Thanolekgolo

Thanolekgolo
Biological overview
Species:	Lekgolo
Subspecies:	Thanolekgolo
Physical information
Distinctions:	Highly mobile swarm that is attracted to active technology
Sociocultural information
Homeworld:	Te Alpha Shard

The Thanolekgolo are a subsistence gestalt of Lekgolo, and one of the six specific gestalt types known to the Covenant. They were recorded by the Covenant as specimens interred by the Forerunners on Installation 04 in September 2552, in actuality part of a failed attempt by the Forerunners during the Forerunner-Flood war to engineer a counter to the Flood.

Biology

Anatomy and physiology

The Thanolekgolo specimens present on Alpha Shard exhibited several peculiar qualities in comparison to common Lekgolo. They had a particular sensitivity to active technology due to their ability to detect various forms of disturbances in the air, including magnetic fields, radio waves and electromagnetic pulses, from considerable distances. They could also sense movement, particularly at close range. They were very nimble and fast both by themselves as well as in some of their gestalt forms. The eels were able to jump small distances and exhibited considerable teamwork even in the process of coalescing in and out of their various colony assemblages. They were highly vicious in their behavior and mercilessly devoured any biological organisms and technology they encountered.

History

Forerunner era

During the Forerunner-Flood war, Thanolekgolo were one of what would later be described by the Librarian as "a thousand plans" tried and failed in an effort to find a counter for the parasitic threat (alongside others such as the Sharquoi, the Composer and Promethean Knights). As with the others, this plan failed due to the unpredictability and danger posed by the swarms and the Thanolekgolo were ultimately stored in hibernation as specimens on Alpha Halo. The Office of Naval Intelligence later speculated that the Thanolekgolo's unique sensitivities to electromagnetic radiation may have been intended by the Forerunners to use the Thanolekgolo to destroy technology captured by the Flood before Forerunner military forces were sent to eradicate the infestation.

Modern history

In 784 BCE the Lekgolo were discovered by the Covenant in orbit of the gas giant Te, leading to an Arbiter being deployed to conquer the new species. Through a process of discovery and deliberate manipulation the Covenant were aware of five distinct "families" of gestalts, with the Thanolekgolo only becoming known to the empire and discovered during the conflict on Alpha Halo in September 2552. The Fleet of Particular Justice forces deployed to the ring made note of the Thanolekgolo prior to the ring's destruction at the end of the campaign. When the ring was destroyed, an intact fragment of it designated the "Alpha Shard" was sent into an emergency slipspace jump that resulted in the shard falling into an extremely close orbit of the giant star Thotael. The Thanolekgolo interred on the ring were awakened let loose during this cataclysmic destruction.

The Office of Naval Intelligence first became aware of the Thanolekgolo in 2555 after regaining contact with Recon-14, a survey drone deployed from UNSC Pillar of Autumn that had managed to survive Alpha Halo's destruction. Using the probe to explore and examine the shard, Doctor Madeline Tress filed a report to Codename: FIXER about the surviving flora and fauna on the ring shard. At this time, Recon-14 had picked up signs of unqualified heat signatures deep inside the ring. Scan attempts were unable to reveal much about the contact, save for the heat signature being organic in nature and not resembling those of the Flood. Recon-14 was ultimately destroyed by a Thanolekgolo swarm, cutting off its signals and leaving ONI none the wiser as the exact nature of what they had found, with Tress questioning why the Forerunners would lock up a lifeform on the ring. Around this time the Alpha Shard also became the target of "courier guild" smugglers mining exotic materials from the ring, with on-site smugglers quickly adapting to the danger posed by the Thanolekgolo by relying on minimal technology, such as using horses for transportation while on the ring surface.

Main article: Mission to Alpha Shard

The following year, the materials smuggled from the Alpha Shard were used in a terror attack on Sedra City, Sedra. This led to a joint team comprised of ONI and Sedran Colonial Guard personnel to deploy to the Alpha Shard to track down the source of the attack. Unaware of the Thanolekgolo's sensitivity to electromagnetic signals, the team fell prey to the worm swarms, resulting in the destruction of their Condor dropship and the deaths of several personnel. Over the next few hours the Thanolekgolo proceeded to hunt down the survivors on the Alpha Shard, eventually leaving three final survivors. The surviving Thanolekgolo were destroyed when Sedran Colonel Randall Aiken sacrificed himself to detonate a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon on the shard's surface.

Gallery

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  Thanolekgolo on Alpha Shard.

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  A look of the Thanolekgolo.

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  The Thanolekgolo attack after mimicking Wisner.

List of appearances

• Halo: Nightfall (First appearance)
  • RECON-14
• Halo Mythos