Covenant separatists

This article is about the collection of Sangheili-led groups during the Great Schism. For the collection of new factions after the Covenant's destruction, see Covenant remnants.

This article is based on canon information, but the article's title is conjectural and/or uses descriptions as the title, as there is currently no official name for the subject.

The Covenant separatists, all Sangheili (along with followers from other species) cast out from the Covenant during the Great Schism.

Covenant separatists, colloquially referred to by their predominant species' epithet: the Elites, were the various forces composed of all Sangheili and their followers, who rebelled against the new Covenant leadership during the Great Schism. When the Great Schism broke out on November 3, 2552, the entirety of the Sangheili species were forced out of the Covenant. The High Prophet of Truth had ordered the reformed Covenant military, now led by the Jiralhanae, to massacre the Sangheili. This caused a massive civil war to erupt across Covenant-controlled space.

Though only the Sangheili were forced out, many of their former allies sided with them instead of siding with the High Prophet and his Jiralhanae-led Covenant. Many Unggoy, Mgalekgolo and even one San'Shyuum, joined the separatist effort.

All Sangheili-led groups were against the Covenant led by the High Prophet of Truth and the Jiralhanae, although only the Fleet of Retribution was known to extend their allegiance to the UNSC.

History

Origins and The Great Schism

"Two rival military factions, the Elites and Brutes, struggled to establish internal political supremacy, weakening the alien empire from within."

— ONI archivist

Sangheili-controlled and Jiralhanae-controlled ships engage each other over High Charity.

The various groups of Covenant separatists formed as a result of the Great Schism. The High Prophet of Regret, against the wishes of the High Prophet of Truth, led a badly planned mission to "Erde-Tyrene" as he did not know that the planet was the human homeworld, Earth, inadvertently beginning the Battle of Earth. He escaped to Installation 05, where he was assassinated by John-117. Using Regret's death as a justification, the Prophet of Truth set in action his plan to replace the Sangheili with Jiralhanae as their protectors. However, this move resulted in great turmoil within the Covenant, with the Sangheili threatening to resign from the High Council. Truth then gave command of the Covenant fleets to the Jiralhanae, a post previously held by the Sangheili. Once there were enough of them in place, Truth secretly ordered them to commit a vicious genocide of the Sangheili (disguised as a retaliation to a Sangheili revolt against the other Covenant factions) so they may replace them in society. Soon, all-out war had broken out.

In response to the betrayal, the Sangheili started a rebellion composed of groups colloquially known as the Covenant separatists, supported by both many Unggoy and Mgalekgolo. During the early hours of the conflict, the movement lacked centralized leadership, but several leaders would soon emerge. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam rescued several of the few surviving Sangheili High Councilors from Jiralhanae captivity and met up with Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadumee on Installation 05, forming the Fleet of Retribution. Concurrently, Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree took command of a large fleet of surviving Sangheili ships, including most of the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose.

Joyous Exultation

An initial Sangheili-led separatist group was formed by the Sangheili Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree on the Sangheili fortress world Joyous Exultation shortly after the Prophets' betrayal on November 3, 2552. Wattinree's faction remained hostile to humanity as well, dispatching a task force to Onyx to prevent Forerunner technology from falling into human hands. However, this fledgling alliance came to an abrupt end with the detonation of a NOVA bomb above Joyous Exultation and the deaths of the majority of the Sangheili leaders gathered there, including Wattinree. This left Thel 'Vadam and Rtas 'Vadum as the remaining figureheads of the rebellion. Though not easily persuaded, the Arbiter was able to convince the rest of the Sangheili to join with Humanity. While the two factions experienced some initial friction, they learned to work with one another for mutual survival.

Sangheili-Human alliance

The Fleet of Retribution, the bulk of the separatist war effort.

"There was honor in our Covenant once, and there shall be again!"

— Thel 'Vadam

Within the Covenant separatists, only the Fleet of Retribution was known to be allied with humanity during the final battles of the war.

The shaky-to-steady alliance between the Fleet of Retribution and their former foes, the Humans, was forged entirely out of necessity and revenge against the Covenant. The UNSC forces were on the defensive, and both factions had two common enemies that wished for their extinction: the Covenant and the Flood. The alliance of circumstance began in the control room of Delta Halo, when UNSC Sergeant Major A. J. Johnson and 'Vadam were forced to unite in order to prevent Tartarus, Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, from activating Installation 05. After that, 'Vadam persuaded the rest of the Sangheili on the Installation to join humanity. While the two factions experienced some friction, they learned to work with one another for their mutual survival. During the final days of the Human-Covenant War, the Sangheili under 'Vadam and 'Vadum's command fought alongside humans in battle. Thus, the UNSC and Sangheili forces saved each other from destruction.

Humans and Sangheili on board the Shadow of Intent's bridge.

The devastated UNSC Home Fleet in Earth's space gladly accepted the help of the