Governors of Contrition

The Governors of Contrition are a fanatical fringe sect of the Covenant, predominantly Sangheili, who believe, like the rest of the Covenant before the Schism, in the Great Journey and that all Forerunner creations are sacrosanct. Unlike the rest of the Covenant and the Sangheili, however, they have adopted the belief that the Flood is a creation of the Forerunners, and so hold that the Flood is worshipful and infection should be embraced. This put them on the fringe of the Covenant, and unlike most, they have clung on to their beliefs even after the Schism, still seeing the destruction of Humanity and the start of the Great Journey as the will of the Gods. They acquired significant political influence within the New Covenant during the late 2550s and early 2560s, leading to their takeover in 2564 and the outbreak of the Second Great War in 2565. Since their defeat, they have become a proscribed organisation in the UNSC, SAF, USE, and the New Covenant's successor states, though underground practice still exists.

History
Though they existed before the Great Schism, the Governors of Contrition experienced a pronounced resurgence after the Great Schism, especially amongst the more conservative members of the Sangheili who, though they agreed with the secession from the Covenant, disagreed with the theological and political outcomes. The cult had historically been tolerated by the Covenant because, despite the differences, it still paid homage to the Prophets, but afterwards most of the Governors were exiled by the Sangheili. Establishing themselves on the fringes of Sangheili space, the Governors attracted a sizeable number of warriors who still believed in the Great Journey. Controlling a mere three worlds, the Treaty of Unexpected Clarity between the Governors of Contrition and the Acolytes of Devotion saw a merge between the two, giving the Governors access to the borders of the Sangheili Armed Forces and the New Covenant, acquiring sizeable political influence in the latter.