Editing Bloodstars

{{Status|Canon}}

The '''Bloodstars''' were a [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations]] unit, employed in the [[Covenant]] Empire's reign and later the [[Banished]]. Within the Covenant, the Bloodstars comprised of a single ''[[Kai'd]]'', composed of [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae Stalker|Stalker]]s, [[Special Operations Sangheili|Special Operations]] [[Sangheili]],{{Ref/Novel|Id=Retribution|Ret|Detail=page 265}} and select [[Kig-Yar]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS15|HSS|Chapter=15}} In early [[2526]], they were commanded by [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] of the [[Silent Shadow]]. It is because of this, that the Bloodstars know highly classified Silent Shadow intelligence and tasking. During their missions to gather intelligence on the [[United Nations Space Command]] and later to hunt down the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartans]], the Bloodstars were organized into [[Bloodstar Flotilla|their own flotilla]] of [[intrusion corvette]]s.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS12|HSS|Chapter=12}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS18|HSS|Chapter=18}}  

 

 

{{Unit infobox

|variant=Cov

|authority=[[Covenant]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS12}}<br>

|branch=[[Sangheili]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS12}}<br>

[[Kig-Yar]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS15}}

*Gathering of information and hunting down [[SPARTAN-II program|high-value targets]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS9}}

|size=One [[kai'd]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS12}}

|notable=[[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS12}}<br>

[[Atriox]]{{Ref/Reuse|enc22}}<br>

[[Orsun]]

One of the [[plasma]] blasts happened to strike the {{UNSCShip|Starry Night}}, the [[flagship]] of [[Captain (NAVCOM)|Captain]] [[Halima Ascot]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS13|HSS|Chapter=13}} It crashed into the quarry, leading 'Szatulai to order the flotilla to converge on and secure the vessel. The [[intrusion corvette]] ''[[Worthy Silence]]'' reached the crash site before the others, deploying a team of [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]]-equipped Bloodstars onto the downed prowler via [[gravity lift]]. Before they could gain access, a team of twelve [[Spartan-II]]s arrived in search of survivors. They were set upon by Bloodstar-operated [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghost]]s and the looming corvette began firing on them, forcing the supersoldiers to cause an avalanche that would sweep away the ''Starry Night'' and delay the Bloodstars.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS14|HSS|Chapter=14}} By the time some of the Spartans had recovered, at least three more corvettes had arrived to support their infantry, as well as to deploy more armored vehicles. However, a small team of Spartans managed to board the prowler before the Bloodstars could make a second attempt. While most of the supersoldiers were occupied fending off the ground vehicles or freeing themselves from the ice flow, a Bloodstar strike team of two [[Sangheili]], four [[Jiralhanae]], and four [[Kig-Yar]] approached the vessel. Two Kig-Yar entered first to scout it out, then the two Sangheili and four Jiralhanae entered, leaving the last two Kig-Yar on top of the fuselage to act as a rear guard. Meanwhile, Task Force Yama shot down two of the flotilla's corvettes in a strafing run. Shortly after boarding, the eight Bloodstars were attacked by [[Frederic-104]]'s team. Most of them died in an explosion, but the two Sangheili escaped to be confronted by [[John-117]]. The Spartan killed one of them with his [[M6D magnum]] and folded the other onto his own [[Type-1 energy sword|energy sword]]. Before he could recover from the encounter, the two Kig-Yar atop the prowler began firing at him from behind their [[Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet|shields]], with one landing a hit that compromised his armor's seal. [[Joshua-029|Two]] [[Anton-044|more]] Spartans arrived to assist, but the ''Worthy Silence'' began lifting the ''Starry Night'' into its cargo hold. The team inside the prowler armed its [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] [[self-destruct]] and fled in an escape pod, while the other Spartans sprinted out of the [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|nuke]]'s blast radius. Thirty seconds later, the nuke detonated, destroying both the prowler and the ''Worthy Silence''.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS15}}  

{{Main|Battle of Zhoist}}

During Task Force Yama's [[Battle of Zhoist|assault]] on the Covenant's holy colony of [[Zhoist]], 'Szatulai led his Bloodstars onto the [[Ring of Mighty Abundance]] after realizing that the Spartans were boarding it. However, 'Szatulai discovered too late that the Spartans had managed to sneak past them, resulting in a confrontation with them in one of the fabrication barns for the partially-construction [[Covenant supercarrier|supercarrier]] ''[[Hammer of Faith]]''. As John-117 and [[Kelly-087]] prepared to use the barn's [[gravity lift]]s to throw a pair of activated [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]s onto the supercarrier, the Bloodstars' Sangheili forces began emerging from the lifts in pairs, ignoring the HAVOKs in favor of attacking [[Blue Team]]. Frederic-104 was able to kill several with an [[M41 SPNKR]] while [[Linda-058]] took out more with an [[M99 Stanchion]]. As the battle raged between Blue Team and the Bloodstars, 'Szatulai attacked John in close quarters combat and nearly bested him. John eventually managed to overpower 'Szatulai and he was killed when Kelly blew off 'Szatulai's head with John's [[M90 shotgun]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS27|HSS|Chapter=27}}

Though the Sangheili Bloodstar forces on the Ring of Mighty Abundance were killed, [[Castor]] and [[Orsun]] didn't emerge from the gravity lifts until after everyone else was dead. Rather than engaging the fleeing Spartans, the two Jiralhanae fled in Banshees before the HAVOKs destroyed the ''Hammer of Faith''. Castor and Orsun were able to reach a stable orbit around Zhoist before the detonation and were picked up by the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience where they reported the death of 'Szatulai and the failure to kill any of the Spartans.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS27}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSSEp|HSS|Detail=Epilogue}}{{clear}}

====Formation====

In its earliest days, the Bloodstars were trained in the art of specialized warfare by members of the Silent Shadow that have joined the Banished.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22}} Following the end of the Covenant War, what remained of the Covenant's Bloodstars order was reappropriated by the Banished.{{Ref/Site|Id=cflegendend|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-legendary-endings|SiteName=Halo Waypoint|PageName=Canon Fodder - Legendary Endings|D=13|M=12|Y=2021}} The Bloodstars' ranks were replenished with veterans of the Covenant War, mercenaries, and some of the Banished's best warriors. The unit was trained into a ruthless force dedicated to hunting and killing [[Spartan]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22}}

 

====Battle for Zeta Halo====

Numerous Bloodstars were present during the [[Battle for Zeta Halo]] between [[2559]] and [[2560]].{{Ref/Reuse|cflegendend}} Upon the release of the [[Harbinger]] and her [[gasgira]] allies, [[Skimmer Alpha|a small contingent of gasgira]] were even integrated within the ranks of the Bloodstars to test their combat proficiency.{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=436}} One member of the Bloodstars, [[Gorian]], worked with [[Jega 'Rdomnai]] to access the [[Conspectus network]], which would help [[Escharum]] take full control of the ring;{{Ref/Novel|RP|Chapter=22}} he was killed by Spartan [[Tomas Horvath]].{{Ref/Novel|RP|Chapter=36}} Circa May 28, upon hearing that [[John-117]] had survived, some members of the Bloodstars hoped to secure a promotion to the [[Hand of Atriox]] by killing the Spartan.{{Ref/Reuse|cflegendend}} However, many were located and identified as high value targets by [[the Weapon]]. The AI passed this information on to John-117, who tracked down and killed each Bloodstar operative, along with the troops that accompanied them.

Like the Silent Shadow, all members of the Bloodstars wore dark red armor.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS18}}{{Ref/Reuse|enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|HSS14}} Sangheili Bloodstars utilized [[bloodblade]]s, a kind of blood-red energy sword.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS15}}