Shipmaster

Ship Master is a Covenant Sangheili (Elite) rank.

Rank
A Ship Master is a Covenant title for a high ranking Covenant Elite who is in command of a single starship. This rank is the Covenant analog to the UNSC naval "Captain" or "Commander".

While Ship Masters hold their individual commands, they still fall under the command of their fleet's commanding Fleet Master, Supreme Commander, or Imperial Admiral.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the rank "Ship Master" is a subclassification of the rank Zealot, which refers to high-ranking Elites clad in golden armor. Other subclassifications include Fleet Master (which ranks higher than Ship Master) and Field Master (the ground equivalent of Ship Masters).

Appearance
Ship Masters wear the golden combat armor of a Zealot, but there may possibly be a few Ultra Elites as Ship Masters (see below), which would then wear the white traditional armor of an Ultra Elite.

Conjecturalization
It is highly probable, and implied, that Ultra Elites are also given the title of Ship Master. While an Ultra would almost certainly not be the Ship Master of a capital ship such as a gargantuan Assault Carrier, an Ultra may be given command of a lighter starship, such as a Stealth Ship, a Covenant Frigate or at most a CCS-class battlecruiser.

This is an echo of the way modern Naval fleets are run, since flag officers like Admirals would command large and powerful capital ships. Thus, one can almost say for certain that an Ultra would not command an assault carrier.

One might speculate that the reasons no Ultras have been seen as Ship Masters in the Halo series if due to the fact that the events features in both games and the novels thus far have been important events. Both Halo rings were considered immensely important holy icons to the Covenant, thus they would've sent ships commanded by more veteran Zealots to hold and investagate them, rather than those commanded by Ultras.

Further evidence of this might be when the character Rtas 'Vadumee in Halo 2, The Great Journey, remarks - "I'm going to take the cruiser back.", referring to a CCS-class Cruiser in the distance. If he intended to take and then hold the ship from the Covenant Loyalists, then one could argue that he most likely already had the authority of rank to command such a ship.

Furthermore, even lower ranks hold the title of ship master, and of bigger ships. Voro 'Mantakree took the role of ship master after executing his former superior officer and was only a a red armored Major Domo elite. He was later promoted to a Zealot to command a fleet, not the Reverence-class Cruiser ship Incorruptible itself.

However, one could refute this, saying that Rtas 'Vadumee merely intended to assault the security forces of the battlecruiser, and would allow a naval crew to crew the warship. This is entirely possible, as there is no evidence that Rtas 'Vadumee had cross-training to command starships.

Related Links

 * Zealot
 * Elite