Covenant Special Operations

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Covenant Special Operations soldiers deployed at the Threshold gas mine.

Special Operations (SpecOps) was the specialized operations division of the Covenant's Special Warfare Group.[1]

Roles and operations[edit]

The Covenant's Special Operations was established by the Special Warfare Group for the execution of specialized operations.[1] Special Operation units were typically sent on missions with acute and specific objectives and were not associated with any broader Covenant military application.[2] The division's objectives covered the sabotage of enemy installations and supply lines, assassinations, stealth infiltration, and retrieval of Forerunner artifacts, although it was an extremely versatile group of performing low-risk sentry or defense missions.[3][4] Special Operation units also participated in classified missions that were personally commissioned by a Hierarch of the Covenant.[3]

Personnel within this group were regarded as skilled warriors of the Covenant military, deployed to perform unconventional, high-risk operations.[5][6] Members of the Special Operations had proved themselves on the battlefield in both martial combat and in their marksmen abilities.[3]

Silent Shadow[edit]

Silent Shadow in action.

The Silent Shadow was a division of special operations Sangheili made up of several individual squads, each of them led by a First Blade officer. These Sangheili are nearly always recognizable through their use of a unique and advanced combat harness that often incorporated experimental technology and weaponry.[7] The Silent Shadow undertook numerous missions during the Covenant War, including assassinations and extractions. During a UNSC-Covenant struggle on unidentified moon one of the Silent Shadow squads slew two SPARTAN-III Headhunter teams.[8] After the Covenant's betrayal of the Sangheili and the outbreak of the Great Schism, the squad led by 1st Blade officer Resa 'Azavayl became dedicated to eliminating all Jiralhanae, as well as any forces under their control, that they encountered. Their most recent target was ex-Covenant military leader Atriox, now commander of the Banished and one of most prominent enemies of the Covenant.[9]

Organization[edit]

The Covenant's Special Operations was dominated by the Sangheili, though there were some Unggoy members.[3] The Special Operations division is placed under the control of the Special Operations Commander, who would command operations in the field or remotely from High Charity.[10][11] A typical lance under the Special Operations consisted of two Special Operations Sangheili and two to four Special Operations Unggoy. In some occasion, a lance would be led by a Special Operations Officer.

Notable members[edit]

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 59
  2. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 133 (2011)
  3. ^ a b c d Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Library
  4. ^ Halo 2, campaign level, Gravemind
  5. ^ Halo 2, campaign level, The Heretic
  6. ^ Halo 2, campaign level, Sacred Icon
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint - Community Update: Brute Force
  8. ^ Halo Evolutions, Headhunters pages 188-192
  9. ^ Halo: Tales from Slipspace, Hunting Party
  10. ^ Halo Graphic Novel, The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor
  11. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 136 (2011)

See also[edit]

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