Fal 'Chavamee

"I know they will come in force to challenge me, but I will not turn away from them. I will answer their call."

- Fal 'Chavamee

Fal 'Chavamee, also known as the Defiant One, was a Sangheili Arbiter and the leader of his clan sometime before the Human-Covenant War. Though he was a prominent leader among his people and within the Covenant, he refuted the Covenant religion's validity, leading to his condemnation as a heretic.

Life as the Arbiter
As evidenced by his title, Fal 'Chavamee was highly respected and held a considerable degree of recognition among the Sangheili and within the Covenant. He held a considerable degree of command of the Covenant military and among his clan's forces. Despite holding such authority within the Covenant, he believed that his people had strayed from their sense of honor and now fought for power and supremacy. He also believed that the Great Journey was a false belief, used by the San'Shyuum to achieve and maintain power over the Sangheili, despite their officially equal standing within the hegemony. Eventually, he was called before High Prophet of Solemnity, who urged 'Chavamee to profess his faith in the Great Journey. Despite the Prophet's pleas, the Arbiter exclaimed that the Great Journey was a lie; for this, the Hierarch declared 'Chavamee a heretic.

Rivalry, duel, and death
Haka 'Suukaree, a member of 'Chavamee's clan and the High Prophet of Solemnity's personal enforcer, was ordered to kill the Arbiter. In doing so, 'Suukaree sought to gain influence within the clan. Wishing his clansman dead and supported by the Hierarch, 'Suukaree initially dispatched assassins to kill 'Chavamee. Predicting treachery, 'Chavamee had one of his clansmen ferry him up a river, seeking to goad the assassins to attack. He killed them all after a brief struggle.

Upon returning from his fight with the assassins, 'Chavamee gained the resolve to end 'Suukaree's threat, defeating an enormous Covenant military detachment which had been sent to kill him for his alleged heresy. While 'Chavamee was engaged in battle with this force, 'Suukaree came to 'Chavamee's home and forced one of the Arbiter's closest friends, Roh, to kill 'Chavamee's wife, Han, in order to provoke the Arbiter into a duel. Once Roh killed Han, 'Suukaree murdered him as well. After slaughtering the entire Covenant detachment, 'Chavamee returned home to discover Han and Roh's bodies. Stricken by grief, the Arbiter decided to accept 'Suukaree's demand to duel. When 'Chavamee met 'Suukaree atop a towering Forerunner structure, their brief duel began. At the same moment that he was mortally wounded by 'Suukaree's blade, 'Chavamee managed to stab his foe. 'Chavamee thought of his wife as he and 'Suukaree died at each other's hands.

Legacy
Before 'Chavamee's actions, the rank of Arbiter had been considered a privilege. However, his supposed heresy led the Prophets to declare that the rank of Arbiter would thenceforth be one without honor, given to those who could be useful to them as a last chance to regain their lost honor before death. It was here that the Hierarchs established the Line of Immaculate Succession, which not only signaled a dramatic shift in role of Arbiter, but also the Sangheili's place within the Covenant.

Trivia

 * Fal 'Chavamee was voiced by John Gremillion, who also voiced Arthur-079 in The Package.
 * The episode's subtitles mistakenly show Fal's name as "Thel", the name of the Arbiter from the Halo games and of the Major from The Package.

List of appearances

 * Halo Legends
 * The Duel
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Story Shard: Duality