Ricardo Vega
Character: ??
Full name: Ricardo Vega*Nickname:**‘Puke’*Affiliation: Global Defence Initiative (GDI)*Unit:* 22nd Infantry Division*Initial rank:* Soldier*Subsequent ranks:* Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain; Commander in the cancelled Tiberium project
Father: Javier Vega, GDI Officer and hero*Uncle:* General Cesar Vega de Nod - a connection primarily developed in the Tiberium material
Close friend: Alessio ‘Dish’ Bowles*Rival then comrade:* Tera Gallagher*Superior:* Cdr. McNeil*Specialities:* Marksmanship, infantry combat, running*Notable weapon:* Dr Joseph Takeda’s EW1*Conflict:* Tiberian Dawn*Main appearance:* Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars novel
Planned appearance: Tiberium (cancelled game)
Status: Alive, according to the latest available information.Ricardo Vega is a GDI Soldier and one of the main military protagonists in the novel Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. The son of the famous Officer Javier Vega, he joins the elite 22nd Infantry Division just as Nod unleashes the Third Tiberium War. An excellent marksman but constantly suspected of benefiting from his father’s reputation, Ricardo must quickly prove that he deserves his place.
The son of Javier Vega
Ricardo grew up in the shadow of a father who was already famous within the GDI. Javier Vega is a war hero and notably served alongside Cdr. McNeil. Ricardo wishes to follow in his footsteps and become a Soldier himself.
His father, however, refuses to let him enlist straight away. Ricardo must first complete his university studies; he thus obtains a degree in history before being allowed to begin his military career.
Ricardo possesses several natural talents. He is an excellent marksman, a very good runner and a remarkable poker player. He also has an unusually large head, a seemingly trivial detail but one that will cause problems with his military kit.
The 22nd Infantry Division
After his training, Vega is immediately posted as a Soldier to the 22nd Infantry Division, an elite unit commanded by Cdr. McNeil.
This posting immediately causes tension. Several soldiers believe that Ricardo is only there because of his father. Tera Gallagher, in particular, strongly suspects favouritism despite the excellent results Vega achieved during his training. His superior, Major Hastings, however, makes it clear to him that his family connections will neither grant him any special treatment nor put him at a particular disadvantage.
Vega is assigned to Epsilon Unit of 7th Company. There he meets, amongst others, Alessio ‘Dish’ Bowles, Gallagher, Brodeur, Momoa and Golden.
‘Puke’
Ricardo is quickly given the rather inglorious nickname ‘Puke’.
During his unit’s transport, he gives Golden – who is particularly hypochondriacal and prone to travel sickness – a tablet that is not actually intended to combat nausea. The incident ends with Golden feeling ill, and the Soldiers bestow the new nickname on Vega.
Ricardo initially hates it. But after Golden’s death in action, he ultimately chooses to keep ‘Puke’ in memory of his comrade.
The destruction of the Philadelphia
Ricardo rejoins his unit on the very day the Brotherhood launches its 2047 offensive.
Kane orders the destruction of the GDSS Philadelphia, triggering the outbreak of the Third Tiberium War. Cdr. McNeil personally informs the Soldiers of the 22nd Division of the disaster and announces that they are to be deployed immediately against Nod.
Ricardo therefore moves almost straight from training to the real battlefield.
Battle of San Diego
His first major mission takes place in San Diego, which has fallen into the Hand of Nod.
The Brotherhood is using the San Diego Convention Centre as its Command Hub and, more importantly, is holding an extremely valuable prisoner: Dr Joseph Takeda, a GDI scientist working on directed-energy weapons.
Ricardo’s company is ordered to retrieve Takeda.
During the infiltration, Vega’s equipment issues paradoxically turn out to be an advantage. His helmet malfunctions due to his head shape and accidentally switches to night vision. Ricardo then spots an unusual thermal signature in the ceiling: the barrel of an enemy weapon set up for a Sleeper Ambush. He immediately opens fire, preventing Nod from taking his unit by surprise.
Rescue of Joseph Takeda
Vega, Gallagher and Bowler finally reach the room where Takeda is being held by several Nod Soldiers.
Bowles causes the platform occupied by the kidnappers to collapse. Gallagher takes out two Soldiers whilst Ricardo finds himself face to face with the Nod Captain holding Takeda at gunpoint. Vega drops his rifle and then uses his Nighthawk pistol to shoot the kidnapper, saving the scientist.
The GDI also captures two Nod Soldiers, Hugh Isembi and Voyskunsky.
This operation marks Ricardo’s first major feat of arms.
Promotion to the rank of sergeant
After San Diego, Cdr. McNeil decides to promote Vega to the rank of sergeant.
The promotion is exceptionally rapid, and Ricardo himself does not really feel ready to take on such responsibility. Several factors, however, explain the decision: the GDI has lost many non-commissioned officers, the organisation needs new heroes to maintain morale, and Cdr. McNeil is personally aware of Javier Vega’s reputation.
This situation therefore gives rise to an interesting ambiguity: Ricardo deserves his promotion on the strength of his actions, but his father’s reputation nevertheless continues to influence his career.
Madagascar
After San Diego, Ricardo is sent to Madagascar.
His military career progresses extremely rapidly and he is eventually promoted to Lieutenant.
The war gradually transforms the young, inexperienced Soldier into a true field Officer. His relationships with his comrades also evolve, particularly with Gallagher, who had initially regarded his posting to the 22nd Division as the result of favouritism.
Australia and the EW1
Ricardo is then sent to Australia, where he receives a further promotion and becomes Captain.
He also makes an important decision regarding the experimental weapon developed by Joseph Takeda: the EW1.
Ricardo decides to use it in combat despite its experimental nature. This choice proves to be a wise one when the Scrin intervene in the war: the EW1 proves particularly useful in countering the aliens’ surprise attacks.
His performance also eventually earns him the respect of Tera Gallagher, gradually dispelling the suspicions of favouritism that had marked their first meeting.
A Vega on each side?
Ricardo’s name holds particular significance within the Command & Conquer universe.
His father, Javier Vega, serves the GDI. However, General Cesar Vega, one of Nod’s principal leaders during the Second Tiberium War, is presented as his uncle in material associated with the Tiberium project.
We can therefore summarise as follows:
Ricardo → son of Javier Vega: established in the novel.
Ricardo → nephew of Cesar Vega: information from Tiberium, so canon status uncertain.
Tiberium
Ricardo was in fact set to become a major character in the FPS Tiberiumdeveloped by EA Los Angeles before it was cancelled in 2008.
The project was set to take place eleven years after the Third Tiberium War. Ricardo, now an experienced Commander, was to return to active duty to investigate events linked to the last Scrin Tower.
This much older version of Vega was to wear new GDI armour and use the RAID command system, enabling him to directly coordinate various forces on the battlefield.
However, as Tiberium was cancelled, this part of his biography is considered unpublished development material and should not be regarded as having the same canonical status as his story in the novel.
Personality
Ricardo begins as a talented but still inexperienced young man, constantly weighed down by the burden of his father’s reputation.
His qualities quickly become apparent: he possesses excellent reflexes, a natural talent for marksmanship and sufficient composure to react appropriately when an operation goes wrong. His rescue of Takeda in San Diego demonstrates these abilities very early on.
His development is, above all, that of a Soldier forced to grow up extremely quickly. In a very short space of time, he rises from a simple Recruit to Sergeant, then Lieutenant and Captain.
His decision to keep the nickname ‘Puke’ after Golden’s death also reveals a more sentimental side to his character: what was initially an embarrassing joke becomes, for him, a way of honouring the memory of a comrade who fell in action.