Mael Radec

Colonel Mael Radec is the leader of the Helghast forces defending the Helghan Capital of Pyrrhus City, founder of the Radec Academy, and Scolar Visari's head bodyguard.

Mael Radec was born sometime in the 24th century on Helghan around the time of the great depression. When Scolar Visari rose to power, Radec joined the newly formed military. Due to his extremely impressive skills, he quickly rose through the ranks. He was made Colonel for his ruthless leadership and later set up the Radec Academy in Pyrrhus city. Radec helped plan the invasion of Vekta in 2357 and worked as an adviser to Visari, along with General Lente, General Metrac, and Colonel Cobar. He never took part in the invasion himself, and remained behind to train more troops at his academy. He is a rare commander as he requires a breathing mask similar to the lower ranking Helghast however many of the lower ranks speak highly of him unlike the troops under Lente.

Following the death of General Metrac (and Lente and Cobar before) and the Helghast retreat from Vekta, command of the Helghast forces fell to Colonel Radec, who Visari personally entrusted to protect him. For the next two years, he prepared the defenses of Helghan in anticipation of an invasion from the ISA. Radec helped evacuate the civilians of Pyrrhus to Constantine city and set up a fleet and the Arc defenses were prepared for the likely invasion. Before the Helghast retreated from Vekta, they managed to obtain the nuclear weapon Red Dust, but failed to get the launch codes and so Radec had made it his priority to find them. In 2359, the ISA set out from Vekta to capture Scolar Visari. After two weeks they had entered Helghan's orbit. When the first wave arrived at Helghan most of the ISA foot soldiers that were attacking the city were killed in the following skirmishes, obviously doing worse than their Naval counterparts in orbit. The first wave of the assault force was quickly defeated by Radec and then the second wave arrived, led by Colonel Templar. After an assault on Pyrrhus he quickly pushed through the walls to the Salamun Bridge. After taking the bridge, Alpha Squad infiltrated Radec Academy to capture Radec. Radec was in Visari Palace and set up a trap for the ISA. He then activated the city defense system. The Arc Tower defenses were put up to prevent the ISA from further entering the city. With Alpha squad, scientist Evelyn Batton goes to the wastelands to investigate the pillars. The Petrusite grid that controls the Arc defenses was discovered by Evelyn. Radec's forces ambush them and kidnap Evelyn and two members of the squad. They are taken to Radec at Tharsis Refinery and Radec interrogates Evelyn to give him the nuclear codes, to which she says that only Templar has access to them. Radec executes another ISA soldier with them and threatens to kill Dante Garza. The other two members of Alpha, Sergeant Rico Velasquez and Sergeant Thomas Sevchenko, arrive and Radec escapes the firefight, mortally wounds Garza in the process.

Now knowing how to get the codes, Radec directs the Helghast counterattack against the ISA cruisers anchored in the low atmosphere of Helghan, personally storming the bridge of the New Sun with two of his bodyguards. He meets Templar, both of them commenting how they wish that they could have met on the battlefield as soldiers, and demands the nuclear codes. Templar lies and says that his access clearance has been revoked, though Radec knows he is lying. He kills Evelyn, who was deleting the code data, and shoots Templar when the Vektan, unarmed, tries to fight back. He orders his men to download the code data and leaves. After everyone evacuates the severely damaged New Sun, Templar, mortally wounded and in a last heroic effort crashes it into the Petrusite grid so that the ISA can push to the palace. Radec, with the codes now in his hands, regroups with Admiral Orlock, Jorhan Stahl and Autarch Visari. Stahl reports to Visari that the nuclear package was ready for delivery, and he directs the two to go and send the nuke on its way while he sends an address to his people. Stahl and Radec both salute the Helghast soldier who loaded the nuke, and as the ship carrying it takes off, Radec executes the soldier with his pistol so that there would be no witnesses that an ISA nuke was being launched by the Helghast, blaming the ISA for the incident. The resulting detonation of Red Dust destroys Pyrrhus, along with the ISA and Helghast forces there. Visari and his officers then move to safe areas as the ISA close in on them.

After the thermonuclear destruction of Pyrrhus, Radec sends an army led by his own personal guard to crush the remaining ISA forces.The ISA lead a last-chance attack on the palace to capture Visari. Radec leads the defense of the Palace against them. The survivors push through the defenses and await the Helghast reinforcements. Rico and Sev head into the palace alone to get Visari. Radec and Visari's honor guard meet the two and face off against them. After the other troops are defeated, Radec faces the two himself but is wounded by Sev. A loyal soldier of Autarch Visari and Helghan Nation to the end, the badly wounded Radec shoots himself in the head, a code of honor, rather than be captured, and spares himself from being forced to give the ISA any secrets.