#rojka 'kasaan

[holyshonks]

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 2 Match 15

More info below:

Rojka 'Kasaan:

Debuted in Halo: Envoy (previously mentioned in "Oasis" of Halo: Fractures)

Born April 14th, 2494 on the colony of Glyke, he formed a close bond with Daga 'Rathum in youth and eventually joined him in the Covenant reserve units; his dreams of becoming a Shipmaster in the military being unfulfilled as he instead helped rebuild and refurbish warships until the end of the Covenant. Following Operation: SUNSPEAR in 2552, Glyke would be destroyed by Spartan Gray Team using a NOVA bomb. Upon hearing of his homeworld's destruction, Rojka would take control of the fleet he was tasked with repairing and travel to the ruins to see for himself and monitor activity in the system. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam would ask him to not seek revenge against humanity - severing the carefully built peace in the process - and instead directed him to the abandoned human colony of Carrow, which the Sangheili named "Rakoi". Learning to think positively on this new opportunity, he would become the Kaidon of the newly founded city of Rak. Sometime later, however, the human colonists that had once lived on Carrow returned, alongside other migrant refugees from the war. Tensions over sharing the planet emerged, with Rojka attempting to maintain peaceful co-existence whilst his cousin Thars 'Sarov rallied an anti-human rebellion. An envoy named Melody Azikiwe would be sent to help with the situation; around the same time, Rojka detected a human signal in his former system and recovered the sleeping Spartans that had destroyed his old home. He would keep them on his ship whilst he debated killing them or using them as a bargaining chip.

A peace summit would be schedule, but the day before it was set to happen, Thars would go on the attack. With long-ranged communications down and no slipspace capable vessels, Rojka was forced to engage the rebels in a space battle above the planet. As a Jiralhanae fleet came to aid Thars, Rojka began losing the battle and prepared to be boarded by the enemy. Melody - who was also on board - would refuse an offer to be killed before the enemy could reach her and argue for the release of Gray Team. When she was refused, she went off to secretly release them herself whilst Rojka was distracted by the thoughts of each of his friends dying one by one alongside their ships. He would soon realize Melody's plan and move to stop her, but he was too late - the Spartans were awake and fended him off, forcing his retreat while they escaped the ship. Previously willing to allow Thars a final stand within the ship, he changed plans to go follow Gray Team to Carrow's surface; at the same time, he witnessed the beginning of the Jiralhanae's betrayal of Thars. Unfortunately, his ship would crash and an assassination attempted by some within his own ranks; but he endured, taking half of his surviving crew to pursue Melody and Gray Team. In his absence, the crash site would be attacked by Thars' forces. Eventually, Rojka would discover ONI's hidden base, Gila Station, where Thars would also catch up with him with an offer: Thars would allow Rojka to go in to kill Gray Team before Thars would finally finish him off, avoiding conflict with the UNSC by pretending the attack was done by Covenant remnants. Both cousins would attempt to break their side of the deal. Within Gila Station, Melody convinced Rojka that there was a bigger threat the Jiralhanae were planning to unleash; deciding to hold off on revenge against Gray Team, Rojka instead escaped Gila Station as it was destroyed, sending some warriors to go distract Thars. Later, he would help in the fight against the released Sharquoi at Suraka and the attempted assassination against the Jiralhanae leader controlling them, Hekabe. In the process, he would become injured, but would survive the close encounters with the Sharquoi. As he escaped the destruction of Suraka and all the Sharquoi gathered there, the mourned the loss of Daga, who died during the battle. Once at a safe location, Rojka would convince Thars to duel him by offering to hand over Gray Team - in reality, he, the Spartans, and Melody were plotting an ambush. Rojka would overpower his cousin, but at first kept him alive - they needed Thars to notify his forces of an incoming Sharquoi attack, to avoid the creatures obtaining Thars' remaining ships. When Thars refused to listen and the Sharquoi successfully captured both human and Sangheili ships, Rojka would decapitate him. Then, he went on to aid in the next attempt on Hekabe's life. He and a Surakan militia squad entered the Forerunner facility where Hekabe was hiding, with Rojka launching himself directly at the Sharquoi and getting grievously injured in the process. He would also get attacked by Hekabe once Governor Ellis Gass successfully removed the vertex controlling the Sharquoi from Hekabe's head. Finally, he would be immobilized by Sharquoi now under Ellis' command, who warned them to leave as she would detonate a nuke that would destroy the entire facility in ten minutes. During the escape, the injured Rojka lagged behind the others, but ultimately was able to escape and be picked up by a rescue Pelican. With all the conflicts on Carrow finally ended, Rojka would heal and return home, where he would find the new Kaidon Akato 'Dakaj who warned Rojka that he had little support in Rak now due to all the loss from the conflicts. Now grown and moving pass his previous grievances, Rojka accepted the offer to become Akato's envoy towards humanity.

Xytan 'Jar Wattinree:

Debuted in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx

Born on April 20, 2488 and growing to be 11.6 ft tall, Xytan would rise to the rank of Imperial Admiral and gain a popularity that the Hierachs felt threatened by. Because of this, he would be assigned to lead the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose at the fringes of Covenant-controlled space, missing most of the Human-Covenant war in the process. However, upon the Great Schism, he would be able to rally over two hundred Sangheili shipmasters at Saepon'kal, with the ambition of creating a new Sangheili-led Covenant. Unlike the separatists under Thel 'Vadam, his group retained faith in the Covenant religion and intended to continue the war against humanity after dealing with the Jiralhanae and San'Shyuum. He intended to draw the Jiralhanae leadership into an ambush at Saepon'kal, but soon he was convinced by then shipmaster Voro 'Mantakree to deal with the outbreak of Glood on Installation 05. Although, seeing the shipmaster as a potential rival, he would rename him Voro Nar 'Mantakree, give him the position of Fleetmaster of the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity, and ordered him to lead an attack on the shield world Onyx - doing to Voro what the Hierachs had done to him. Yet ironically, he helped ensure Voro outlived him, as seconds after Onyx invaders' departure, a captured NOVA bomb would accidentally be detonated, obliterating a majority of the Xytan's fleet, significant portions of Saepon'kal's surface, the planet's moon of Malhiem, and Xytan himself. His legacy would still live on, as shipmasters would continue to study his battle tactics while his daughter - Meduu the Fierce - violently took hold of his property holdings.

Submitted propaganda: BIG!!! Also he's basically the coolest most galaxy-brained guy ever. He got too popular for the Prophet's liking, but was too competent and smart to ever actually fuck up, making it impossible to execute or Arbiter-fy him. So the Prophets just sent him to patrol fringe space in the hopes that people would forget how smart and awesome he is.

[duckgoose119]

Halo: By Words Alone (My new Fanfic)

Not to long ago, I sat down and read the two books of the Halo 'Gray Team' series, and loved both immensely! While Gray Team was amazing however, I really liked the setting and story of Carrow/Rakoi from the second book Halo: Envoy. So since apparently no one wants to tap into this goldmine, I decided to do it myself! Thus is born by newest fanfic! Enjoy!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Rojka 'Kasaan!

Today is his -469th birthday!

Rojka was born on the Sangheili colony of Glyke. During his tenure in the Covenant military, he was stationed in orbit of Sanghelios to rebuild and refurbish warships. In 2553, the members of Spartan-II Gray Team were ordered to target Sangheili worlds for destruction following the Fall of Reach. They were cleared to destroy Glyke before losing contact with ONI. Unbeknownst to them, the Great Schism occurred, and they destroyed Glyke after an unsteady peace had formed between Humanity and Sangheili.

Rojka was devastated by the loss of his home world, and took the vessel he was tasked to repair to observe the aftermath. Although he was deeply embittered by Glyke's destruction, he acquiesced to Thel 'Vadam's request to take Glyke's refugees and move them to Rakoi, a former Human colony they called Carrow. Humans abandoned the planet during the war, only to find it inhabited by Sangheili across the desert when they returned. Thus, Carrow/Rakoi was designated as part of the Joint Occupation Zone--regions of space controlled by both Humans and Sangheili.

Rojka became the kaidon of Rak, the capital city of the Sangheili community on Carrow. However, peace between Humans and Sangheili began to fray, and, believing that the species needed to learn to live together to survive, Rojka agreed to meet with the Human Governor of Suraka--the capital of the Human community--and a representative from the Diplomatic Corps.

This choice was met with resistance from his cousin Thars, and he would eventually betray Rojka for working with humans. Rojka, his sympathizers, and the Humans would prove victorious in the battles that followed, with Rojka also setting aside his hate towards Gray Team. When he returned home to Rak, he found that his position as kaidon had been usurped in his absence. Rojka knew that the Sangheili had taken significant losses during the battles, and faced an uncertain future on Rak. Thus, he swallowed his pride and accepted the demotion, becoming a diplomatic envoy for the Sangheili in the interest of a united future.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 66!

[playable-elite]

What do you think about Rojka 'Kasaan ?

I first met Rojka 'Kasaan after the Great Schism. He had suffered greatly, but I saw in him the potential to lead and stabilize his wounded people after the loss of Glyke.

The task I set him at Rakoi, to rebuild while tempering his anger toward the humans? It was not easy. Then, the conflict that arose there two years ago unfolded too quickly for me to hear of it until it was over.

I spoke to you recently of hard lessons. Rojka is no longer Kaidon of Rak, and he has learned many hard lessons.

I think that he finally understands me.

I hope that it is enough to help him.

[yanderes-galore]

Alright. It's a Rojka 'Kasaan (Halo: Envoy) scenario, with the reader being an envoy/diplomat he meets after becoming one himself. Romantic, could lean platonic too.

Sure! I haven't finished the book but I do know the plot as I watched a really good summary twice. I love the views this book shows in Halo lore so I tried my best to keep him in character! One of my favorites for sure! If something is wrong, please help me figure out how to make him more in character! :) Warning, this is lengthy and NOT proofread, I apologize in advance.

I SUGGEST THIS BOOK A TON- Thank you so much for the request :) Here's a summary for those who need some background!

Spoilers for Halo: Envoy (Loose AU after the end of the book)

Fresh Start

Yandere! Rojka 'Kasaan Scenario (Halo: Envoy)

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Human/Sangheili pairing, Obsession, Rojka is getting used to more civilian/envoy life, Dubious companionship, Death mention, Grief, Inner turmoil, Mentions of violence, Possessive thoughts, Dubious relationship, Tame yandere due to the time period (Could probably try to make him worse, idk-), Manipulation mention.

The title of Envoy was much different from his previous title of Kaidon. Rojka didn't mind too much as Melody had shown him how influential the role is in a place like Carrow. Especially if you are still trying to smooth over previous conflicts between two cities.

Rojka had struggled with the less hectic lifestyle at first. Sangheili were not used to negotiations but Rojka had learned a lot. After the whole Carrow Conflict he'd learned there was benefits to working with humans.

He used to hate the species for his homeworld... but vengeance had long since left his mind after working with the Spartans....

His new title as Envoy has taught Rojka how to speak with Sangheili and humans alike. Some were still hesitant about making deals with the other, but some had favored the idea. Rojka wondered if Melody had felt like this with him or any others....

This new job and title had allowed Rojka to meet new people. He became less aggressive when acknowledging others and even met fellow diplomats. Meetings between Suraka and Rak for negotiations were frequent after the whole civil war.

Most of them felt plain to Rojka. Humans and Sangheili speaking amongst each other over political affairs between the two cities. Various topics such as shipments and repairs.

Then Rojka met you, another Envoy sent to oversee these meetings and bring up issues. The Sangheili Envoy was both intrigued about this human yet hesitant. Even months after the conflict he still struggles with his opinions of humans.

Although he did enjoy them more than he did prior due to Melody explaining the similarities of the two species and their issues.

You were human, like most of the diplomats. There were some other Sangheili diplomats but not many. As said before, not all Sangheili preferred negotiations on Carrow.

Despite you being human Rojka found himself drawn to you. The way you held yourself and spoke with authority impressed him despite you being so much smaller than him. You may not be a fighter... but your voice could make many turn heads.

He was initially a bit anxious about how you'd treat him, which was strange for him. Yet when you spoke with him, cranking your neck upwards to meet his gaze, you treated him as you would any other. Negotiations were negotiations, at least in the eyes of politics you were friends.

Rojka could never manage to pry his eyes away from the outfit you wore as an Envoy. He himself wore different armor from his Kaidon days, his head now adorned with a grey crest on his helmet. He wasn't sure why his eyes kept flicking to your outfit....

As diplomats to humanity, Rojka actually talked to you a lot. Most of which was related to your titles and jobs. Occasionally conversation within Suraka between you two would shift to more casual.

Rojka would have issues trying to make his speech more suited for human understanding. You both spoke Sangheili due to the job but sometimes phrasing came off more aggressive than intended. He learned that when he made an offer with Melody... one that put her off for a moment according to her actions.

Rojka never imagined he'd be so interested in a human such as you. Even with Melody he never thought to ask about a human's life. He wasn't expecting you to ask about his.

Luckily you respected him enough not to pry into his history... something he respected. You respected him, too... you liked his motive of peace. He even remembered your words when he told you his purpose for joining as an Envoy.

"I admire that you want best for your people. As an Envoy, it's our goal to maintain such peace times. You made a great choice."

Such simple words from your mouth... but something about how you said it made it stick with him. Rojka learned to observe the similarities and differences between you when he became an Envoy. When it came to you... it made him even more interested.

Part of Rojka hoped that you two could set aside the sins of your species collectively to grow closer. He wasn't sure why he wanted to be so close to you.... It was actually quite the foreign thought of Sangheili and humans being as close as the two of you.

Rojka liked that you two could be considered more than allies. In your words you considered him a "friend". When you said that it made the Sangheili a bit warm.

He liked that you trusted him as not only a fellow diplomat, but a friend. Trust... he always found it hard to come by during the Sangheili civil war on Carrow. Even now he originally struggled with it.

But having such a bond is important to being an Envoy.

Melody and you had opened him up to trust again. It had made him grow into his new title. He... felt very attached to the two humans.

He held Melody in high regard due to her role in the Carrow Conflict. Although you were the human who managed to make him feel... odd. It wasn't just respect he felt towards you.

His feelings felt more akin to how he'd feel towards another of his own. You may be smaller, weaker, softer... that didn't matter to him. He just wish he knew how deep this connection went.

Did he like you like a warrior? Perhaps the feeling was more similar to that of a mate? The thought perplexed him but for a moment it was considered.

Rojka felt inner turmoil when his eyes flicked to you. The Sangheili knew he enjoyed your presence despite not knowing how. He found himself making an effort to appeal to you at times, too.

It was little things. Things that he didn't notice at first. Like when he lowered himself to meet you at eye level or offered to accompany you on diplomatic trips to Rak. At first he thought it was done out of respect, you are small and he knows Rak more than you.

Then the thought of him caring came to mind again.

Was it really that farfetched? He'd always yearned for somewhere to belong, a homeworld to live on... and comrades to care for. After the death of Thars, the traitor, and many others... it wasn't too hard to think he wanted another connection.

You brought out something in him. An urge that drove the Envoy to come closer. Something made him want to... how does he describe it?

The Envoy wasn't sure. Each time you came up to him he felt like he wanted to hold you. Such an action was not common in his species but he had seen other humans do it to show care.

Even as an Envoy the Sangheili showed a desire to defend. Being a diplomat held dangers, like assassins or arguments. Such threats made his mandibles twitch when they were aimed towards you.

While diplomats are not typically armed, he still knew physical contact. It's surprising how fast the Sangheili would shoot from his seat to stand beside you if you were threatened. His thoughts were clear in these moments, he still had a fighting spirit harnessed to defend you.

As a Sangheili it was hard to drop his past of violence. It's in his nature to get a bit hostile towards situations. As a result, Rojka would be on edge if someone mentioned you.

Murder, dishonorable killing, has been something he's refused. But the idea of killing others around you has flashed across his mind more than once. He's kept such thoughts to himself, but seeing other's speak to you makes him grimace.

Rojka wishes he could figure you out. Why do you spark urges within him? You make him yearn for duels and bloodshed in your name... you make him want to pledge himself to you.

While Rojka deals with his emotions you only ever notice his silence. When you do, you take him by the large hand and call his name. Such an act pulls him back into the conversation, yet his gaze is now on the hand engulfed by his own.

Rojka does not regret meeting you. Not in the slightest. You may spark conflicting thoughts within him as a human but he could not bear to let you go. No... Rojka wants you to know you and him are destined.

Someday, Rojka hopes to explore his care for you more. He hopes to never part from you as an Envoy. He hopes he'll never have to give you up, ever, like the most of his brethren.

The thought of his homeworld still brings pain...

"Rojka." Your voice cuts through his thoughts like an Energy Blade. How long had be been... reminiscing?

"...yes?"

"Another moment caught in your thoughts?"

Rojka pauses. Why should he think of any of this now? All that matter now is here and now. All that matters is you...

Oh how he hopes to keep you....

"Yes."

"Care to talk about it in private?"

His mandibles twitch. He couldn't tell you any of this- How would you perceive such emotions? Surely you would be put off by his... obsessive and possessive intentions as of late?

"No..."

"I understand. I do not wish to pry. I am just concerned is all. I can leave you to it if you wish?"

Rojka says nothing. Those words make his thoughts bubble again but he says nothing. All he wants to do is stare.

Clearly... he admires you in some way. He doesn't care how as of now. He slowly begins to accept the fact he likes the idea of you. He likes the idea of being around you. He even tosses around the idea of keeping you to himself someday....

You pull away a bit only for Rojka to reach out and grasp your arm. You pause, looking at his grip. Your eyes then trail up to the face of the Sangheili.

"Stay."

He utters a brief phrase and you comply. You may make him feel complex but he doesn't want to drive you away. In fact... he takes his chance and pulls you close beside his armored body.

He doesn't want you to leave ever, actually...

It's cruel to think but Rojka thinks of ways he can make such thoughts happen. You both have power but he may have more with his connections. If he did want something with you he could always pull a few strings.

The thought makes him a bit sick. How dishonorable. How could he think of such a thing? Why did he want to isolate you? Why did he want to force you to stay with him?

His thoughts are knocked loose again when you shuffle against him. He freezes when he sees you look up and smile. Did he... make you feel similarly?

Yes... this was why he wanted to keep you. You'd make a great alliance. This was why he wanted you to himself.

He doesn't notice himself wrap an arm around you to pull you closer. No one should bother asking what you're doing. He'll silence them.

It's decided... Rojka will do whatever it takes to make you his own.

Even if it means returning to his past of bloodshed... he'll keep up the peace, yet he's keeping you too.

[bloodgulchblog]

Rojka 'Kasaan my beloved

[halos2]

Ok well it’s been a few months but I finally finished this book so here’s my review: YEAH!!!! LETS GO ROJKA KASAAN!!!!!!!

I will read. A halo book 👍🏻

[greenreticule]

Have you had a chance to read Halo Envoy yet? I think you might like the new Sangheili, Rojka 'Kasaan

YES

I LOVE ROJKA AND HIS ARC SO MUCH. THIS WHOLE BOOK IS BEAUTIFUL.

Because like it starts out with like “peace talks just failed oh no!” and EXPLOSIONS and BOOMS and ships going down and just chaos chaos chaos chaos and things seem to be getting worse and worse as they go along and you just start thinking that “well kiss goodbye to any good Sangheili-human relations on this planet” BUT THEN ROJKA STARTS LEARNING LIFE LESSONS FROM MELODY AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL AND FULL OF HOPE AND I STARTED TEARING UP AT THE CULMINATION OF ROJKA’S ARC

...so yes... yes I love this new space lizard very much. he is a good boi. :P

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 1 Match 29

More info below:

Let 'Volir:

Debuted in Halo Wars 2

Born Nov. 20th, 2477 on the colony Eshin, he commanded Enduring Conviction during his time in the Covenant Empire, causing the destruction of "quite a few" UNSC warships between 2549 and 2552 and becoming known to the UNSC and ONI as a result. One notable battle was during 2551, where it demonstrated impressive evasive maneuvers and counterattacks. Following the end of the Great Schism and the Covenant Empire, he would avoid joining the Swords of Sanghelios and the Arbiter, amongst other emerging warlords. For about six months, he instead served in the Sangheili-led Fleet of Recalcitrant Ire, led by Fleetmaster Arkad Nar 'Kulul.

In May 2553, the fleet - stationed near an airbase on the swamp-moon of Kostroda - would engage attacking Banished forces. Let would respond to a distress call from the base crew and successfully capture the Banished's leader - Atriox - due to a surrender. However, once back on board Enduring Conviction, Atriox would reveal a trap as several hidden Banished soldiers ambushed them and force Let to converse - Atriox's true reason for "surrendering". Atriox revealed he had been keeping an eye on Let and wished for him to join the Banished, to which Let decided life as a free mercenary would be better than what he had now. Allowing the fleetmaster to believe he and his crew had been killed by the Banished, Let would order Enduring Conviction to escape from the fleet as it began to fire on the correct assumption it was now hostile. These events would later be recorded and becoming known to ONI, leading agents "D" and "S" to begin studying Let. Later, Let and his crew would properly swear fealty to the Banished on an orbital installation, but then would lay low for awhile. Some time later, they would reemerge to raid the human settlement on Ansket IV. Let would also send a message to the Jiralhanae warlord Jovus to convince him to join the Banished, but Jovus found the concept of Jiralhanae and Sangheili working together absurd. Eventually, when it became known that Let 'Volir was not killed and had become a sellword to Atriox, his name would become tarnished - although he himself did not care.

On Nov. 25th, 2558, Enduring Conviction would arrive at the Ark, carrying with it a force large enough to take the Ark by force from the UNSC forces and researcher that previously held claim to the installation. Notably, Let did not enjoy the slaughter like the rest of the Banished and refused to partake in any celebrations. For months, the Banished extracted resources from the Ark. Then, on March 28th, 2559, the long-lost UNSC Spirit of Fire exited slipspace above the Ark, with conflict breaking out between the old ship and the Banished. Let would contribute on the Banished's side, first defending a salvage operation overseen by Decimus by melting UNSC ground forces with Enduring Conviction's pulse laser turrets. Once the defense was deemed a failure and Decimus retreated, Enduring Conviction would kill their own Banished allies at the site to keep the UNSC from learning anything. Later, on March 30th, Decimus would fall in battle whilst Let went on the attack against Spirit of Fire. During this, Spartan Jerome-092 and the AI Isabel would infiltrate the ship, forcing it to destroy the Ark and cause Aggressor Sentinels to destroy it in retaliation. Let would survive and be confronted by Atriox over the losses. The failures would only stack up in time, as Let would fail in the defense of Installation 09, allowing the Halo Ring to fall under UNSC control. These would weigh on him, causing him to feel a responsibility to safeguard the entire Banished as penance - now seeing every Banished individual as part of "his crew".

Redemption would soon come to him with a new task: a last ditch effort to push back Spirit of Fire. He would succeed in securing the site of a portal, allowing Atriox to utilize it in his return to the Milky Way galaxy. Now back in Atriox's good graces, he was further placed in command of all the Banished forces on the Ark, to continue the fight against the Spirit of Fire for the Ark whilst Atriox dealt with other priorities. Later, the Keepers of the One Freedom would reach the Ark through the same portal - on Atriox's personal Lich Pegoras no less. Let would contact them and even though he grew suspicious of them, he allowed it to pass through and was against the Jiralhanae brothers Pavium and Voridus going after them. They still did, then lied to Let about the devastating lost they took in the Battle of Epsilon Clarion. Let has also set his sights on quelling the rebellions of "Yapyap the Destroyer" that Atriox had previously tolerated.

Rojka 'Kasaan:

Debuted in Halo: Envoy (previously mentioned in "Oasis" of Halo: Fractures)

Born April 14th, 2494 on the colony of Glyke, he formed a close bond with Daga 'Rathum in youth and eventually joined him in the Covenant reserve units; his dreams of becoming a Shipmaster in the military being unfulfilled as he instead helped rebuild and refurbish warships until the end of the Covenant. Following Operation: SUNSPEAR in 2552, Glyke would be destroyed by Spartan Gray Team using a NOVA bomb. Upon hearing of his homeworld's destruction, Rojka would take control of the fleet he was tasked with repairing and travel to the ruins to see for himself and monitor activity in the system. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam would ask him to not seek revenge against humanity - severing the carefully built peace in the process - and instead directed him to the abandoned human colony of Carrow, which the Sangheili named "Rakoi". Learning to think positively on this new opportunity, he would become the Kaidon of the newly founded city of Rak. Sometime later, however, the human colonists that had once lived on Carrow returned, alongside other migrant refugees from the war. Tensions over sharing the planet emerged, with Rojka attempting to maintain peaceful co-existence whilst his cousin Thars 'Sarov rallied an anti-human rebellion. An envoy named Melody Azikiwe would be sent to help with the situation; around the same time, Rojka detected a human signal in his former system and recovered the sleeping Spartans that had destroyed his old home. He would keep them on his ship whilst he debated killing them or using them as a bargaining chip.

A peace summit would be schedule, but the day before it was set to happen, Thars would go on the attack. With long-ranged communications down and no slipspace capable vessels, Rojka was forced to engage the rebels in a space battle above the planet. As a Jiralhanae fleet came to aid Thars, Rojka began losing the battle and prepared to be boarded by the enemy. Melody - who was also on board - would refuse an offer to be killed before the enemy could reach her and argue for the release of Gray Team. When she was refused, she went off to secretly release them herself whilst Rojka was distracted by the thoughts of each of his friends dying one by one alongside their ships. He would soon realize Melody's plan and move to stop her, but he was too late - the Spartans were awake and fended him off, forcing his retreat while they escaped the ship. Previously willing to allow Thars a final stand within the ship, he changed plans to go follow Gray Team to Carrow's surface; at the same time, he witnessed the beginning of the Jiralhanae's betrayal of Thars. Unfortunately, his ship would crash and an assassination attempted by some within his own ranks; but he endured, taking half of his surviving crew to pursue Melody and Gray Team. In his absence, the crash site would be attacked by Thars' forces. Eventually, Rojka would discover ONI's hidden base, Gila Station, where Thars would also catch up with him with an offer: Thars would allow Rojka to go in to kill Gray Team before Thars would finally finish him off, avoiding conflict with the UNSC by pretending the attack was done by Covenant remnants. Both cousins would attempt to break their side of the deal. Within Gila Station, Melody convinced Rojka that there was a bigger threat the Jiralhanae were planning to unleash; deciding to hold off on revenge against Gray Team, Rojka instead escaped Gila Station as it was destroyed, sending some warriors to go distract Thars. Later, he would help in the fight against the released Sharquoi at Suraka and the attempted assassination against the Jiralhanae leader controlling them, Hekabe. In the process, he would become injured, but would survive the close encounters with the Sharquoi. As he escaped the destruction of Suraka and all the Sharquoi gathered there, the mourned the loss of Daga, who died during the battle. Once at a safe location, Rojka would convince Thars to duel him by offering to hand over Gray Team - in reality, he, the Spartans, and Melody were plotting an ambush. Rojka would overpower his cousin, but at first kept him alive - they needed Thars to notify his forces of an incoming Sharquoi attack, to avoid the creatures obtaining Thars' remaining ships. When Thars refused to listen and the Sharquoi successfully captured both human and Sangheili ships, Rojka would decapitate him. Then, he went on to aid in the next attempt on Hekabe's life. He and a Surakan militia squad entered the Forerunner facility where Hekabe was hiding, with Rojka launching himself directly at the Sharquoi and getting grievously injured in the process. He would also get attacked by Hekabe once Governor Ellis Gass successfully removed the vertex controlling the Sharquoi from Hekabe's head. Finally, he would be immobilized by Sharquoi now under Ellis' command, who warned them to leave as she would detonate a nuke that would destroy the entire facility in ten minutes. During the escape, the injured Rojka lagged behind the others, but ultimately was able to escape and be picked up by a rescue Pelican. With all the conflicts on Carrow finally ended, Rojka would heal and return home, where he would find the new Kaidon Akato 'Dakaj who warned Rojka that he had little support in Rak now due to all the loss from the conflicts. Now grown and moving pass his previous grievances, Rojka accepted the offer to become Akato's envoy towards humanity.

[holyshonks]

Why I love Rojka 'Kasaan (and you should, too)

If Master Chief blew up a Covenant homeworld, you might look at him differently. You might consider civilian casualties and the cruel calculus of war and wince. His story helpfully side-steps this issue by making it so that it simply never happens. Humanity never found Covenant homeworlds during the war soon enough to target them. Until Glyke.

If we expect cooperation and remorse from ex-Covenant who destroyed human worlds, what do we expect from a Sangheili fleetmaster whose own world was destroyed by Spartans? That's Rojka's story.

Rojka was once a fleetmaster, but was demoted after the Changing of the Guard, sent to a shipyard to repair ships rather than command them. As a result, he was not present for the attack on Reach or the assault on Earth.

When Reach fell, Spartan-II Gray Team was granted permission to target and destroy Covenant homeworlds in what was clearly an act of retaliation. They were cleared to destroy the Sangheili colony Glyke before comms were lost with ONI. Unbeknownst to them, the human-Sangheili ceasefire was initiated just before they decided on destroying the planet, effectively betraying the fresh alliance between humans and Sangheili. Rojka, a Glyke native, lost most of his family.

During the Great Schism, Rojka sided with Thel 'Vadam and the Covenant separatists, taking control of the fleet that he'd been tasked with repairing. Rojka was realistic. Like so many, he faced a crisis of character when he lost his religion. He worried for his species' future and longed for direction. He understood that the Sangheili needed to be allies with the humans to survive. To this end, he learned to tolerate them. But not the Spartans that ruined his life.

Rojka isn't anyone special. He's no Thel 'Vadam, with wealth, influence, and his family behind him. He's no Usze 'Taham, with old-world faith and an impressive pedigree. He could probably be most closely compared to Olabisi Varo'dai, except that she lost her home at the hands of a Covenant accident and not a UNSC attack.

Rojka is a refugee. Anyone in his life who didn't happen to be off-world when the nukes detonated was dead. The fleet he used to have was down to a skeleton crew. But Thel 'Vadam still asked him to lead the refugees to a new world that they called Rakoi. They started to rebuild, with Rojka becoming the kaidon of Rak, the Sangheili capital (nerd sidebar for those who care: I believe he was more accurately the high kaidon). He grows to love his new home, with one complicating factor: unbeknownst to them, Rakoi was originally called Carrow, a human colony that evacuated during the war. When the dust settled, the humans returned to find their new neighbors.

There's irony somewhere in Thel asking Rojka to do something he would never ask of a human: to set aside his anger at losing his homeworld and work peacefully with the people who took it from him. It's something that Thel hopes for, but when humans continue to hate him, he doesn't blame them. But he expects more from Rojka, and Rojka, who is concerned about maintaining support from Sanghelios, is caught in the politics. He agrees to maintain peace with the humans, which leads to a civil conflict led by his own cousin, who disagrees with making peace.

As part of this agreement, he is introduced to the UNSC Diplomatic Corp envoy Melody Azikiwe. At first, he resents her presence, thinking of her as a meddler and someone whose skills were ultimately useless. He considers humans to be a necessary evil rather than allies. He does not believe diplomacy is truly possible, and thinks Melody weak for talking instead of fighting. But when a two-front war breaks out on Carrow and Melody awakens Gray Team to assist, his resolve is shaken. Over and over again, he's reminded of how much both humans and Sangheili have suffered.

Eventually the civil conflict escalates to a point where the entire planet is in danger, and he has no choice but to accept help from the Spartans. The decision to destroy Glyke without clear orders was a contentious one for the team, which broke them once they realized what they'd done. In their own way, they try to make amends with Rojka.

In the end, it's not ships or soldiers who overcome the conflict, but people. Regular people, talking their way out and through problems. Rojka begins to realize the importance of jobs like Melody's and that there are better ways to solve problems than separating heads from necks (although he does do that, too). Having decided to set aside his anger with Gray Team, he returns home to Rak to rebuild. When he gets there, he learns that another kaidon has risen to power in his absence, usurping his title. In what is, in my opinion, his greatest moment of growth, Rojka accepts the new power structure without argument.

I can't overstate how unusual this is. Few things are more important than power and pride in Sangheili culture. Many Sangheili prefer to die than admit to being injured. They prefer to be killed rather than captured. The most honorable way to replace a kaidon is a battle to the death. But Rojka is tired. He wants to go home. He agrees to be an envoy for Rak, having grown to appreciate the power of diplomacy.

Growth!!!!!! That's growth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Chieftain Hekabe!

Today is his -486th birthday!

Hekabe was a Jiralhanae chieftain who sought to seize power after the collapse of the Covenant. He wanted to bring Jiralhanae society back to what he perceived as its former glory.

To do this, he planned on using creatures known as Sharquoi. The Sharquoi were created by the Forerunners to combat the Flood. While massive and powerful, they are individually unintelligent and mostly harmless. However, using a device called a vertex, entire hordes can be mind-controlled to do the user's bidding. While the Covenant were aware of the Sharquoi, they lacked the means to control them until Hekabe found the vertex on Installation 00. It then took him six years to find the Sharquoi nest, which he finally discovered was located on the Joint-Occupation Zone colony world, Carrow. The planet was jointly inhabited by humans, who settled first but fled during the Human-Covenant war, and Sangheili, who colonized the world as refugees after the destruction of Glyke by Spartan-II Gray Team. Once the humans returned, a tense agreement was struck to allow both species to remain.

Hekabe unleashed the Sharquoi on Carrow, but, following a bloody and destructive battle, was killed in a joint effort by Gray Team, Sangheili kaidon Rojka 'Kasaan and his soldiers, UEG envoy Melody Azikiwe, and the local militia.

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 2 Match 12

More info below:

Rhu 'Vrath:

Debuted in Halo 5: Guardians (Mission Intel)

Once an assassin serving Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, he would infiltrate the Swords of Sanghelios for a mission to kill Arbiter Thel 'Vadam following the death of Jul 'Mdama and failed attack on Vadam lands. While in a camp between battles, Rhu would sneak into the Arbiter's tent for the kill, where he found the Arbiter readying his armor. Upon seeing the Mark of Shame on Thel's bare chest, Rhu would stop and question himself and his previous views on the Arbiter. He would then lose his opportunity as the Arbiter's eyes met his, causing Rhu to look away and abandon the assassination. Following this, he genuinely defected to the Swords of Sanghelios, taking part in further conflict in Nuusra as a Banshee pilot in Attack Wing Jardam. While flying, he would take note of Fireteam Osiris' contributions, reflecting on Jul 'Mdama's statements on humanity and their might.

Jat:

Debuted in Halo: Fractures ("Oasis")

Once living on Glyke, Jat would follow Rojka 'Kasaan to Carrow after the destruction of his homeworld, helping found the city of Rak. When civil war broke out over disputes on how to deal with the humans that had returned to the planet, Jat chose to remain loyal to Rojka and believed in making peace between the two species. To that end, he shadowed a death squad sent to Masov Oasis to incite violence. He would later be discovered by a member named Ruha, who bested him in battle and attempted to execute him, only for a passing human teenager named Dahlia to rescue him. However, this rescue was only due to Dahlia not knowing his species, and she was quick to act uncomfortable around the grateful Jat, even cutting off his introduction so that only his first name is known within the story. Yet she would accept that Jat owed her a life debt and allowed him to escort her to Masov Oasis to seek aid for her ailing settlement. After dropping her off at the human trading post, he would later rescue her and two other humans being taken by hostile Sangheili. Only Jat and Dahlia would flee the oasis, chased by Spectres until they were ultimately forced into a confrontation. While fighting hard, Jat would ultimately be overpowered by four enemies. Just as both were about to be killed, Surakan Militia alerted by the humans they separated from arrived and rescued Dahlia - whilst one of the men callously killed Jat despite Dahlia's protests that he was her friend. Still, his death would not be completely in vain, as Dahlia would later save her home and used the courage he taught her to join the militia.

Additional commentary: MY FUCKING 11-PAGE BLORBO DARLING. What stalls me from constantly re-reading Oasis to see him in action is knowing the ending will always enrage me. He should have lived! He should have kept a lifelong friendship with Dahlia and become an important ally to Rojka! We didn't even get his full name ;_;

[yanderes-galore]

Well, time for my autistic hyperfixation skills to shine! Here's your cheat-sheet for what Halo EU media to skip to for the good parts (aka aliens):

Since you've already read The Cole Protocol, Envoy is a rlly good skipping point. Besides the greatness that is Rojka 'Kasaan, and it having a pretty notable Jiralhanae villain, it's also written by the same author and follows up on the Gray Team storyline introduced in the former book.

Hunters in the Dark also makes the top of my list for fleshing out the Halo 3 co-op characters N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham and giving us nice cross-species positive interactions. Also can't forget Broken Circle, as it's all Sangheili and San'Shyuum in the story, no humans for once. It's split between two timelines: the era of the Covenant's founding and the time of Halo 2.

The Ferrets series of books (Last Light, Retribution, and Divine Wind so far) features the reoccurring antagonistic faction the Keepers of the One Truth lead by the Jiralhanae named Castor. The Master Chief series also features Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee in the first two books (Silent Storm and Oblivion) and the Keepers in Shadows of Reach; haven't read them yet but I heard good things about Nizat so far and he seems to be one of the more unique in the lore, being kinda older than most Sangheili we've seen so far. Also can't forget the Halo CE novelization, The Flood, which featured the first portrayal of Covenant perspectives in canon I believe (and therefore some of the lore and characterization there is a bit off in comparison to the rest of the books, but it's fine). Zuka 'Zamamee and Yayap are a real treat in that one, even if the tone of their sections are a bit sillier than most (from my impression so far, haven't finished the book yet actually).

And I kind of have to include the Kilo-Five trilogy, although with the fair warning that they're a bit divisive amongst the fandom. You're either gonna like them or despise them. I think a majority people, regardless of how they feel about the trilogy as a whole, did find the alien sections fine though. If I had to re-read them again I'd probably skip to just those chapters. Jul 'Mdama is a prominent character in the first two books (Glasslands and The Thursday War), with his wife Raia 'Mdama having more of a spotlight in the second, but then the whole 'Mdama plotline wraps up and gets replaced by Kig-Yar Chol 'Von in Mortal Dictata (although she's a good character on her own and it's unfortunate her story never got picked up by other authors after the trilogy ended). Other notable aliens in the trilogy include Forze 'Mdama, Avu Med 'Telcam, Sav Fel, and probably the most concentration of named Huragoks in a Halo storyline ever. Thel also makes some appearances here too.

Speaking of the 'Mdamas tho; I haven't gotten to it yet but Legacy of Onyx does feature Jul and Raia's sons as major players post-Halo 5, plus I believe there is a Sangheili teacher character and maybe some rare alien kid characters. Ohhhh and I can't believe I almost forgot, but upcoming book Outcasts is gonna feature Thel as a main character again! Been waiting for it but it got delayed, we should finally be getting it in August tho. You may want to read the Master Chief books first tho since it looks like some lore introduced there will be featured here too, especially since it's the same author Troy Dennings.

Finally to round out the recs are the anthologies. I'd go for Fractures before Evolutions, as the former has Shadow of Intent with Rtas, Tul 'Juran, Vul 'Soran, Stolt, and Tem'Bhetek and Oasis with Jat (who existed for maybe a dozen pages but has captured my heart for years). Latter still has Henry (human nickname, we never learned his real name because of language barrier) in The Mona Lisa, some named Jiralhanae in Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss (which I forgot about so idk if it's because it's been years or if they did not have much of a role), and an unnamed Sangheili shipmaster who's the focus of The Return. The Return & The Mona Lisa also got "animated" adaptations in the form of voice-acted motion comics you can find on YouTube.

Those are all books but maybe I might as well throw in the comics. Obviously there's the Rise of Atriox miniseries. Also not as well known but there was a small prequel comic for the first Halo Wars which features Ripa 'Moramee's origin story; I got the physical copy as part of my game copy, idk if there's a way to access it digitally. The Halo Graphic Novel includes the famous Halo story The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor feat Rtas 'Vadum and Thel in his Fleetmaster era. Haven't read it but Blood Lines has two Sangheili brothers as major antagonists. Tales From Slipspace has Atriox in Hunting Party and Avu Med 'Telcam in Knight Takes Bishop. Finally one of the more well known comics, Escalation has a few points of interest (note I haven't read all of 'em yet and going off Halopedia for this): Thel in Issues 1-3 + Jiralhanae Lydus, Jul 'Mdama and Sali 'Nyon in the Janus Key arc (Issues 13-16) and Absolute Record arc (Issues 19-24), and Ayit 'Sevi in Absolute Record arc.

And what the heck. let's get obscure: The Halo Wars Official Strategy Guide published by Prima Publishing includes some flash fiction featuring Ripa 'Moramee and The Prophet of Regret, because sometimes crumbs is all ya get. Halo: Legends - aka the official Halo anime - also has The Duel which shows an ancient Arbiter and why the title is considered dishonorable in modern Halo times.

Oh and... I guess there's the Forerunner trilogy, for like, Forerunners... tbh tho they're basically bootleggish humans to me, I rank them the lowest out of all the Halo aliens and don't really consider them most of the time when hyper-focusing on Halo aliens.

Gonna read this later

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 1 Match 24

More info below:

Jat:

Debuted in Halo: Fractures ("Oasis")

Once living on Glyke, Jat would follow Rojka 'Kasaan to Carrow after the destruction of his homeworld, helping found the city of Rak. When civil war broke out over disputes on how to deal with the humans that had returned to the planet, Jat chose to remain loyal to Rojka and believed in making peace between the two species. To that end, he shadowed a death squad sent to Masov Oasis to incite violence. He would later be discovered by a member named Ruha, who bested him in battle and attempted to execute him, only for a passing human teenager named Dahlia to rescue him. However, this rescue was only due to Dahlia not knowing his species, and she was quick to act uncomfortable around the grateful Jat, even cutting off his introduction so that only his first name is known within the story. Yet she would accept that Jat owed her a life debt and allowed him to escort her to Masov Oasis to seek aid for her ailing settlement. After dropping her off at the human trading post, he would later rescue her and two other humans being taken by hostile Sangheili. Only Jat and Dahlia would flee the oasis, chased by Spectres until they were ultimately forced into a confrontation. While fighting hard, Jat would ultimately be overpowered by four enemies. Just as both were about to be killed, Surakan Militia alerted by the humans they separated from arrived and rescued Dahlia - whilst one of the men callously killed Jat despite Dahlia's protests that he was her friend. Still, his death would not be completely in vain, as Dahlia would later save her home and used the courage he taught her to join the militia.

Additional commentary: MY FUCKING 11-PAGE BLORBO DARLING. What stalls me from constantly re-reading Oasis to see him in action is knowing the ending will always enrage me. He should have lived! He should have kept a lifelong friendship with Dahlia and become an important ally to Rojka! We didn't even get his full name ;_;

Veer:

Debuted in Halo: The Cole Protocol

A Sangheili Zealot that was handpicked by then Thel 'Vadamee to raid Do You Feel Lucky? during the Battle of Charybdis IX. After this, he would join the mission to investigate illegal trading between Kig-Yar and humans. Veer would survive the betrayal from the Jiralhanae during this mission, becoming captured along with Thel and the bridge crew. However, the team would escape and commandeer a Kig-Yar shuttle, intent on continuing their mission in spite the betrayal. While Thel took warriors Zhar and Saal to Metisette to capture Reth - the ring-leader of the illegal trading - Veer was ordered to remain on the shuttle. From there, his actions and whether or not he even survived the events following this remain unknown.

Additional commentary: I chose him to fill up slots mainly due to his sudden disappearance in the book, and an AO3 fanfic that then attempted to explain his sudden disappearance that I still think about sometimes. Apparently, Halopedia claims, "Veer had a habit for creating war poems, and frequently observed his environments, even in combat situations, to do so." but there's no citations so I can't confirm it. Neat characterization for a first-name-only character if true.

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 1 Match 23

More info below:

Rhu 'Vrath:

Debuted in Halo 5: Guardians (Mission Intel)

Once an assassin serving Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, he would infiltrate the Swords of Sanghelios for a mission to kill Arbiter Thel 'Vadam following the death of Jul 'Mdama and failed attack on Vadam lands. While in a camp between battles, Rhu would sneak into the Arbiter's tent for the kill, where he found the Arbiter readying his armor. Upon seeing the Mark of Shame on Thel's bare chest, Rhu would stop and question himself and his previous views on the Arbiter. He would then lose his opportunity as the Arbiter's eyes met his, causing Rhu to look away and abandon the assassination. Following this, he genuinely defected to the Swords of Sanghelios, taking part in further conflict in Nuusra as a Banshee pilot in Attack Wing Jardam. While flying, he would take note of Fireteam Osiris' contributions, reflecting on Jul 'Mdama's statements on humanity and their might.

Thars 'Sarov:

Debuted in Halo: Envoy (previously mentioned in "Oasis" of Halo: Fractures)

The cousin of Rojka 'Kasaan who despised humans and his cousin's efforts to co-exist with them on the jointly-occupied Carrow / Rakoi. Hostilities between his followers and the Carrow militia would cause a civil war amongst Carrow's Sangheili in the latter half of 2558. In September, he would seek the aid of Jiralhanar Chieftain Hekabe for a space battle above Carrow, where he would emerge victorious against Rojka's ships. However, Rojka would survive his ship's crash-landing, causing Thars to pursue him. Then, Hekabe would betray Thars for his own mission to find and tame the secret Sharqoui hive living on Carrow, destroying Thar's fleet in the process. Still, Thars would insist on continuing his focus on Rojka rather than Hekabe, resulting in Hekabe making gains in his conquest that Thars could have prevented. Eventually, he would find and confront Rojka, dueling him whilst his warriors battled against Rojka's Sangheili and Gray Team. Thars would lose the duel, but instead of immediately killing him, his enemies attempted to reason with him regarding Hekabe. When he refused to listen, Rojka would finally decapitate him.