Castor

"Castor"

Castor is a Jiralhanae Chieftain of a pack who formerly served the Covenant military as an army commander. After the Human-Covenant War, Castor became one of the Dokabs of the Keepers of the One Freedom, a radical Covenant remnant opposed to the Unified Earth Government. He believed in the Great Journey but also renounced the San'Shyuum as false "prophets". Following his arrival on Installation 00 and his failed attempt at activating the Halo Array which only resulted in the revelation of its true purpose, Castor's faith was broken and he withdrew from the ranks of the Keepers of the One Freedom.

Serving the First Blade
By early 2526, Castor served the Covenant as a Stalker within the Bloodstars, alongside Orsun, with whom he was very close. At this time, the two them were led by First Blade Tel 'Szatulai of the Silent Shadow and served within the Bloodstar Flotilla. In March 2526, the flotilla was sent to Seoba, one of the moons of the human colony of Biko. There they would meet with Insurrectionists that intended to trade UNSC secrets for their continued survival. However, when the flotilla arrived at Seoba, they found a UNSC task force occupying the moon. The ensuing battle resulted in the destruction of three of the flotilla's five intrusion corvettes, forcing 'Szatulai to retreat just as the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived to assault Biko.

However, a lone human transport broke from Seoba's orbit and began trailing the Sacred Whisper, 'Szatulai's flagship. After he realized that the only ones foolish enough to chase after a Covenant warship in such a poorly armed craft would be the insurgents that they had come to meet, 'Szatulai had his corvette dock with the vessel. The First Blade took Castor and Orsun with him into the airlock to board the transport. Much to their bewilderment, 'Szatulai ordered them to leave their weapons behind. Orsun objected to the order and Castor stated that it certainly was strange, but that he would be honored to accompany the First Blade regardless. Despite their uneasiness, they obeyed 'Szatilai's order.

When the airlock opened, they were greeted by a group of armed Insurrectionists, each of whom had their weapons trained on them. 'Szatulai stared at their leader's weapon until he took the hint, ordering his men to lower their weapons. After they all lowered their rifles, the man led the three of them to the forward briefing compartment. The vessel's winding corridors were spacious by human standards, but the armored shoulders of Castor and Orsun consistently scraped the bulkheads and their heads kept thumping against the ceiling. Arriving at the briefing compartment, they found a group of humans that were all watching a particularly nervous man holding a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon. The man, named Erland Booth, demanded that 'Szatulai call off on the attack on Biko or he would detonate the nuke. However, 'Szatulai simply approached Booth with a hand extended. While the man was confused by his actions, the First Blade swept the nuke out of his arms and used it to cave in Booth's skull, killing him instantly. A woman named Petora Zoyas and General Harper Garvin rushed over and managed to defuse the nuke, offering it to 'Szatulai as a token of their goodwill. Accepting the gift, he gave it to Orsun as Garvin began explaining how the ordeal at Seoba had not been their doing. He also offered another gift, a data card that contained schematics for the Spartans' MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. 'Szatulai motioned for Castor to take the data card and Garvin promised that they would continue to gather and share more information on the Spartans with them if the Covenant helped the Insurrectionists take control of Biko. 'Szatulai made a gesture of agreement and returned to the Sacred Whisper with Castor and Orsun, taking Zoyas with them to facilitate communications with Garvin in the future.

As space battle over Biko continued, a detachment of Black Daggers attempted to board the Purifying Flame, but they were ultimately captured before they could destroy the Covenant vessel. Mind melters were ordered to interrogate the ODSTs, though they saw little success. Their extreme resistance to interrogation led Tel 'Szatulai to order Castor and Orsun to get information out of them their way, through a "game" they called "tossers." The two Jiralhanae would tear the limbs off of some of the captives in such a way that it would not kill them immediately, requiring their companions to help them eat, drink, and eliminate. However, before they ran out of prisoners, all that Castor and Orsun could get out of them was the names of the twelve Spartans attached to their battle group, the name of the battle group, as well as the name of the battalion in which the ODSTs serve.

When the UNSC task force launched an attack on Zhoist, Castor and Orsun encountered Blue Team on the Ring of Mighty Abundance, where the Spartans had already been engaged by Tel 'Szatulai. By the time the two arrived, 'Szatulai and all of his Sangheili warriors were dead and the two Jiralhanae quickly fled in Banshees before Blue Team's nuclear weapons detonated, surviving to make their report to the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience.

Continued service
Following this conflict, Castor continued to serve with Orsun, as well as a young Atriox, as Stalkers in the Bloodstars. They would be tasked with hunting down and killing Spartans. Eventually, Castor rose to the position of Chieftain. At some point, Castor and Orsun captured and interrogated a squad of ODSTs for three days, and they learned of the rumor that the Spartan-II program had abducted children to use as its subjects. Later in the war, Castor encountered Spartan-IIIs. During his service, he captured many useful things from the United Nations Space Command, including schematics of the Spartan-IIs' MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. As well, he would be part of the forces that attacked Mars.

Dokab of the Keepers
Even after the war, Castor's faith in the Forerunners and the Great Journey remained strong, simply regarding the San'Shyuum as false prophets. He eventually became a Dokab within the Keepers of the One Freedom, a radical Covenant remnant based in New Tyne on Venezia. The cult shared Castor's unwavering faith and grew throughout the Outer Colonies, gathering more members.

Dealings on Gao
"You also have the support of the Keepers of the One Freedom. Your foes will cower before our fellowship."

- Castor to Minister Arlo Casille

On July 2, 2553, after learning of the presence of a Forerunner ancilla on Gao, Minister of Protection Arlo Casille called his allies within the Keepers of the One Freedom and the Venezian Militia to discuss the situation. Meeting aboard Casille's flagship Esmeralda, the minister was visited by Castor and Reza Linberk of the Venezian Militia. Casille informed them that UNSC forces on the planet were seeking to claim the AI for themselves. Not wanting the UNSC to take the "Oracle", Castor felt that it was necessary to launch an attack on the UNSC forces. With Casille's and Linberk's support, Casille brought five hundred of his troops from his ship—One Light—to the surface of Gao to begin his assault. The Keepers of the One Freedom's forces landed in the Montero region on Gao and made their way to the region's cave systems, where the ancilla was believed to be located. At the caves, Castor met with human insurrectionist Petora Zoyas, an ally of Casille. Zoyas had the Committee to Preserve Gao Independence distract the UNSC forces, giving the Keepers an opportunity to move covertly to Wendosa, the village the UNSC was taking up residence in. Castor sent his second-in-command Orsun into the caves to lead the first pack, and had Zoyas accompany them. Meanwhile, Castor realized that the Venezian Militia and Casille both intended to steal the ancilla for themselves. However, Castor was not worried by his allies' ulterior motives, as he had several of his human forces sneak aboard the minister's MV-29 Wyverns—aircraft that Casille would use to retrieve the ancilla. While his forces made their way into the caves, Castor spotted Spartans of Blue Team loading a package into a Pelican dropship. The package was actually a bagged human murder victim, but Castor believed that the humans were attempting to escape with the ancilla. He ordered his forces to attack the village and recover the ancilla.

As the attack began, Linberk was killed by a sniper. The Keepers attack the village, but the four Spartans of Blue Team were able to help the human battalion hold off their attackers. The Spartans disrupted the Keeper formations and prevented the Jiralhanae from charging at Wendosa. The four Spartans were soon joined by the rest of Blue Team, who had actually managed to recover ancilla Intrepid Eye, as well as Lifeworker Huragok Roams Alone. As Castor and Orsun overlooked the battle, Intrepid Eye and Roams Alone attempted to escape the humans. As Spartan Frederic-104 gave chase, he was spotted by Castor. Taking a Type-50 particle beam rifle, Castor prepared to fire on the Spartan when he noticed the Huragok. Certain that the UNSC had captured the ancilla, Castor attempted to kill Fred with the beam rifle, but the Spartan avoided the shots and the Jiralhanae were pushed back by rocket fire. Later, when Fred attempted to leave the battlefield aboard a UH-144 Falcon with the ancilla, the aircraft was shot down. Blue Team made it to the Falcon's crash site just before Castor and several other Jiralhanae arrived. While his forces provided him cover, Castor searched the wreckage for the ancilla. While pulling Fred's armor-locked body out of the debris, Castor was attacked by Special Inspector Veta Lopis. Lopis shot the chieftain in the hand and knee, causing him to drop the Spartan. As Fred's body rolled down the hill, a small rockslide began that knocked Lopis away from the Jiralhanae. As the Spartans defeated most of his forces and the battalion's Alpha Company arrived to reinforce them, the heavily injured Castor escaped without the ancilla. The Keepers attack on the UNSC forces was soon ended and the survivors attempted to escape aboard One Light. After the UNSC forces had withdrawn from the area, Orsun searched for and found the mortally wounded Castor. Orsun then helped his chieftain walk slowly towards the rendezvous point for dozens of kilometers. As they traveled, Castor and Orsun soon encountered Roams Alone. The Huragok approached the Jiralhanae and healed Castor's wounds. Although Orsun wished to bring the Huragok with them, Castor decided to allow Roams Alone to remain on Gao. As the two Jiralhanae continued to the rendezvous point, Castor desired to enact vengeance on Minister Casille.

Alliance with the Banished
The Keepers of the One Freedom joined the Banished as a legion in April 2558, six months before Cortana's Created declared martial law across the Orion Arm. The Keepers were held in low regard in the Banished. Things were made worse for them when Castor's war brother Atriox left for the Ark and Escharum was left in control of Banished within the galaxy. As of October next year, Legionmaster Castor was working on uncovering a Forerunner portal on Reach when he once again came into contact with Blue Team. Eventually, he would find the portal in the same structure Blue Team found the Menachite Forerunner crystal and, seeing his opportunity to travel to the Ark, would abandon the Banished and travel to the other side, satisfied that even if he should die to the Banished still stationed on the Ark, doing so on the foundry of the Halos would be one of the highest honors.

Personality and traits
"Never underestimate what humans will dare. That has been the death of more than one shipmaster."

- Castor

Castor is a competent military commander, having served as an army chieftain during the Human-Covenant War and the commander of many "battle packs". He believed that any good commander was able to anticipate their opponents and was able to adjust their plan when necessary. Castor is a deeply religious Jiralhanae, still believing in the religion of the Covenant, but also renounced the San'Shyuum as false "prophets". Although he did not trust many of them, Castor can work with Kig-Yar and humans. Castor is opposed to the Unified Earth Government and its United Nations Space Command, believing them to be leading a "heretical tyranny". He believes that UEG and UNSC presence at Forerunner sites is an insult to the Keepers of the One Freedom, fearing that they "defile" the artifacts. He is unique among the Jiralhanae as being willing to accept humans among his ranks if they pledge to be believers of the Great Journey, as he truly believes the faithful should have a chance to ascend. He also treats the Unggoy under his command with relatively high respect, knowing they'll frantically do his bidding out of gratitude and loyalty. He deeply respects his former war brothers as seen by his decision to prepare Orsun's son, Krelis for a higher station.

Unlike most Jiralhanae, he has a preference for ranged weaponry.

Trivia
"Castor" means "beaver" in Latin.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Last Light
 * Halo: Retribution
 * Halo: Silent Storm
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Halo: Divine Wind
 * Halo Infinite