Vannak-134

Vannak
Biographical information
Homeworld	Tribute
SPARTAN tag	134
Date of death	2552
Physical information
Gender	Male
Hair	Black
Portrayed by	Bentley Kalu
Cybernetics	Yes
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	UNSC Asymmetric Warfare Research Group Silver Team
Rank	Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Battles	Battle of Madrigal Fight on Eridanus II Battle on High Charity Operation: Shepherd Fall of Reach

“His name was Vannak-134. He was a Spartan. He was our brother. And the only family that he ever knew. This... That was not an ordinary man. Everything that he was, everything that he gave, it never dies. Your fight is not done. I will be your weapon now. I will find the ones who caused your death, and I will end them.”

— John's eulogy, Aleria

Vannak-134 was a cybernetically-augmented Spartan, conscripted at childhood, who serves as the de facto deputy to the Master Chief.

Biography

Childhood

Vannak Amadi was born on the planet Tribute, he came from a large family.

Battle on Madrigal

Vannak assists the Silver Team of Spartans in a mission on the planet Madrigal, where a team of Covenant Elite are attacking. After defeating the alien creatures, Master Chief and his team examine the perimeter for signs of the Elite ship. Vannak and Riz secure the Covenant aircraft while Master Chief and Kai explore a man-made cave in which the Covenant are excavating an artifact. When Master Chief interacts with the object, the cave comes to life with energy. The team later chases a lone Elite who escapes the planet. Kai wants to accompany Master Chief to Reach, but he orders her to act against protocol by returning with the other Spartans so he can travel alone. He goes AWOL, leading Admiral Parangosky to initiate a kill order on his returning ship. Dr. Halsey overrides this order with one of her own - protect Master Chief at all costs. Riz questions if this means firing upon friendlies, though Vannak iterates that if they are firing upon Master Chief they aren't friendlies. The trio heads to the landing bay, but their expertise are unneeded as Master Chief escapes the assault and flees Reach.

In the days that follow, Vannak talks to Kai about Master Chief going AWOL. She learns that he still hasn't turned on his beacon. They are tasked with tracking Master Chief and take flight to follow his movements. The trio remarks on his odd movements such as jumping through an asteroid field. Kai wonders why he's doing this, but Riz and Vannak don't seem to question it. The next day, Master Chief activates his beacon and allows Silver Team to apprehend him and return him to FLEETCOM. The following day, Vannak and Riz are playing a game in Spartan headquarters on John returns from his testing with Halsey. He gives them permission to ask questions about his actions, but Riz states they have fought together since they were children and trust him. Vannak supports this claim. Suddenly, John's new AI Cortana appears and introduces herself, confusing the Spartans. John snaps that he didn't summon her and tries to dismiss her, but she only questions his vernacular before politely excusing herself. John remarks that the new A.I. is not permanent.

Dr. Keyes recruits the Spartans to run tests on the Madrigal artifact to see if they react to the object the same way Master Chief does. She wonders what, if anything, makes him special. Vannak, in response to her, remarks matter-of-factly that John is the Master Chief. He obliges with her commands and removes his helmet to conduct the test. They are uneventful as the artifact does not react to Vannak or the Spartans touch. When Miranda insults the Spartans, Kai speaks up for them by listing what makes the Spartans great, including how Vannak's battlefield discoveries on the physics of plasma swords helped the Marines develop stronger shielded vests.

While performing more tests in her lab, Miranda admits that she thought her mother kept her from the Spartans because they were more fun, but now she doesn't believe fun was part of their training. Kai corrects that they did have fun, as they each had pets growing up and would play hunter and hunted in the woods. The loser had to eliminate their pet, with Kai pausing as she remembers her cat. Vannak-134 never lost a match, though Halsey executed his pet to teach them that Spartans should only form attachments to one another. Miranda is mortified at Halsey's display of apathy, but the story doesn't affect Kai, Vannak, or Riz-028. Kai excitedly picks up a Needler, a Covenant weapon, and reveals Riz and Vannak's knowledge of the Shangeheli language. In fact, the Spartans have spent the most time with the Covenant and know much of their language, something Miranda is remiss over not realizing sooner.

Search for the Keystones

The Spartans are reassigned to provide support in the extraction of the second artifact. Kai continues to barrage Vannak with questions over his beliefs, orders, and why things are the way they are. He admits to wondering if the gun grease in her hair has seeped into her brain, making her ask him these "dumbass questions". When Slipspace becomes breached the Spartans leap into action. Vannak and Riz assist John in moving the artifact as he can't make physical contact with it. As a viscous fight ensues, their plans to take the artifact to Miranda are derailed when the ship goes up in flames. John disobeys orders to deliver the artifact to Dr. Keyes' ship and instead, saves Kai and the marines from the Covenant ambush happening below them. His diversion from the original plan results in the Warthog with the Spartans and artifact crashing. Subsequently, the artifact is stolen by the Covenant.

The survivors of the battle return to Reach. Kai's injuries have her screaming in agony as the pain injections aren't helping. Master Chief sits next to her as he holds her hand, obliging to Vannak's request to keep her still while Riz injects more medicine. Finally, Kai goes unconscious and her bleeding wounds are tended too. She regains some of her strength and visits Riz and Vannak who are discussing their new weapons upgrades now that Halsey is no longer part of the Spartan program. Kai asks why that is but Vannak bluntly states it wasn't in the report.

Riz and Vannak examine the Phantom ship they recovered from Madrigal. Vannak asks about Kai status, with Riz reluctantly admitting that Kai is getting there. Halsey orders Silver Team to bring John, Makee, and the artifact to her ship where they will all leave Reach together. Kai inadvertently alerts Halsey after a hormonal fluctuation is detected - the result of her pellet removal. She thinks there is another way to help John, insisting that he's their friend and they can't just abduct him, let alone fight him. Halsey cuts off communication to and from Kai, then tells the other Spartans that Kai has been compromised too. Subsequently, Riz and Vannak knock Kai unconscious and tie her up in the showering quarters.

John faces the Spartans who want to apprehend him and bring him back to Halsey, believing him to be compromised. John tries to explain they are being manipulated but they don't listen. They don't need to take him back alive. Cortana helps John fight against Vannak and Riz, though he's underequipped for the fight and badly beaten. Kai arrives and helps John until they reach a stalemate. Before they can continue the battle, Makee makes contact with the artifact and sends an energy blast across FLEETCOM, blasting the Spartans away from each other.

As the effects of the Halo's blast wears off, Kai is taken hostage by Riz and Vannak. They find John and leverage Kai for him to come with them. John, not seeing any other option, reveals that Halsey kidnapped them as children and stole them from their parents. She forced them to become Spartans. Kai reveals that she knows and he's telling the truth. Riz wavers in her belief but Vannak doesn't, pointing a gun to John's head. Miranda and Jacob arrive in the midst of the conversation, but hear John trying to reason with the Spartans by telling them the truth of Halsey's horrendous actions. They don't believe him until Jacob admits to being privy to the activities and helping to plan their kidnappings. This is enough to break through to Riz and Vannak. Silver Team splits up, with John, Riz, and Vannak head to the ship bay to stop Makee from escaping, while Kai goes after Halsey alone. John, Riz, and Vannak are ultimately too late as they watch her leave the planet.

The Spartans recoup as they try to carve out a plan. Silver Team heads on a dangerous mission to find the Covenant's holy planet of High Charity. She boards the plane with Riz and Vannak, asking if they really would shoot her, though they immediately agree. Vannak knows she would have done the same, but Kai at least would have felt bad about it afterwards. The trip there is rocky as they are almost "spaghettified" by the atmosphere surrounding High Charity. As they advance their cover is eventually blown, triggering thousands of Covenant forces to emerge from the grounds to attack them.

An intense battle ensues as Silver Team is quickly overwhelmed. John sees Makee from afar, but faces an onslaught of attacks from the best of the Covenant. Makee makes contact with the now-assembled keystones to save John from the ambush. She succeeds as the blast knocks the Covenant to the ground and they proceed to kneel to watch the event unfold. When she touches the artifact both she and John are rendered unconscious and taken to the Halo.

Kai struggles to keep the Covenant at bay while protecting a badly wounded Riz. Vannak takes position at the top of the temple, firing on the aliens below. He remarks their need for the Chief to be online, with Kai unable to reach through to the Chief by shouting at him. Vannak is incapacitated by a group of Covenant. Kai, seeing no other option to free the Chief, fatally shoots Makee. With Makee dead, the star map to the Halo is incomplete. One of the aliens places a plasma grenade on Riz, but when Kai goes to help, they are both caught in the detonation.

The Covenant shifts their focus to killing the Spartans and capturing John, quickly overwhelming the already weakened Spartans. Master Chief is forced to make a choice - save the Spartans or steal the keystone. He surrenders his body to Cortana as she can save both the team and the keystone. She is reluctant she isn't sure she can pull him back or repair his psyche once she resumes control. He relents that he trusts her and gives himself over to the Covenant to attack, which forces Cortana's hand. She assumes control over him and demolishes the Covenant forces.

Master Chief carries the artifact and leads the Spartans to their ship. Vannak supports an injured Riz who can barely walk. Silver Team boards their ship and take-off into the sky as the Covenant shoot at them from below; the Spartans have won this battle. Riz is severely injured, so Master Chief silently cauterizes her wound while Vannak holds her hand to keep her still. Master Chief assumes control over the ship as the pilot. Kai joins him and reluctantly asks John if he's in there. Master Chief silently stares out into space.

Sidelined

Following Master Chief's disconnection from Cortana, Vannak and the rest of Silver Team are reassigned to evacuation mission instead of militant ones. Vannak, who removed his pellet a few weeks after the battle on High Charity, shows frustration over their lack of action. He gets a brief reprieve when the planet Sanctuary is ambushed by Covenant forces. They are forced to retreat and the planet is lost to the Covenant, who glass it and the remaining residents. Vannak's annoyance over military inaction is heightened when Cobalt Team mocks Silver Team for removing their pellets and becoming soft. Meanwhile, James Ackerson takes over the Spartan program and lies to the public about Silver Team being at the forefront of battles.

Vannak spent his on standby status in training with the Spartans in combat games. He was excited to win the games again. He followed Master Chief and the team aboard their ship. He was surprised when Master Chief revealed they weren't going for training but to find Cobalt Team because the Covenant were on Reach. Upon learning that their mission was unauthorized, Vannak felt betrayed by John.

Fall of Reach

Vannak is spending time with Pigeons, who he named and grew fond of, when the Covenant invasion begins. When John, and Riz rejoin him at FLEETCOM he informs them that command took their armor and fled Reach. When it seems like John might be killed Vannak shoots at the attacking elite. The creature ultimately bests Vannak and kills him before escaping with Makee.

Personality

Vannak is the perfect Spartan - obedient, loyal, tough, and emotionally suppressed. He has a strong loyalty to Master Chief and admiration for him, all of which changes the second Halsey says he's been compromised. Vannak has a dry sense of humor, blunt attitude, and sharp retort. His personality didn't change much after the removal of his pellet, though he did begin to watch nature documentaries and shows.

Trivia

• Vannak is an original character for the television series, and as such, does not have another media counterpart.

Gallery

Appearances

• Season One
  • Contact
  • Unbound
  • Emergence
  • Homecoming
  • Reckoning
  • Solace
  • Allegiance
  • Transcendence
• Season Two
  • Sanctuary
  • Sword
  • Visegrad
  • Reach
  • Aleria (Corpse)
  • Onyx (Mentioned)
  • Thermopylae (Mentioned)