Covenant Honor Guard
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| Covenant Honor Guard | |
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Affiliation: |
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Type: |
Protection services |
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Role: |
Protection of the Hierarchs, High Council, and ministries |
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- "Thou, in faith, will keep us safe,
Whilst we find the path." - — Covenant Writ of Union[1]
The Covenant Honor Guard[2] was a special unit of Covenant warriors tasked with providing security for the High Council. The unit was composed of Honor Guardsmen, who were traditionally Sangheili but were replaced by Jiralhanae shortly before the Great Schism.[3][4]
Operational history[edit]
Early history[edit]
After the War of Beginnings, the Sangheili and the San'Shyuum made peace and formed the Covenant. The San'Shyuum were to be the governmental leaders and scientists, with the Sangheili as their protectors and main military force. The Honor Guard was established to protect the Covenant High Council and Hierarchs[5][6] as early as 851 BCE.[7]
Human-Covenant War[edit]
- Main article: Human-Covenant War
During the High Prophet of Regret's stay on the shield world of Trove in 2531, he was protected by the Honor Guard, who stationed themselves in the Apex Site.
At some time between 2542 and 2552, the Honor Guard were charged with defending a Lesser Prophet on the Covenant-controlled planet of Heian that served as a major logistics base. Despite this, a team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers alongside Cal-141 infiltrated the planet and assassinated the Prophet from a distance of two miles before the Honor Guard could intervene.[8]
On October 20, 2552,[9] the Prophet of Regret and his fleet invaded Earth to find the portal to the Ark,[10] a Forerunner installation where they could fire all of the Halo installations and complete the Great Journey. However, the fleet suffered catastrophic losses; being pursued by United Nations Space Command forces, the flagship Solemn Penance escaped by going into slipspace in New Mombasa, Kenya with Regret aboard.[11]
When they arrived on Installation 05, Regret and his Sangheili Honor Guardsmen stayed at a temple in the middle of a lake near the Quarantine Zone around the Library.[12] Much to Regret's surprise, the human vessel UNSC In Amber Clad followed him to the installation. The UNSC forces aboard, led by Commander Miranda Keyes, initiated an assault on the temple with the intent of capturing or killing the Prophet. SPARTAN-II John-117 led the attack, infiltrating the temple and entering the Prophet's chamber. The Sangheili Honor Guardsmen fought furiously to protect the Hierarch, but ultimately could not prevent John-117 from killing the Prophet of Regret.[13]
Changing of the Guard[edit]
- Main article: Changing of the Guard
Following the catastrophic failure of Sangheili forces in safeguarding Installation 04, the confidence of the San'Shyuum in the abilities of the Sangheili wavered. Their willingness to trust the Sangheili as their personal protectors declined even further when the Prophet of Regret's bodyguards failed to save him from death at the hands of the "Demon" John-117.[13] As a result the two remaining Hierarchs, the High Prophets of Truth and Mercy, ordered the Sangheili to step down as the protectors of the Prophets.[3] In secret, Truth had forged an alliance to rid the Covenant of the Sangheili with Tartarus and the Jiralhanae, and so he had the Jiralhanae fill in the void left by the disgraced Sangheili.[3][14]
The Changing of the Guard was not approved of by the High Council. Amidst widespread outrage among the Sangheili that their ancestral role was being taken over by their hated Jiralhanae rivals, some Sangheili High Councilors threatened to resign from the Council.[15] Others, unwilling to trust the new Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen, employed Sangheili serving in the Covenant military instead.[15]
The Great Schism[edit]
- Main article: Great Schism
At the Battle of the Quarantine Zone in November 3, 2552, Chieftain Tartarus betrayed Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee, sending him falling to his presumed death and taking the activation index.[16] Meanwhile, the Hierarchs instructed the majority of the Sangheili High Councilors and former Sangheili Honor Guardsmen to assemble at the Control Room of Installation 05 and begin the preparations for the Great Journey. Jiralhanae Captain Melchus then led a large contingent of Jiralhanae — including those under the command of Chieftain Avitus — into the Control Room and massacred the Councilors and former Honor Guards.[15][17] These actions, charged to Tartarus and Melchus by the High Prophets, started the Great Schism.[4]
During the Fall of High Charity, the Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen fought the Sangheili still on the capital world and on ships in orbit.[4] Later during the battle on High Charity, the Prophets of Truth and Mercy along with Tartarus and their personal Jiralhanae Honor Guards fled towards a landing pad where they would leave on the keyship Anodyne Spirit in the middle of the city. During this, the Flood, commanded by the Gravemind, begin their invasion of High Charity. A single pod infector form slipped past the Honor Guardsmen, grasped onto Mercy's chest, and began to infect him. While Tartarus wanted to save Mercy, Truth, not wanting any potential threat to his ultimate supremacy, ordered him to allow the old Prophet to die.[18]
The Jiralhanae Honor Guard continued to defend the Prophet of Truth through the final days of the Human-Covenant War, including against John-117 during the Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought.[19] By the time of the Covenant's final stand on Installation 00, their ranks had been drastically depleted. However, a significant number of Honor Guardsmen still survived on board the Anodyne Spirit, subsiding on the keyship's abundant supply reserves, until Prelate Dhas Bhasvod led them to reemerge during the Second Ark Conflict in 2559.[20][21]
Other Covenant remnant factions such as the Banished[22] and the Governors of Contrition[23] still make use of Honor Guardsmen, but they do not form a cohesive unit as in the days of the Covenant Empire.
Organization[edit]
Role[edit]
The Honor Guard served as personal protection for the San'Shyuum and Sangheili High Councilors of the Covenant High Council. They were the most skilled of warriors and were hand-picked for the duty of protecting the High Prophets, as well as members of the High Council, from any danger. In accordance with their duties, they were unwaveringly loyal to the individuals they protected and would defend them to the death.[24] Honor Guardsmen were expected to kill anyone who drew a weapon in the presence of a Hierarch,[25] though an Arbiter doing so may be enough to cause them to hesitate.[26] Wherever a High Prophet was located, an Honor Guardsman would always be by their side; a chamber within the Sanctum of the Hierarchs was designed to hold three hundred Honor Guardsmen.[27] Honor Guardsmen were also found in the Ministry towers on High Charity, protecting the Ministry workers from any possible threats.[24]
Although Honor Guard service was a great honor, it was seen by some Sangheili as a merely ceremonial duty and its members were unlikely to experience combat first-hand.[28] This led to some, such as Usze 'Taham, declining the position, even though doing so could be viewed as an act of apostasy.[29]
Equipment[edit]
The highly ornate armor of the Honor Guard was primarily red in colour, with glowing orange crests and panels, designed to indicate that serving in the position of an Honor Guardsman was a great privilege.[14] The energy stave served as the weapon of choice for ceremonial purposes;[30] however, Honor Guardsmen also wield standard Covenant weaponry such as Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifles, Kewu R'shi'k-pattern plasma rifles, Vostu-pattern carbines, Mosa-pattern carbines, and energy swords.
When the use of armored vehicles was required, the Honor Guard was known to deploy Honor Guard Wraiths, which were Type-25 Wraiths with a distinctive red and orange color scheme in line with the Honor Guardsmen's armor.
Ranks[edit]
The Lights of Sanghelios — simply referred to as 'Helios' by some Covenant members — was a subgroup of the Covenant Honor Guard that consisted of the most adept and highest-ranking Sangheili within the Guard. These soldiers were typically charged with the protection of a San'Shyuum or an entire Ministry tower, and often oversaw standard Honor Guardsmen. Sangheili Guardsmen serving in the Lights of Sanghelios were identified from other Honor Guardsmen by their bright-white armor coloring.[24][14]
Non-canon and dubious canon appearances[edit]
Silver Timeline[edit]
- Main article: Silver Timeline
The Sangheili Honor Guard protected the Hierarchs on High Charity.[31]
Gallery[edit]
Sangheili Honor Guards during a High Council session.
Honor Guardsmen aboard the flagship of the Fleet of Righteous Vigilance in The Return.
A standard Sangheili Honor Guardsman.
A Light of Sanghelios without a helmet.
One potential iteration of the Honor Guard Councilor.
A Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo: First Strike (First appearance)
- Halo 2
- Halo: Uprising
- Halo: Contact Harvest
- Halo: The Cole Protocol
- Halo Wars
- Halo Legends
- Halo: Evolutions
- Halo: Broken Circle
- Halo 2: Anniversary
- Halo: Hunters in the Dark (Mentioned only)
- Halo: Shadow of Intent (Mentioned only)
- Halo: Envoy (Mentioned only)
- Halo: Oblivion
- Halo: Divine Wind
- Halo: The Television Series Season One
- Halo: Age of Retribution
- Halo: Empty Throne (Mentioned only)
Sources[edit]
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, chapter 9
- ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 95
- ^ a b c Halo 2, campaign level Sacred Icon
- ^ a b c Halo 2, campaign level Gravemind
- ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 47
- ^ Halo 3, Bestiarum: Sangheili
- ^ Halo: Broken Circle, chapter 1
- ^ Halo Legends - The Babysitter
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Cairo Station
- ^ Halo Graphic Novel - Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Metropolis
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Delta Halo
- ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level Regret
- ^ a b c Halo Waypoint, Covenant Honor Guard (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]
- ^ a b c Halo: Broken Circle, chapter 16
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level Quarantine Zone
- ^ Halo: Age of Retribution
- ^ Halo 2, campaign level High Charity
- ^ Halo: Uprising, issue 3
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach - Adjunct: Sacrifice
- ^ Halo: Divine Wind, chapter 4
- ^ Halo Wars 2, Phoenix Logs: Honor Guard
- ^ Halo: Ascension on Atropos
- ^ a b c Halo: Contact Harvest, page 154
- ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 341
- ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Scarab
- ^ Halo: First Strike, page 339
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 137
- ^ Bungie.net, The Tru7h About Co-Op in Halo 3 (Retrieved on Jan 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 349
- ^ Halo: The Television Series, episode Contact
