Editing Jul 'Mdama's Covenant

===Origins===

Jul 'Mdama was held in ONI custody on the [[shield world]] [[Trevelyan]] during the battle, yet managed to escape via a Forerunner [[Slipspace portal|portal]] to the Sangheili colony world [[Hesduros]]. His hatred for humanity was strengthened when learned that his wife, Raia, was killed in the civil conflict.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=442}} Jul gained a small following on the planet, the populace of which was unaware of the Great Schism and the war's end.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=441}} Jul informed them of the [[San'Shyuum|Prophet]]'s treachery as well as how the Arbiter had made an alliance with humanity.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=ttwchapt16}} Feigning religious devotion to the Forerunners, he resolved to recover Forerunner technology from the shield world [[Requiem]] to the Sangheili residents, much as the humans had done on Trevelyan. Though Jul believed it unlikely that any Forerunners still lived, he also planned to find the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]], the leader of the [[Warrior-Servant|Forerunner military]] who also shared disdain for humanity.{{Ref/Novel|TTW|Page=436}} It was here where Jul 'Mdama would establish a new faction with the residents of Hesduros, self-proclaimed to be ''“the Covenant”''.{{Ref/Comic|Id=escalation5|HE|Issue=5|Quote=What does it mean to be 'Covenant' today? A hundred warlords claim they rule the Covenant, but each of them leads only a small faction.}}

 

One of the earliest actions of this Covenant in late 2553 was to begin gathering resources on [[Sephune III]].{{Ref/Comic|HLW|Issue=2}}

On [[2554|April 22, 2554]], Jul 'Mdama's forces fought against the [[Swords of Sanghelios]]' ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'' and managed to leave the ship combat ineffective.<ref name="Catalog">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969315_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969315 ''Halo Waypoint'': ''Catalog Interaction - Page 14'']</ref> Later that year, 'Mdama's fleet arrived at Requiem but were not able gain access.{{Ref/Reuse|terminal}} The fleet subsequently took up position around the shield world. For the next three years, Jul 'Mdama's Covenant frequently dispatched raiding parties to [[Piracy|steal supplies]],{{Ref/Game|Id=H4TerminalP|H4|[[Terminal (Halo 4)]]: [[Terminal (Halo 4)/One|Prologue]]|Quote=Shipmaster 'Mdama! The raiding parties have returned. They bring supplies and news of a human ship!}} while continuing their attempts to awaken the Didact by broadcasting his name from orbit in thirty minute intervals,{{Ref/Level|Id=Requiem|H4|[[Requiem (level)|Requiem]]}} though their calls received no response. Due to many of the former Covenant's infrastructure and shipyards falling inactive,{{Ref/Site|Id=Bulliten|URL=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013072843/https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/the-halo-bulletin-4-16-14|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=''The Halo Bulletin: 4.16.14''|Quote=While a handful of their local shipyards still exist, most are inactive, forcing many Sangheili to fight over what remained at the close of the war.}} Jul 'Mdama's faction had to scavenge for most of their resources and salvage what they could find.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=H4TerminalP}} They were not outfitted like standard military,{{Ref/Level|Id=Dawn2|H4|[[Dawn]]|Quote=The good news is these Covenant aren't outfitted like standard military}} with most of their infantry [[Storm harness|lacking sleeves]] compared to more affluent factions like the [[Swords of Sanghelios]].{{Ref/Level|Id=Alliance|H5|[[Alliance]]}}

By [[2557#July|July 2557]], the group had gathered a sizable [[fleet]], consisting of multiple {{Pattern|Zanar|light cruiser}}s and a single {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}, the ''[[Song of Retribution]]'', as their [[flagship]]. At this time one of the returning raiding parties noticed a human ship, {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}, drifting toward the planet. 'Mdama ordered the fleet to stop it from entering.{{Ref/Reuse|terminal}} Multiple boarding parties attempted to take the crippled ship, but were fought off by [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]], who had been awoken from cryo-sleep and was bewildered by the existence of their faction. A cruiser then attempted to destroy the ''Forward Unto Dawn'', but the Master Chief manually launched a [[M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system|Hyperion nuclear missile]] and destroyed the cruiser before it could open fire.{{Ref/Reuse|dawn}} At that moment, the installation detected the presence of a [[Reclaimer]], causing an entrance portal to open; both the ''Dawn'' and several Covenant ships were pulled crash landing into the shield world by the gravity well emitted by the portal.

The Didact would transport the Covenant forces still in the core to [[The Refuge (Requiem location)|The Refuge]] and would recognize the Sangheili, telling them they were "loyal and strong" and they would serve well.{{Ref/Novel|Id=vertical|Halo: Vertical Umbrage}} This is despite the Didact seeing 'Mdama's Covenant as little more than "beasts" and "primitives."{{Ref/Reuse|Forerunner}} It would be here at the Refuge that 'Mdama would formally take the name ''Hand of the Didact''.{{Ref/Reuse|vertical}}

 

'Mdama's Covenant aided the Didact's forces in their attack on the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, though the ship's point defenses disabled two cruisers and forced the Didact to retreat.{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Infinity (Halo 4 level)|Infinity]]}} Later, they defended a network of [[particle cannon]]s which protected the shield world's gravity well generator, preventing ''Infinity'' from escaping; they were again unsuccessful.{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]}} 'Mdama's Covenant later dispatched a flight of [[Ru'swum-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] and [[Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich|Lich dropships]] to accompany the Didact's [[Mantle's Approach|flagship]] to [[Ivanoff Station]], an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] facility.{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Shutdown]]}} 'Mdama's Covenant spearheaded an [[Raid on Ivanoff Station|attack on the station]] in order to acquire the [[Composer]], a Forerunner superweapon. The attack caught the defenders off-guard and despite John-117's efforts the Didact acquired the Composer.{{Ref/Level|Id=Composer|H4|[[Composer (level)|Composer]]}} The Didact then [[New Phoenix Incident|attacked Earth]] and tried to digitize its population, though he was defeated by the Master Chief. However, the millions-strong population of [[New Phoenix]], [[Unified Republic of North America|URNA]], was composed{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Midnight]]}} and the victims' essences were transported to Requiem and converted into new [[Promethean Knight]]s; there they would fall under the command of Jul 'Mdama himself and would fight alongside his Covenant in the battles that followed.<ref name="memento">''Spartan Ops'', ''[[Memento Mori]]''</ref>

In a plot to acquire the other half of the Janus Key onboard the UNSC ''Infinity'', Doctor Catherine Halsey and Jul 'Mdama launched an offensive against the human colony of [[Oban]] solely in order to draw ''Infinity'' out into a vulnerable position. This allowed Halsey to use [[Requiem communication artifact|an artifact]] capable of contacting ''Infinity''{{'}}s Forerunner components to deny this ship access into slipspace. The following day, when the ''Infinity'' jumped into slipspace, its slipspace drive experienced an anomaly which trapped them in an [[Aktis system|uncharted system]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE13|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 13|Issue 13]]''}} Furthermore, 'Mdama's Covenant had created a faux Forerunner artifact that appeared to require the Janus Key to be functional and planted it on one of the system's planets, [[Aktis IV]], in order to prompt the UNSC to take their half of the Key to the planet.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE14|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 14|Issue 14]]''}}

As Jul and some of his ground forces began to eliminate the insurgents, the rest of his soldiers assaulted a Spartan reconnaissance team that had fallen back into a Forerunner structure. As the Spartans fled the structure using the planet's [[teleportation grid]], reinforcements were deployed by the UNSC to combat Covenant forces. Meanwhile, a [[Sangheili Minor]] who had defected from 'Nyon's faction with the red half of the Janus Key contacted 'Mdama's forces and offered them the Key. 'Mdama allowed Halsey to travel to the planet in order to authenticate the artifact in person.{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE15|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 15|Issue 15]]''}} 'Mdama dispatched a group of Phantoms, with Halsey aboard one of them, to meet with the defector while he continued to eradicate Sali 'Nyon's rebels across the island. Expecting no ambush on the Janus Key retrieval group, 'Mdama had most of the Phantoms redirected to combat the UNSC forces elsewhere on the island. This proved to be a mistake as Spartans Palmer, Thorne and Ray ambushed Halsey's group. Meanwhile, Jul 'Mdama's forces destroyed the last of Sali 'Nyon's outposts and a captive 'Nyon was brought before 'Mdama, who had the rebel leader kept alive for his punishment. Palmer captured Halsey but the doctor was able to distract her and escape, with Palmer's pursuit of her promptly halted by one of 'Mdama's Harvester excavators. Halsey, still in possession of the red Janus Key half, contacted 'Mdama and was recovered by a Phantom. Halsey and 'Mdama subsequently reunited the halves of the Janus Key and used the artifact to pinpoint the location of the [[Absolute Record]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=HE16|HE|Detail=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 16|Issue 16]]''}}

At some point in late 2558, the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] launched an assault on Hesduros, forcing Jul’s faction to abandon the planet entirely. {{Ref/Novel|Id=LoO5|LoO|Chapter=5}} However, a long-dead [[Forerunner]] communications hub on the remote planet of [[Kamchatka]] activated. This drew the attention of Jul and his followers, leading them to relocate to the Kamchatka. While on the planet, Halsey discovered that her old [[Artificial Intelligence|AI]] [[Cortana]] was responsible for the recent attacks on [[human colonies]] by [[Guardian emergences|awakening]] [[Guardian]]s. She contacted the UNSC about her discovery but they did not take any action for three weeks.

Large numbers of Covenant, including the Mgalekgolo pair attempted to halt the humans' progress, to no avail. Blue Team were able to begin an overload of ''Argent Moon's'' reactor before using [[D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee|Banshees]] to destroy the cooling system, preventing the reactor overload from being stopped. Realizing that the Banshees wouldn't be able to escape the explosion in time, John-117 and his team reached the ship's hangar where the parked [[ONI Acrisius|ONI ''Acrisius'']] sat, surrounded by Covenant forces. The Spartans were forced to engage the hostiles while the {{Class|Winter|prowler}} recharged its fuel cells. Blue Team were successful in repelling 'Mdama's Covenant forces in the hangar and boarded the ''Acrisius'' as soon as she was ready for launch. Piloting the Prowler away from the station, they were successful as the ''Argent Moon'' exploded, taking out all Covenant forces in its vicinity.{{Ref/Reuse|Blue Team}}

Although a less formidable force than the original Covenant, this reorganized Covenant had amassed a considerable pool of military assets, though it had been observed that they "aren't outfitted like standard military."{{Ref/Reuse|dawn}} Many of the faction's Sangheili personnel were from [[Hesduros]], though the majority hailed from the species' homeworld, [[Sanghelios]], and other core worlds.<ref>[https://twitter.com/awesumsauce1/status/418136164457914368 ''Twitter''] (''@HaloWaypoint For Storm Elites it says their homeworld is Sangheilios, but they come from Hesduros, is it meant to be the species homeworld?'')</ref> Most matériel, such as the [[Type-25 plasma pistol]], {{Pattern|Pez'tk|fuel rod gun}}, [[Type-33 Needler]], {{Pattern|Elo'Nakada|concussion rifle}}, {{Pattern|Mosa|carbine}}, {{Pattern|Pek|plasma cannon}}{{Ref/Game|Id=H4|H4}} and rarely the {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}},{{Ref/Reuse|HE16}} {{Pattern|Nakata'vho|plasma repeater}}, and {{Pattern|M'tara|focus rifle}},{{Ref/Reuse|H:SS}} has been carried over from the pre-Schism Covenant, though more recently developed weapons like the {{Pattern|Tufasumo|plasma caster}}, [[Type-54 plasma pistol]], {{Pattern|Kelos'vaarda|storm rifle}}, {{Pattern|Gespu|fuel rod gun}}, and {{Pattern|Shea'p|plasma cannon}} were also common.{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians2}} In other cases, the faction used older models, such as the {{Pattern|Zubo|beam rifle}} rather than the [[Sulok-pattern beam rifle|Type-50]], due to the scarcity of modern weapons. Some older weapons and vehicles were produced by new manufacturers but are generally unchanged in design. Infantry were equipped with armor that appears to be a mix of new variants and styles used by the original Covenant; for example, Unggoy Storm troops were equipped with rebreathers modeled on traditional Unggoy diving apparatuses, whereas Sangheili Commanders wore armor that is very reminiscent of the armor worn by [[Sangheili Officer|Sangheili officer]]s during the war.<ref name="H4 Interactive Guide">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/halo4guide ''Halo 4 Interactive Guide'']</ref>  

As under the hegemony's reign, the {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}} and {{Pattern|Zurdo|Wraith}} were the mainstays of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant's vehicular ground forces as well as the {{Pattern|Karo'wark|Ghost}} and {{Pattern|Kemu|Wraith}}. The {{Pattern|Ogab'd|anti-aircraft Wraith}} was used in relatively small numbers. The [[Type-26 Banshee|T-26B Banshee]] and {{Pattern|D'nomlhe|Banshee}} were the organization's primary ground support aircraft; modifications to the T-26B and T-54 allowed them to serve in a limited exoatmospheric scouting capacity akin to the purpose-built {{Pattern|Elsedda|Banshee}},{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians2}}{{Ref/Book|H4EVG|Page=119}} though the [[Type-31 Seraph|Seraph]] remained the primary space fighter in 'Mdama's Covenant. The {{Pattern|Ru'swum|Phantom}} had become primary dropship in 'Mdama's Covenant. Though by October 2558 the {{Pattern|Mikpramu|Phantom}} had seemingly replaced the Type-44 Phantom. The {{Pattern|Dextro Xur|Spirit}} and {{Pattern|R'shwupa|Phantom}} were both used, but not in the same numbers as the T-44 and T-57 Phantoms. The {{Pattern|Nuro'k Xur|Spirit}} was also common by October 2558.{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians2}} The {{Pattern|Kmiro'sish|Lich}} provided ultra-heavy transport capability when needed. The faction also frequently used the {{Pattern|Gloto|Breaching Carapace}},{{Ref/Book|Id=H4EVGCDropPod|H4EVG|Section=Vehicles, Non-human|Page=121 (Covenant Drop Pod)}} the [[Covenant drop pod#Multiple-occupant pod|Type-53 Squad Breaching Carapace]], and the {{Pattern|Gloto'kas|Assault Carapace}} to deploy troops from orbit. 'Mdama's forces used the {{Pattern|Rizsheda|Shade}}, {{Pattern|Mamua'uda|Shade}}, {{Pattern|Shuku|sentry turret}}s, {{Pattern|Sho'riru|Shade}}, and {{Pattern|Upisa'weri|Shrike}} for static defense, along with an unclassified type of [[Ra'aam-pattern burst cannon|stationary artillery]] and {{Pattern|Cheru|Tyrant}}s. An unknown amount of {{Pattern|Za'zayara|Harvester}}s{{Ref/Book|H4EVG|Page=140}} and {{Pattern|Shuul'se|Kraken}}s{{Ref/Reuse|Guardians2}} were used as excavation<ref name="Switchback">''Spartan Ops'', ''[[Scattered]]''</ref> and assault platforms.{{Ref/Reuse|HE16}}