Editing Keepers of the One Freedom

{{Status|Canon}}

{{New content|[[Halo: Retribution]]}}

**[[Orsun]]†  

|dissolved=

The '''Keepers of the One Freedom''' are a militant [[Covenant remnants|religious movement]] operating in the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|post-Covenant War era]]. They follow [[Covenant religion|the religion]] of the former [[Covenant]] and its belief in the [[Great Journey]],{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P247|Enc22|Page=247}} but also renounce the [[San'Shyuum]] as false "prophets."{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW3|DW|Chapter=3|Page=51|Quote=Though Castor and his Keepers had long ago renounced their loyalty to the Covenant's San'Shyuum "prophets," they remained devoted to the doctrine of the Great Journey}} Their capital has been established on the [[human]] outlaw colony of [[Venezia]], but they also have allies on [[Gao]] and other worlds, including [[Forerunner]] installations. The Keepers are led by a small group of [[Jiralhanae]] elders called [[Dokab]]s, most of whom are formerly high-ranked members of the [[Covenant military]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}}<ref>''Halo: Last Light'', p 168-169 (Google Play edition)</ref>

The detachment of Keepers led by dokab [[Castor]] was destroyed in [[2559#October|October 2559]] during an effort to fire the [[Halo Array]] from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}}{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}} Even before the Keepers left for the Ark through a [[Slipspace portal]] on Reach, Castor had been forced to abandon or sacrifice most of his forces due to [[Keepers Eradication Campaign|a massive eradication campaign]] by [[ONI]] using intelligence gathered by the [[Ferret]]s.{{Ref/Novel|DW|Chapter=15}}{{Ref/Reuse|DW1}} Following the failure of the mission, the only surviving members of this detachment were Castor himself and the [[Sangheili]] [[Blademaster]] [[Inslaan 'Gadogai]]—both having abandoned the Keepers.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}}{{Ref/Reuse|DW}} Having learned the truth about his faith and the purpose of Halo, Castor sought to exact vengeance upon his enemies.{{Ref/Reuse|DW}} Despite this loss, other remnants of the Keepers remain active, with their largest presence still based on Venezia.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}}

In [[2553]], a [[UNSC]] task force was dispatched to [[Gao]] with the mission of retrieving a suspected [[Forerunner]] [[ancilla]]. During their inspection, the term "ancilla" was overheard by [[Veta Lopis]], who promptly relayed this information to Gao's [[Minister of Protection]] [[Arlo Casille]]. Arlo then informed the cult leader (''Dokab'') [[Castor]] about the ancilla, much to the Jiralhanae's delight, beginning a Keeper invasion of Gao to recover the "oracle". The attack on UNSC forces began when the ''[[One Light]]'' landed in a staged inspection, dispatching 500 troops into the jungle. The first attempt to recover the ancilla involved sending a small Brute task force into the caves, where they encountered and were subsequently defeated by [[Spartan]] [[Blue Team]]. At the same time, the larger task force opened fire on the UNSC garrison at [[Wendosa]], using mortars and snipers to suppress the UNSC marines. When Blue Team eventually emerged from the cave system into the war-torn town, they pushed through the Keepers to [[Hotel Wendosa]] to link up with what remained of the garrison. Although Blue Team would be evacuated by a [[UH-144 Falcon|Falcon]], the aircraft would be shot down by Keeper snipers, crash-landing in the jungle nearby. Castor and his pack would move in to engage the survivors of the crash, but would eventually be defeated by [[Blue Team]]. Castor was presumed dead after sustaining grievous injuries at the hands of [[Frederic-104]], but would later encounter the [[Huragok]] [[Roams Alone]], who would heal the injured Jiralhanae. Castor and Orsun then proceeded to leave Gao, with plans to exact vengeance on Casille for betraying the Keepers.

In around [[2557]], the [[Ferret]]s manage to infiltrate the Keepers of the One Freedom through an allied doomsday cult called the [[Humans of the Joyous Journey]]. Over the course of eight months, the Ferrets gather intelligence that they pass on to ONI, allowing the UNSC to conduct a massive eradication campaign against the Keepers.{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW1|DW|Chapter=1}} The intelligence results in the deaths of around 15,000 Keepers{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW11|DW|Chapter=11}} and the decimation of the faction.{{Ref/Reuse|DW1}}

At some point near April 2558, six months before the rise of the [[Created]], the Keepers entered into a temporary alliance with [[Atriox]]'s [[Banished]], serving as one of its [[legion]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|SoR3}} Castor's decision to take refuge with the Banished greatly surprised ONI, who instructed the Ferrets to remain undercover in the hopes of a shot at killing [[Atriox]].{{Ref/Reuse|DW1}} Shortly after this, Atriox and [[Decimus]] departed for the Ark, leaving [[Escharum]] in command.{{Ref/Novel|Id=SoR3|SoR|Chapter=3}} At some point in July 2559, they received a transmission from Escharum ordering them and two other Banished legions, the [[Legion of the Corpse-Moon]] and the [[Clan of the Ravaged Tusks|Ravaged Tusks]], to look for the hidden [[Ark]] slipspace portal in the [[Menachite portal complex]] beneath [[CASTLE Base]] on [[Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|SoR3}} They succeeded in locating the portal by observing [[Blue Team]]'s path towards [[Menachite Mountain]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=SoR17|SoR|Chapter=17}} Soon after excavating it, Atriox activated the other end of the portal with the three shards of the [[Menachite Forerunner crystal]] and came through in a [[Eklon'Dal Workshop Lich|Lich]]. Castor, along with his forty surviving Keepers and the rogue [[Inslaan 'Gadogai]], left the Banished and took the portal back to the Ark with the intent of activating the [[Halo Array]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=SoR21|SoR|Chapter=21}}

===The Great Journey===

Upon arriving at the Ark, the Keepers' Lich crashed after getting caught in a three-way battle between the [[Banished]], the UNSC, and a [[Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant|remnant]] of the Covenant that had survived the firing of [[Installation 08]] from inside the ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]''. Castor was able to form an alliance with these Covenant loyalists and their leader, [[Prelate]] [[Dhas Bhasvod]], based on their mutual goal of beginning the Great Journey, aided by the unexpected appearance of [[Intrepid Eye]]. Chased by both the UNSC and the Banished, the alliance was able to locate and access [[Epsilon Clarion]], one of the facilities on the Ark capable of firing the [[Halo Array]]. However, the journey and constant attacks decimated the Keeper detachment, leaving [[Castor]] and [[Inslaan 'Gadogai]] as the only survivors. In an argument between Intrepid Eye and a [[Facilitator-class ancilla]], the [[Epsilon submonitor]], overseeing the facility revealed the truth about Halo to Castor, who then abandoned his faith and mission. Epsilon Clarion and Intrepid Eye are destroyed by the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} and Castor and 'Gadogai, having abandoned the Keepers of the One Freedom,{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}} vowed to seek revenge upon all of their enemies.{{Ref/Reuse|DW}}

The Keepers have a wide range of former [[Covenant]] and human weaponry at their disposal, including mortars, [[Type-50 particle beam rifle|Beam Rifles]], [[Type-33 Needler|Needlers]], [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|Plasma Rifles]] and more traditional Jiralhanae weapons such as the [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|Spiker]] and [[Type-52 Mauler|Mauler]]. Their manpower consists of thousands of warriors from various species, including [[Jiralhanae]], [[Kig-Yar]], [[Unggoy]], and [[human]]s.{{Ref/Novel|Id=SoR19|SoR|Chapter=19}} Their allies on [[Gao]] and [[Venezia]] have ensured a steady stream of supplies and weapons to the faction, allowing them to conduct anti-[[UNSC]] operations in a large capacity. They are also known to use [[Jiralhanae power armor]], painted blue and gold, for the colors of the Keepers.

 

However, by [[2559#October|October 2559]], the Keepers' ranks, or at least, Castor's detachment, had been decimated due to a massive eradication campaign by ONI. Castor's forces that hijacked [[Atriox]]'s [[Eklon'Dal Workshop Lich|Lich]] were all that was left of his detachment of Keepers, roughly forty in number.{{Ref/Reuse|DW1}} Despite this, numerous Keeper footholds remain across various planets and Forerunner installations, with the largest established presence still based on Venezia.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P247}}

*The Keepers are referenced in one of the [[Skins (Halo 3)|weapon skins]] available for the [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifle]] in the ''[[Halo 3]]'' component of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', released in [[Series 4: Reclaimer]]. Named ''Keeper'', the skin's description reads ''Still searching for true freedom''; an obvious nod to the name of the Keepers of the One Freedom. The plasma rifle skin itself is painted in a deep blue with yellow stripes.

**They are also referenced in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' by a colour option for [[Personal AI]], released in ''[[Season 02: Lone Wolves]]'', called ''Castor's Keeper'' and features a similar colouring.