Veta Lopis is so much more badass than Vale.

Veta Lopis is not a master of languages. Nor is she a top-tier martial artist. She's probably not in the top .1% of Humanity in intelligence or physical ability.

What she does have, she uses to the fullest extent possible. A shooting war will break out, aliens will invade her homeworld, and she will be entrusted with some of the UNSC's darkest secrets. But she will not be dissuaded from her job. Her perp may be a psychotic super-soldier in power armor or a half ton rhino-gorilla or an ancient AI with enough firepower at its beck and call to vaporize her hometown. She will hunt that killer down to the ends of Gao.

Augmented and conditioned child soldiers call her "Mom". When they ambush a Brute pack, she gets first crack at the Chieftain. Her escape from that encounter involves riding a Spartan through the jungle like a gorram toboggan.

Do not fuck with the detective.