Hand of Atriox

"I honor his memory each day. When our enemy rises, we meet their challenge. It is why I created the Hand of Atriox. I found the best. The cruelest. The most effecient killers in the universe... and taught them how to be better."

- Escharum to John-117.

The Hand of Atriox was a special operations unit within the Banished, named in the honor of its presumed late leader Atriox. Also known as Spartan Killers, these warriors specialized in taking down UNSC Spartans. Jega 'Rdomnai was its first recruit and served as one of its most feared members.

Creation
Escharum created the Hand of Atriox to honor the memory of Atriox after his alleged death, gathering the most proficient killers from across the galaxy. The group began as a way to more rapidly expand the legend of Atriox, with members of the group carrying out missions in Atriox's name alone.

Occupational extent
Even within the Banished, nobody knows how many members of the Hand of Atriox exists at once. Some members of the Banished speculate it to be limited to 4 members at any given time, while others believe it could be limited to 4 members within any occupied region, allowing the Hand of Atriox to have a greater distributed presence and capability across all given Banished territories. Some also claim that the group is only active when Atriox himself is near. The only thing that is certain is that the Hand of Atriox should never be considered eliminated from any given conflict so long as Atriox's will is being carried out.

Entry into the Hand
The organizational structure of the Bloodstars, a specialized warfare group integrated and repurposed to fit the needs of the Banished, is specifically designed to create opportunities for the most capable Banished warriors to prove their strength and ascend to the Hand of Atriox, helping usher a new age of prestige and power and taking their place at Atriox's side.

Battle for Zeta Halo
On May 14, 2560, Jega 'Rdomnai took part in the Battle of the Beacon Tower where UNSC forces sought to use a beacon tower to broadcast the coordinates of the ring to UNSC space. The attempt was successful and the UNSC survivors were rescued by Submonitor 091 Adjutant Veridity before 'Rdomnai's forces could completely overtake and slaughter them.

On May 28, following the destruction of three Banished Gorespike cannons by John-117, War Chief Escharum dispatched Hyperius and Tovarus to kill the legendary Spartan. However, both brothers died at the Master Chief's hands. Subsequently, Escharum ordered 'Rdomnai to bring him the Master Chief and he kidnapped Fernando Esparza to draw the Master Chief out.

As predicted by Escharum, the Master Chief attacked the House of Reckoning to get Esparza back. During the battle, a cloaked 'Rdomnai attacked the Spartan in the structure on the third level of the Banished fortress. Ultimately, the Master Chief defeated 'Rdomnai, apparently killing him. However, the Spartan was unable to confirm this as the Sangheili's body disappeared without a trace.

Known Members
As of 2560, there are three known members of the Hand of Atriox.
 * Jega 'Rdomnai
 * Hyperius
 * Tovarus

List of appearances

 * Become
 * Carry On
 * Halo Infinite
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol