Lok 'Durum

Lok 'Durum (ai), (formally known as Lok 'Durumee before the ) was a Sangheili , and for a brief time, a of the before the Great Schism, and after he served as a Blademaster and Ascetic for the .
==Biography==
Born on August 3rd, 2501, on Sanghelios, to parents he never met. When Lok hatched, he was alone until he was found by an elder Sangheili Zealot, who was weathered by a life of war. From the time he was able to walk, Lok was taught the skills of combat, especially in the art of swordsmanship, an art which the old Elite had much knowledge of. By the time he enlisted in the Covenant, Lok was more proficient with a sword than most of the officers who led him. During his training, he never once lost to his comrades in practice combat. His natural combat abilities propelled him forward in his military career, quickly rising up the ranks, leading to his induction into and eventually his induction into the role of Zealot. 
== Human-Covenant War ==
Main Article: 
===Harvest ===
Main Article: 
Lok 'Durumee now a member of the Covenant's special operations was first tasked with the sabotage of a UNSC supply depot, housing weapons, ammunition, ordinance, food, and water. Along with a three other newer Sangheili operators, the team of four were dropped about three miles away from their intended target, cloaked using . Arriving undetected to their target, Lok found the depot to be guarded by six Marines, who were completely unaware of the Sangheili team's presence. Lok directed his team to move around the Marines, avoiding detection, in order to emplace an explosive within the depot. Easily maneuvering around the Marines, the plan went without a hitch, until the newest of the group was emplacing the explosive when his active camouflage disabled and was spotted and killed by an unseen sniper who was watching over the Elite's target. Reacting quickly, Lok ordered one of the other Elites to continue placing explosives, ordering the other one to find and kill the sniper. Lok, then targeted the six Marines who were now alerted to the special operations team. The Elite made quick work of them, using his active camouflage, he was able to lure the Marines into a more isolated location where he was able to kill each of them with his sword before they could even realize what was happening. After the sniper was killed, they primed the explosives, and evacuated the depot to a prearranged pick up location. It was during the Harvest Campaign Lok first learned of human's fear of death, a fear which he would enjoy using to his own pleasure. By the end of the Harvest Campaign, Lok had gained attention within the Covenant Special Operations community for his employment of "cat and mouse" tactics, where he would often taunt his targets before slaying them. Whispering words from the shadows, breathing down the necks of victims, toying with them before killing them, often displaying his work for other humans to find.
===Arcadia===
Main Article: 
Lok would frequently employ this tactic during the Battle for Arcadia, at one point being tasked to eliminate a UNSC Command Post, housing a battalion command post. Lok would enter undetected whilst the humans slept, killing the battalion commander, display his body for the rest of the command post to see. As the human panicked at the body of their leader, he would slay them as they attempted to flee, and for those who attempted to fight, he would mock them as they attempted to kill him in desperation, all before slaying them. It was after the Battle for Arcadia that he would garner the attention of his superiors, deciding that he should pursue a role in combat rather that in stealth and special operations.
===Sangheili Ultra===
Main Article: 
As an Ultra is where Lok 'Durumee really shined. Lok would go on to reign terror through the outer, and later inner colonies. He would claim thousands of kills to his name, most with his energy sword, Ancestral Wrath, killing anyone who stood in his way, Marines, ODSTs, and civilians alike. There were numerous times where he would even slay Jackals and Grunts, specifically when they would attempt to flee from combat, an action he viewed as having no honor, on par with heresy. A strict and disciplined commander of forces, he became a reliable blade for the Covenant, never leaving a mission unsuccessful. It was during , 'Durumee began to reconsider his own moral code and honor, upon entering a medical tent full of wounded Marines, in which he was supposed to destroy. Morally, he could find no honor in slaying wounded and defenseless combatants, instead allowing himself to be spotted so that the Marines could attempt to arm and attempt to defend themselves. Following this encounter, Lok decided against cutting down civilians, an action which he viewed as below him, as they were not a threat. In 2549, also during Battle of Meridian, Lok was risen to become a Zealot. 
===Lok 'Durumee: Zealot===
Main Article: 
Placed under the as a Zealot, Lok would now be sent on mission involving the capture of of high value artifacts. During the war, Lok was mostly employed to strategically important human data, as well as the elimination of humans in general. In mid-2552 'Durumee took part in the , where he was employed alongside other Zealots to hunt down Forerunner Artifacts within the system. he would subsequently remain aboard the , after being hand picked by for his Zealot group, the .
===Battle of Reach===
Main Article: 
When Long Night of Solace first arrived over , Lok, along with a team of several other Zealots and led by a , was dispatched in the hunt for a "" hidden within the of reach. The team eventually came upon , which the Field Marshal leading the group contained the supposed "temple". By the time the group had come upon the facility, the humans had realized the Covenant's presence on Reach, forcing the team and Lok to hold their position for the time being. A few days after it's discovery, Lok reported that the human's had mostly pulled its security and had begun evacuating the facility, with the Field Marshal deciding to push into the facility, albeit without permission to do so. The team would kill any humans who remained in the facility, in a desperate search to justify their push into the facility, but to no end. By the end of their search of the facility, the team was recalled to the Long Night of Solace, in preparation for redeployment to another portion of Reach. The team was subsequently redeployed to Reach's surface, and would remain there when the Long Night of Solace was destroyed on August 14th, 2552. With the supercarrier's destruction and the arrival of the , Lok's team would deployed and moved rapidly and numerous times to gather intelligence, artifacts, and as much data from the humans as possible, moving from New Alexandria, SWORD Base, and by August 30th, he would be relocated for the final time to . It was while in Asźod, Lok would first engage and kill a Spartan, impaling the Spartan with his energy sword as he attempted to engage the Elite in close combat. Lok would stand witness as his comrades fell to , eventually starting to make his way over to the Spartan before he was bested and slain by a group of Elites. Following the fall of Reach, the Zealot and his team would be transferred to the ship, .
==Turning Tides==
Having been stayed aboard Solemn Penance since the fall of Reach and the , Solemn Penance arrived over Mombasa, after information regarding the final home of the Forerunners had pointed Regret there. Lok and his team would subsequently be ordered to remain aboard the ship, providing an additional security for the Prophet in the event humans were able to board the carrier, an action which Lok was highly disappointed with. When Regret fled Earth for , Durumee was ordered to prepare themselves for artifact collection on the ring.
===Battle of Installation 05===
Main Article: 
As the Solemn Penance arrived, the Zealot team were dispatched to collect both artifacts and whatever data they could harness from the Installation. Able to recover a few disabled and a large collection of data, Lok exited the Forerunner facility across the lake from Regret's position to see a battlecruiser glassing Regrets position, with running ahead of the beam. Returning to Solemn Penance, the Zealots were alerted to the Prophet of Regret's assassination, and were subsequently ordered to bring the artifacts recovered directly to .
===Great Schism===
Main Article: 
====Changing of the Guard ====
Main Article: Arriving on High Charity, Lok witnessed the Changing of the Guard, which he was extremely displeased with, feeling betrayed for this humiliation. Whilst still aboard High Charity, Lok and his team were resting when he overheard a group of Brutes discussing the massacre of the and joking about killing further Sangheili. Alerting his team just in time, the team was then ambushed by the same group, luckily the Zealots had activated their Active Camouflage as the Brutes entered, leaving them confused, enabling the Zealots to quickly kill off the Brutes. Moving through High Charity, the group gathered a further fourteen Sangheili, and numerous other Covenant forces who stood with the Elites. Fighting their way toward a hangar, Lok led the group to a Phantom, which they managed to steal, rallying with . Meeting with Rtas 'Vadum, Lok was enlightened with the truth behind the Rings, and the lie of the Great Journey. Feeling lost, Lok changed his name, dropping the "-ee" to just Lok 'Durum. 'Vadum then placed 'Durum in command of a large collection of Separatist forces, with the title of . 
===Battle of the Ark===
Main Articles: and 
Aboard as the Fleet of Retribution arrived over , 'Durum and his forces were deployed to support the . His forces would be a pivotal asset in the battle, with 'Durum working alongside the Arbiter to command forces in aiding the Spartan John-117 in disabling various generators to gain access to . Upon arriving to the Citadel, Lok would aid in the attack on building, stopping short of entering the Citadel itself, instead providing security around it in the event more Covenant forces arrived. With the death of , the Flood began to attack Lok and his forces, retreating, the Elite was able to board a Phantom, returning to the Shadow of Intent. 
==Blooding Years==
Main Article: 
Following the closure of the Human-Covenant War, Lok 'Durum was among the Sangheili present at the restoration of . With the creation of this new government and military, Lok was offered a position as the commander of the security section, overseeing all elements of security within the Ascetic Guard, to include the Arbiter's personal security, security within the council of Kaidons, security of important persons, and the overall security of . In March of 2553, while serving in this role, Vadam was attacked by the , Lok organized the initial defense of the city, in which the Arbiter later took control. From there, Lok stood in defense of the city, killing a number of members of the Servants of the Abiding Truth, before the Humans crushed the insurgents. It was during this time that Lok decided he would test himself, personally asking the Arbiter for the trials of blade mastery, in which 'Vadam agreed, tried him, and found him worthy. Undergoing the ceremony, Lok 'Durum became a Blademaster on February 19th, 2554, once again changing his name, this time adding the "-ai" suffix, denoting his status as a master swordsman, becoming Lok 'Durumai. Immediately following the ceremony, 'Durumai again approached the Arbiter, this time requesting a transfer to Swords of Sanghelios Special Operations, wishing to establish his own strike force against the enemies of the Swords of Sanghelios. The Arbiter reluctantly agreed, establishing the "Durumai's Vanguard". 
=== Durumai's Vanguard ===
Main Article: Durumai's Vanguard
Officially established March 3rd, 2554, the Durumai's Vanguard, led by Lok 'Durumai, would be made up of former Sangheili Zealots and Ultras, and unlike most special operations teams, were strictly forbade from using Active Camouflage. With no more than thirty members at any given time, the Vanguard acted as a direct strike team against the likes of the Servants of the Abiding Truth, , and any group who stood against the Swords of Sanghelios. Again differing from most special operations teams, the Vanguard either required its members be prior Zealots or Ultras under the Covenant, requiring an oath to both Lok 'Durumai and Thel 'Vadam, any treachery against this oath resulted in death. Durumai's Vanguard would mostly operate directly on Sanghelios, often being deployed against the Servants of the Abiding Truth and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant wherever they were spotted close to Vadam or whenever they made attempts to gain ground toward the Swords of Sanghelios land. Durumai's Vanguard would gain much attention within their first year of existence due to their effectiveness and mostly their adherence to traditional Sangheili rules of combat, they never engaged a combatant who was unarmed, unless attacked, honor was held at their highest of standards, never executing their opponents unless killed in direct combat, and their preference for their Energy Swords over ranged weapons. As a result, the Vanguard would progressive be used more and more, becoming the premier strike force of the Swords of Sanghelios, undertaking numerous high risk missions, often facing forces nearly twice their size. In September of 2555, Lok was approached by a UNSC Spartan liaison, Dan-G076, requesting to join the Vanguard on a strike mission against a group of Servants of the Abiding Truth being led by a high ranking officer. 'Durumai agreed, seeing the opportunity gain a human ally, but also, increase his own reputation with the humans. Initially, the skirmish was going well, with the Vanguard and their Spartan guest, efficiently driving through the Servant camp. Things began to turn south as two patrols returned to their camp, ambushing the Vanguard from the rear, whilst the bulk of their force was moving through the main body of the camp. Lok became engaged with six Servant Sangheili, all of which engaged him with swords, nearly besting him before Lok's Spartan guest appeared from almost nowhere, leading a counter attack against the ambushing forces, with the Spartan single-handedly killing four of the attacking Elites, allowing Lok to recover, thus saving the blademaster's life. Returning from the mission, Lok gave the Spartan his thanks, offering to train the Spartan in both swordsmanship and the Sangheili language. The two quickly became friends, with Dan-G076 becoming a common place on Vanguard missions.
Category:Sangheili