Dallas Kendall

"You think the enemy will have pity on your cowardice? The way you're acting, you'll die with the enemy pointing at you, laughing at you, degrading you. You're going to die either way, so you can die like a man or die like a pussy! Die like a man, you'll be a hero, a legend. Because a hero may not live, but a legend will never die!"

- Major Dallas Kendall at the First Battle of Earth

Dallas Kendall is one of three main characters in the machinima series "Contagion." His current military rank is Major of the Marines Corps.

The Early Years
Dallas Kendall was born on June 29th, 2510 on the planet Tribute. He had a relatively normal childhood for a military family. He spent his infancy moving with his parents where the UNSC required them to move. His father, Jeffrey Louis Kendall, was an ODST commander, joining their ranks just a few months before Dallas was born. His grandfather was the first ODST Sergeant, an impressive feat in itself, and the Kendall name was already one known throughout many branches of the military. His mother, Leia Kendall, worked as an ONI biomedical engineer, specializing in the fields of biology, psychology, and artificial intelligence. She was an assistant of Dr. Halsey during her preliminary research that would turn into the SPARTAN-II Program. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey was introduced to Kendall when he was just 7 years old. Dr. Halsey saw much potential in Dallas; he was brilliant, limber, fast, strong, and incredibly disciplined, and she wanted to conscript him into her SPARTAN-II Program. His DNA markers met her every expectation. His conscription would be different however: she would receive consent of his parents. Leia, having worked closely with the S-II project and fully understanding the risks of the program, was very reluctant to oblige. Halsey was able to convince Dallas' parents the project had come a long way in the past few years, and they both agreed. So he was taken to Reach along with Carris-137 in late-2517 where he received extensive training and became known as Dallas-032.

The Spartan-II Project
Dallas was one of 43 Spartan-IIs who survived the biological augmentation process in 2525. ONI, however, had different plans for Dallas. The Human-Covenant War had just erupted and Section Zero had been watching Dallas since he was first brought on Reach. He was taken from the program in 2526 (graduating from the Spartan-II program as a 2nd Lieutenant, his officership title granted by ONI) and assigned the most secretive of behind-enemy-lines ops. He was the only Spartan-II to never don the MJOLNIR Mk. V armor outside of training. This dark area of Dallas' history is spotted with black lines and ONI censorship, as what Dallas did during this time was considered above top secret.

Loose Lips Sink Ships
Most files documenting Major Kendall's exploits were not released to the public until 2556. Many of his missions required the elimnation of high priority targets, including San 'Shyuum Prophets and Ministers, Sangheili Councilors, Admirals, and Zealots, Jiralhanae War Chieftains, and other high-ranking Covenant officers. The name Gungon'e was bestowed upon him by the Covenant. Whilst reading partially translated reports from a stolen Covenant database, many of his assassinations and operations were logged. His physical description was given in many of the reports along with the monicker "Gungon'e" meaning "poltergeist", "ghost", or "evil spirit" in the Covenant's language. Upon reading this information, Dallas used the codename "Ghost" for many of his future ops.

The Spartan-III Project
After roughly 11 years of secretive military service and two promotions to Captain of the Marines Crops., ONI sent Dallas to train the upcoming Spartan-III Beta Company. He trained the Spartan-IIIs superbly, and to show his dedication to his class, he received the same biological augmentations as them. Whether it was a stroke of luck or their leader's perseverance through the same trials, the entire Beta Company survived their augmentations. Not a single wash out. He coordinated the extractions of Spartan-B312, Spartan-B320, and Spartan-B091 with an old friend and his comrade: then-Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose and Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez. He knew their talents could one day far exceede any UNSC personnel and did not want their lives wasted on Operation: TORPEDO, which ultimately ended in the destruction of most of Beta company. Many of the Spartan-IIIs in Beta company were considered Dallas' closest allies, and he began to grow resentful of the UNSC after TORPEDO's mixed results.

Battle of Tribute
The Battle of Tribute was a small and pricey victory for the UNSC forces in 2552. UNSC losses were somewhere in 240,000s while the entirety of the Covenant forces sent to Tribute were annihilated. Dallas' father was unfortunately killed during the battle at age 52, whose death was more than befitting for a man of such status, as reported by the men who served under him. Jeffrey was in charge of setting off the NOVA bombs that were snuck upon twenty Covenant ships in orbit around Tribute. He lead the assault on one warship. Everything, surprisingly went off without a hitch with some moderate casualties. Once the NOVA was planted and the Lieutenant Colonel made it back to the escape pods with his squads, he was stopped by an Elite before he was able to enter the pod. The Elite rammed an Energy Sword through his mid section. He ordered his men to eject as more Covenant made their ways to the escape pods as the Elite had him in its grasp. His men reluctantly left the Lieutenant Colonel behind. Right before the final pod ejected, Jeffry looked up to face his enemy, rammed the detonator down the Elite's throat and slammed his mouth shut. His final words, "Choke on it," were heard over comm radios, just before twenty explosions erupted throughout space. The Covenant energy shields caused the blasts to rebound within their shells, saving his men who ejected at the last minute. His mother survived, however, and remained on Tribute while Dallas trained and fought all over the galaxy. Jeffrey Kendall was hailed as the Hero of Tribute throughout the entirety of the colonies.

SPARTAN-IV Program
Dallas was considered to have every proficient quality of the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III program combined, and received several side augmentations during his ONI assigned missions, most of which were highly expirimental. The success of these drugs, as seen in his classified military career, led him to be a prototype for the SPARTAN-IV program, still only in its pre-production phases after Dallas is reassigned to Hope. Unbeknowest to him, Dallas was a highly regarded asset of Colonel James Ackerson, before he was killed in The Battle of Mare Erythraeum. The Spartan-III disentigrated after Ackerson's death and was revived by ONI in 2552, recovering Ackerson's files of Dallas and his plans for the S-IV program. So in all technicality, Dallas is the only human to go through more then one Spartan program, as well as being the first Spartan-IV. He is also the first Spartan who is not forced to use his Spartan tag (Spartan-032).

Military Career After The Battle of Tribute
Most if not all of Major Kendall's missions are classified at the highest levels of security, but it is known that many took place behind enemy lines and on uncharted planets, and some say he was part of an elite military group known as the Headhunters. At the height of the Human-Covenant War in 2552 and 2553, however, Kendall was placed back on the front lines, leading his men in victory and suffering with them in defeat, racking up one of the most impressive military records to date, some may argue even better than Spartan John-117. He fought in some very notable battles, including the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, the Battle of Installation 04, the Second Battle of Reach, the First Battle of Earth, the Battle of Installation 05, the Second Battle of Earth, and the Battle of Installation 00. He has a record of 629 registered kills and has a record of several prestigious and notable awards, including the Medal of Honor and Colonial Cross. He was promoted to Major of the Marine Corps upon his return from the Ark, awarded several prestigious awards, and was present at the Hillside Memorial, where he posted a picture of his father and was one of the soldiers that presented the 21-Gun Salute. Some say Dallas fought side-by-side John-117 and Thel Vadam throughout most of the Battle of Installation 00, but Dallas likes to leave people guessing. As another award for his impressive and dedicated service to the military, he was positioned on the planet Hope in 2555 as a sort of retirement plan.

Missing In Action
Major Kendall's current status is listed as MIA. In 2555, Dallas was relocated to the inner colony planet Hope as a reward for his services and dedication to the UNSC. Other than some rebel uprisings and some riot outbreaks, Kendall's service record on Hope remained otherwise peaceful. After all, Hope got its name for being one of the most beautiful and peaceful colonies ever. It was also the first Sangheilli-Human colony, symbolizing the "hope" that the two species could coexist. In early 2558, ONI HQ on Earth received a distress beacon from Hope, but no rescue attempt was made. A garbled message was attached to the beacon, but it was deemed top secret at the highest clearance level. Once people began asking questions, ONI quickly and quietly stopped the propaganda. The distress beacon was the last ever transmission from Hope, and it has remained that way for several months. ONI has refused to disclose details on it, and the civilian rescue attempts have never come back; that fear alone has stopped people from demanding answers. Major Dallas Kendall, the residents of Hope, and the rescue parties sent to Hope are listed as "Presumed Dead." Hope is now listed in the ONI database as "Beyond salvation."

Current Status
Unbeknownst to the entire world, Dallas, along with a majority of his squad, survived the first attacks of the Hollows. Now he, his squad, and several other survivors now remain on Hope, fighting the Hollows, searching for Dr. Lebauche, waiting for rescue while trying to survive the undead legion of "The Infection" and themselves. ONI blocked all further communications from Hope, literally destroying the link between society and Hope. The same occurred on Hope as survivors destroyed radio and electronic equipment, practically pushing them back into the Stone Age. Back on Earth and several of the other colonies, propganda and conspiracy theories involving the status of Hope and its survivors are rampant. Those who left in search of lost loved ones on Hope never made it back.

Project: Contagion
On May 24, 2558, Dallas and his squad were sent on an asset recovery mission. A highly regarded ONI project compound had severed all communications with the NavCom and ONI headquarters on Hope. Dallas and his squad of eight men were sent to recover the top secret assets and to extract the lead researcher, Dr. Xaviuer LeBauche, from the facility. All other personnel and assets were secondary, also read as: expendable. Little did Dallas know he was on a suicide mission; not even the top brass of ONI were sure of the situation they had just put Kendall's squad into. The squad arrived at the compound three days after being set out. They found every research technician dead. Every piece of equipment had also been destoryed. They did find one survivor, however, who had locked himself in a room. Upon smashing down the door, the man had apparently lost all capability to think rationally, constantly repeating, "It controls you. We should have stopped it. The radios. Destroy the radios." He was negatively IDed to be LeBauche. Before they had a chance to question the man, they heard a thunderous, droning roar come from outside the base. Upon speculation, a horde of what was seemingly normal people in their modified MJOLNIR(e) environment suits stormed the base, seemingly rioting. During the confusion, they lost Private James Colt and the unnamed survivor. With the "riot" chasing them, the remaining seven survivors barely escaped back to base. Little did they know this was more then just a simple outbreak of violence.

Death
Due to the Husks's capability to jam most human radio frequencies, the ten NOVA bombs inside the Solar Bear's Shaw-Fujikawa drive had to be manually primed and detonated by hand via a small explosive.

"They---They're going to overrun the engine room any minute. I'm---*inaudible*---the NOVAs. T-min---*inaudible*---one minute."

- Major Kendall

"We'll get you out of there Major, just hold on one---"

- Private Hellsley

"No, son. You'll stay put. That's---*static*--- an order Private. *loud eruption* They've broken into the engine room! *gunfire and clamoring* I'll be ---*inaudible*---. Get to the minimum safe distance ---*gunfire continues, inaudible speech*--- *laughter* I uhhh... I actually don't think I'll be making it out of this one. Tell my wife I love her. Tell her ---*grunts, more gunfire, static*--- I'm sorry. Tell my mother her son died a soldier's death like his father. ---*several explosions, Husks howling, and more gunfire*--- It was an honor to serve with you Private. ---*static, more inaudible speech*--- See you in hell, Hellsley. *laughter*. Ghost out."

- The Major as ten successive explosions nearly rip Hope apart.

Personality and Battle Drive
Major Kendall is a very warmhearted person, fun-loving, but when it comes to battle, a change in his person is notable. Some have noted Dallas was "a demon" on the battlefield as he becomes a totally different person. Any threat in his way was taken down quickly and efficiently without much, if any, thought. And his marines praise him for his leadership during battle, saying that he was willing to risk his own life to save just one marine. His perseverance is undying. Dallas has been known to kill his enemies with the butte of his rifle, his bear hands, his helmet, and anything he could grab after he ran out of ammo.

Kendall has mottos that greatly reflect his personality, and they are:


 * "Heroes never live, legends never die."
 * "The battle does not stop when you're out of ammunition. Go down swinging."
 * "There are two lines you should never cross... horizontal and vertical." Upon describing his expertise with a sniper rifle.
 * "The only thing I feel when I kill is the recoil of my rifle..."

Appearance
Kendall has short, cropped brown hair, medium-sized brown eyes, a very masculine and sturdy face with a strong jaw. He has several scars, two on his lower left chin, one on his right cheek, and one on the lower part of his left eye leading down to his cheek. He also has a scar on his left arm, several small scars on his legs, and one on his chest. He is about 6'4", weighing in at about 245 lbs. He also had the appearance of 25 year old, due to his muscular, fit physique, and extended periods of time in slipspace.

Secretive Life
Not much is really known about Dallas' personal life let alone his secretive military profile. Whether it's his orders or for his own reasons, Dallas has yet to reveal anything about his life outside the military.

Trivia

 * Dallas may have had a wife and possibly children, but Dallas has never revealed anything about his personal life.
 * It has been confirmed that one of the three main characters (Dallas, David, or Kren) will be killed before the end of the machinima.
 * Major Kendall killed several Elites, Jackals, and Grunt by beating them to death with his helmet over the course of several battles
 * Dallas sparred with the Master Chief. It is said that is how he got his scar under his eye.
 * Dallas killed three Brutes with a single sniper round.
 * Dallas has only receive partial biological-chemical augmentations from both the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs.
 * Dallas is unknowingly the first SPARTAN-IV.
 * Dallas favorite music is flip.