Fleet of Inexorable Obedience

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Fleet of Inexorable Obedience
Affiliation:	Covenant
Group:	Covenant fleet
Size:	100+ starships Multiple CAS-class assault carriers Multiple cruisers Multiple Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship Multiple intrusion corvettes Multiple medical vessels At least three bladder ships At least four equipment freighters
Engagements:	Skirmish over Netherop Operation: SILENT STORM Battle of Seoba Battle of Biko Battle over Etalan Battle of Zhoist
Commanders:	Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee

The Fleet of Inexorable Obedience was a large Covenant fleet. Under the command of Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee, this fleet engaged in some of the earliest battles and glassing operations in the Human-Covenant War.

History

Outer Colony Campaign

Main article: Massacre of the Outer Colonies

Shortly after the Human-Covenant War broke out, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience was tasked with destroying the Outer Colonies, with Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee spearheading this effort from aboard the Pious Rampage. Additionally, the Minor Minister of Artifact Survey was assigned to the fleet as a ceremonial magistrate. The fleet's orders were to discover human colonies as quickly as possible, survey their worlds, capture those containing Forerunner relics, and glass those that did not. To aid in this mission, a unit of Silent Shadow led by First Blade Tel 'Szatulai was also assigned to the fleet. Early on, the fleet successfully destroyed multiple colonies, but lost the Radiant Arrow under mysterious circumstances as it was surveying Netherop. This loss occurred not long after of the fleet's vessels, the Unrelenting, disappeared at Chi Ceti IV.

Glassing Etalan

Main article: Attack on Etalan

During the glassing of Etalan in March 2526, the Minor Minister of Artifact Survey became impatient with the process and incited 'Kvarosee to expedite the process. However, they were interrupted by 'Szatulai with a message from General Harper Garvin of the United Rebel Front offering the Covenant information due to the Insurrectionists' desire to break free of the UNSC which they saw as a mutual enemy. As proof of his intentions, Garvin offered up information on what had happened to the Unrelenting and Radiant Arrow. Garvin warned that the Spartans intended to destroy the fleet at Biko and proposed helping to eliminate the Spartans if the Covenant left their worlds alone. 'Kvarosee dispatched 'Szatulai to meet with Garvin and hunt down the Spartans while expediting the glassing of Etalan by having the fleet bombard the planet's massive shield volcano, triggering an eruption that filled the atmosphere with ash to slowly suffocate its inhabitants.

Scouting Seoba

Main article: Battle of Seoba

Tel 'Szatula took a detachment of the fleet, called the Bloodstar Flotilla, to Seoba, one of the moons of Biko. Here, he would meet with Garvin and his followers in an abanadoned ice quarry. However, when they arrived in the Kolaqoa system on March 19, 2526, the flotilla of intrusion corvettes found a UNSC task force occupying the moon. The ensuing battle resulted in the destruction of three of the flotilla's five vessels, forcing 'Szatulai to retreat with his flagship—the Sacred Whisper—and one other intrusion corvette. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience had completed its destruction of Etalan, prompting Fleetmaster 'Kvarosee to order the fleet to continue to Biko, their next target.

Finding Biko

Main article: Battle of Biko

On March 20, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience arrived at Biko. Because of insurrectionist warnings that Task Force Yama would attempt to board their vessels and destroy them from the inside, 'Kvarosee held the fleet's fighter screen in close. Shortly after dropping out of slipspace, Biko's meager navy deployed to meet them. However, 'Kvarosee ordered the fleet to accelerate through their lines to quickly get to the planet and to try to avoid being boarded during a prolonged fight. As the fighting began, Tel 'Szatulai ordered his two remaining vessels to rendezvous with the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience. However, as they accelerated toward Biko, a lone transport began trailing them. 'Szatulai realized that it must be Garvin and had the Sacred Whisper dock with the Banta-class transport. Their negotiations resulted in the First Blade "promising" to give the Insurrectionists control of Biko following the battle in exchange for more information on the Spartans. The battle in orbit of Biko lasted for five days, in which time the human defense forces had managed to destroy five of 'Kvarosee's cruisers and all of orbital shipyards that he had hoped to capture. However, the human vessels were eventually wiped out and 'Kvarosee ordered Biko to be glassed, despite the fact that the fleet's carrier gas was beginning to run low following the recent loss of much of their logistics train. When the plasma bombardment caused planet's atmosphere to combust, the Minor Minister of Artifact Survey commended 'Kvarosee's efficiency and suggested that he stop the glassing to preserve plasma. The fleetmaster, however, explained that the firestorm would not be enough fuze the ground and make Biko uninhabitable.

Loss at Etalan

Main article: Battle over Etalan

During the Battle of Biko, the fleet's logistics train of several Mjern-pattern agricultural support ships, at least four equipment freighters, and three bladder ships were stationed in orbit over Etalan. As the rest of the fleet was busy assaulting Biko, the bladder ships collected gas from Etalan's upper atmosphere to manufacture plasma for the rest of the fleet.

Task Force Yama caught wind of the vulnerable logistics fleet and sent the UNSC Vanishing Point, two escort prowlers, and the twelve Spartans of Blue, Green, and Gold Teams to destroy these key vessels. On March 22, 2526, the three UNSC warships arrived at Etalan and began to stealthily observe the logistics fleet, attempting to identify the purpose of each class of vessel and which should be their primary targets. Dr. Catherine Halsey quickly realized the importance of the bladder ships. Four days later, on March 26, the Spartans launched their attack. While Gold and Green Teams attacked and destroyed the four equipment freighters, Blue Team used captured Banshees to get close to the bladder ships. As the ships were still retracting their collection cones, their shields were down, allowing John-117, Frederic-104, and Kelly-087 to get close enough to arm HAVOK tactical nuclear weapons and destroy each of the three bladder ships. Only the Mjern-pattern agricultural ships and a handful of medical vessels had survived the attack, waiting in orbit over Etalan for five days before a properly protected convoy could be organized to retrieve them.

As a result, the fleet's advance was brought to a halt and 'Kvarosee was forced to call for a new supply convoy from Zhoist to rendezvous with the surviving logistics vessels. After 'Szatulai revealed that the humans had retrieved a kelguid from one of his downed corvettes, 'Kvarosee realized that the humans would likely next target Zhoist and ordered the fleet there against the objections of the Minor Minister who wanted to head to High Charity, believing it to be in danger instead.

Destruction

Main article: Battle of Zhoist

On April 15, Task Force Yama launched an attack on Zhoist which was defended by the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience alongside the planet's own defenses. With the fleet's positioning making it impossible to board the Ring of Mighty Abundance from space, the Spartans and Black Daggers dropped onto Zhoist to use the gravity elevators to reach the Ring. Upon realizing what they were up to, 'Szatulai led his forces to engage them while the fleet engaged the Prowlers as they dropped off the assault force. However, the Spartans succeeded in reaching the Ring, destroying two of the Ten Cities of Edification in the process.

After the destruction of the Ring of Mighty Abundance, 'Kvarosee had the fleet pulled back further and learned that 'Szatulai and his forces, aside from Castor and Orsun, had been killed by the Spartans on the Ring. The fleet was able to capture eight of the Black Daggers who only laughed when interrogated by the Shipmasters. During this time, the Minor Minister's behavior caused Tam 'Lakosee to kill him which 'Kvarosee decided to cover up. The captured Black Daggers hidden octas eventually detonated aboard six of the ships, visible from the surviving hidden Prowlers of Task Force Yama to their amazement. The Fleet of Inexorable Obedience was decimated by the surprise attack. One of the ships lost was the Almighty Persuasion which carried one of the Covenant's three Luminal Beacons.

Composition

• Pious Rampage - CAS-class assault carrier (flagship) - Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee
• Purifying Flame - Unknown class - Unknown
• Radiant Arrow - Covenant frigate - Destroyed
• Almighty Persuasion - Unknown class - Destroyed
• Unrelenting - Zanar-pattern light cruiser - Destroyed during the Battle of Chi Ceti
• Bloodstar Flotilla
  • Sacred Whisper (flagship of the Bloodstar Flotilla) - First Blade Tel 'Szatulai - Destroyed at the Battle of Zhoist
  • Worthy Silence - Destroyed at the Battle of Seoba

List of appearances

• Halo: Silent Storm (First appearance)
• Halo: Oblivion (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Outcasts (Mentioned only)