Fleet of Retribution

"Brute ships! Standard line! Shipmaster, they outnumber us, three to one!"

- A Sangheili Major navigator advising the Shipmaster "Then it is an even fight. All cruisers, fire at will. Burn their mongrel hides!"

- Rtas 'Vadum

The Fleet of Retribution was formerly subordinate to the Covenant. When the Great Schism began, the fleet came under Sangheili control and was commanded by Rtas 'Vadum, the former Special Operations Commander of the Covenant. It is a smaller organization of the Sangheilian armed forces. Its flagship is the Shadow of Intent.

Notable members of the Fleet of Retribution's Special Warfare Group were N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham.

Background
After the Great Schism began during the Battle of Installation 05, the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity was fractured. Some of the Sangheili-controlled remnants of this fleet were reformed into the Fleet of Retribution, which came under the command of Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum. The Covenant Separatist forces eventually triumphed at Installation 05 and blockaded the ringworld to prevent the Flood from escaping. However, one Flood-controlled battlecruiser evaded the blockade and headed for Earth. 'Vadum and the Fleet of Retribution pursued this vessel.

The Fleet of Retribution arrived at Earth during the closing stages of the Battle of Tsavo, soon after the Flood-controlled battlecruiser arrived. After SPARTAN John-117 recovered a pre-recorded message from Cortana, Shipmaster 'Vadum ordered the fleet to glass the area immediately surrounding Voi to prevent the parasite from spreading further, much to the dismay of Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood.

'Vadum then attended an assembly on his flagship's bridge, wherein it was decided that a joint human-Sangheili force would pursue the Prophet of Truth's fleet through the Slipspace portal that had recently been opened. Subsequently, the Fleet of Retribution, along with the UNSC frigates Forward Unto Dawn and Aegis Fate, engaged the Prophet of Truth's forces at Installation 00. Confronted with an enemy which outnumbered them three to one, the Fleet of Retribution nevertheless succeeded in destroying the Covenant's orbital forces, assisting the UNSC on the surface of the Ark. The surviving Covenant Separatist and human forces evacutated Installation 00, leaving Truth's remaining forces to their doom. Only Shadow of Intent is known to have survived the Battle of Installation 00, though it is possible that other vessels remained intact.

Composition

 * Assault carrier - One
 * Shadow of Intent - Flagship
 * s - Nine
 * Pious Inquisitor
 * Later, UNSC frigates - Two