Yonhet

Yonhet
Physical information
Avg. height:	165–182 cm (5 ft 5 in–6 ft)
Avg. weight:	54.4–90.7kg (120–200 lbs)
Distinctions:	Humanoid, four nostrils, gills
Sociocultural information
Homeworld:	Yonhe
Notable individuals:	Axl Elld Tomn M'raad
Also known as:	Smugglers
Languages:	Yonhetian

"Gotta give her credit for her shout-out to the Yonhet, though. I mean, nobody remembers those guys."

— Edward Buck on the Yonhet.

The Yonhet, colloquially nicknamed Smugglers, are a humanoid sapient species associated with the Covenant. They are part of what is commonly known as the Covenant fringe, a collection of various species that used to serve the Covenant's interests in various peripheral roles. Named after their home moon of Yonhe, they are known as traders and smugglers.

History

When the Yonhet first came into contact with the Covenant, they were viewed as militarily insignificant. With a relatively small population, there was little value in drafting the Yonhet as full signatories to the Covenant empire. However, their skills at acquiring a large variety of items that were considered difficult to locate gave them flexibility and a high degree of tolerance within the Covenant. The Covenant did not doubt the Yonhet's loyalty due to their (feigned) devout acceptance of the "Great Journey", although there was an element of cynicism to their adherence to the Covenant faith.

The Yonhet were instead incorporated into the Covenant fringe, a collection of species that provided various strategic and infrastructure-related advantages to the Covenant, but were militarily and politically insignificant. They were generally employed to salvage abandoned worlds, transport recovered Forerunner relics and clear derelict shrines under the vigilant eye of Covenant-appointed administrators. Yonhet convoys en route to High Charity were frequent targets of heretic pirate attacks. Then-Shipmaster Arkad 'Kulul was one of the Covenant officials involved in quelling such attacks, resulting in his promotion to the station of Fleetmaster of the Fleet of Recalcitrant Ire. The fleet were later involved in the administration and oversight of Covenant Fringe species.

The Yonhet were not permitted to serve in the Covenant military, due to a belief they held little value as warriors - meaning they were a relatively rare sight closer to the front lines of the Human-Covenant War. Throughout most of the war, many Yonhet remained in hiding both because they felt it was a fight that was not theirs, and the growing scale of the conflict had made exploration and trade much too dangerous and difficult for them. With the Covenant attention on humanity, the Yonhet instead began to quietly disperse and escape the clutches of the empire - though its collapse in 2552 saw them begin to take a more active role in the post-war galaxy.

With the Covenant's demise as the end of the war, the Yonhet began to emerge in hopes that the coast was clear enough to make a profit from the fleeting peacetime and political uncertainty. Taking advantage of the chaos and confusion of the Treaty period, they have since began to have a myriad of varied interactions with the remnant factions of the former-empire. Some of the fledgling warlords have turned to the Yonhet to take advantage of their natural skills, giving some Yonhet individuals trusted roles. Others were not as fortunate as some avaricious warlords instead oppressed and enslaved them. Some Yonhet were sold into slavery by Kig-Yar. This enterprising nature has resulted in Yonhet easily melding into society in the Via Casilina Trade Route, home to the weapons auctioneer Elld and the mercenary power broker M'raad.

Biology

While Yonhet appeared to be humanoid species, they were among the more unapproachable and misunderstood. Male Yonhet are hairless with milky-pale skin, deep-set eyes with sagging skin beneath, and drooping mouths lined with short, sharp teeth. Their foreheads are wrinkled in deep folds, although their cheek and brow bones are sharp and prominent. Their heads sport strange pocks and markings. The Yonhet have two sets of slit-like nostrils cut into a wide nose, as well as a series of gills along their jawline. Older Yonhet can be distinguished by the presence of longer gills and teeth than their younger brethren, with individual members of the species displaying different patterns on their forehead ridges.

A group of Yonhet.

The Yonhet seem to possess an innate talent for the acquisition of various difficult to find items. They are also noted to have a natural skill at "sniffing out" Forerunner relics, and despite their predisposition for trade and smuggling being in some ways similar to the Kig-Yar, many Sangheili consider the Yonhet more reliable.

Culture

The native language of the Yonhet is known as Yonhetian, and many members of the species also speak the Covenant's trade pidgin. As a distinguishing trait, Yonhet seemingly refer to themselves in the third person in everyday speech.

The Yonhet visual similarity to humans makes them one of the most often misunderstood and unapproachable species of the ex-Covenant. They generally project an air of subservience, which is used to mask their cunning nature - something they use to great effect when trading.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

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  A well outfitted Yonhet smuggler.

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  Axl, a Yonhet trader and smuggler.

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  Yonhet, along with humans and Unggoy, enslaved by Kig-Yar pirates on Ven III.

List of appearances

• Halo: Escalation (First appearance)
• Halo: Nightfall
• Halo 5: Guardians (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Fractures
  • What Remains (Mentioned only)
  • Rossbach's World (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Legacy of Onyx (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Bad Blood (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Renegades
• Halo: Epitaph (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Venezian Sonata