T'vaoan

The T'vaoans are a subspecies of Kig-Yar hailing from asteroid colony of T'vao, within the Kig-Yar's home system of Y'Deio. They served the Covenant as a specialized group in the military. While they are often simply referred to as "Skirmishers" by the humans who encounter them, skirmisher is a specific combat role that has its roots in the ancient history of all Kig-Yar, not just the T'vaoans that the Covenant favored for this role.

Origins
The T'vaoans originated on the Kig-Yar homeworld of Eayn. They eventually colonized other locations within the Y'Deio system, primarily the asteroid T'vao, from which they earn their name. The higher gravity, more dramatic atmospheric shifts, and other harsher environmental conditions on T'vao led to the T'vaoans evolving very differently to other Kig-Yar. When the Covenant made peace with the Kig-Yar after a prolonged battle in the system, T'vaoans were recruited into the Covenant's military.

The Covenant
Many T'vaoans served in the Human-Covenant War, often being led by Sangheili or Jiralhanae. In engagements prior to 2530, mixed units containing both Ruuhtian and T'vaoan Kig-Yar were more common; however, this changed as the war went on, with Covenant doctrine favoring units comprised solely of T'vaoan skirmishers. Several skirmisher squads saw action during the Battle of Hat Yai and Battle of Actium, among other engagements. During these engagements UNSC forces managed to capture the hologram technology used by the skirmishers. The T'vaoans also saw extensive action during the Covenant's invasion of Reach in 2552.

Post-war
In 2553, the T'vaoan Shipmistress Chol Von attempted to create a united Kig-Yar government to defend the Y'Deio system from threats, while others, such as Sav Fel, returned to the Kig-Yar's ancient ways of piracy. At least one T'vaoan joined Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group, serving as 'Gajat's second-in-command. The Banished have also recruited some T'vaoan skirmishers, with War Chief Escharum's forces deploying them to Reach during Operation: WOLFE in late 2559.

Anatomy and physiology
T'vaoans are a subset of the Kig-Yar species hailing from the isolated environment of T'vao. The morphological variation among the Kig-Yar represents divergent evolution in response to varied environments on prehistoric Eayn. Xenobiologists believe that the asteroid's higher gravity and atmospheric shifts led to the development of the T'voans' avian features. They are much faster and stronger than the more lightly-built common Kig-Yar, known to humans as Jackals (particularly the Ruuhtians and Ibie'shan). They have darker skin and stockier, squared heads with small yellow eyes with slitted pupils, as opposed to the bulbous and pale eyes of the Ruuhtians. They also have more beak-like mouths and bony facial coverings. T'vaoans have true feathers on their head, back, and arms, unlike the Jackals' quills. A T'vaoan's voice is more raspy and guttural—this is because they have an expanding voice chamber on their throat. T'vaoan skirmishers served as Covenant shock troops, while the more lightly built Jackals saw deployment as dedicated ranger or sniper units. Unlike other Kig-Yar, T'vaoans do not display color changes in their plumage when their moods shift.

Their head shape appears to be more avian than their cousins; their skin tone is noticeably darker and not yellowish. Like other Kig-Yar, T'vaoans have sharp talons on their hands and feet. Male Kig-Yar from T'vao had much heavier upper body plumage than other Kig-Yar. Females from T'vao had a ruff of feathers on their heads and necks instead of scales. Young T'vaoan chicks are covered in a brown fledgling down which gradually moults and gives way to scales and plumage as they age.

While Kig-Yar are generally quite agile across all subsets, T'vaoans are capable of sprinting at great speeds; many are capable of reaching up to 72 kilometers (45 miles) per hour in open environments. They are also especially capable jumpers, being able to leap considerably higher and for longer distances than other members of their species (as well as the other species that made up the Covenant).

The blood of a T'vaoan is thick and purple.

Culture
T'vaoans have a culture largely similar to most Kig-Yar, although most T'vaoans believe themselves to be superior over the rest of the Kig-Yar. Among T'vaoans, it is often considered "bad form" to treat a T'vaoan like an average Kig-Yar. Like other types of Kig-Yar, T'vaoan society is described as matriarchal. T'vaoans are attracted to shiny, glittery and glamorous objects. Males often squabble amongst each other and display their quills for females.

Role in the Covenant
Despite the mantle and practice of skirmisher being common to all Kig-Yar subspecies, the Covenant almost exclusively selected T'vaoan Kig-Yar to fill this role. The Covenant used T'vaoan skirmishers as close-range combatants, attacking in packs and using lightning-fast flanking tactics, as opposed to the mainline Kig-Yar troops, who were often used as defensive and long-range combatants and assassins. Anatomically, they possess a profile similar to regular Kig-Yar, though in combat they do not wield large rounded energy shields like the Jackals. High-ranking skirmishers wore point defense gauntlets or wrist shields, medium sized ovular shields strapped on to their wrists, to help them deflect bullet and light plasma fire. Apart from combat roles, and like the common Kig-Yar, the T'vaoans could hold commanding roles such as the title of shipmaster in the Covenant military.

While Covenant remnants such as Jul 'Mdama's Covenant used Kig-Yar (mostly Ibie'shans, though Ruuhtians have also been seen) in much the same roles as they had in the original Covenant, it is unknown if any T'vaoans served these remnants in the same manner.

Covenant rank structure
Fresh T'vaoans started as Skirmisher Minors (marked with black feathers and grey armor) and were promoted to Major (marked with red feathers and greyish-red armor) once they accumulated sufficient combat experience.

There were several specialist ranks for the skirmishers. These specialists were equipped with their own variation of combat armor and given equipments to fulfill their specific, respective roles. The Murmillones, for example, in their orange armor, were equipped point defense gauntlets on each arm. The Commandos, on the other hand, would be seen in green armor and were equipped with a holographic projector.

Leading the skirmishers in combat was the Champion, outfitted with heavier gold armor and sometimes employing holograms to confuse their enemies.

Production notes

 * T'vaoans bear a notable physical resemblance to dromaeosaurs such as Deinonychus and the smaller, better-known Velociraptor. Like the T'vaoans, the dromaeosaurs were reptiles with prominent avian features including feathers and lightweight bones. Dromaeosaurs are considered to be one of the main taxonomic links between dinosaurs and modern-day birds, perhaps suggesting a similar evolutionary progression among the Kig-Yar.
 * Early concept art for the species depicted T'vaoans having a more eagle-like design, possessing a hooked beak with no visible teeth, and a fan of tail feathers on the posterior. The texture of the skin on the rest of the body also differs from that of the final design, resembling exposed muscle fibers and tendons rather than the typical scaly skin of other Kig-Yar. The armor design, however, remained virtually unchanged.

List of appearances

 * Remember Reach
 * Deliver Hope
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo: Mortal Dictata
 * Halo: Last Light
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Fractures
 * Into the Fire
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo: Rise of Atriox
 * Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual
 * Halo: Renegades
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Halo: Point of Light
 * Halo Infinite