Grono 'Yendam

Grono 'Yendam (Oracle Code SC20-M0921-3) is a from the poor Yendam clan that joined the military. He never rose above Ultra during his service, and joined a secret Cult called the Followers of the Forgotten, quelling a rival cult uprising. After the Great Schism, he became a pirate captain, stealing Forerunner artifacts, until his ship’s demise at the hands of Spartans. He then joined , joining the inner circle of the Didact's Hand. After the fall of Jul 'Mdama, he resorted to life as a mercenary, doing odd jobs for pay, and fleeing from the army before pledging his allegiance to the emerging powerhouse. The young Sangheili was considered a high value target by due to slaughtering innocent citizens even after the and his contribution to several factions vehemently opposed to the UNSC.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
Grono 'Yendam was born during the Ninth Age of Reclamation (2526 in human terms) in the poverty-struck city-state of 'Yendam, on the small Sangheili colony, Quendor. Unlike most male Sangheili, he was raised by his paternal uncle Akorn 'Yendamee. Grono was also visited from time to time by his biological father, Sovol 'Yendamee. The reason for this was, with no teachers around, Sovol and Akorn were forced to raise Grono alone after his mother died of illness. With both his father being in the military and his uncle out of it for a few years, Grono developed a strong sense of duty, and was a decent pupil in basic military protocols. He showed a strong interest in close-range traditional weapons like the energy sword during basic defense training. Grono took part in this training with other children, in case the keep would ever have to be defended.Around the age of nine, the young Sangheili encountered the aristocratic nephew of the , a ten year old named Nak, while walking to the market to buy food for himself. Nak teased Grono about his poor living conditions, and that his father and uncle were only Ultras, while Nak’s uncle was a Shipmaster. Nak then realized that Grono was ignoring all this, and buying food. At this point, Nak became enraged and told Grono to listen to his “Superiors,” before striking Grono’s mandibles. Surprised but angry, Grono beat Nak until he begged Grono to stop. Grono obliged and insulted Nak’s behavior, before carrying his food basket home.
Later, Akorn was summoned by the Kaidon, who wanted to know the reason of Grono's beating of Nak. Grono was summoned, and when asked, replied that he was defending himself from Nak who first verbally abused him, before striking. The Kaidon could not find fault with Grono's reason, so he only put a minor probation on the child. A fuming Grono was taken back by Akorn to their house, where he secretly cried about having any punishment at all. Grono would have many other tussles with Nak later on.
=== Covenant Military Service ===
Around the age of twenty, Grono joined the Covenant military like his father and uncle, earning himself the “-ee” suffix. Upon this, Akorn rejoined the Military too. Becoming a Minor, he joined a lance of Sangheili recruits like him, that was part of a Warrior Creche for the small but potent Fleet of Raging Dominance. It consisted of:
* Six CRS-class light cruisers
* Four 
* Two CPV-class heavy destroyers
* A CCS-class battlecruiser
* One DDS-class heavy carrier dubbed Intercession’s Wisdom.
Unlike most fleets, Raging Dominance was commanded by the Minister of Fervent Intercession. Succession oversaw military operations against the humans during the War of Annihilation, from his flagship, Intercession’s Wisdom, with the Fleetmaster, Oru 'Vanuxee, by his side. Grono was placed with the rest of his legion on the Destroyer, Gauntlet of the Ancients.
During the more advanced military training, Grono was constantly mocked by his more experienced teammate, Vor 'Moramee, for coming from a poor clan, but developed a small friendship with his other lance member, Gyev 'Ruvstee. The three Minors did continuous training exercises on the Sangheili homeworld , which was now used as a training ground for the Dominance’s warrior Creche. Their most grueling exercise was when the trio and another lance of five Sangheili Minors and seven Unggoy, were sent to a ravaged, abandoned keep. Once there, the two lances’ objectives were to reach the top of a crumbling skyscraper by any means necessary, where a Spirit would pick them up. When Gyev questioned this, Grono answered by saying that the fleet’s next destination would be a human planet with perilous mountain ranges, from what Covenant scouts said. They climbed up several stories before the floors gave away and collapsed. The Sangheili from the other lance used five of the Unggoy as stepping stools to get up to the next floor, before leaving the Unggoy to hang there. Gyev expressed his thoughts about treating the Unggoy as even less than mere cannon fodder, but Grono told him that they were ordered to use any means necessary to complete the mission, and that the Unggoy were lucky that the Sangheili didn’t stomp on their hands to make them fall to their deaths. At the top, the eight Sangheili found out that their Spirit would be delayed, so the five from the second lance decided to spend their time kicking the Unggoy and threatening them. Gyev got tired of the horseplay, and told the Sangheili to leave the Unggoy alone because Unggoy had strength in numbers, before flat out calling the Sangheili Minors as mature as hatchlings. 
The Sangheili then ganged up on Gyev and broke his mandible. The leader of the bunch then told the others to throw Gyev off the skyscraper, before the Spirit came. Grono asked Vor for assistance in helping Gyev, and Vor agreed only because he cared for Sangheili, not Unggoy. But before anything could happen, the Spirit came, and a Sangheili Major stepped out, and reprimanded the five Sangheili for having no honor, before leaving them to walk back to the outpost, while Grono, Gyev, Vor, and the Unggoy got on the Spirit with him. The Lance was then moved into the Gez'dar Assault Legion.
==== Battle of Carchar ====
In 2547, the Fleet of Raging Dominance arrived at one of the only remaining outer colonies, known as Carchar. The human forces there only had two ships, which were easily destroyed, at the cost of a Corvette. Dominance soon found out that the humans’ ground forces were hiding in the mountain ranges that Grono 'Yendamee and the others had trained for. The Minister of Fervent Intercession then ordered the Gez'dar Assault Legion to attack the mountains and end the humans. Grono’s lance was ordered to scout out the mountains, but having no leader, were assigned a Sangheili Major to command them. That Major turned out to be Nak 'Yendamee, who had joined the Covenant military too. Infuriated, Grono trashed his living cell in a fit of rage.
A Spirit dropped off the lance on a small mountain and the Sangheili scouted the range for several hours, before encountering a human lance. They fought hard, with Grono using his plasma pistol to kill the human leader with an overcharged shot, before the Covenant won. The lance then returned to the Gauntlet of the Ancients, where they informed the Gez'dar Assault Legion’s Zealot Field Master, Zholos 'Fenossee, about the human’s hiding place, but because of an injury sustained by Vor, they were forced to stay on the ship while Zholos led the legion into battle. The battle was coming to a close after three days, when a human strike force arrived.
Three human ships came out of slipspace and engaged the fleet, cutting off support to Zholos. One was destroyed and one evacuated some of the humans below, but the last brought down a light cruiser using superior tactics. It then infiltrated Succession’s Wisdom, before breaking off, although it was destroyed before it could fully retreat. A few hours later, Shipmaster Sorv 'Tunostee informed the Gauntlet’s crew that two reports had come in. The first, was that Zholos had launched a successful campaign on Carchar’s surface with the help of troops from Wisdom, and the other, was that the last human ship had deployed a pair of Spartan warriors, better known by the moniker of Demons on the Wisdom, and they had killed multiple Covenant soldiers. For another hour, the crew waited. Finally, Sorv exclaimed to them that the first Spartan was killed by Intercession’s three Honor Guards, who were in turn killed by the second Spartan. That second Spartan was finally slain by Fleetmaster Oru 'Vanuxee in a last-ditch attempt to protect the Prophet.
Grono, Vor and Gyev were notified that they would be promoted on High Charity, and they grew excited. Back in their living cells, Vor brought up the 'Yendam clan’s poverty again and told Grono he had no place in the military. He was interrupted by Nak 'Yendamee this time, who discovered Vor’s insults, and threatened Vor for insulting Grono’s clan. Since Grono's clan was also his clan, that would count as Vor insulting a superior officer. That shut Vor up, and he never spoke of 'Yendam again.
==== Excavation at New Harmony ====
The fleet prepared to go to the Covenant capital , where the Minister had a meeting with the Hierarchs. During the travel, some slipspace problems occurred, and the fleet was pulled back into normal space. They found the abandoned human planet, New Harmony, which was held by the humans a decade ago. By using it’s , Intercession’s Wisdom detected an artifact on the planet of religious reverence. Gyev and Vor expressed excitement, while Grono and Nak questioned what an artifact would do with religion. Astounded, Gyev told them that the Covenant worshiped an ancient race known as the Forerunners, who left artifacts behind for the Covenant to find. The most revered were the which would initiate the Great Journey, propelling the Covenant to godhood. Humanity was an affront to the gods that had to be exterminated. Nak told Grono that because Quendor was a small colony, it was only introduced to the basics of religion. Grono asked Gyev to tell him more about this when they returned, which Gyev agreed to.
Due to their success on Carchar, the Gez'dar was sent to investigate the artifact. This time however, Grono’s lance would be acting as guards for the Field Master. On the way down via gravity lift, a human stealth ship appeared and attacked the Gauntlet of the Ancients, causing the lift to malfunction and sending several hundred Covenant soldiers to their deaths. The lance survived because Zholos went down first to lead the extraction. The stealth ship escaped to slipspace, and the search continued. The legion found an underground cavern, where a small group of humans were examining the artifact. Zholos pronounced this heresy, and ordered the legion to attack. The humans were quickly slaughtered, but it was a trap and a legion of human soldiers cornered the Gez'dar, and a battle began. Gyev and Vor were fatally shot, but Grono helped Zholos take many human lives.
The battle quickly ended with the Covenant as the victor, although the legion had lost half of its troops. The artifact was discovered to be an Oracle, one of the ancient intelligences left behind by Forerunners. The Oracle was handed over to Intercession, and the Covenant forces picked up their dead. Grono was surprised that Vor had died, but was relieved that it was not himself. During the cremating, Grono told Nak he could not find Gyev’s body. Nak said of course not because Gyev had survived, but with loss of blood and bones was no longer fit for military service. Grono had one last meeting with Gyev and expressed sorrow about not being able to learn of the Forerunners. Gyev laughed, and told Grono that on High Charity there were many religious classes. Gyev told Grono that he was never good enough for the Covenant’s Military, and that he should have died instead of Vor. He also said that it was a blessing that he was injured. The last time Grono thought he would ever see his friend had passed. The next day Gyev returned to Sanghelios.
==== Life on High Charity ====
When they arrived at High Charity, Grono and Nak were awed. The fleet landed in the spires of the City and they disembarked. The fleet’s crew then went to a middle-class Military Tenement building. The Unggoy and Kig-Yar dwelled at the bottom, with the Sangheili in the middle, while Intercession and his two replacement Honor Guards had the top to themselves. After a few days, the Minister summoned Grono and Nak to his quarters. Once there, they found Field Master Zholos standing next to the Minister of Fervent Intercession. The Minister told the trio that Zholos’ kill count was high and he was on the verge of being promoted from a Zealot Field Master to a full Field Marshal. Zholos thanked the Minister, who then told Nak and Grono because of their kill counts, and bravery defending the Fieldmaster, they would be promoted. Nak was bestowed the rank of Ultra, while Grono received Major.
The next day, Zholos told the pair that Nak would be in charge of a Large battle lance of Kig-Yar and Unggoy, with Grono as his second-in-command. Grono asked Zholos what happened to the Oracle, and Zholos said the Minister gave it to the Hierarchs for examination. Over the next few months, Grono started going to Covenant Religious classes. He and Nak forgave each other and became good friends because of all the battles they had been through together.
At one point in his years on High Charity, Grono was in a Food Area, when a trio of Sangheili Minors attacked him. They told him that the table he was sitting at belonged to them - troops from the Fleet of Particular Justice. Grono retaliated and beat their leader, but the other two grabbed him, slammed him against a wall, and prepared for the finishing blow, when Grono told them they would get punished for striking a superior. The lead Sangheili laughed at this, and said he didn’t care, when a Sangheili General came over and asked the Minors what they were doing to Grono. The leader stuttered, and Grono answered, saying they were acting immature and called them sniveling brats. To everyone’s surprise, the General broke down in tears of joy. When asked why he was crying by Grono, he revealed to Grono that he was Sovol 'Yendamee. Sovol instantly recognized Grono when he called them sniveling brats, like he had called Nak all those years ago. Grono asked Sovol later that day what the whereabouts of Akorn were. Sovol told him Akorn had joined the Special Ops Sangheili of Particular Justice, while he was a General in the Fie'Vair Defense Legion. A month later, Grono 'Yendamee wished his father and uncle farewell, before the Fleet of Particular Justice left to battle the humans.
In 2549, still young and curious, Grono learned through a Kig-Yar smuggler about the criminal underworld of High Charity. Located in the alleys of the lower-class neighborhoods, there were many things, such as secret religious groups, black markets, and shady gangs. The Kig-Yar recommended Grono bring a weapon in case he was attacked. Armed with his plasma rifle and two plasma grenades, Grono started to explore the alleyways more and more.
===== The Followers of the Forgotten =====
Soon after his introduction to the criminal underworld, Grono arrogantly joined a secret religious group called the “Followers of the Forgotten,” which was devoted to the Forerunners. They denounced the Great Journey believing that if the Covenant ascended to godhood, the Forerunners would have no followers, and with no followers, wouldn’t be considered gods. Instead, they believed the gods’ relics could make the Covenant more powerful, but puny mortals should never be on the same level as the Forerunners.
Grono rose through the ranks of the Followers quickly because of his new devotion for religion, and eventually became one of the “Wardens”. These were devoted Followers that fought in the name of the organization. In 2550, Grono was tasked by the organization’s current leader, Qav 'Bagozee, a Sangheili High Councilor, to take care of a political rival that was the secret leader of a rival cult. Qav offered Grono a place in the Follower’s inner circle and a chance to be promoted in the military, saying it would be like a mercenary’s job, high-risk, but well-rewarding. Zealous for promotion and eager to please, Grono accepted and was given a particle beam rifle to make the kill-shot.
Later that day, Grono camped out on the rooftop of a building near the Sangheili’s quarters where they were passing a pair of Sangheili mercenaries. Grono, being experienced with only close to mid-range weapons, messed up the shot, killing one of the mercenaries instead. The other one sounded an alarm before Grono contacted Qav, telling him that he messed up the shot. Qav ordered Grono to then kill the Councilor at any means possible.
Grono infiltrated the quarters killing many mercenaries until he found the Councilor. The older Sangheili easily beat him, but Grono was able to wriggle out his rifle, and killed the Councilor. The assassination caused great dissent in the Council as rumors went around that a mere Major had killed the Councilor. Grono was elevated to the Followers inner circle, but because of the messed up shot and to keep Grono safe from execution, Qav did not have Grono promoted. Grono continued his Warden missions eliminating rival cult leaders and elevating the Followers’ status. At the end of 2550, Grono received a mission from Qav to execute a Sangheili Oracle Master by the name of Kolasa 'Zam. Rumors had it Kolasa 'Zam was using the Oracle from New Harmony to build a war machine that would end the war with a swift victory, and propel the Covenant on the Great Journey.
Grono disguised himself as a High Councilor using Qav’s armor with his blessing. Because of this, Grono slipped in and found a laboratory where Kolasa 'Zam was. Grono expected to find a proud Covenant soldier, but instead found a crippled Sangheili alone in the lab. Nonetheless, Grono prepared for the kill when Kolasa turned around to get a tool. Surprised, Kolasa put his hands up and Grono interrogated him about the war machine. Kolasa said the war machine had nothing to do with the Path at all, but was just a new warfare vehicle to speed up the war. Grono informed Qav about it through a datapad, and Qav told him to go before security came.
Grono left Kolasa to his work and returned to the Followers, where he gave back Qav’s armor. Qav gave Grono the title of Supreme Warden and gave Grono one last mission before Grono’s dated departure. In his new position, Grono would lead a group of thirty Wardens to take out a gathering of Covenant Heretics, who opposed all parts of Covenant religion. Qav told Grono that he secretly established the gathering, and would publicly oppose it on the High Council. Qav would then send in the Wardens, or “mercenaries” as Qav would call them, to eliminate the Heretics. This would boost Qav’s already high political status on the Council. Grono originally questioned this being about politics instead of religion, but graciously obeyed when told he would be a public hero, and most definitely promoted to Ultra.
The Wardens entered one of the spires in High Charity, where the gathering was. Grono brought along a beam rifle with the usual plasma rifle, reasoning that with so many Heretics, even a miss will kill. After the troops were in position, Grono ordered the attack. The Heretics were fierce, but the Wardens had vigor to match. After much hard fighting the Wardens won, and Grono was promoted to an Ultra by the San'Shyuum Minister of Resolution. In late 2551, the Fleet of Raging Dominance prepared to go to the human colony of Sigma Octanus IV. Grono and Nak boarded the Intercession’s Wisdom, which they were reassigned to, and joined up with the rest of the fleet. They then left for the long slipspace journey with another larger fleet to Sigma Octanus IV.
==== Battle of Sigma Octanus IV ====
When the Covenant arrived at , they realized they had a wrong trajectory, and only the Inteccession’s Wisdom and three ships from the other fleet made it. They encountered a lone human destroyer guarding the whole planet, and thought it would be an easy kill. The destroyer charged and launched a nuke though, and the Intercession's Wisdom was the only ship to survive.
While this was happening, Wisdom deployed multiple Legions to the surface of the planet. Once there, Grono and Nak’s new Fieldmaster ordered them to march to the human city of Côte d’Azur, where a Forerunner map that was rumored to lead to the Rings was located. Grono was secretly disappointed by this, being a disbeliever of the Path. When they completed their trek, the Legion found the city in ruin and occupied the museum. They were attacked by human soldiers but quickly dealt with the nuisance. Later, scouts reported the humans calling in reinforcements, and a large human fleet appeared, prompting Intercession's Wisdom to flee. Around the same time, the two Covenant fleets arrived. The humans deployed a dropship that carried a whole lance of Spartans into the city, where they split up. Knowing that the Spartans would want to destroy the map and the Covenant, Grono convinced the Fieldmaster to put Grono’s lance on scouting duty. When he told Nak, who he now shared command of their lance with, Nak was disappointed at the prospect of not fighting the Spartans.
During their scouting, the lance encountered some Spartans who tussled with them, taking out several Unggoy and Kig-Yar, while also knocking out Nak, before retreating for some odd reason. Grono debated what to do with the lance, when an order from the Fieldmaster came telling Grono to come back to the museum to fight Spartans. But after witnessing Nak get beaten in combat by a Spartan, and not wanting the map to remain, Grono refused and moved his lance away from the city. After an hour, a human dropship escaped the city, and a Spirit found Grono’s lance and picked them up, bringing them to the Gauntlet of the Ancients. A bomb then exploded, destroying the whole city, killing off Grono’s Legion, and destroying the map. After, the remains of Raging Dominance, the Gauntlet, four light cruisers, a pair of Corvettes, and the CCS-class battlecruiser Keeper of Light escaped to slipspace after tagging the human destroyer from the beginning of the battle with a tracker.
Afterwards, reunited with their flagship, Grono was confronted by Oru 'Vanuxee, who on orders from the Minister, stripped Grono of his rank in front of the whole crew for retreating as Côte d'Azur was destroyed. Calling him a coward and even referring to his Oracle Code, Oru demoted Grono to Major, and assigned him to lead a penal lance back on the Gauntlet of the Ancients. He also stating that Grono had let a holy relic get destroyed, much less a whole Legion. Nak tried consoling Grono, but was ignored. Grono, in shame, left to command his new unit while Nak was left on Intercession’s Wisdom.
==== Fall of Reach ====
Thanks to the tracking device placed on the human ship, the Covenant easily found the human fortress-world, . Grono’s lance, comprised of two Unggoy, Dipdip and Robtob, and a Kig-Yar named Wez, were sent to the city of New Alexandria. There they found a human lance defending a cache of powerful weapons. After killing them, Wez expressed his desire to sell them on the black market. He revealed his insanity and the reason he was expelled to the penal lance, when he became possessive of them. More humans came to secure the cache, but Wez was unwilling to shoot in case he damaged the cache. Because of this, Robtob was killed by the humans, and Grono threatened Wez for wanting human weapons, but Wez ignored him. Grono believed his unit to be a failure, before Dipdip went into a blood fueled rage to avenge Robtob, using his fuel rod gun to wipe out the lance. Grono was amazed.
After it was over, Grono, like he promised, severed Wez’s head off. Dipdip happily agreed to not rat out Grono on killing his subordinate, because Wez was the reason of Robtob’s death. After they returned to the Gauntlet, Grono swore to never trust Kig-Yar vermin again. He also was told by Dipdip that Robtob was sent into the unit for being a cowardly soldier, while Dipdip on the other hand, was assigned because of his surprising bloodlust, killing a Kig-Yar over sleeping arrangements.
Grono was then sent with Dipdip to assist a Sangheili Ultra in commanding a small unit elsewhere on Reach. The unit was part of a Legion-web commanded by a Field Marshal that sniped a Spartan in New Alexandria. The objective was to hold out long enough for a CCS-Class Battlecruiser to destroy a human ship. However, the lance retreated when a pair of Spartans arrived, with one taking control of a heavy weapon and taking out multiple Phantoms. Eventually, the Field Marshal and his Zealots took out on Spartan while the other Spartan enabled the human ship to escape. The Field Marshal was killed in the ensuing chaos, as was the Spartan.
Arriving back on their ship, Grono learned that the human ship was pursued by the Fleet of Particular Justice- the fleet of Grono’s father and uncle. The Fleet of Raging Dominance stayed with the other fleets to glass the planet, and turn it into a potential military outpost. A eighteen days later, the fleets received a transmission from Supreme Commander that they had found a Halo. The Covenant rejoiced at this, while Grono secretly started to doubt himself. It also said the human ship was detonated by a Spartan, known as , to destroy Halo and stopping the outbreak of a parasite called the Flood. The Fleets were then called back to High Charity, where Thel’s trial would be for his failure to protect the Ring. Grono laughed to himself, believing that the Followers of the Forgotten were still a true cause.
==== Installation 05 ====
On High Charity, Grono met back up with Qav, who as a Councilor, was at Thel’s trial where the two found proof that the Halos might not actually initiate the Great Journey. At the time for Thel to get the Mark of Shame for letting Installation 04 be destroyed, Grono was present along with a mob of Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Mgalekgolo. Word soon spread around that the had found another Halo. In the Council, some Sangheili thought this to be a human trick, but Qav and the San 'Shyuum voted to investigate.
High Charity arrived at Installation 05 along with the Covenant fleets. As they arrived, they discovered John-117 had assassinated the Prophet of Regret, causing discord in the Covenant Empire. Qav voted on glassing the area to kill the Spartan, and it was carried out. On his uncle's behalf, Qav also told Grono that during the battle of the first Halo, the detonation had killed Sovol. Heartbroken, Grono asked Qav about Akorn, and was answered that Akorn had survived due to being in Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee’s legion, which was stationed away from the ring with Thel 'Vadamee. Grono ignored the rest about Thel becoming an , and went into depression.
During the beginning of his depression, Grono decided to kill himself with his plasma rifle, to retain his honor and not bear the non-Sangheili-like way he spent his life, skulking in his dormitory. Before he could do it, Qav found him and gave Grono a mission to kill the Arbiter. Qav believed the Arbiter deserved to die, and this would show the Council that Qav’s “Mercenary” was a force to be reckoned with. Grono once again said this was politics and not religion. Qav, astounded, threatened Grono with death if he didn’t do it. Grono finally cracked and started probing Qav, who finally revealed that he joined the Followers of the Forgotten for political power, not religion. Grono took his plasma rifle and prepared to fire, but Qav convinced him to drop it, saying that killing him would drop Grono’s already low status.
When the Changing of the Guard happened, the Sangheili were outraged. This only depressed Grono even more, making his hatred for humanity complete. Grono also learned that Akorn was assassinated, with most believing it to be the savage . But Grono had other thoughts.
Shortly after the assassination, Grono visited Qav. Grono accused Qav of assassinating Akorn, at which Qav summoned a Warden. Qav said that he ordered the Warden to kill Akorn to remind Grono of his oath. Grono spat at Qav’s feet, saying that Qav was a disgrace, prompting the Warden to strike. Grono barely dodged the attack, cursing Qav and drawing his rifle. Grono killed the Warden and claimed their energy sword, telling Qav that the corpse was an example of what the Councilor was.
Qav growled, and pulled out his own blade, charging towards Grono. They dueled, with Qav edging forward due to Grono’s lack of experience with an energy sword, but the tide changed when Grono lunged with his free hand towards Qav, getting badly scarred, but grabbing Qav’s throat. Thrown off, Qav whimpered as Grono marched towards the window. Grono reminded Qav that they were on the 17th floor, before shattering the window with his energy sword. Qav begged Grono not to kill him, but Grono went on, determined. Grono held Qav up and said the High Councilor disgusted him, before impaling Qav and shoving him out the window. Grono covered up the murder, with a story that the Warden attacked and killed Qav. Grono then found the Warden and killed them. After he returned to the Gauntlet of the Ancients, Grono sent Dipdip to the Intercession’s Wisdom to ask the Minister of Succession for more troops in his lance. Little did he know that something big was about to happen.
=== Great Schism ===
When the Arbiter found the Index, the Hierarchs ordered the extermination of the Sangheili. All across the ring, fleets were turning against each other. Raging Dominance was not left out. A Jiralhanae fleet attacked, destroying all the small ships. A pack of Jiralhanae lead by Chieftain Gorvanus then infiltrated the Gauntlet, and attacked the bridge killing Shipmaster Sorv 'Tunostee. Gorvanus escaped and infiltrated the flagship, abducting the Minister and retreating. When they were on the Wisdom, Fleetmaster Oru 'Vanuxee, in an act of cowardice, escaped in one of the launched lifeboats with several crew members. Nak 'Yendamee and Dipdip were supposedly killed.
On Grono’s ship, a Sangheili Officer immediately claimed command, saying that Fieldmaster Zholos ‘Fenossee had no space experience. Hatching a plan for control, Grono approached the fellow Major and whipped out a plasma pistol, killing the him and claiming control of the Gauntlet of the Ancients. Now owning the title of Shipmaster, Grono self-promoted himself to General, donning Sorv's old armor. After, Grono had all Sangheili on board strip their “-ee” suffix, and forced the crew to convert to the Followers of the Forgotten faith. Grono used Sorv 'Tunostee’s personal energy sword, Varmint’s Nail, to execute any that did not convert. Zholos willingly obeyed, and became Grono’s right hand man while the crew, most of which respected Zholos, went along with him. Escaping the slaughter, Shipmaster Grono 'Yendam did a slipspace jump, and the crew of the Gauntlet of the Ancients was thought to be lost with all hands.
=== Shipmaster of the Gauntlet of the Ancients ===
A few months after the end of the War of Annihilation in 2553, the Gauntlet of the Ancients returned to Sanghelios, and struck an outpost, killing all and taking supplies. It then went to slipspace. Grono Yendam had turned to a pirate life, stealing supplies and killing humans and alike. They mainly took supplies, but also used a Luminary to try finding Forerunner artifacts. In addition, Grono hired Sangheili mercenaries to build safe havens for his crew.
Grono also conducted attacks on the small but well known Jiralhanae outposts, in revenge for what they had done and to find Gorvanus. In 2554, a raiding force of mercenary ships attacked a heavily fortified Swords of Sanghelios research facility on Quendor, killing a thousand researchers. All but one of the ships, an SDV-class heavy corvette, had left before the Gauntlet of the Ancients appeared and immobilized the ship. Grono, Zholos, and a team of Sangheili Ultras boarded the ship, slaughtered the crew and stormed the bridge. After wounding the ship’s commander, the Jiralhane Gorvanus, Grono speculated that the situation was similar to when Gorvanus killed Sorv. Grono said it would be a fitting death for Gorvanus and decapitated him with Varmint’s Nail. The team then secured the Corvette.
Deciding to visit his homeworld again, Grono went to the surface and visited 'Yendam Keep, where he saw the Kaidon, Nak’s uncle. The Kaidon asked of Nak’s whereabouts, and Grono answered that he thought Nak was dead. The Kaidon sighed, and thanked Grono, believing that the Swords had saved them. Grono then spat at the Kaidon’s feet and said the Swords were blasphemy, saying he was a righteous Shipmaster, and left. As he was leaving, Grono was approached by a crippled Sangheili. He introduced himself as a senior engineer, Kolasa 'Zam, who Grono was sent to assassinate four years prior. Kolasa explained that he was still trying to create a war machine, but his progress was halted when he was forced to join the Swords. Kolasa asked Grono if he could join his crew so he could create his machine. Grono agreed, but only if he got to command the machine. Kolasa happily obliged.
After introducing Kolasa to Zholos, Grono quickly made Kolasa the scientist of the Gauntlet of the Ancients. Intending to take the Corvette, Grono was forced to flee when Swords of Sangheilios reinforcements arrived to claim it. By 2555, the Gauntlet of the Ancients was known as a pirate ship for killing Humans and Sangheili alike. They stole many weapons and even a Huragok from the Swords of Sanghelios once, that added many upgrades to the ship. Kolasa eventually finished his machine, a large mech he dubbed an Orc. Kolasa would eventuall give Grono the coordinates to a powerful Forerunner artifact on the backwater world of Drawn, a planet with one of Grono's safe havens.
==== Cleanser ====
Upon arrival at Drawn in late 2556, Grono watched as a human ship laid waste to a dig site run by one of Grono’s hired mercenaries, a Zealot from Jul 'Mdama’s Covenant Remnant. Shortly after, Grono launched a wave of Banshees towards the ship, destroying it’s defenses, before the Gauntlet destroyed it with a plasma lance. A lance of Covenant went to find survivors, while a Spartan lance called Fireteam Atom boarded the Gauntlet in a dropship. When Fireteam Atom made it to the bridge, Grono had left and sent a squad of Sangheili Ultras to fight them. The Ultras were killed, and Atom got back to the dropship. However, an Unggoy damaged it with a fuel rod gun, causing it to crash.
Grono sent one of Kolasa’s three Orc prototypes to salvage the wreckage, while his lance came back and reported capturing two humans while a trio of Spartans escaped. After having the lance’s Sangheili Major shoot one human, Grono brought the other, the ship’s commanding officer Captain Andrew Barnett, into a prison cell to await execution. Meanwhile, Kolasa had led the Gez-Dar Assault Legion to the dig site with Zholos, and the Gauntlet used it's excavation beam to unearth a Forerunner artifact with an Oracle inside, designated 589 Curious Puzzle. Puzzle claimed he was trapped inside the device, which he called the Cleanser.
The Cleanser was a smaller alternative to the Halo array to wipe out life in the galaxy, but Forerunners figured it would take too long to use. The Cleanser needed scans of a species DNA, approximately ten specimens, to wipe out all of that species in a light-year’s range. The Forerunners had planned to use it on the Flood, but discovered that it did not work and scrapped it. After learning this, Grono realized that the Halos truly weren’t revered, and were more of doomsday weapons. Thinking the Followers’ salvation was at hand, Grono boldly asked the Oracle if the Forerunners were gods. It answered no.
Realizing that all the Covenant faith was a lie, like the Swords of Sanghelios said, Grono resolved to use the Cleanser to wipe out humanity anyways, but never told any of his crew members. Scanning the dead human’s DNA cells, Grono went to Captain Barnett’s prison cell with a pair of Kig-Yar, which Grono barely tolerated, and executed the Captain with Varmint’s Nail before scanning his DNA. The Orc returned, and went to the Gauntlet’s cargo bay, where Fireteam Atom burst out and slaughtered a lance. Kolasa had a pair of Sangheili pilot his other Orcs to stop Atom, but a Spartan sacrificed their life to destroy all three. 
As Grono thought things couldn’t get any worse, all across the ship Sangheili started massacring soldiers, with Grono eventually locking himself in the bridge with a lance and Zholos. A security video later showed that Kolasa killed a Spartan with his Guard Drones, before the rest of Fireteam Atom eliminated him. Questioning how the mutiny could have happened, Grono was fired on and sustained minor injuries. Grono stared in disbelief, when he saw Zholos standing there, holding a smoking plasma rifle. Zholos laughed and stated that Grono’s little "Cult" was nothing, also citing that Grono was an undeserving lowlife that climbed his way to power. Zholos said Grono had terrible combat experience, only participating in several battles with Humanity.
Grono took out Varmint’s Nail, and stated that in the Followers, he had killed many enemies, to which Zholos whipped out his own energy sword, challenging Grono to a duel. Grono accepted, and went for Zholos. The lance just watched as they fought, with Grono skimming Zholos several times. Grono sensed victory was near, but suddenly Zholos pulled out another energy sword. Surprised, Grono started to falter, and knowing there was only one thing left, Grono lunged with his hand for Zholos. Screaming with pain as Zholos severed his hand, Grono roared in agony, while Zholos dropped his energy swords in surprise. Regaining his stature, Grono shoved Zholos to the ground, planting his foot on the Fieldmaster’s chest. Grono said this was exactly how he killed High Councilor Qav 'Bagozee, and said that he always liked the Covenant’s Arbiter concept. Wanting to kill Zholos, but still finding a use for him, Grono gave the Fieldmaster an energy sword and a datapad to record. Grono ordered him to kill the Spartans, stating that if he came back in fear, Grono would execute him. Zholos grumbled and left to kill Fireteam Atom.
After tending to his wound, mourning his lost honor, and quelling the rebellion by sending a transmission across the Gauntlet of the Ancients, Grono looked at a screen that was linked to Zholos’ datapad. Grono saw the trio of Spartans that escaped his lance at the human ship’s wreckage. Zholos killed two of them swiftly, and impaled the last one, before moving in to the reactor to kill both remaining members of Fireteam Atom. Zholos killed one, but the other one fought on. He introduced himself as Benjamin Erikson, and taunted Zholos by saying that Grono had killed his father on Carchar, and helped the Covenant take over, while he, at only seventeen, had barely escaped with his mother. Zholos finally won, and asked the Spartan if they had any last words. Ben said that he had a grenade, which he threw into the Reactor. Knowing he was doomed, Grono launched his lifeboat, just as the Gauntlet of the Ancients exploded. Believing he was stranded, Grono prepared for the worst.
=== Service in Jul 'Mdama's Covenant ===
After a day stranded in space, Grono witnessed a CRS-class light cruiser exit slipspace. Intercepting Grono’s pod, the discgraced Shipmaster was brought aboard. There, he met the vessels' commander, a battle-scarred Sangheili pirate who introduced himself as Gek 'Lhar, the lieutenant of , the Supreme Commander of a Covenant Remnant. Gek said that he had been monitoring Grono’s movements ever since he hired the Hesduron Zealot on Drawn. Gek also stated he was impressed by Grono’s skills raiding bases for artifacts. The commander explained that he wanted to offer Grono a position in Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, with a high rank involved, hinting that the remnant despised the Swords of Sanghelios too. Grono accepted and Gek set course for an uncharted planet, , where Grono would meet up with Jul.
Once there, Grono beheld a large fleet of ships, amazed. They set course for a CAS-Class Assault Carrier, , Jul’s prized flagship. Once there, several warriors greeted them, praising Grono for his acts against common enemies. They proceeded to the bridge where Grono met the famed Jul 'Mdama. After an initial greeting, Jul acknowledged Grono’s achievements and gave him an offer in his Covenant.
Eagerly accepting the chance to fight for a cause greater than mere raiding, Grono initially saw little action, mainly accompanying Jul to meetings with his Zealots as the Supreme Commander took him under his wing. Grono disliked being cooped up in quarters, however, and asked Jul for a mission. Jul agreed that it was time for Grono to fight, and gave him surgery to replace his severed hand with cybernetics. Grono was not ashamed, but amazed at this, relishing the edge it could give him in combat. Jul informed Grono that they were preparing to attack a Swords of Sanghelios facility on the moon of Suban dedicated to the production of carbines. Grono boarded a frigate bound for the world, and once there, he commanded a lance of Storm Sangheili into the facility, killing the Swords there and capturing the commanding officer, who was none other than his old friend, Nak 'Yendam.
Bewildered, Grono sent his forces to scour the facility for the special carbine variants as a front so he could interrogate Nak. Discovering that Nak had survived the Great Schism and joined the Swords of Sanghelios, Grono could barely conceal his rage at the thought that his friend had betrayed their beliefs. Despite attempts from Nak to convince him that times had changed, and that Grono needed to change with them, the Warrior refused. Unwilling to kill his friend, however, Grono let Nak loose to escape to a nearby village.
Leaving the facility with a stockpile of the powerful carbine variants, Grono returned to Jul 'Mdama’s fleet. Upon return, Jul praised Grono’s skill and sent him on many more missions over several months. Grono grew to crave these trials, as they honed his relatively unrefined skills, both in combat and true leadership. Eventually, Grono had proved himself to Jul, and the Supreme Commander rewarded him with a permanent Legion to command, a promotion to Zealot, and the title of Field Master. Known as the Zog'Fee Imperial Legion, some of 'Mdama’s most elite, Grono took them with pride.
==== Requiem Campaign ====
Grono quickly established a name for himself among Jul 'Mdama's inner circle. Gaining a reputation as a fervent follower of 'Mdama due to having been taken under his wing, some grew to dislike Grono for the perceived favoritism Jul gave him, while more cynical warriors, such as 'Mdama's head of special operations, Shinsu 'Refum, were skeptical of his near-fanatical loyalty to Jul.
In June, 2557, a Zog'fee scouting vessel detected a human signal entering Requiem's orbit. Sending a warning to Jul, Grono prepared a party to board the ship. Whilst coordinating the boarding, the human ship suddenly launched a missile at the boarding vessel, destroying it. At that moment, Requiem finally opened for the first time in the many years the fleet had been there, and the whole fleet was sucked inside. After Gek 'Lhar sent out a scout force, the Covenant began to explore the planet. Grono led the Zog'fee alongside other legions in their efforts to map the shield world's interior and eventually found a Cartographer. After a sizeable number of Covenant forces failed to report in, Jul 'Mdama informed Grono and his other lieutenants that the Master Chief, the legendary Spartan who had brought the Covenant Empire to its knees, had escaped the human ship and had cut a swath through Covenant forces in Requiem.
Intent on uncovering a prized artifact within the planet's core, Jul personally came down with Grono and several other Zealots. Jul was hoping to awaken a Forerunner warrior known as the rumored to be there. They encountered heavy resistance from Forerunner constructs that Jul identified as , the loyal warriors of the Didact. After gaining entrance to the satellite structure where the Didact’s Cryptum was, they were quickly surrounded by . Calling in reinforcements, the band of warriors fought the Prometheans ruthlessly. Grono himself had slain several of the menacing constructs, and a skilled Commander in the warband caught his eyes after killing Prometheans with unmatched vigor. It was then when the Master Chief made his appearance.
Making his way through the crossfire of Covenant and Prometheans, the Spartan took hold of the Cryptum’s controls before unwittingly unleashing the Didact. Upon his arrival, Jul called out the Didact’s name, and the Covenant forces present bowed down before the god-like Forerunner. Grono was astonished, knowing now that there were still Forerunners alive, and that Jul's word had been true. The Prometheans ceased fire as well and beheld the Forerunner, swaying under his control. The Didact effortlessly defeated the Master Chief before departing out in his Cryptum, while Grono and Jul evacuated on a Phantom. After escaping, Jul pledged his services to the Didact as a devout follower of the Forerunner's ways. After being christened as the Didact's Hand, Jul informed his inner circle of the new development, solidifying his position as leader of his Covenant. Afterwards, Grono asked him the name of the Commander that fought the Prometheans alongside them, and learned of his name: Zephyr 'Rorke. Intrigued, Grono transferred the Commander to the Zog'fee Imperial Legion as one of his officers, anticipating that his combat prowess would bring glory to the legion. He would subsequently meet with Zephyr face-to-face, finding camaraderie with the Sangheili over their hatred of the Swords of Sanghelios.
Whilst integrating 'Rorke into his legion, Grono intercepted a distress signal from another human vessel outside Requiem. A human suppercarrier called the had become trapped in the shield world's orbit and was currently being boarded by the Didact's Prometheans. The ship soon crashed inside the planet, but rather than aiding the Didact in his assault, Grono was relayed orders by Gek 'Lhar to take the Zog'fee legion to an array of Forerunner sensor towers in Requiem's skies. Establishing a defensive perimeter to prepare for the arrival of the Didact's cryptum, Grono was not present for subsequent battles against the Infinity that saw the ship ward off the Didact and destroy Requiem's gravity well before escaping.
The Didact inevitably arrived at the sensor towers to begin interfacing with a monolithic structure buried deep beneath the sky spires. Under the assumption that the conflict had ended with the Infinity's retreat, Grono was suprised when the Master Chief made yet another appearance, using a singular gunship to infiltrate his legion's perimeter and disable several towers vital to the Didact's efforts. Scrambling to rally his men from his personal Lich as the Chief took out one tower after another, Grono's short-lived fear was quickly subsumed when the Didact's Cryptum plunged into the structure below. Mere moments later, a gargantuan ship rivalling the size of High Charity itself burst forth, only barely being evaded by Grono's Lich. Presuming the Master Chief killed in the command ship's ascension, Grono's fervor laid itself bare, for he could hardly keep himself from basking in the glory of such a superstructure. Wishing to follow the Didact into slipspace, he was instead ordered by Jul 'Mdama to stay behind on Requiem while Gek 'Lhar travelled the frontier to gather more Covenant forces to bring back to the shield world. Begrudgingly, Grono obeyed and watched as the Didact departed.
After a brief period of time setting up further command posts on Requiem to effectively utilize it, Jul’s fleet returned. Hoping for tales of salvation, Grono, and the rest of Jul 'Mdama's inner circle were summoned to the Supreme Commander's new headquarters in a Forerunner temple known as the Librarian's Rest. Jul informed them that while the Didact was regrettably defeated and his ship destroyed, the Supreme Commander was now in control of his Promethean army. Ordering them to prepare for an assault he planned to wage in a few months, Jul dismissed the commanders. However, these plans soon grinded to a halt when the humans returned with a battle fleet headed by none other than the Infinity, intent on challenging the Covenant's claim to Requiem.
Early in the campaign Grono and other Covenant forces under the direct command of Jul attacked while they performed a supply run. Their Pelican was shot down, and Grono slayed the Fireteam leader himself using Varmint’s Nail, while the rest of the Spartans were eliminated by Jul's personal legion. Grono would eventually be deployed to an outpost known as the Didact's Keep, located on an island in the center of a vast lake. He commanded the Zog'fee Legion for the duration of the campaign from this base with Zephyr 'Rorke by his side. At the beginning of the new conflict, Grono and four other Zealots were summoned by Jul 'Mdama to be assigned command roles on the far side of Requiem, while the Didact's Hand and the rest of his lieutenants continued their operations from the Librarian's Rest. Two were assigned to defending Forerunner sites of key interest to Jul, while a third was chosen to scout out more artifacts. The fourth was Dato 'Motumai, a veteran swordsman whose cousin had killed some of Grono's own troops in a bout of friendly fire during a recent engagement against the UNSC.
Grono was displeased with this, and requested permission to execute the cousin. Dato was angered by the notion of letting Grono dishonor his bloodline, and Jul compromised, allowing for Commander Zephyr 'Rorke to execute the cousin as a third party, therefore preventing any notion of favoritism among the two Zealots. The deed was done, and soon Grono was begrudgingly placed in command alongside Dato, and amassed his forces for an assault on the new Citadel Base that had been established by UNSC forces in the area. 'Yendam would soon fight the humans across Requiem with new Promethean forces added to the Imperial Legion and a second Commander alongside 'Rorke known as Rach 'Iltuk. Not all fights ended in victories, however, and the Field Master had lost several Forerunner structures to the UNSC, only getting a modicum of vengeance when he decapitated the Spartan Emily Shushnikov. He then hatched a plan with his commanders to launch an assault on their base of operations. Having a new Lich assault boat, and a third commander named Kyro 'Dezan acting as the Shipmaster of the Zog'fee legion's new vessel, a CRS-class light cruiser called the Universal Resonance, Grono planned to finish off the humans once and for all.
Much to his chagrin, Citadel Base proved to be far more protected than initially thought, and after suffering heavy casualties, Grono called for a retreat. Later during the ground campaign, Jul sent Grono to rendezvous with a mercenary ship commanded by the Sangheili terrorist . After escorting Vol down, Grono went back to his post on the far side of Requiem. Grono later discovered that Gek 'Lhar had been felled by Spartans in battle, taking a short time to pay respects to the warrior who had rescued him from his isolated lifeboat and brought him under Jul 'Mdama's thrall. Grono later met with his new Promethean Knight Commanders, Zevezin and Chravezin, otherwise known as the twin Knight Commandos. Unlike most Knights, they were fully capable of independent thought and speech, but nevertheless were loyal to the Covenant cause, garnering several victories for Grono with their Promethean forces.
At long last, the campaign for Requiem ended with Jul setting the planet to collide with its sun as part of a scorched earth policy, having decided the the shield world had served its purpose and held no further use. Grono escaped with him, and they prepared to recuperate their losses while Jul conversed with the human traitor , the creator of the Spartans themselves. While irritated with Halsey’s schemes and the fact that a human so instrumental in the downfall of the Covenant was now working alongside him, Grono kept his thoughts to himself, as Halsey was under the personal protection of Jul and retrieved half of a Forerunner artifact called the . Halsey soon discovered that it would lead them to a map of artifacts called the , which would allow for the Didact's Hand to escalate his guerilla war against the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios.
==== Escalation ====
With devastating losses at the Requiem, Grono was tasked with traveling to Jul’s base of operations, . After departing from slipspace, Grono led the Zog'fee to the planet’s surface, where they met Kaidon , Jul 'Mdama's sponsor and a vassal who had volunteered many warriors to the Covenant's cause. Grono requested reinforcements for the Covenant due to their heavy losses, but beginning to become disillusioned with the cause, Panom reluctantly transported three into slipspace to link up with the Supreme Commander's main fleet. Gracious, Grono thanked the Kaidon and followed the ships.
Upon his return, Grono was thanked by Jul, who told him that with the Didact’s death and loss of Requiem, some of the Covenant’s followers were becoming disillusioned. Saying that Grono had done well, Jul offered him a boon of new warriors to bolster the Zog'fee legion's thinned numbers, provided Grono weeded out potential traitors. The young Field Master eagerly agreed. After a short but merciless spree where Grono and the most elite of his troops killed several separate groups of turncoats planning on defecting to the Swords of Sanghelios, Jul 'Mdama stayed true to his word and restored Grono's legion to full strength.
On another occasion, after repeated losses against the UNSC on the frontier, Grono was forced to concede his prized lieutenant, Zephyr 'Rorke, to Jul 'Mdama, who decided that the Commander's talents were put to better use under his direct command. While escorting Zephyr to the Song of Retribution, the two were caught up in a mutiny as several traitors aboard their Lich hijacked the gunboat, revealing themselves loyal not to the Didact's Hand, but rather a disillusioned Zealot named . The warrior duo promptly eliminated the mutineers, and Grono reported back to Jul, who was in the midst of scheming to capture the other half of the Janus Key from the UNSC. During an assault on the ship Infinity, 'Nyon revealed himself at last and stole half of the Janus Key, but a Sangheili Minor abducted it for the Covenant, requesting an audience with 'Yendam. In return for his life, Grono took the key from the Sangheili before presenting the holy artifact to Jul, who had used Song of Retribution to quell the rebellion. The fleet escaped from the Infinity as 'Nyon was imprisoned in the brig.
==== Operation: WARHUNT ====
In late July, Grono was stationed on the planet Kalincton, which was where a Forerunner artifact known as the Producer was. Containing the ability to spawn Promethean carapaces from Composed beings, it was of vital importance to Grono, who expanded his forces exponentially with the device. Grono was with his Promethean Knight Commanders, Zevezin and Chravezin, as well as Rach 'Iltuk, when his subordinate Kyro 'Dezan requested assistance in subduing the Sangheili colony of Righteous Cause for the Covenant. Grono agreed to the request, and departed with the majority of his Prometheans and Zog'fee forces. Unbeknownst to the Zealot, a Spartan IV squad named Fireteam Caliber arrived on Kalincton shortly after. Once done defeating the meager troops of Righteous Cause, Grono, his commanders, and the Prometheans returned to Kalincton while leaving Kyro 'Dezan in charge of keeping the populace in line.
Discovering that the few Covenant defenses he had left behind to guard his command structure were dead, Grono heavily reinforced the region with large Covenant and Promethean patrols, tasking the twin Knight Commandos with defending the Producer from any further attacks. The Zealot soon received news that Shipmaster 'Dezan was killed during a joint UNSC-Swords of Sanghelios effort to liberate Righteous Cause, which ended with a Covenant retreat. With the Universal Resonance now under his command, Grono departed from Kalincton to personally take command of the cruiser.
Returning once more after an unexpected delay, 'Yendam discovered that the UNSC and Swords had completely decimated his forces, while also destroying the Producer, which subsequently disintegrated all Prometheans spawned from it. The Knight Commandos had failed their task, but after being repaired, they revealed that a lone human ship designated as the UNSC Horus still remained at the planet. Fueled by vengeance, the Field Master ordered an assault on the ship, boarding it quickly and without delay. As the ship was overrun by Prometheans and Covenant alike, a Spartan team designated as Fireteam Titanium, boarded the Resonance, attempting to assassinated Grono.
Cornering the squad with multiple Zog'fee strike teams, Grono used active camouflage to sneak into the center of the group slowly while they were distracted, before whipping out Varmint's Nail and slicing through all four Spartans. As his boarders were pushed back, Fireteam Caliber made an appearance once more, backed up by human soldiers. Sending Zevezin and Chravezin to delay them, Grono encountered a single Spartan in his meditation chamber, summoning a guard lance of Sangheili Warriors to protect himself. They were all eliminated, however, and Grono was defeated by the Spartan. However, catching him/her off-guard, Grono regained the upper hand, only to be distracted as the Horus launched retaliation in the form of bombers. The Spartan escaped, and 'Yendam begrudgingly ordered a retreat.
Cautioned by Rach about their failure, Grono reassured the Commander that Jul 'Mdama would not punish them harshly, if at all due to the overwhelming odds facing them. 'Yendam even hinted that they might be complimented for Grono's massacre of Fireteam Titanium. Returning to the Didact's Hand, the duo was tasked with taking the Resonance to the Yain system, where Jul intended to take advantage of a brewing conflict between the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios, who were combining their forces to fight a new faction known as the Imperium of Clarity.
==== Imperial War ====
Ordered to lie low as not to upset a potential rival, Grono was informed by 'Iltuk that Shinsu 'Refum, another of Jul 'Mdama's most trusted lieutenants, was sent as a negotiator to secure an alliance with the Imperium. Additionally, a traitorous Spartan known as Stray who had managed to secure Jul 'Mdama's trust and commanded the Kru'desh Legion were sent to provide support. Travelling to the planet Montak, Grono took part in a large space battle between the Imperium and the joint UNSC-Swords forces. After destroying a human frigate, the Resonance was damaged beyond repair after landing hits on multiple enemy ships, before Grono, Rach, and the remaining crew were transferred aboard the Imperial DDS-class carrier Blissful Solitude where they were quickly assigned to assist the Field Marshal Orro 'Hendai in boarding the Swords of Sanghelios flagship.
Grono, several Zog'fee Sangheili, and two lances of Imperial troops eliminated multiple Swords in key chokepoints while Rach and his Unggoy reconnoitered the hangar, which they were commanded to secure in the case of an untimely escape. Once most of the enemies had been dealt with, Grono lead his forces to link up with Rach, before taking the hangar with haste. Holding it for some time, They retreated in stolen Phantoms when Orro returned, safely making it off of the ship. Despite being congratulated on his efforts, Grono was offended when the Field Marshal referred to he and his men as mere mercenaries. Correcting the elder Sangheili with a degree of humility, 'Yendam and his remaining lance were stationed in the Solitude's barracks as it retreated back to the Yain system, having lost the battle as a whole.
Informed by Rach that the ravaging Kru'desh Legion had gained favor for saving the life of an Imperial Fleet Master, Grono scoffed at this, before he was told that Jul had decided to take a gamble by sending in multiple Liches carrying the whole of the Zog'fee Imperial Legion to assist Grono. Enlightened that he would be commanding his whole Legion, Grono contacted Orro 'Hendai to tell him not to fire upon the Zog'fee when they arrived. After a series of combat incursions, including an encounter with a renowned Swords of Sanghelios operative dubbed "The Outrider" on the world of Frendhal, Jul 'Mdama would send Grono 'Yendam a flotilla of Zog'fee Lich gunboats for reinforcements to aid in the defense of the Imperium's capital world, Iradu. Despite a valiant defense, the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios proved victorious, forcing Grono, Rach, and the remainder of the once awe-inspiring Zog'fee legion to retreat back to Jul 'Mdama's fleet.
==== End of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant ====
After the Imperial War ended, the turncoat Dr. Halsey finally pinpointed the location of the Absolute Record. The Covenant traveled there, but soon encountered the Infinity yet again. Taking command of the Song of Retribution as Jul, Halsey, and several other Zealots went down to the surface, Grono would remain relatively safe from the bloodbath below. To his surprise, Sali 'Nyon, the insurgent leader from a few months prior, soon escaped captivity and fled with a ship, causing turmoil within the Covenant ranks, while the Janus Key was lost. Despite his failure to keep 'Nyon imprisoned, Grono was spared punishment as one of only a handful of lieutenants still loyal to Jul 'Mdama, due to more and more continuing to defect or strike out in open rebellion against him.
To add insult to injury, the Prometheans inexplicably began to rebel against Jul 'Mdama as well, causing the Supreme Commander to lose his credibility as the Didact's Hand. As the Covenant began to crumble around 'Mdama, 'Yendam was one of the few who still remained by his side. Desperate for an advantage in a war he was now losing, Jul traveled to the world of Kamchatka with Halsey, assigning Grono to command a battle station. Using it to fight off the Promethean rebels that had invaded the planet, Grono narrowly survived an assassination attempt by his former Promethean Knight Commanders Zevezin and Chravezin, who were not excluded from the mysterious mass betrayal despite their free thinking capabilities. At this point, Grono had lost almost all of his forces in the Zog'fee Imperial Legion, when he learned of Jul’s untimely demise at the hands of several Spartans.
Devastated by the death of his leader and mentor, Grono ordered a tactical retreat back to late Supreme Commander’s splintering fleet. Regrouping with the remaining commanders of the Covenant, Grono learned that many had chosen this final nail in the coffin as a chance to defect. Even Shinsu 'Refum, another of Jul 'Mdama's closest lieutenants, had chosen to strike out on his own, fashioning his own remnant called the Cleansing Blade almost immediately following the death of the Didact's Hand.
Taking the few ships remaining in their stead, Grono and the other loyal commanders such as led the fleet to the space station , which had been boarded by the Master Chief and several other Spartans. Planning to kill the Spartans in an attempt to gauge some sort of victory out of such a catastrophic loss, Grono's hopes were dashed when the station suddenly exploded, destroying several Covenant vessels. Learning that their only strong hold left was , Grono finally came to terms with the fact that with Jul 'Mdama's death, his vision for a new Covenant would soon perish with him. Loyal to the Supreme Commander alone, and not his remnant faction, Grono resolved to follow in the footsteps of many compatriots who had already fled the collapsing Covenant. Knowing that the Covenant's days were numbered, Grono stole a Phantom from the Song of Retribution's hangar bay, fleeing into slipspace to escape a battle he could not win.
=== Mercenary Career ===
After abandoning Jul 'Mdama's coffin to its grave, Grono 'Yendam traveled to the frontier world of Venezia, a multi-species world famous for being a hotspot for criminal activity. On his arrival, the Sangheili abandoned his green Zealot harness for a less notable Warrior armor set to avoid drawing attention to himself as a former officer of the Covenant Remnant. Finding work was far easier than Grono anticipated - a warrior of his strength and caliber was in high demand for physically demanding jobs, such as intimidation, bodyguard work, or outright assassinations. Only days after having accepted his first job, the galaxy was quickly overtaken by the threat of the , a faction of manmade AIs who had taken advantage of Forerunner technology to shepherd themselves in as the self-anointed rulers of the galaxy, threating to use their powerful custodes against any who defied their rule.
Fortunately, Venezia was one of the worlds among those not targeted by the Created, allowing for Grono to slowly continue building his new career as a hired gun. Much to his distaste, he found it easy to slip into the lifestyle that he once would have scoffed at, adjusting to life as a mercenary relatively easily due to his line of work. Utilizing his Phantom, now equipped with a hardy slipspace drive for intergalactic travel, for transportation, Grono slowly made legend and mettle for his skills. Taking gigs from numerous employers, some independent, others criminal enterprises, Grono would have his first run-in with the . An emerging powerhouse faction that hard largely stayed out of the limelight during the Blooding Years, the Banished had started out as a small Jiralhanae rebellion under the command of Warmaster that had broken out near the end of the War of Annihilation, and welcomed Sangheili and other Covenant client species with open arms, thus being unaffected by the outbreak of the Great Schism. Even humans were openly welcomed into the Banished ranks. Taking on several jobs from the growing faction of raiders, pirates, mercenary clans, and freelancing legions, Grono found a strange sense of camaraderie with Banished warriors, who valued brotherhood and strength over the overt religiousness and political backstabbing of many other factions.
Unfortunately, the faction had no illustrious end goal, rather being suited to simply growing in strength and purporting its darwinistic ideals while openly defying the Created. This lack of a grand vision saw Grono hold back from joining the Banished, especially so soon after Jul 'Mdama's demise. Regardless, he held the Banished in high regard and even became well known among their ranks for his mercenary skills. As his reputation grew, it attracted the attention of the UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence - what was left of it following the Created uprising. An ONI agent approached Grono, revealing that despite his efforts to conceal his past, the Office knew of both his exploits as a pirate Shipmaster as well as his close proximity to Jul 'Mdama, marking him as a high value target. The liaison offered Grono the chance to scrub his name clean from their hit list in exchange for taking on an extremely risky mission for them.
Grono knew that this operation would likely benefit ONI either way. Knowing that if he completed the mission, whatever goal ONI had would be accomplished, and that if he failed and perished, one of their high value targets would have self-eliminated, Grono nevertheless accepted. While he doubted the ONI would divert the resources to trying to capture him as long as the Created reigned supreme, the Sangheili mercenary reasoned that being in their good graces was the best case scenario in the event that the Created ever did fall. With his mission now in hand, 'Yendam was tasked with heading to the planet Madrigal, where Created forces had taken hold of a Forerunner Ancilla with the intent of using it to further their access to Forerunner technology.
Arriving at Madrigal via his Phantom, Grono covertly infiltrated a compound guarded by Promethean forces. Eventually finding the Ancilla, who occupied a Monitor shell, Grono was shocked to discover that it was none other than 589 Curious Puzzle, the monitor of the Cleanser and the contributor to his downfall as a pirate. Overcome with rage, Grono initially considered destroying the Monitor, but after Puzzle begged for a truce, the Sangheili heard him out. Without the Cleanser to attend to, and lost within the Forerunner network known as the Domain since then, Puzzle had learned of the Created when they first captured him with plans to use him to expand their influence on Forerunner technology. The Monitor then reasoned that the only logical explanation was that the Reclaimers were to fault, as they created the AIs who had overtaken the galaxy. Puzzle then offered his services to Grono, apologizing about the incident on Gauntlet of the Ancients. Grono reluctantly accepted, and the two managed to escape the compound, heading offworld without the Created learning of Grono's presence.
After some debate, Grono ultimately decided not to return to ONI, as Puzzle now considered himself indebted to the Sangheili. With a Monitor assistant being far more valuable to the Sangheili than being taken off of ONI's hit list, Grono instead ignored the Office, falling back on his prior predictions that they had their hands full with the Created. 'Yendam continued to build his reputation through odd jobs, made all the more easier with Curious Puzzle at his side, due to the Monitor's affluence with technology.
In November, Grono and Puzzle had travelled back to the colony of Righteous Cause, which was not targeted by the Created due to its minor threat level. Having boomed into a large marketplace ever since Grono's old comrade Kyro had attacked it, the duo planned to purchase new equipment at the planet. Luckily, Grono was not known to be behind the attack on the planet, and rather was known of by his fearsome reputation as a mercenary.
Unfortunately, the Created had decided to attempt to steal Puzzle back from Grono, and had sent the twin Knight Commandos Zevezin and Chravezin to do the job. Remembering their betrayal and attempted assassination of himself, Grono refused to hand the Ancilla over, which ensued in a marketplace brawl. Discovering a powerful weapon called the T-56 DEW/L Plasma Striker, Grono used its firepower along with Puzzle's Sentinel Beam to defeat the Knights, forcing the two to retreat. Taking an interest to the weapon, Grono referenced it for future use, before departing from Righteous Cause with Puzzle.
==== Assassination Games ====
In December, 2558, Grono 'Yendam and Curious Puzzle returned to Drawn, now one of the only planets not under Created control. They had been contracted by a human individual by the name of Kyle Craig, and arrived in the capital city of Obsidion to greet him. Despite his attack on the planet over two years prior, Grono was only recognized for his mercenary reputation by the local civilians. Obsidion was a melting pot city comprised of both humans and former Covenant client species, allowing for Grono to blend in with Sangheili citizens as he made his way to Kyle Craig's penthouse suite. 
Being the first to arrive, Grono was forced to wait as several other mercenaries who had been hired filed in, including the questionable ONI Spartan-IV Mitchel Sanders, LEGION hitman Damien Black, and a human enforcer from a Sangheili criminal faction known as the Flame named Red Blaze, adorned in Sangheili-like armor. The latter in particular put Grono on edge, due to him seeing the human as making a mockery of his kind.
Upon first meeting each other, the group quickly turned on each other, with Mitchel holding Damien at gunpoint for his affiliation with LEGION, while Grono put Varmint's Nail to Red Blaze's throat due to his disdain of the human's imitation of a Sangheili. However, wary of retribution from the Flame's leader, 'Skivich, Grono hesitantly let the Blaze be before Kyle Craig finally made his entrance to greet the group. He gave them their target, an ex-Spartan-IV named David King, and asked them for details about themselves. Grono expressed his intent to kill the other three humans immediately, especially Red Blaze. Craig offered the one who killed King three million credits, and promptly dismissed the group, declaring that the Assassination Games had began. Grono 'Yendam stayed behind as Mitchel spoke with Kyle Craig, before speaking with the criminal himself.
Knowing that Kyle Craig was a high-value target of ONI like himself, Grono offered Kyle the opportunity to kill Mitchel to prevent him from capturing the two later, at the cost of a portion of the bounty. Craig agreed, and Grono had Curious Puzzle extract a tracking device Mitchel had placed on Craig's arm to solidify the agreement.
Intent on disposing of Mitchel early on, Grono and Puzzle tracked the unarmored Spartan to Obsidion's spaceport, killing multiple civilians with an explosive intended for Sanders. Pursuing Mitchel through the spaceport while Puzzle split off to try flanking him, Grono constantly kept on the Spartan's tail, eventually chasing him into the city slums. Cornering him on the roof of a building, Grono prepared to go for the kill when Mitchel threw a nerve gas capsule towards him, smashing it open. While the Spartan regained his composure, Grono put on his breathing apparatus, retreating into the opaque cloud that formed.
Using the dense fog to his advantage, the Sangheili barreled into Mitchel from behind, putting him down with a blast from his concussion rifle. Grabbing the wounded Spartan, he flew up to the top of a nearby apartment complex, throwing down Sanders and charging a plasma pistol to deliver the killing blow. However, two shots from a sniper rifle destroyed the Sangheili's shield, knocking him off guard. Mitchel used the opportunity to stab Grono's shin, causing the mercenary to release him.
Mitchel jumped down onto lower roofs until he reached the lower levels, while Grono deduced that the sniper had either been another ONI agent or David King. Stuck with a limp because of his injury, the Sangheili pursued, cornering Mitchel once more in the spaceport's hangar. Only fueled by his desire to see the Spartan dead, Grono threatened to kill him here and now. However, a nearby crowd of civilians recognized Grono from his collateral damage at the spaceport earlier, and began surround him.
Caught unaware by the turn of events Grono found the tables turned on him as Mitchel prepared a Pelican to depart. Angered at seeing his competitor fleeing, Grono used an energy dagger to kill a human woman, only to find himself outnumbered by a squad of police officers. With no other options, Grono reluctantly surrendered, being brought to a maximum security prison on the outskirts of the city. Unbeknownst to the police, Curious Puzzle was tracking them and would carry out Grono's escape plan.
Days later, he was visited by two members of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Alex Mulroy and Jason Miller. Interrogated by them, Grono refused to answer their questions on his motives and employer, but was amused when they attempted to use his pirate attack on Drawn three years prior as leverage. However, Grono expressed anger when they mentioned his defunct position in Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, and stated he was done with the two.
Curious Puzzle then switched off the prison's power supply upon arriving, deactivating Grono's energy cuffs and the prison cell door. While Puzzle dealt with the guards, Grono used his superior strength to subdue Miller and Mulroy, fleeing from his cell. Grono then reacquired his confiscated weapons before departing with Puzzle.
Switching to a new target, Grono and Puzzle decided to go after Red Blaze to see if they could profit of off his own work. Tracking the human assassin to a decrepit warehouse, they interrupted a confrontation between Blaze and David King's partner in crime, Hailey Brooks. The two humans nonverbally aligned themselves, fighting against Grono and Puzzle. However, their fight was soon interrupted once more by a task force of armored troopers from the Obsidion Police Department. Led by Jason Miller and a Sangheili officer named 'Joral, they ordered Grono to stand down, while Blaze and Hailey feigned innocence.
With his Monitor now by his side, Grono was confident in his ability to win, and the two slaughtered most of the police force with overwhelming firepower. Occupied with eliminating the remaining law enforcement, the two were ambushed by 'Joral, who used a charged shot from a plasma pistol to disable Puzzle's systems. Grono returned the favor by bisecting the Sangheili police before escaping with Puzzle to pursue Hailey Brooks and the Red Blaze.
Tracking the duo to a tram system, Grono and Puzzle went airborne to follow the train, but lost their scent after the two departed, becoming lost in the crowd. Luckily for the Sangheili, he sighted a detachment of Legion enforcers under the command of Damien Black pursuing the two into Obsidion's alleyways. Following from the rooftops, Grono and Puzzle eventually saw the Legion task force corner not only Brooks and the Red Blaze, but also 'Yendam's foe Mitchel Sanders, now clad in full Mjolnir armor, and the subject of the Assassination Games, David King. Coming down from the rooftops, Grono intervened in the confrontation, initially drawing Damien's ire. Only after Grono offered him a truce did the Legion mercenary soften up. 'Yendam proposed that since they were the only two mercenaries left in Kyle Craig's twisted game who hadn't defected to David King's side, they could work together to take down the odd group of four and split King's bounty.
Knowing that the Sangheili and his Monitor partner could easily take out his enforcers, Black agreed to the arrangment. At this moment King, Sanders, and Brooks fled, taking advantage of the distraction, while Red Blaze remained. Black sent most of his sicarios to pursue the the former three, but planned to use the rest to gun down Blaze. However, the Sangheili-mimic mocked Grono 'Yendam for his failure to kill him back at the warehouse, driving the Sangheili to declare that he would deal with the Red Blaze himself. Damien Black and his remaining thugs joined the rest of their detachment, while Grono and Puzzle prepared to eviscerate Blaze. Another jab from Blaze, this time mocking Grono for using a Monitor to do his dirty work, prompted the already-infuriated Sangheili to send Puzzle away, drawing the Varmint's Nail to duel the mimic himself.
Immediately noticing that Blaze was an offensive duelist, Grono went onto the defense to let his foe tire himself with supposedly fruitless attacks. Despite this, Blaze proved himself an adept duelist, even for a human, and hit Grono with several scathing blows across a prolonged duel, also striking Grono's injured leg to further handicap him before cutting off his prosthetic hand. Unfazed, the Sangheili finally pressed the attack, taking advantage of the human's exhaustion to disarm him before impaling the Red Blaze, ending the duel and the mimic's life. Missing a hand and having suffered extreme injuries to one leg, Grono chastised himself for not just gunning his opponent down when he had the chance, and unmasked the deceased human, finding his scarred face repugnant even by human standards.
Departing from the scene of battle, Grono used his jetpack to traverse Obsidion's rooftops, eventually finding Puzzle's disabled chassis in a construction yard. Learning from the incessant Monitor that David King had used a magnetic crane to disable him before escaping, Grono begrudgingly returned to his Phantom with Puzzle in tow, intending to attach a new prosthetic hand and restore Puzzle's functionality. While the mercenary pair recuperated, they learned of Damien Black's death at the hands of Hailey Brooks and Mitchel Sanders. Flying into Drawn's orbit, Grono ordered Puzzle to track David King's ship before it left the system, hellbent on claiming his bounty from Kyle Craig for all the trouble he had went through. These plans were cut short when a Created Guardian arrived in orbit of the frontier world, forcing Grono and Puzzle to flee into slipspace before the Guardian released its shockwave, subjugating Drawn and bringing the Assassination Games to a swift end.
==== Aid to Shinsu 'Refum ====
In 2559, the Created continued their conquest, striving to bring all of civilization under their banner in the name of forced peace. While Grono 'Yendam had stuck to avoiding them through taking on mercenary jobs out on the frontier, his narrow escape from the Guardian at Drawn hammered home the fact that the Created were beginning to become too large of a threat to simply be run from. Low on credits and exhausted of supplies after his failed foray into the Assassination Games, Grono 'Yendam's reputation had taken a nosedive after news of not only failing to bring in his bounty, David King, but also his betrayal and murder of the Red Blaze. Employers became reluctant to hire the Sangheili, with the Banished remaining as the only large contractor willing to continue financing the Sangheili, leading him to eventually consider joining them out of necessity. To this end, he was nothing short of surprised when Shinsu 'Refum, one of his colleagues in Jul 'Mdama's inner circle, extended an offer to him to join the Cleansing Blade, the Spymaster's new faction that had thrived in the wake of 'Mdama's death despite the Created occupation, taking various mercenaries and clans as well as an ex-UNSC contingent under its wing as of late.
Grono was less than enthused to join Shinsu's cause, especially when he learned that the leader of the Cleansing Blade reached out not for Grono's skills, but rather Curious Puzzle's ability to interface with Forerunner technology. Regardless, burning through currency and without a banner to rally under, 'Yendam tentatively accepted the offer, using the last of his funds to hire a band of several hundred like-minded mercenaries to aid him in the battles Shinsu would undoubtedly drop him into. Rendezvousing with the Fleet of Cleansing Fire, Grono and his warband boarded Shinsu's flagship, the CAS-class assault carrier Redemption of Sanghelios. From there, Grono and a select detachment of his crew traveled to the Fleet Master's war room to meet Shinsu in person.
The pair's reunion was not a kind one. Unwilling to reveal to Shinsu's vast array of officers that he had joined the Fleet Master's cause out of desperation, Grono put up an aggressive front, coming into conflict with Shinsu's Shipmaster, Yur 'Oltem. The encounter escalted into a confrontation as Shinsu and Grono argued over their stances in Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, with the bickering only halting when Shinsu's assistant, a human AI named Deep Winter, acted as a mediator to settle them down. At this point Curious Puzzle entered the fray, despite Grono's attempts to keep him hidden, drawing the attention of the war room's audience. Now forced to reveal his hand, Grono allowed to Puzzle to take control of the situation. While the Monitor was reluctant to work alongside Deep Winter, as well as a contingent of humans in the fleet led by Ryder Kedar, their shared enemy in the Created caused the Ancilla to relent. Grono and Shinsu made a show of shaking hands in front of the war room to signify the mercenary's entry into the Cleansing Blade, but not before 'Yendam cautioned 'Refum on whatever plans he may have been scheming after the Created's defeat.
===== Battle of Franconia =====
No sooner had Grono pledged his blade to Shinsu's cause than the Fleet Master brought his mismatched armada to the colony of Franconia, a once independent world now occupied by another multi-species opportunistic faction called the Free Domain. A Forerunner site lay buried within the planet, being the prime target for Shinsu and the reason why he need Curious Puzzle. Grono, Puzzle, and their mercenary crew were crammed into a UNSC stealth vessel, much to their discomfort, forced to deploy alongside a detachment of ODSTs and Spartans under the command of Ryder Kedar while Shinsu's fleet fought the Free Domain in orbit. Placed in charge of the assault on the Forerunner site due to his partnership with Puzzle, Grono staunchly reminded Kedar of the fact when the former ONI officer tried to assert his authority over the crew.
As the vessel they were upon neared the site, Grono and his mercenaries departed the ship's troop bay in jetpacks, while the ODSTs followed suit with rappel lines, and the Spartans merely jumped. Ordering Kedar to form a perimeter while he and his crew escorted Puzzle inside the facility. Ryder objected, citing that humanity's collective status as reclaimers allowed them to operate some systems that not even Puzzle could crack. Initially refusing to budge, Grono finally relented when one of Ryder's Spartans, Hera convinced him. Puzzle eventually led the Sangheili and Spartans inside the Forerunner structure, finding that Free Domain infantry forces had holed up inside the facility. Unfazed, Grono ordered the group to continue pushing in order to access the facility's prize - a conduit to the Forerunner Domain.
Continuing their plunge into the recesses of the structure, the crew came across Free Domain defenders. In a violent but quick firefight, Grono slaughtered several Jiralhanae enforcers with the Varmint's Nail while his mercenaries and Ryder's Spartans cut down the rest - but not without casualties from Grono's Sangheili crew. Continuing to use their momentum, the strike force finally arrived at the conduit - a sort of virtual reality chamber linked to another Forerunner network called the Silent Garden. Here they faced oppressive opposition from a large congregation of Free Domain warriors, led by the faction's leaders, a rogue Spartan named Amber-G330 and another human AI named Diana. While the Spartans engaged in combat against the two leaders, Grono attempted to convince Puzzle to use the facility's defenses against their foes. Refusing to do so lest he damaged the facility itself, Puzzle opted to fight conventionally, and duo's warband cut a swath through the cornered Sangheili and Jiralhanae of the Free Domain. As they continued to strike down the enemies, Grono and his men were bowled over by an energy shockwave created by Diana, temporarily halting their efforts. Regardless, they recuperated and resumed their attack, driving the Free Domain's leaders and their remaining warriors from the facility.
As enemy forces retreated offworld, Curious Puzzle finally accessed the Silent Garden, finding his prize. Upon their return to the Fleet of Cleansing Fire, however, the Monitor was immediately detained for questioning aboard the Redemption of Sanghelios. Irate, Grono and his mercenaries forced their way into Puzzle's holding chamber, grievously injuring several of the Cleansing Blade guards in their wake. This act of brazen defiance drew Shinsu 'Refum's attention, and the Fleet Master arrived, threating to end Grono 'Yendam's partnership - and life - for the insult. Still defiant, Grono was only saved when Puzzle offered his knowledge to Shinsu in exchange for 'Yendam's life and a higher posting within the Cleansing Blade. Reluctantly, Shinsu agreed, valuing the secrets of the Silent Garden more than his need to repay Grono's offenses.
===== Battle of the Gilboan Citadel =====
With their victory at Franconia, the Fleet of Cleansing Fire proceeded to travel to the location of Curious Puzzle's prize - another shield world known as the Gilboan Citadel. Internally, Grono was stricken by their journey to another Forerunner world, reminded of the failed Requiem Campaign. Regardless, the Sangheili had benefitted from Puzzle's deal with Shinsu, being given an ORS-class heavy cruiser called the Consecrated Lance to command, but at the detriment of its former Shipmaster. While Shinsu smoothed over tensions with the deposed commander, Grono and his mercenaries settled in aboard the impressive warship, set to act as the vanguard for the rest of the Cleansing Blade's armada when they arrived in orbit of the Gilboan Citadel. Planning to once more use Curious Puzzle to access another Silent Garden conduit - this one the key to unlocking an array of Forerunner weapons that would allow Shinsu's fleet to stand on even ground with the Created - Grono finally began to see the validity in Shinsu's cause, realizing that the Cleansing Blade - pulled together from species of all different factions - could truly fight back against the Created threat and establish itself as a post-crisis power.
While not devoted, Grono saw himself as a proponent for the cause, and with newfound enthusiasm led the Consecrated Lance into the Gilboan Citadel's orbit. Despite Puzzle's attempts to interface with the shield world, its Sentinel defense force came to meet them with hostility. As Grono's warship engaged the Sentinels with favorable results, several other vanguard ships in the Fleet of Cleansing Fire drew closer to join the fray. This proved to be their undoing, as a minefield laid in orbit by Ryder Kedar detonated, annihilating the Sentinel defenses and crippling Grono's ship. As Kedar's treachery became clear, the Created arrived in the system with a fleet of vassal ships led by not one, but two Guardians. As Grono, Puzzle, and their remaining mercenaries evacuated the Consecrated Lance, they bore witness as the Fleet of Cleansing Fire was slowly whittled down by the Created onslaught.
His eyes open to the true situation, Grono cursed himself for believing in Shinsu's cause, even for a time, and led his warriors to board one of the Created's Jiralhanae bloodships that had strayed from the battle, murdering its crew while taking heavy casualties of their own. With only a few dozen out of the several hundred mercenaries he had initially hired remaining, Grono finally saw Shinsu's lost cause for what it was and took the damaged bloodship into slipspace, fleeing as the Created slaughtered the Cleansing Blade and removed yet another hope of standing against them.
=== Service in the Banished ===
Grono 'Yendam's stolen bloodship emerged in an unknown location, soon crashing into the equatorial desert of a terrestrial planet. With only two dozen of his men surviving the crash, Grono was informed by Curious Puzzle that the world they had been marooned upon was Galatia, a frontier world within the Versis system. Last reported to have been subjugated by the Created, the world shared the Versis system with two other colonies, Odero and Chaprik. Initially planning to lie low and escape the crashsite, Grono's plans were dashed by Puzzle's report that a squadron of Phantoms had already deployed to the wreckage to investigate. Fearing them to be Created-aligned, Grono made the decision to hold a final stand within the bloodship's ruins, reasoning that they had a fighting chance due to the Created presumably being off-guard due to investigating one of their own vessels.
Setting up a defense in one of the bloodship's cargo bays, Grono's bid worked, catching a pack of Jiralhanae off-guard and holding their leader, a Captain named Mironus, hostage. Planning to use him as a bargaining chip due to the Created's supposed mantra of only letting blood be shed if absolutely necessary, Grono gained an audience with the squadron's commander, a Sangheili General named Ri 'Kaval. Surprisingly, Ri revealed that his forces were not Created vassals, but rather Banished mercenaries, even recognizing Grono's name from the jobs he had done with the raider faction. Astounded by the Banished presence on Galatia, Grono pressed Ri to explain the circumstances. The Warlord informed him that a large Banished armada had forced the Created out, even scaring off their Guardian upon arrival, taking the Versis system in the name of Atriox - who had been missing for months now.
Knowing 'Yendam's positive reputation with the Banished, 'Kaval offered him and his men the chance to join the emerging powerhouse and endorse their values - brotherhood, strength, profit, and never having to bow to any higher power again. Having nearly joined the Banished only a couple months prior to Shinsu's invitation, Grono readily accepted integrating Curious Puzzle and their mercenary crew into Ri 'Kaval's Lancer Legion. Upon his initiation, Grono was lectured by Ri on the current state of the Banished. Their leader, the Jiralhanae tactician Atriox, had gone missing several months beforehand after taking a small fleet with him to the Ark, the Forerunner installation where the Halos were created. Losing contact with the Warmaster, the Banished was left in the hands of Atriox's mentor and right hand, War Chief . The grizzled Jiralhanae veteran quickly set to work, expanding Banished influence across the frontier and gaining numerous followers on the Jiralhanae homeworld of Doisac in Atriox's absence. While the Created could not often be faced head-on with their Guardians, the Banished defied them regardless, often attacking lesser vassals in an effort to diminish Created supply lines. It was supposedly for this reason that the Banished had arrived in the Versis system. An armada called the Marauders of Resolution, comprising dozens of warships and four legions forced their way through the Created-occupied worlds. Catching their foes off-guard, they had even managed to scathe the resident Guardian by ramming it with a . The overwhelming force had managed to push the Created to retreat, putting the system - and its many denizens - under Banished control.
Shortly after joining the Lancer Legion, Grono and Puzzle were summoned by the armada's commander, Field Marshal Kelvaaro 'Shrykar. A veteran of War of Annihilation and several campaigns against Covenant insurgets, the Field Marshal was a legendary figure during the first half of the war, having made a name for himself due to his jovial personality, extremely disciplined legions, and near-flawless victories against human forces. The Field Marshal had disgraced himself later in the war after barely surviving an encounter with a Spartan, leaving his body mangled and his reputation in ruins. The last Grono had heard of the fallen warrior was that he had fallen in battle during the , only to resurface once more under the banner of the Banished. Now, the Field Marshal himself had requested an audience with Grono 'Yendam and Curious Puzzle.
==== Versis Campaign ====
== Personality ==
As a child, Grono was very introverted after his mother died, only speaking to his uncle and father. One day when he was shopping for food, he ran into Nak 'Yendam, who pushed him to his breaking point, causing Grono to lash out at Nak and insult him. In the Covenant Military, he made his first friend with fellow Sangheili Gyev 'Ruvstee, but because of his quiet nature let himself be shunned by Vor 'Moramee. Grono’s first push into his current aggressive nature was when he trashed his living cell in a fit of rage after learning that Nak would be leading his lance.
As he served in the Covenant, Grono grew more callous towards humans because they had killed multiple lance-mates. He thought of all humans as beasts that deserved to die, and did his best to make that happen. When Grono was introduced to religion, he was very interested, and joined a religious group called the Followers of the Forgotten, becoming a devout follower even after he found out the leader, Qav 'Bagozee’s real intent. Grono was also more tactical and less honorable than other Sangheili, such as the time when he retreated from a city on Sigma Octanus IV, saving himself, but at a cost of shame.
Like most Sangheili, Grono harbored an ancient hatred for the Jiralhanae, which was fueled during the Great Schism. Because of this hatred, he went to great lengths to hunt down and execute Chieftain Gorvanus, who killed Grono’s former Shipmaster Sorv 'Tunostee. Grono also disliked Kig-Yar, after his subordinate Wez let an Unggoy die to keep some contraband safe. Grono judged this to be the personalities of all Kig-Yar, and barely tolerated the Kig-Yar on the Gauntlet of the Ancients when he was Shipmaster. Although he mimicked some of their pirate ways, Grono refused to acknowledge that, and showed distaste for fellow mercenary Vike Vok.
After his ship was destroyed, Grono gave up religion until Jul 'Mdama's Covenant awakened the Didact, ramping up Grono’s religious demeanor once again with the Followers faith. Grono still hated humans until he met William Luchin, and after working with him realized that not all humans were enemies, and that some could make good allies. After the Covenant Remnant fell Grono became a mercenary, giving up religion to focus on money and avoiding the Created.As a mercenary, Grono focused only on using money for equipment to help with missions, instead of a luxurious lifestyle like most popular mercenaries. He willingly worked with any partners assigned to him, but only cooperated for the money. Grono grew very remorseless, and that made it easier for him to kill targets. This gave some of his cohorts surprise, especially human ones. Grono was also a bit of a thrill seeker, taking dangerous missions with associates that would likely betray him to get all the payment. This only happened twice, but Grono hunted them down with a deadly vigor, taking their lives. The only missions Grono did not prefer were ones involving the Created, because of their immense power. Grono would only accept the less dangerous ones involving them.
== Relations ==
=== Dipdip ===
Grono's acquaintanceship with Dipdip has lasted only a few years, with a large break in between. His initial thoughts on the little Unggoy were that he was an insane killer, with no mind at all. However, Dipdip earned Grono's respect after taking out a squad of marines with just his fuel rod cannon, impressing the Sangheili thoroughly. Dipdip was also trustworthy to Grono 'Yendam, being more or less loyal to his commander and not ratting him out after he killed Wez. Even as a lone duo, they made an effective pairing against humans during the Fall of Reach, with Grono pointing at an enemy, and the Unggoy doing the rest.
During the Great Schism, both of them had assumed the other died during Gorvanus' assault, and as such, were both very surprised to encounter each other again six years later. Dipdip served as a bridge of sorts between Grono and Oru reconciling with each other, and was a welcome addition into Grono's mercenary life. Although he does not know much, 'Yendam was modestly disappointed when Dipdip was captured by ONI, and as such does not expect to ever see him again.
=== 589 Curious Puzzle ===
Grono 'Yendam and 589 Curious Puzzle make a striking pair, easy to sort out among a crowd, due to one having the large bulk of a Sangheili, and the other one literally being able to hover over others heads. Originally, this dynamic duo started out as enemies of sorts, their roots taking place during the Second Battle of Drawn. When Grono assaulted this planet, he dug up the artifact that Puzzle had control of, planning to use it on humanity. Being a Forerunner ancilla, Puzzle naturally had a programmed loyalty to humans as reclaimers, and as such denied Grono access, ruining his plans and giving the Spartan Benjamin Erikson time to destroy Grono's vessel.
Two years later, during the Created uprising, Grono would inexplicably encounter the monitor once again, now having been capture by the notorious AI faction. Deducing that the reclaimers themselves were to fault since they manufactured the Created in the first place, Puzzle offered his services to 'Yendam if the Sangheili would free him. Grono reluctantly obliged, but came to find Puzzle's assistance helpful as a mercenary duo, and his company comforting. Thus, a shaky but well-intentioned alliance was born between them.
== Skills ==
Grono 'Yendam is experienced in almost all areas of combat except sniping. This is mainly due to his impatience in combat, and the fact that he was trained in only close-range weapons during his childhood. Grono displays talent in various other categories though, being able to assess weak points on his numerous enemies. He does have an array of explosive weapons, but does not use them often, saving them only to use on vehicles if need be. He excels with mid-range guns, able to take out a fully armored enemy with his concussion rifle, and also aim very accurately with with Covenant pistols and rifles, largely due to the familiar grip on them. Grono uses the most latter form of weapons often, but none of these rival his skill with the blade.
Having slain many of his foes with an energy sword, this Sangheili has unmatched talents. He has a more unique style than most, preferring to stay on the defensive while assessing his opponent's own skill in a duel. Once Grono is satisfied, or more often, the opponent makes a move, he will either go on the defensive if his opponent is a more bruty enemy, liking to swing hits, or the offensive if his foe is less skilled. In either of these two cases, Grono has won victories a many, tiring large opponents out before dealing the finishing blow, or mercilessly dealing attacks until he has won. In the rare case of a much more experienced opponent, Grono will often try to level his swipes and parries, to be neutral on the form. In the two cases that he has been at risk of death, Grono has a trump card strategy of thrusting his free hand at his enemy, to either surprise them with this unorthodox antic, or to grasp their neck or blade. Even though this has proven successful, it has been sacrificing, causing Grono to get severe burns the first time, and even losing his hand the second. Despite the risks, Grono's unique style lets him lose far less than his life in dire circumstances.
== Equipment ==
Throughout his life Grono used a variety of equipment. As part of the Covenant Empire, he used whatever weapons were assigned to him. As a Minor, he used a plasma pistol, before switching to a plasma rifle as he progressed to Major, and Ultra. As the Supreme Warden of the Followers of the Forgotten, Grono used many weapons depending on the situation, but used an energy sword to duel with the Followers’ leader Qav 'Bagozee before murdering him.
As the Shipmaster of the Gauntlet of the Ancients, Grono had control over a vast repository of ground and air vehicles alike. He wielded the personal energy sword Varmint’s Nail, passed down from each Shipmaster, and used it to execute his foes. With the help of Kolasa 'Zam, Grono also had a trio of war mechs called Orcs. Grono used this armada to further his pirating ends until Spartan IV Benjamin Erikson destroyed it all.
In Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, because of his high rank, Grono also used almost whatever he pleased, but prominently used Varmint’s Nail during assaults on enemies. With the fall of the Covenant Remnant and death of Jul 'Mdama, Grono turned to the life of a mercenary. In this career, he wielded an assortment of weapons he buys with payment money, human and Covenant alike, although his favorites were the concussion rifle, Plasma Striker, and Varmint’s Nail. 'Yendam also used a plasma pistol and a storm rifle for tactical use, while stacking up on plasma grenades. The mercenary's less conventional equipment consisted of items like an energy dagger mounted on his wrist, a breathing apparatus, and an Amraa Voto-pattern jet pack. His personal assistant is 589 Curious Puzzle, who is halfway between a partner and an asset to Grono, with some considering Puzzle an advanced personal A.I.
== Quotes ==
== Ranks and Positions ==
=== Covenant Empire ===
* Minor 
* Major 
* Ultra 
=== Followers of the Forgotten ===
* Warden 
 
* Supreme Warden 
=== Pirate Captain ===
* General 
** Shipmaster 
=== Jul 'Mdama's Covenant ===
* Warrior 
* Zealot 
** Field Master 
=== Mercenary Career ===
* Mercenary 
** Shipmaster (Cleansing Blade) 
=== The Banished ===
* Warlord 
** Field Master 
== List of Appearances ==
* Another Job Done 
* RP:Light of the Abyss 
* A Lax Conversation 
* Hunting Rogues Summary
* Halo Rp: Requiem
* Halo: Assassination Games
* Disgraced Legacy
* RP:Imperium
* Induction
* Due Payment
* Halo: Unknown Trackers
* Banishment
Category:Alien Characters
Category:Sangheili
Category:Characters
Category:Vadumverse Antagonists
Category:ZOD Characters
Category:Halo Rp: Spartan
Category:Zealot Archives
Category:The Open Spaces