Editing Rho 'Barutamee

{{Era|UNSC|HCW}}
{{disambig header|the Covenant Supreme Commander|the friend of [[Arbiter]] [[Fal 'Chavamee]]|Roh}}
{{Character infobox|variant=Cov
|image=[[File:HFB-Rho.jpg|300px]]
|name=Rho 'Barutamee
|homeworld=[[Sanghelios]]<ref name="Rho">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/rho-barutamee ''Halo Waypoint'': Rho Barutamee]</ref>
|birth=[[2479|March 23, 2479]]<ref name="Rho"/>
|death=Presumably [[2552#August|August 14, 2552]]<ref name="Rho"/><ref name="hr solace">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', campaign level, [[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]</ref> {{C|aged 73}}
|species=[[Sangheili]]
|gender=Male
|height={{Convert|259|cm|ftin|sp=us}}<ref name="Rho"/>
|mass={{Convert|170|kg|lb}}<ref name="Rho"/>
|hair=
|eyes=Gray<ref name="Rho"/>
|notable=
|rank=[[Supreme Commander]]<ref name="orders">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/canon-fodder-taking-orders ''Halo Waypoint'': Canon Fodder - Taking Orders]</ref>
|rank-title=Title
|affiliation=*[[Covenant]]<ref name="fb35">''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'', Campaign Guide - p.35</ref>
**[[Ministry of Fervent Intercession]]<ref name="fb35"/>
}}

'''Rho 'Barutamee'''<ref name="essential">''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', page 111</ref> was a veteran [[Sangheili]] [[Covenant fleet|fleet]] commander who served the [[Covenant]] [[Ministry of Fervent Intercession]] as the [[shipmaster]] of the {{Class|CSO|supercarrier}} ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' and [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]].<ref name="orders"/><ref name="fb33">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', Core Rulebook - p.33</ref> His fleet was tasked with security and stewardship of [[Forerunner]] artifacts. 'Barutamee led his fleet in the opening stages of the [[Fall of Reach|Fall]] of [[Reach]], resulting in his presumed death.<ref name="Rho"/>

==Biography==
===Early life and military career===
Rho 'Barutamee was born on [[Sanghelios]] in [[2479|March 23, 2479]].<ref name="Rho"/> 'Barutamee joined the [[Ministry of Fervent Intercession]], serving in the [[Covenant military]] as a [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]]. 'Barutamee aggressively rose through the ministry's ranks by exploiting the weaknesses of his former comrades and superiors.<ref name="fb35"/> The Ministry of Fervent Intercession eventually selected him from among the Zealots and 'Barutamee was ascended to the post of [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Valiant Prudence]],<ref name="Rho"/> a [[Covenant fleet]] charged with far-ranged scouting operations and the security of [[Forerunner]] artifacts. [[Covenant]] leadership entrusted 'Barutamee with a powerful [[Luminary]] from [[High Charity]], which he used to locate Forerunner relics across [[Milky Way|the galaxy]].<ref name="lum">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', Luminaries</ref> Rho 'Barutamee became the [[shipmaster]] of the {{Class|CSO|supercarrier}} ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' during the final years of the [[Human-Covenant War]].<ref name="essential"/> At some point in his career, 'Barutamee became interested in seeking out the fabled Maethrillian, the [[Capital]] of the Forerunner [[ecumene]]. Intending to locate the world himself, 'Barutamee had secretly amassed a collection of powerful Forerunner artifacts that helped point him in the right direction to the Capital.<ref name="fb35"/>

In around [[2552]], 'Barutamee's Luminary detected Forerunner artifacts on a world in the [[human]]-inhabited [[Beta Eridani system]].<ref name="fb2">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Two: Contact]]</ref> The Fleet of Valiant Prudence traveled to the system and [[Battle of Beta Eridani|engaged]] [[UNSC]] forces. While the system's human residents attempted to flee,<ref name="fb1">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario One: Flight!]]</ref> the fleet procured Beta Eridani's Forerunner relics; 'Barutamee studied the objects personally. The artifacts were "processed" through the Luminary and 'Barutamee realized that the objects pointed towards an uncharted system, though he recognized several [[Forerunner symbols|symbols]] on the artifacts that indicated danger, damage, and the marks of the [[Builder]]s' [[rate]]. Determined to embark to the mysterious system, 'Barutamee ordered the destruction of the remaining human forces in the Beta Eridani system to prevent any UNSC forces from following the Fleet of Valiant Prudence to its next destination.<ref name="fb35"/><ref name="fb2"/>

===Fall of Reach===
{{Main|Fall of Reach}}
By [[2552#July|July 23, 2552]], the Fleet of Valiant Prudence had arrived at its next destination: the [[Epsilon Eridani system]], home to the UNSC stronghold of [[Reach]]. 'Barutamee was surprised to learn that the system boasted a massive human military presence in the form of the [[Epsilon Eridani Fleet]],<ref name="Rho"/> so he begun preparing his fleet for the [[Fall of Reach|first assault]] on Reach.<ref name="essential"/> However, 'Barutamee had ulterior motives aside from [[glassing]] Reach. He secretly continued to pursue his objective of locating the Capital and believed that the Forerunner artifacts on Reach were the final piece to the puzzle that was the Capital's location.<ref name="Rho"/><ref name="fb35"/>

[[File:HFB-LongNightofSolace.png|thumb|250px|left|Rho 'Barutamee commanded his forces from ''Long Night of Solace'' at Reach.]]
'Barutamee led a hand-picked crew of Sangheili Zealots known as the [[Devoted Sentries]] from aboard the [[active camouflage|cloaked]] ''Long Night of Solace'' as they covertly searched for numerous Forerunner relics scattered across Reach.<ref name="Rho"/> When the UNSC realized the Covenant had arrived in the system, a large-scale engagement began. The Covenant's arrival forced the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] research team at [[Teller Station]] to abandon their efforts at uncovering [[Site 17|a Forerunner installation]] beneath the surface of a planetoid in Epsilon Eridani's [[Oort cloud]]. As the team attempted one last dig, they inadvertently activated Forerunner systems within the installation, revealing the site's location to 'Barutamee and the Fleet of Valiant Prudence.<ref name="fb3">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Three: Evacuate]]</ref> The human scientists managed to recover a Forerunner artifact from within the installation and departed the Oort cloud; 'Barutamee ordered his fleet's reconnaissance elements to retrieve the artifact when he learned of the object's importance. However, Vice Admiral [[Michael Stanforth]] intended to lure the Covenant fleet away from the relic and into a trap over Reach.<ref name="fb4">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Four: Run!]]</ref> 'Barutamee continued to search for Forerunner artifacts that he hoped would reveal the location of the Capital. However, he feared that a massive fleet from the [[Ministry of Resolution]]<ref name="fb6">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Six: Left Jab]]</ref> en route to Reach would rob him of the chance to secret away relics from the other ministries and locate the Forerunner site.<ref name="Rho"/> With his artifact recovery teams pinned down by UNSC forces on Reach's surface, 'Barutamee recognized that if his fleet could not locate an object of value before the second fleet's arrival, he would be forced to either evacuate and abandon many of his own Zealots in the process, or face interrogation by the [[Hierarchs]] for his impudence and apparent incompetence in the battle.<ref name="fb6"/>

'Barutamee's vessel partook in the [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge]] on the surface of Reach, where [[UNSC Army]] forces accompanied by the [[Spartan-III]]s of [[Noble Team]] exposed ''Long Night of Solace'' through the destruction of [[Spire One]], a [[Covenant spire|communications tower]] that had been cloaking the vessel. In response, 'Barutamee destroyed {{UNSCShip|Grafton}}, the {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} that revealed the supercarrier's location by destroying the spire.<ref>''Halo: Reach'', campaign level [[Tip of the Spear]]</ref> 'Barutamee's vessels smashed the Army garrisons below before retreating to Reach's orbit.<ref name="hr solace"/>

In response to the revelation of the supercarrier, UNSC commanders and Noble Team formulated two operations to eliminate the ship: [[Operation: UPPER CUT|Operations: UPPER CUT]] and [[Operation: LEFT JAB|LEFT JAB]]. Operation: LEFT JAB would serve as a mission to distract the Covenant fleet, while Noble Team destroyed ''Long Night of Solace'' with the rigged [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine|slipspace drive]] of the {{UNSCShip|Savannah}}.<ref name="fb6"/> On [[2552#August|August 14, 2552]], the operations were set into motion. While the Epsilon Eridani Fleet engaged the Fleet of Valiant Prudence, the significantly smaller Covenant fleet became stretched thin—leaving 'Barutamee's flagship open for a direct attack.<ref name="fb7">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Seven: Finishing Blow]]</ref> The UNSC hijacked the {{Class|SDV|heavy corvette}} ''[[Ardent Prayer]]'' disabled the ship's communications so it couldn't warn the supercarrier and activated the corvette's refueling track. The ''Long Night of Solace'' was caught completely by surprise when [[Jorge-052]] detonated the rigged slipspace drive underneath the supercarrier. Rho 'Barutamee was presumably killed along with his entire crew when the subsequent slipspace rupture tore the ship in half or when its remains reentered the atmosphere and crashed on the surface near [[New Alexandria (location)|New Alexandria]].<ref name="Rho"/><ref name="hr solace"/>

Following 'Barutamee's death, his lieutenant—Shipmaster [[Kantar 'Utaralee]]—assumed command of the splintered Fleet of Valiant Prudence. In a last ditch effort, 'Barutamee's fleet attempted to recover the Forerunner relic from Epsilon Eridani's Oort cloud, now held in a [[space station]] near [[Turul]].<ref name="fb8">''Halo: Fleet Battles'', [[Scenario Eight: Rally Point Zulu]]</ref> The Ministry of Resolution's fleet arrived directly afterwards to engage UNSC forces at Reach.<ref name="hr solace"/>

==Personality and traits==
Rho 'Barutamee was a skilled commander and an excellent tactician,<ref name="HFBLC"/> and was noted to be unexpectedly reserved and thoughtful for a former [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealot]].<ref name="fb35"/> He was a fearless leader, though 'Barutamee became afraid for the first time in decades when he realized that punishment from the [[Hierarchs]] was a possibility following his impudence and apparent ineptitude at the [[Fall of Reach]].<ref name="fb6"/> He was disinterested in the [[Human-Covenant War|war]] against [[human]]ity,<ref name="Rho"/> but he had no qualms with [[Battle of Beta Eridani|wiping]] out an [[Beta Eridani system|entire system]]'s human population to procure local Forerunner artifacts.<ref name="fb2"/> 'Barutamee was very ambitious; as a Zealot, he aggressively climbed through the [[Ministry of Fervent Intercession]]'s ranks by exploiting weaknesses wherever he found them—taking advantage of greed, blind adherence to the [[Covenant religion]], and the ignorance of former allies and comrades alike in order to ascend to the post of [[Supreme Commander]].<ref name="fb35"/> In battle, 'Barutamee often tactically ignored the [[United Nations Space Command]]'s attempts to find vulnerabilities in his fleet to exploit, though he realized that he could not afford such luxuries at the heavily defended [[Reach]].<ref name="fb6"/>

Supreme Commander 'Barutamee was apparently a devout [[Sangheili]] and wished to claim [[Forerunner]] relics for himself. However, 'Barutamee's ambitions far exceeded the expectations of his enemies and rivals within the Ministry of Fervent Intercession.<ref name="fb35"/> His personal objective was to locate the fabled Maethrillian, the Forerunner [[Capital]] of the [[ecumene]].<ref name="Rho"/> To help achieve this goal, 'Barutamee had secretly and illegally accumulated a large collection of powerful Forerunner artifacts that he believed would aid in his search.<ref name="fb35"/> 'Barutamee attempted to pursue his own goals at Reach, while following his superiors' orders. He became conflicted when he learned that a large [[Covenant fleet]] from the [[Ministry of Resolution]] was en route to Reach, and he feared that the larger fleet would rob him of his chance to locate the Capital.<ref name="Rho"/>

==''Halo: Fleet Battles''==
Supreme Commander Rho 'Barutamee is available as a Fleet Commander in ''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'' for 100 points. He is able to use four Zealots every full 1,000 points at the cost of 30 points each.<ref name="HFBLC">''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'', Fleet Commander card</ref>
===Standard Orders===
*'''Focused Attack'''
**Cost: 1 Order Attack die
**Description: An element may re-roll up to two Halo attack dice. These dice may only be re-rolled once. This order is issued after any initial dice are rolled during either the attack segment or the boarding resolution phase.
*'''Power To The Defenses'''
**Cost: 1 Order Defense die 
**Description: An element may re-roll a single initial defense array die rolled by an element. This die may only be re-rolled once. This order may be issued after any initial defense dice pool roll.
*'''Form Up!'''
**Cost: 1 Order Command die
**Description: The Fleet Commander may order the re-building of a battle group up to a maximum build rating of 6. This order must be issued during the execute orders step of the order dice phase.
===Special Orders===
*'''Fix Those Defense!'''
**Cost: 3 Order Defense dice
**Description: Remove all vulnerable markers from a capital element in the fleet. Issue this order during the orders step of the selected element's activation.
*'''Enhanced Targeting'''
**Cost: 3 Order Attack Dice
**Description: Increase the firepower rating of a firing solution by +2. This order must be issued prior to rolling the initial attack dice pool, either when rolling for firing solutions or when rolling as part of a defensive dice pool roll against enemy boarders.

===Unique Ability===
Rho 'Barutamee is a skilled military leader and an excellent tactician. He can therefore choose to re-roll the initiative dice each turn, but the second result must be accepted.

==Behind the scenes==
Rho 'Barutamee was first mentioned as the [[shipmaster]] of ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' in the ''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', released in [[2011]].<ref name="essential"/> 'Barutamee was later featured as the first [[Covenant]] "Fleet Commander" in ''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'', released in [[2015]], where his backstory and actions at the [[Fall of Reach]] were expanded upon. Those who pre-ordered ''Fleet Battles'' were given a detailed bust of 'Barutamee.<ref name="orders"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HFB-Rhobust.png|An unpainted bust of 'Barutamee.
File:HFB-Rho&dice.png|A colored bust of 'Barutamee.
File:HFB-Lotsofstuff.jpg|A view of Rho's commander card in ''Halo: Fleet Battles''.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
<references/>

[[Category:Sangheili]]
[[Category:Covenant military personnel]]