Joyous Exultation Covenant

"I, like all of you, believed in our leaders and their holy Covenant. How could we have been so willing to believe a Covenant of lies! They have called for the destruction of all Sangheili. They have aligned themselves with the barbaric Jiralhanae. The Great Schism is upon us. The unbreakable Covenant Writ of Union has been split asunder. This is the end of the Ninth, and final, Age. You must now decide to surrender to fate — or resist and strive to persist. Myself, I choose to fight. I call upon you all to join me. Let the old ways fade and battle by my side. Together we can forge a new, better union — a new Covenant among the stars."

- Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree addresses the Sangheili commanders

An alliance of Sangheili forces seceded from the main body of the Covenant during an emergency summit on the Sangheili base world Joyous Exultation at the onset of the Great Schism on November 3, 2552.

History
After the Hierarchs cast the Sangheili out of the Covenant and replaced them with the Jiralhanae as the leadership caste of the Covenant military, Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree summoned all Sangheili groups to their fortress world of Joyous Exultation. With the Sangheili leaders gathered aboard his flagship the Covenant supercarrier Sublime Transcendence, Wattinree announced the secession of the Sangheili from the main body of the Covenant. In addition, memorandums of the Prophets' betrayal were transmitted to all Sangheili vessels across the galaxy.

The Imperial Admiral also summoned the leadership of the Jiralhanae Alpha Tribes to Joyous Exultation under the guise of a peace summit, in truth planning to kill the envoys and deal a decapitating blow to the Jiralhanae leadership. Wattinree also gave Shipmaster Voro Nar 'Mantakree command of his own fleet and ordered him to go to Onyx and prevent the Forerunner technologies there from falling into human hands.

Wattinree's plans came to an end, however, when a NOVA bomb aboard Sublime Transcendence, retrieved from Reach weeks earlier, was accidentally detonated by the Unggoy Kwassass and a group of Huragok, obliterating the supercarrier, the Sangheili fleet, and razing Joyous Exultation's surface. Wattinree himself was killed in the blast, depriving the faction of its leader. Mantakree's fleet made it to Onyx and engaged the UNSC forces there. Mantakree was killed when Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose sacrificed himself to detonate two FENRIS nuclear warheads to deny him access to the interior shield world while the fleet was eventually wiped out by the Forerunner world's automated defenses.

Military structure
The Sangheili continued to serve as the leadership caste within the alliance. Their rank structures was virtually unchanged from the Covenant military they used to serve. The Unggoy continued to serve as cannon fodder. The alliance also included Mgalekgolo, which were used as super-heavy infantry units.

Notable individuals

 * Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, Imperial Admiral during the early stages of the Great Schism. Killed by a NOVA bomb on November 3, 2552.
 * Parala 'Ahrmonro, Oracle Master. Killed by a NOVA bomb on November 3, 2552.
 * Voro Nar 'Mantakree, Fleet Master. Killed by a FENRIS nuclear warhead on November 3, 2552.
 * Qunu, Shipmaster. Killed by Onyx Sentinels on November 3, 2552.
 * Paruto Xida Konna
 * Waruna Xida Yotno
 * Kwassass
 * Uruo 'Losonaee
 * Zasses 'Jeqkogoee
 * Y'gar 'Pewtrunoee

Military assets
As the alliance had just separated from the Covenant, they still used much of the same equipment. Most Unggoy within the alliance used Type-25 plasma pistols and Type-33 Needlers. Most Sangheili used Type-25 plasma rifles and Type-33 Needlers, while several used Type-1 energy swords. The Type-42 plasma cannon was used to provide suppressing fire.

The alliance had access to at least one Scarab walker. The Type-26 Banshee remained as the primary ground support aircraft, while Type-25 Spirits and Type-52 Phantoms were used as troop transports. The Type-31 Seraph continued to be used as the alliance's primary space fighter.

The alliance was composed of the massive Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose consisting of a number of Covenant vessel types, primarily destroyers, cruisers and carriers.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: Evolutions
 * The Return
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Legacy of Onyx