Jul 'Mdama's Covenant: Difference between revisions

Even with the Ur-Didact missing, Jul 'Mdama still retained some control over the Prometheans and Requiem, due to his alliance with the Ur-Didact. As the Didact's Hand, 'Mdama was able to push aside the majority of competing Sangheili warlords. 'Mdama managed to sway several previously neutral Sangheili worlds to his side and secretly began to make preparations for an invasion of Sanghelios. 'Mdama was unable, however, to convince the Servants of the Abiding Truth to join his Covenant. The newfound power did not come without a price, as splits within the newly combined forces exploded into violence as newcomers competed for prestige and influence. After several conflicts 'Mdama focused his attention on Requiem. He leaked his plans for Requiem to ONI, and prepared to draw the UNSC into a grinding war of attrition. This would give him the opportunity to cement his control over the Covenant and sacrifice any forces whose loyalty was suspect.<ref name="Mythos">'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 178''</ref> The reformed Covenant maintained a presence on Requiem in [[2558#February|February 2558]].<ref name="Departure">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Departure]]''</ref> By that time, they had begun searching for the [[Librarian]]'s [[mind transfer|imprint]] in the hope of finding more Forerunner artifacts.<ref name="ReferenceA">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Didact's Hand]]''</ref>

The Covenant forces discovered the Librarian's imprint at [[Librarian's Rest]] and set up a military base inside, with 'Mdama and his lieutenant [[Gek 'Lhar]] supervising the Covenant's attempts at activating the imprint. Via a Forerunner [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|artifact]] which was brought onboard the ''Infinity'' by its crew, the Covenant managed to abduct the ship's chief scientist, [[Henry Glassman|Doctor Henry Glassman]], and forced him to work on activating the imprint. Jul told his followers that the Librarian would gift them incredible bounties spread throughout the galaxy, such as weapons and ships. During this time, 'Mdama began to discretely communicate with [[Catherine Halsey|Doctor Catherine Halsey]] via [[data pad]]s while she was aboard the ''Infinity''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Despite lacking adequate equipment, Glassman managed to activate the shrine which caused all Sangheili, except Jul, to bow. Glassman used this opportunity to flee, but when 'Mdama was thrown back by the shrine due to a protective shielding, the Sangheili noticed Glassman's disappearance. Meanwhile, two Sangheili were bringing the captured Spartan [[Gabriel Thorne]] to Librarian's Rest. When Glassman exited Librarian's Rest, he encountered the two Sangheili. Thorne used this as an opportunity to kill both Sangheili and the two humans escaped the area. However, 'Lhar picked up their trail and pursued them.<ref name="Switchback"/>

Gek eventually tracked down and ambushed the pair, and a battle between the Sangheili and Spartan ensured. After gaining the upper-hand, Gek prepared to kill Thorne and Glassman, but was suddenly killed by Spartan [[Fireteam Majestic]]. Meanwhile, [[Promethean Knight]]s [[Invasion of the UNSC Infinity|infiltrated]] the ''Infinity'', captured Halsey, and brought her to 'Mdama at Librarian's Rest. At the shrine, Halsey deactivated the shielding. She then quickly ran into the beam of light before 'Mdama.<ref name="expendable">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Expendable]]''</ref> Inside the shrine, Halsey met the Librarian's imprint, who offered her the two halves of the [[Janus Key]], an artifact capable of locating every piece of Forerunner technology in the galaxy. She asked her to bring it to the [[Absolute Record]] to help mankind and Halsey was subsequently ejected from the shrine. Jul immediately took the piece of the Janus Key that he had seen for himself, unaware of the second half. Suddenly, the shrine was attacked by Fireteam Majestic and Spartan [[Sarah Palmer]]. Palmer attempted to assassinate Halsey, but instead only wounded her in the arm. Halsey and 'Mdama were then translocated away by a Promethean Knight.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Key]]''</ref>

The battle culminated in Jul 'Mdama sending Requiem into [[Epoloch system|the local star]] in a bid to destroy ''Infinity''. The Covenant and the UNSC fled the planet before its destruction. While the Covenant suffered considerable losses, including the mercenary [[Parg Vol]] and 'Mdama's lieutenant Gek 'Lhar, they escaped with two important assets: one half of the Janus Key and Dr. Halsey, who offered to further assist 'Mdama in exchange for his help in achieving revenge.<ref name="Exodus">'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|Exodus]]''</ref>

After the destruction of Requiem, {{UNSCShip|Vociferous}} was given the task of tracking down Halsey and 'Mdama.<ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref> In [[2558|March 2558]], one of 'Mdama's [[shipmaster]]s, [[Vata 'Gajat]], led a [[Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group|mercenary force]] to attack a [[Sangheili]]-[[Jiralhanae]] peace summit on [[Ealen IV]]. 'Gajat told his human employer, [[Daniel Clayton|Captain Daniel Clayton]] of the [[New Colonial Alliance]], that he believed 'Mdama was unlikely to even notice his "moonlighting".<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 3|Issue #3]]''</ref> Two weeks later he apparently abandoned 'Mdama's faction entirely<ref>'''Halo: Escalation''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 5|Issue #5]]''</ref> and was later killed during the [[Ambush at Oth Lodon]], having formed [[Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group|his own mercenary group]].