Tem'Bhetek
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Tem'Bhetek | |
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Between August and September 2553[1][Note 1] |
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Male[1] |
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Hairless[1] |
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Dark green/deep blue[1] |
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- "The spear was always in my back. I wish I'd felt it sooner."
- — Tem'Bhetek to Rtas 'Vadum, acknowledging that his own kind had betrayed him[1]
Tem'Bhetek, commonly known simply as Tem, was a San'Shyuum Prelate of the Covenant's Ministry of Preparation. Serving directly under the Minister of Preparation, Tem was one of the most cunning warriors among the Prelates, furthering the High Prophet of Truth's plans to remove the Sangheili from the Covenant Empire. At the dawn of the Great Schism in November 2552, Tem and his fellow Prelates led Covenant forces against the Sangheili. However, the subsequent fall of High Charity resulted in the death of Tem's family and left him the last known Prelate, as far as anyone in the galaxy was aware.[1]
After the Human-Covenant War, Tem and the Minister of Preparation sought revenge against the Swords of Sanghelios, whom he blamed for the death of his family, particularly Rtas 'Vadum who had led the Sangheili forces over High Charity.[3] Ultimately, Tem's pursuit for revenge left him betrayed by the Minister with the realization that 'Vadum was not responsible for his family's demise, leading to the Prelate sacrificing himself to aid 'Vadum and his allies.[1]
Biography[edit]
Early life and ministerial career[edit]
- "We two are now three."
- — Yalar'Otan'Elat's message to Tem'Bhetek, revealing her pregnancy[1]
Tem'Bhetek lived on High Charity, the holy city of the Covenant. Tem had been born to a bloodline that had grown too large due to overbreeding. Due to the San'Shyuum's limited population, Tem was placed on the Roll of Celibates to prevent his genes from being passed down. However, Tem was selected to become augmented as a Prelate supersoldier by the Ministry of Preparation. The Minister of Preparation, Boru'a'Neem, had Tem and fellow Prelates brought to the ministry's Sacred Promissory, where modified Forerunner machines altered the Prelates' genes and enhanced their mental and physical capabilities. After the enhancements, Tem and the other Prelates underwent intense training at the Sacred Promissory, where they learned to control their augmentations. Afterwards, Tem was able to petition for his removal from the Roll and he was even matched with a suitable female for reproduction: Yalar'Otan'Elat. The two fell in love and lived together in a tower in the lower districts. However, Tem's career as a Prelate often had him serving away from High Charity. Yalar eventually became pregnant with Tem's child.[1]
Upon the orders of the High Prophet of Truth, Tem and his fellow Prelates were assigned aboard older Covenant warships entrusted to particularly loyal Jiralhanae chieftains and their clans to aid in the emerging war with humanity in around 2525. Officially, the Prelates were to serve as technical advisers to the Jiralhanae to train them to use their newly acquired ships, though in reality they were tasked by Truth with refitting the surplus warships and training the Jiralhanae in preparation for the Hierarch's inevitable betrayal of the Sangheili. Tem was assigned to the Zanar-pattern light cruiser Spear of Light, where he spent many years training for battle against the Sangheili, often making trips to and from High Charity. During one of the Prelate's many training missions, Spear of Light traveled to the Sangheili frontier colony of Duraan, where Duraan's unstable star emitted solar interference that caused the cruiser's energy shielding to deplete. The Prelate took note of this, and sought to apply it in the future. Following the destruction of Halo Installation 04 in September 2552, the Sangheili were blamed for the loss of the holy ring and fell out of favor among the Covenant, leading to Tem and the other Prelates seemingly redoubling their efforts.[1]
Great Schism[edit]
- Tem'Bhetek: "My family. Can they be saved?"
- Minister of Preparation: "The Sacred Promissory is lost! Nothing lives inside the city now except the Flood! They're gone, Prelate! There is nothing you can do! Help me escape this place, and I swear, we will make the Sangheili pay for what they've done!"
- — The Minister of Preparation lies to Tem'Bhetek to convince the Prelate to help him escape[1]
On November 3, 2552, when High Charity was in orbit over the Halo Installation 05, the Prophet of Truth gave the order for the Covenant to eliminate the Sangheili. At the time, Tem and other Prelates were aboard their ships and promptly engaged the Sangheili fleets in combat as the Great Schism began. Just before the Great Schism began, Spear of Light was tasked with supporting the Sangheili-crewed CAS-class assault carrier Eternal Reward, along with two other Prelate-controlled cruisers and five Jiralhanae-crewed destroyers. Tem led the eight ships in attacking Eternal Reward; while the carrier was able to destroy all of its attackers with the exception of Spear of Light, Eternal Reward was badly damaged and its crew was forced to abandon the ship before the carrier was destroyed. Afterwards, Spear of Light was able to either destroy or disable six more Sangheili ships, two of which were cruisers of larger classes. While the Prelates were successful in leading a surprise attack on the Sangheili, the Flood-infected frigate UNSC In Amber Clad suddenly entered High Charity and the Flood quickly began spreading throughout the city. Several Prelates retre