Hesduros

Hesduros, known as Kelekos to the Forerunners, is a remote planet in former Covenant space colonized by Sangheili.

History
Then known as Kelekos, this planet was once a well-known part of the Forerunner Ecumene. There was a relatively high number of Forerunners whom called Kelekos home. Multiple portals were constructed on the world, one of which was linked to the enormous Shield World 006. Many thousands of years after the firing of the Halo Array, Kelekos was colonized by Sangheili of the Covenant and renamed Hesduros. After the empire's collapse, Jul 'Mdama arrived in the state of Panom on April 1, 2553 via the portal from the aforementioned shield world. There, he met the leaders of Panom keep and learned that they had not been in contact with the wider Covenant for over a year and were quite unaware of the events surrounding the Great Schism and the end of the war with the humans. 'Mdama noticed that glyphs at two locations with portals were identical to those he had previously identified as representing the Didact and Requiem. In addition, what appeared to be coordinates revealing Requiem's location were also present. By exploiting the religious devotion the residents of Panom and Hesduros-at-large had to the Forerunners, Jul convinced them to join him in seeking out the Didact, believing that if he existed he may be a powerful tool to unleash against humanity. This signaled the genesis of the largest militant resurgence of the Covenant that would emerge in the years following the end of the Great War.

Following Jul 'Mdama's death in October of 2558, some members of his Covenant desired to regroup at Hesduros to plan the next course of action. However, rather than being dishonored by a retreat, the faction instead launched a deperate attack on the Swords of Sanghelios on Sanghelios itself. This, coupled with the destruction of the last military fortresses remaining to the group on Hesduros, ultimately led to the Covenant's final destruction and the scattering of its surviving members. Though Jul 'Mdama is gone, Hesduron zealots still seek to return all Sangheili to the path of Forerunner enlightment--by force if necessary.

Topography and ecology
Stone Forerunner ruins are a common sight on Hesduros. Keeps are often organized into small settlements with modest, multiple story stone buildings. As well, there are a number of fortresses on its surface. Flora on Hesduros includes varieties of trees and grasses. Species similar to birds and insects also call the planet their home.

Government and politics
Hesduros is a remote colony that is rich in history but was always poor with respect to political power in the Covenant. The Sangheili that flocked to it were known for being insular and conservative. It scontributed to the war effort in recent years by providing fighters, including zealots. Zealots from Hesduros can be recognized by the unique combat harnesses they wear. Though the colony sent sons to fight humanity, it had not even heard from any other locations in over a year by the time Jul arrived there. A channel of communication could have been opened by the residents at any time, but never had been. The reflects the degree to which the Sangheili of Hesduros preferred their own company and isolated lifestyle. The entire colony supported Jul 'Mdama in his quest to find the Didact an exact vengeance on the humans and Sword of Sanghelios|those supporting them]] but once more found itself being led by individual clans and keeps after his vision came to ruin.

Economy
Hesduros is home to manufactories which produce particle beam rifles, plasma pistols, and Type-54 Banshees. The Type-25 plasma pistols made on the colony fire more powerful shots than others of the like and require comparably more energy each time they are fired. This variance is a result of the loss of the centralized manufacturing control that had previously been enforced by High Charity. The design of the Hesduros-pattern banshee hearkens back to earlier versions of the flyers which once dominated the skies of Sanghelios. Freed from the restrictions that had been placed upon them by San'Shyuum bureaucrats, those produced after the colony learned of the Covenant's demise sported numerous improvements, such as integral energy shields.

Culture and society
Hesduron Sangheili tend to be extremely religious and the entire culture on the planet is shaped significantly by the monasticism sought by those who originally settled it. Hesduros has always been a haven for traditionalists and isolationists. Worship of the Forerunners as gods is taken for granted and many from the colony wish to actively enforce their beliefs on other Sangheili who have strayed from orthodoxy. Unlike some other colony worlds, on Hesduros children do not grow up with knowledge of who their father is, in accordance with the ancient tradition kept on Sanghelios. When Jul 'Mdama first traveled to Hesduros, he did not recognize the accents used by those he met in Panom.

Gallery
 File:Halo4-SangheiliZealot-Unarmed.png|A Hesduron harness designed for zealots. File:H5G-Banshee.png|A Hesduros-pattern Type-54 Banshee. File:H4-T25PlasmaPistol-SideRender.png|A post-war Hesduron plasma pistol. 

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow