High Charity defense fleet

"That's the largest Covenant Fleet I've ever seen ... the largest anyone's ever seen."

- Cortana

The High Charity Defense Fleet was a formation of multiple Covenant Navy fleets defending the Covenant holy city of High Charity. The fleet had hundreds of ships protecting High Charity at any time, reflecting the holy city's importance. A ship approaching High Charity had a nanosecond to submit a security code, or it would be destroyed by the sheer might of the fleet and High Charity's defenses. During 2552, the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity served within the High Charity Defense Fleet.

History
This fleet was completely disbanded in the Battle of High Charity when the Great Schism erupted in the Covenant. There was a large battle within the fleet, ending with most of the surviving Covenant Loyalist ships going to Earth, and the Covenant Separatist ships staying to attempt to contain the Flood. These attempts failed, however, when a single Flood Ship broke through, and headed towards Earth, with a small battle group of Covenant Separatist ships in pursuit.

It is unknown what remains of the fleet after High Charity, under the power of the Gravemind, forced its way out of quarantine and passed through the Portal at Earth. The surviving portion of the fleet may have continued to undertake combat activities against the Brute-controlled portion of the Covenant fleet up until the War's end.

Appearances
In Halo: First Strike, the fleet is described in the final chapter. It was seen Halo 2 throughout the campaign. When the fleet (and High Charity) exit slipspace above Installation 05, Cortana notes that it is the largest Covenant fleet ever seen.