Covenant remnants

Not to be confused with the Covenant Empire, the original Covenant that fought in the Human-Covenant war.
Covenant remnants is a collective term referring to the numerous factions which emerged in the stead of the original Covenant Empire after its dissolution in the Battle of the Citadel and the events which followed. The remnants have varying political and religious standpoints, and conflict between different remnant factions is commonplace.
==History==
The Covenant waged a genocidal campaign against humanity until they were formally defeated due to many factors - the most crucial of which was an internal conflict that broke the Covenant in two, forcing out the entire Sangheili species and splintering them into separatist groups.Canon Fodder - "The resulting conflict would be called the Great Schism, and it would divide the Covenant into two, ultimately forcing the Sangheili out."
Whilst the Covenant leadership was killed either during the Flood infestation of High Charity or during the Battle of the Citadel, it effectively dissolved into splinter groups. Some of them allied to the United Nations Space Command, helping them to defeat and destroy the Covenant, while others continued the efforts of the former Covenant were created after the conclusion of the war.Halo 3 - Assembly description 
Some of the separatist Sangheili were fanatical followers of the Covenant's religion and simply sought to recreate the Covenant entirely under their rule, free of the Hierarch's influence. However, between the dozens of factions there is a high variety: from mercenaries who work for anybody than pays them, to pirates, and more. But the main groups are focused around the two main warrior races of the Covenant: the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae, and both races share a great hate towards the other.Halo Waypoint: 'Canon Fodder' - Lore of the Rings - "Like the rest of the Sangheili, the surviving Councilors were not completely unified in their opinions on how to proceed following the Great Schism. While some did take up the Arbiter’s cause, many others had become enamored with the idea of bringing the Covenant empire under complete Sangheili rule, quickly scrambling to grab power wherever they could. Some of these eventually served under Jul ‘Mdama, while others consolidated small pockets of reclaimed Covenant assets under more independent factions."Halo: Glasslands, page 20
==Covenant Remnant Factions==
===Active===
====Swords of Sanghelios====
By far the most prominent remnant faction, the Swords of Sanghelios was an ancient faction, reformed with what remained of the Covenant Separatists by the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam after the end of the Human-Covenant war. Unlike many remnant factions, the Swords of Sanghelios promotes peace and cooperation with humanity, to further both species' goals. Despite faction's title, the Swords of Sanghelios allowed species other than just the Sangheili among their ranks, such as many Unggoy. By Sangheili standards, the Swords of Sanghelios are considered very progressive for reasons such as their admittance of female Sangheili into military positions, something otherwise unheard of.
====Sali 'Nyon's Covenant====
A breakaway faction from Jul 'Mdama's now defunct Covenant, Sali 'Nyon's Covenant, despite his initial followers were slaughtered and he was captured, came about following a successful mutiny on board the CAS-class assault carrier Breath of Annihilation. Due to his collaboration with Catherine Halsey among other things, warriors of 'Nyon's Covenant see 'Mdama as a false prophet and instead believe that Sali 'Nyon is a legitimate one.
====The Banished====
A Jiralhanae-led faction whose Chieftain is Atriox, the Banished existed long before the Great Schism, and are known to have had conflicts with the original Covenant in the past. Banished forces have most recently been seen on Installation 00 in 2559, where they came across the .
====Servants of the Abiding Truth====
====Lydus' master-pack====
Lydus was Chieftain of a Jiralhanae Master-pack in 2558.
====Luro 'Taralumee's faction====
After the war, Supreme Commander Luro 'Taralumee's faction is known to have consolidated power, and he is considered dangerous by the UNSC.
====Others====
Many smaller factions exist, ranging from Kig-Yar pirate groups to individual Sangheili Keeps.
===Dissolved===
====Covenant Separatists====
Covenant Separatists is the collective term given to the splinter factions of Sangheili formed following their ejection from the Covenant by the Prophet of Truth. On the 3rd of November 2552, Truth ordered the Sangheili in several major fleets to be massacred and replaced by Jiralhanae, who he viewed as easier to control. This caused the Covenant to splinter, as many of the Sangheili (as well as some Unggoy and Mgalekgolo) formed pacts and fought back. Though the Separatists were not a coordinated force and each alliance varied in beliefs, most were united in rebellion against the Covenant.
The splintering of the Covenant had a profound impact on tide the Human-Covenant war. Suddenly, humanity was fighting an enemy which was also fighting itself, rendering it a considerably weaker foe, and ultimately it was this which allowed the UNSC to claim victory. Although the largest Separatist force, the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose, was destroyed when a NOVA Bomb detonated in the vicinity, it was the Fleet of Retribution, led by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum, that had the greatest effect on the war. Circumstances forced the Arbiter to negotiate a ceasefire with human forces on Delta Halo, and this makeshift alliance led to the prevention of the Halo Array's firing, the death of Truth (and hence the end of the war) on the Ark and finally the defeat of the Flood by firing a Halo ring.
Following the end of the war, many Separatist movements lost momentum, no longer united by a common goal. Those loyal to the Arbiter formed the Swords of Sanghelios, but most either disbanded or evolved into one of the many other remnant factions.
====Sesa 'Refumee's separatist faction====
Sesa 'Refumee's faction was originally a Covenant regiment led by 'Refumee, that was deployed to a gas mine in the atmosphere of Threshold during the Battle of Installation 04. After the ring's destruction, 343 Guilty Spark traveled to the gas mine, where he informed 'Refumee of the true purpose of the Halo Array; to wipe out all life in the galaxy. This caused the regiment to break away from the Covenant, whose objective was to activate the rings.
'Refumee secretly sent messages to several Sangheili in the hopes of swaying them to his cause. However, this was his undoing; one of the Elites showed the message to the Covenant authorities, and the Prophet of Truth deployed the newly-crowned Arbiter, Thel 'Vadamee, to quell the heretics. Ultimately, the faction met its end when the Arbiter killed 'Refumee, its leader, and jettisoned the mine into the gas giant below. Any remaining forces loyal to the cause were likely annihilated by the Covenant or inducted into the Covenant Separatists when the Great Schism erupted the following month.
====Jul 'Mdama's Covenant====
Formerly one of the most prominent remnant factions, Jul 'Mdama's Covenant was founded on the colony of Hesduros by Jul 'Mdama in partnership with many clans from the planet. The faction proved to be a thorn in the side of both the Swords of Sanghelios and the UNSC, participating in many battles such as the Battle of Requiem, the Requiem Campaign and the Battle of Aktis IV. However, the faction had its head severed during the Battle of Kamchatka when 'Mdama was killed by Spartan Jameson Locke, and it would later meet its end during its last stand at Sunaion.
====Keepers of the One Freedom====
The Keepers of the One Freedom were a religious movement operating in the post-Covenant War era. They followed the religion of the former Covenant and its belief in the Great Journey, but also renounced the San'Shyuum as false "prophets". Their capital was established on the friendly colony of Venezia, but they also had allies on Gao. The Keepers were led by a small group of Jiralhanae elders called Dokabs, most of whom were formerly high-ranked members of the Covenant military.
The Keepers of the One Freedom were eventually destroyed in October 2559 during an effort to fire the Halo Array from the Ark. Even before the Keepers left for the Ark through a Slipspace portal on Reach, Castor had been forced to abandon or sacrifice most of his followers due to a massive eradication campaign by ONI using intelligence gathered by the Ferrets. Following the failure of the mission, the only surviving Keepers were Castor and Sangheili Blademaster Inslaan 'Gadogai. Having learned the truth about his faith being a lie, Castor sought to exact vengeance upon his enemies.
Their official colors were blue and gold.
====Merg Vol's Covenant====
====Boru'a'Neem's faction====
====Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group====
Little, but aggressive and very professional mercenary group lead by Vata 'Gajat. Working under orders of Daniel Clayton, they lead two missions, making fail a peace conference between the Arbiter and a Jiralhanae Chieftan on Ealen IV, protected by Sarah Palmer's SPARTAN group, and later attempted to destroy UNSC Infinity. Palmer's team annihilated Vata 'Gajat and his main group.Halo: Escalation - Issue 5
==== KIg-Yar pirate group. ====
Main article: Kig-Yar Pirate group.
Faction made exclusively of Kig-Yar, lead by an unnamed queen. They dedicated to Space piracy, slavery and arms dealers. Operating from a hidden base in Ven III, all were destroyed after an assault of SPARTAN-IV and the UNSC Infinity, the 10 May of 2558.Halo: Escalation, Issue #11
==Sources==
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