Covenant Empire

The Covenant Empire, also referred to as The Covenant, was a theocratic hegemony made up of multiple alien species that maintained control over a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. The Covenant was a political, military, and religious affiliation, originally a mutual alliance between the San'Shyuum and Sangheili following a brutal conflict between the two warring races. Its expansion to include at least six other races united in the worship of the Forerunners and the Halo Array soon began after the original formation.

The Covenant waged a genocidal campaign against humanity, until they were formally defeated due to many factors - the most crucial of which was an internal conflict that broke the Covenant in two, ejecting the entire Shangheili.

Whilst the Covenant ended either during the Flood infestation of High Charity or during the Battle of Installation 00, splinter groups of the former Covenant continue its efforts even after the conclusion of the war. Some of the ejected Sangheili sought to recreate the Covenant entirely under Sangheili rule, free of the Hierarch's influence. A splinter faction of Sangheili known as Jul 'Mdama's Covenant was created by Jul 'Mdama; this terrorist group is deemed hostile to Humanity, breaking the truce formed at the end of the initial war with the Sangheili.

Other hostile factions that utilize assets from the former Covenant include; Vata 'Gajat's faction, Merg Vol's faction and The Banished wich existed prior to the Great Schism.