User:XW3 AR3 L3GION/The Sovereign Territories of Sanghelios

The Sovereign Territories of Sangheili Meritocracy was birthed during the Covenant Civil War. When upon ending the Terran-Covenant War and signing the Sangheili-Terran Alliance, the Sangheili returned to Sanghelios to begin an independent Sangheili-only nation which had not been seen for thousands of years. Being an military race, the Territories had little infrastructure to support their new nation. However, the Sangheili-Terran Alliance circumvented that key problem using Terran methods in agriculture, industry and economy.

Government
The Sangheili government mirrors the High Council of the dissolved Covenant Empire; the Sangheilian Council is the main governing body. However, they Council maintains a off-hands approach to the low level governing letting the individual Kaidons decide what happens in their own territory. However, there are several governmental branches of the Council such as the Department of Sangheilian Colonial Affairs and the Sangheilian Armed Forces.

Military Doctrine
The Sangheili have kept the traditional ways, where every male is to enlist in the Sangheilian Armed Force as they turn from adolescents into adults, they serve the mandatory twenty five years when they are released of service. However they can continue their Military service, rejoin in a different profession in the Military; normally they train during their mandatory service for the new position or are given recommendation from their previous Legate or retire where they must take up a career ranging from farming (something that has become incredibly simplified with the induction of imported human JOTUNs) to small arms manufacturing to vessel construction to administrative roles.

Despite the sudden changes during the Great Schism, the Sangheili Field Army quickly reverted back to its thousand year old system. Similar to a UNSC Battalion, a Sangheili Legion has 6000 Sangheili warriors led overall by a Legate (similar to the UNSC rank of Colonel) with Optio or Lieutenants that commands a Lance of fifteen Sangheili warriors. Normally the Legate chooses a San'Juin Optio, who acts as a second-in-command for the Legion while the Optio choose a San’Juin warrior as a second-in-command of the Lance. Although the numbers in a Legion differs depending upon the actual role and usage of the Legion, such as a Special Operations Legion will barely have over a hundred warriors.

Sangheili weaponry is has barely changed since the Great Schism, however as its is designed for the shape of a Sangheili grip instead of the universal Covenant version.

The Sangheilian Navy is a branch of the Sangheilian Armed Force responsible solely for naval operations. Its roles include ship-to-ship combat, orbital bombardment, the deployment of fighters and bombers and the method of delivery for the Sangheili Field Army. The Sangheilian War Navy is at its highest fielded over a thousand war vessels of several classifications, most being able to carry Seraph fighters, Phantom-dropships and Sangheili Field Army personnel with armour and equipment.

The rank system is similar to the Sangheili Field Army; every naval rank begins with an Avi or a Master Chief Petty Officer, a Sangheili holding the rank of Avi Immun is a Sangheili Engineer or Technician. Similar to the Sangheili Field Army, an Avi Optio is a Lieutenant in Terran ranks which many serve as a bridge officer, head of a department or a pilot.

However, the Sangheili War Navy still uses the Covenant ranks of Ship Master and Fleet Master.

Sangheili-Terran Alliance
Built upon the fragile truce between Sangheili rebels and isolated Terran forces, the alliance transformed into the treaty of peace and co-operation not seen since the disillusion Covenant Empire. After the Terran-Covenant War, the Sangheilian Council personally believed that the Sangheili themselves were responsible for near extermination of the Terrans. Therefore, the Sangheili began to help the UNSC rebuild – giving the Terrans Covenant-style technology, stellar cartography and added protection from the massive fleets the Sangheili had managed to hold onto after the Covenant Civil War.

The UNSC in kind helped the Sovereign Territories with social and infrastructure methods such as farming JOTUNS, scientists and the knowledge of ship building, something the Sangheili could not fathom how to do as all their ships whilst designed by Sangheili were Huragok made. However many Terran critics believed that the Sangheili actually needed the UNSC as allies as they would not be able to fight all the various factions of the Covenant Remnants by themselves.

Culture
Even though the Sangheili consider most other species to be inferior to them, both culturally and in fighting skill, they hold great respect for the Terrans and the UNSC for the resistance during the Terran-Covenant War.

Although Sangheili are naturally very intelligent, their culture's long dependence on a military-industrial scheme has led to an emphasis on martial might over useful science. This way of life has only slightly changed as the Sangheili-Terran Alliance allows the Terran scientists to work for the Sovereign Territories as well. Despite this, they are adept at using and creating technology as evidenced by the Covenant Cruiser which they designed themselves.

All Sangheili warriors are skilled in hand-to-hand combat and their average strength is equal to a Spartan II in his MJOLNIR armour. Promotion in the Sangheili military is by merit and ability; a Sangheili warrior must not just survive but succeed to advance among the ranks. Success can be determined by many things but many fighting skill. A Legate must have killed many enemies to reach such a high rank. A Sangheili must proceed up the ranks to attain higher glory for their name and lineage.

Raised from childhood to be warriors, other societal roles are treated as secondary endeavours or even hobbies such as poetry and wood carving. Even the most humble Sangheili citizen is skilled in most weapons and hand-to-hand combat. One interesting example of this martial focus is that only aristocrats are allowed to wield swords and that sword-wielders are then no longer eligible for marriage; however, they may breed with any female they choose, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes; despite being refuted by Terran scientist that the "swordsman" genes are non-existant.

In many ways the Sangheili are much like Terrans. They communicate, are loyal to their superiors and comrades, become protective of their troops and become angry and vengeful if other Sangheili are killed. They fear very little, taking great pride in an ancient, honour-laden code. Even when mortally wounded, such as being stuck with a Jiralhanae Spike Grenade, they may roar with pain and fury, but they still charge towards the enemy in a doomed last minute attack. Sangheili honour also dictates that they always be the first ones into a battle, and to never allow themselves to be captured alive. However this routine has started to be demolished as many of the greatest warriors of the Sangheili Legions have killed themselves rather than being capture which diminishes the fighting capable of the Sangheili altogether.

Respect and Honour
Sangheili display respect and admiration for honourable fighters, whether they are allies of the Sangheili or not. It is not unusual for the Sangheili to have such an admiration for their adversaries. Sangheili respect and revere veterans and often follow their lead. Their history is rife with victorious combatants welcoming the defeated enemies' remaining forces into their own arm, provided of course that they fought with honour. Their Terran allies have gained their respect many times over during the Terran-Covenant War and afterwards. This respect was actually why the Sangheili felt responsible for the Terrans near-genocide – that ‘blood had been spilt wrongly’.

Superstitions
Despite their martial nature, the Sangheili have reservations to the spilling of one's own blood. This is an extension of the belief that the blood of a warrior is his essence or honour; thus, to spill one's blood is to lose one's honour. Although doctors are seen as scum by Sangheili, making ‘another Sangheili bleed without honour’, the Sangheili practise a form of field medication where they ‘fix’ the Sangheili on the frontline. However, they are beginning to use Terran-trained doctors aboard their fleets as the conflict with the Remnants increases.

It is a belief among the Sangheili that a weapon is only drawn if it is to be used, because a drawn weapon "demands blood.

Family and Naming
Family history, linage and naming are a large part of Sangheili culture, with each family having its own ‘Battle poem’. The Sangheili name is greatly valued as it is the one which their own merits and achievements are tied to. The Sangheili last name is extremely complex: for instance the name ‘Sraom is the House of which the Sangheili belongs to; the ‘om’ part is what clan the house is from. So N’tho Sraom is part of the State of Sraom, which is a member of the Om Clan and is cousins to the House of Resom.

The ‘-ee’ suffix denoted that a Sangheili was part of the Covenant military. However since the Great Schism the suffix has been dropped.

Children
In all clans, Sangheili children are raised in "common rooms" to ensure that all start on an equal footing and progress in rank by merit of their abilities. Members of some Sangheili clans rarely know their true fathers, and are usually raised by a maternal uncle instead. This may be a method of preventing status from being inherited in order to force children to make their own way in the world so they actively work for and earn advancement. Though, as some children's fathers were Swordsmen who were granted the right to reproduce with any number of female Sangheili they desire, the use of a maternal uncle as a father-like figure may have also been to allow children to be raised equally. Sangheili believe that copulation without regard for the bloodline is uncultured. A popular pastime for Sangheili children is to hunt Skags, small dog sized creatures, which also live on their home world.

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