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— Detective Dao in Back to School
Khai Minh Dao is a character featured in Battlefield Hardline. A first-generation Vietnamese-American who hails from Orange County, California, Khai turned her back on the west coast and a rebellious youth to put a star on her chest. Rising quickly through the ranks, she's established herself to her fellow officers and the usual underworld suspects as a smart, able detective who isn't afraid to let her temper take over.[1]
Captain Dawes partnered her with Nick Mendoza shortly after he became detective, thinking her to be better suited to the role than Stoddard, whom Nick was originally partnered with. She drives an unmarked black Police Interceptor while on duty with Mendoza.
Biography
Early Life
— Nick in Episode 1.
Khai Minh Dao was born a first-generation Vietnamese-American in Orange Country, California, USA. Khai often was rebellious in her youth, often getting the treatment of hating the west coast. In the years to follow, she became an officer in Miami's Police Department with Captain Dawes and Sergeant Stoddard.
In her service, she was known for her short-temper which Dawes would often ride her on. Prior to the events of Hardline, she shortly dated Tyson Latchford until he learned of her professrion [2]. She also let IT Analyst and Freelancer Marcus Boone go and have an second chance. Khai herself become corrupted after impressing Dawes and joined him and Stoddard to Preferred Outcomes.
Events of Hardline
— Khai to Dawes about Nick's last case.
After Stoddard and Mendoza's last case, Captain Dawes partners her up with new Vice Detective Nicholas Mendoza. The two were sent down to find Tyson Latchford to find evidence on the Hot Shot drugs that had taken over Miami.
Khai and Nick capture and wire "Tap" to Tyson's location. Lawrence Kent and his henchman attack the location as the duo are force to fight their way to Tyson. It's later revealed that he was on webcam, and is hiding in another residence. The detectives make it to his location, but Khai is shot in the artery and is defended by Tyson and Mendoza until an SWAT team arrive.
After being attended for, Captain Dawes sends the detectives to bring in Leo Ray for protection and info. Leo, who wanted Dawes tries to leave until Khai assaults one of his henchman and holds him at gunpoint for his bag. Hired thug's arrive and try to kill Leo as Khai reaches to Leo before Mendoza, brutally attacks him for insulting her. She and Nick deliver him to Dawes, as Nick lies of his Leo's injuries.
Captain Dawes sends them to the everglades for cocaine being smuggle into planes and find Remy Neltz, who has become successful. In the everglades, they find more information and find Leo's dead body and hot shot information. Neltz escapes before telling them of his deal with Stoddard. Back in Miami, the detectives assault Neltz's hideout and have him at gunpoint. Stoddard murders him, and gives Khai Neltiz's money as Nick leaves in disgust.
Showing True Colors and Post 2015
— Khai after her betrayal.
Khai and Dawes show their true colors.
Afterward, Nick is convince that it was just a test (of seeing was he trustworthy of stealing the money), but know's that Stoddard is dirty. Khai and Nick are sent back to Neltz's hideout where Nick finds an recording of the deal. Khai leads on an investigation of an truck as Nick finds and arrests Stoddard. Khai is surrounded by henchman as Nick and Stoddard are forced to rescue her.
After killing all thugs, Nick arrests Stoddard and gives Dawes the recording. Dawes destroys the recorder as Stoddard reveals his rescue to Nick. Khai reveals that she is corrupted by pointing her pistol to Nick, asking him why didn't he take the money. The trio put the blame of Neltz's missing money on Nick, who is sent to prison.
Khai would be an shareholder in Preferred Outcomes until Captain Dawes double cross her, causing her reputation to fall and leave the Miami Police Department. Stoddard would become her nemesis and she hold an personal vendetta against him. Khai would partner up with Tyson to ruin Dawes' reputation, and kill Stoddard.
Defeating Preffered Outcomes
— Khai to Mendoza (Glass Houses)
Three years later, Khai has left Vice and Preferred Outcomes due to her personal vendetta against Stoddard. Needing help to end Dawes, she gets Tyson and Tap (who is in prison) to break out Nick. While she calls her old friend, Boomer to get information from Dawes' associate Henry Kang.
After breaking him out, she sends Tyson and Nick to get Boomer from Kang. The trio kill Kang, ending his association with Dawes, but return back covered in cocaine (due to Tyson trying to run away with it). Boomer finds info on Stoddard's meeting with Neil Roark at his residence, Khai and Nick go in and place her phone in Dawes' money, stealing it before he can. The duo also cost Roark's a million dollars of house destruction, which Nick replies with "he latterly lives in a glass house".
After Nick and Boomer get the bot from the Mojave Desert, the group prepare to head to Proffered Outcomes HQ. Stoddard ambushes their hideout, but is killed in the process. The group head and break into the HQ, and break open the vault. Tyson is injured from a trap in the vault as the group nearly escape to Dawes' location in Santa Rosita.
Dawes' End
— Khai last words to Nick before leaving (Legacy).
Nick heads to Santa Rosita (Dawes' hideout), as he orders Khai to find Tyson an black market "doctor" to mend his wounds. Khai disagrees but reluctantly agrees with Tyson's words, the group say goodbye to Mendoza and float away in the ocean as he heads to his former employer. In the end, Nick exacts his revenge on Dawes and gains his fortune.
Personality
— Khai in Gator Bait.
Khai is intelligent, independent, witted and skilled detective in Miami's Police Department. That being said, she was mainly known for being an "hot headed" by cops and criminals, making others not be on her bad side. Quick to be short-tempered, when coming to her reputation, she is very protective and if said negative became impulsive and furious. Shown when Leo Ray insulted her privileges and assaulted him with an trash can.
Despite her overlooked quality, she could be caring and empathetic, as shown when she gave Boomer a second chance when she arrested him, coming back to help Nick from Roark's forces, and mending Tyson after he was injured. She even told Mendoza that she wasn't "always the type who fucked over her partner". She has told Nick also she changed to show off to Captain Dawes, as meaning she disobeyed normal procedure to impress him, following her becoming a member of corruption.
Khai with an injured Tyson (Independence Day).
Her relationship with Tyson Latchford has been explored that they were once a couple in history, but it broke off when he learn she was an cop. Despite years apart, and him being a criminal, the duo still show signs of affection and caring of each other, as shown when Khai called him "baby" when he was injured in Esp. 9.
Trivia
- Khai is trained in the Israeli martial art Krav Maga, referring to karate as "mystical bullshit".[3]
- Her given name "Khai Minh" (Khải Minh) translates as "Enlightenment", and her last name "Dao" (Đào) is a common Vietnamese surname.
- Khai also has"Candy Crush" on her phone, as revealed in Glass Houses, as she called it that "candy game".
Gallery
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