Rtas 'Vadum (Earth-5875)

"Maybe, in the end, this was the best that any warrior could hope for. A chance to reconcile with your enemy, or, failing that, to fall in the pursuit of peace."

- - Rtas 'Vadum

Rtas 'Vadum (formerly 'Vadumee), nicknamed Half-Jaw, is an influential Sangheili and one of the highest-ranking military leaders of the Swords of Sanghelios. He became a hero among the sangheili and other species' dissidents from the Covenant for his bravery and leadership in the face of betrayal at the Great Schism. Alongside Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, 'Vadum was responsible for negotiating the tense alliance between the Swords and the UNSC, and later on, the Treaty of 2552. Formerly a Special Operations Commander in the Covenant Special Operations stationed at the Fleet of Particular Justice, under the command of 'Vadamee, until the Battle of Installation 04, where he battled for his life against a xenomorph outbreak, losing his jaws. After the Great Schism, he led the pursued sangheili alongside the Arbiter, allying with humanity and leading the Fleet of Retribution during the Battle of Installation 00, ending the Covenant once and for all. After the end of the First Contact War, Rtas continued to lead the Swords of Sanghelios as a military leader.

Early life
Rtas 'Vadum was born on September 21st, 2487, on Xerceo, on the Covenant, growing up on one of the planet's equatorial oceans' shores. When he was a child, 'Vadum would explore the shoreline during periods of low tides, where he catched sea creatures. When he was ten years old, Rtas ventured into the ocean, which had receded following a massive drawback of an oncoming tsunami. As the tsunami appeared before him, Rtas found himself escaping a kilometer away to escape from certain death. He survived, but was injured by one of the creatures he captured. After passing from the biggest war arena on Yermo, a distinction shared with Usze 'Taham, 'Vadum joined the Covenant Armada.

Battle of Installation 04
"Though you leave this world, you will come on the Great Journey when the time comes. Die with honor."

- - Rtas 'Vadum By September 2552, 'Vadum became a Special Operations Commander in the Covenant Special Operations, assigned to lead all Silent Shadow forces within the Fleet of Particular Justice. Stationed aboard the flagship of the fleet, the Seeker of Truth, Rtas participated of the Fall of Reach, and was aboard the flagship when Fleetmaster Thel 'Vadamee decided to pursue the lone UNSC Pillar of Autumn, leading them to the Soell system, home to Installation 04, and a battle soon ensued. Following the activation of an emergency beacon aboard the DSC-class support ship Infinite Succor, 'Vadumee was called upon by Thel 'Vadamee during his training with his partner, friend, and second-in-command, Bero 'Kusovai. Once Rtas approached Thel, the Fleetmaster revealed the Succor had been boarded by unknown enemies, possibly humans, and tasked 'Vadumee and his sangheili and unggoy warriors to investigate the attack and rescue the Minister of Etiology.

Aboard the Type-52 Phantom Glorious Advance, the team boarded the Infinite Succor, finding the remains of unggoy and huragok, from pools of blood to limbs and body parts, most notably the unggoy with their chests opened. The violent slaughter of the huragok led 'Vadumee and 'Kusovai to question if the intruders were truly humans, nothing that, despite being "vermin", they were never so grotesquely barbaric. After entering the ship's hunting preserve, the team was attacked by a large number of xenomorphs, showing traits of the animals once stored aboard the ship. While many died, the survivors were able to fight their way to the bridge, and 'Vadumee realized the dangers of the xenomorph escaping the ship, ordering his warriors to seal the bridge and warn the rest of the fleet. He eventually discovered the Minister of Etiology, who survived the xenomorph attack by hiding in the security room. There, the san'shyuum revealed the nature of the xenomorphs and how they led to the downfall of the forerunners. After hearing it, Rtas decided to set the ship's course to Soell, but the Minister of Etiology demanded to be escorted back to safety and destroy the Infinite Succor remotely. Angered that Etiology would put his own safety in front of the Great Journey, 'Vadumee arrested the san'shyuum and took command of the mission. Rtas and three sangheili made their way to the engineering station in order to set the ship to a slipspace route towards Soell, as Bero led the surviving forces and the Minister to the Glorious Advance. On their way to the engineering, the two sangheili were killed by xenomorphs, and Rtas observed as the Minister of Etiology became a Proto-Keymind through a screen. On his way to escape the ship, 'Vadumee was confronted by a strong xenomorph, who had just been born from 'Kusovai. He mortally wounded the creature, but at the cost of his own left mandibles. Two minutes before the ship collided with the sun, Rtas was able to return to the Seeker of Truth.

As the only survivor of the disastrous mission, Rtas revealed to Thel about the xenomorph's threat and the death of all of his warriors and the ship's crew, leading to 'Vadamee declaring an emergency quarantine response through the Fleet of Particular Justice and Installation 04. After the battle and the fleet's return to High Charity, 'Vadumee was relieved of his former fleet duty and reassigned as the First Blade of the Silent Shadow at the mobile city.

Raid on the Threshold Mine
"You are the Arbiter, the will of the Hierarchs, but these are my sangheili. Their lives matter to me, yours does not.»"

- - Rtas 'Vadumee to Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee On October 20th, 2552, 'Vadumee was ordered to lead a Silent Shadow unit on a mission to take down the leader of the heretic group Light of Truth, Sesa 'Refumee, on the forerunner Threshold Mine. They were joined by 'Vadumee's former commander, Thel 'Vadamee, now an Arbiter for having failed saving Halo at the Battle of Installation 04. While he was aboard a Phantom for most of the mission, 'Vadumee provided 'Vadamee with numerous reinforcements and reports as the Arbiter made his way through the mine. After the Arbiter pursued Sesa in a Type-26 Banshee, Rtas helped the disgraced warrior to destroy Heretic Banshees. When he tracked down 'Refumee to a platform, he helped eliminating all heretics on their way, then joining the Arbiter on their search for the revolutionist.

Once the team entered the gas mine's interior, Rtas recognized the stench of nearby xenomorphs, remembering his mission at the Infinite Succor, and not long after, the team observed numerous xenomorph Agressors and Facehuggers attacking the heretic sangheili and unggoy. They briefly encountered and talked with one of 'Refumee's holo-drones, and shortly after were attacked by a series of Facehuggers, which were able to attach to the team's two unggoy. While the Arbiter and two sangheili continued through a door, 'Vadumee awaited for reinforcements to arrive and help them. When the gas mine became engulfed into a storm which raged from Threshold's atmosphere, Thel finally encountered 'Refumee, only for the heretic leader to escape through an energy barrier, leading to 'Vadumee and his reinforcements to regroup with the Arbiter, who revealed he would cut the cables that sustained the gas mine. Rtas agreed, and gave him his own Type-1 energy sword to perform the task, leaving Thel alone and evacuating in a Phantom. The Arbiter was eventually successful in killing 'Refumee, as well as capturing a returning 343 Guilty Spark, and both were then picked up by Tartarus, leaving the system and returning to High Charity.