Fleet of Retribution

"Brute ships! Staggered 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 a naval formation formerly in the service of the Covenant. When the Great Schism began, the fleet broke off from the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity and resumed Sangheili rule; it was lead by Rtas 'Vadum, a former Special Operations Commander. It was one of the main naval components of what would eventually become the Swords of Sanghelios during the schism and later took on forces from the UNSC Seventh Fleet. Command and control was provided by the flagship Shadow of Intent.

Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, future presumptive leader of Sanghelios, served as a field commander in the fleet. Other notable figures serving with Retribution include Commander Miranda Keyes, Spartan and Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, and Sergeant Major Avery Johnson.

History
After the Great Schism began during the Battle of Installation 05, the Second Fleet of Homogeneous 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 Sangheili 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 Voi, 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 frigate Forward Unto Dawn, 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 evacuated 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.

Fleet

 * Shadow of Intent
 * s
 * Pious Inquisitor
 * Eight unidentified ships
 * 1
 * (FFG-201)
 * (FFG-201)

Ground forces

 * S4/BRT/1/7
 * S4/BLCE/1/7
 * 11th Marine Force Reconnaissance/ODST
 * Fleet of Retribution Special Warfare Group
 * Multiple legions of Sangheili warriors

Air forces

 * Numerous D77H-TCI Pelicans
 * Several AV-14 Hornets
 * Small number of C712 Longswords
 * Large number of Type-31 Seraphs
 * Many Type-52 Phantoms

List of appearances

 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Mortal Dictata