Rtas 'Vadum

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

- Commander Rtas 'Vadumee

Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum was a Sangheili Commander of the Covenant Army before the Great Schism, and later served as a high ranking official in the Separatists. 'Vadum was the Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent and the Master of the Fleet of Retribution during and after the Quarantine of Installation 05. He was the only known Special Operations Commander of the Covenant Army, a title in which he served as before the civil war. He was from the lineage of Vadum and lived in the State of Vadum during his early life.

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 Grunts, along with securing a Legate known as the Minister of Etiology. They encountered the Flood for the first time there. It is during this time that 'Vadumee is depicted as expressing great care for the soldiers under his command, even Grunts, telling them to get behind the Elites. The latter is particularly atypical and remarkable for any known Elite. His respect for others is unparalleled.

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, though, by allowing Kusovai to strike him along his arm and face, having his left mandibles cut off. He managed to escape on board a Phantom 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 extreme wounds he suffered on the Infinite Succor mission. Because of this, he would have heard of the "Demon" from surviving Covenant troops on Installation 04, thus starting his hatred of the Master Chief.

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 gas mining platform (Later discovered to have the alternate function of a Forerunner Research Facility housing a significant amount of Flood) hanging over the gas giant Threshold (it is during this first depiction of 'Vadumee that shows his color scheme is different from a standard Ultra). Joining him was the Arbiter, recently "sentenced" to this position by the High Council. Rtas 'Vadumee was to aid the Arbiter with his Spec Ops Elites and Grunts to "silence" the Heretic. Aboard a Phantom, he provided valuable reinforcements to the Arbiter as he progressed through the facility, including a greatly experienced Grunt Commander. Eventually finding 'Refumee, they chased him into another part of the platform. 'Vadumee joined the Arbiter in his search on foot. 'Vadumee forged a great friendship with the Arbiter throughout the events of Halo 2, initially he was distrustful towards the Arbiter as he had been branded with the Mark of Shame. However, the Arbiter gained his trust, and eventually, his respect.

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 can 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 out the area of "Parasites", he split up with the Arbiter to regroup with reinforcements. A short time later they further pursue '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, possibly drawing out the fugitive. The Commander agreed, giving his partner his prized Energy Sword. Leaving the Arbiter to his work, 'Vadumee and his remaining forces evacuated in a Phantom, and returned to High Charity.

Changing of the Guard
Back in High Charity, the Brutes were taking over the position of Honor Guard to the High Prophets, but only due to the fact that Master Chief had killed 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. While speaking with them, he expressed his disdain to the Prophets of Truth and Mercy. Rtas 'Vadumee was disgusted by this radical switch in tradition and customs. However, the Prophet of Truth refused to hear any complaints and grievances, and then sent Rtas 'Vadumee and his two Elites away. Before he left, Rtas 'Vadumee swore to relay the Prophets' "decision" to the council. As he left, the Prophet of Truth whispered to himself, "Politics, how tiresome." As he was leaving he gave the Arbiter a friendly nod, a visible sign of respect, and trust for the Arbiter.

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 afterward, 'Vadumee was involved in the operation against the Flood and the UNSC Marines, to render aid to the Arbiter as he searched for the Sacred Icon deep inside the Quarantine Zone on Delta Halo. 'Vadumee landed to 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 split up with the Arbiter again 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 may be that he gave the command of the Cruiser to another high-ranking Elite 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 a Flood threat

Rtas '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. 'Vadum stated that since the Parasite is so dangerous, that one spore can destroy an entire species, that he would have glassed the entire planet to contain the Parasite, had the Arbiter not given him the counsel not to, and instead, to glass only the city of Voi. 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 participate in the Battle of Installation 00 in space, fighting off Brute ships while the Arbiter, John-117, and Sgt. Johnson searched for the Cartographer of the Ark (it's during this time that 'Vadum is depicted as one of the only Elites to address John-117 as "Spartan", instead of "Demon"). This is an example of his tactical and commandeering prowess as he manages to defeat a Brute led fleet 3 times larger than his own. After locating the Prophet of Truth, '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, extremely tactical thinker. He is an unparalleled fighter with an Energy Sword, and an overall excellent leader. He is eager to exact revenge on the Brutes after the Great Schism, and has a great respect for the Arbiter. He usually speaks in a formal tongue, but this is true for most Elites. In time 'Vadum begins to have respect for the Spartans, 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 in space.

Like all Covenant characters, 'Vadum has a general hatred for the Humans and the "Demon" in Halo 2, but it seems he can adapt, as in Halo 3, he reserves greater admiration for his former enemies, saying such things as "Not bad, Spartan, I saw that explosion from orbit." 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 put when he revealed that he originally planned to destroy the Earth after the Flood ship crashed in Voi, not because of the general hatred he once held towards the Humans, but to protect the rest of the galaxy from infection. In Halo 3 after the memorial he leaves with the Arbiter on the Shadow of Intent, giving the Arbiter its command in the process.

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 armour instead of gold.
 * There is an interesting glitch in Halo 2 which allows you to make 'Vadum fly through the air, being eaten by Flood Infection forms. To read more, 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 cut scene 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.
 * 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 Elite 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.
 * 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 Elite figure with a different paint job.
 * Rtas 'Vadum is the only living Elite 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 Rtas 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.