Banished

"I've gathered this crew and they're loyal, because I am loyal... and because we share a vision. One where the blood we spill and the treasures we plunder are in the name of our own free will and nothing more."

- Atriox to would-be assassins of his.

The Banished is a mercenary organization and splinter faction of the former Covenant Empire that rose to power after the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War. The organization is led by the Jiralhanae warlord, Atriox.

History
"In the shadows of the Ark lurked a banished legacy of the shattered Covenant: a new opponent fueled not by religious fervor, but by raw lust for power."

- Curator on the Banished

Being a splinter group of the former Covenant, the Banished fought against the hegemony while it was at war with humanity. Unimpeded by the Covenant's devastating internal conflict, the Banished managed to salvage much of the empire's power after its eventual fall. At some point before 2559, the Banished also came into conflict with humanity.

In 2559, twenty-eight years after the lost contact with the rest of the United Nations Space Command, the vessel arrived at the extra-galactic Forerunner structure known as Installation 00, only to find that a UNSC research base on its surface had been attacked by the Banished, leaving no survivors but Isabel, a smart AI. Soon afterward, the crew of the Spirit of Fire engaged the Banished in combat.

Members
Most of the former client species of the Covenant are represented in the ranks of the Banished and the bulk of them are Jiralhanae. Sangheili crewmembers of Enduring Conviction also joined the Banished since its shipmaster aligned himself with Atriox. Besides them there are three Special Operations Sangheili from the Silent Shadow, a former Covenant Special Operations unit. Some Mgalekgolo and Unggoy have joined the Banished ranks as well. They even have a small compliment of Huragok. However, during their campaign on the Ark, the Banished did not employ Kig-Yar mercenaries.

Notable members

 * Atriox: Commander of the faction's massive army.
 * Decimus: A general in the Banished.
 * Let 'Volir: A Sangheili shipmaster reluctantly serving the Banished in exchange for supplies for his Enduring Conviction and crew.
 * Yam-Blim: An Unggoy thrall-taskmaster under the command of Decimus. Killed by Spartan-II Alice-130 on the Ark.

Jiralhanae

 * Warlord: Jiralhanae Chieftains promoted by Atriox to serve as loyal agents positioned to intercede on the Banished leader’s behalf to bring recalcitrant packs to heel and direct critical faction operations.
 * Atriox's Chosen: Jiralhanae warriors promoted by Atriox to be his personal enforcers.
 * Jiralhanae Jumper: These warriors wield Gravity hammers and have Jump packs

Unggoy

 * Thrall-taskmaster: Unggoy who had this rank were under the command of Decimus.
 * Suicide Unggoy: Unggoy in this role are truly aggressive and violent due to a lack of Covenant oversight and environmental hazards of their homeworld. This lead the Banished to adapt indoctrination protocols to turn these Unggoy into legions of suicide squads.

Sangheili

 * Shipmaster: This rank is held by the Sangheili who command a ship.
 * Honor Guard: These are mercenary Swordmasters who evoke the traditions and accomplishments of the old Covenant Honor Guard in the service of shipmaster Let ‘Volir.

Equipment
Having salvaged and repurposed a great deal of Covenant matériel, the Banished are well equipped with a wide range of military technology.

Armor
Most of the infantry personnel of the Banished are equipped with crimson armor, including Jiralhanae power armor, Sangheili combat harnesses and Unggoy combat harnesses. Additionally, the Banished employ specialist Jiralhanae soldiers known as Jump-pack Jiralhanae, who are equipped with jump pack propulsion systems.

Weaponry
Weapons used by the organization include the Type-1 energy sword, Type-2 gravity hammer, Type-25 Spiker, Type-51 Carbine, Type-25 Brute shot, Type-25 plasma pistol and a mace-like weapon called Chainbreaker used by Atriox.

Vehicles
The vehicles at their disposal include the Blisterback mobile missile battery, Shroud aerial stealth vehicle, Marauder, and Reaver. The Spike turret is used for static defense. They also field the Type-25 Chopper, Type-25 Spirit, Type-26 Banshee, Type-26 Wraith, Type-30 Locust, Type-32 Ghost, Type-47 Scarab and Type-56 Lich all of which depart from typical Covenant aesthetics. They also have at least one, the Enduring Conviction, and at one point captured the SDV-class heavy corvette, Elegy's Lament.

List of appearances

 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Hunting Party
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo Wars 2