Kalob Cortez (Earth-5875)

Master Sergeant Kalob Cortez is a non-commissioned officer in the UNSC Marine Corps and a Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. A member of the 105th Shocks Troop, he was stationed at the UNSC Kronstadt, and was tasked with the assassination a high-ranking Covenant san'shyuum alongside the SPARTAN-II Cal-141.

Biography
On April 9th, 2545, Cortez and his ODST squad, consisting of Blake O'Brien, Corporal Taylor "Dutch" Miles, and Mark Checkman, were tasked with the assassination a high-ranking Covenant san'shyuum on the Covenant colony Heian, with the objective of destabilizing the Covenant's supply lines on the sector which would give the UNSC a monthly advantage. Unusually, they would be accompanied by a SPARTAN-II, Cal-141, and would fall under her orders. When the team was deployed through their SOEIVs they were hit by a meteor shower, which killed Checkman and almost killed O'Brien, who almost drowned in a swamp, had not it been the aid of Cal, who used all her strength to pull the pod out of the water. Afterwards, the four started a day-long walk to their intended destination, killing several unggoy, kig-yar and their jiralhanae Chieftain commander.

After they finally arrived on their destination, Cortez and his ODSTs settled a perimeter around Cal so she adjust her Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel to take down the Prophet. They were unaware to the Brute they believed Cal had previously killed, who attempted to murder O'Brien with his Type-2 gravity hammer until Cal pushed him away, at the cost of her own life; the skull severely damaged her MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and broke her skull. The ODSTs were able to put him down and kill him, while O'Brien was ordered by the SPARTAN to take the shot himself, killing the Prophet. As she died, Cal gave Cortez pictures she had taken from the ancient ruins she found scattered across Heian, asking him to take them to Dr. Catherine Halsey.

After the mission's completion, Cortez, O'Brien and Dutch returned to the UNSC Kronstadt, where they were approached by the UNSC Marine Georgi Berger, who attempted to mock the SPARTAN in order to "fit in" with the ODSTs. The trio disowned him, leaving their old prejudices away.