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This fanfiction article, Impediments of the Path, was written by DirgeOfCerberus111 and Sev40. Please do not edit this fiction without the writers' permission. |
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This article, Impediments of the Path, was written by DirgeOfCerberus111 and Sev40, but may be used freely by other users even without the authors' explicit permission. |
The Impediments of the Path was a list of titles given by Sangheili Shipmasters to a group of high-ranking human individuals during the Human-Covenant War. They were named after the legendary "Seven Impediments of the Path" prophesied in their faith. During the Final Age of Reclamation before the Covenant would embark upon the Great Journey, they would be faced seven near-impossible obstacles which would test their faith and worthiness to reach eternal life. The more superstitious of their warriors believed them, along with the Demons, to be the Seven Impediments foretold by their dogma. Regardless, all recognised them as worthy adversaries, and the rush to kill a single one would reduce its significance to a hit-list among those more pragmatic within the Covenant.
Although there were no formal regulations that defined how an individual would become an Impediment, which led to some individuals creating private lists of 'mini-Impediments' composed of lower-ranking personnel, it was generally-acknowledged that each held enough courage, skill, and honour to elevate them above the rank-and-file. Each Impediment was recognised for their ability to lead their fleets into battle regardless of the dangers, fighting toe-to-toe with the superior Covenant warships. In spite of the inferiority of their equipment, they all dealt stinging defeats to the Covenant and each one was responsible for the loss of tens of thousands of warriors. While only a few of the Impediments were known by name, their identities were transcribed through various epitaphs attributed to them by Sangheili commanders. Occasionally, this information led to them becoming high-priority targets for assassination by the Prophets, although this option was refused several times by Sangheili, believing they required the dignity to die in battle.
The death of any one of these Impediments was marked as a great occasion by the Covenant and resulted in their slayer, their legions and even their ships receiving incredible recognition and glory from the rest of the Covenant for their accomplishment. This was then followed by a period of mourning observed by fasting and prayer by those who hold a particular reverence for them, most notably certain Fleet Masters who had fought and lost against them several times. However, to treat an Impediment as someone of insignificance would see the troops lose faith in the commander and declare them cowardly or unworthy of their rank. With this stigma, it was likely that the commander would lose their life in a 'freak accident' following the incident.
Discounting Demons who were kept within their own equally-respected group, only seven people are counted as being apart of this elite force. Following the Great War, there are only two Impediments who are confirmed to be alive, both of whom would become part of the Magnificent Five.
List of Recognised Personnel
| Name | Bio | Death: |
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The First and arguably the greatest of the Impediments. It was he who dealt the Covenant their first true defeat with the destruction of the Vanguard of Rapture at Harvest, and became famous as the only human commander who never lost a major battle with the Covenant. Finally, it was his introduction of the Cole Protocol that would give humanity the time it needed to starve off extinction, even as it was made useless when Earth was discovered in 2552. | |
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Vice Admiral Sebastian T. Shelby is a heritary nobleman who hails from England, and the first to perish against the Covenant's might. Overshadowed at the time by Vice Admiral Cole, Shelby would still become notable for leading a stubborn defence at six colonies, refusing to leave until the last colonist was accounted for. His determination would lead to disproportionate casualties being inflicted on the invaders, becoming a frustrating foe to fight. | |
| A protégé of the late Vice Admiral Shelby hailing from the colony of Mikado, Nanami Shinano was his XO before earning her own command of the Second Fleet. Rising to the rank of Fleet Admiral for her exploits during war, including the First and Second Battles of Rhododendron, earning her infamy amongst the Covenant as a shrewd, cunning, and merciless tactician. During the Battle of Earth she faced down the might of Truth's fleet and held the Lunar defense perimeter. She survived her battle with the Forerunner Dreadnought and continues to serve in the Post-War era, going on to become one of the Magnificent Five. | ||
| Whereas all other Impediments were well-known for their valiant defence above numerous human colonies, Admiral Oscar Jørgensen was one of the few UNSC strategists who regularly coordinated attacks within the Covenant's borders. Known by many as the Father of Unrestricted Prowler Warfare, he utilized wolfpacks of Prowlers and stealth ships to ambush and harry the Covenant supply chain and rear lines for years. His slippery tactics made him the most infuriating of all the Impediments and no less than four times was pronounced dead before he was finally outmaneuvered and killed in action for real in 2539. | Killed during the Battle of Wolf's Head Nebula, 2539 | |
| Unlike the other six individuals, there is considerable debate on who would qualify as the Seventh Impediment. Traditionalists, who believe an Impediment must be an officer who has been observed commanding fleets, put forward Vice Admiral Whitcomb, whose actions were attributed to the Fall of New Harmony, the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant and the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose. Others put forward Captain Keyes, whose late-war successes led to the destuction of Alpha Halo. Still others suggest dozens of even lower ranking individuals. It is doubtful there will be any closesure as any formal choice would have been lost with the outbreak of the Great Schism. | N/A |
