Thel 'Vadam: Difference between revisions
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===Life as Supreme Commander=== | ===Life as Supreme Commander=== | ||
{{Quote|I have had many names in this long war. The humans knew me as the '''Destroyer'''. In the Covenant I was Supreme Commander...|Thel 'Vadam<ref>'''Halo 2: Anniversary - Terminals Trailer''</ref>}} | {{Quote|I have had many names in this long war. The humans knew me as the '''Destroyer'''. In the Covenant I was Supreme Commander...|Thel 'Vadam<ref>'''Halo 2: Anniversary - Terminals Trailer''</ref>}} | ||
[[File: | [[File:HGN_ThelVadamee_Cloak.png|thumb|150px|right|Thel 'Vadamee wearing his ceremonial cloak and unique helmet.]] | ||
At some point between 2535 and 2552, Thel's exceptional leadership and combat prowess earned him the rank of [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]]. Sometime after this promotion he led the Covenant forces in the [[Battle of Camber]]. 'Vadamee and his fleet caught the UNSC forces completely unaware. He began his ground and orbital assault before most of the planet was aware of the attack. While 17 of his ships bombarded key defensive positions, 'Vadamee personally led an attack on the UNSC system headquarters. He first engaged the [[3rd Battalion Reserves]], who were caught completely unprepared. 'Vadamee ordered his men to wait for the humans to prepare to defend themselves before wiping out the entire unit.<ref name="h2at2">'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 2: Anniversary|Terminal 2]]''</ref> Throughout his time as Supreme Commander he was also responsible for the glassing of [[Bounty]], [[Alluvion]], [[Mesa]], [[Greydowns]], [[Kroedis II]], and [[Estuary]]. He and his forces were responsible for over 1 billion human casualties—23,000 of them military personnel—and the destruction of 123 UNSC ships.<ref name="terminal 3"/> ONI [[ONI#Section Three|Section 3]] attempted to kill him at different times, but failed each time resulting in the deaths of several operatives.<ref name="a2at1">'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 2: Anniversary|Terminal 1]]''</ref> | At some point between 2535 and 2552, Thel's exceptional leadership and combat prowess earned him the rank of [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Fleet of Particular Justice]]. Sometime after this promotion he led the Covenant forces in the [[Battle of Camber]]. 'Vadamee and his fleet caught the UNSC forces completely unaware. He began his ground and orbital assault before most of the planet was aware of the attack. While 17 of his ships bombarded key defensive positions, 'Vadamee personally led an attack on the UNSC system headquarters. He first engaged the [[3rd Battalion Reserves]], who were caught completely unprepared. 'Vadamee ordered his men to wait for the humans to prepare to defend themselves before wiping out the entire unit.<ref name="h2at2">'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 2: Anniversary|Terminal 2]]''</ref> Throughout his time as Supreme Commander he was also responsible for the glassing of [[Bounty]], [[Alluvion]], [[Mesa]], [[Greydowns]], [[Kroedis II]], and [[Estuary]]. He and his forces were responsible for over 1 billion human casualties—23,000 of them military personnel—and the destruction of 123 UNSC ships.<ref name="terminal 3"/> ONI [[ONI#Section Three|Section 3]] attempted to kill him at different times, but failed each time resulting in the deaths of several operatives.<ref name="a2at1">'''Halo 2: Anniversary''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 2: Anniversary|Terminal 1]]''</ref> | ||
[[File:H2A Terminals - Thel and Prophet.jpg|thumb|250px| | [[File:H2A Terminals - Thel and Prophet.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Thel 'Vadamee discovering Installation 04.]] | ||
Near the end of his time serving as Supreme Commander, he led the Covenant forces under his command to victory over the UNSC's greatest military stronghold. The [[Fall of Reach]] proved to be the highlight of Thel's service in the Covenant. As the battle ended, Thel ordered a flotilla of warships to follow the fleeing {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}. The ''Autumn'''s course led them to holy Forerunner artifact [[Installation 04]]. After confirming that the ring was a creation of the "gods", the [[Prophet of Stewardship]], the highest ranking political figure with the Fleet, immediately claimed authority over the operation, claiming the mission was now a religious matter. As Thel was unwilling to relinquish command with the ''Pillar of Autumn'' en route, and unable to contact ''[[High Charity]]'' to determine who held jurisdiction, a power struggle emerged between Thel and Stewardship for ultimate authority. As the [[Battle of Installation 04]] wore on, the Prophet began subverting Thel, misappropriating military forces to secure facilities on the ring. Thel sent a single infantry unit to the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' to relieve the Prophet, but it was destroyed on approach. The Prophet threatened further punishment for any future affronts to his leadership. As Thel assembled a strike force to physically relieve the Prophet, the emergency beacon on the ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' was activated. Thel dispatched a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] force to assess the threat and procure the [[Minister of Etiology]]. As Thel was about to leave with his strike force for ''Ascendant Justice'', [[Special Operations Commander|Spec Ops Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee returned to the ship and revealed the results of his mission: the [[Flood]] had been unleashed on Halo.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''</ref> | Near the end of his time serving as Supreme Commander, he led the Covenant forces under his command to victory over the UNSC's greatest military stronghold. The [[Fall of Reach]] proved to be the highlight of Thel's service in the Covenant. As the battle ended, Thel ordered a flotilla of warships to follow the fleeing {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}. The ''Autumn'''s course led them to holy Forerunner artifact [[Installation 04]]. After confirming that the ring was a creation of the "gods", the [[Prophet of Stewardship]], the highest ranking political figure with the Fleet, immediately claimed authority over the operation, claiming the mission was now a religious matter. As Thel was unwilling to relinquish command with the ''Pillar of Autumn'' en route, and unable to contact ''[[High Charity]]'' to determine who held jurisdiction, a power struggle emerged between Thel and Stewardship for ultimate authority. As the [[Battle of Installation 04]] wore on, the Prophet began subverting Thel, misappropriating military forces to secure facilities on the ring. Thel sent a single infantry unit to the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'' to relieve the Prophet, but it was destroyed on approach. The Prophet threatened further punishment for any future affronts to his leadership. As Thel assembled a strike force to physically relieve the Prophet, the emergency beacon on the ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' was activated. Thel dispatched a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] force to assess the threat and procure the [[Minister of Etiology]]. As Thel was about to leave with his strike force for ''Ascendant Justice'', [[Special Operations Commander|Spec Ops Commander]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee returned to the ship and revealed the results of his mission: the [[Flood]] had been unleashed on Halo.<ref>'''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''', ''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''</ref> | ||
With the situation deteriorating, Thel ordered the evacuation of all ships from the ring, as well as shooting down any vessel which failed to return clean bioscans. When Thel's force arrived on ''Ascendant Justice'', he discovered that the Prophet of Stewardship had left for the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. The crew of the ''Ascendant Justice'' acknowledged Thel's authority as Supreme Commander without hesitation.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', 2010 Adjunct, ''page 88''</ref> Unsurprisingly, Thel refused to come to the Steward's aid after its capture by the UNSC. These distractions were to cost Thel the battle, as SPARTAN-117 and Cortana successfully detonated, ''Pillar of Autumn'' under the nose of the Covenant's occupation. The detonation destroyed the Halo ring, ending the Battle of Installation 04. With little else to be done, Thel ordered his surviving ships to fall back from the destroyed Halo. This retreat was to save his remaining fleet from the Flood, but not his honor. In an act that further humiliated Thel, the ''Ascendant Justice'' was captured by [[John-117]] and a small human boarding party. Shortly after his ships failed to pursue the ''Ascendant Justice'', Thel was called before the Covenant High Council to answer for his failures.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', Epilogue, ''page 340''(2003 paperback); ''page 408''(2010 paperback)</ref> | |||
With the situation deteriorating, Thel ordered the evacuation of all ships from the ring, as well as shooting down any vessel which failed to return clean bioscans. When Thel's force arrived on ''Ascendant Justice'', he discovered that the Prophet of Stewardship had left for the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. The crew of the ''Ascendant Justice'' acknowledged Thel's authority as Supreme Commander without hesitation.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', 2010 Adjunct, ''page 88''</ref> Unsurprisingly, Thel refused to come to the Steward's aid after its capture by the UNSC. These distractions were to cost Thel the battle, as SPARTAN-117 and Cortana successfully detonated, ''Pillar of Autumn'' under the nose of the Covenant's occupation. The detonation destroyed the Halo ring, ending the Battle of Installation 04. With little else to be done, Thel ordered his surviving ships to fall back from the destroyed Halo. This retreat was to save his remaining fleet from the Flood, but not his honor. In an act that further humiliated Thel, the ''Ascendant Justice'' was captured by [[John-117]] and a small human boarding party. Shortly after his ships failed to pursue the ''Ascendant Justice'', Thel was called before the Covenant High Council to answer for his failures.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', Epilogue, ''page 340''(2003 paperback); ''page 408''(2010 paperback)</ref> | |||
===Fall from grace and becoming the Arbiter=== | ===Fall from grace and becoming the Arbiter=== | ||
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The Hierarchs, however, had a different fate in mind for Thel. Upon being brought before the Prophets of Truth and [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], Thel was offered the choice of becoming the new [[Arbiter]]. Understanding that the office of Arbiter was itself a death sentence and seeking to regain his honor, Thel accepted.<ref name="thearbiter"/> | The Hierarchs, however, had a different fate in mind for Thel. Upon being brought before the Prophets of Truth and [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], Thel was offered the choice of becoming the new [[Arbiter]]. Understanding that the office of Arbiter was itself a death sentence and seeking to regain his honor, Thel accepted.<ref name="thearbiter"/> | ||
===Threshold gas mine=== | ===Threshold gas mine=== | ||
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With the uprising suppressed, the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]] extracted the Arbiter and used the [[Fist of Rukt]] to capture the Oracle. His actions, which involved throwing the Oracle into the [[Type-52 Phantom]] recklessly, angered the Arbiter's religious sensibilities. With Tartarus, he left the gas mine via Phantom, as ''[[High Charity]]'' and the fleet departed the Threshold system.<ref name="theoracle"/> | With the uprising suppressed, the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]] extracted the Arbiter and used the [[Fist of Rukt]] to capture the Oracle. His actions, which involved throwing the Oracle into the [[Type-52 Phantom]] recklessly, angered the Arbiter's religious sensibilities. With Tartarus, he left the gas mine via Phantom, as ''[[High Charity]]'' and the fleet departed the Threshold system.<ref name="theoracle"/> | ||
===Battle of the Quarantine Zone=== | ===Battle of the Quarantine Zone=== | ||
{{Main|Battle of the Quarantine Zone}} | {{Main|Battle of the Quarantine Zone}} | ||
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{{Quote|Tartarus, the Prophets have betrayed us.|Thel 'Vadamee's last attempt to convince Tartarus of the truth<ref name="TGJ"/>}} | {{Quote|Tartarus, the Prophets have betrayed us.|Thel 'Vadamee's last attempt to convince Tartarus of the truth<ref name="TGJ"/>}} | ||
The Arbiter was teleported to the vicinity of Delta Halo's Control Room. Observing firsthand the results of the Prophets' betrayal, the Arbiter joined forces with a band of Special Operations Commandos and quickly became a leader in the [[Covenant separatists|separatist]] movement. This small unit wasted little time in massacring the Jiralhanae responsible for executing the [[Sangheili Councilor]]s.<ref name="Uprising">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Uprising]]''</ref> Eventually, Thel met Rtas 'Vadumee, joining forces to reach a [[Type-47A Scarab]]. Near the Scarab, the Arbiter managed to rescue several separatist prisoners, as well as a group of UNSC Marines including Sergeant Avery Johnson. Johnson negotiated a tenuous alliance with the Arbiter in order to prevent Tartarus from activating Installation 05. Given the extreme danger posed by the ring, they both agreed that Tartarus had to be stopped at all costs. Johnson led the offensive, using a captured Scarab to eliminate ground units while Thel provided air support with a Type-26A Banshee. Together, they punched a hole through Covenant lines and reached the Control Room of Installation 05.<ref name="TGJ">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref> | The Arbiter was teleported to the vicinity of Delta Halo's Control Room. Observing firsthand the results of the Prophets' betrayal, the Arbiter joined forces with a band of Special Operations Commandos and quickly became a leader in the [[Covenant separatists|separatist]] movement. This small unit wasted little time in massacring the Jiralhanae responsible for executing the [[Sangheili Councilor]]s.<ref name="Uprising">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Uprising]]''</ref> Eventually, Thel met Rtas 'Vadumee, joining forces to reach a [[Type-47A Scarab]]. Near the Scarab, the Arbiter managed to rescue several separatist prisoners, as well as a group of UNSC Marines including Sergeant Avery Johnson. Johnson negotiated a tenuous alliance with the Arbiter in order to prevent Tartarus from activating Installation 05. Given the extreme danger posed by the ring, they both agreed that Tartarus had to be stopped at all costs. Johnson led the offensive, using a captured Scarab to eliminate ground units while Thel provided air support with a Type-26A Banshee. Together, they punched a hole through Covenant lines and reached the Control Room of Installation 05.<ref name="TGJ">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref> | ||
[[File:HLC The Great Schism.jpg|thumb|250px|Thel Vadam and Tartarus duel to the death.]] | [[File:HLC The Great Schism.jpg|thumb|250px|Thel Vadam and Tartarus duel to the death.]] | ||
'Vadamee fought several Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen before facing Tartarus, who had forced Miranda Keyes to activate Installation 05. Attempting to open Tartarus' eyes, Thel asked [[343 Guilty Spark]] what Halo's true purpose was. The Monitor replied that the Halos were built "to destroy all sentient life within three radii of the galactic core," as a weapon of last resort against the Flood. The Forerunners had not transcended into gods, but rather died as a final sacrifice to ensure the defeat of the ancient parasite. | 'Vadamee fought several Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen before facing Tartarus, who had forced Miranda Keyes to activate Installation 05. Attempting to open Tartarus' eyes, Thel asked [[343 Guilty Spark]] what Halo's true purpose was. The Monitor replied that the Halos were built "to destroy all sentient life within three radii of the galactic core," as a weapon of last resort against the Flood. The Forerunners had not transcended into gods, but rather died as a final sacrifice to ensure the defeat of the ancient parasite. | ||
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[[File:TruthDeath-large.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Thel 'Vadam executes the Prophet of Truth.]] | [[File:TruthDeath-large.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Thel 'Vadam executes the Prophet of Truth.]] | ||
After Thel and John entered the Citadel, the Flood [[Gravemind]] formed a tentative alliance with them, claiming that it would cooperate with them in order to kill Truth and abort the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. Fighting through the remains of Truth's forces, the unlikely comrades stood before the last High Prophet of the Covenant. The Arbiter approached Truth, who had been infected by the Flood and was undergoing mutation. The Gravemind spoke through Truth, informing Truth that he was deluded to think he could achieve godhood. Thel claimed that he would have his vengeance upon a Prophet, not a disease, and killed Truth with his energy sword before he could fully transform. After John deactivated the Halo Array, he and Thel faced the betrayal of the Flood, which now no longer faced any obstacles in killing the two and going on to consume the galaxy.<ref name="TheCovenant"/> | After Thel and John entered the Citadel, the Flood [[Gravemind]] formed a tentative alliance with them, claiming that it would cooperate with them in order to kill Truth and abort the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. Fighting through the remains of Truth's forces, the unlikely comrades stood before the last High Prophet of the Covenant. The Arbiter approached Truth, who had been infected by the Flood and was undergoing mutation. The Gravemind spoke through Truth, informing Truth that he was deluded to think he could achieve godhood. Thel claimed that he would have his vengeance upon a Prophet, not a disease, and killed Truth with his energy sword before he could fully transform. After John deactivated the Halo Array, he and Thel faced the betrayal of the Flood, which now no longer faced any obstacles in killing the two and going on to consume the galaxy.<ref name="TheCovenant"/> | ||
===Destroying the Flood=== | ===Destroying the Flood=== | ||
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===Victory on Sanghelios=== | ===Victory on Sanghelios=== | ||
[[File:H5G-SOSrally.png|thumb|250px|The Arbiter rallying his forces.]] | [[File:H5G-SOSrally.png|thumb|250px|The Arbiter rallying his forces.]] | ||
{{Quote|Hunt them to the last. Today we extinguish [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|the Covenant's]] light '''forever'''!|Thel 'Vadam during the [[Battle of Sunaion]].<ref name="sunaion">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''', campaign level ''[[Battle of Sunaion]]''</ref>}} | {{Quote|Hunt them to the last. Today we extinguish [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|the Covenant's]] light '''forever'''!|Thel 'Vadam during the [[Battle of Sunaion]].<ref name="sunaion">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''', campaign level ''[[Battle of Sunaion]]''</ref>}} | ||
