Dwight Stratson was an ISA general of Southern Vekta, a supporting character, and later, the final boss of Killzone: Liberation. He proposed the controversial idea of using nuclear weapons to repel the Helghast invasion force from the south. He is secretly a traitor in league with the Helghast.
Biography
Early career
Dwight Stratson was born sometime during the 24th century on Vekta. He joined the ISA military and eventually became a general. He was secretly contacted by General Stuart Adams, who convinced him to help the Helghast forge a new empire by betraying the ISA.
Stratson was in contact with Adams and a Helghast general, Armin Metrac, who gave them information on the Helghast invasion plan. Stratson's job was to lure most of the ISA forces out of the city so that the Helghast could easily take control of the cities and gain better positions. Adams was to disable the SD weapons platform so that the Helghast fleet could bypass it and invade Vekta.
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 unmasked killed, Stratson stayed low, in the fears 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.
Killzone: Liberation
When Metrac invaded, he pushed through the south with brutal efficiency, as he was a great tactician, but also because Stratson was informing him of ISA plans. 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 nuclear weapons, and proposed that the ISA use them to stop the Helghast.
This caused uproar among the people of Vekta due to the potentially devastating loss of life. Defense Minister Heff Milcher called a meeting at the Rayhoven base to discuss the matter. He met with Stratson, as well as weapons researcher Evelyn Batton, who helped create the nukes.
The base is attacked as they meet, and the three are cut off in different buildings. Stratson is trapped inside a small building with the automatic door broken. He is rescued by Jan Templar who gets him to a dropship carrying the other two VIP's. Just before leaving, he tells Templar to destroy the elevator that leads to main weapons cache so that the Helghast can't take a hold of it.
Stratson secretly informs the Helghast where the nukes are stored. As they are heading back to Vekta city, they are shot down by the Helghast, and crash somewhere in the Reag swamp lands. They send out a distress signal, but are eventually captured by Helghast, who leave the pilot for dead.
Evelyn is taken to Metrac's secret base for interrogation, and Stratson and Milcher are taken by Colonel Cobar. Rico is captured by the Helghast, and Stratson approaches him in confidence, telling him that it is a secret operation, and that he is working as a double agent. He asks Rico to become a double agent for him.
Rico agrees and is taken to Metrac's, along with Evelyn. Cobar realizes that he is being followed by Templar, and executes Milcher to warn him to stay away. Stratson is in Cobar's tank with him, and is taken to a Helghast outpost, when Templar attacks.
He manages to destroy the tank, leaving Cobar quite hurt. Stratson shoots Cobar, before he can kill Templar, and is taken back to an ISA base. They discover the location to Metrac's base inside Cobar's tank, and so Stratson orders a bombing run over the base. Templar requests that they try and rescue Rico first, but Stratson denies.
He later realizes that Templar left and managed to kill Metrac. Stratson, now secretly in command of the Helghast, leaves for the besieged Sedah city, in secret, to kill the last few generals above him. He asks for the codes to the sewer systems below the major cities of Vekta for 'security purposes'.
He opens the sewer systems to the Helghast and orders an attack on Sedah city and all of the major cities, including Vekta city, from beneath. He finds out that Rico, still believing that it is a secret operation, is in the sewers below Sedah. He throws Rico in a cell containing the Rayhoven nukes and tells him that it was a set-up to make Rico look like the traitor.
Stratson goes to the city palace and kills General Murphy, leaving him in full command of the forces in the south. He is guarded by his ISA bodyguards who are still loyal to him, and apparently the Helghast. Stratson sees that Templar is outside to arrest him for treason.
Stratson tries to kill him with his bodyguards, but Templar is too good. Stratson enters a new EXO-Skeleton suit that nearly kills Templar. However, Templar still manages to destroy the suit and defeat the general.
A weary Stratson claims that he was doing this for the good of Vekta, and that they need him to get the nukes back from the Helghast. Templar ignores him, and two ISA soldiers arrest Stratson and take him away. It is unknown exactly what happens to Stratson after this.
It is presumed that he was put on trial for treason and put into prison. Some reports say that he was executed however, which is likely.
Characteristics
Stratson is an extremely capable leader and soldier, and commands the respect and admiration of nearly all of 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, and at times can be a no-nonsense hard ass.
It is unknown exactly why he betrayed the ISA, though it is likely he wanted to gain favor with Visari. He claims that he was doing it for the good of Vekta. 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 of the other generals of Southern Vekta.
Description
General Stratson is a tall man with short black hair and appears to be in his 50's. His appearance and voice greatly resemble a classic WW2 American army general steryotype. He wears a green beret, grey 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 grey jacket with some yellow edges. He always carries an M3 Revolver and when fighting Templar he uses a new exoskeleton combat suit. His voice sounds like it is from the WW2 era.