Covenant Loyalists

"With my blessing, the Brutes now lead our fleets! They ask for your allegiance, and you shall give it!"

The Covenant Loyalists are a faction that is composed of some of the former Covenant Empire species.

Hierarchy
The Covenant Loyalists are comprised of the Prophets (San 'Shyuum), Brutes (Jiralhanae), Jackals (Kig-Yar), Drones (Yanme'e), and certain Grunts (Unggoy) and Hunters (Lekgolo) that support them within the Covenant's hierarchical society. However, it is likely that since the Grunts supported the Loyalists primarily because they thought that the Separatists would lose and preferred not to die, they would abandon the Loyalists upon their loss to the Separatist/UNSC forces.

Background
This faction is made up of those who (as of the end of Halo 2) still remain in the Covenant and are set on activating the Halo Array and starting The Great Journey. Since the beginning of the Covenant Civil War, they have been fighting the Covenant Separatists, led by the Elites and their Grunts and Hunter supporters. The fronts of this war include High Charity, Delta Halo, Earth and areas of space where Covenant ships operate.

This is not necessarily the first internal dispute in the Covenant's society; when the current Arbiter was assigned to his office, he was reminded by the High Prophet of Mercy that an Arbiter was necessary during the Grunt Rebellion, a conflict between the Covenant and it's lowest caste, the Grunts.

Origins of the Faction
The High Prophet of Regret led a botched mission to Earth and was forced into the First Battle of Earth upon discovering what turned out to be the human homeworld. Regret escapes to Delta Halo but he is soon assassinated by the Master Chief, which is considered a significant failure in the Elites mission to protect the leading caste of the Covenant. The remaining Prophets, led by the High Prophet of Truth, used this opportunity to replace the Elites with Brutes as their protectors. However, this move effectively shames and angers the Elites, who have been in such a position since the founding of the Covenant and they threaten to resign from the High Council.

Truth gave command of the Covenant Fleets to the Brutes, a position previously held by the Elites. Once there were enough and an ample amount of Brutes in place, Truth secretly ordered the Brutes to commit genocide of the Elites. With this act disguised and incognito as a Brute insurrection, the Brutes replaced the Elites within the society of the Covenant. The Elites, of course, revolted, enlisting the help of most of the Hunters and Grunts, birthing the Covenant Civil War in High Charity.

Early into the Covenant Civil War, the Elite Councilors are assassinated by the Brutes at the will of the Prophets, mainly Truth. When the Elites learn the truth about the Halos, it changes the war significantly and adds the Humans to the struggle. Instead of a Great Journey, the Gravemind's revelation regarding the super weapon contradicts the Covenant's belief system and is motivating at least the Arbiter in his eventual opposition to the Covenant as they try to activate Delta Halo later in the game.

The Fate of The Loyalists
"The Covenant war machine continues its march to conquest; even with its head severed it is still dangerous"

- Assembly level description.

Though the Prophet of Truth was killed, and most of the Loyalist's known fleet was destroyed by the Sangheili fleet above the Ark, the Covenant Loyalists still exist in some force, though likely in a weakened state, forced to rebuild after the war. Rtas 'Vadum expressed concern that the Sangheili homeworld, Sanghelios, may have still been endangered by the Covenant, and considering the sheer size of the former Covenant it is unlikely that the entirety of the Loyalists were present at Earth. Exactly who or what remains in charge of their political and military leadership is also unknown - the Prophets have been reduced to near extinction, and all of the Hierarchs were killed by the UNSC or Separatists, while the Jiralhanae also suffered the loss of most of their leadership with the deaths of Tartarus on Delta Halo and other high-ranked Chieftains at Earth and the Ark.

Prophets

 * High Prophet of Truth (Deceased)

Jiralhanae Chieftains

 * Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus (Deceased)[[Image:Halo3 diorama 1352-1-.jpg|right|220px|thumb|The Loyalist Army attacks on a bridge during the Second Battle of New Mombasa.]]
 * Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Lepidus (Most likely deceased)
 * Jiralhanae Chieftain Gargantum (Most likely deceased)

Races

 * San 'Shyuum
 * Jiralhanae
 * Mgalekgolo (some, during war)
 * Kig-yar (most)
 * Unggoy (some, during war)
 * Yanme'e (most)

Sub-Units

 * Covenant Loyalist Army
 * Numerous Legions assigned to the Fleet.
 * Covenant Loyalist Navy
 * Truth's Fleet- Believed to be completely destroyed

Weapons

 * Brute Plasma Rifle - Halo 2 only, replaced in Halo 3 by the Brute Spiker
 * Type-26 ASG - "Shielded Plasma Cannon"
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol - "Plasma Pistol"
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle - "Plasma Rifle"
 * Type-25 Carbine - "Brute Spiker"
 * Type-25 Grenade Launcher - "Brute Shot"
 * Type-52 Pistol - "Mauler"
 * Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher - "Needler"
 * Type-51 Carbine - "Covenant Carbine"
 * Type-50 Sniper Rifle System -"Particle Beam Rifle"
 * Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon - "Fuel Rod Gun"
 * Type-52 Directed Energy Support Weapon - "Plasma Cannon"
 * Type-26 ASG - "Shade"

Equipment

 * Regenerator
 * Power Drainer
 * Deployable Cover
 * Bubble Shield
 * Trip Mine
 * Cloaking
 * Flare
 * Radar Jammer
 * Invincibility
 * Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade - "Plasma Grenade"
 * Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade - "Spike Grenade"
 * Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimatériel Incendiary Grenade - "Firebomb"

Vehicles

 * Spectre- Halo 2 only
 * Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle - "Ghost"
 * Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft - "Banshee"
 * Type-52 Infantry Support Vehicle- "Prowler"
 * Type-52 Troop Carrier - "Phantom"
 * Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle - "Chopper"
 * Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform - "Scarab"
 * Type-25 Wraith - "Wraith"
 * Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery- "Anti-Air Wraith"

Internal

 * The Covenant
 * Covenant Separatists
 * Civil War of the Covenant