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. 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 Ta