Thel 'Vadam: Difference between revisions

Thel acted as a voice of reform to the Sangheili. Returning to his [[Sanghelios|homeworld]], he planned to visit each state to make his case for permanent peace with the [[human]]s they had battled for so many years;<ref>'''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''', Chapter 5, ''page 130''</ref> one of these would be a meeting in the state of [[Mdama]]. It was here that he announced that he no longer felt he was an Arbiter, but simply a [[Kaidon]]. He told the elders that if any of them disagreed with him strongly enough, they could attempt an assassination as per Sangheili tradition.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', Chapter 2, ''pages 58-61''</ref>

These reforms did not meet with universal approval. By January 2553, there was great dissent among disparate Sangheili factions, especially from the more devout believers in the Forerunners' divinity. Some, such as [[Avu Med 'Telcam]] and his [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]], saw the Arbiter as a [[Treason|false]] leader that has betrayed their pre-Covenant worship of the [[Forerunner]]s and sought to preemptively strike at humanity before they could retaliate. Additionally, many devout believers regarded Thel a "false Arbiter", stating that his very existence was heretical as he did not sacrifice himself the battle as was traditional of Arbiters in the Covenant. Others opposed 'Vadam not on religious grounds but due to his alliance with humanity, considering the notion of peace with the humans hopeless.{{Ref/Reuse|wp thel}} Thel argued with logic, they had not only failed to defeat humanity in the end, but the sundering of the Covenant had left their people without the technical expertise to replace lost warships, or maintain their own infrastructure.

Later in 2553, 'Vadam sent 'Vadum on missions to the frontier colonies to give the shipmaster a much needed break from combat. However, during these missions, 'Vadum encountered a surviving Covenant [[Prelate]] and [[Minister (title)|minister]]—[[Tem'Bhetek]] and [[Boru'a'Neem]]. With the help of [[Tul 'Juran]] of [[Rahnelo]], 'Vadum was able to defeat the two San'Shyuum. Afterwards, 'Vadum contacted 'Vadam and briefed him on the events that transpired. 'Vadam attempted to convince his friend to return to Sanghelios for a break, but 'Vadum wished to continue his missions in the frontier to search for the remaining San'Shyuum, to which the Arbiter agreed to. At 'Vadum's suggestion, 'Vadam also amended the Swords of Sanghelios' protocol to allow the enlistment of females in the military after 'Vadum personally witnessed the skill 'Juran showed in combat.<ref>'''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]''', ''pages 81-83'' (Google Play edition); '''[[Halo Fractures]]''', Shadow of Intent, ''page 149-150''(paperback)</ref> In [[2555|March of 2555]], the UNSC contacted 'Vadam after discovering that the Halo Array had been set to fire in three weeks. The countdown had been initiated from the Ark, and the UNSC requested the Swords of Sanghelios' aid in re-activating the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] at [[Voi]] in order to dispatch a team there to disable the activation sequence. As he was preoccupied with the ongoing civil war, 'Vadam sent [[Usze 'Taham]] and [[N'tho 'Sraom]], along with several other Sangheili aboard [[corvette]] ''[[Mayhem]]'' and a [[Huragok]] to aid the humans.<ref>'''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''', Chapter 3, ''pages 59-66''</ref>

Following [[Jul 'Mdama]]'s death on [[Kamchatka]] in [[2558#October|October 2558]], the remaining forces of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|'Mdama's Covenant]] regrouped and launched an assault on Sanghelios.<ref name="sos">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Swords of Sanghelios (level)|Swords of Sanghelios]]''</ref> The Covenant used the city of [[Sunaion]] over [[Csurdon Sea]] as a staging point to launch an attack against Swords of Sanghelios territory, though the Arbiter countered this move by establishing a forward operating base in the ruins of [[Nuusra]] on the sea's coast.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/sunaion '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Sunaion'']</ref> However, the Covenant attacked first and laid siege to the Swords of Sanghelios base on Nuusra, pushing back 'Vadam and his forces to the [[Elder Council Chamber]].{{Ref/Reuse|sos}}

Meanwhile, John-117 and the rest of [[Blue Team]] had apparently gone rogue to pursue Cortana and the UNSC dispatched [[Fireteam Osiris]] to retrieve them. After Blue Team escaped Osiris aboard a Forerunner [[Guardian]] that Cortana had entered into slipspace to an unknown location, Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] and Spartan Sarah Palmer proposed for Osiris to utilize the Guardian located near Sunaion to follow Blue Team. Not wishing for the UNSC to get too engaged in the Sangheili civil war, Lasky had ''Infinity'' travel to Swords of Sanghelios and arranged for Osiris to be escorted to the Arbiter's position by Swords of Sanghelios soldiers. Osiris fought their way through many Covenant entrenchments between their landing point and the Arbiter's location within the Elder Council Chamber, while the Covenant started to overwhelm the Swords of Sanghelios at the camp; several corpses from these ambushes were witnessed by Osiris on their way to the Arbiter. With help from surviving Swords of Sanghelios soldiers, the Spartans eliminated the Covenant forces around the chamber and moved inside to find the Arbiter; Osiris arrived at his position just as he was single-handedly killing several Covenant Sangheili. Contacting [[Mahkee 'Chava]], Osiris was extracted from the chamber along with the Arbiter, and a number of other surviving Swords, by a [[Type-57 Phantom]].{{Ref/Reuse|sos}}

Returning to the Arbiter's primary camp in Nuusra with Palmer and Halsey, 'Vadam and Osiris leader Spartan [[Jameson Locke]] spoke about using Sunaion's Guardian to pursue Blue Team, with the latter greeting and thanking the former for his cooperation on behalf of Captain [[Thomas Lasky|Lasky]]. While understanding of Spartan Locke's intentions, he was understandably distrustful of the human standing before him, not only because of the ONI logo on his armor, but he somehow recognized him as the very [former] [[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)/One|agent]] [[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)/Two|who]] [[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)/Three|volunteered to terminate]] him during the [[Human-Covenant War|war]]. In response, Locke sternly-yet-politely pointed out that he saved his life. And 'Vadam was even more concerned that he was hunting the very Spartan he fought alongside with six years ago, whom he referred to as the "greatest of [the Spartans'] clan". However, using her recently gained access to the [[Domain]], Cortana suddenly blacked out every network at the camp, taunting Locke in the process. Halsey came up with a plan that involved locating a Forerunner [[Constructor]] at a support station for the Guardian and inputting commands into it to make the construct activate the Guardian for Osiris. And while the Swords of Sanghelios had the firepower to get the Spartan-IVs in Sunaion, he refused to commit to an attack on the Covenant's final stronghold until victory was a guaranteed certainty. He was briefing his fellow Swords at the camp who were alarmed by Cortana's disruption, reminding them they fight one enemy at a time; their target being the Covenant. While his Sangheili were alarmed by the Guardian's inevitable reawakening, he assured them that he was relying on it, stating that the Guardian's departure in the eyes of Covenant who worship it and its makers will be further demoralized upon seeing their idol deity depart and abandon them to their fate at the hands of the Swords. '<ref name="alliance">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Alliance]]''</ref> At some point, from his security officer Mahlo 'Turagg (via an interrogation toward a Covenant Unggoy), Thel discovered that [[Murok 'Vadam]], one of his own family, was the one who betrayed him and left him to die during the Covenant's attack at the Elder Council Chamber. Murok was cooperative during his interrogation, thinking the Arbiter wouldn't kill anyone from his own clan; he was soon proven wrong as Thel executed him for his treachery.

The Covenant deployed a [[Type-55 Kraken]] between the support station and Osiris' position. While the Arbiter's forces engaged the Kraken with air squadrons, Osiris provided ground support. While the Swords of Sanghelios pushed the Kraken into a retreat, Osiris boarded the walker and destroyed its power core. With the Kraken destroyed, Osiris entered the nearby Forerunner support station and retrieved the Constructor. However, the Spartans were suddenly engaged by [[Promethean]] constructs.<ref name="enemy lines">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Enemy Lines]]''</ref> After battling their way to the extraction point, Osiris returned to the Swords of Sanghelios camp at Nuusra, where 'Vadam and Spartan Palmer were discussing the aerial assault on Sunaion, and was ready to begin his attack and finally destroy the Covenant. As the Constructor departed to activate the Guardian, the Arbiter's forces launched their assault on Sunaion.<ref name="before the storm">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Before the Storm]]''</ref>

'Vadam's Swords of Sanghelios  and Spartan-IV Fireteam Osiris traveled to Sunaion aboard a [[Type-56 Lich]], narrowly avoiding [[Type-56 Shrike|anti-air weaponry]]. While the Arbiter led his forces in engaging Covenant forces, Osiris destroyed the anti-air emplacements to allow  more air support from one of the Swords of Sanghelios' fleets. Osiris then moved towards the Guardian's position, with Locke warning the Arbiter to move his fleet before the Guardian set off its concussive blasts upon activation; 'Vadam responded with a Sangheili proverb about victory and honor, and personally asked Locke to send John-117 his greetings. However, while Swords and Covenant were fighting each other in the upper levels, Promethean constructs appeared and began engaging both Sangheili factions near the Guardian's location, and eventually started to overwhelm the Arbiter's forces. As the Guardian began to initiate its activation sequence, parts of the city began falling apart. Osiris arrived at Arbiter 'Vadam's location just as he was killing a [[Promethean Knight]], and he soon reacted with anger that Prometheans kept warping in. The Arbiter and the four Spartans came under continuous attack from Promethean forces and were soon attacked by the [[Warden Eternal]]. The five managed to defeat the Warden and his Prometheans, just as the Guardian began to leave Sanghelios. Palmer managed to pick up the Spartans in a Pelican and drop them off aboard the Guardian before the construct left the planet into slipspace. 'Vadam then regrouped with his own soldiers and led the Swords of Sanghelios in eliminating the last of the Covenant forces on the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|sunaion}}