Revenant Era

This fanfiction article, Revenant Era, was written by Ajax 013. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission.

"When the great war ended, we thought we had peace. Instead, we got a new war, a different kind of war. At least back then, you knew who our enemy was, but now? Who knows. Its not an easy time to be a soldier, that's for sure."

―Anonymous UNSC Serviceman

The Revenant Era is a time of uncertainty and confusion taking place in the aftermath of the Great War.

Introduction

When the Great War ended, humanity breathed a sigh of relief. After a quarter of a century of alien aggression, at last the war was at an end. However, peace does not come so easily. At the edges of human space, rebellion has been brewing, and a civil war postponed by alien intervention is now again bubbling to the surface. Political and cultural tensions burn to the surface, and while much of human space are experiencing a technological renaissance, those living in the outer colonies are experiencing strife and hardship, many resorting to covert or open rebellion to see their aims made true.

The war's end has not been great for the Covenant either. The Schism didn't just sunder the Covenant races apart, but devastated their culture, their religion, and even their purpose. Now lost and wavering, civil war affects the length and breadth of former Covenant space. The Sangheili have emerged from a bloodied civil war, their worlds united under the Republic, and at least taking unsteady feet to being a galactic power again, while on the other side of Covenant space, the Jiralhanae have formed a central government, an alliance of tribes and chieftains, dedicated to protecting their own interests. Somewhere in the middle, the Kig-Yar have laid the foundations of their Union, though many have resorted to piracy rather than honest work. Across the territories, smaller empires emerge, using the confusion to cement their place in the galaxy, and squabble amongst one another for petty resources. Even the Covenant Fringe have cemented themselves into a powerful alliance, a rising force that cannot be dismissed easily.

Out in the darkness, forgotten enemies stir. The Covenant remnant, a lost allegiance of Jiralhanae and San'Shyuum, plot and formulate, gathering strength, strength enough to take back what was theirs, and continue the Covenant's holy quest. Elsewhere, more pragmatic forces under the banner of Jul 'Mdama continue the Covenant's work in their own way, searching for scraps of Forerunner technology, and attempting to awaken sleeping gods, in the hope of gaining enough power to take back their home world, and destroy their human foes. Amidst the ashes, shadowy forces seek to enforce their will and take power, to create a new empire. To complicate matters, ancient Forerunner constructs, asleep for millennia, have begun to stir, these A.I.s throwing their lot behind one force or another.

Now is an age of confusion and chaos, subterfuge and strife. The cataclysmic battles of the Great War are gone, and battles are instead fought with shadow operatives and proxy wars. Now is the age of the Revenant.

Factions

Alliance of United Races

A rough coalition of like-minded governments, the Alliance is as much a mutual defence pact, as it is any real agency. Originally founded as a pact between the UNSC and Republic, It has since expanded to include other factions, and combat the rising influence of the Confederacty

United Earth Government

The United Earth Government is the central government for humanity, and their representative on the galactic stage. The Earth Government is a collection of nation states, not just from Earth, but from the majority of human worlds. Following the war, the UEG has been devastated, with dozens of worlds burned to ash, and is now in the long process of rebuilding. The UEG has since began to expand their borders, coming into contact with new alien races for trade and exchanges. Contact with the Covenant has forced massive changes in the political and social areas of the UEG, and has prompted a speed of scientific advancement not seen since the second renaissance.

The United Nations Space Command is the military branch of the UEG, concerned with exploration, colonisation, military operations, intelligence gathering and disaster relief. Growing in size, technological capacity and skill, the UNSC was once considered largely inferior to the Covenant, but changes in technology has put them on even ground. The UNSC is considered to have some of the finest strategists in known space. Their growing corps of augmented super soldiers are considered a skilled and deadly force.

The UEG is currently facing a period of unrest, as a number of outer colonies are divided by internal conflict, and a number of other worlds attempt to secede from the UEG. Out in the neutral territories, dozens, if not hundreds of worlds have been set up illegally as bootstrap colonies, free from government oversight, but vulnerable to raids by pirates and slavers.

Sangheili Republic

The Sword and 3 stars, representing Sanghelios and its three suns.

Rising from the ashes of the Covenant, the Sangheili have at last ended civil strife on their home world, and brought peace to the divided colonies. Expanding in size and power, the Republic has spread its influence far and wide, attempting to exert control, or a degree of control, over the former Covenant. In the aftermath of the Schism, the Sangheili were left disadvantaged by losses in numbers and technology, and have had to claw their way back to the top, reclaiming knowledge lost to their people. Now they have returned to power, they, together with the UEG, form a bulwark of order against an increasingly unstable galaxy.

The Republic's military arm, the Swords of Sanghelios, is not just a a occupation, its a part of their society, and service, in some form or another, is expected. Huge in numbers, it is largely equipped with pre-war gear and technology. However, as the Republic grows in strength and aptitude, it has begun devising new technologies and weapons for their warriors, giving an ever increasingly advanced army.

The Republic has ruthlessly stamped out internal dissent, putting down would-be warlords and Covenant sympathisers. They manage an extended network of Protectorates, small colonies in their sphere of influence. This includes the Unggoy homeworld Balaho, and the Lekgolo's homeworld, Te, as well as a handful of human, Kig-Yar and even a Jiralhanae world.

The Freeholds

The Frontier had been no stranger to wars, but the deadly conflicts within the Jiralhanae Kingdoms and Kig-Yar Union resulted in a new area of space to secede. Formed of like minded people, the Freeholds was one of the last stretches of free space on the Frontier. It was protected by natural barriers, and guarded fiercely by those who sought freedom over everything else. Primarily formed as a union between the Jiralhanae Tyraxus Tribe and the Kig-Yar Void Blades Clan.

A rag-tag group of warriors, without a heavily cemented chain of command, they fight with a fervour unseen to most, intent on protecting their way of life, and their ideals. They use mostly Covenant-era wargear, but do see some new gear, thanks to the Republic, and are capable of producing their own wargear.

The influence of the Freeholds is ever expanding, with worlds splitting from other factions to join them. They maintain alliances to the Warbound, Republic, and Frontier League, in an effort to create an extended resistance network against the growing forces of the Confederacy.

The Warbound

Rebels and guerillas formed in opposition to the ever growing influence of the slave trade on the Frontier, the Warbound travel from world to world in a nomad fleet, on a never ending crusade to place a halt to slavery. Made up of volunteers and escaped slaves, their strength grows with each liberated slave, and their enemy grows weaker in the face of every brutal strike. Under clandestine support of the Swords of Sanghelios and Freeholds, they continue their campaign, mounting hit and run attacks on anybody that deals in slavery.

Frontier League

A buffer stated created in agreement between the UNSC and SOS, this state is essentially a UNSC sponsored state, receiving financial and military support from the UNSC. With forces consisting of mostly ex-UNSC stock, and mothballed vessels, the Frontier Coalition is a small democratic government, and mostly serves to separate UNSC interests from the Frontier. Despite their reliance on the UNSC, they do have a certain 'frontier spirit' of independence about them.

Covenant Successors

Covenant Remnant

The Covenant Remnant, and the largest faction of the splintered empire, the Remnant follows the creed of the Prophet of Deliverance, teaching a modified version of the Great Journey, in accordance to his new Oracle. When the Prophet of Deliverance fled into the unknown territories, legions of Jiralhanae, still loyal to the Covenant, fled with him, and he has used this opportunity to rebuild their strength. While no measure of the original Covenants strength, they are strong enough that they can challenge the Republic, Alliance and UEG at the same time. Their modified creed teaches that they will earn their path into the great beyond through the domination of non-believers, conquering and subjugating their enemies and former subjects.

The entire Remnant's economy is focused on rebuilding their military strength, and allows them to have a sizeable fleet. They use this to actively attack or raid their enemies, waging military campaigns with all the subtly of the old Covenant. Military forces are trained and regimented, and have auxiliaries in the form of allied Pirate Clans and Jiralhanae Clans.

The Remnant is ruled absolutely by the Prophet of Deliverance, and his top Chieftain, Cassius. Few challenge this, and even fewer survive these attempts. However, resentment has begun to grow inside the faction as military campaigns meet with failure.

Storm Covenant

The Storm Covenant is another successor of the fallen Covenant, and is equal parts cult and terrorist organisation. Ruled by Jul 'Mdama, with the Sangheili returned to their rightful place as leaders of the Covenant, the Storm Covenant has aims to both take back Sanghelios from the Republic, and exterminating of subjugating mankind. Lacking the manpower or resources of the Remnant, they instead resort to assassination, espionage, terrorism and raids. They also actively hunt for Forerunner relics, particularly those pertaining to their warrior-god the Didact, as well as any member of the Warrior-Servants.

The Storm Covenant have a corps of extremely well trained warriors. They however are usually equipped with older generation gear. Many of their recruits are either those still slavishly loyal to the Covenant, and will do anything in the name of their religion, or those who seek to crush the Republic and mankind, and usually care little for politics or religion. The Storm Covenant relies on an extended network of terror cells to attack far afield targets that are out of their range.

The Storm Covenant leadership is focused around Jul 'Mdama, and has little in terms of internal strife. Due to their nature, they have few colonies, and instead focus on ease of movement, with fleets being self sustaining.

Servants of Abiding Truth

Lead by 'the Bishop' Avu Med 'Telcam, the Servants of Abiding Truth was a quasi-religious sect, attempting to unify the Sangheili. With religious centric views, and an isolationist stance, the Servants made few allies. They were eventually forced from Sanghelios, and their leader assassinated by ONI when he outlived his usefulness to them.

Risen Covenant

A murky faction, hiding in dark space, the Risen Covenant are lead by Luro 'Taralum. Once a Covenant high commander, his failings exiled him far from home, and when the Covenant fell, he seized his share. While they lack the size or influence of the Storm Covenant or Covenant Remnant, the Risen Covenant are known for their sudden, brutal attacks, and without care for military or civilian targets. The Risen Covenant are adherents to the Great Journey, and possess a fierce zealotry, and often attack without warning or care. Their armour and weapons are all daubed in black, with white markings, usually around the face.

Confederacy of Former Covenant States

The Demiurge

Once known as the Shadow Covenant, the Demiurge has existed in the Covenant's shadow for millennia, engineering events to their plans, preparing for the day they can take the reigns of the Covenant. Their grand scheme was thwarted by the unexpected machinations of Truth, Regret, and Mercy, so they went back to planning. A cabal of industrialists, traders, military officers, and priests, their common goal is control of the Covenant. With the fall of the Covenant, they carved out a sizeable chunk for themselves, resulting in the the foundation of the Demiurge. Operating in secrecy, with cutting edge technology seized from the ashes of the Covenant, their true threat comes from their ability to harness advanced Covenant technology without ecclesiastical oversight. Specialising in espionage and cyber warfare, their advanced weapons and warships are quickly building to a threat capable of drowning the UNSC and SOS in violence.

Jiralhanae Kingdoms

Supplanting older Jiralhanae governments, the Kingdoms is a collection of pacts, ancient blood ties, fiefdoms, mini-empires, and thrall-worlds, all bound together under the rule of Overlord Marius. Ruling over the rest of the Jiralhanae, he maintains dominion by strict control over the technology and manufacturing resources of the Kingdoms. He actively fosters tensions between members of his kingdom, weeding out the week, and keeping his enemies in check.

The Kingdoms maintains a non-aggression pact with both the Republic and the UEG, usually relegating themselves to their own sphere of influence. However, recent expansion by Clans into the neutral territories, and peaceful relations with the Remnant and Pirates, have resulted in heavy sanctions. This has driven them to seek an alliance with the Confederacy.

The Alliance has a centralized military, in the form of the Clans and Tribes directly under the control of the Overlords. However, for most military operations, they delegate to the Chieftains and their clans, tasking them with internal regulation, and border defence, often with some incentive for reward.

Kig-Yar Union

The Kig-Yar Union is a loose term for a large area of space ruled by a collection of Kig-Yar clans. The truth is, they have no centralized government, but instead function as a collection of smaller nation states, usually at a state of peace with one another. Alliances of clans, brokered from trade agreements, form their government, with a steady alliance ruling the home worlds, while further territories are ruled on the policy of 'might makes right' with the strongest ruling over the weaker clans.

Union Territory can be adequately described as one of the most criminally active areas in the galaxy. In the Union, slave trading is legal, and most clans are involved in illegal activity as a business, such as smuggling, drug trafficking, mercenary work, racketeering and production of contraband. To this end, most governments refuse to acknowledge them as a single governmental group. The only trade they stay out of is piracy, though they are more than willing to trade with them.

Most clans care for their own defence,funding small fleets and armies, mostly dedicated to inter-clan fighting or fending off piracy. To this end, there's few ships larger than CCS-class Battlecruisers, and most infantry fight in a mixture of old gear.Recent border wars with the Republic have created growing tension, allowing the warlord Dekd Nok to take control of the Union, and fashion it into an empire to crush his foes.

The Hegemony

A union of several of the Covenant Fringe races, the Hegemony is a growing power, seeking to unify their region of space and expand their control. Seeking to move past the their previous territory. They've aimed to avoid the mistakes of the Covenant, abandoning religious fervour and allegiances. Antagonistic, especially to the UNSC, they primarily rely on ex-Covenant technology, and have done little to expand past that. Their strength comes through the focused roles, and support from their Demiurge allies.

Covenant of Blood

The old adage of the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" lead to the formation of the Covenant of Blood. Survivors from the Storm Covenant and Covenant Remnant formed as single force, unified by their hatred of their enemies, and faith in the Forerunners, they've looked to strike back at their hated foes, under the patronage of the Demiurge.

Major Events

• Sangheili Civil War: Left confused and uncertain by the rapidly changing events broguht on by the schism, the Sangheili return to their worlds splintered. Soon, new factions arise, seeking to each impose their own agenda and take control of the Sangheili race.
• Didact Crisis: Awoken by the efforts of the Storm Covenant, the Didact enacts his terrible rather upon the human race.
• Rise of the Republic: Sanghelios has finally been united under a single banner, that of the Arbiter. Now the newly forged Republic seeks not only to secure its borders, but take back all of Sangheili space from the zealots and warlords that still hold much of it.
• Remnant war: The Remnant War opens with a mass invasion by the Covenant Remnant, seeking to destroy all of their old enemies in one feel motion.
• Storm Insurgency: The Storm Covenant cult attempts to usurp the Republic and defeat the UNSC, seeking to take control of ancient Forerunner weapons to empower themselves.
• Founding of the Hegemony: The Hegemony rises as a major faction, gaining both military and economic strength to challenge the status quo.
• Liberty Front: The beginning of a long and brutal insurgency by the so-called Liberty Front and the UNSC.
• Wolfbane Crisis: Border skirmishes between the UNSC and the Hegemony erupt into bloody conflict, following unremitting expansion by the Hegemony.
• War of the Triumvirate: A brutal three way war between the Empire of Koroko, Tzxyzl Hives and Bloodied Claw clan threatens to destabilize the frontier.
• Demiurge Conflict: The UNSC and Republic attempt to move in on the Demiurge, seeking to crush a foe they know little about.
• War of Kings: All hell breaks loose as the Jiralhanae tribes collapse into civil war, while the Union and Hegemony make a move on them.
• War of Ascendancy: Battle lines are drawn between the allies and those that seek total domination. The frontier will never be the same again
• Revenant War: An ancient evil awakens

Members

• Ajax 013: Creator of Revenant era, and messy contributor.
• LOMI:
• Actene:
• ASniper:
• User:Chakravartin:

Contribution

Do you want to be a part of Revenant?

Want to add to the largest universe on Halo Fanon?

Then drop by the talk page and post up. I'll stop and have a chat.