Honor Guard of the Covenant

The Honor Guard is a special unit of Covenant tasked with providing security for the High Council

Role
The highly ornate armor of the Honor Guard, a glowing red and orange combination of jutting spikes and designs indicates that the Guard is not only meant for combat, but is also a great position of pride and honor. They are the most skilled of warriors and are hand-picked for the duty of protecting the High Prophets, as well as members of the High Council, from any danger.

Ranks
Although a great honor, it is seen by some Sangheili and Jiralhanae as a merely ceremonial duty and a way to silence those who perhaps see a little too clearly in the Human-Covenant War. It is unknown how an Honor Guard ranks in comparison to the normal chain of leadership, but it is assumed they are equivalent to an Sangheili or Jiralhanae Captain, or slightly below the Arbiter/Chieftain.

Wherever a High Prophet is located, an Honor Guardsman is always by their side. There could be as many as 300 Honor Guardsman for each Prophet, as the Step of Silence seems designed to hold 300 Honor Guards but only one Prophet.

Before the Great War
After the Sangheili-San 'Shyuum War, the two sides formed the Covenant. The San 'Shyuum were to be the governmental leaders and scientists, with the Sangheili as their protectors and main soldiers.

Human-Covenant War
During the 30 years of the Human-Covenant War, the Honor Guard didn't see much combat up until 2552, at the Battle of Installation 05.

On October 20th, 2552, Covenant Ground and Naval forces invaded Earth. The High Prophet of Regret and his fleet came to Earth to find The Ark, a facility where they could fire all of the Halo Installations and complete The Great Journey. Being pursued by United Nations Space Command forces, Regret and his flagship escaped by going into slipspace in Mombasa, Kenya.

When they arrived on Installation 05, Regret and his Sangheili Honor Guardsmen