Spec-Ops Leader "Half-Jaw"
Somber and professional, Rtas 'Vadumee, a high-ranking Spec-Ops Elite (nicknamed "Half-Jaw") leads his troops into battle with a rare care and sensibility. He has been through a great deal, from quelling heresies to repeated skirmishes with the Flood, but will find his greatest challenge yet as he fights against the betrayal and attempted annihilation of his race by the Prophets and Brutes.
I'm never one to turn away a Covenant sympathy theory.
Endbringer (dvdmcculley@yahoo.com) writes:
From watching Half-Jaw's conversation with the Arbiter it seems that Half-Jaw does not share in the suicidal mentality of normal spec-ops Elites. In The Flood we learn through Yayap that special operatives are regarded as "fanatics, chosen for their limitless willingness to risk their lives-and the lives of those under their command". Half-Jaw seems to be an exception to this portrayal. In the phantom we see that even though he is loyal to the Covenant he cares about his Elite's lives. Perhaps it is because of this mentality that he has advanced so far up the ranks that he is given an audience with the Hierarchs as a representative for the Elite Council.
Or are we a victim of our own propaganda?
-Jillybean
"I've smelled that stench before..."
Spartan Jag (spartanjag@gmail.com) writes:
Yesterday, I went through a brief run of the Halo 2 Campaign, mostly the Arbiter levels. I was just talking about the Halo Graphic Novel, when I hit the cutscene at the end of The Arbiter, when Spec Ops Leader walks in, and says "I've smelled that stench before...". This got me wondering. There hasn't been to much info released about Spec Ops, not even his name. Maybe Bungie will work him in? Where? I'll tell you where: That section about the Flood Infested Covenant ship (Finn: The Infinite Succor, I believe). It makes sense to me. They could make it about a random band of Elites and Grunts, but wouldn't it be neater and cooler if it was a mission Half Jaw was on? Maybe it would explain the loss of his mandibles?
Sure, he could've gotten into dozens of fights with The Flood, or it may be someone completely different, but it would be a nice tie-in. So far, the Covenant aren't very well prepared against the Flood, it would seem (Projectile weapons work better then Plasma), maybe this isn't the dozenth/hundreth time. Maybe they don't know a whole lot, because of only a few encounters. Half Jaw could've been the only survivor, and he may have been promoted thus leading up to his current position.
I don't know. No-one knows at this point, but I just thought I'd toss that out there, because Bungie has a reputation for cool things like this, and this would be really cool. :)In addition, the Hommock and Bisley interview mentions that The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor is the "tale of the Elite Spec Ops Commander, Rtas Vadumee, who has been exiled by the Covenant for failing to kill Master Chief during the events of Halo 1." Considering that this particular story takes place during Halo 1, I'm curious to see more of this blurb's context and to know who exactly we're talking about.
Good thinking :)
-Finn
A keen insight by Hilary Goldstein, writer of IGN's HGN review:
There's an interesting parallel between "Infinite Succor" and "Breaking Quarantine." Both the Spec-Ops Commander and Sergeant Johnson have the same role, albeit one is for the Covenant and the other for the humans. Both are attempting to escape a first encounter with the Flood. Halo 2 itself featured parallel storytelling with gamers switching between control of Master Chief and the Arbiter. Perhaps including such similar stories in the HGN has a thematic significance in the grander scale of the Halo storyline. Or maybe it's merely coincidence.
Honestly, probably not ;)
-Finn
