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"It is a tragic thing to live as a citizen of a world in which almost no one remembers peace, but from this day forward I and the rest of the COG will work to ensure that no child born on Seran soil will ever again know such a terrible conflict."
—Chairman Tomas Dalyell

The Right Honorable Chairman Tomas Dalyell was the Chairman of the Coalition of Ordered Governments during the final years of the Pendulum Wars and first year of the Locust War.

Biography

Pendulum Wars

Planning Operation: Leveler

"General Iver, before anyone leaves this room today, I want a plan for taking Aspho Point, seizing the technology, and neutralizing the facility, personnel included. And that plan has to be carried out within the next six months. This technology will end the war- for us or for the UIR, but it will be the end of it."
—Dalyell, speaking to the assembled officers planning Operation: Leveler

Three years before Emergence Day, Dalyell summoned some of the highest-ranking officers of the Coalition of Ordered Governments army, navy, and Defense Research Agency to meeting in the House of Sovereigns. He arrived at the meeting with Agent Louise Settile from the Intelligence Agency, Maynard, and another assistant. After taking position to brief the assembled officers and scientists, Dalyell told them that the room was soundproofed and that everything was on a need-to-know basis. He told Maynard to turn off the lights, and activated a projector showing the coast of the Ostri Republic. He revealed that the Union of Independent Republics' base at Aspho Point was building the Hammer of Dawn, an orbital weapons platform that could be the end of the COG if they didn't do something about it. He handed the briefing over to Settile, and after she explained what was going on there, Dalyell pointed out that their weapons platforms were still in the computer modelling stages, and that it wouldn't be enough to destroy the data on the Hammer: they had to take it, because whoever had it would win the war. He told Gen.Jolyon Iver to come up with a plan to take Aspho Point and the technology there before the day was over. Iver asked him to spell out his priorities and asked if he wanted them to steal the whole facility minus the bricks and mortar, and Dalyell confirmed that that was what he wanted. With his briefing finished, Dalyell left the officers to come up with the plan to capture the technology,[2] but insisted that they capture key personnel alive.[3]

Operation: Leveler

A few days before the Operation, Dalyell met with Major Helena Stroud, who would be leading C Company of the 26th Royal Tyran Infantry in supporting the commandos attacking Aspho Point. She told him that while he might think of the Gears fighting as his to command, but that they were her men and her responsibility on the battlefield, not his.[4] Shortly before the Operation began, Dalyell began getting nervous about it. He told the head of the support fleet to flatten Aspho Point if the mission appeared to be failing. However, Dalyell's definition of failure was slim, and the soldiers involved in the operation began to worry he might panic and take them out. However, the operation was a massive success, and the key scientists and data were captured from the facility, albeit with heavy casualties among the 26 RTI Special Tactics Group and C Company, including Helena.[5]

Awarding the Victors

"Magnificent courage, Colonel. This is the highest number of Stars awarded for any single operation in Coalition history."
—Dalyell, congratulating Hoffman shortly before being embarrassed by him

Five weeks after Operation: Leveler, Dalyell hosted an awards ceremony to present the medals earned in the operation. He gave Embry Stars to Sgt. Marcus Fenix and Pvt. Carlos Santiago, and awarded posthumous ones to Helena and Pvt. Carlos Santiago. When it came time to award Col. Victor Hoffman his Embry Star for leading the commando team, he told him that he had displayed magnificent courage and that this was the highest number of Embry Stars ever awarded for an operation. He held out his hand to shake Hoffman's, but Hoffman didn't take it, and looked him in the eye and said he was accepting the award for every Pesanga Gear that had died and didn't receive the recognition he had recommended. He went on to say that Pesang was a willing ally that fought alongside the COG, not a conquered nation, and he was accepting the Embry Star for Sgt. Bai Tak and all of his countrymen. Dalyell was infuriated that Hoffman had embarrassed him in public like that, and resolved to ensure that Hoffman would never get another promotion and find a way to end his career.[6]

AdamBardryDalyell

Dalyell meeting with Bardry Salaman and Adam Fenix in his office.

Defeating the UIR

"At 1000 hours this morning, the Union of Independent Republics signed a formal surrender to the Coalition of Ordered Governments and concluded a peace treaty. It is with profound relief that I tell you the Pendulum Wars are now at an end, and that the COG and UIR will embark on a program of reconciliation and rebuilding to heal the terrible scars-individual and national-that this long, terrible conflict has left upon Sera. We hope that the state of Gorasnaya will come to accept our offer of reconciliation and formally agree to the cease-fire in with other UIR states."
—Chairman Tomas Dalyell's official announcement that the Pendulum Wars are over.[7]

Two years later, Professor Adam Fenix perfected the captured Hammer of Dawn technology, and Dalyell met with Chief of the COG Defense Staff General Bardry Salaman and Adam in his office in the House of Sovereigns. They debated how to use the Hammer of Dawn, with Adam advocating they issue an advanced warning before using it. Salaman thought they would lose the element of surprise, but Adam insisted it was the humane thing to do, and Dalyell agreed with him. Dalyell offered a public call for the surrender of the UIR or it would face "decisive action". Premier Yori Deschenko turned down the peace talks, and a week later, Dalyell met with Salaman and asked him to pick a target. Salaman brought up that Bonbourg was under attack by the UIR Third Fleet. Dalyell ordered that the Hammer was to be used on the fleet, and it was used with great effect, taking out four Indie ships in one blast. Two days later, Dalyell called Deschenko and asked him to surrender now, and told him to end the war before he started targeting UIR cities. Deschenko told him that that would kill millions, and Dalyell told him that millions had already died in the war. Yori agreed to surrender, and an Armistice between the UIR and COG was negotiated that would absorb most UIR nations into the COG. However, some smaller UIR nations like the Republic of Gorasnaya continued to fight on. The day before the Armistice went into effect, Dalyell stopped by Adam's office and told him he should be working so late, and that he should go home and call his son Marcus to celebrate. Adam said he always had another project waiting, but Dalyell pointed out that he was a national hero, but Adam said he would let history be the judge of that.[8]

Octus Medal Ceremomy

Adamchairman

Chairman Dalyell awarding Professor Fenix with the Octus Medal.

Dalyell would award Adam the Octus Medal for helping end the Pendulum Wars, and he sent him a picture of the ceremony,  writing on the back that all of Sera was in his debt, and telling his friend that the Octus had never been more deserved.[9]

Locust War

Emergence Day

"Citizens, we don’t know what these creatures are, other than the fact that they’re not human. We don’t know where they come from. We don’t know what they want. But they’re tunneling under our cities and emerging to slaughter our people. Our combined forces throughout Sera have been mobilized to with them. I ask you all to remain calm, as you have done through so many years of war. Stay in your homes unless ordered to evacuate, and listen for emergency information on all broadcast stations. That, my fellow citizens, is all I can tell you until the situation becomes clearer."
—Chairman Tomas Dalyell speech to the people of Sera.

In the early hours of E-Day, news reports came across Sera that several cities where under attack, at first the UIR was believed to have restarted the war or that the holdouts launched an all-out offensive. Soon it was released the attackers were not the UIR but in fact, subterranean creatures that would soon later be referred to as Locust. Chairman Dalyell tried to reassure COG's citizens and activated all COG military units to be sent to the front lines forming inside cities across Sera. The Locust Horde was able to defeat the COG and advanced across the surface for over a year; the majority of the COG nations under Dalyell command abandoned their fellow COG and began fighting for self-survival.

Death

Dalyell eventually died of a heart attack and was succeeded by Deputy Chairman Richard Prescott.[10]

Tomas Portrait

The portrait of Dalyell that hangs in the House of Sovereigns

Legacy

Under the COG Dalyell made one of the most controversial decisions in the COG, expanding the military outside of the army and entering into Special Forces and naval forces. Using the new strategy to raid Ostri and steal the Hammer of Dawn technology. His efforts lead the COG to win the nearly century-long Pendulum Wars. But when he tried to lead the COG to defend from the Locust Horde until his death, Richard Prescott was left in power and the responsibility of dealing with the Horde. With a major Locust incursion in southern Tyrus, Prescott had no choice but to unleash the Hammer of Dawn and destroy everything outside of Jacinto. Killing everything on the surface and destroying every remaining COG nation including Ex-UIR members that Dalyell fought so many years against. Due to his many accomplishments as Chairman, a portrait of him was hung in the House of Sovereigns in his honour.[11]

Chairman Tomas Dalyell

Dalyell offering to get Adam a priority comm's channel to call Marcus.

Personally and Traits

Colonel Hoffman described Dalyell more of a businessman than a politician. Dalyell was also quite determined and steadfast, ready to do anything to preserve the nation of Tyrus and the COG and all of its ideals. During the Pendulum Wars he was completely determined to take the Hammer Of Dawn Technology from the Union Of Independent Republics, no matter the cost. His only view was that the UIR must not have this technology, and the COG would stop at nothing to allow the UIR to have it. Because if the UIR had control of the technology, it would have meant the utter end of the Coalition Of Ordered Governments.

Behind the scenes

Crimson Omen
Gearspedia has 6 images related to Tomas Dalyell.
  • In Gears of War: Judgment a recording of Dalyell can be heard over the PA system in the parade grounds giving his end of Pendulum War speech.
    • However, he isn't credited by name, instead he is listed as COG Announcer in the games credits, he was voiced by Kirk Thornton.

Appearances

References

  1. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  2. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 109-112
  3. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 125
  4. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 75
  5. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 188
  6. Gears of War: Aspho Fields pg 350
  7. Gears of War: Coalition's End pg 48
  8. Gears of War: Promise Me
  9. Gears of War 3: Limited Edition Content
  10. Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant pg 52
  11. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
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