Editing Covenant

|script=Syllabary and logograms

|religion=[[Covenant religion]]

|notable=[[History of the Covenant]]

|formed=[[852 BCE]]: [[Ages of Reconciliation|First Age of Reconciliation]]<ref name="Ency1">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''', ''page 30''</ref>

:::::::''The Seventh Age: Journey and Salvation.''|Maccabeus and the Jiralhanae of the ''Rapid Conversion''.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''' ''page 196-197''</ref>}}

{{Main|War of Beginnings}}

At some point before the San'Shyuum encountered the Sangheili, the [[Huragok]] were found by the San'Shyuum in various [[M-series facility|M-series facilities]].<ref name="best">'''Halo 3''', ''[[Bestiarum]]''</ref> In [[938 BCE]],{{Ref/Reuse|Ency1}} the San'Shyuum [[Reformists]], aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] and the planetoid that would come to be known as High Charity, entered a Sangheili-occupied system that led to first contact between the two alien species. The San'Shyuum, who came to Sanghelios in order to claim and study the rich abundance of Forerunner artifacts left behind,<ref name="Ency114">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''' ''page 114''</ref> soon found themselves sharing different ideologies of how such relics should be treated, which quickly devolved into conflict between the San'Shyuum and the Sangheili.

With a proud tradition as warriors, the Sangheili held great respect for a worthy adversary, and after their surrender, the San'Shyuum sought a burgeoning Covenant of the two races. In 852 BCE a tentative truce was worked out between the two species through the Sangheili leader, [[Pelahsar the Strident]], and the San'Shyuum [[Breaking Shadow]]. The two agreed to forgive the past crimes of their species and began efforts towards an alliance.<ref>'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''page 39''</ref> This eventually came about with the signing of the [[Writ of Union]], a treaty that ended the conflict and brought about peace between the two factions.{{Ref/Reuse|Ency1}}

===Contact and conversion===

{{Main|Human-Covenant War}}

{{Quote|Your destruction is the will of the Gods... and we are their instrument.|The Covenant's first transmission to humanity, after the [[glassing]] of [[Harvest]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 96-98''</ref>}}

During the 23rd Age of Doubt, the Covenant [[First Battle of Harvest|encountered]] humanity for the first time on the planet [[Harvest]]. While many within the Covenant's leadership felt that this new race would make a welcome addition to the hegemony, the newly-appointed [[Hierarchs]] of the Covenant—[[Prophet of Truth|Truth]], [[Prophet of Mercy|Mercy]], and [[Prophet of Regret|Regret]]—had other plans. The Hierarchs were aware of humanity's status as the Forerunners' chosen inheritors, and knew that revealing this information to the Covenant would lead to the Covenant falling into chaos.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 275''</ref> Greater than the cultural significance of the invalidation of the Great Journey, the leading San'Shyuum knew the truth about the Forerunners would lead to the loss of their personal power.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 385''</ref> As a result, spurred on by a violent incident following the first human-Covenant contact, the Hierarchs declared humanity an affront to the gods and demanded that their entire species was to be exterminated. This decision would spark a war that ultimately would crumble the very foundation of the Covenant's religious and political alliances.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''' ''page 143''</ref>  

During the events on the second Halo, the two remaining Hierarchs used the Sangheili's failure to safeguard Regret as an opportunity to replace the Sangheili with Jiralhanae as their protectors and military leaders. The two Prophets had doubts about the Sangheili's loyalty to the Covenant cause, and used the opportunity to ensure that there would be no future dissidence in the Covenant. However, this move greatly angered the Sangheili, who threatened to resign from the High Council.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Sacred Icon]]''</ref>

{{Clear}}

[[File:Schism 2.png|thumb|250px|Covenant Sangheili and Jiralhanae battle each other upon the onset of the Great Schism.]]

Truth escaped in the Forerunner Dreadnought, then used to provide power to High Charity. However, [[John-117|SPARTAN-117]], the infamous Demon, managed to fight his way aboard the Dreadnought right before it took off. While the Covenant fleet orbiting the holy city began to do battle with each other, the Dreadnought managed to enter slipspace and retreated to Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|h2journey}} Secretly, during the launch of the Dreadnought, [[Prelate]] [[Dhas Bhasvod]] successfully undertook to launch [[San'Shyuum flotilla|a flotilla]] containing many of the surviving [[San'Shyuum]].{{Ref/Reuse|DW}} Using the launch of ''Anodyne Spirit'' as a cover, a course was to the [[shield world]] [[Cloister]], although it is unknown if they ever reached it or not.{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}}  

These losses, among another factors, helped to form a tentative alliance with the Sangheili and humanity. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam had discovered the truth about the Halo rings, and with the help of several of ''In Amber Clad's'' human crew members managed to prevent the second ring from firing and defeat the Jiralhanae forces defending it.{{Ref/Reuse|h2journey}} While [[Joyous Exultation Covenant|one group]] had [[Onyx Conflict|initial conflicts]] over the Forerunner world of [[Onyx]],<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 378''</ref> the [[Fleet of Retribution|Sangheili]] under the command of Rtas 'Vadum joined with the UNSC in order to mutually defeat the Jiralhanae, Truth, and the Flood. This alliance was initially uneasy, but the two species gradually learned to cooperate as their reliance in battle increased.

[[File:TruthDeath-large.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Arbiter executes the Prophet of Truth, bringing an end to the Covenant.]]

The Covenant's culture and religion was based solely on the worship and reverence of the Forerunners. Long ago, the San'Shyuum managed to decipher some of the data stored on terminals aboard the Forerunner Dreadnought, thanks to the Forerunners' robust translation systems. However, even then they were unable to fully comprehend the subtle meanings of many Forerunner glyphs.{{Ref/Reuse|Ency112}} The San'Shyuum incorrectly interpreted the activation of the Halo Array as a means of transcending mortality, a process they came to call the "Great Journey". They did not understand that the Array had been designed to eradicate the Flood, specifically by triggering a galactic holocaust and killing all sentient life within the galaxy. They arrived at the conclusion that the Forerunners had ascended to godhood and left other species of the galaxy to their fates.{{Ref/Reuse|Ency112}} Because of this, the Covenant devoted itself to searching for and recovering of Forerunner artifacts. At several points in the Covenant's history, this desire to reclaim Forerunner technology has resulted in the hegemony declaring war against non-compliant species, the most recent instance being their war against humanity. In Covenant society, personal vendettas are not tolerated,<ref name="flood">'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''' ''page 95''</ref> although many conflicts in the Covenant's past have been sparked by vendettas.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''' ''page 150''</ref>

==Species==

The Covenant is made up of a variety of alien species from different parts of the galaxy. Organized into a caste system by the San'Shyuum, the different species of the Covenant are united by their blind faith in the promise of the Great Journey.<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''' ''page 14''</ref> In addition to the core member species listed below, there are a number of peripheral client species—known collectively as the [[Covenant fringe]]—that were never fully integrated into the Covenant, though some provided various advantages to the hegemony.<ref name="wp axl">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/axl '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Axl'']</ref>

==Military==

{{Main|Covenant military}}

The Covenant maintained pervasive armed forces to enforce order, conduct atmospheric and space combat operations, and generally carry out the Covenant's will throughout space. Unlike the [[UNSC]], however, the Covenant lacked a single unified military arm, and its armed forces were instead comprised of several organizations overseen by various ministerial bodies.<ref name="fb">'''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''', ''Core Rulebook - page 7''</ref> The Covenant's military capability was most overtly embodied in its spaceborne [[Covenant fleet|fleets]], ranging from small [[battle group]]s to entire armadas. Various task-based groups served under these fleets, including the occupational ground forces and the [[Special Warfare Group]], which contained the [[Special Operations|Special Operations Division]].

===Spacecraft===

[[File:1771441-gallery.png|thumb|250px|The ''[[Resplendent Fervor]]'' [[Modular Dispersal Technology|separates its aft section]] while the bow enters [[slipstream space]].]]

For the Covenant species, interstellar travel was made easy due to the reverse-engineered technology. Like humans, Covenant vessels can enter [[Slipstream space]] and travel significantly faster than light. However, the Covenant equivalent of the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] is far more efficient and reliable, relying on a series of "micro-jumps" to maneuver through the slipstream. Covenant vessels do not suffer the "temporal fluidity" of faster-than-light to such a degree as human vessels, arriving at the precise time and location that they intend. However, after a slipspace jump Covenant vessels generally experience a temporary power outage, leaving the vessel vulnerable to attack. As a result, Covenant battlegroups are much more efficient when acting as a coordinated group, and can strike more quickly and decisively.{{Ref/Reuse|ency224}}

Plasma weapons typically use a rechargeable power cell to provide power to their internal components. Covenant plasma weapons are effective but crude, and most automatic-fire plasma weapons are prone to overheating. To compensate, most weapons have vents that open to discharge excess heat and plasma when they overheat, although such weapons are rendered inoperable as the excess heat is dissipated. Once the energy of the plasma weapon is depleted, it must be recharged or discarded. To date, the means by which plasma weapons can be recharged is still unknown to UNSC forces. The most remarkable handheld plasma projectile weapons are a variety of [[Type-25 plasma pistol|plasma pistol]] (by far the most widely used small arm) and the [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifle]]. Notable vehicular plasma weapons include various [[plasma cannon|cannons]] and [[plasma mortar|mortars]], while warships are armed primarily with [[Plasma turret|plasma torpedo turrets]].

   

With the introduction of the Jiralhanae as a major military caste within the Covenant, their weapons found widespread use among their own kind. Utilizing crude, spike-like metal projectiles in place of plasma; conventional explosives and incendiaries; and sharp blades, they are more primitive, yet in many cases more dangerous -fitting, considering the nature of their creators. Brute weapons include the [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|Spiker]] carbine, the [[Type-52 Mauler|Mauler]] shotgun-pistol, and the [[Type-25 Brute Shot|Brute Shot]] grenade launcher.

===Vehicles===

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*[[Urs system]]

**[[Sanghelios]] – Sangheili homeworld

***[[Qikost]] – Sangheili colony

***[[Suban]] – Sangheili colony

*[[Oth Sonin system]]

**[[Doisac]] – Jiralhanae homeworld

***[[Warial]] – Jiralhanae colony

***[[Teash]] – Jiralhanae colony

*[[Y'Deio system]]

**[[Ap'ot]] – Orbital port city

**[[Dal'koth]] – Kig-Yar asteroid colony

**[[T'vao]] – [[T'vaoan]] asteroid homeworld

*[[Napret system]]

**[[Palamok]] – [[Yanme'e]] homeworld

***[[Ka'amoti]] – Yanme'e colony

***[[Oquiu]] – Yanme'e colony

*[[Svir system]]

**[[Te]] – Lekgolo homeworld

***[[Rantu]] – Lekgolo colony

***[[Rentus]] – Lekgolo colony

*[[Buta system]]

**[[Zhoist]] - A revered Covenant world home to the [[Ten Cities of Edification]] and [[Ring of Mighty Abundance]], a massive Covenant fleet resupply base. Destroyed by UNSC forces in [[Operation: SILENT STORM]] in [[2526]].

*[[Ealen system]]

**[[Ealen IV]] – Industrial world; [[terraforming|terraformed]] to produce [[plasma]]

*[[Korfo system]]

**''[[Station of Constant Sustenance]]'' – Resupply station; decommissioned following the Covenant's collapse, stripped for valuable components since

*[[Ven system]]

**[[Ven III]]

'''Worlds in unknown systems'''

*[[Duraan]] – A sparsely populated Sangheili frontier colony

*[[Karava]] – Backwater Sangheili colony in contested space

*[[Ulgethon]] – Ancient Sangheili colony

*[[Yonhe]] – [[Yonhet]] homeworld

*[[Unidentified moon (Headhunters)|Unidentified moon]] – home to a Forerunner excavation site attacked by [[SPARTAN-III]] [[Headhunters]]

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==Non-canon and dubious canon appearances==

===Odd One Out===

The '''Covenant''' is an empire consisting of at least the San'Shyuum and Jiralhanae at war with humanity.{{Ref/Film|[[Halo Legends]]|Story=Odd One Out}}

===Fracture: Blackguard===

{{Notice/Fracture|Blackguard|category=no}}

The '''Covenant''' hordes are enemies of humanity.{{Ref/Game|Id=Margrave|H3|[[Blackguard]] Margrave chest [[Armor customization (Halo 3)|armor permutation]]}}

===Silver Timeline===

{{Notice/Silver|category=no}}

===Fracture: Entrenched===

{{Notice/Fracture|Entrenched|category=no}}

==Trivia==

File:HaloWars-CovenantSymbol.png|The emblem used to identify the Covenant faction in ''Halo Wars'', fashioned after a Hierarch's headdress.

File:HCE_CovenantSpecies_Concept.jpg|Concept art of the various Covenant species created early in the development of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.

File:HFOR-Covenant.png|A hologram of multiple Covenant species in ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''.

File:Covenant LogoHD.png|The Sangheili scripture for the word Covenant. First seen in a ''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]'' promo and later in [[Sunaion]].  The image is a Photoshop recreation.

File:TruthAndReconciliation replica.jpg|The Sangheili sigils for the Covenant on a replica of the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''.

File:Covenant SymbolHorizontal.png|Horizontal version of the Symbol of the Covenant.

</gallery>

**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''

**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''

*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''

*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''

**''[[Terminal (Halo 2: Anniversary)|Terminals]]''

*''[[Halo: New Blood]]''

*''[[Hunt the Truth]]''

*''[[Halo Infinite: Memory Agent]]'' {{Mo}}

*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}

**''[[Contact]]''

**''[[Unbound]]''

**''[[Transcendence]]''

*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]'' {{Mo}}

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