Sangheili-San'Shyuum war

The Sangheili-San'Shyuum War, also known as the War of Beginnings,Halo Waypoint: Universe - Locations - Sanghelios was an interstellar war set between the Sangheili and the San'Shyuum races, over religious and technological differences. At the conclusion of the war, the Writ of Union was penned and initiated, and the Covenant was kindled.Halo: Contact Harvest, page 147
==History==
===Discovery===
After leaving their homeworld in 2100 BCE, the San'Shyuum encountered the Sangheili in 938 BCE on Ulgethon.Halo Waypoint: Universe - Vehicles - Dreadnought They also had experience with Forerunner technology. The San'Shyuum believed that incorporating Forerunner technology was allowed by their religion. To the Sangheili, such a thing would have been unthinkable heresy.
The San'Shyuum ask the Sangheili access to the relics for study them, but where rejected, and when they send them a delegation to explain them their religion, the Sangheili beheaded them all and returned them their heads. The war had begun.'Halo: Broken Circle - p.4
===War===
During the war, both sides fought for the posession of Forerunner sites. The fight on one of them, Ulgethon, lasted a full year, leaving the planet a charred husk filled with dead warriors and shattered ships, but it was only one of several battlefields.Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo - p.39 The weak physical form of the San'Shyuum forced them to rely, as main infantry units, of Sentinels. 'Halo: Broken Circle - p.6 During the combat, the Sangheili had an early advantage, with each warrior comparable in skill to several San'Shyuum in battle. However, the San'Shyuum's technological superiority, and possession of the Forerunner dreadnought, meant that they had the advantage in space battles, using the Dreadnought to great effect in devastating hit-and-run strikes against the Sangheilian War Fleets. The San'Shyuum used the Dreadnought to drive the Sangheilis from their outer colonies towards their homeworld. The Dreadnought won several space battles, but the Sangheili began attacking in other places, launching also hit-and-run attacks, managing to gaining ground someplaces.'Halo: Broken Circle - p.63
Eventually in 876 BCE, in order to ensure the survival of their race, the Sangheili were forced to amend their position of the treatment of Forerunner technologies and began studying their relics and incorporating elements into their warship, weapon and armor designs. The San'Shyuum also realized that if there were other races with martial capabilities like the Sangheili, they would be in serious danger.
== Aftermath ==
In time, the Sangheili learned of the San'Shyuum's belief in the Great Journey, where the Forerunners used the Halo Array to ascend to a god-like state, and wished to repeat this process on themselves. In 852 BCE, a tentative truce was brokered between the Sangheili leader Pelahsar the Strident and the San'Shyuum known as the Breaking Shadow. Both leaders forgave the past crimes of their species and began working toward a peaceful alliance.Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo - p.39 Finally, the two races signed a treaty known as the Writ of Union to form the early Covenant, which defined the two races positions: the San'Shyuum would act as the head religious leaders, studying the Forerunners' technology and seek out the Halos, while the Sangheili would serve as their protectors, using weapons and technology developed by the San'Shyuum. 
However, not all the Sangheilis submitted to the writ. One of their most successful war leaders, Ussa 'Xellus, was opposed to the new alliance and began a guerrilla war. Although the Sangheili commander attempted to convince other clans, very few followed him. Finally, he and his followers were forced to flee Sangheilos. The Covenant forces followed them to his new colony, a Shield World which they called the Refuge, but he made them believe he and all his followers have died.'Halo: Broken Circle - p.64
The Dreadnought was decommissioned and made the center point and power source of High Charity, a mobile planetoid which would serve as the capital of the Covenant.
==Sources==
de:San'Shyuum-Sangheili Krieg
Category:Wars
Category:San'Shyuum
Category:Sangheili
Category:Covenant