Kennedy Mehaffey

Colonel Kennedy Lynn Mehaffey[3][1] was a field-grade officer of the UNSC Marine Corps who served during the Insurrection and during the early days of the Human-Covenant War. In 2526, she was a professor at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science.

Biography
Kennedy Mehaffey was born on the Outer Colony of Desdoron V. She enlisted in the UNSC Marine Corps at a young age and became an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. During the Insurrection, she was assigned under the command of then-First Lieutenant Audrey Lasky on her initial deployment. The two ascended the ranks together and Mehaffey would come to greatly respect Lasky. Both also developed impressive reputations; Lasky for her encyclopedic intellect and Mehaffey for her relentlessness on the field. She earned the nickname "Icepick" for her penchant for engaging rebels in close quarters, particularly in hand-to-hand combat with a blade, as well as her often cold and calculated demeanor.[1] Mehaffey was eventually transferred from combat duty into the role of Director at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science on Circinius IV. Serving at Corbulo Academy for nearly ten years, Mehaffey was both respected and feared among the students. She was reportedly transferred out of active duty "without a scratch", leading to much speculation about the origins of her facial scar among the academy's students. The theories and rumors became more and more elaborate with each graduating class, eventually becoming a stable urban legend in the school; however, no one ever learned the truth.[1]

Mehaffey became a mentor for Colonel Lasky's son, Thomas, as he attended Corbulo Academy. Despite Thomas' continued insubordination and misbehavior, Mehaffey recognized his potential and had frequent private talks with him, attempting to encourage Thomas to take his training with appropriate seriousness and to eventually become a leader. Along with support on part of Cadet Chyler Silva, Mehaffey's efforts eventually paid off, with Lasky successfully leading Hastati Squad to victory during a training exercise and later maintaining his composure under pressure during the Battle of Circinius IV.

During the Covenant invasion of the academy, Mehaffey supervised the evacuation of cadets from Corbulo to escape the invading Covenant forces. She was hit by Needler fire while attempting to get Hastati Squad to safety. Moments later, the Needler rounds detonated, killing her right in front of a horrified Lasky.[4]

Trivia
Colonel Mehaffey's statement to Lasky, "At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box" (a translation of an Italian proverb) was also spoken by Cortana in Italian as her first words.[5]