Dwight Stratson

**Dwight Stratson** was an ISA General of Southern Vekta. During the Second Extrasolar War he proposed the controversial idea of using nuclear weapons to repel the Helghast invasion force from the south. In reality, however, he is secretly a traitor in league with the Helghast.

## Biography

Dwight Stratson was a native Vektan who joined the ISA military at a young age and rose steadily to the rank of General. But privately, Stratson was dissatisfied with the ISA, seeing it to be "soft and weak." His dissatisfaction with the ISA led him to be convinced by General Stuart Adams to secretly support the Helghan Empire to conquer Vekta, under the belief that Vekta would be made stronger under the Helghast.

Stratson was in contact with Adams and Helghast General Armin Metrac, who gave them information on the Helghast invasion plan. Stratson's task was to lure most of the ISA forces out of Vekta's cities, which the Helghast could easily take control of and gain better positions. Adams was to disable the SD weapons platform in order to allow the Helghast fleet to bypass Vekta's defenses and invade the planet.

In 2357, the Helghast invaded, and Stratson and Adams fulfilled their missions perfectly. Stratson was in command of areas in the south of Vekta, and so was not involved in the heavy fighting at Vekta City. When the initial invasion force at Vekta City was defeated and Adams was killed and his treachery revealed, Stratson stayed low, fearing that he would be discovered.

He regained contact with Metrac, who told him that he would be leading the Helghast who were still in Southern Vekta. Stratson began devising plans and preparations for this. He had decorated the team of soldiers that had stopped Adams, led by Jan Templar, and offered one of the members, Sergeant Rico Velasquez, a squad of his own soldiers, known as the Hellhounds.

When Metrac invaded, Stratson provided ISA plans to the General, allowing him to push through the south with brutal efficiency. Over the next few weeks, Stratson began assassinating top ISA officials in the south so that he could become in charge of the remaining troops there. He also oversaw the creation of the Red Dust nuclear weapons, and proposed on deploying them against the Helghast. This caused an uproar among the ISA Council due to the potentially devastating loss of life and the political consequences of using nuclear weapons. To foster support for his plan, Stratson called for a meeting with Defense Minister Heff Milcher and Dr. Evelyn Batton, a weapons researcher who helped created Red Dust, at Rayhoven Base.

The base came under attack as they met, and the three were cut off. Stratson was trapped inside a small building with the automatic door broken. He was rescued by Jan Templar who gets him to a drop-ship carrying the other two VIPs. Just before leaving, Stratson tells Templar to destroy the elevator that leads to the main weapons cache to deny the Helghast from possessing them. However, Stratson secretly informed the Helghast where the nukes were stored. As Stratson and the VIPs were heading back to Vekta City, they were shot down by the Helghast, and crashed in the Reag swamp lands. They sent out a distress signal, but are eventually captured.

Stratson was taken by Colonel Cobar At some point after the Helghast conquered Vekta, where his fate was left in question, as he was never heard from again following the end of the Vekta conflict, though it is most likely that Like Adams before him, he was likely executed by the Helghast as he had worn out his usefulness once Vekta had been taken.

## Characteristics

Stratson is an extremely capable leader and soldier, and commands the respect and admiration of nearly all the ISA on Vekta. He is an understanding man who his men have learned to trust. However, he still does not allow failure in his ranks.

In reality, Stratson saw the ISA being "soft and weak" and incapable of winning against the Helghast. He and along with Stuart Adams planned to have Vekta placed under military rule, as part of the Helghan Empire, claiming that it is for the good of Vekta to be strong and pure.

When he is confronted by Templar, he shows a darker, angrier side, and appears to gladly betray the ISA and kill anyone who stands in his way. He shows a lot of cunning and deceit in his acts that are revealed after his treachery, such as assassinating all the other generals of Southern Vekta.

## Description

General Stratson is a tall man with short black hair and appears to be in his 50s. He wears a green beret, gray trousers, and very long dark boots. He wears a light blue sweater vest with a white shirt and tie beneath it. He also wears a gray jacket with some yellow edges. He always carries an M3 Revolver and when fighting Templar he uses a new exoskeleton combat suit.