Covenant: Difference between revisions
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The '''Covenant''', also referred to as the '''Covenant Empire'''<ref name="xytan">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 239''</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 269'' (2003 edition); ''page 323'' (2010 edition)</ref> or '''Covenant Hegemony''',<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 338'' (2003 edition); ''page 405'' (2010 edition)</ref> was a religious hegemony of multiple alien species that controlled a large portion of the [[Orion Arm]] in the [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]]. Originally a mutual alliance between the [[Reformists|San'Shyuum]] and the [[Council of City States|Sangheili]], the Covenant expanded to include at least six other species united in the worship of the [[Forerunner]]s and the [[Halo Array]]. | The '''Covenant''', also referred to as the '''Covenant Empire'''<ref name="xytan">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 239''</ref><ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 269'' (2003 edition); ''page 323'' (2010 edition)</ref> or '''Covenant Hegemony''',<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 338'' (2003 edition); ''page 405'' (2010 edition)</ref> was a religious hegemony of multiple alien species that controlled a large portion of the [[Orion Arm]] in the [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]]. Originally a mutual alliance between the [[Reformists|San'Shyuum]] and the [[Council of City States|Sangheili]], the Covenant expanded to include at least six other species united in the worship of the [[Forerunner]]s and the [[Halo Array]]. | ||
They waged a [[Human-Covenant War|genocidal campaign]] against [[human|humanity]] until they were defeated in [[2552#December|December of 2552]]. Despite being | They waged a [[Human-Covenant War|genocidal campaign]] against [[human|humanity]] until they were defeated in [[2552#December|December of 2552]]. Despite being one of the most powerful military forces in the known Milky Way galaxy at the time, [[Great Schism|internal conflict]] combined with stubborn human resistance were formidable enough to shatter the bonds that held the empire together. While the Covenant Empire ended either during the [[Flood]] [[Fall of High Charity|infection]] of [[High Charity]] or during the [[Battle of Installation 00]], a number of [[Covenant remnants|remnant factions]], some of which maintain many of the ideals of the Covenant's religion as well as many of its former subject species, continue to exist after the conclusion of the war.<ref name="h4guide">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/halo4guide ''Halo 4 Interactive Guide'']</ref><ref name="H3 Assem">'''[[Halo 3]]''', ''[[Assembly (level)|Assembly]] description''</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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[[File:Origins ii Human-CovenantWar.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An invading Covenant fleet prepares its assault of a human colony.]] | [[File:Origins ii Human-CovenantWar.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An invading Covenant fleet prepares its assault of a human colony.]] | ||
The Covenant began a genocidal campaign against humanity, seeking out their worlds one by one and wiping them clean of all life. If the colony was especially important, they would scorch the planet's entire surface and mark it with a glyph of their religion, in a process known as [[glassing]]. The [[United Nations Space Command]] was able to | The Covenant began a genocidal campaign against humanity, seeking out their worlds one by one and wiping them clean of all life. If the colony was especially important, they would scorch the planet's entire surface and mark it with a glyph of their religion, in a process known as [[glassing]]. The [[United Nations Space Command]] was able to slow the Covenant's progress through the [[Cole Protocol]], and by launching major offensive strikes at key military locations, as such with [[Operation: TORPEDO]], Albeit with great sacrifices. With the execution of the Cole Protocol, the UNSC also managed to prevent the Covenant from locating the human homeworld, Earth, and other important [[Inner Colonies]] for 28 years. | ||
After decades of struggle, some Sangheili within the Covenant began to question why humanity was not offered a chance to join the Covenant as other defeated races had.<ref name="convo">'''Halo 2''', ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''</ref> Despite their losses, humanity proved a determined and brave enemy. They were especially troubled by their soldiers called [[Spartan]]s, who were more than a match for them in battles and often killed thousands of Covenant by themselves.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 349''</ref> While these idle heresies did not halt the Covenant's military progress, doubt began to surface as to the wisdom of the Prophets' ultimate goals; a doubt that was carefully observed by the spies of the Hierarchs.<ref name="convo"/> Notably, a major break-off faction known as the [[Banished]] was created by [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Atriox]] as a result of his disgruntlement with the Prophets' rule, and proceeded to persistently raid Covenant supplies for years while the Human-Covenant War raged on.<ref>'''Halo Wars 2''', campaign level ''[[A New Enemy]]''</ref> | After decades of struggle, some Sangheili within the Covenant began to question why humanity was not offered a chance to join the Covenant as other defeated races had.<ref name="convo">'''Halo 2''', ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''</ref> Despite their losses, humanity proved a determined and brave enemy. They were especially troubled by their soldiers called [[Spartan]]s, who were more than a match for them in battles and often killed thousands of Covenant by themselves.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 349''</ref> While these idle heresies did not halt the Covenant's military progress, doubt began to surface as to the wisdom of the Prophets' ultimate goals; a doubt that was carefully observed by the spies of the Hierarchs.<ref name="convo"/> Notably, a major break-off faction known as the [[Banished]] was created by [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Atriox]] as a result of his disgruntlement with the Prophets' rule, and proceeded to persistently raid Covenant supplies for years while the Human-Covenant War raged on.<ref>'''Halo Wars 2''', campaign level ''[[A New Enemy]]''</ref> | ||
The Covenant delivered a serious blow to the UNSC as they suffered crippling military losses | After the massive, 1-month long battle with heavy casualties for both sides, The Covenant delivered a serious blow to the UNSC as they suffered crippling military losses in a battle known as the [[Fall of Reach]], and also, the [[Battle of Tribute]].<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 320'' (2001 edition)</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''', ''Dutch's biography''</ref> After the UNSC stronghold [[Reach]] fell to the Covenant, they made a discovery of tremendous significance: a single UNSC vessel, the [[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|''Pillar of Autumn'']], had made a supposedly blind jump away from the battle, inadvertently leading the [[Fleet of Particular Justice|pursuing Covenant fleet]] to the location of [[Installation 04|one]] of the seven Halo rings.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref> The Covenant's celebration following the discovery of this prized relic was short-lived, however, as after landing on the ring Covenant soldiers accidentally released the dormant [[Flood]]. A small group of UNSC forces—among them the fearsome, enigmatic soldier known to Covenant forces as "[[John-117|the Demon]]"—managed to destroy the ring by detonating the ''Pillar of Autumn'''s [[fusion drive|fusion engines]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Maw]]''</ref> [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee, the [[Supreme Commander]] of the fleet present at Halo, was branded a heretic for his failure to save the ring,<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Heretic]]''</ref> although he was subsequently appointed an [[Arbiter]].<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Arbiter]]''</ref> | ||
[[File:H2A - Autumn.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'' flees as Reach is orbitally bombarded.]] | [[File:H2A - Autumn.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'' flees as Reach is orbitally bombarded.]] | ||