Rtas 'Vadum

"If it takes my death, so be it. You will not defeat the Covenant."

- Commander Rtas 'Vadum

Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum was a Sangheili Commander of the Covenant Army before the Great Schism and later served as a high-ranking Separatist official. He was the only known Special Operations Commander of the Covenant Army in the Halo series, a title in which he served before the civil war. As the Ship Master of the Shadow of Intent and the Fleet Master of the Fleet of Retribution, 'Vadum played a pivotal role during and after the Battle of Installation 05. He was from the lineage of Vadum and lived in the State of Vadum during his early life. He is commonly known among fans as "Half-Jaw," as he is missing most of his two left mandibles.

Physical Appearance
Rtas 'Vadum wears white armor in all of his appearances. In Halo 2, he wears standard combat armor, while in Halo 3 he wears the assault variant with a combat helmet. He has green eyes in Halo 2 but orange eyes in Halo 3. 'Vadum stands an imposing 8 feet 6 inches in Halo 2.

The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor
"Though you leave this world, you will come on the Great Journey when the time comes. Die with honor."

- Rtas 'Vadumee mercy-killing a Flood infected Elite.

When the agriculture ship Infinite Succor was boarded by an unknown threat, Rtas 'Vadumee led a team there to investigate. This team was comprised of Special Operations Elites and Special Operations Grunts. In addition to eliminating the boarders, 'Vadumee's team was tasked with securing a Legate known as the Minister of Etiology. There they encountered the Flood for the first time. It is during this battle that 'Vadumee is depicted as expressing great care for the soldiers under his command, even for the Grunts, whom he tells to get behind the Elites. Such concern for the lower caste is particularly atypical for Elites.

In an attempt to kill the Flood, 'Vadumee used the Engineering station to set a Slipspace course towards the sun. During that time, it was revealed that the Legate had become infected, and Rtas had to battle his infected sub-commander Kusovai. He was able to make a mortal strike at the infected Kusovai by allowing the sub-commander to strike him along his arm and face, severing his left mandibles. He managed to escape on board a Phantom called the Glorious Advance two minutes before the Slipspace jump occurred. He is believed to be the only survivor of the Infinite Succor mission.

Alpha Halo
It is unlikely that Rtas 'Vadumee was present on the original Installation 04 due to the fact that he was stationed on the Fleet of Particular Justice and the extreme wounds he suffered on the Infinite Succor mission.

Battle against the Heretics
"You are the Arbiter, the will of the Prophets, but these are my Elites. Their lives matter to me, yours does not."

- Rtas 'Vadumee

"That makes two of us."

- Thel 'Vadamee

Rtas 'Vadumee was assigned to hunt down the Heretic leader, Sesa 'Refumee, on a Forerunner Gas Mine above the gas giant Threshold (it is this first depiction of 'Vadumee that shows his color scheme is different from a standard Ultra). Joining him was the newly assigned Arbiter, formerly the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice. Rtas 'Vadumee was to aid the Arbiter with his Spec Ops Elites and Grunts to silence the Heretic. Aboard a Phantom for the majority of the mission, he provided valuable reinforcements to the Arbiter as he progressed through the facility. 'Vadumee joined the Arbiter in his search on foot as they closed in on the Heretic leader.

He was reminded of his previous encounter with the Flood by a familiar stench moments before running into a battle between the Heretics and the Flood (during this specific event, players may notice for the first time that 'Vadumee is an NPC that is immune from all harm and requires no special protection on the player's behalf). After clearing the area of the parasite, he split up with the Arbiter to regroup with reinforcements. A short time later, they further pursued 'Refumee until he locked himself behind an unbreakable energy barrier. Giving up, 'Vadumee was about to turn away when the Arbiter volunteered to cut the cables holding up the mine in a risky attempt to draw out the fugitive. The Commander agreed, loaning the Arbiter his prized Energy Sword for the task. Leaving the Arbiter to his work, 'Vadumee and his remaining forces evacuated in a Phantom and returned to High Charity.

Changing of the Guard
"This is unprecedented. Unacceptable."

- Commander Rtas 'Vadumee



Back on High Charity, the Jiralhanae were taking over the position of Honor Guard to the High Prophets, allegedly due to the fact that the "demon" had successfully assassinated the Prophet of Regret and none of the Honor Guard Elites or the Grunts guarding the High Prophet could stop him. Despite only being an Ultra, Rtas 'Vadumee's role as Special Operations Commander of the Covenant afforded him the luxury of speaking directly to the High Prophets of Truth and Mercy themselves. Thus he expressed his disdain to the Prophets of Truth and Mercy, disgusted by this radical switch in tradition and customs, also noting his belief that Regret could have been saved had Truth not halted their reinforcement attempt. However, the Prophet of Truth denied his complaints and sent Rtas 'Vadumee and his two Elites away. As he departed, he exchanged a friendly nod with the Arbiter, who had been summoned by the High Prophets to receive his next mission.

The Search for the Sacred Icon
"We shall cut into the heart of this infestation, retrieve the Icon, and burn any Flood that stand in our way!"

- Rtas 'Vadumee

Soon after the Battle of the Gas Mine, 'Vadumee was involved in the operation against the Flood and the UNSC Marines, rendering aid to the Arbiter as he searched for the Sacred Icon deep inside the Quarantine Zone on Delta Halo. 'Vadumee landed inside the Quarantine Zone in an Orbital Insertion Pod but was separated from his squad during the fall. He held the Covenant camp at the foot of the Sentinel Wall alone until his squad and the Arbiter joined him. Afterward, 'Vadumee left in a Phantom to command the Elite assault towards the Library. Later, he rejoined the Arbiter in a Spectre and helped him push through a Flood barricade to access one of the Gondolas that were the only way to enter the Library. 'Vadumee stayed behind to hold off the Flood while the Arbiter took the second Gondola to reach the Sacred Icon.

Deactivating Halo
"The Brutes control that Cruiser, Arbiter. I'll remain here, make sure no reinforcements get in behind you. Then, I'm going to take the Cruiser back!"

- Rtas Vadum's last words in Halo 2

Word got out that the Prophet of Truth had his hands on the Sacred Icon and the Oracle and was going to begin the Great Journey. Commandeering a Wraith, 'Vadumee spotted a Scarab walker outside a Brute encampment. Making his way along the coast, a surprised 'Vadumee met up with the Arbiter, this time on a quest to find the Icon before Installation 05 could be activated. From the Arbiter he learned of the murder of the Council and the treachery of the Brutes. The Elites were interrupted by the arrival of Tartarus' Phantom and its escorts as they entered the Control Room. Wishing to avenge their fallen brothers, 'Vadumee and the Arbiter attacked them by surprise and met up with a squad of Hunters and other Elites. There, 'Vadumee again split up with the Arbiter and was not present when he escorted Sgt. Johnson to the Control Room. It is unknown exactly what happened to him, though it is assumed he attempted to take back a Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser that was hovering a distance from the battle area, as the last line spoken by 'Vadumee was "Then, I'm going to take the Cruiser back!" It is not known what became of that ship as he appears in Halo 3 with the Assault Carrier Shadow of Intent.

Second Battle of Earth
"One single Flood spore can destroy a species. Were it not for the Arbiter's counsel, I would have glassed your entire planet!"

- Rtas 'Vadum to Lord Hood after glassing Voi to eliminate the Flood threat

After learning the truth of the Halo Rings he changed his name to Rtas 'Vadum, dropping the "ee" suffix and signifying his secession from the Covenant along with most (if not all) of his kind. Shortly after, 'Vadum took on the role of a Ship Master (technically a Fleet Master) in the Separatist Fleet during the Second Battle of Earth. He came to the aid of the Humans by glassing "half a continent" (as put by Lord Terrence Hood) to destroy the infestation of the Flood. He later joined the Arbiter, John-117, 343 Guilty Spark, Lord Terrence Hood and Commander Miranda Keyes when a message from Cortana was found in the crashed Flood ship. During his first appearance in Halo 3, players can notice 'Vadum wearing a combination of armors, with the helmet of the Combat Armor and the shoulders and chest area of the Assault Armor.

Battle of Installation 00
"Brute ships! Staggered line! Ship Master, they outnumber us, three to one!" A Major Elite navigator advising the Ship Master. "Then it is an even fight. All cruisers fire at will. Burn their mongrel hides!"

- Rtas 'Vadum responding to the Elite

'Vadum went through the portal to lead the Battle of Installation 00 in space, joining forces with Commander Miranda Keyes to destroy Truth's much larger fleet. When the Prophet of Truth was located on the Ark's surface, 'Vadum led the assault on the Barrier Towers from the Shadow of Intent, bombarding the shield with plasma torpedoes. After the barrier was deactivated, 'Vadum moved the ship over the Citadel and prepared to destroy it, but was knocked off-course by High Charity appearing out of slipspace. 'Vadum's ship was incapacitated and left the task of killing Truth to the Arbiter. 'Vadum then gathered all Human and Elite forces on the ship and returned to Earth through The Portal.

'Vadum was last seen aboard the Shadow of Intent after the end of the war, where he gave the Arbiter the command of the ship and stated that he would like to see his own world to know that it is safe. The assault carrier then departed for Sanghelios.

Personality
Rtas 'Vadum is known for being a quick, smart, and extremely tactical thinker. He is an unparalleled fighter with the Energy Sword and an excellent leader. He expresses great care for his soldiers, even the Unggoy. He is eager to exact revenge on the Brutes after the Great Schism, and has a great respect for Thel 'Vadam. He usually speaks in a formal tongue, but this is true for most Elites. In time, 'Vadum begins to have respect for certain humans, John-117 in particular.

It is noted that Rtas 'Vadum becomes more calm in Halo 3, possibly because he spends less time fighting on the ground and more time commanding ships. Though he pledges much respect for the humans, he is still willing to argue with Hood on matters regarding both the Loyalist and Flood threats, as shown when he revealed that he originally planned to destroy Earth after the Flood ship crashed in Voi. However, this was not because of the general hatred he once held towards the humans but to protect the rest of the galaxy from infection. His experience on the Infinite Succor gave him unique insight into the nature of the Flood and he takes any threat of infection very seriously.

Production Notes

 * "Rtas 'Vadum" was voiced by Robert Davi in Halo 2 and also in Halo 3.
 * The Rtas 'Vadum model for Halo 2 was created by Marcus R. Lehto.

Trivia

 * "Vadum" translates from Latin as "ford, shallows"
 * Vadum is the only known Ship Master to bear silver armor instead of golden armor.
 * There is an interesting glitch in Halo 2 which allows you to make 'Vadum fly through the air, being eaten by Flood Infection forms. For more information, go here.
 * 'Vadum is one of only three Elite NPCs shown carrying his weapon in his left hand at least once (the others are a Spec Ops Elite in the level "the Oracle" and the Arbiter in a cutscene, which is also from "the Oracle"). This occurs during the level Quarantine Zone, in which he leaves the Arbiter to do battle with the Flood, saying "On your way, Arbiter. I'll deal with these beasts."
 * 'Vadum is one of only two Elites, the other being the Arbiter, to call John-117 "Spartan" rather than "Demon".
 * In Halo 2, no matter what you try, Rtas 'Vadum will not die. He can survive lethal drops that the player cannot survive, like Sgt. Johnson.
 * In Halo 2 his eyes are green but in Halo 3 they are orange. This is likely an oversight made by one of the art designers at Bungie. In addition, 'Vadum is the only Sangheili to feature the "Eye Glitch" when he uses Active Camo; his green eyes are still visible even though his body is not. It is only seen on the Arbiter level titled, the Oracle.
 * 'Vadum always carries an Energy Sword unless traded with; also, he is one of the few characters to propose a trade ingame, saying to the Arbiter, "Here, Arbiter, take my blade."
 * Joyride Studios had originally planned to produce Rtas 'Vadumee Action Figures in the eighth series of the Halo 2 8-inch figures, but the production was canceled because they felt it was pointless to release another Sangheili figure with a different paint job.
 * Rtas 'Vadum is the only living Sangheili in the Halo 3 Campaign to have a combination of different armor permutations: Combat helmet with Assault chest plate and shoulder pads, though the dead Elites on Floodgate often have mixed or even glitched armor pieces.
 * Even though he is referred to as a Ship Master in Halo 3, he is actually a Fleet Master.
 * The fleet that Rtas 'Vadum commands in Halo 3 is known as the Fleet of Retribution, a branch of the Sangheilian Armed Forces.
 * It is a notable habit of 'Vadum in Halo 2 to assist the Arbiter but suddenly leave to attend to other matters, usually just before the more difficult part of the mission. This tendency is noticed by Tartarus, who refers to him as a coward. This is most likely to balance the game, since 'Vadum is invincible.
 * On the level "Floodgate" in Halo 3 some of the dead Elites on the crashed Flood ship are identical to Rtas 'Vadum as they are missing the mandibles on the left side of their faces.
 * 'Vadum is commonly referred to by Halo 2 fans as "Half Jaw". He was once referred as "the Half Jaw" by a Brute Ship Master during the Battle of Installation 00.

Gallery
 Image:Shipmaster_Rtas_Vadum.jpg|Rtas 'Vadum sitting on a gravity throne. Image:Vadum_on_the_Shadow_of_Intent.jpg|Ship Master 'Vadum with his Sangheili aid on the Shadow of Intent. Image:Vadum_&_Vadam.jpg|'Vadum respectfully acknowledges the counsel of 'Vadam, which united Humans and Sangheili. 