Jul 'Mdama's Covenant

Jul 'Mdama's Covenant
Societal overview
Official language(s):	Sangheili language serves as lingua franca; various languages spoken by different races.
Official religion(s):	Worship of the Forerunners and their technology
Official script(s):	Forerunner glyphs
Historical overview
Formation:	Founded after the end of the Human-Covenant War

John-117: "I thought we had a truce with the Covenant."

Cortana: "A lot can happen in four years..."

— The Master Chief, during his first encounter with the Covenant remnant.

This remnant faction is a continuation of the former Covenant who continue to worship the Forerunners and oppose the United Nations Space Command in the wake of the Human-Covenant War, the Great Schism, and the disappearance of the San 'Shyuum. The de facto leader of this faction is Supreme Commander Jul 'Mdama.

Although the faction is generally recognized as a reformed continuation of the original Covenant, and indeed commonly identified solely as the Covenant, its members are identified as terrorists by the UNSC and the organization itself is classified as being closer to a religious cult as opposed to the full-fledged empire of the original Covenant.

History

Formation

Jul 'Mdama, the leader of the post-war Covenant.

After the Human-Covenant War and the initial phase of the Great Schism, the Covenant's former member races returned to their home systems. Many Sangheili and Jiralhanae continued to fight each other, steadily dwindling both sides' military resources, though some Jiralhanae remained loyal to their Sangheili masters. A great number of Sangheili began to forsake the Prophets' false religion. The Sangheili soon fell into civil war, sparked by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's desire to make peace with humanity. In March 2553, a loose coalition of keeps opposed to the peace treaty launched an assault on the state of Vadam, though the timely intervention of the UNSC Infinity turned the battle in the Arbiter's favor.

Jul 'Mdama, a former Shipmaster and an affiliate of the Servants of the Abiding Truth, became disillusioned with the Arbiter and humanity after being kidnapped by ONI; his resolve was strengthened when his wife, Raia, was killed in the civil conflict. After escaping ONI custody on the shield world Trevelyan via a Forerunner portal, Jul gained a small following of Sangheili on the colony world Hesduros. Feigning religious devotion to the Forerunners, he resolved to recover Forerunner technology from the shield world Requiem, much as the humans had done on Trevelyan. Though he believed it unlikely that any Forerunners still lived, 'Mdama also planned to find the Didact, the leader of the Forerunner military, with whom he shared disdain for humanity.

Draetheus V

Main article: Battle of Draetheus V

"The fighting started when a splinter sect of Covenant ignored the Ceasefire of 2552 and attacked UNSC forces. By the time the fighting was done... Well, it didn't end well for the UNSC and Covenant, either one."

— Roland

Before the First Battle of Requiem, cult leader Merg Vol led a fleet to the UNSC-controlled word of Draetheus V in order to gain control of the powerful Forerunner device X50. The battle saw significant losses on both sides and the planet Draetheus V itself nearly destroyed by Merg Vol's use of X50, which was in fact a Forerunner superweapon with the capability to destroy planets. The main hostilities concluded with Spartan Sarah Palmer killing Vol and sabotaging X50's main weapon, bringing the Covenant's quest to a halt. However, the Covenant remnant returned when a looping Forerunner code began emanating from X50.

Requiem and the Didact

Main article: First Battle of Requiem

'Mdama's fleet arrived at Requiem in 2554, though they could not gain access. The fleet subsequently took up position around the shield world. For the next three years, the Covenant attempted to awaken the Didact by broadcasting his name from orbit in thirty minute intervals. Their calls received no response. Also during this time period, 'Mdama frequently dispatched raiding parties to steal supplies from other planets. By July 2557, the group had gathered a formidable fleet, consisting of at least sixteen CRS-class light cruisers and a single CAS-class assault carrier as their flagship. It was at this time that one of the returning raiding parties noticed a human ship, UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, drifting toward the planet. 'Mdama ordered the fleet to stop it from entering. Multiple boarding parties attempted to take the crippled ship, but were fought off by Spartan John-117, who'd been awoken from cryo-sleep. A CRS-light cruiser then attempted to destroy the Dawn, but John-117 manually launched a Hyperion nuclear missile and destroyed the cruiser before it could open fire. At that moment, the installation detected the presence of a Reclaimer, causing an entrance portal to open; both the Dawn and Covenant ships were pulled into the planet by the gravity well emitted by the portal. Despite losing many ships, the surviving Covenant remnant forces immediately began establishing positions all over the shield world, engaging Spartan John-117, who had arrived in the wreckage of the Dawn; they were also engaged by local Aggressor Sentinels. A trio of light cruisers eventually reached Requiem's core, where the Didact was imprisoned. By this point the forces of the revived Covenant had come under attack by the Prometheans, who tried to prevent them from reaching the Didact. Despite the mutual hostility of the Covenant and the Prometheans, John-117 soon reached the Didact's Cryptum and accidentally released him. Upon the Didact's release, the Covenant forces in the area bowed down in worship.

Through their mutual hatred toward humanity, the Covenant and Promethean forces (now controlled by the Didact) quickly formed an alliance, despite the Didact seeing the Covenant as little more than "beasts" and "primitives." The Covenant aided the Didact's forces in their attack on the Infinity, though the ship's point defenses disabled two cruisers and forced the Didact to retreat. Later, they defended a network of particle cannons which protected the shield world's gravity well generator, preventing Infinity from escaping; they were again unsuccessful. The Covenant later dispatched a flight of Phantom and Lich dropships to accompany the Didact's flagship to Ivanoff Station, an Office of Naval Intelligence facility. The Covenant spearheaded the attack on the station in order to acquire the Composer, a Forerunner superweapon. The attack caught the defenders off-guard and despite John-117's efforts the Didact acquired the Composer. The Didact then attacked Earth and tried to digitize its population, though he was defeated by SPARTAN-117. However, the millions-strong population of New Phoenix, URNA, was composed and the the victims' essences were transported to Requiem and converted into new Promethean Knights; there they would fall under the command of Jul 'Mdama and would fight alongside the Covenant in the battles that followed.

Later actions on Requiem

Main article: Second Battle of Requiem

While their defeat at Earth proved a set back for the Promethean-Covenant alliance, it did not result in their defeat. The reformed Covenant still maintained a presence on Requiem in February 2558. By that time, they had begun searching for the Librarian's archived personality in hopes of finding more Forerunner artifacts.

This search brought again them into conflict with significant numbers of the UNSC Defense Force, including detachments of Spartan, Marine, Navy, Air Force and Army branches. The Covenant ships in orbit around the planet were swiftly defeated and scattered, due to the technological advancement of the UNSC since the end of the last war. Arriving on the planet's surface, Majestic, Crimson and other SPARTAN-IV squads began to disrupt Covenant operations across Requiem and recover Forerunner artifacts for study. The Covenant in turn made numerous attempts to destroy Infinity. The Covenant and their Promethean allies engaged in numerous skirmishes with the UNSC expedition force. Territories and facility around Requiem traded hands multiple times.

The battle eventually culminated in Jul 'Mdama sending Requiem into the sun in a bid to destroy the Infinity. The Covenant and the UNSC fled the planet before its destruction. While the Covenant suffered considerable losses, including Parg Vol and Gek 'Lhar, they escaped with two important assets: One half of the Janus Key, and Dr. Catherine Halsey, who offered to assist Jul 'Mdama in exchange for his help in getting revenge on her enemies within the UNSC.

Battle of Ealen IV

Main article: Battle of Ealen IV

In March 2558, following an escalation in Jiralhanae raiding attacks along the joint-occupation zones, Ealen IV was chosen as a place for peace negotiations between the Sangheili and Jiralhanae. As Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood was meeting with Thel 'Vadam and Jiralhanae Chieftain Lydus, they were attacked by Covenant remnant mercenaries sent on a bounty. Captain Thomas Lasky and the delegation's SPARTAN-IV security detail, consisting of Fireteams Jackknife and Bailey, were forced to defend and evacuate the ambassadors. With their communications to their orbiting fleets having been blocked, the delegation were left without reinforcements.

The Covenant forces were led by Shipmaster Vata 'Gajat and Champion Tek. Meanwhile, the peace between the Jiralhanae and Sangheili ships in orbit became worse, as they blamed each other for the lack of communication and were on the verge of attacking. They eventually succeeded in doing so, at the cost of the lives of most of the Spartans. The events revealed a significant security breach in the UNSC, with Spartan Vladimir Scruggs exposed as a traitor along with the implicit presence of a higher-ranking leak within the organization. The Covenant's attack itself was a major setback to Thel 'Vadam's efforts to make peace with the Jiralhanae.

Notable individuals

• Jul 'Mdama - The "Didact's Hand", leader of the modern Covenant.
• Gek 'Lhar - Lieutenant to Jul 'Mdama.
• Merg Vol - Commander of Covenant forces during the Battle of Draetheus V.
• Parg Vol - Commander of Covenant ground forces early in the Second Battle of Requiem.
• Vata 'Gajat - Commander of Covenant forces during the Battle of Ealen IV.
• Tek - Second-in-command to Shipmaster 'Gajat during the Battle of Ealen IV.

Military structure

As in the Covenant hegemony's prime, the Sangheili serve as the remnant's military leadership caste. The Unggoy still serve as cannon fodder. Likewise, the Kig-Yar, (at least the Jackals), are still deployed as snipers and light infantry. The Mgalekgolo are still deployed as super-heavy infantry. During the Battle of Draetheus V the Covenant employed Yanme'e and Jiralhanae infantry. During the Battle of Ealen IV, at least one T'vaoan was present.

The Covenant remnant faction uses a streamlined version of the hegemony's long-standing rank hierarchy. Veterans of the war with humanity are organized into cadres of higher-ranked personnel. The highest-ranking Sangheili, most notably Zealots, also hold sway in the restructured Covenant's civil arena.

Classes	Sangheili	Unggoy	Kig-Yar	Lekgolo	Yanme'e	Jiralhanae	T'vaoan
Ranks and type classes
Standard ranks	Storm	Storm Minor	Storm Minor	Hunter	Minor
Specialized troops	Ranger Stealth	Ranger	Ranger Sniper			Jumper
Veterans	Commander	Imperial Heavy	Heavy
Leaders	Zealot Warrior					Chieftain	Champion
Titles
Ratings	Field Master Shipmaster Supreme Commander

Military assets

Although a less formidable force than before the Great Schism, the reorganized Covenant have amassed a considerable pool of military assets. Most matériel, such as the Type-25 plasma pistol and Type-51 carbine, has been carried over from the pre-Schism Covenant, though more recently developed weapons like the Type-55 storm rifle are also common, replacing the older Type-51 plasma repeater used during the Battle of Draetheus V. In other cases, the remnant faction uses older models, such as a variant of the Type-33 fuel rod gun seen during the attack of Reach, and the Type-27 beam rifle - a predecessor to the original Covenant's Type-50 particle beam rifle - due to the scarcity of modern weapons. Some older weapons and vehicles have new manufacturers but are generally unchanged in design. Infantry are equipped with armor that appears to be a mix of new variants and styles used by the original Covenant; for example, Unggoy Storm troops are equipped with rebreathers modeled on traditional Unggoy diving apparatuses, whereas Sangheili Commanders wear armor that is very reminiscent of the armor worn by Sangheili officers during the war.

As under the hegemony's reign, the Ghost and Wraith are the mainstays of the Covenant's vehicular ground forces, with the Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Wraith continuing to see limited service. The Type-26 Banshee remains the organization's primary ground support aircraft; post-war modifications to the variant used during the Fall of Reach allows the T26 to serve in a limited exoatmospheric scouting capacity akin to the purpose-built Type-27 Banshee, though the Seraph remains the Covenant's primary space fighter with the Type-27 Banshee used only to supplement the Type-26. The Spirit and the Type-52 Phantom see less extensive service than during the first war, as the older Type-44 Phantom has become the Covenant's primary dropship. The Type-56 Lich provides ultra-heavy transport capability when needed. The remnant faction also frequently uses the Type-51 Individual Breaching Carapace and the Type-54 Mass Deployment Carapace to deploy troops from orbit. The modern Covenant use both the Type-29 Shade and the newer Type-55 Shade for static defense, along with an unclassified type of stationary artillery. The Type-38 Tyrant and the Mega turret also remain in service, albeit limited. Type-58 Harvesters are deployed to excavate Forerunner artifacts.

The faction's armada is composed of vessels formerly used by the hegemony. The Covenant possess at least five CAS-class assault carriers, including 'Mdama's flagship, Song of Retribution; numerous CRS-class light cruisers; at least two RCS-class armored cruisers;, at least one SDV-class heavy corvette; and several CCS-class battlecruisers. The CRS fills much the same role as the CCS played during the war, though it is much smaller and less powerful than the latter.

Unlike those of the original Covenant, much of the hardware utilized by the remnant bears green-glowing lights, as opposed to white, blue, or purple lighting.

The reformed Covenant fields a special operations unit known as the Silent Blade, whose members are known to serve as assassins. It is unknown whether this group existed during the hegemony's reign.

Unlike the original Covenant, the Covenant remnant is not averse to using captured UNSC weapons. During the Second Battle of Requiem, they had several caches of stolen UNSC matériel, though it is unclear whether they used any of this equipment in combat. Most notably, they attempted to destroy Infinity using stolen HAVOK tactical nuclear weapons. During the Second Battle of Requiem, the Covenant remnant also began to use Promethean weaponry.

Religion and beliefs

"These Covenant seem more fanatical than the ones we've fought before."

— John-117

The new Covenant no longer believes in the Great Journey, as the Prophets have been revealed as liars. However, they continue the practice of worshiping the Forerunners and their technology. Some members, including Jul 'Mdama himself, privately understand that the Forerunners are not gods, and are only interested in acquiring Forerunner technology for themselves. Nevertheless, the majority of the remnant faction consists of extremists and true believers. During his first encounter with the Covenant remnant, John-117 observed that they were more fanatical than any Covenant he'd fought before.

The Covenant remnant holds particular reverence for the Ur-Didact, who shares their hatred for humanity. This led the Covenant remnant to quickly align themselves with the Didact upon his release from the Cryptum. Even after the Didact's apparent demise following his failed attack on Earth, the Covenant continued to display allegiance to the Didact, as evidenced by their continued cooperation with the Didact's Prometheans on Requiem. 'Mdama himself took on the title "The Didact's Hand."

In contrast to their worship of the Didact, members of the reformed Covenant appeared to have an antagonistic opinion on the Librarian at the time of the Didact's rampage against humanity, with one Sangheili derisively referring to John-117 as the "Librarian's pet", demonstrating that at least some of them were aware of the Librarian's favoring of humans and the Master Chief in particular. Six months later, however, when attempting to awaken the Librarian's shrine, the Covenant treated her with a similar reverence as they did the Didact, seemingly oblivious to her actual intentions.

Trivia

• In Halo 4, the four member species of the revived Covenant are the same as those featured in Halo: Combat Evolved: Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters.
• In the first issue of Halo: Escalation, a Sangheili warrior of an extremist post-Covenant faction refers to himself and his allies as "Guardians of the Righteous". Whether this is the proper name of the group in question or merely religious rhetoric has not been specified. As the group is revealed to be a mercenary force in Issue 3, this may alternately have been an attempt to obfuscate the group's motives.

Gallery

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  A Sangheili in the Covenant remnant.

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  An Unggoy in the Covenant remnant.

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  A Kig-Yar in the Covenant remnant.

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  A Mgalekgolo in the Covenant remnant.

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  Merg Vol's fleet attacking Draetheus V.

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  'Mdama's fleet surrounding the remains of UNSC Forward Unto Dawn.

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  Jul 'Mdama with his lieutenant, Gek 'Lhar.

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  Jul 'Mdama with a Sangheili Storm.

List of appearances

• Halo: The Thursday War (First appearance)
• Halo 4
  • Terminals
  • Spartan Ops
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo: Escalation