Thel 'Vadam: Difference between revisions

{{Quote|The Arbiter. Maybe more than any other figure, a symbol of what the galaxy could one day become.|[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Thomas Lasky]] on Thel 'Vadam}}

{{Quote|Soon the [[Great Journey]] will begin, but when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind.|The Prophet of Truth to 'Thel Vadamee at his hearing.}}

{{Quote|What would you have your Arbiter do?|'Vadamee to the Prophets}}

'Vadamee's first assignment as the Arbiter was to stop the [[Heretic]] uprising based on a [[Threshold gas mine|Forerunner gas mine]] in the atmosphere of [[Threshold]]. He was assisted by [[Rtas 'Vadumee]], [[Special Operations Sangheili]] and [[Special Operations Unggoy]]. The operation was complicated by the unexpected escape of the Flood from the facility. During the chaos that followed, the Heretic leader [[Sesa 'Refumee]] sealed himself in a protected zone of the station. The Arbiter drove the Heretics out by cutting the cables from which the facility hung, causing the gas mine to fall. After crashing his [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshee]], the Arbiter fought his way through the Flood and surviving Heretics toward the station's hangar. Before Sesa 'Refumee could escape in a [[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multirole Fighter|Seraph]], the Arbiter assassinated him, but not before the Heretic Leader revealed the source of his heresy. The Arbiter was surprised to discover that the Heretics had been aided by a Holy Oracle, the [[Monitor]] [[343 Guilty Spark]].

With the uprising suppressed, the [[Jiralhanae]] [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]] extracted the Arbiter and used the [[Fist of Rukt]] to capture the Oracle. His actions, which involved throwing the Oracle into the [[Type-52 Troop Carrier|Phantom]] recklessly, angered the Arbiter's religious sensibilities. With Tartarus, he left the gas mine via Phantom, as ''[[High Charity]]'' and the fleet departed the Threshold system.

{{Quote|We shall cut into the heart of this infestation, retrieve the Icon, and burn any Flood that stand in our way!|Rtas 'Vadumee}}

The High Prophets, surprised by the fact that 'Vadamee had escaped from the gas mine, decided to send him to the "[[Quarantine Zone]]" on [[Installation 05]] to retrieve the [[Activation Index|"Sacred Icon"]]. This holy relic was needed to activate Delta Halo and begin the Great Journey. Before the mission, the Arbiter witnessed the [[Changing of the Guard|replacement]] of the [[Sangheili Honor Guardsman|Sangheili Honor Guardsmen]] with the [[Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman|Jiralhanae]] as a result of Regret's assassination at the hands of the human [[Demon]]. Though distressed by change, and voicing his concerns to the Prophet of Truth, 'Vadamee made no further comment. Fighting his way through the [[Sentinel Wall]] (with a few surviving [[Unggoy]] and [[Kig-Yar]]) to deactivate the [[Library]]'s [[quarantine shield]], he made his way on foot, aided by Rtas 'Vadumee and his Special Operations forces.

The Arbiter proceeded into the Library, encountering the remains of a battle between [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]], [[Sentinel]]s and [[Flood combat form]]s, and witnessed [[Miranda Keyes|Commander Miranda Keyes]] and [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] retrieving the Index. Using his armor's active camouflage, he approached Johnson and Keyes. Attacking while cloaked, 'Vadamee surprised Johnson, knocking him unconscious with a headbutt. Keyes attempted to shoot Thel, but was quickly disarmed and captured. Tartarus then arrived and captured Keyes by using his hammer's gravity manipulation abilities, claiming the Index for himself. Tartarus informed Thel about the Jiralhanae's intended genocide of the increasingly incompetent Sangheili, an act sanctioned by the High Prophets themselves. The Chieftain then knocked the stunned Arbiter into a pit leading to the depths of Installation 05.

{{Quote|This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded.|The Gravemind describing Thel 'Vadam}}

The Arbiter was rescued from his fall by the [[Gravemind]], the central intelligence of the Flood, and brought to its lair. It was here that the Arbiter met [[John-117]] for the first time. The Gravemind attempted to convince 'Vadamee that the Halos were weapons of destruction, not a path to transcendence, a position which John supported. In order to "show the truth" to the resistant Arbiter, the Gravemind [[teleportation grid|teleported]] him to the Control Room, while the Master Chief was sent to ''High Charity'' to stop the Index from activating Halo.

Observing first hand the results of the Prophets' betrayal, the Arbiter joined forces with a band of Special Operations Commandos. This small unit wasted little time in massacring the Jiralhanae responsible for executing the [[Sangheili Councilor]]s. Eventually, Thel met Rtas 'Vadumee, joining forces to reach a [[Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform|Scarab]]. Near the Scarab, the Arbiter managed to rescue several separatist prisoners, as well as a group of UNSC Marines including Sergeant Avery Johnson.

 

Johnson negotiated a tenuous alliance with the Arbiter in order to prevent Tartarus from activating Installation 05. Given the extreme danger posed by the ring, they both agreed that Tartarus had to be stopped at all costs. Johnson led the offensive, using a captured Scarab to eliminate ground units while Thel provided air support with a Banshee. Together, they punched a hole through Covenant lines and reached the Control Room of Installation 05.

{{Quote|Tartarus, the Prophets have betrayed us.|Thel 'Vadamee's last attempt to convince the Brutes of the truth}}

With this revelation, the Arbiter attempted to convince Tartarus to see reason. The Chieftain however, remained loyal to the Prophets. In the battle that followed, the Installation was activated. With the firing process enabled, the Arbiter, with sniper support from [[Avery Junior Johnson|Johnson]], killed Tartarus after a prolonged firefight. Miranda Keyes then rushed to remove the Index, preventing the activation of the array.  The shutdown, however, activated a fail safe system; the rest of the Halos were set to standby mode, and could only be activated remotely from [[Installation 00]]. 'Vadamee then escaped the Flood-infested installation with the surviving humans and Sangheili.

{{Quote|Were it so easy.|Thel 'Vadam tauntingly comments on John-117's apparent ease of overpowering him.}}

After Tartarus' defeat on Delta Halo, 'Vadamee officially changed his surname to "'Vadam", symbolizing his resignation from the Covenant; the rest of the Sangheili followed suit.

Upon arriving on [[Earth]] with Johnson, 'Vadam and several of his allies discovered the Master Chief's point of impact after his escape from Truth's Dreadnought. When John regained consciousness, he attempted to kill 'Vadam with Johnson's [[M6G Personal Defense Weapon System|sidearm]]. Johnson quickly informed the Spartan that the surviving Sangheili had allied with humanity after the Chief's last encounter with them. The Chief took Johnson's word, and 'Vadam assisted the Master Chief through the jungles near [[Mount Kilimanjaro]], guiding him through the dense forest to the [[A2 Hydroelectric Facility|dam site]]. He then aided the Chief and the other UNSC forces during the defense of [[Crow's Nest]] from Truth's forces.

{{Quote|Quickly! Let us find their ship. Make short work of this abomination!|The Arbiter on the arrival of the Flood}}

Thel rejoined John-117 at the docks, shortly after the Master Chief cleared the road to Voi of Covenant. The two then attacked a section of the Covenant mechanized presence defending the area around the [[Portal at Voi|Forerunner Portal]]. Opening a hole in the Covenant anti-air defenses, [[Terrence Hood|Lord Hood]]'s remaining ships assaulted the Prophet of Truth's [[Forerunner Dreadnought]]. The airstrike was insufficient to destroy the ancient Keyship, and the activated artifact formed an enormous [[slipspace portal]] through which Truth and the Covenant fleet retreated. Before Lord Hood could consolidate the scattered human resistance, a [[Indulgence of Conviction|Flood-infested Covenant cruiser]] transitioned out of Slipspace and crashed into the city, infesting a significant area in and around Voi.

The Arbiter and the Master Chief proceeded to cauterize the local area of the Flood, battling their way to the cruiser to overload the crashed ship's engines and destroy the source of the infestation. They were aided by a handful of surviving Marines and a Sangheili Special Operations unit led by Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum. From his newly-arrived Sangheili comrades, 'Vadam learned of the fall of ''High Charity'' and how a single cruiser had escaped the station's blockade. The Arbiter assisted the Chief in clearing a path to the crashed cruiser. After the Spartan retrieved [[Cortana]] from the wreckage, Rtas 'Vadum's fleet glassed Voi and the surrounding area to prevent the Flood from spreading. Thel proved instrumental in moderating tensions between humanity and Sangheili, as the two races that had only recently been dedicated to each others' destruction. While Rtas 'Vadam callously advocated for the glassing of Earth to contain the Flood, Thel argued for a surgical strike on the landmass surrounding Voi.

{{Main|Operation: BLIND FAITH}}

{{Quote|The Prophet will die by my hands - not theirs!|The Arbiter on the Flood entrance to the battle}}

Conferring aboard the Sangheili flagship ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', the allies learned from a message sent by the AI Cortana that the Flood were on their way to Earth. However, she claimed that the Gravemind was unaware of the Portal and that a solution to the Flood was there; one that would eliminate the parasite once and for all without the need to fire the entire Halo Array. Tensions quickly rose with Lord Hood wishing to make the UNSC's stand on Earth, and Thel supporting John's desire to pursue Truth and attack the Flood preemptively.

 

With the destruction of the Covenant fleet, Rtas 'Vadum's carrier positioned itself near the Ark's [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]] - where Truth planned to remotely activate the rings. Commander Keyes led a three-pronged assault on the shield generators protecting Truth's citadel. After Sergeant Major Johnson failed to deactivate the third generator due to heavy resistance, the Arbiter landed his forces at the third tower to deactivate the final generator and shut down the barrier.  

As 'Vadum prepared to bomb Truth's position, ''High Charity'' exited Slipspace, crashing into the Ark. In its plummet to the surface, ''High Charity'' scattered a barrage of infection capsules which crippled the carrier. The Arbiter led his forces in conjunction with the Marines to clear the third tower of Flood, with the Chief's assistance. As a security measure, the Arbiter escorted a distressed 343 Guilty Spark to reconnoiter the damage inflicted to the Ark by the Flood, leaving his Sangheili with the Chief to push on to the Citadel.

{{Quote|no=two|q1=I...am...Truth! The voice of the Covenant!|The Prophet of Truth|q2=And so, you must be silenced.|Thel 'Vadam|The exchange between 'Vadam and Truth moments before 'Vadam executed Truth.}}

After Thel and John entered the Citadel, the Flood [[Gravemind]] formed a tentative alliance with them, claiming that it would cooperate with them in order to kill Truth and abort the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. Fighting through the remains of Truth's forces, the unlikely comrades stood before the last High Prophet of the Covenant. The Arbiter approached Truth, who had been infected by the Flood and was undergoing mutation. The Gravemind spoke through Truth, informing Truth that he was deluded to think he could achieve godhood. Thel claimed that he would have his vengeance upon a Prophet, not a disease, and killed Truth with his energy sword before he could fully transform. After John deactivated the Halo Array, he and Thel faced the betrayal of the Flood, which now no longer faced any obstacles in killing the two and going on to consume the galaxy.

{{Quote|This is our fight. And I will see it finished.|Thel 'Vadam to his fellow Sangheili}}

After a desperate escape from the Flood, the two soldiers witnessed the construction of a new Installation 04. As the newly created Halo was not linked to the rest of the network, it could be fired safely, destroying every remaining Flood infection form in its radius without harming humanity or the Covenant client races. The Arbiter, Johnson and Rtas 'Vadum evacuated all UNSC and Covenant separatist forces from the Ark while John went to rescue Cortana and retrieve the original Index from ''High Charity''. Thel later arrived on ''High Charity'' shortly after John set it to self destruct, using a [[M7057 Defoliant Projector|flamethrower]] to cover their escape.

The two then escaped on a [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelican dropship]], crashing it into Installation 04B; after fighting through numerous Flood forms, they rendezvoused with Sergeant Major Johnson and 343 Guilty Spark at the [[Control Room]]. The Monitor betrayed them after realizing that an immediate activation of the incomplete ring would destroy it and damage the Ark. In the battle that followed, the [[rampancy|rampant]] 343 killed Johnson and knocked the Arbiter out of the room. After the destruction of 343, both Cortana and Thel expressed sorrow over Johnson's death, noting his sacrifice would not be forgotten. John activated Halo, with Thel and Cortana joining him as they escaped the crumbling Halo in a [[Warthog]]. They succeeded in reaching the ''Forward Unto Dawn'' and escaped the Ark and Halo just before it fired. Before departing to the bridge, Thel and John nodded to each other, a moment of mutual respect between warriors. This would be the last time 'Vadam would see the Chief for several years, as he then exited the hangar, and made his way to the bridge, while Chief and Cortana stayed behind and guided the frigate to its jump point, but the slipspace portal collapsed as ''Forward Unto Dawn'' transitioned. The aft end of the ship, with John-117 and Cortana aboard, was sheared off and left adrift in unknown space. The bow section, containing 'Vadam, completed the jump and crash-landed on Earth, where he was rescued. The Covenant Empire had ceased to exist, and Thel began the first steps to bring his people into a new future.

{{Quote|no=two|q1=I remember how this war started. What your kind did to mine... I can't forgive you... but, you have my thanks. For standing by him to the end. Hard to believe [[John-117|he]]'s dead...|Lord Hood|q2=Were it so easy...|Thel 'Vadam|'Vadam's response to Lord Hood during the Voi Memorial.}}

On March 3, 2553, 'Vadam was present at the dedication of the memorial to those humans lost during the Covenant War. He was thanked by Hood for standing alongside John-117 "to the end"; knowing the resilience of the Spartan first hand, Thel expressed doubt as to the soldier's death. The Arbiter departed for Sanghelios aboard the ''Shadow of Intent'' along with Rtas 'Vadum, to ensure the security of their people.

{{Quote|He's had every reason to hate us, both before and after the war. The old Covenant races probably would have come after humanity a long time ago if he hadn't insisted we were important to their survival.|Captain [[Thomas Lasky]] about the Arbiter before the meeting on Ealen IV.}}

In [[2558]], Thel 'Vadam decided to enter into negotiations with the Jiralhanae, with the UNSC ''Infinity'' being assigned to escort him. On March 5, 'Vadam met with Lord Hood and the [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Lydus]] on [[Ealen IV]]. During the negotiations, [[Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group|Covenant mercenaries]] led by [[Vata 'Gajat|Shipmaster 'Gajat]] attacked the delegates. [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Thomas Lasky]], [[Sarah Palmer|Commander Sarah Palmer]], and the [[SPARTAN-IV Program|Spartan-IVs]] defended the delegation and evacuated them from the chamber. Lydus accused 'Vadam of betraying him, but Thel reassured him that he had no part in the attack as he killed a [[Kig-Yar Sniper]] attempting to assassinate Lydus. When their evacuation ship was destroyed, the security detail proceeded to escort the delegates to a nearby parts depot.<ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 1|Issue #1]]''</ref>

{{Quote|Hunt them to the last. Today we extinguish the Covenant's light '''forever'''!|Thel 'Vadam during the [[Battle of Sunaion]]}}

Meanwhile, John-117 and the rest of [[Blue Team]] had apparently gone rogue to pursue Cortana and the UNSC dispatched [[Fireteam Osiris]] to retrieve them. After Blue Team escaped Osiris aboard a Forerunner [[Guardian]] that Cortana had enter slipspace to an unknown location, Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] and Spartan Sarah Palmer proposed for Osiris to utilize the Guardian located near Sunaion to follow Blue Team. Not wishing for the UNSC to get too engaged in the Sangheili civil war, Lasky had ''Infinity'' travel to Swords of Sanghelios and arranged for Osiris to be escorted to the Arbiter's position by Swords of Sanghelios soldiers. Osiris fought their way to the Arbiter's position at the Elder Council Chamber, while the Covenant started to overwhelm the Swords of Sanghelios at the camp. With help from surviving Swords of Sanghelios soldiers, the Spartans eliminated the Covenant forces around the chamber and moved inside to find the Arbiter; Osiris arrived at his position just as he was single-handedly killing several Covenant Sangheili. Contacting [[Mahkee 'Chava]], Osiris was extracted from the chamber along with the Arbiter by a [[Type-57 Phantom]].<ref name="sos"/> Returning to the Arbiter's primary camp in Nuusra with Palmer and Halsey, 'Vadam and Osiris leader Spartan [[Jameson Locke]] spoke about using Sunaion's Guardian to pursue Blue Team. However, using her recently gained access to the [[Domain]], Cortana suddenly blacked out every network at the camp. Halsey came up with a plan that involved locating a Forerunner [[Constructor]] at a support station for the Guardian and inputting commands into it to make the construct activate the Guardian for Osiris.<ref name="alliance">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Alliance]]''</ref>After Thel discovered that [[Murok 'Vadam]], one of his own family, had betrayed him, he had Murok killed.

The Covenant deployed a [[Kraken]] between the support station and Osiris' position. While the Arbiter's forces engaged the Kraken with air squadrons, Osiris provided ground support. While the Swords of Sanghelios pushed the Kraken into a retreat, Osiris boarded the walker and destroyed its power core. With the Kraken destroyed, Osiris entered the nearby Forerunner support station and retrieved the Constructor. However, the Spartans were suddenly engaged by [[Promethean]] constructs.<ref name="enemy lines">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Enemy Lines]]''</ref> After battling their way to the extraction point, Osiris returned to the Swords of Sanghelios camp at Nuusra, where 'Vadam was ready to begin the attack on Sunaion and finally destroy the Covenant. As the Constructor departed to activate the Guardian, the Arbiter's forces launched their assault on Sunaion.<ref name="before the storm">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Before the Storm]]''</ref> 'Vadam and Osiris traveled to Sunaion aboard a [[Type-56 Lich]], narrowly avoiding [[Type-56 Shrike|anti-air weaponry]]. While the Arbiter led forces in engaging Covenant forces, Osiris destroyed the anti-air emplacements to allow the more air support from one of the Swords of Sanghelios' fleets. Osiris then moved towards the Guardian's position, with Locke warning the Arbiter to move his fleet before the Guardian set off its concussive blasts upon activation. However, Promethean constructs began engaging the Swords of Sanghelios near the Guardian's location and started to overwhelm the Arbiter's forces. As the Guardian began to initiate its activation sequence, parts of the city began falling apart. Osiris arrived at the 'Vadam's location just as he was killing a [[Promethean Knight]]. The Arbiter and the four Spartans came under attack from Promethean forces and were soon attacked by the [[Warden Eternal]]. The five managed to defeat the Warden and his Prometheans, just as the Guardian began to leave Sanghelios. Palmer managed to pick up the Spartans in a Pelican and drop them off aboard the Guardian before the construct left the planet into slipspace. 'Vadam then regrouped with his own soldiers and led the Swords of Sanghelios in eliminating the last of the Covenant forces on the planet.<ref name="sunaion">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Battle of Sunaion|Battle of Sunaion]]''</ref>

Thel also managed to inspire great loyalty in his subordinates. While [[Rtas 'Vadum]] initially lost his respect for Thel for the loss of Installation 04, Thel's subsequent actions at the gas mine and Installation 05 restored his respect for Thel 'Vadam, to the point Rtas spared Earth from a full [[glassing]] at Thel's urging. [[Jora 'Konaree]] thought of him like a cousin, and Sesa 'Refumee considered him to be the only individual that he would trust with [[343 Guilty Spark]]'s revelations, though Thel's appointment as Arbiter prevented any detailed conversations. Even so, however, he was able to comprehend the same message when it was told to him by the [[Gravemind]], [[John-117]], and [[343 Guilty Spark]].

After the Battle of Installation 04, he was ashamed for his failure at Halo, and wished only to regain his honor before dying for the Prophets. He remained stubbornly attached to his faith even after the betrayal of Tartarus and his encounter with the Gravemind. However, when he heard the truth of the Sacred Rings from 343 Guilty Spark, he finally accepted the truth surrounding the Great Journey. Following his betrayal by the Prophets, Thel developed an intense hatred of San'Shyuum. Despite this, Thel was gracious enough to attempt to reason with the Jiralhanae Chieftain [[Tartarus]] in [[Control Room (Installation 05)|Installation 05's Control Room]].

Despite his former hatred for humans, Thel has displayed great respect for some, even former battlefield foes. He also holds admiration for humanity's courage; this is most clearly seen by his actions to avoid the glassing Earth, even though that meant risking a possible Flood outbreak. Presumably due to the role Johnson played in his killing of Tartarus, Thel respected him greatly and grieved his death, expressing sorrow to the Master Chief, but promising that his sacrifice would not be in vain. Despite initially hating the Master Chief greatly for destroying Installation 04 and being the "Demon" of the Covenant who killed so many soldiers, the Arbiter came to greatly respect and trust the Chief. The Chief helped convince him of the truth of the Great Journey and they fought together against the Covenant and Truth. Together they defeated Truth and deactivated the Halo Array. When the Master Chief went to rescue Cortana and activate [[Installation 04B]], Thel remained behind to help him and shared a nod of respect with him when it was over. Even though the Master Chief was believed to be dead, Thel showed disbelief in this presumption, confident that the Spartan had survived thanks to his extraordinary ability to overcome impossible odds. After the events of Ealen IV and discovering the Chief was still alive, Thel believed John was the key to the galaxy's future. He also admitted to Spartan Locke that even when they were enemies and he called the Chief "Demon," it was with a modicum of respect for him. He also admitted that after their alliance he came to see the Chief as his friend as well as an ally. Before Fireteam Osiris entered the Guardian on Sunaion to find the Master Chief, the Arbiter complimented Locke with a Sangheili proverb, and then asked Locke to send the Chief his greetings. Olympia Vale remarked that she had never heard an Elite address a human in such a way.

While 'Vadamee continued donning the [[Arbiter body armor|traditional Arbiter armor]] after the war, he has more recently started wearing a custom-built ceremonial battle armor intended to pay homage to past Arbiters and symbolize his newfound role as a leader of his people. This armor is gold-colored and more baroque than his old Arbiter armor. He favors the [[energy sword]], occasionally wielding his personal sword known as the [[Prophets' Bane]].<ref name="wp thel"/> Thel most often uses the [[Type-51 carbine]] in ranged combat.