Editing Blooding Years

|date=[[2553#March|March 2553]]{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=28}}-present

|result=*'''Ongoing as of [[2558]]'''

**[[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] is destroyed

**[[Servants of the Abiding Truth]] continue [[Second Onyx conflict|fighting]] the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] inside of the [[Sarcophagus]] [[shield world]]

**[[Mdama|Mdama State]]

***[[Bekan keep]] {{C|likely}}

***[[Hesduros]] {{C|formerly}}

***[[Sephune III]] {{C|unknown status}}

**[[Ontom]]

***[[New Llanelli]]

***[[Mackintosh]]

*[[Captain|CAPT]] [[Andrew Del Rio]]

|forces1=*Several dozen ships

*1 [[Shuul'se-pattern Kraken|Kraken]]

*Numerous ground forces

|forces2=*9 Covenant ships

**''[[Unflinching Resolve]]''  

*Sangheili ground forces

|forces3=*Numerous Sangheili ships

**Multiple [[Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner|Blockade runners]]

**Multiple {{Pattern|R'sikosh|man o' war}}s

**Several {{Pattern|Rwaru|carrack}}s

**At least one [[Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich|Lich]]

*Sangheili ground forces

Following the [[Voi Memorial|end]] of the [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2553#March|March 2553]], an attempted [[Jiralhanae]] insurrection in [[Ontom]] led [[Avu Med 'Telcam]], leader of the Servants of the Abiding Truth, to the decision for an immediate assault on the state of [[Vadam]] against the newly formed [[Swords of Sanghelios]]. Along with nine ships and forces from [[Nuan keep]] and [[Rtova keep]], 'Telcam commanded the assault from the [[Covenant frigate|frigate]] ''[[Unflinching Resolve]]''.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=114}} Eventually, however, the ''Unflinching Resolve'' suffered a direct hit and crash landed. Despite being caught off-guard it appeared as though the Arbiter would be victorious, however, news spread that he allowed humans to land on Sanghelios; this caused many keeps to ally with the Servants of Abiding Truth and the tide turned in their favor. The Arbiter was caught off guard and when his own reinforcements couldn't arrive on time, he reluctantly accepted [[Admiral]] [[Terrence Hood]]'s offer for help in fending off the attackers.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=238}} The tide turned when the UNSC's new flagship, ''[[UNSC Infinity|Infinity]]'', arrived over Sanghelios and destroyed the rebel destroyer ''[[Defender of Faith]]'' before finishing off the rebel ground forces with a [[MAC]] round.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=302}} The {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}}, posed as a [[Kig-Yar]] pirate ship, destroyed a few of 'Vadam's ships in order to maintain the stalemate between the two factions, granting the Arbiter a pyrrhic victory, although he was able to destroy one of 'Telcam's four fleeing frigates as well.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=330}}

Over the next few months, unrest on Sanghelios was put down, while a rogue [[Covenant corvette]] crashed into the [[Tower of Ghalod'n]] at some point during the civil war.{{Ref/Book|Id=mythos144|HM|Page=144}} The [[Iruiru]] war college would be destroyed in fighting sometime between 2553 and [[2555]].{{Ref/Novel|HitD|Chapter=5}}

Following the death of [[Gek 'Lhar]] during the [[Requiem Campaign]], his presence on Sanghelios collapsed while also being ravaged by the civil conflict taking place on [[Kaepra]], [[Sanghelios]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=257}}

 

At some point in late 2558, the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] launched an assault on Hesduros with the intent of killing 'Mdama and destroying his Covenant for good.{{Ref/Novel|Id=LoO5|LoO|Chapter=5}} The offensive devastated multiple redoubts, including Panom Keep, but Jul was able to escape. The defeat did force his faction to abandon Hesduros entirely, however.{{Ref/Reuse|LoO5}}

===Assassination===

===End of the Covenant===

On [[2558#October|October 27, 2558]], the remnants of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]] [[Battle of Nuusra|attacked]] the [[Elder Council Chamber]] in [[Nuusra]] on Sanghelios in an attempt to kill [[Thel 'Vadam]]. At the same time, due to the need to find [[Blue Team]], [[Fireteam Osiris]] was sent to [[Sanghelios]] to enlist Thel's help to use the [[Forerunner]] [[Guardian]] on the planet to follow Blue Team. Arriving as the attack was underway, Osiris aided the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] in repelling the attack and rescued Thel.{{Ref/Level|H5G|[[Swords of Sanghelios (level)|Swords of Sanghelios]]}}

In order to access the Guardian, Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]] came up with a plan to retrieve a Forerunner [[Constructor]] from a support facility nearby.{{Ref/Level|Id=alliance|H5G|[[Alliance]]}} As Osiris fought to reach the facility, the Swords of Sanghelios battled against the remaining Covenant forces in the area, including a [[Shuul'se-pattern Kraken|Kraken walker]]. Osiris destroyed the Kraken, ending the battle with the Covenant forces in Nuusra and leaving [[Sunaion]] as their last stronghold.{{Ref/Level|H5G|[[Enemy Lines]]}}

After Halsey succeeded in programming the [[Constructor]],{{Ref/Level|H5G|[[Before the Storm]]}} the [[Swords of Sanghelios]], aided by [[Fireteam Osiris]], launched [[Battle of Sunaion|an attack]] on [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]]'s final stronghold in the city of [[Sunaion]]. Osiris aided Thel's forces in clearing out the anti-air defenses so that Thel's ships could move in and fought their way through the city to reach the [[Guardian]] before it could launch. With the help of Halsey and [[Sarah Palmer]], Osiris succeeded in boarding the Guardian before it launched into [[slipspace]] though they had to face [[Promethean]]s and the [[Warden Eternal]] first.{{Ref/Level|Id=Sunaion|H5G|[[Battle of Sunaion (level)|Battle of Sunaion]]}} Having previously witnessed the launch of a Guardian,{{Ref/Level|H5G|[[Evacuation]]}} Locke warned Thel to move his ships back as the construct would release a series of concussive blasts before making the jump. As a result, 'Mdama's Covenant would take the brunt of the blasts instead which could be used by the Swords to their advantage. This tactic succeeded with much of 'Mdama's Covenant's ships knocked out by the final blast as the Guardian jumped to [[Genesis]].

With the Prometheans and Guardian gone and the Covenant forces devastated, Thel had his warriors hunt the survivors to the last, bringing a final end to Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|Sunaion}}

With the [[subjugation of Sanghelios]] in 2558, the planet was placed under a Created administrator. 'Vadam himself seemed to believe the Blooding Years were over by [[2559]].{{Ref/Novel|Out|Chapter=1}}{{Ref/Novel|Out|Chapter=2}} At least on Malurok, keeps had fallen into a form of detente while also under the Created.{{Ref/Reuse|en22pg233}}