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"The Coalition of Ordered Governments still exists, the rule of law still exists, and our social covenants still exist. We may no longer be in a state of war, but we still have a battle ahead to survive and rebuild, and in these difficult days there will be no tolerance of lawlessness and antisocial behavior. Unity defeated the Locust. But disunity will be the certain end of us all."
—Chairman Richard Prescott, speaking to the Jacinto’s remnant population

The Honorable Chairman Richard Prescott was the Chairman of the Coalition of Ordered Governments during the Locust War. The son of David Prescott, a former Chairman during the Pendulum Wars, Prescott served as a Gear but never saw combat due to his political connections. He previously served as Deputy Chairman under Chairman Tomas Dalyell but became Chairman when Dalyell had a heart attack ten months into the Locust War. As the sole remaining COG leader on Sera, Prescott was the highest-ranking human left alive and made difficult and controversial decisions for the good of the human race. Prescott was the driving force behind the Hammer of Dawn counterattack, the Lightmass Offensive, and Operation: Hollow Storm. He led the remnants of the COG to the island of Vectes after being forced to sink Jacinto City to flood the Hollow. However, the COG faced the threat of the Stranded Insurgency and the Lambent Pandemic, and Prescott’s secrecy caused many Gears, including Col.Victor Hoffman, to lose faith in him. Prescott eventually left the COG unexpectedly, which effectively ended the COG and forced what was left of it to break down into Stranded tribes, until his sudden return to the CNV Sovereign put into motion the final stages of the Locust War and the Lambent Pandemic.

Biography

Early life

Prescott grew up in a political dynasty, and as a child, he watched both his grandfather and father, the legendary Chairman David Prescott, guide Sera and lead the Coalition of Ordered Governments through the Pendulum Wars.

Pendulum Wars

Early Political Career

As a teenager, he joined the COG Army during the Pendulum Wars. However, Prescott only served for eighteen months, having joined solely to help his political career. During his time as a Gear, he never came under enemy fire or saw combat.[2] Following his service, Prescott entered politics, following in the footsteps of his father, whose death was devastating to him.

Deputy Chairman of the COG

Near end of the Pendulum Wars, Prescott was the Deputy Chairman of the COG, with Tomas Dalyell serving as the Chairman.[3]

Battle of Gatka Ridge

After Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Diaz collapsed a mountain on an Imulsion source during the Battle of Gatka Ridge, Prescott, as Deputy Chairman, contacted him at Vectes Naval Base to demand answers. Prescott ordered that Diaz return to Gatka Ridge and retake the Imulsion source despite it being buried under a mountain. Prescott ignored Diaz's insistence that it was madness and ordered him to do his job before cutting off contact.[4]

Locust War

Chairman of the COG

"I've been in office two months. I wouldn't even be here if Dalyell hadn't dropped dead. What do I know? I know that we're all going to die if I don't pull this out of the fire now."
—Prescott's inner thoughts after taking office

Only a few weeks after the Pendulum Wars ended in a COG victory, the Locust emerged and began rampaging across Sera, overrunning nations and defeating a majority of the COG's military. After ten months of fighting, Dalyell died of a heart attack, and Prescott became the Chairman of the COG. He worried that his father wouldn't have approved of him gaining the position through succession instead of being elected, but was determined to do the best he could. Prescott was briefed by Chief of the COG Defense Staff General Bardry Salaman, and told that they had no way to stop the Locust, had no clue about what they wanted. He told Prescott they had no way to negotiate with them, and that they were not an enemy they could fight, but a monster.[5]

Trying to find Support

"They've given up. They're just letting these bastards pick us off."
—Prescott's inner thoughts after all the COG heads of states refused to cooperate with him

Two months after taking office, Prescott began contacting the remaining leaders of the COG countries that were still alive, trying to convince them to band together and strike at the main Locust sinkholes in Tyrus. By the time he only had Premier Yori Deschenko of Pelles, all the leaders had turned him down except for the South Islands, but they were unable to contribute anything except for Gears. After a ten-hour delay in making contact with Deschenko, Prescott's secretary, Jillian Beston, entered his office and told him they had gotten him on the line, and Prescott thanked her and picked up the phone. He asked him how he was, and Deschenko told him that he had had to order the retreat from the Ostri Republic and that he had lost twenty brigades since E-Day. Prescott told him that he knew what he was going to ask, and Deschenko told him that there was nothing he could send to help, and he needed what Gears he had left to defend the millions of citizens and refugees in Pelles. Prescott told him that he had chemical weapons. Deschenko told him that the chemical weapons were the last resort and that they would kill them along with the Locust. Prescott told him he realized he was asking a lot, and that he knew the other leaders thought of him as a newcomer who didn't know how things worked, but they needed to break the back of the Locust. Deschanko told him that most of the main Locust forces were located in Tyrus, and that it seemed like Prescott was trying to save his own nation over the others. Prescott shot back that there were no national boundaries anymore, and that if anyone was to survive, they needed to band together and try to beat them. He asked one more time if Deschanko would join him, and after a moment of silence, Deschanko told him he could not join him. Prescott told him he understood, and told him goodbye and hung up on him. He spent the next few minutes looking out the window, thinking about what options were available to him, eventually deciding on the Hammer of Dawn. Prescott was determined to end the threat of the Locust, and try to save what he could of humanity. He opened his intercom to Jillian, and asked her to call in Attorney General Milon Audley, Professor Adam Fenix, Salaman, and Director of Special Forces Col.Victor Hoffman for a meeting to his office. He also told her to try and see if she could get her sister to the Jacinto Plateau in the next few days.[6]

Deciding the Future

"Gentleman, I'm going to deploy the Hammer of Dawn."
—Prescott, telling Adam, Audley, Hoffman, and Salaman about the Hammer of Dawn counterattack

A few hours later, everyone had arrived except for Adam, and Prescott got the meeting going. He asked Audley what his options and powers were under the Fortification Act. Audley told him he could declare martial law in part of or all of the COG territories, and a vote was needed to put it into effect. Prescott told him that there wasn't going to be any voting and that he had the authority to declare martial law without consulting the assembly. Audley said that he could, but it would be ill-advised and would technically be declaring war on the other COG states. Prescott just wanted to know it was legal and constitutional, and Audley nervously confirmed it. Prescott was glad, and Adam then arrived and apologized for being late, but Prescott told him it was fine. He told them all he was reinstating the Fortification Act, and then asked for their opinions on the state of the war and how long they would last. Salaman told him they wouldn't last a month, and Hoffman informed him that all of their emergency command bunkers had also been overrun. Prescott understood their dire predictions, and then calmly announced to them that he was going to use the Hammer of Dawn. Adam thought he was just seeing what they thought of the idea, and told him that it wasn't possible to deploy it strategically, and it wouldn't benefit the kind of war they were fighting. Prescott corrected him, telling him that they were not fighting a war, they were losing one, and that he was not going to let that happen. Salaman pointed out that the Locust didn't take and hold cities, but just cleared them out and took what they could, so targeting individual cities for destruction wouldn't stop them. Prescott understood that, and told them he was thinking worldwide coverage that would deny all assets around the world to the Locust, with the only area spared being the Jacinto Plateau, which the Locust were unable to breakthrough. He told Adam to plan out the stages in which they would need to use the Hammers, but Adam was too horrified that he was even considering using the Hammers in such a way, and told him that they couldn't evacuate the entire population to Jacinto. Prescott told him he realized that, and that three days would be given after the announcement for anyone who could to get to the Plateau to get there and survive. He told them that an ethical balance needed to be struck between giving who they could enough time to get there, and using the Hammer before the Locust realized what they were doing. When Adam continued to argue against the Hammers use, Prescott demanded if he had a better solution, and if he disagreed with the others estimates about how long they would last. Adam admitted he didn't, and if they had more time he could come up with another solution. Prescott told him they had no more time, and Adam finally agreed to help plan the counterattack. Prescott then asked to see Salaman and Hoffman's activation keys to make sure they were intact, and then told everyone that what they had discussed was confidential, and not to tell anyone about what they were planning before the official announcement.[7]

Announcing the Hammer Strike

"To say I don't take this decision lightly is an understatement. And I've taken it alone, because it has to be done, and I don't think it's... right to ask you to vote on it. If I'm called to account later, then it will be my decision to justify, not yours."
—Prescott, talking to his Cabinet about the Hammer of Dawn counterattack

With one week to go before the Hammer strike, Prescott met with Salaman and Hoffman in his office to go over more details. He talked with Adam over the phone, and learned he had almost finished making preparations for the strike, and would be ready by the next day. Salaman asked if he was still going to give a three-day warning before the strike, and Prescott confirmed that, believing that if it was any longer, the Locust might be able to stop them somehow. Hoffman argued that they should begin pulling Gears back to the Plateau now, in order to have a sufficient fighting force to keep the massive amounts of civilians under control, and to finish off any Locust that might survive the Hammer strike. Prescott agreed with him, and ordered Salaman to begin pulling back all Gear and navy units back to the Jacinto Plateau as quickly as he could.[8] Prescott decided to brief his Cabinet that evening about the Hammer strike, and took Jillian with him to meet them at the House of Sovereigns. He was happy to learn she had taken his advice and gotten her sister and family to Jacinto, and felt that maybe at least one person wouldn't hate him after the strike. Once all the remaining Cabinet members had settled into their seats, he told them that what he was about to tell them would be announced tomorrow, and that nothing would change his mind. He informed them of the Hammer strike to come in four days, and it was the only hope any of them had to survive the Locust, and that the three day warning was to allow as many people as possible to reach the Jacinto Plateau. Prescott asked Infrastructure minister Jerome for opinions about how many people they could take, and he told him that they couldn't take the entire Seran population, and that they would have no way to all reach there in three days. Prescott then told them that even if they had room, they wouldn't have the time, and that any fallout from this decision would rest on his shoulders alone, not any of theirs. They all began arguing and shouting at once, telling him that it was insane and horrible, and that they wouldn't go along with it. Only Adam argued for it, and told them all it was the last hope they had. As they argued, Prescott leaned over to Jillian, and told her that she could go now. She was pale, and asked if he had warned her. He told her he had, and she thanked him several times before leaving. Prescott then returned his attention to the others, and told them not to tell anyone before the strike tomorrow. Justice Secretary Janeen Mauris told him that he couldn't just walk out on them, and that they were not going to condemn millions to death without talking about it. Prescott told him they were, and left to return to his office. Several minutes later Adam arrived as well, and told him that there might be another option. Prescott felt his hopes rise, and asked what it was. Adam told him they could try to flood the Hollow using Hammers strikes on key costal areas. Prescott thought about it, but realized that it would take more time to do, they wouldn't know if it would work, and they would still be losing cities and heavily populated areas. Adam agreed, and said if they had more time it could work, but acknowledged that they didn't. Prescott asked if his hesitation had to do with his son who was still on the frontlines, and Adam said that he was very worried about him. Prescott told him that he would have him evacuated from the frontline and flown back to Jacinto, and that they would need Gears like him in the coming days. Adam thanked Prescott and left his office, and Prescott contacted the CIC to get Marcus on a King Raven back to Jacinto, feeling that it was the least he could do for Adam.[9] The next day, Prescott announced the Hammer strike during a worldwide address. He asked for forgiveness, and claimed that this was the only way to defeat the Locust.[10]

Hammerofdawn

The Hammer of Dawn counterattack.

Carrying Out the Strike

"Forgive us."
—Prescott, as he presses the button activating the Hammer of Dawn

Two hours before the Hammer strike, Prescott waited in his office for the hour to come. He found himself staring at the door, expecting Adam to arrive saying he had found another solution, or Salaman with news that the Locust leadership wanted to talk terms. He realized that this was not going to happen, and just wished he knew what was going to happen in the future. Adam entered his office, and Prescott asked him if he had any miracles. Adam looked taken aback, and told him that he just had data. Prescott decided that that would have to do, and poured himself a drink. He told Adam that he had done his best to keep his son close to Jacinto, but that he kept going back out on more missions. As they sat there drinking, Adam told him that people thought he was bluffing, which disappointed Prescott, and he pointed out that there was no one to bluff. All the other COG leaders had given up, and they had no idea if the Locust even knew what was going to happen. Prescott told Adam that he knew he was conflicted about everything, but that his weapon could be the salvation of the human race. They discussed the ethics of what they were doing, but found that there was no easy answer. The then headed to the ops room, stopping at a security station on the way. Prescott saw a reporter on TV, reporting on the situation in Gerrenhalt, a city that was a four-hour drive from the Jacinto Plateau, and realized that the reporter would be dead in a matter of hours, and was still doing his job. He wondered what kind of man would do that, and then what man would want to do his job. Prescott decided he was the only one willing and able to do it, and that he had no choice when it came to the hard decisions. Prescott met with the others in the ops room, and asked Salaman and Hoffman for their activation keys. After they inserted them into the activation console, Prescott put his in, and looked for a moment at the activation buttons. He then pressed them and activated the Hammer of Dawn satellites, and hoped that people would forgive him for doing what he had to do.[11]

Assassination of Ukkon

"You're looking at the only known photos of a Locust called Ukkon. The enemy's resident geneticist -- a monster who makes monsters. Corpsers, Brumaks? His work. We need him eliminated."
"I don't run ops anymore. Not after Gatka Ridge."
"Sulking won't undo the past, Diaz. You want to save lives today? Stop squandering your tactical gifts and take Ukkon down -- before he creates something even worse. I can't offer you much. No personnel, no resupply--"
"Hold up. If this grub's as dangerous as you say, I need equipment, soldiers -- an army."
"Well, you always were resourceful. Recruit whatever Gears you find, and figure out the rest.
"
—Prescott and Sgt. Gabriel Diaz discuss the Assassination of Ukkon[12]

As zero hour approached for the Hammer strike, Prescott began organizing an operation to take down Ukkon, the Locust's resident geneticist who created monsters such as the Corpsers and Brumaks. Prescott chose Gabriel Diaz for the job who had chosen to demote himself to Sergeant and motor pool following the Battle of Gatka Ridge[4] due to Diaz's tactical genius and ability to carry out dangerous missions with few resources. Prescott sent Major Sid Redburn to take Diaz to retrieve a classified file on Ukkon from CIC Aldair just before the Hammer strikes began. After making it back to Aldair Army Base, which had been devastated by Ukkon, Diaz reluctantly contacted Prescott from the motor pool. Prescott explained about Ukkon and how he needed Diaz to take him out before he could create anything worse, but Diaz was reluctant to take the mission due to his refusal to run operations after the Battle of Gatka Ridge. Prescott impressed upon him the necessity of the situation and told Diaz to recruit whoever he could find along the way since Prescott couldn't spare any supplies or resources. Diaz reluctantly accepted the mission, but informed Redburn that he would be working for Diaz, not Prescott.

Following the Mission to Claybourne, Diaz contacted Prescott at a late hour where Prescott was enjoying a drink. Diaz revealed that he'd seen Ukkon get his head blown off and stand right back up and demanded to know what else the Chairman wasn't telling him. Prescott dismissed Diaz's question, stating that Diaz's orders were to kill Ukkon, not to write his biography. Diaz reminded Prescott that the COG had put him in a situation before where keeping secrets got good people killed, but Prescott told him that "some secrets keep people alive," and ordered Diaz to do his job before cutting communications. Frustrated and angry by Prescott's unwillingness to answer questions, Diaz punched and cracked the monitor screen.[13]

Viewing the Devastation

"Better that we live to find a solution than letting the enemy slaughter us."
—Prescott, to Adam as they discuss the consequences of the Hammer of Dawn counterattack

Thirteen days after the Hammer strike, Prescott boarded KR Four-Two with Adam, and they flew to an area hit by the strike near Ephyra to view the devastation. Prescott was fascinated by the beautiful and colorful sunrise, but realized it was because of the debris that had been kicked up into the atmosphere. Below him, he saw a charred wasteland with the ruined stumps of buildings in it. Adam told him that the strike had been effective in its objectives, leaving little for the Locust to take and use against the COG, but also meant the COG now had to rely solely on what they could produce on the Jacinto Plateau, and some shortages had already started. He also told Prescott that environmental contamination and pollution was severe, and it would take the planet years to recover. They again discussed the ethics of what they had done, and both wondered why they kept having the conversation, and Prescott suspected they were trying to rehearse their excuses for the future. They headed back to Ephyra, and Prescott viewed the cleanup efforts going on around and near the city. He remarked that no Locust had been spotted since the strike, but Adam said there was no way they were all dead, and that some had to have survived underground. After landing, Prescott returned to the House of Sovereigns and his office. Jillian was there, and handed him several reports to look at, and mentioned that the catering manager was worried they were going to run out of coffee soon, and asked if she should start putting some aside. Prescott told her he could make do with herb tea, deciding it would be good for him to be seen making some small sacrifices. After she left, Prescott sat in his chair and stared at his phones. He realized the one that could connect him to any COG leader around the world would likely never be used again, and thought back to his last conversation on it with Deschenko, as Pelles was overrun by the Locust, and how he had called Prescott an evil, murdering, genocidal bastard, and that it wouldn't be long before he joined him in Hell. Prescott decided that hell was too far in the future to worry about, and decided to get to work rebuilding what he could of the world.[14]

Sid Redburn's Betrayal

"Something to report, Diaz?"
"New Hope."
"Excuse me?"
"New Hope. Sid's rambling on about it. That name mean anything to you?"
"I'm afraid not. What are your current coordinates? I asked you to deal with Major Redburn. You haven't. I'm sending a Raven to arrest him -- and bring you reinforcements."
"Well, it's about goddamn time. Coordinates sent."
"Dispatching the Raven now. And Diaz... this has been a difficult mission. For all of us.
"
—Prescott decides to kill Sgt. Gabriel Diaz and his troops for learning the truth about Ukkon and New Hope.

Two weeks after Prescott assigned them to kill Ukkon, Major Sid Redburn attempted to take off with a captured Ukkon and Sgt. Gabriel Diaz contacted Prescott who called Ukkon's escape unfortunate. Prescott expressed confidence that they would manage to corner Ukkon again and ordered Diaz to execute Redburn. Instead, Diaz and Mikayla Dorn questioned Redburn who revealed the truth about Ukkon and his origins at the New Hope Research Facility. After finding proof of Redburn's story, Diaz contacted Prescott again to ask about New Hope. Prescott claimed that he hadn't heard of it and asked for Diaz's current coordinates, claiming that he was sending a King Raven to arrest Redburn and bring Diaz reinforcements. Diaz sent Prescott the coordinates and Prescott stated that he was sending the King Raven and that it had been a difficult mission for everybody. Having anticipated that Prescott would send a kill squad instead of backup, Diaz had actually sent him the coordinates for a nearby plateau. However, rather than send a squad, Prescott launched a Hammer of Dawn strike on the plateau, destroying it.

With Prescott believing that they were dead, Diaz refocused on the mission of killing Ukkon using Redburn's knowledge of Ukkon's weakness. Diaz and his forces succeeded in their mission of killing Ukkon and, unable to ever return to the COG without Prescott killing them, dedicated themselves to hunting down Ukkon's remaining creations.[13]

Defending the Jacinto Plateau

Following the Hammer of Dawn strike, Prescott led the COG through the next nine years fighting against the Locust, but the war did not go well. During the Locust campaign towards attacking Ephyra, a Kryllstorm threatened the city of Ilima, and an evacuation was begun. When Prescott learned that the feared Locust General RAAM was leading the attack on the city, he ordered elements of the Onyx Guard to go there and attempt to kill the General. However, they failed, and the city fell to the Locust Horde.[15] The capital of Ephyra was lost in 10 A.E., and the COG moved its capital to Jacinto City. During the battle, Prescott had Adam kidnapped from the wreckage of his home, and sent him to Azura to work on special projects for him. He allowed the rest of the COG to think that Adam had died, even his son Marcus, who was put on trial and sentenced to forty years in prison for abandoning his post and trying to save his father during the battle. Prescott also learned that Adam had been in contact with the Locust before E-Day, trying to stop them from invading by finding a way to prevent the spread of the Lambent.[16] Prescott intervened to keep Marcus alive in order to have Adam's cooperation and personally saw to it that Marcus was given whatever protection he could in the prison, demanding weekly status updates and personally visiting twice to keep the guards in line. During the first visit, after seeing how depressed Marcus is, Prescott gives him hope by hinting that he will release him someday to fight the Locust and that he needs to be prepared for that day. To this end, Prescott talks to Hoffman about potentially releasing Marcus, but Hoffman is unsure of what to do, not wanting Marcus in prison but aware that it may have a detrimental effect on the Gears. He leaves the decision up to Prescott as Chairman and Prescott chooses to keep Marcus in prison, but considers releasing him in the future to go on a suicide mission. At one point, Prescott reveals to Anya Stroud his awareness of her romantic relationship with Marcus which is against regulations, but instead of charging her, offers her support for her decision to wait and personally delivers a letter to Marcus who learns that none of his return letters ever reached Anya as a result. After choosing to release and conscript the inmates after the Slab is overrun, Prescott informs Dom of the fact that Hoffman chose to leave Marcus behind due to the severe risk to people's lives to go after him, knowing Dom will confront Hoffman and do something about it.

The Lightmass Bombing and Aftermath

"My job's to keep society running, Victor, any way I can. I have to think past wars. My job is tomorrow."
—Prescott, while telling Hoffman he couldn't divert more resources from civilians to Gears

Four years later, Prescott worked behind the scenes during the Lightmass Offensive in the Timgad Valley, in which Delta-One detonated a Lightmass Bomb in the Hollow. One week after the Bombing, Hoffman, who had risen to become Chief of the COG Defense Staff, briefed Prescott on its effects, telling him that the number of Locust forces being encountered had dropped significantly. Prescott asked him if the bombing had worked, and Hoffman told him that the biggest Locust stronghold they could identify had been destroyed, and that no Kryll had been spotted since then. He recommended that Prescott focus on getting the armed forces in the best shape possible, in case the Locust came back. He said they should divert civilian resources to accomplish this, but Prescott asked him how he was supposed to justify that to the civilian population when there were fewer incursions. Hoffman said he needed to focus on getting the army in the best shape possible, since they might have a chance to finish off the Locust once and for all. Prescott told him he would look into it, and dismissed him.[17] Hoffman contacted him later that day and informed him of Locust attempts to cut off access to the North Gate Agricultural Depot. Prescott asked Hoffman for options and Hoffman recommended evacuating the Depot, and Prescott told him to use whatever resources necessary, and that he was going to alert the emergency management team. He told Hoffman to keep him informed of the situation and cut off the comm link.[18]

Richardtalkingtothepress

Chairman Prescott talking to the Sovereigns Press Corps.

Talking to the Media

"Gone, yes. Completely gone, as far as we can tell. Unfortunately it's also clear now that many Locust survived the attack-- how many, we do not know-- but at least Humanity can feel a little safer at night."
—Prescott speaking to the Sovereigns Press Corps on the Lightmass Offensive and the disappearance of the Kryll

Two months after the Lightmass bombing, Prescott briefed the Sovereigns Press Corps on the current situation of the war. He told them that the Kryll had been completely wiped out, but that many Locust forces remained and were still a threat.[19] A few months later, Prescott spoke to The Eagle Newspaper, telling them about the upcoming Operation: Hollow Storm, and that it would be the largest mobilization of COG forces since the Pendulum Wars, and that Landown would be the site of the assault. He spoke about how it had been the site of a valiant COG defense during the Winter of Sorrow, and now would be the perfect place to take the fight to the Locust.[20]

Richardspeech

Chairman Prescott giving his "humanity" speech before Operation: Hollow Storm.

Operation: Hollow Storm

Beginning of the Operation
"I wish that were the case, believe me. There's nothing we need more. But unfortunately, Jacinto is our last, best hope. We must protect this city at all costs."
—Prescott, denying rumors of another safe haven for humanity

Six months after the Lightmass Offensive, Operation: Hollow Storm began, and was an all-out attack on the Hollow by thousands of Gears. As the operation began, Prescott gave a rallying speech to hundreds of Gears in a plaza, with Hoffman and Lt.Anya Stroud standing beside him. His speech rallied the Gears and citizens, and the Operation began with an Assault on Landown.[21] As the Operation progressed, the COG found it lacked enough intelligence on where to find the Locust stronghold, so Prescott declassified a file on the New Hope Research Facility, where data might be found that could indicate where the Locust Queen was. Prescott ordered that all information related to this mission be classified on a need-to-know basis, and that no one outside of Delta-One, who were sent to New Hope, and Hoffman was supposed to know about it.[22] Hoffman was angered by the realization that Prescott had hidden valuable Intel from him, but Prescott didn't explain to him why he had hidden this information.[23] Prescott also spoke to the Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper about the progress of Operation: Hollow Storm, and took the time to deny rumors that another safe haven for humanity existed outside of Jacinto.[24]

CICroomduringHollowStorm

Prescott helping plan the Sinking of Jacinto.

Siege of Jacinto
"When you first sent this information, Sgt.Fenix, I thought you were insane."
—Prescott to Marcus Fenix, about the plan to sink Jacinto

During the second day of the Operation, Delta discovered the location of Nexus, the Locust capital, and the COG laid siege to it. They discovered that the Locust were fighting a mysterious enemy known as the Lambent, and that they planned to leave the Hollow and flood it by sinking Jacinto, killing the Lambent and the humans. Prescott and the rest of the command staff decided to preemptively sink Jacinto before the Locust were ready, and began an evacuation of Jacinto, and all Gears currently in the Hollow. Prescott met with Hoffman, Anya, and Delta in the CIC at Wrightman Base, and told Sgt.Marcus Fenix that he had thought he was insane when he first sent this plan in, but that it now appeared that his father had been right all along about them needing to sink Jacinto and flood the Hollow.[25] While Delta and Hoffman left to defend the base from a Locust attack, Prescott worked with Anya to determine the best way to sink Jacinto. They decided to use the Locusts own sinkhole that they were using to invade Jacinto against them, by detonating a Lightmass Bomb inside it. This would devastate the foundation of Jacinto, and cause the ocean to come pouring into the hole as the city sunk.[26] Prescott then went to his office to take everything important and pack it into a bag. He reflected on how Adam had suggested this plan to him years ago, but never said anything about sinking Jacinto. Hoffman then arrived, and Prescott asked him if everyone had been evacuated yet. Hoffman told him that the Locust had arrived, and that there was no more time to evacuate. They headed for the CIC, and Hoffman mentioned how the whole situation was giving him a sense of deja vu. When they reached the CIC, Prescott asked Anya how they were doing, and she told him that she was targeting a Lambent Brumak with the Hammer of Dawn, since the Lightmass Bomb was lost after it was put into position.[27] The Brumak exploded upon being hit, giving them a large enough explosion to sink the city.[28]

PrescottHoffmanAnyaFightDrones

Prescott, Hoffman, and Anya engage three Drones that had cut them off from their Raven.

Evacuating Jacinto
"First fire... now flood. This has to be the last time we destroy our own."
—Prescott, as he, Hoffman, and Anya try to escape Jacinto

Prescott, Hoffman, and Anya then began running to the HQ building's exit, in order to reach KR-471, which was waiting to evacuate them. Anya tried to contact them, but was unable to because the comms network had failed, but Prescott told her not to worry, since the pilot had orders to wait for them to arrive before leaving. When they got outside, they found the streets cracking and flooding, with debris blocking their route to the Raven. They took a detour around another street, but as they ran, Prescott heard a rumbling, and they looked behind themselves to see the street collapsing. They ran and jumped up to grab railing along a building, and pulled themselves to safety. They looked into the collapsed road and saw water rushing past with Locust and humans caught in it trying to escape. Prescott said this had to be the last time they ever destroyed their own people, and Anya wondered how many people they had lost. Prescott said that they had gotten the majority out, which was more than they could say for the Hammer of Dawn counterattack. They continued picking their way through the streets, unable to contact anyone else, and eventually reached the plaza where the Raven was waiting. However, an Emergence Hole opened in front of them, with three drones emerging. Prescott drew his Snub Pistol and opened fire on them with Hoffman, taking cover behind the debris. Prescott told Hoffman that if they could not get past them and reach the Raven they would be dead. Pvt.Augustus Cole then arrived and flanked the Locust, taking out one drone, allowing Prescott and Hoffman to take out the other two. Cole remarked that Prescott seemed to still know how to use his gun, and Prescott said he was glad Cole had joined them. Another drone then emerged, but was killed quickly by Anya. They then boarded KR-471 and took off, and Anya informed Prescott that the net was still down and they could not get an update.[27] As the Raven headed for the evacuation point at Port Farrall, Prescott wondered what to do now, and Hoffman asked him if he had any other classified information he wanted to share with him before Hoffman got any more nasty surprises. Prescott did not answer him, and instead focused on what they were going to do when they reached the evacuation point at Port Farrall, telling Hoffman that it was going to take days to process all of the refugees.[29] Half an hour later, Anya inquired if Prescott knew if the Locust had ever spied on them, and he remarked that that was an odd question to ask. She pointed out that Marcus had said that Queen Myrrah somehow knew Adam Fenix's name, and wondered how the Queen could have known that. Prescott said it was indeed odd, not revealing that he was already aware that Myrrah knew Adam, and why she knew him, and reflected that he had not found out soon enough.[27]

Arrival at Port Farrall

"We face facts. Our society's at risk now more than we were under Locust attack. We've lost even the most basic comforts we had in Jacinto. People will die of cold and hunger. People will become angry and scared very, very fast, and that's the point at which we face collapse. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. And it's going to put enormous pressure not only on you, but on our Gears- we're taking them out of a terrible war and plunging them straight into policing their own people, keeping order, because order will break down if we don't impose it. Some Gears will find this impossible, and so might some of us. But the only other choice is to degenerate into savagery, and then the Locust will have won because we handed them victory."
—Prescott, speaking to the command staff of the COG three hours after the evacuation to Port Farrall

After arriving in Port Farrall, Prescott switched from his uniform into a pullover and ordinary pants in order to try and keep warm in the freezing temperatures, but also to make it seem like he was suffering along with the rest of the civilian staff. The image worked, and the staff worked confidently and effectively in his presence. He met with them in an Emergency Management Command Vehicle, where a temporary CIC had been set up. They began going over the present situation, and Prescott decided to leave everyone who had evacuated on a navy vessel onboard them, since they were warmer and had a better shelter, and inquired if they could hold any more civilians. Emergency Management chief Royston Sharle told him that they were all completely full, and disease was already going to be an issue onboard them. He told Prescott that they were setting up tents with heaters for the night, and that soup wagons would be set up to feed the civilians within an hour. Prescott told him he had done a good job, and then asked about the fuel situation. He was informed that a recon team sent to Merrenat Naval Base had found Imulsion in half the tanks there and that more could still be found in the large complex. Prescott then inquired how many civilians they had lost, and Dr.Isabel Hayman told him that she estimated they were looking at about thirty percent losses. Prescott thought about that for a moment, and then stood up and addressed the assembled staff. He told them that they had to face facts, and realize that their society was now more at risk than ever before. They were still under threat from the Locust, the basic comforts they had in Jacinto had been lost, and that they were going to lose people to the cold and hunger, which would generate a lot of anger, and maybe force them close to collapse. He knew that things would get worse before they got better, and he was going to be asking a lot from all of them, and from the Gears, but asked that they all do their best and try to hold the COG together, because the only other option was a descent into savagery, which would mean the Locust had won. The staff was transfixed by his speech, and even Hoffman was impressed, telling him that it was well said, and informed him that they now had security patrols going around the camp. The meeting then broke up, and all of the command staff got working on their respective jobs.[30]

"We don't have that option. This was a last resort, after all. Every city we considered as an evacuation center is going to be like this, or worse."
—Prescott to Hoffman, after Hoffman said that they needed to consider moving someplace else

Prescott set up his office in a Thrashball stadium office that overlooked the playing field, with a priceless rug adorning the floor. He met with Hoffman in the CIC building one week after the relocation, and they discussed what their next move would be, the rest civil unrest among the civilian population, and problems with Stranded. Prescott agreed with Hoffman that the Gears were not trained for civil policing, but they were all they had and they needed to make it work. He also informed him that he was going to personally visit the local Stranded communities and give them an offer of amnesty. If they refused, he would authorize Gears to shoot Stranded as looters if they were found within the camp. He told Hoffman that he expected the Gears to comply with those orders, even if they found it hard to shoot civilians. Hoffman then told Prescott that their biggest problem was that Port Farrall was simply uninhabitable, lacking adequate facilities to shelter the population for the winter, and that they were going to lose a lot of people if they stayed. Prescott told Hoffman if he were to subject the population to another evacuation, he would have to know that they would stand to lose a majority of the population if they didn't and that they would have a place to go to. Hoffman suggested they look into some of the islands, which Prescott considered to be a good idea. He told him to work with Sharle on a plan, and to talk with the navy officers, since they would need them to put into motion that kind of move. Prescott then asked if there was any other business to take care of, and Hoffman asked him once more if there was any classified material that he was hiding from him. Prescott was annoyed by this, and told Hoffman that he was sorry for having not told him about New Hope, and that he had now informed him of every classified location in COG territory. He claimed the reason that he hadn't told him was that, as a politician, he just got so used to keeping information hidden, that volunteering information freely wasn't something he was used to. As he left Hoffman's office, he passed Sgt.Bernadette Mataki, who was carrying dinner for Hoffman and saluted Prescott as he passed and headed back to his own office.[31] Prescott later spoke to the Jacinto population, and told them that the COG was still in existence, along with their dedication to the rule of law and their social covenants. He told them that they faced uncertain times, but that they could rebuild the world through unity, while disunity would be the end of them all.[32] A few days later, Delta-One found a large cache of supplies hidden under Merrenat Naval Base, which pleased Prescott.[33]

Deciding the Next Move

"Let's try Vectes. It's within Raven range without refueling, yes?"
—Prescott, selecting a possible relocation point for the COG

Six weeks after the evacuation, Prescott met with Hoffman, Anya, and Cpt.Quentin Michaelson, the head of the COG navy, in his office to discuss options for relocation. Prescott spelled out his priorities to them: keeping the community together and stopping any more civilians from leaving, and they couldn't do that if the civilians didn't trust the COG to keep them safe. Anya told him that Michaelson had knowledge of former COG bases on several islands, and the image of them looking for a solution to the horrid conditions they were living in would help stop the potential exodus from the COG. Prescott agreed, and asked Michaelson to present him some options to move to. Michaelson pulled out a map of the ocean, and pointed out two islands: Vectes and Erevall. He told Prescott that Vectes was large enough and had a former naval base, but was off limits because it had housed chemical and biological weapons during the war, and might be contaminated. As he began to describe Eravall, Prescott interrupted him and said they should try Vectes since it was within Raven range without the need to refuel. The others stared at him, and Michaelson pointed out that it was still under quarantine, but Prescott said it should be safe now. Hoffman angrily asked him if he had anything he wanted to tell them, and Prescott told him that it had just been a very minor detail in a report that had crossed his desk over the previous years that he had thought were irrelevant. He told them the weapons program had been decommissioned when the Hammer of Dawn project started, and that the quarantine had been left in place due to no future plans for the best. They accepted his explanation with some frustration, and Prescott asked Hoffman if he was going to send Delta to inspect the island. Hoffman said that Marcus got the job done every time, but Prescott said that it was almost every time. Anya shot back that they would all be dead without Delta, causing Prescott to almost rebuke her, but stopped and merely agreed with her.[34] A few days after this, Prescott was briefed by Hayman about the mental and physical state of the Gears. She warned him that many were close to exhaustion and many had severe mental trauma from the things they had witnessed and gone through.[35]

Move to Vectes

"Absolutely extraordinary."
—Prescott, after Anya reports Vectes is inhabitable, and populated by loyal COG citizens

A week after the meeting, Delta-One arrived on Vectes aboard two King Ravens, with Anya commanding the mission. She contacted Prescott, and informed him that the base on the island was intact and ready for inhabitation and expansion, and that there was a small town called Pelruan that was populated by three thousand loyal COG citizens who had been cut off since E-Day. Prescott was amazed and extremely happy with this news, and told her that he would begin the relocation to the island immediately, with more Ravens arriving within a day and the fleet due to arrive in five days. Anya told him that it was a very attractive island, and Prescott told her to have the squads bot send images of the island to them, so he could show the citizens where they were going and boost their morale. He then transferred her over to Hoffman so they could discuss the security situation for the island.[36]

Stranded Insurgency

Asserting Control

"I'm sure you never imagined this day would come. But Vectes- New Jacinto- is now the capital of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. From here, humanity will rebuild. From here, we will recover our strength and numbers, reclaim the mainland, and restore civilization."
—Prescott, speaking to a crowd of Gears and COG citizens

Some difficulties were soon discovered with the island, namely the large Stranded settlement on it, and their hostility to the COG. Prescott wanted to offer them the usual amnesty deal, but the first night Delta spent on the island, the Stranded raided Pelruan, but were defeated. This turn of events greatly upset the native COG population, who were very uneasy with the incoming influx of people. Prescott had planned to address them via Delta's bot, but Hoffman convinced him to wait until he was there in person to do it.[37] On the way to Vectes aboard the CNV Sovereign, Prescott had to deal with Major Aleksander Reid constantly trying to impress and cater to him. Hoffman went on ahead to the island to talk with the town leadership, and Prescott told him that he wouldn't tolerate no-go areas and segregation between the incoming Jacinto population and Pelruan. Prescott also asked for him to extend an invitation to Mayor Lewis Gavriel and his councilmen to come to VNB and meet with him when he arrived.[38]

As the COG began settling in, most of the Stranded accepted the COG's offer of amnesty, and the demand that any criminals be turned over for trial. However, a problem erupted when one of the Stranded who tried to enter VNB with the others was identified as Jonn Massy, who had raped Bernie. He was captured, and Prescott went to talk with Hoffman over their options to deal with him. Prescott argued that putting him on trial for the public would show everyone that the COG meant business in dealing with criminals, frightening the new Stranded citizens and reassuring the worried Pelruan citizens. He was also worried about what would happen if Massy just disappeared, making the COG seem shadowy and brutal. Hoffman didn't want Bernie to have to go through a public trial, with what had been done to her brought out into the open. He also pointed out that Bernie had tortured and killed her other rapists during her journey across Sera, and that if that detail got out it might upset some civilians and color their impression of the Gears. Prescott agreed with his reasoning, and told him to do whatever he thought would do the least damage to morale, and that he would back him in his decision.[39] Three days later, Prescott addressed a crowd of Jacinto and Pelruan citizens, including their town council. Prescott told him that Vectes Naval Base would be turned into New Jacinto, and become the capital of the resurgent COG, and lead humanity in rebuilding. He praised the leaders of Pelruan for keeping their town going, and allowing the COG to relocate to Vectes. He also reassured them that they would no longer have to worry about attacks from Stranded, and that all violent elements among them would be eliminated.[40]

TrescuMeetingPrescott

Prescott negotiates with Trescu over the Gorasni joining the COG.

Negotiating With Miran Trescu

"If you come here, then you have to join the Coalition. And then you get full protection and benefits. I have to insist on unity."
—Prescott to Miran Trescu, on his terms for the Gorasni to join the COG on Vectes

After as suspected Stranded attack resulted in the destruction of the Pelruan fishing trawler Harvest, Prescott gave Michaelson broad discretionary powers to deal with Stranded pirates. After a mission Michaelson put into motion resulted in the killing of a major pirate leader at the hands of the submarine Zephyr, under the command of Miran Trescu of the Republic of Gorasnaya, a UIR nation that had never surrendered, Trescu requested a meeting with Prescott. Prescott met with Hoffman in his office to discuss the situation while they waited for Michaelson and Trescu to arrive. Prescott was unconcerned with the death of the pirates, but did want an accurate count of who else was out there living among the islands, and felt that it wouldn't be a good idea to be hostile with all of them. Hoffman told him that the original idea of the mission had been to look into that, but Trescu had torpedoed that plan. He also inquired if the Indie submarine was a surprise to only him, and asked if there was any classified material at all that Prescott hadn't told him about. Prescott pretended to think about it, and then told Hoffman that he couldn't think of anything. Prescott then tried questioning if Hoffman felt threatened by Michaelson's rising importance, hoping to try and crate tension between them so they couldn't work against him, but Hoffman refused to rise to the bait. Prescott then remarked that some Gears seemed to resent the local Pelruan population, viewing them as having had it easy, and told Hoffman he needed to put a stop to that, since it could cause a divide between the two groups. After Prescott suggested that Hoffman might look into retiring Bernie at her age and he refused, they settled into an awkward silence as they waited for the others. Once they arrived, Prescott warmly greeted Trescu, and they discussed the situation. Prescott asked what Trescu wanted from them, and Trescu informed him that he had four thousand citizens, a small army and navy, and an Imulsion platform that was still producing, but nowhere really safe to keep them. He wanted to join the COG, and get the protection it offered for his people. Prescott was extremely interested in the offer, but told Trescu that if he and his people came to Vectes, there could be no establishments of separate enclaves, and they would all have to be united as one under the COG. Trescu agreed, and they shook hands to conclude the agreement.[41]

The Arrival of the Gorasni

"Welcome to New Jacinto. And welcome to the protection of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. May this new year be a new start for us all."
—Prescott, to the debarking Gorasni citizens arriving on Vectes

The Gorasni citizens began to arrive a few weeks after the deal was made, and Prescott went to the docks with Hoffman, a Gear escort, and a delegation from Pelruan to welcome a group of them debarking from the Paryk. Hoffman noted that most of them didn't seem happy with the arrangement, and Prescott joked that he hoped it was from disorientation and seasickness rather than any real hatred. He then listened in on a conversation between Hoffman and a Pelruan representative, who was a veteran of the Pendulum Wars and had fought against the Gorasni, and heard how most of the Pelruan veterans hated the Gorasni. Prescott was worried about the possible tensions between the two groups, and after the man left, he remarked that that didn't bode well for the future. Hoffman remarked that they couldn't expect the Pelruan townspeople to just put aside their anger, but Prescott said that it had been a whole war ago and was ancient history. Hoffman reminded him that Pelruan hadn't suffered attacks from the Locust, and had likely spent much of their fifteen years of isolation nursing their grudge against the Indies. Prescott looked at the lines of debarking Gorasni, and told Hoffman that while he was against segregated areas between the different groups in the COG, and ordered him to establish the Gorasni in an area separate from the rest of the population until they were sure everyone wasn't going to kill each other. Hoffman said he was sure Trescu would keep his people in line, and Prescott asked where he was. Hoffman said he was meeting Michaelson to work out a tanker schedule from the Imulsion rig, and Prescott told him he wanted Gears on board that to guard it as soon as possible. Hoffman said he would get Marcus and Cpl.Dominic Santiago to inspect it, but Prescott wondered if they might be of more use hunting down the Stranded Insurgents who were raging war on the COG using hit and run tactics. Hoffman ignored his criticism, and said that securing the rig would be more trouble than the Stranded. Prescott told him he understood, and that he had absolute faith in whatever Hoffman decided to do. He then headed back to his office, telling Hoffman that he looked forward to his report on the matter.[42] Later that day, Prescott learned that the Nezark, a Gorasni Gelen Class Frigate, had been sunk at sea. He correctly assumed that the Lambent were responsible, and reflected on what a terrible secret the Lambent were to keep, but he had to do so because he felt no one would welcome the truth about how he knew.[43]

Battle of Vectes

"Bring back a few of these animals back alive for Trescu, then. Give him a sense of ownership of the problems. If we don't, he'll take prisoners himself and sit on the intel. He has to accept he's part of the COG now."
—Prescott, ordering Hoffman to get Trescu prisoners to torture

Two days later, the Stranded Insurgents launched several ambushes around the island, and detonated pre-placed bombs around New Jacinto, triggering the Battle of Vectes. Prescott headed to the CIC to monitor the situation, and ran into Trescu on the way there. One of the bombs had detonated inside the Gorasni camp, which angered Trescu, and they began arguing. When they arrived at the CIC, Hoffman and Michaelson were already there, and the four of them began discussing the situation. Trescu accused the COG of being too soft to deal with the Stranded, and offered amnesty to some of them instead of using as hostages. Prescott told him they were not to be used as hostages, and that they were mostly children, women, and elderly men. Trescu didn't care, and said that if he had access to some of the Stranded, he could learn what information they needed to know to end the attacks. Hoffman refused to let him near the Stranded who had joined them, but Prescott pointed out that Delta-One was in pursuit of a group of Stranded, and ordered Lt.Donneld Mathieson to tell Marcus to capture them alive so they could be given to Trescu. Trescu agreed to this, and then left to go talk to his people and calm them down. Prescott turned to Hoffman, and told him that they needed to figure out a way to make Trescu move away from the idea that the Gorasni were separate from them, and warned Hoffman and Michaelson to watch their wording around him. He also told him to make sure that Trescu got his prisoners, and that if they didn't get him some, he would go out and do it himself and not share the information, and make it more difficult for him to accept being part of the COG.[44] Delta succeeded in capturing three prisoners, but during his interrogation of them, Trescu shot and killed one. Dr.Hayman, who had been treating the three prisoners for wounds they had suffered when they had been captured, was horrified and came to Prescott and demanded he does something. However, Prescott was unconcerned as long as Trescu got results.[45]

Sinking of the Levanto

"Are you insane? You could have started a panic. Why tell them there's a unknown threat out there?"
—Prescott to Marcus, after the Gear told Pelruan citizens that it was not the Stranded who sunk the Levanto

Prescott barely had time to deal with the fallout of Trescu's action before another crisis erupted: a Pelruan trawler, the Levanto, exploded under unknown circumstance while out with the trawler fleet and under guard by a patrol vessel. Prescott went with Hoffman to the gates of VNB to meet with a group of Pelruan citizens about the situation. Prescott attempted to speak with them to calm them down, but they shouted him down and demanded to be let into New Jacinto and take revenge on the Stranded who had accepted amnesty, blaming them and the insurgents for the destruction of the trawler. Marcus showed up and managed to shout them down, and informed them that they believed that the Stranded had nothing to do with the sinking of the trawler, and that there was another unknown threat out there. This shocked the crowd, and they agreed to go back to Pelruan under military escort for their safety. As the civilians left and Marcus began to walk away, Prescott grabbed his arm and demanded why he had told them that, thinking that he could have started a panic. Marcus simply stared at him until he let go of his arm, and told Prescott that it was the only thing that would stop a riot, and it was the truth. Prescott said nothing to that, and headed back to his office.[46]

Lambent Pandemic

Discovery of the Lambent

"I want this kept quiet. I want to know what we're dealing with before we start panicking the civilian population."
—Prescott, ordering Hoffman to prevent word of the Lambent from leaking

When another trawler, the Coral Star, was destroyed, the cause of the sinking vessels was discovered: Lambent infected creatures getting caught by the boats and exploding. Prescott immediately ordered that all civilian vessels be confined to within five hundred meters from the shore, and reinstated martial law. He also ordered a curfew, with only farmers exempt from it. He contacted Hoffman, who was heading to Pelruan to talk with the town's leaders, and ordered him to stop any word of the Lambent from leaking to the civilian population until they knew what they were dealing with. Hoffman told him they knew exactly what they were dealing with, and that it would be impossible to stop the Pelruan citizens from talking about this over their radio net, unless they shot them all. Prescott considered this problem for a moment, and ordered him to suspend their radio net, and restrict all radio use to military use. Hoffman told him that the farms and other communities needed the radio net, and Prescott told him they could have supervised use of the military net, or relocate to New Jacinto. Hoffman begrudgingly accepted his orders, but gave the Pelruan citizens free use of the military net without telling Prescott, knowing that there would be no way to keep the return of the Lambent quiet.[47]

Power Struggle

"By the way, I want a personal security detail- I need to be able to walk around New Jacinto without dodging stones from malcontents. I refuse to give into hooliganism."
—Prescott, ordering Hoffman to give him bodyguards

In addition to the Lambent, Prescott also had to deal with a struggle for authority between Hoffman and Trescu. Hoffman had shut down the Gorasni radio net after Trescu had taken unauthorized action against the Stranded, taking his men and raiding Stranded camps he had learned about from the prisoners. He met with Hoffman and Michaelson in Hoffman's office, and demanded to know what he was thinking shutting down their comm system, and that he had no authority to do so. Hoffman countered that he had every authority to do so as Chief of Staff, and that he would have one army and one navy, and not allow the Gorasni to operate independently. He told Prescott that either he commanded all their assets, or none of them. Prescott asked if he was threatening to resign, and Hoffman told him that he could only do his job if Prescott stopped interfering with operational procedures, and stuck to policy and objectives. Michaelson agreed with Hoffman, saying that they had to hold the Gorasni to their deal they made when they joined. Prescott remarked that they had destroyed a significant amount of explosives and killed large numbers of Stranded over the past day, and that the two of them had not made as much progress in several weeks. Hoffman retorted that he didn't torture kids and dump the bodies of the people he killed onto the ground in front of their families, and that doing so slowed down any progress they were making. Michaelson said they needed to bring the Gorasni in line, and if they didn't, things would escalate until Prescott lost control. Prescott agreed, and asked what they would do if Trescu didn't cooperate. Michaelson was dismissive of the idea that he could do so, since his entire population was now in COG territory, but Hoffman told them that that was enough about the Gorasni, and asked what they were going to do about the Lambent. Prescott ordered Hoffman to gather as much information about them as he could, and requested bodyguards to accompany him around New Jacinto, in order to protect himself against discontented citizens. He then headed back to his own office.[48]

Damage Control

"But my biggest concern is that we have no idea how many forms these Lambent have evolved into, or how to kill them effectively."
—Prescott, to Hoffman and Trescu while discussing the Lambent

After the destruction of the Emerald Spar Imulsion platform, Prescott ordered that all non-essential uses of power be restricted to non-Imulsion fuel sources, and that vehicles that didn't use Imulsion be exploited to the fullest in order to preserve fuel.[49] He met with Hoffman and Trescu in his office to discuss options, and said that although losing the rig was a large blow, they could recover in time. He asked Trescu how long it would take to restore the wells, and he asked him if that was before or after the stopped the Lambent. Prescott said it was for argument's sake, and Trescu told him he had no idea, and that they no longer even had the equipment to restore or build a new Imulsion platform. Prescott understood, and told him that his crew had done a good job getting one last shipment off the rig, which bought them a lot of time. He wondered how much resources they could put into scouting off the island for supplies, but told them his biggest concern was that they had no idea how much the Lambent could mutate, or even all the forms they could come in. Hoffman told him that he had Ravens out scouting for signs of the Lambent, so that they could be forewarned if they were approaching the island, but that they needed to assume the Lambent would arrive eventually and prepare for that fact. Prescott told him to come up with a plan, and Hoffman said they needed to create kill zones, and figure out the best way to kill the Polyps the Lambent Stalks disgorged. Prescott asked Trescu if he had any ideas, and he suggested that they try to recruit the Stranded to fight against the Lambent, and that they might have information gather from amongst their different enclaves about incursions on the mainland. Prescott was skeptical, and feared that the Stranded would try to take advantage of the COG asking them for help by presenting themselves as a legitimate alternative to the COG. However, he did not forbid them from making contact, and seeing what they could learn. Hoffman and Trescu then left to work on designing defense for the island, and Prescott had another meeting with Major Aleksander Reid and Emergency Management Chief Royston Sharle.[50]

Rallying the Citizens

"I'm not going to pretend that I haven't had to do terrible things. And I won't lie to you and tell you we'll defeat the Lambent. I don't know if we can, any more than I knew if we could defeat the Locust. All I can do is point out that we're still thriving in the face of overwhelming odds. We can do the impossible."
—Prescott, while speaking to the citizens of New Jacinto

As the defenses began to be built, Prescott, trailed by his new bodyguards Cpl.Rivera and Lowe, went to address a crowd of COG citizens, with ex-Stranded and Gorasni among them, in the town square of New Jacinto. Hoffman, Trescu, and Michaelson were also in attendance to back Prescott up, and he began by saying how they had come through the unknown before, and survived. One of the Gorasni citizens yelled that Ephyra might have come through intact, but that Prescott had burned the rest of the world with the Hammer of Dawn. Trescu told his people that he didn't ask them to forgive or forget, but that the needed to all come together if they were going to get through this. Prescott continued, acknowledging that he had had to do terrible things to fight the Locust, and that he wasn't even going to lie to them and say he knew they could defeat the Lambent, any more that he had known that they could beat the Locust. He said all he could do was point out that they were still alive and fighting, despite the great odds against them, and how he knew they could do the impossible. The crowd began cheering him, and the rest of the command staff, assured that he had everything in hand, went to the CIC while Prescott continued his speech.[51]

Battle of New Jacinto

"If I had anything that could possibly help you to resolve this situation, I'd have given it to you by now."
—Prescott, lying to Hoffman about still having classified information

When two Lambent Leviathans attacked New Jacinto, Hoffman came to Prescott's office and recommended he evacuate to a safer location further inland. Prescott agreed, and Hoffman gave him a Mk 2 Lancer Assault Rifle to defend himself with, and showed him how to activate the chainsaw. Prescott began looking through his desk to grab a pistol, which he kept in a drawer with documents about the Fortification Act and his secret data disk, A2897. As he looked, he asked Hoffman for an update on casualty reports, and was told that about thirty defenders had been killed, along with eleven civilians. Prescott was surprised, having expected more deaths, but Hoffman informed him that they still had a lot of navy personnel missing from the CNV Fenmont, which had been heavily damaged. After finding his pistol, Prescott locked the drawer, and told Hoffman to go on, but realized that Hoffman had noticed him locking the drawer. Hoffman didn't comment on that, and told Prescott he was planning on using the Hammer of Dawn when the Leviathans came back to drop off more Polyps, which concerned Prescott. He wondered if it was time to be using their maximum firepower, as it would likely damage the base, and there could be easier ways of killing the Leviathans since attacks like this could be a daily occurrence. Hoffman told him that they needed to take them out quickly, so Prescott agreed with the decision, and decided to have the evacuation points pushed even further inland. Hoffman lamented the fact that the scientists couldn't tell them anything about the Lambent, and wondered what had happened to their best people. Prescott told him that they had never gotten any solid answers from them before, and he doubted they could have given any now. Hoffman then asked once more if Prescott had any information that he could give him, however irrelevant or small it was, or if he had any encrypted data that he couldn't crack. Prescott lied once more, telling Hoffman very carefully that if he had anything that could help Hoffman solve the current situation, he would have given it to him. Hoffman then told Prescott that he needed to leave the office now and get to the evacuation point, and if another attack came and Prescott was still there, he could not mount a rescue operation. Prescott agreed, and told Hoffman he would be on the radio to monitor the battle, and to keep him updated on the situation.[52]

Confrontation with Hoffman

"But seeing as you want to be told things- whatever information you have is also stored somewhere else."
—Prescott to Hoffman, during their confrontation over data disk A2897

After the COG won the battle against the Lambent, Prescott returned to his office with Rivera and Lowe, and began cleaning up the damage it had suffered during the attack. Hoffman soon arrived, and Prescott commented to him that things could have been much worse. When Hoffman's reply was a sarcastic reply about just keeping calm and carrying on, Prescott deduced that he had looked in the drawer and taken A2897. Prescott asked Rivera and Lowe to go get some lunch while things were calm, and after they left, Prescott told Hoffman that they were standing at a crossroads, and that there were those who were starting to question if Prescott was fit to function as the Chairman after making the decision to bring them to an island were they faced even more hardship. He asked Hoffman if he was among them, but Hoffman reminded him that he had been the one to suggest looking at islands to take refuge on. Prescott remarked that Hoffman seemed to keep taking credit for their decisions, and asked him if he wanted to be a martyr or a politician. Hoffman told him to cut the bullshit, and Prescott said that he had the feeling that Hoffman no longer held in trust in him. Hoffman responded that Prescott had yet to make a major decision he disagreed with, and that he had never acted inappropriately, but that he was a liar, and Hoffman could no longer trust him because he made his job too difficult by hiding classified information. Prescott continued to clean his office as they talked, and told Hoffman that the army was at the service of the state, and it was he who decided what was relevant for Hoffman to know or not know. As he put his key into the desk drawer to open it, he asked Hoffman why he had done it. Hoffman said that mistrust corroded their relationship, and that he hoped whatever was on the disk was just something personally embarrassing to Prescott, and not classified. Prescott opened the drawer, and just by looking at the disk inside he knew it was a fake. He told Hoffman that he hadn't really meant to cover his tracks with that, and since he wanted information so badly, he should know that Prescott had a backup stored somewhere else. He then asked what Hoffman had done with the disk, and Hoffman told him that he would tell him once Prescott told him everything he was hiding. Prescott deduced that Hoffman had been unable to crack the encryption on it, leaving it completely useless to him. After they stared at each other in silence for a few moments, Hoffman left Prescott's office, knowing that he couldn't do anything to make him admit what was on the disk. Prescott didn't take any action against Hoffman for the moment, fearing what the army would do if he tried to punish him, and that they would not be loyal to him alone.[53]

Leaving Vectes

Prescott

Prescott confronting Marcus before leaving Vectes.

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AdamPrescottResearch

Prescott talking with Adam as he examines the Lambent samples.

Return to Azura

"Can we kill it before it kills us?"
—Prescott to Adam as he studies the newest Lambent samples

Prescott was taken by KR Zero-One to Azura, and was greeted by Adam Fenix at a docking pad. He handed him the box of samples gathered on Vectes, and Adam told him that the new extreme mutations were not good news. He asked how things were on Vectes, and Prescott informed him that Marcus was fine, but angry. He admitted the last thing he had wanted to do was abandon the Gears and civilians, but he was sure Hoffman would be able to take care of them. He followed Adam to his lab, and he filled Prescott in on the situation with the Lambent. His theory was that the stalks were fungal fruiting bodies, and that Lambency was a global parasite that was infecting everything on Sera. Adam admitted he had no idea why any life-form would self-destruct to spread itself. Prescott asked him if they could kill the parasite before it killed them, and Adam told that he would know for sure when he finished analyzing it, but noted he was a dead man anyway due to having injected himself with the parasite to study it.[54] He was later given a report on the Maelstrom device, which created a constant storm around the island for its defense.[55]

Prescott at Azura

Prescott and Adam talk about Hoffman leaving Vectes.

Developing a Weapon

"A damn bomb? What else is it going to kill?"
—Prescott to Adam, after he told him that only a targeted radiation weapon would kill the Lambent

Five months later, Prescott received word through the Onyx Guard that Hoffman had abandoned Vectes two months ago, but that Marcus, Dom, and Anya were all fine. He informed Adam about the situation, and asked for an update on his progress, noting that he had the Lambent samples from Vectes out. Adam noted it the samples had given him a timeline of how the parasite was evolving, and that it was evolving fast. Prescott asked exactly how fast it was evolving, and Adam admitted that they were in unknown territory, but that he guessed that had between one and three years before every cell on Sera was infected and would die. Prescott asked if there was any way to kill it yet, but Adam noted that parasites did not usually kill their hosts and that it resisted everything they used against it. Prescott berated Adam for not involving biologists from the start of his discovery twenty years ago, but Adam interrupted him and claimed that biological countermeasures would not work. He believed that a targeted radiation weapon would wipe out the parasite, but Prescott was worried about what else it would kill. Adam told him it was targeted, and to trust him since he was betting his life on this, but Prescott noted he was betting everybody else’s as well.[56]

Adam telling Prescott to leave

Adam telling Prescott to go to Vectes instead of him.

The Fall of Azura

Thirteen months later, Azura was attacked by the remnants of the Locust Horde, who swiftly captured the island and began slaughtering everyone but Adam, who they wanted alive to kill the Lambent.[57] Prescott managed to escape the island with Rivera and Lowe, along with several King Ravens. He managed to promise Adam that he would try to find help and took a disc with him that contained a message from Adam to Marcus.[58]

Prescottandgears

Prescott landing on the CNV Sovereign with his bodyguards.

Arrival on the Sovereign

"I'll have answers for you ladies and gentlemen, but later."
—Prescott, after being greeted by Delta-One

After locating the CNV Sovereign, on which survivors from Vectes were based after the COG had fallen apart several months after Prescott's departure, Prescott ordered the pilot of KR Zero-One to request permission to land on the ship and to inform them that he was aboard. They were given permission by Anya to land, but as they headed for the docking by, several Lambent Stalks emerged nearby and begin letting polyps, Lambent Drones, and Drudges off onto the ship. After the Raven provided air support and Delta-One destroyed the Lambent, they raised the deck lift so Zero-One could land. Prescott got off of the Raven and was greeted by Marcus, Dom, Anya, and Cpl.Jace Stratton, and Marcus welcomed him to what was left of the COG. He told them he would have answers for them, but that he first needed to see Hoffman. Anya told him that Hoffman had been gone almost as long as he had, and Prescott asked if he was dead. Anya said that he had taken a group of Gears and civilians to Anvil Gate, and that Michaelson was the one in charge of what was left of the military. Prescott said he had better talk to him then, and that he had a mission for him. He then handed Marcus the disc containing the message from his father, and told him he would want to see it. Prescott then headed for Michaelson's quarters with his two bodyguards. After Prescott reached Michaelson’s office, the Lambent attacked again and breached the lower levels. Michaelson was wounded in the attack, and Prescott's bodyguards were killed. Prescott called for assistance, and Marcus told him that they were on their way. Prescott held off two Lambent Drones until Delta showed up, and they helped him kill them, but he was slightly wounded in the process. Prescott checked on Michaelson, but he was dead, and he tried to order the remaining Ravens to take off and provide support for the ship, but was told that they couldn't take off because the deck chief had been killed and no one could reach the lift controls. Prescott told Marcus they needed to go and help them and leave the ship, but Marcus saw that he was wounded and told him to stay in the office and defend himself until they got back, and then he and Prescott would have a nice long chat about Adam's message on the disc. As Delta left, Anya told Prescott she would come back to give him first aid once the choppers had taken off.[58] A few minutes later, Marcus checked to make sure Prescott was still there over the comms, and he told Marcus that he wasn't dead yet if that was what he meant. Marcus said that was good, and that he didn't want to lose him again.[59]

PrescottDead

Prescott lying dead from his wounds.

Death

"That old bastard... he'll be... furious..."
—Prescott's last words, as he handed Marcus the encryption key to A2897

When a Lambent Leviathan attacked the ship, an evacuation was ordered.[59] Prescott managed to escape the ship and make it to the Hanover coast, but he was badly wounded in the process. He was found by Anya and Jace, and Anya attempted to treat his wound while Jace defended them from Locust forces. The rest of Delta eventually arrived and defeated the attacking Locust. Prescott’s situation continued to worsen, as one of his lungs collapsed and his chest cavity began filling with blood. Dom held his hand to the wound and applied pressure to try and slow the bleeding, and Marcus came over to talk with Prescott. He asked Prescott if he could hear him, and Prescott told him he could, and asked where that chat he had been promised was. Marcus demanded to know where his father was, and Prescott told him he was at Azura, and that it was a secret research facility that Queen Myrrah had captured several days ago. Marcus yelled at him to tell him where Azura was, and Prescott handed him an encryption key to A2897. He then began choking as his throat and mouth filled up with blood, and Prescott laughed a little before saying that Hoffman would be furious about this. Prescott then died from his wounds, and Anya closed his eyes.[60]

Legacy

Baird realized that Prescott had been referring to Hoffman and had given them the key to unlocking the data disk Hoffman had stolen from Prescott.[60] Based on the information Prescott gave them, Marcus led a mission to rescue his father and finally defeat the Locust.[61] Despite his controversial actions throughout the Locust War, Prescott's name was inscribed on a postwar memorial wall along with the names of other fallen Gears in honor of their memory and sacrifice.

In 42 AE, after Gabriel Diaz's daughter Kait sought information about her father, Colonel Hoffman told her that there were things even he didn't have access to and though he knew about them, they were secrets that needed to die. Hoffman told Kait that the right person to learn it from was Richard Prescott despite him being dead. When Kait asked about Prescott being dead, Hoffman confirmed it but stated that that didn't mean there weren't still things Kait could learn from him. Kait asked if Hoffman was going to give her Prescott's file, but Hoffman just told her with a chuckle that if she ever found it, he would love to have a look at it too. When Kait pressed Hoffman for how she would learn from Prescott, Hoffman only told her to keep her eyes and ears open and to listen, watch and learn. He also told Kait that there was one name she should pay attention to when she came across it: Ukkon. Kait committed Ukkon's name to memory and thought that it sounded familiar, as if she had heard it before in childhood. However, Kait's memory of where she heard of Ukkon before was elusive, possibly even deliberately sealed away.[62]

Later during a mission at Azura to launch a Hammer of Dawn satellite, 2nd Lieutenant James Dominic Fenix found and collected the golden watch that belonging to Prescott at the launch facility. 2nd Lieutenant Delmont Walker commented while many believed Prescott's decision to use the Hammer ensured humanity's survival, the decision to use it was above him. Corporal Kait Diaz later placed Prescott's watch by the memorial wall during the Battle of Old Ephyra along with the items of other fallen Gears.

Prescott Portrait

A portrait of Prescott that hung in the House of Sovereigns.

Personality and traits

"Understand what a world had to do to survive."
—Chairman Richard Prescott, Memoirs, opening line, unpublished draft.[63]

Due to his dedication to the Coalition, Prescott is known to be available at any time - day or night.[64] Prescott would do anything for the COG, even sacrificing the few for the many. He regrets unleashing the Hammer of Dawn in order to defeat the Locust Horde but understands it was the only way the human race would survive. Some of his methods cross both moral and ethical lines including his Breeding Farms and the forced rape of women to boost human numbers. Some people questioned how Prescott received his military medals even though he had a short tour of duty in the service.[23] Before the Hammer of Dawn attacks on Sera, Prescott warned his secretary Jillian to get her family to Ephyra, feeling that doing so could ease his conscience. Hoffman and Prescott would often bicker over classified info including New Hope and Vectes Naval Base, which the Chairman neglected to tell Hoffman about until he felt he needed to know. After the evacuation to Vectes, Prescott did not tolerate "no go" areas for the Jacinto population and refused any form of segregation between the mainland citizens and Pelruan townspeople.[65] Prescott would eventually have a fallout with Hoffman over him stealing A2897 from Prescott's desk after the Lambent attack on New Jacinto.[66]

Prescott was very secretive of classified information that could potentially damage or destroy the COG should anyone find out and was willing to kill anyone to keep the truth buried. He along with Adam Fenix were some of the few Serans that knew Queen Myrrah existed and the true nature of the New Hope Research Facility.[67] Despite having knowledge that could've potentially helped the COG win the war faster, Prescott instead used whatever resources available to instead cover it up. When Sergeant Gabriel Diaz confronted Prescott about the existence of Hew Hope, Prescott attempted to kill him and Sid Redburn with a Hammer of Dawn strike in order to cover up the truth rather than sharing what he knew which could've potentially helped them to kill Ukkon, a major threat to humanity. At the same time, Prescott put humanity at further risk with his coverup attempt because Diaz and his forces were attempting to kill Ukkon, a vital mission that Prescott himself had given them. It was only during Operation: Hollow Storm that Prescott declassified the file concerning New Hope out of desperation to find the Locust stronghold Nexus. However, he simply classified it as a decommissioned COG outpost that held potential answers and refused to reveal the exact details of the connection. Similarly, Prescott hid the truth of Imulsion and the Lambent Pandemic from Colonel Victor Hoffman despite repeated attempts to get answers from him. As a result of Prescott's lies and coverups, Hoffman ultimately lost faith in his leadership.

While many have questioned or lost faith in Prescott's leadership as Chairman, he actually had the quality's of a great leader among what remained of the COG despite everything he had done. Although he had the social elites and essential COG scientists secretly moved to secret luxury island facility of Azura, Prescott remained with the majority of the COG on the mainland throughout the first fifteen years of the Locust War, an act that Marcus questioned after learning about Azura's purpose. He also demonstrated great skill in his ability to give speeches and inspire confidence,[68] but he was also an extremely skilled liar. He carefully considered every word that left his mouth, and had a way of saying things that were lies but also the truth.[69]

Although he was technically a former Gear, Prescott's short lived military service was mainly spent doing administrative duties rather than fighting on the front lines. However, Prescott was not a coward and knew how to handle himself even when under fire. During the Third Battle of New Jacinto, Prescott helped coordinate the evacuation of Jacinto and helped strategize the operation to sink Jacinto before the majority of Locust forces could escape the underground. Prescott later kept his composure during the Lambent attack on the CNV Sovereign and helped fight off Lambent who were attempting to overrun his position even after his body guards had been killed. Even after he was badly wounded and on the verge of death, Prescott showed no signs of fear or desperation and instead died with a sense of dignity, using his final moments to impart vital information to Sergeant Marcus Fenix and to even make a joke about how angry Hoffman was going to be when he found out.

By 15 A.E Prescott had few personal items left. He kept a golden watch and the document that enacted the Fortification Act along with the secret data disk, A2897, in his desk drawer.[70] Portraits hung of him inside the House of Sovereigns due to his run as the Chairman of the COG, however, most of them were torn and vandalized by locating Stranded due to their hate for him.[71]

Appearance Gallery


Quotes

"As all of Sera has learned, peace is fragile. This new, ruthless enemy has rendered most of Sera's leaders either helpless or dead. This enemy believes Sera is finished. Some in the Coalition of Ordered Governments also seem to believed Sera is finished-a sick, feeble animal waiting for slaughter. But today, citizens of Sera, we- Tyrus, the heart of the Coalition- will take back our planet. To ensure your safety and cooperation, we are reinstating the Fortification Act. All of Sera will be under martial law. No one is exempt. Survivors should immediately start evacuating to Ephyra. These unclean creatures, these Locust, are unable to penetrate Jacinto's granite base. Therefor, in Jacinto, we are safe-for now. We won't let this rampage go further or surrender power. The Coalition will employ Sera's entire arsenal of Orbital beam weapons to scorch all Locust-infested areas. For those citizens who cannot make it to Jacinto, the Coalition appreciates your sacrifice. Please forgive us. This is the only way."
—Chairman Richard Prescott, 30th day of Bloom, 1 A.E., announcing the Hammer of Dawn counterattack
"Humans are no strangers to war. After all, we’ve been fighting for as long as we can remember. War is all we know. In the past, we fought for Imulsion. We fought for country. We fought for freedom. But all that changed after E-Day. For 15 years, we’ve been fighting for our very survival against inhuman, genocidal monsters. But it is a fight we cannot continue. Humanity faces extinction, unless we end this war now. We had hoped the Lightmass bombing would decimate the Locust Horde, but they survived…and have returned stronger than ever. They’ve brought with them a force that can sink entire cities. Even Jacinto, our last beacon of hope through all these dark days, is now at risk. Soon we’ll have nothing left to defend, and that means we have only one option…attack. Gears, what I ask of you now is not an easy thing, but it is necessary. If we are to survive…if we are to live long enough to see the seasons pass, our children grow, and experience a time of peace that we have never known…we must now take this fight to the Locust. We will go to where they live and where they breed... and we will destroy them! This is the day we take the battle to the heart of the enemy! This is the day that we correct the course of human history! This is the day we ensure our survival as a species! Soldiers of the COG, my fellow Gears, go forth and bring back the hope of humanity!"
—Richard Prescott, before the Assault on Landown
"My father warned me that a politician couldn't be a hero until he was dead and history put him in contest. I have no ambition to be a hero, but I would like to be understood one day. Our job is the necessary dirty work that nobody else wants. Hoffman would understand that. A soldier's job is much the same. But would Marcus Fenix believe my reason for acting as I did? And does it matter as long as Serans survive to have the luxury to debating whether I was a coward or a traitor? Part of me thinks it does. This is why politicians write memoirs-it's our plea in mitigation."
—Richard Prescott unpublished memoirs.
"If we'd known the Locust were massing underground-if we'd known even existed- could we have destroyed them before they had a chance to emerge? Perhaps. We could probably have saved many more lives, at very least. But the Lambent- I suspect even a warning would never have prepared us fully to deal with them."
—Richard Prescott memoirs.
"It was Adam Fenix’s idea. Did you know that? He once told me we could stop the Locust by flooding their tunnels. And in the end, we had to. There was a small detail Adam never discussed with me, of course. We had to destroy Jacinto to do it. Adam Fenix. Brilliant. Out best scientist. Always full of ideas. A pity he didn’t always share them with me. If only he had… it might not have come to this. It wasn’t the first mass evacuation before we launched a Hammer Dawn strike. History repeats itself—whether we learn from it or not. So – once again – we unleashed the Hammer of Dawn within our own borders. So we left Jacinto for the last time. We still had an ocean to cross to find a safe haven. Safe, of course, was a relative term. Yes, I was already well aware that Queen Myrrah knew Adam Fenix, even if Marcus didn’t. I also knew why. I just didn’t know soon enough."
—Chairman Prescott on sinking Jacinto.
"Imagine a place where they’d never seen a Locust. Like Vectes. A COG naval outpost so remote that it escaped all the horrors of the mainland. A haven for the thousands evacuated from Jacinto. I’d been warned we would face a greater danger than the Locust one day. But for a while, we had somewhere to gather our strength and rebuild. Vectes still had a small community of loyal COG citizens. But it also had a problem we had to tackle first… There was nobody to stop Stranded gangs preying on the islanders – until now. Grudges – everyone had them. But in a crisis, you put that aside. Especially if someone has something you need. Like the Gorasni. The only UIR nation that refused to accept the end of the Pendulum Wars. Just a few thousand refugees now, in search of sanctuary. A few thousand refugees with their own Imulsion drilling platform. Embracing an old enemy wasn’t universally popular, of course – either for us or the Gorasni. And for some of the islanders, the war was an even more painfully vivid memory."
—Chairman Prescott on relocating the COG to Vectes.
"So it had begun. We already knew there was another threat out there – the Lambent, a life-form that had driven the Locust to the surface. But only a handful of us knew that it would be far more deadly than the Locust. It was a terrible secret to keep. But I’d already kept so many… because truth is rarely welcome.  Should I have warned them? What could I have told them anyway? Nobody really knew what for it might take. Not even the one man who’d always known this was coming. The Lambent. Glowies. Sounds so benign, doesn’t it? He’d instructed me to watch for an increased rate of mutation. It looked like he was right. We were running out of time. The Lambent mutation was spreading from species to species. It was taking over the island. If we didn’t find a way to stop it, it would wipe out all life on Sera. And I’d put my trust in a traitor to save the world. No, not Marcus Fenix. He’s a decent man: a hero, whatever his lapses of judgment. It was his father who knew the Lambent and the Locust were coming, long before E-Day. Adam Fenix had his dirty little secrets."
—Chairman Prescott on the Lambent Pandemic.
"I didn’t enjoy tormenting Hoffman, whatever he thought. He had no idea what schematics were on the data disc he’d stolen from my office. Azura. If I told him we’d quietly evacuated our senior staff and scientists to a rather lovely tropical island while the rest of Sera was busy dying… we couldn’t accommodate all the refugees there. And Azura had to remain under wraps until we’d beaten the Lambent. The mutations were definitely increasing. Sergeant Mataki recovered the most worrying specimen of all. New life forms were spawning from the Stalks. I think I already knew what Adam Fenix would say when he received the images. He needed these specimens urgently. Getting them to Azura for analysis was now my top priority. I had to leave."
—Chairman Prescott on keeping Azura a secret.
"The art of politics is being able to read the mood of the people, though. And turning a crisis to your advantage. As the Stalks advanced, we had stark choices to make. Which I was fairly sure I’d lose… A gamble, yes, but I knew I could leave Vectes safe in other hands – Hoffman, Trescu, and Michaelson. I HAD to get to Azura now. My commanders gave me the perfect way out. Hoffman went with the majority vote and refused to evacuate. So I resigned as Chairman. Sera was running out of time, and it was as good a way to leave as any. Don’t think for one minute that it was a decision I took lightly. I knew they’d hate me for it, but it had to be done. I had to leave Vectes. And, eventually, so did they. But I knew I’d left the refugees in capable hands. It was the end of the COG – not the end of humanity."
—Chairman Prescott on abandoning the COG.
"Adam Fenix kept saying it. If only we had more time. But there’s never enough time. You go with what you’ve got. Our only hope of destroying both the Lambent and the Locust was tied to Azura. No time – and now nowhere left to run. Sometimes I find myself wondering what my father would have done had he still been Chairman. Azura was built to sit out a different kind of holocaust, of course. WMDs, not a mass invasion. The Locust had numbers on their side, and we didn’t. I trusted Adam one last time, despite everything, and left him to deal with Myrrah. Yes, she needed him. And his device. But these are the final days. We win, or we die. Adam Fenix. Our best scientist. Our last hope. No – perhaps it’s not Adam who’s Sera’s last hope."
—Chairman Prescott on the final days of the Locust War.

Behind the Scenes

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 56 images related to Richard Prescott.
Propganda

A propaganda poster featuring Richard Prescott.

Multiplayer

  • Prescott is the leader of the COG in multiplayer matches, replacing Hoffman as the announcer of the match's outcome.
  • Prescott is unlocked as a playable Multiplayer character after earning the silver Allfather's Medal, which requires playing 300 complete matches of all Multiplayer game modes.
  • In Gears of War 3's Beast mode, Prescott leads the twelfth and final wave against the player controlled Locust, backed up by fifteen members of the Onyx Guard.[74]
  • In Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Prescott is unlocked by reaching level 10 in multiplayer.
  • Prescott was added to Gears 5 multiplayer as a playable COG character during Operation 6 Drop 2.[75]

Appearances

References

  1. Gears of War 4
  2. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 19
  3. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  4. 4.0 4.1 Gears of War: Bloodlines pg 268-273
  5. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  6. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52-56
  7. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 64-74
  8. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 126-129
  9. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 142-148
  10. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 180
  11. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 285-293
  12. Gears Tactics: Act I: Zero Hour
  13. 13.0 13.1 Gears Tactics
  14. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 323-327
  15. RAAM's Shadow
  16. Gears of War 3: Shipwreck
  17. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 17-21
  18. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 46-47
  19. Gears of War: Hollow Issue Two
  20. Gears of War 2: Act 1: Tip of the Spear: Welcome to Delta Collectibles
  21. Gears of War 2: Act 1: Tip of the Spear: Desperation
  22. Gears of War 2: Act 2: Denizens: Intestinal Fortitude
  23. 23.0 23.1 Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 8
  24. Gears of War 2: Act 5: Aftermath: Free Parking
  25. Gears of War: Act 5: Aftermath: Escape
  26. Gears of War 2: Act 5: Aftermath: Desperate Stand
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part One
  28. Gears of War 2: Act 5: Aftermath: Closure
  29. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 5-9
  30. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 32-35
  31. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 89-93
  32. Gears of War: Jacitno's Remnant pg 96
  33. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 114
  34. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 155-158
  35. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 164
  36. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 221
  37. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 248-249
  38. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 254-257
  39. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 335-336
  40. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 341-344
  41. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 377-383
  42. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 8-13
  43. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Two
  44. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 48-51
  45. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 84
  46. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 116-118
  47. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 133-135
  48. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 152-153
  49. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 245
  50. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 253-257
  51. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 303-305
  52. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 340-345
  53. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 400-403
  54. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Three (Need to Know)
  55. Gears of War 3: Blackout
  56. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets Part Four (Diaspora)
  57. Gears of War 3: Shattered Paradise
  58. 58.0 58.1 Gears of War 3: Anchored
  59. 59.0 59.1 Gears of War 3: Abandon Ship
  60. 60.0 60.1 Gears of War 3: Shipwreck
  61. Gears of War 3
  62. Gears of War: Bloodlines pages 346-347
  63. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 313
  64. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 46
  65. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant 294
  66. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 402-403
  67. Gears of War: Dirty Little Secrets
  68. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 34
  69. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 13
  70. Gears of War: Anvil Gate pg 346
  71. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
  72. http://gearsofwar.wikia.com/wiki/File:ChairmanPrescott_Gears_2.jpg
  73. http://gearsofwar.wikia.com/wiki/File:James-hawkins-president.jpg
  74. http://kotaku.com/5815285/the-new-better-beast-mode-is-gears-of-war-3s-no+longer+secret-weapon
  75. Operation 6: Drop 2 Reveal
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