Banished

"I've gathered this crew and they're loyal, because I am loyal... and because we share a vision. One where the blood we spill and the treasures we plunder are in the name of our own free will and nothing more."

- Atriox to his would-be assassins.

The Banished is a mercenary organization and splinter faction of the former Covenant Empire that rose to power after the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War. The organization is led by the Jiralhanae warlord Atriox.

History
"In the shadows of the Ark lurked a banished legacy of the shattered Covenant: a new opponent fueled not by religious fervor, but by raw lust for power."

- Curator on the Banished

The Banished were formed by Atriox and several Jiralhanae loyal to him who rebelled against their Sangheili masters during the Human-Covenant War. For a period of ten years, the Banished were little more than raiders and pirates, conducting surgical raids on the Covenant and other targets while gathering mercenaries to their cause. Evading Covenant enforcers led to Atriox prioritizing stealth in his forces. Unimpeded by the Covenant's devastating Great Schism, the Banished managed to salvage many of the empire's former assets after its fall, becoming a formidable power in their own right.

In May 2559, 28 years after the lost contact with the rest of the United Nations Space Command, the vessel arrived at the extra-galactic Forerunner structure known as the Ark, only to find that a UNSC research facility on its surface had been attacked by the Banished, leaving no survivors but Isabel, a smart AI. Soon afterward, the crew of the Spirit of Fire engaged the Banished in combat.

Governance and society
As a mercenary organization, the Banished are essentially a military hierarchy led by Atriox. Their overall goals ostensibly center around increasing their power through raiding and conquest, with Atriox laying plans for dominance across the Orion Arm. Their prevailing philosophy is one of ruthless pragmatism, their operations focusing solely on accruing useful resources for their war machine. As such, they are thoroughly irreligious, and lack taboos regarding the treatment of Forerunner technology, for example; despite this, some individuals (namely Decimus) secretly harbor a reverence for the Forerunners.

Societal conditions within the Banished reflect their harsh values, and most the organization's members are mercenaries and killers. Most of the former client species of the Covenant are represented in the ranks of the Banished, though the bulk of them are Jiralhanae, most of them being veterans of the Human-Covenant War. Their chain of command, likewise predominantly composed of Jiralhanae, is a "twisted meritocracy" in which Atriox's subordinates constantly compete for influence and favor in their warmaster's eyes, in hopes of increasing their own status. Atriox has spies across his command hierarchy to snuff out signs of disloyalty, and his inner circle of loyal chieftains, known as Atriox's Chosen, are used to enforce compliance among the higher ranks.

Atriox does not care for the greater Sangheili-Jiralhanae feud, viewing it as petty. As such, he has welcomed many Sangheili into the Banished as warriors. However, the Sangheili under Decimus' command are treated with resentment and often sadistically sent on suicide missions. The Sangheili crew of the Enduring Conviction joined the Banished since its shipmaster, Let 'Volir, reluctantly aligned himself with Atriox. Additionally, three Special Operations Sangheili from the Silent Shadow, a former Covenant Special Operations unit, were successfully convinced by Atriox to join the ranks of the Banished.

The Banished have numerous Unggoy in their service. They are generally regarded as mere cannon fodder and are often abused for sport by their Jiralhanae superiors. A number of "thrall colonies" exist where Unggoy are bred, only to be indoctrinated into the service of the Banished; the most violent individuals are set apart and formed into suicide squads. The Banished have amassed a small complement of Huragok; those serving on the Ark are imprisoned in harnesses equipped with control yokes keeping them in constant agony to keep them compliant, lest they be distracted by their innate need to repair damaged Forerunner technology. The Banished also field Mgalekgolo troops, many of whom are unusually violent for their kind, and may have been forced into service as well. During their campaign on the Ark, the Banished did not employ Kig-Yar mercenaries.

The emblem of the Banished is modeled after the appearance of Atriox's gravity mace, Chainbreaker, when viewed from a top-down perspective.

Notable members

 * Atriox: Warmaster and supreme leader of the Banished.
 * Decimus: A general in the Banished and Atriox's trusted lieutenant.
 * Let 'Volir: A Sangheili shipmaster reluctantly serving the Banished in exchange for supplies for his ship and crew.
 * Yam-Blim: An Unggoy thrall-taskmaster under the command of Decimus. Killed by Spartan-II Alice-130 on the Ark.

Jiralhanae

 * Warlord: Jiralhanae Chieftains loyal to Atriox, tasked to intercede on the Banished leader's behalf to subdue uncooperative packs and direct critical operations within the organization.
 * Atriox's Chosen: Jiralhanae warriors promoted by Atriox to be his personal enforcers.
 * Jiralhanae Jumper: These warriors wield gravity hammers and use jump packs.

Unggoy

 * Thrall-taskmaster: A role for Unggoy, some of whom serve under the command of Decimus.
 * Suicide Unggoy: Drawn from the Banished's thrall colonies, Unggoy in this role are selected for their aggressive and violent tendencies and indoctrinated by the Banished to serve in dedicated suicide squads.

Sangheili

 * Shipmaster: This rank is held by Let ‘Volir, commander of the Enduring Conviction.
 * Honor Guard: Skilled mercenary swordsmasters who evoke the traditions of the old Covenant Honor Guard in the service of shipmaster Let ‘Volir.
 * Ranger

Equipment
Having salvaged and repurposed a great deal of Covenant matériel, the Banished are well equipped with a wide range of military technology.

Armor
Most of the infantry personnel of the Banished are equipped with crimson armor, including Jiralhanae power armor, Sangheili combat harnesses and Unggoy combat harnesses. Additionally, the Banished employ specialist Jiralhanae soldiers known as Jump-pack Jiralhanae, who are equipped with jump pack propulsion systems.

Weaponry
Weapons used by the organization include the Type-1 energy sword, Type-2 gravity hammer, Type-25 Spiker, Type-51 Carbine, Type-25 Brute shot,  Type-25 Brute plasma rifle, Type-25 plasma pistol, Type-25 plasma rifle and a mace-like weapon called Chainbreaker used by Atriox.

Vehicles
The vehicles at their disposal include the Blisterback mobile missile battery, Shroud aerial stealth vehicle, Marauder, and Reaver. The spike turret is used for static defense. They also field the Type-25 Chopper, Type-25 Spirit, Type-26 Banshee, Type-26 Wraith, Type-30 Locust, Type-32 Ghost, Type-47 Scarab and Type-56 Lich all of which depart from typical Covenant aesthetics. They also have at least one, the Enduring Conviction, at least five s, and at one point captured the SDV-class heavy corvette Elegy's Lament.

List of appearances

 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Hunting Party
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo Wars 2