victor Hoffman and became friends with him.[5]

Planning Operation Leveler[]

"We can't reassure them that we haven't noticed Aspho so they can relax, can we? So we adapt. We've still got to prevent their using that technology, at the very least. But seizing it now might be a tall order."
—Michaelson, after seeing new intel on increased security around Aspho Point

Michaelson later became the commander of D-Flotilla, and in 3 B.E., was summoned to attend a meeting at the House of Sovereigns. When he arrived, he found Hoffman there as well, and both were confused as to why maritime forces, the special operations commander, and the orbital weapons division had been invited to a meeting with the COG top brass. After they took their seats, they were even more surprised when the briefing was given by Chairman Tomas Dalyell himself, who revealed the existence of a Union of Independent Republics satellite weapon called the Hammer of Dawn. He ordered the officers in attendance to come up with a plan to raid Aspho Point, where the information on the weapon was stored, and secure it for the COG.[6] Michaelson became one of the few people involved directly in planning the operation, along with Hoffman, General Jolyon Iver, Intel Agent Louise Settile, and Professor Adam Fenix. After several weeks of planning, aerial recon showed that the UIR was beefing up their forces in the area, and Hoffman became worried there was a leak. Iver believed that the Indies were just close to completing the weapon, but Michaelson was worried about how they were going to be able to capture the data with the increased security. Adam informed them they would need bots to get the data, and Michaelson questioned if that meant they needed to capture the scientists alive, or kill them to ensure they couldn't recreate it. Adam was uneasy with killing civilians, but Settile told him that his opinion on it didn't matter, and to just provide information on the data they needed. Michaelson then figured out a way to divert some of the security around the facility away, by launching a diversionary attack on the city of Berephus, making it seem as if they were going to invade the country. The others agreed to the addition, and then Hoffman wondered how they were going to infiltrate and extract from the facility. Michaelson came up with an idea, and asked Iver for two Sea Ravens for modification, to which Iver agreed.[7]

Training for the Operation[]

"I suggested they'd need this capacity years ago."
—Michaelson, on the ability to drop Marlins from Sea Ravens

Michaelson met with Hoffman and his commandos on the CNV Pomeroy several days later. He flew one of his two Sea Ravens to the ship, and after he exited the cockpit, warmly greeted each of the commandos. He was excited to be expanding the usefulness of the navy, explained to the Commandos that they would drop from the Sea Ravens in Marlins a short ways off of the coast from Aspho Point, and infiltrate the facility from the sea. This would allow the team to get to the shore quicker with less chance of being detected and make extraction faster. Michaelson had had the Ravens specially modified to hold the Marlins and retrieve them, and was eager to prove how useful marine assets could be to the COG. Before the training runs began, Michaelson suggested that they use ballast instead of real equipment in case something went wrong, since bots would be difficult to replace, which made some of the commandos nervous since they thought they would be difficult to replace as well. He then saw the commandos off as they began a training run in the Sea Ravens and Marlins.[8]

Operation Leveler[]

"On it. She's prepping all her Petrels to flatten the site. Plus there's a company of airborne embarked if needed."
—Michaelson, after being asked by Hoffman to send planes from the CNV Merit to destroy Osigcor

During the operation, Michaelson commanded from the Pomeroy. Two days before the operation began, he met with Hoffman on board the bridge, and informed him that the CNV Kalona was underway, carrying the Gears that would be supporting Hoffman. Michaelson then warned him that Dalyell was getting nervous about the attack, and might regard any setback as an excuse to level Aspho Point, even if Hoffman and his commandos were still inside. Hoffman became worried, and said he had thought Iver was in charge of the operation. Michaelson told him that Iver still thought that too, and told Hoffman to be careful.[9] When Settile and Adam arrived aboard the ship two hours before the operation began, Michaelson sent for Hoffman, and the four of them met in the briefing room. They wondered if the bad weather was going to scrap the operation, and Michaelson decided to leave it up to the Raven pilots on if it could be done.[10] After the operation began, it was discovered that a backup of the Hammer of Dawn information was at the nearby Peraspha Military Base. Michaelson ordered Petrels off of the CNV Merit to destroy the site, and held a group of airborne troopers in reserve in case that didn't work.[11] As Hoffman and his commandos began extracting from the facility, Michaelson was contacted by Hoffman, who informed him he was sending the bots and the data out ahead of the Marlins to be picked up. This worried Michaelson, and he became worried that Hoffman thought he might not make it out. Hoffman told him that Khimera attack helicopters were searching for them, and that the data needed to be recovered. Michaelson acknowledged this, and wished Hoffman luck in getting back safely.[12]

Locust War[]

Counter Piracy[]

"You drift along, distract the wrong sort from the freighters, and when they come alongside to relieve you of your catch- bang, and good night."
—Michaelson, describing how he handled pirates during the Locust War

During the Locust War, Michaelson was in command of counter piracy operations for the COG. He used an old trawler to distract pirates from attacking the merchant navy, using it to bait pirates into raiding him. When they pulled up alongside, he would ambush and kill them all. To disguise himself as a trawler captain, he grew a beard, and got deeply tanned.[13]

Port Farrall[]

"Victor? Victor, you old bastard!"
—Michaelson, seeing Hoffman for the first time in over fifteen years

Michaelson was reunited with Hoffman ten days[14] after the Sinking of Jacinto City, in the town of Port Farrall, where the COG had evacuated to. He met Hoffman outside his boat, along with Lt.Anya Stroud and Sgt.Marcus Fenix. He filled him in on what he had been doing, and asked him what he was looking for. Hoffman asked him if he had any dockyard plans to Merrenat Naval Base, and introduced him to Anya and Marcus. He was happy to meet Anya, and recognized Marcus from Aspho Fields. Marcus told him Cpl.Dominic Santiago would want to say hello was well, and Michaelson wondered how Dom's family was. Marcus informed him they were all dead, upsetting Michaelson. He then beckoned them on board,[15] and gave them dockyard plans that helped them find the hidden caches of supplies hidden under Merrenat Naval Base.[16] Five weeks later, he attended a meeting with Chairman Richard Prescott, Hoffman, and Anya, and suggested two options for the COG to move to, the islands of Erevall and Vectes that were viable to move the remaining COG military and civilian population to as Port Farrall had proven too inhospitable and the two islands were on the other side of an abyssal trench that the Locust couldn't dig under. He told them that the old chemical weapons base on Vectes was likely to dangerous for inhabitation, but Prescott interrupted him and suggested they check out Vectes. Michaelson was confused, and tried to explain to him that it was under quarantine. Prescott revealed that the quarantine had been lifted, and they agreed to send King Ravens to the island. After the meeting, Hoffman expressed his frustrations to Michaelson about having to drag every little bit of information out of Prescott, and Michaelson told him that he remembered all politicians were like that. Hoffman then appointed Michaelson the new commanding officer of the COG navy, with his flagship being the CNV Sovereign. He thanked Hoffman, and then left to begin preparations for the mission to Vectes.[17]

Vectes and the Stranded Insurgency[]

Rebuilding on Vectes[]

"The COG isn't a superpower any longer, and we're not a national government. We're just a city hall with an army, a navy, and the power of life and death. Prescott's a mayor with weapons of mass destruction. That simplifies things a great deal, but it also means small issues have big consequences."
—Michaelson, discussing the new political reality with Hoffman

After Delta-One confirmed that Vectes was viable to rebuild on, Michaelson began the naval evacuation to the island, estimating that it would take four days for the first ships to arrive.[18] A few days after the move to the island, Michaelson became happier as people transferred off the navy ships and into accommodations in Vectes Naval Base, and shaved off his beard and donned his naval uniform once again. He joined Hoffman on the main parade ground of VNB when the Stranded who accepted the COG's offer of amnesty arrived, and kept an eye out for any who looked as though they would make good sailors. He and Hoffman discussed the changing role of the military now that the COG was based on an island, with the navy now being more important than the land forces. He reassured his friend that there would always be a need for Gears, and was planning for scouting missions to the mainland to find and locate supplies. They watched as Anya and Sgt.Bernadette Mataki arrived and began intimidating the largest of the Stranded, much to Michaelson's amusement. When Bernie came over and Hoffman ordered her to continue looking though the Stranded, since certain elements were important to them, Michaelson grew curious, and tried to ask what he was looking for, but Hoffman told him that he had it under control.[19]

Preparing a Trap[]

"I'm Captain Quentin Michaelson. You look familiar. Haven't I sunk you somewhere before?"
—Michaelson, to a Stranded pirate sent as a negotiating representative

The biggest challenge Michaelson had to deal with was the Stranded Insurgency, especially the pirates that preyed on naval shipping. After the capture of Jonn Massy, he had a bargaining chip to deal with one group of pirates, the Lesser Islands Free Trade Area, which Massy was one of the leaders of. He met with a representative, Ed, of the LIFTA at the small ships jetty at VNB, backed up by Marcus and Dom. Ed offered him a deal in which if they turned over Massy and stayed clear of their territory, they wouldn't attack COG shipping. Michaelson agreed to a meeting a neutral point out in the ocean, and then headed to the CNV Clement, the navy's last submarine, with Marcus and Dom. Once they arrived, he introduced them to Commander Garcia, the captain of the Clement. He then explained to them his plan: find the pirates main base by handing over Massy, and having the Clement follow the Stranded ship back to their base. They would then attack and wipe out the pirates, sending a clear message to any other Stranded group on how the COG would deal with them if they raided their shipping. He also hoped the knowledge that they had a submarine would cause most of them to think twice about acting against the COG. Michaelson planned to bring Delta-One on the mission as security, and Marcus agreed, as long as Hoffman approved.[20] Michaelson later met with Lewis Gavriel, the Mayor of Pelruan, and reassured him that the navy was going to patrol the coastal waters around Vectes, and that radar stations would detect any vessel that approached the island.[21]

Meeting with the Pirates[]

"How convoluted. Well, I came here to remove the threat of piracy, so I don't care which camp they're in."
—Michaelson, after the Stranded group he was supposed to meet was wiped out by another one

After Michaelson received a message from Cormick Allam, the leader of the Lesser Islands Free Trade Area, giving the coordinates for the meeting, he took out the CNV Falconer, with Delta, Anya, and Sgt.Rory Andresen on board to provide security, and headed for the meeting point with the Clement following underwater. As they approached the meeting sight, he used his binoculars to spot that the Stranded had three vessels waiting for them, instead of the agreed upon two. He was not surprised, and as they got closer, ordered Cpl.Damon Baird to bring Massy up to the deck. He contacted the vessels when they had no signs of life on them, but got no answer. The crewman in the lookout reported that there were debris floating around, and Michaelson had Baird take Massy out to the front of the ship to take a look. Baird reported to him that Massy said he recognized only two of the vessels, and didn't know where the largest one had come from. The Clement the reported having detected something unknown under the water, and was worried it might be a Leviathan. Michaelson remained calm, and told the others they needed to figure out what was going on. They then saw movement on the largest boat, and a man stepped out and contacted them over the radio. He informed Michaelson his name was Darrel Jacques, and that he was the leader of another group that was a rival to Cormick and Massy's, and that they wanted Massy for the same deal the others had offered, while also taking care of other pirate groups for the COG. Michaelson didn't care which pirate group was followed back to base, and decided to go through with the deal. He asked how Jacques and his group would keep the peace, and Jacques had Allam brought out and executed in front of them, to prove he was serious. Michaelson didn't believe him, but sent Massy over so that the Clement could follow them. As the two groups left, Jacques ship suddenly exploded, and Michaelson thought that the Clement had sunk them. The remaining Stranded ship contacted them, and informed them that the deal was off, and to prepare for war. Garcia then contacted Michaelson, and informed him it wasn't them, and a second submarine emerged from underwater. It contacted them as it surfaced, and Michaelson asked them who they were. The commander responded he was Miran Trescu of the Republic of Gorasnaya, a Union of Independent Republics country that had never surrendered after the Pendulum Wars ended. Michaelson was dumbstruck, but eventually managed to ask why they had blown up Jacques. Trescu informed him that Jacques raided their shipping, and then asked if he could follow them back to Vectes, in order to speak with Prescott. Michaelson agreed, and the vessels headed back towards VNB.[22]

Michaelson, Hoffman and Trescu

Michaelson, Hoffman, Trescu and Prescott negotiating.

Arrival of the Gorasni[]

"Don't mention the war. He's got some rather useful assets."
—Michaelson, to Hoffman about Trescu

After arriving back at VNB, Michaelson escorted Trescu to a meeting with Prescott and Hoffman, talking with him along the way. He learned that Trescu had a small civilian population and army, but several naval vessels, as well as a Imulsion platform. He was quite excited about the platform, and when they arrived at the meeting, he told Hoffman to be nice to Trescu, since he had so many useful assets. Michaelson was extremely happy when Prescott and Trescu negotiated a deal, in which Trescu and his remaining countrymen joined the COG for protection and turned over all their assets to the COG.[23] Several weeks later, the Gorasni began arriving. Michaelson began working with Trescu on tanker rosters with Trescu in his office aboard the CNV Sovereign. Hoffman arrived while the two of them were talking, and he asked Trescu about a missing Gorasni missile frigate, the Nezark. Michaelson was surprised at this, because Trescu had not mentioned anything to him, but Trescu informed them that he had ships out looking for the vessel. Hoffman told him to share these things since they were all COG now, and Trescu promised to. Michaelson then asked him if he was ready for Delta Squad to inspect the Emerald Spar platform, and Trescu told him that it was ready for inspection.[24]

Battle of Vectes[]

"Any vessel that isn't ours- we sink it. They'll get the message fast."
—Michaelson's plan for dealing with the Stranded vessels at sea

Two days later, the Stranded insurgents on the island launched several attacks across the island. Michaelson headed to the CIC with Hoffman to help plan the response to the attacks. Michaelson expressed his concerns that without knowing what the Stranded were using as explosives, they couldn't break their supply chain, and wondered if they were making, stealing, or shipping them in. He acknowledged that even with radar pickets around the island, he couldn't secure the entire coastline. He told Hoffman that he wasn't going to risk his navy's time and fuel on inspecting every ship they came across, and that he would order any non-COG vessel to be sunk on sight. Prescott then arrived with Trescu, and the four of them argued over whose fault it was for not defeating the Stranded. Trescu demanded that live prisoners be captured so he could learn about the Stranded supply lines, and then left to reassure his people the island was safe. As Michaelson studied a map of the island, he commented that Trescu was very excitable, and the situation must look very different to him with only four thousand people to protect.[25] He then sent a message out to all NCOG vessels that they were to sink on site any vessel they could not identify as authorized to be in the area around Vectes. Michaelson also ordered that a warning be broadcast on all channels used by the Stranded about this new order, in order to warn the away from the island.[26]

Lambent Pandemic[]

The Levanto Incident[]

"Well, this is all going swimmingly. But at least we didn't misplace a frigate."
—Michaelson, after the Levanto was destroyed

A few days later, the trawler Levanto was destroyed while out fishing with a convoy. Michaelson waited at the docks of Vectes Naval Base for the Amirale Enka, which had been guarding the vessels, to return. When it pulled into port, he questioned CPO Frank Muller on what happened, but Muller informed him he had no idea, but that Baird might be able to explain it. Baird told him that he was going to look at the wreckage of the Harvest before deciding on a cause, and ran off to inspect it. Michaelson asked Dom if Baird thought it could be Locust, and Dom said they did have barges and Leviathan's. Pvt.Samantha Byrne said that Locust couldn't cross the ocean in a barge, and that they would have spotted a Leviathan. Michaelson agreed with her points, but decided he could not rule anything out. He then headed to report to Prescott and determine how angry he was.[27]

Struggle For Power[]

"We have to bring them into line. If we don't do it now, it'll just escalate. You'll lose control."
—Michaelson, to Prescott about the Gorasini

After a second trawler was destroyed and the cause was revealed to be the Lambent, a power struggle began evolving on Vectes. Trescu led a Stranded prisoner into the forest and destroyed several Stranded caches without the approval of Hoffman. Hoffman ordered Michaelson to block the Gorasini tanker from leaving port until a COG transmitter was attached to it in order to assert his authority over Trescu, and Michaelson sent the Falconer to stop the tanker.[28] He later met with Prescott and Hoffman in Hoffman's office, and they defended their actions to the Chairman, with Michaelson insisting that they had to force the Gorasini to work with the COG as one army and navy. He told Prescott that if they did not bring Trescu and the others into line, he would lose control. This argument convinced Prescott, and he questioned what to do if Trescu denied their authority further, but Michaelson dismissed his ability to do so since his people lived on COG territory and were now dependent on them. Hoffman then brought up a more important issue, the Lambent. Michaelson said that there was no way that the exploding eels that had destroyed the trawlers had taken out the Nezark. Prescott told them to get more intelligence on the Lambent, and then come to him with a threat assessment, and left the office. Hoffman was angry that Prescott wasn't more concerned about the Lambent, but Michaelson said that all politicians were like that when they had someone like Trescu challenging their authority. As Michaelson left, he told Hoffman to get some sleep, and that he would send the Clement out the next morning to look around for the Lambent.[29]

Ghost Ship[]

"Well, we're rather short of wooden warships these days. So there goes the only possible theory for a freak collision."
—Michaelson, after being informed of a mysterious tree in a abandoned ship

Later that evening, reports came in of a vessel violating the MEZ around Vectes. The CNV Scepter was sent to investigate, and Michaelson directed the response from the Sovereign. He contacted the CO of the Scepter, and told him that two King Ravens were scrambling to assist in the investigation, and to do nothing until they arrived in case it was a Stranded trap. The ship appeared to be abandoned, and Michaelson suggested it might have been caught by a current and brought to Vectes. A crew from the Scepter boarded under cover of the Ravens, but found no sign of the crew. PO Hollaster reported finding a large tree-like thing and a hole in the hull, but with no indication of what happened to the crew except for some blood. Michaelson was confused, as wooden ships had not been in use for some time, and ordered the search team off the ship and for the vessel to towed into an anchorage off of Vectes so it could be inspected the next day.[30] Michaelson waited along the pier the next day while the vessel was brought into the harbor after being inspected. He, Trescu, Marcus, and Dom waited while Baird inspected the tree-like thing in the vessel, and he reported that it was as strong as heavy-gauge steel. Baird asked Trescu if anything like it had been found near where the Nezark had gone missing, but Trescu told him they had found little debris. Michaelson questioned if they had been given the right search area to look at, since the Clement had been unable to find anything in the reported area. Trescu shot back that he wasn’t hiding anything, and that also wanted to know what had happened to the Nezark, because the crew aboard it had been his people and friends. Michaelson understood, and decided to increase the search of the area and send his best team to work on it, which included Baird, whom Michaelson was counting on to figure out what was sinking all of the vessels.[31] Garcia later contacted Micaelson and informed him the seabed around the are where the Nezark has sunk had been changed, and they speculated that the Locust may have be collapsing bedrock underwater.[32]

Preparing for Battle[]

"I'm falling back on what I know, just like you. Shore battery. Big guns. Torpedoes. Depth charges. Because nobody's ever had to fight something that can appear pretty well anywhere and dump troops in your lap. It's like fighting ghosts."
—Michaelson to Hoffman, on fighting the Lambent

After the destruction of the Emerald Spar platform by the Lambent, preparations began to be made for a possible attack on Vectes. Michaelson began wearing light navy plate armor, and walked with Hoffman along the earthworks that were being dug to set traps for the Lambent. He asked Hoffman if Prescott knew how much fuel they were using for their trap, Hoffman told him that Prescott knew that fuel shortages wouldn't matter if they were dead. Michaelson then that this was what Hoffman had done at Anvil Gate, and that the official reports he had read didn't match what he was really doing. Hoffman told him that COG command had forced him to change his original report. Michaelson wondered what they would do if the Lambent didn't show up, but Hoffman thought that the fortifications would be useful no matter what. They then discussed Bernie, who Hoffman had pulled off of frontline duty after two close calls, and Michaelson warned him to be careful in how he treated her. They then headed back to VNB, and Michaelson pondered how they were going to fight the Lambent with their ability to pop up anywhere, and that he would do his best to stop them with conventional navy tactics. When they arrived at the base, they found Prescott on a platform with his bodyguards and Trescu, about to address a mix of COG, Gorasini, and former Stranded. They went joined the others on the stage, and Michaelson wondered who Prescott thought he needed protection from: them, Trescu, or the citizens. As Prescott began his speech, one of the Gorasini in the crowd accused him of murdering the rest of the world with the Hammer of Dawn counterattack, and Michaelson admired their restraint in resisting bringing that up for so long. However, Prescott and Trescu managed to get the crowd on their side and cheering, which surprised Michaelson and Hoffman. They then went to the CIC with Trescu, and Michaelson asked Lt.Donneld Mathieson for an update on the Stranded fleet coming to evacuate their people from the island. Mathieson told him that there was no movement from the fleet yet. However, they were the contacted by the Stranded leader, Lyle Ollivar, who told them they would help fight the Lambent in order to try and end that threat. Michaelson then began directing their fleet to the best positions around the island for defense.[33]

Battle of New Jacinto[]

"Falconer to Baird, we strive to please. Sergeant Fenix assures me he has your welfare at heart. Stand by."
—Michaelson, telling Baird to get ready to fire the Hammer of Dawn

When the Lambent did arrive at Vectes, it was not in the form of the expected Stalks, but as Lambent Leviathans, two of which attacked New Jacinto. Michaelson directed his fleet into position to try and fire on the Leviathans and force them away from the ships in harbor and to the shoreline where they had defenses and traps set up.[34] As the battle raged on, Michaelson was contacted by Garcia, who informed him that the Clement had located an idle Leviathan and was going to try and take it out with the help of the Zephyr. However, as soon as that happened, the other Leviathan would likely attack them or run, so they wanted to locate it first and take them both out at the same time. Michaelson contacted Hoffman and told him about the situation,[35] and a plan was formed to lure the other Leviathan in with a ship and use the Hammer of Dawn to take it out. Michaelson selected the Falconer to act as the bait, and traded for an explosive harpoon gun from the Stranded to trap the Leviathan. He met with Marcus, Dom, Cole, and Trescu at the dock, and showed them the harpoon gun. They headed out to sea, and Michaelson allowed Marcus to man the harpoon gun.[36] After all three ships got into position, Michaelson gave the order to the Clement and Zephyr to take out the first Leviathan, which succeeded. Michaelson then ordered the two submarines to flee the area. As the second one attempted to run, Marcus hit it with the harpoon gun, slowing it down and allowing it to be tracked by the Hammer of Dawn target locater. However, it began dragging them towards the naval base, and Michaelson contacted Baird to inform him to get ready to fire in a moment. When the order came, Michaelson ordered the crew to brace, and the ship was knocked up into the air by the blast, but everyone survived.[37]

Aftermath of the Battle[]

"But who's actually running the COG no, Victor? We are. Nothing can happen without En-COG or Gears."
—Michaelson to Hoffman, about who was really in control of the COG

The day after the battle, Michaelson began inspecting the damage to the fleet. He took Hoffman on a tour of the CNV Dalyell, which had been heavily damaged and began taking on water during the Hammer strike. Michaelson was unsure if he should try to repair it or scrap it for parts. Hoffman suggested it could be used for living quarters, but Michaelson became more interested in Hoffman's recent confrontation with Prescott. He inquired as to what had happened, but Hoffman told him that he was better off not knowing for the moment. Michaelson reminded him that Prescott was a politician, and that he didn't think like the rest of them, and Hoffman asked him why he hated Prescott. Michaelson said he didn't hate him as much as he didn't trust him, and that Prescott’s clinging to secrecy was what bothered him the most. Hoffman was happy that he wasn't the only one who recognized that, and Michaelson pointed out how technically Prescott couldn't really do anything without their help, and Prescott was likely afraid of losing power with the integration of Trescu and his people, along with the Stranded who had integrated with the COG. Michaelson asked Hoffman if he thought Prescott was still fit to govern, and if he wasn't, how would they decide who was. Hoffman said he didn't have an answer, and asked if Michaelson really enjoyed all of the political intrigue that came with dealing with Prescott. Michaelson told him he didn't enjoy it, but accepted that it was just another warfighting skill he had.[38] Michaelson met later that day with Hoffman and Trescu at the temporary CIC in the infirmy wing of VNB.[39]

The Secret Disc[]

"He can wind you up like a clockwork toy, Victor. It's a decoy."
—Michaelson to Hoffman, about data disc A2897

Several weeks later, Michaelson met with Hoffman in his office on the CNV Sovereign, which was suffering a leak. Michaelson was making sure all his papers were safe from the water, while also attempting to find documentation on possible fuel caches from the Pendulum Wars. Hoffman commented that he was surprised Michaelson had managed to save all those documents when they had left Jacinto, and Michaelson told him he had saved some rum as well, and directed Hoffman to take a look at it. Hoffman was glad to see proper rum, but told him that he would have to take a rain check on drinking it. Michaelson finally found documents on fuel caches, and remarked that there had to be some that nobody had accessed, and that they needed to get more fuel soon since Emergency Management Chief Royston Sharle kept bugging them about fuel. Michaelson then asked Hoffman why he had come down to see him when they had a meeting scheduled soon with Prescott and Trescu, and Hoffman told him that he needed to have a private word with him beforehand. He reminded Michaelson about how he had told him that there was something Hoffman had thought he would be better off not knowing, which caused Michaelson to quickly close his office door and toll him what it was. Hoffman told him that he had a data disc that was troubling him, and that he had stolen if from Prescott and was trying to get Baird to decrypt it. Michaelson was surprised Hoffman had stolen it, but not that Prescott was still keeping things from them. He asked if Prescott knew it was missing yet, and Hoffman told him that Prescott knew that he had taken it, and that they had argued about it. Michaelson told him that it had to be a diversionary tactic, and that Prescott wouldn't keep anything sensitive on a disc. Hoffman said he and Baird had discussed the same thing, but Hoffman suspected that it did hold something of value, and questioned what Prescott could be trying to divert him from. Hoffman also questioned why any sane person would still be concealing stuff, and Michaelson suggested that sanity wasn't something they had considered before. Hoffman told him not to get him thinking that they had an insane president, and that that would leave them in a very bad spot. Hoffman told him that if he ever saw Prescott talking to a tree, he would put him out of his misery just to be kind. Michaelson told him that if he needed any help on decrypting the disc he could ask him, and questioned who else knew about it. Hoffman told him that Delta and Bernie did, but that he still needed to tell Anya. Michaelson told him that was good, and that it was time to go see the boss.[40]

Planning for the Worst Case Scenerio[]

"We're all investing in brown underwear now, Miran. Maybe the Chairman's finally got the picture too."
—Michaelson to Trescu, after Trescu said that Prescott was deeply afraid of something

Michaelson and Hoffman headed to the Admiralty House, where Prescott and Trescu were already waiting for them in the meeting room. Prescott showed them the latest recon images of the island that showed how far contaminated zones around Lambent stalks were spreading, which showed that they had lost fifty hectares of crops and pasture. He asked for a worse case scenario plan, and Michaelson and Hoffman began looking at the images, while Hoffman pointed out that this was Sharle's job, but Prescott told him that Sharle was already working on his own planes. Michaelson remarked that it would take him hours to do the math, but that a few stalks would take forever to contaminate most of the island, and that they would have plenty of territory to continue to grow crops in as long as they avoided the contaminated zones. Prescott pointed out that the stalks seemed to be coming up along a fissure line, and could potentially cut off Pelruan from the rest of the island. Hoffman said that they had an evacuation plan in place for the town, but he didn't want to use it until he absolutely had to. Trescu asked if the Hammer satellite network was still working, and wondered if it could relay images so they didn't have to use fuel on Raven scouting missions. Michaelson said that they might be able to use the weather satellites to do that, but that it was almost inoperable, and that comms satellites were starting to fail as well. Trescu then asked if they planned on starting rationing, and Michaelson asked him if he meant food or fuel. Trescu said both, and Prescott told them that they were good at rationing food, and Michaelson pulled out his notebook and said that his chief engineer had worked out an estimate of how much fuel they needed to set aside to be able get the fleet to the mainland with the remaining population. Prescott told them to not let any of this be known, and that if any of it leaked, to paint it as preparation for possible resettling of the mainland. He also ordered Hoffman to have his Gears squads gather any unusual samples from each stalk site, and Michaelson asked him if giant trees bursting from the ground and exploding crabs weren't unusual enough. Prescott told him he meant anything that showed further change to them, just in case they found anything that might help them. The meeting then broke up, and Prescott left the meeting room. Trescu wondered what Prescott was afraid of, saying that he could see the fear in him, and Michaelson said they were all scared, and that maybe Prescott had finally realized what a bad situation they were in.[41]

A Strange Signal[]

"It's not who's calling that intrigues me so much as who they're calling. Who else is still out there?"
—Michaelson, discussing the mysterious signal with Hoffman

Several days later, a Imulsion field was found on the island near some stalks, and efforts to begin pumping and processing it began. Michaelson went to the Admiralty House for another meeting, and met with Trescu and Sharle on the steps of the building before hand to talk. They saw Hoffman talk with representative Keir Ingram, and when Hoffman joined him, he asked what it was about. Hoffman told him that Ingram wanted to have a vote on where they would put displaced people from Pelruan if they were evacuated, and that he had hinted to Ingram that they would do things the Gorasni way. Sharle said that he had known the civilians would get upset sooner or later, and that he was just glad they weren't trying to do this at Port Farrall. Michaelson took a sip from his coffee and asked if anyone wanted to share something before they talked with Prescott, and Sharle told them he had drawn up a plan in which they could evacuate the island, but that they would be forced to split into several groups to do so. He explained that he was looking to the Stranded for inspiration, in how they managed to stay alive in small, mobile groups. None of them were happy about that idea, but realized it might be the best chance for survival. They then headed inside to see if they could find Prescott, and Hoffman was unable to raise Cpl.Rivera and Lowe, Precott's bodyguards, on the radio. As they searched, Michaelson asked Trescu when some Imulsion might be ready from the field, and Trescu told him that it should be about three days, and once Rig 314 had been repaired, they could install more derricks to increase production. Prescott then arrived at the meeting room, and apologized for being late, and told them that Dr.Isabel Hayman had been unable to tell them anymore about the Lambent samples, and that the weather satellites had failed to give any clear images of the island. He said he wished he had some better news for them, but Michaelson joked that as long as Prescott was there, that was all that mattered. Prescott ignored the jab, and asked for a sitrep. Hoffman told him about the progress at the drill site and Ingram wanting the civilians to be consulted more, and Prescott told him he would take care of that. After the meeting ended, Hoffman asked Michaelson to come with him to the CIC, where Mathieson had something to show them. He played them a recording of a small databurst he had picked up, and said that he had been detecting them some regularity coming from the island for some time. They thanked him for the information, and left the building to walk across the base. Michaelson wondered who could be doing the signaling and who out there was receiving it. Hoffman wondered if the Gorasni might have another stronghold somewhere, and asked Michaelson to question Trescu about it somehow. Michaelson agreed to try, and noted that he had picked up on what Trescu had noticed, and that Prescott did seem much more worried and desperate then he had ever been before.[42]

Preparing the Recon Mission[]

"We've got to have Royston on board, and I think we need Trescu for diplomatic reasons as much as anything, I'll take a back seat."
—Michaelson, discussing the recon mission with the others

Ten days later, Michaelson was talking with Trescu outside of the Admiralty House when they were joined by Hoffman. Michaelson told him that all the trawlers from Pelruan were accounted for after they had evacuated the town after a nearby Lambent attack. He also mentioned that one of the fishermen had given him a batch of smoked snakefish if Hoffman was interested in having some. Hoffman said that he hoped that they were moving the smoking sheds down to New Jacinto from Pelruan, and Michaelson told him that he had made it a priority. Hoffman then told them that he had been in the archives of the base, looking for evidence that the Lambent might be the result of a COG biochemical weapons program. Trescu said that if it was, Prescott apparently had no way of stopping it, which worried all of them, and Hoffman told Michaelson and Trescu he would let them know if he found anything.[43] The next day, Michaelson met with Hoffman, Sharle, Marcus, Dom, Baird, Cole, and Major Gill Gettner to discuss a recon mission to the mainland. They decided to investigate the city of Corren, and Baird asked if Prescott knew they were doing this. Michaelson said that he did, and that they would be using long-range fuel tanks on the Ravens, so they would be limited to five passengers. Michaelson said that he thought Sharle and Trescu should go, leaving Hoffman to pick two others. Marcus and Dom volunteered, and Michaelson left the room with Sharle to get to work on the mission.[44]

Confronting Prescott[]

"Well, well. At least I lived long enough to see a miracle. Prescott, coming clean. The apocalypse must be due any minute."
—Michaelson, after the cofrontation with Prescott

Several days later, Lambent Bulls and Lambent Dogs were encountered by several Gears in different engagements, and Michaelson went with Hoffman and Trescu to discuss the situation with Prescott. They were unable to find him in his office, but located Rivera, and Michaelson stood back with Trescu as Hoffman questioned the Gear about Prescott's location, and if he knew about the new Lambent. Rivera said that he did, and would be back in a few minutes, but Hoffman told him to go get Prescott now. Hoffman then told Michaelson and Trescu that he needed to thrash it out with Prescott now, but neither one of them needed to be involved if they didn't want to be. Michaelson told him that he would stand by him, and that Trescu would as well, since he wanted answers after losing a driller at the Imulsion site to the Lambent bull. They looked out the window as they waited for Prescott, and saw that the Pelruan citizens were crowding around the city highly disorganized. Michaelson remarked he was worried some of the trawlers might try to leave, and Trescu offered to have the Zephyr keep an eye on them. Michaelson thanked him, but told him only to alert them if a trawler was leaving, and not to try any Pendulum War reenactments. Hoffman was then contacted by Mathieson, and he told them that Bernie was bringing part of a new Lambent back to base with her. Michaelson remarked that he didn't like the way new Lambent were appearing quicker, but Prescott arrived before the others could respond. Hoffman confronted him about the data disc, demanding to know if there was data about the Lambent on it, and Trescu said that if he had any information, they expected him to share it with them. Prescott refused to answer their questions, and said they should go and reassure the citizens about the new attacks, but Hoffman said they needed to talk now. Prescott insisted they wait for another time, and Michaelson spoke up, saying that it was hard for them to understand what possible reason Prescott could have for withholding information from them, and that they would be able to function better if he told them. Prescott asked if all this was really about the disc, and Michaelson responded that that was for him to tell them, and that they had no idea about what to think, and that they couldn't hide the tension for much longer. Hoffman then demanded that Prescott tell the truth, and asked if Prescott had known that the Lambent were coming. Prescott visibly paled, but insisted that he had had no warning that the Lambent or Locust were coming, and that even if he had, it wouldn't have made any difference. He assured them that Lambency was not a COG bioweapon. They were all disappointed, but realized that Prescott was telling the truth for once. Michaelson followed Hoffman and Trescu out into the courtyard in front of the Admiralty House, and Trescu told them he knew that Prescott had been afraid of something. Michaelson was surprised that Prescott had leveled with them, and that they had managed to gain some reaction to him. Hoffman said he wished he had known what an honest reaction from Prescott had looked like years ago, but Michaelson pointed out that they had never really caught him lying to them, just withholding information. Trescu then asked about the disc, and Hoffman explained that he had stolen it from Prescott, and Michaelson told him not to feel bad about not being told, and that Hoffman had only recently told him. Trescu then asked if it was okay if he put some Imulsion aside for the Gorasni only, just in case they wanted to leave if Prescott started dragging them all down. Hoffman agreed, and Trescu said he hoped they would all be able to stay together, but Prescott was too much of a wild card to count on that. Michaelson said that it worried him that Prescott thought he could a solution on his own instead of having them find one. After discussing the situation a while longer, Michaelson and Trescu left Hoffman to take care of some other business.[45]

Last Resorts[]

"The old navy took food animals on long deployments. And if we have to, so can we. But remember the Silver Era sailor didn't have quite the same attitude to hygiene that we do."
—Michaeson, discussing how to keep animals alive onboard ships

Several days later, a Stalk emerged at the reservoir, which was far away from the fissures the COG had believed the Stalks were restricted to. Michaelson attended an emergency meeting hosted by Prescott along with Hoffman, Trescu, Sharle, SSgt.Lennard Parry, Baird, Bernie, Marcus, and Dom. They began hammering out the details of their worst-case scenario plan to evacuate the island and live on ships, and Bernie detailed what kind of animals they could hold on a ship and keep fed. Parry was worried that they wouldn’t be able to sustain animals at sea, but Michaelson told him that the old navy in the Silver Era used to take animals on long deployments, and if they could do it, so could they. However, he also pointed out that sailors in that age didn't have the same ideas about hygiene that they did. Sharle pointed out that they would also have to completely change the diet of the civilians when at sea, and that they needed to teach a lot more people how to fish. Hoffman then told Prescott that it would take at least a year for this to get done, so that for him to be pushing to evacuate as soon as possible wasn't feasible. Michaelson and many of the others agreed, but Prescott told them that they might not have a year, and that the Lambent were mutating a faster rate and appeared to be generating new life forms. The meeting broke up when Prescott left to address the civilians gathered outside, and he organized a vote among the civilians on whether or not they wanted to remain on Vectes, showing them the recon images of the mainland and letting them know everything the COG did to help make their decision.[46]

MichalesonHoffmanTrescu

Michaleson meeting with Hoffman and Trescu.

Counting the Votes[]

"Perhaps he's overplayed his hand at last. He seems to have misjudged the mood of the community, although that's never influenced him before, so he's hoping we'll give him a way out of a tight spot."
—Michaelson, discussing Prescott's motivations

Two days later, the voting had ended, and Michaelson and Hoffman went to meet Trescu in a secluded spot in the harbor to discuss the voting results before going to Prescott. It was raining hard, and Michaelson hoped the bad weather would be enough to prevent any trawlers from trying to sneak off. When they got to Trescu, Hoffman told them that Sharle had told him that seventy-five percent of the civilians wanted to stay, and asked them what they thought Prescott would do. Michaelson bet that he would still be set on going as soon as possible, and didn't want to bet on how he might react. Hoffman wondered what his reasoning was, and Trescu assured him that all of his people would refuse to leave as well. Michaelson asked him how many fingers had been broken to make sure of that, and Trescu assured him he was a most persuasive speaker. Hoffman said he would refuse an order to leave, and Michaelson and Trescu told him they would side with him. Michaelson wondered if Prescott had finally overplayed his hand, and then reminded Hoffman that the three of them controlled all of the armed forces and resources, and that the essentially ran the COG. Hoffman was worried that it would be viewed as a coup, but Michaelson reassured him that they weren't going to do anything to harm Prescott, and that he could continue to function as the Chairman.[47]

AfterPrescottResigns

Michaelson with Hoffman and Trescu after Prescott resigned.

Disobeying Orders[]

"We have, as young Baird might say, just been fucked into the middle of next week."
—Michaelson, after Prescott resigned

The three of them then went to the Admiralty House to meet Prescott, and found him going over the voting details. They took their seats, and Prescott told him he knew what they and the public wanted, but that he thought it was insane to leave. Michaelson said that the public had voted, and they were not going to leave, so the only question was making sure that the twenty-five percent of people who wanted to leave didn't cause any trouble. Hoffman and Trescu agreed with him, but Prescott said he thought they should leave immediately, and asked how soon they could leave. Hoffman told him that they intended to stay there, saying that if they were going to leave, they needed more time, and that they weren't at a bad enough point yet to consider leaving as the best option. They all noticed that Prescott's expression changed a little, showing some easing of tension, and he asked Michaelson and Trescu if they agreed with Hoffman. They did, and Michaelson told him that he could chalk it up to democracy, and that no would think less of him for backing down. Prescott agreed that they could stay put then, because he didn't want to create a rift between the state and the military. Hoffman then pointed out that Prescott had yet to give them an order, and Prescott went forward and told him to arrange the evacuation of Vectes. Hoffman refused the order, and Prescott thanked them all for being frank, and said it was clear they no longer had any confidence it him, so he would be resigning his post effective immediately, leaving Hoffman to run the government. The three of them were stunned, and Hoffman demanded to know why he was doing this. Prescott told him that he had done all he could do, and without their support, he was useless except for civilian liaison, and Major Aleksander Reid could do that better than him. Prescott then gathered his things and left, and Michaelson remarked that they were now screwed. Hoffman couldn't believe that he had fallen for whatever Prescott had planned, but Trescu said he wasn't sure what they had fallen for, and that he knew that the excuse that he had given wasn't the real reason he was resigning. They wondered what the real reason was, and Michaelson then pointed out that thing will likely run the same as before, except Reid would take over dealing with the civilians, and that Prescott had to know that as well. They left the meeting room, and Michaelson went with Hoffman to the front steps of the building. He told him he would write him a nice speech for the civilians, but Hoffman told him not to play she sidekick with him, and that he would be running things as well. Michaelson said he knew that, and that he couldn't believe he, Hoffman, and Trescu really were the Triumvirate now. He wondered what they were going to do now, and Hoffman told he was him was going to go cry on Bernie's shoulder, and then tell Delta, Parry, and Sharle. Michaelson said they were all good people to have watching your back, and that they were going to really need them now that they had to keep an eye on Prescott even more.[48]

Establishing the Triumvirate[]

"Major Reid and Mr.Sharle will handle Prescott's daily civilian liaison role. Of course, Mr.Ingram may be somewhat dismayed to see a military junta running the COG, but he'll have lots of homework to keep him busy. Seriously- none of us wants to be doing this job forever."
—Michaelson, while addressing the senior officers about the establishment of the Triumvirate

Later that day, Michaelson was contacted by Dom, who told him that Prescott was at the docks with Rivera and Lowe, and they were preparing to take a small ship out to sea. Michaelson hurried to the dock, but by the time he arrived, the ship was leaving. Michaelson asked why they were letting him go with one of his ships, but Hoffman snapped at him that he should have gotten there faster. Michaelson told him to forget about it, and that he could track him. He reasoned that Prescott likely suspected they would do that, so he would task Trescu to follow him on the Zephyr, since the boat Prescott had taken would be extremely easy for a submarine to track. He wanted to give him a head start to see where he was going, and Bernie asked him if he had known Prescott was going to run, since he seemed prepared for it. Michaelson said he hadn't known, but now Prescott was on his turf, so he was prepared to deal with him. Hoffman remarked that it was a shame that the Clement was out of torpedoes, but Michaelson told him to think of Lowe and Rivera.[49] Trescu followed the boat, but Prescott somehow escaped from the boat with Rivera and Lowe in the middle of the ocean. A few hours later, Michaelson gathered with all of the senior officers and sergeants in VNB's gym, and was talking with Reid when Hoffman and Bernie arrived to begin the meeting. Hoffman explained to everyone that he, Michaelson, and Trescu would be in charge, all with an equal say, and that no one was going to become Chairman. Michaelson announced that Reid and Sharle would take over the civilian liaison role, and that he expected Ingram to be dismayed to find a military junta running the COG, but that they would make sure he was kept busy, since none of them wanted the job forever. He asked if there were any questions, and the head of the catering corps asked if they could stop putting Lambent body parts in the food freezers, even though the ones that had been there had been removed. Michaelson was thrown by that, and realized that Prescott must have taken the samples with him when he had left. He told the sergeant that they had been holding those for the Chairman, and it no longer needed to be done. After that, most of the others left, but Michaelson stayed behind with Hoffman, Trescu, Anya, Bernie, and Delta. They discussed Prescott taking the samples, figuring that he had gone to meet with Ollivar and work out some deal to fight the Lambent.[50]

Collapse of the COG[]

Deciding to Evacuate[]

"Damn, I'm going to miss you, you old bastard. I insist you help me finish that reserve of rum before we go."
—Michaelson to Hoffman, after the decision to evacuate Vectes had been made

Three months later, the COG was beginning to fall apart under constant Lambent attacks, and plans to evacuate the island were accelerated. After a Lambent attack in the middle of New Jacinto, Michaelson went to the infirmary with Hoffman and talked with several wounded Gears in order to comfort them. After Hoffman talked with Dr.Isabel Hayman, he had Michaelson follow him to the Admiralty House, while also calling Mathieson and telling him to have Trescu, Sharle, Parry, Reid, Ingram, and Lewis Gavriel report to the meeting room in order to discuss options. When they got to the meeting room, Michaelson took his seat and told Hoffman that they were still a few recons short of finding enough places to live, and if they left, it would be a literal leap of faith. Hoffman told him he could vote to stay put, but Michaelson responded that he didn't think they could hold it together on Vectes for much longer, and that soon Gears would be forced to prevent civilians from stealing ships and trying to leave, which would cause everything to fall apart. Hoffman was worried about how they would fragment when they split, but Michaelson told him that they needed to keep the trust between the civilians and Gears in whatever communities were formed. Hoffman didn't like the fact that this would be the end of the COG as a government, and Michaelson pointed out to him that it had existed just under a century, which wasn't long in the grand scheme of things. Hoffman was angered by this, saying that far too many people had died for it to just end, and that he believed that following the Octus Canon was the only way to live. Michaelson reminded him that he and the other communities could still live by the Octus Canon, and that human society mattered, not labels. The argument ended when the others arrived, and Michaelson voted with the others that it was time to leave the island, and split into several onshore communities. He would command a rapid response force from aboard the Sovereign, while Hoffman would be taking Gears and civilians to Anvil Gate. Trescu informed them he would be returning to Branascu with his people, but would stay on the island with them until they all left together. After the meeting ended, Michaelson stayed behind, and told Hoffman that it was alright for him to go to Anvil Gate, and not to feel as though he was abandoning him, because the Gears aboard the Sovereign would be marines, and the civilians going to Anvil Gate would need Hoffman more. Michaelson said he would need Delta for the rapid response force, and that he felt they should give Trescu the CNV Timgad in order to thank him for his help, and to defend Branascu. Hoffman told him he was the boss when it came to naval matters, and Michaelson told him that it would be good to have the Gorasni out their alive and grateful to them. Hoffman said he would take the Hammer equipment and keep it safe, and that he would expect weekly reports from Michaelson. Hoffman then asked him if he had failed and messed everything up, but Michaelson told him that he had kept them all alive, and that he was going to miss him. He insisted that they finish the last of the rum before they left the island, and Hoffman told him to count on it.[51]

Michaelson and Hoffman

Michaelson and Hoffman saying their farewells.

Leaving Vectes[]

"Take care of yourself. You've got Delta, so that shouldn't be too hard. If you ever find Prescott, give him a kick in the nuts for me."
"Ditto, but delete Delta, insert Bernie, old friend.
"
—Hoffman and Michaelson bidding goodbye to each other

A few days later, Michaelson gathered with Hoffman, Trescu, Gavriel, and Delta on the deepwater jetty to decommission the naval base and leave Vectes. He asked Hoffman if he was ready, and he told Michaelson he would be in a bit. They waited for Bernie to arrive with a newly made Gorasni flag to give to Trescu, and Michaelson and the others noticed all of the ships in the harbor had thousands of Gears and civilians on the decks, ready to witness the end of the COG. Michaelson spotted Bernie coming, and joked to Hoffman that he hoped it was the right color, since Trescu had the Timgad, renamed the Generale Egar Trescu, at his command now. They all stood at attention as Gavriel lowered the flag, and Hoffman pronounced the COG was dissolved and presented the Gorasni flag to Trescu. He was overwhelmed by the gift, and promised Michaelson and Hoffman that he could always call on him and his people if they ever needed them. Anya then led Delta back aboard the Sovereign, and Michaelson walked with Hoffman to join them, commenting that he had done a nice job with Trescu. Hoffman said he hoped that Sgt.Samuel Byrne and Samantha could forgive him, and Michaelson asked if she had decided to come him or not. Hoffman said that her life was with Delta now, and he asked if the ship was even more crowded then when they had come to Vectes. Michaelson said it was, and it didn't help that they had a zoo embarked. They then set off for the mainland, and Hoffman asked where the Clement and Zephyr were. Michaelson told him that the Zephyr was following, and the Clement was out ahead, likely on her last mission before they had to scrap her for parts. Over the next few days, Michaelson worked with Commander Garcia to avoid Stalks and other hazards before arriving at Port Caval, where they were dropping Hoffman, Bernie, and the Gears and civilians heading for Anvil Gate off. Michaelson watched with Hoffman as the vehicles and supplies were unloaded, and said that he supposed it was time for Hoffman to mutter something gruff and disappear through the mountains and into the pages of history. Hoffman said he was actually going to take a leak and shake people’s hands, and Michaelson said he hoped he would wash them first. Hoffman laughed, and told him not to make him miss him yet. Michaelson reassured him that they would cross paths again in six months or a year, and get back on their feet by then. Hoffman then told him that he was scared, and Michaelson admitted he was as well. Hoffman told him to take care of himself, and that Delta would watch his back. They hugged, and Hoffman asked him to kick Prescott in the nuts if he ever found him, and Michaelson told him to take care and let Bernie watch his back, and to do the same to Prescott if Hoffman found him first. Hoffman then left the ship and said his goodbyes to Delta, and departed with the convoy to Anvil Gate.[52]

Life on the Sovereign[]

Meeting With Ollivar[]

"Try to think of it another way. They're just seagoing Stranded in an unfriendly world. And like the man says- we're all Stranded now."
—Michaelson to Delta, after the meeting with Ollivar

Several days after leaving Vectes, the Sovereign was contacted by Ollivar, who said he had something that they wanted. Michaelson gave him permission to come aboard, and he and Delta believed that Ollivar was going to offer them Prescott. He headed down to the deck with Delta to meet Ollivar, and Ollivar greeted them as Captain Michaelson and Sgt.Fenix, before saying that it was just Quentin and Marcus now, since they had finally given up the delusion about the COG still existing. Michaelson asked what they could do for him, and Ollivar said he was just there to welcome them to the Stranded family. He told Michaelson he was impressed with the greenhouse containers they had set up on deck, and Michaelson told him it was Reid's work, and asked if he would like to exchange vegetables, and Ollivar said it was something like that. Michaelson responded that they hadn't forgotten him fighting alongside them against the Lambent, and that they owed them for buying them some time. Ollivar asked if they had found another fuel source, since they had gotten a fairly substantial fleet to the shore and made a lot of noise doing it. It then occurred to Michaelson that Ollivar hadn't realized they had abandoned Vectes, and he informed him the Stalks had completely overrun it. Ollivar was surprised, and told him he hadn't known things were that bad, and Michaelson told him not to worry, and that they weren't going to try and muscle in on his territories. Michaelson then reassured him not to worry about the big ships with guns either, and to just pretend they weren't there. Ollivar understood the warning, and then said that he hoped that they might reach an agreement using the COG's Imulsion and his resources. Michaelson told him he knew what Ollivar would want from the deal, but he failed to see what they might want. Ollivar told him he could help them establish a presence onshore, taking Michaelson off guard, and he asked Ollivar if he might want to tell him about his guest, an aristocratic chap with two Gears with him. Ollivar became confused, and told him that he didn't think they were on the same page. Michaelson said he wasn't sure if Prescott was worth a ransomed, but they did want to ask him some questions. Ollivar was shocked, and then started laughing about how they had lost their Chairman, but then stopped when he realized he didn't have the leverage he thought he did with Michaelson. He asked why they wanted him back, and Michaelson said if they knew, they wouldn't want him back. Ollivar promised to bring him to Michaelson if he ever found him, and that in the meantime, Michaelson should think about the deal he had offered. Michaelson said he would consider it, and that he would get back to him soon. Ollivar left, and Delta began wondering where Prescott could have gone if he didn't go to the Stranded. Michaelson said it was a disappointment, and he had no clue who Prescott could have rendezvoused with. He told the others that their primary goal had to be survival now, and that since they were now all Stranded, it would make sense to make peace with Ollivar and agree to use his help to settle the civilians.[53]

Adjusting to Life at Sea[]

"I fear I shall miss the old bugger when the Anvil Gate link goes down for the last time."
—Michaelson, worrying about losing contact with Hoffman

As the Gears and civilians adjusted to living at sea, Michaelson was surprised at how much better everyone was taking to living on a carrier than he thought they would. He recorded in his journal that everyone was keeping busy, which was key to a happy ship. Michaelson was somewhat annoyed by the smell of so many chickens and other livestock in the hanger deck, but decided if the old wooden navy in centuries past had been able to deal with it, he would to. He was privately concerned about how the COG had been split into smaller communities, but knew that each one was in competent hands, and that communications with many of the were still reliable. He was afraid of losing contact with Hoffman, as the satellite that gave them radio contact was failing, and knew he would miss being able to talk to his old friend. Michaelson also noted that despite the COG being officially dead, the service identities among the army and navy were stronger than ever. He was also surprised to find that Reid was not as useless as Hoffman and the rest of the army had thought he was, and decided to tell Hoffman as soon as he could.[54]

MarcusAnyaMichaelson

Michaelson talking with Anya and Marcus.

Failure of the Response Force[]

"I know. But it's an admission of failure on my part."
—Michaelson, following the decision to give the on-shore settlements their vehicles to defend themselves

Two months after leaving Vectes, contact was lost with Anvil Gate. Michaelson listened as Mathieson attempted to reestablish contact with the fort, but had no luck. He told Michaelson that he thought that the comm satellite had gone down, and they had no way to contact Hoffman anymore with actually going to the fort. Michaelson was upset, but joked that he no longer had anyone’s shoulder to cry on. He told Mathieson to go get some rest, and that he would take over monitoring the radar. Mathieson told him to watch out, since a lot of Stranded were out that day. When a Stranded ship came by and offered to trade, Michaelson told them they had a special on pig manure. The Stranded were fine with that, since they needed fertilizer. After the settlement at Gerrenhalt was attacked by Lambent and many of the Gears and civilians were killed, Michaelson met with Anya and Marcus in his office. He lamented that they were spread out over too big of an area to defend all of the settlements. Anya suggested that the give the settlements all of their land vehicles and artillery, since they could no longer use them effectively on the ship. Michaelson agreed, but felt that doing so was an admission of failure on his part. Anya told him they would adapt and could still use the Ravens to support the settlements. Michaelson thought it was a shame and wished there was another island they could go to. Anya countered that the Lambent would still find them, and she and Marcus then left his office.[55]

MichaelsonDead

Michaelson lying dead in his office.

Return of Prescott and Lambent Attack[]

"This is Captain Michaelson to all ships company. We are now entering Lambent waters. Go to alert state one and secure for action."
—Michaelson, as the Sovereign enters waters filled with dead stalks

Fourteen months after leaving Vectes, the Sovereign was passing through Stalk infested waters off the coast of the city of Hanover while Cole was leading a mission to the city to locate supplies for the ship. Michaelson placed the ship on alert state one and told all hands to secure for action in case they were attacked, unwilling to take any chances despite the ship having suffered no Lambent attacks in months. Michaelson and the rest of the ship were surprised when several King Ravens approached the Sovereign, and KR Zero-One contacted them, claiming they had Prescott aboard as a passenger. The Raven was given permission to land, but Lambent then attacked the ship. After the initial wave was repulsed, Prescott's Raven landed, and Michaelson met with him and his bodyguards in his office, and Prescott claimed he had a mission for Michaelson. However, more Lambent then attacked the ship, and several Lambent Drones attacked his office. Michaelson was badly wounded by them, Prescott and his guards Rivera and Lowe fought to defend him, but the guards were both killed. Delta arrived to save them, Marcus went to check on his body, but Michaelson had just died from his wounds before they arrived.[56]

Legacy[]

"What, do we an echo here or something? Yeah, Prescott's back, Michaelson's dead, and my father's alive. Film at eleven."
—Marcus, updating Cole, Baird, Sam and Clayton about the situation after they rescued him

After being rescued by Cole, Baird, Sam and Clayton, Marcus gave a quick update to them about what had happened aboard the Sovereign since their departure. He mentioned Michaelson's death to the group but due to the situation they didn't have time to mourn him.[57] Delta Squad would later find and retrieve Michaelson's captain's log.

Michaelson Service

A plaque commemorating Michaelson's 30 years of service.

Personality and Traits[]

"There's justice, and there's vengeance. Justice is vengeance administered impersonally by a bureaucrat in a standardized and predictible way, so we all know how much punishment to expect and when we'll get it."
—Michaelson, on how to maintain social order [58]

Victor Hoffman thought of Michaelson as "raffish" with an eye for women.[59] However, when he was wearing armor, he went from "raffish" to "quietly menacing".[4] He was considered very charming, with even Samantha Byrne not minding being checked out by him.[60] Anya Stroud thought of him as a "gambler". She also regarded him as having a great ability to remain calm and unflappable during any situation.[61] Michaelson was also more politically minded than Hoffman, and was able to get Prescott's attention on issues that needed to be addressed.[62] He recognized his skills as being able to deal with politicians as another kind of warfare. He preferred politicians with poor judgment over ones like Prescott who kept secrets when there was no need.[63] Michaelson referred to scientists as "boffins", but no one was able to determine if he said it affectionately or dismissively.[64] Michaelson also inspired confidence in his crews, and they were loyal enough to him to be willing to follow him anywhere.[65]

Behind the Scenes[]

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 18 images related to Quentin Michaelson.
  • Michaelson was voiced by Peter Jason in Gears of War 3.
  • Michaelson had his own personal office aboard the CNV Sovereign.
  • Prescott and Michaelson both share the same base character model in the final version of Gears of War 3, the only differences is their head models.
    • Michaelson originally had a more unique armor design planned, it still used Prescott's armor model as the base but had different armor and clothing texture colors with more navel iconography designed into the armor. Additionally he was meant to have an NCOG emblem tattoo on both of his forearms. For some reason this unique armor model never made it into the final version of Gears of War 3.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 103
  2. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 300
  3. Gears of War: Jacinto’s Remnant pg 106
  4. 4.0 4.1 Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 302
  5. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 108
  6. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 108-112
  7. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 157-165
  8. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 166-168
  9. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 186-188
  10. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 214
  11. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 237
  12. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 291-292
  13. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 100-103
  14. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 96
  15. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 103-104
  16. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 106
  17. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 155-159
  18. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 249
  19. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 301-304
  20. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 347-352
  21. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 377
  22. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 353-376
  23. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 380-383
  24. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 12, 15-16
  25. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 48-50
  26. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 52
  27. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 113-114
  28. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 143-144
  29. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 152-154
  30. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 157-159
  31. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 182-184
  32. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 186-187
  33. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 300-307
  34. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 329
  35. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 347-348
  36. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 358-362
  37. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 385-394
  38. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 404-406
  39. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 429
  40. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 73-76
  41. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 76-80
  42. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 138-144
  43. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 207
  44. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 220-221
  45. Gears of War 3: Coalition's End pg 272-279
  46. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 319-324
  47. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 325-326
  48. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 326-330
  49. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 335-338
  50. Gears of War: Coalitions End pg 342-347
  51. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 385-392
  52. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 418-424
  53. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 437-441
  54. Gears of War 3: Act II: Shipwreck
  55. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Four (Diaspora)
  56. Gears of War 3: Anchored
  57. Gears of War 3: Shipwreck
  58. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 231
  59. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 301-302
  60. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 114
  61. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 363
  62. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 153
  63. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 405-406
  64. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 160
  65. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 393
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