Role of humans in the Covenant

[Sarevok]

In the Covenant military each race is assigned a role according to it's status and ability. The cowardly low ranked grunts are used as cannon fodder, the smart and inhumanely accurate Jackals make up their sniper corps, strong and tacticaly brilliant Elites serve as commanders and heavy infantry, the powerful and berserking brutes are useful as shock troops and the formidable Hunters are used like walking tanks. Now suppose for a moment the Covenant wanted to conquer and absorb humanity like it had done so with many other races instead of specialy marking it for extermination. What role would you see humans playing in the Covenant military and society ?

Here is my personal speculation. In the Covenant hierarchy I see humans being somewhere between Jackals and Elites in rank and social status. They would likely quarrel with Elites for equal status. In combat humans would fill the role of medium infantry, a position that is currently a big hole in Covenant roster. There is nothing filling the gap between weak grunts and powerful but rare Elites. Humans being braver, stronger and smarter would do well in this position. They would likely be armed with plasma rifles and needlers as marines use capured models to deadly effect. Humans may even be outfitted with low end personal shields given their superir combat ability. Given how much dangerous humans marines are even with their primitive weapons they would receive good gear making a Covenant human soldier a shielded armored person carrying energy weapons - essentialy a weaker version of a Spartan II or Elite.

[Vehrec]

Another possible role for humans would be as fighter pilots and midshipmen or petty officer equivalents aboard the fleets. A human mechanic might not be as good as a Engineer, but he's probably going to have that reclaimer knack for just 'knowing' how something works. They would make good vehicle crew in just about any situation, come to think of it. Socially, I'd put humans somewhere above drones and jackals, roughly equal to hunters and engineers, in that they have their own society that isn't subordinated totally to the Covenant.

[Molyneux]

One major question is just how powerful and durable an Elite is without their armor. If they're significantly better than a human is even without the tech, then they'd probably stay much higher than humans in Covenant social status; I could definitely see humans being placed on about the same level as, say, Jackals, and a bit higher than Grunts. Our 'tinkering' finesse would probably help us, though - not nearly as good as Engineers, but we're not idiot savants, and we can hold our own in a fight.

[Darth Ruinus]

I think I remember reading in one of the Halo novels, or somewhere, that Humans are more creative than the Covenant, who were described as being imitative (something about Covenant tech being based largely of Forerunner tech, and they havent really improved much of it) and, as far as I know, the humans had better AIs than the Covenant? From this I can assume some kind of scientist role, higher than an Engineer, (can they invent things?)

In combat, maybe they are right below an Elite?

[Pulp Hero]

Yes, but is the Covenant's "imatation not innovation" because of its member races inability or is it because of religious reasons?

[Darth Ruinus]

Yes, but is the Covenant's "imatation not innovation" because of its member races inability or is it because of religious reasons?

Well if its because of their races inability, then, without us they wont advance as fast as with us.

If its because of their religious reasons, well, do you seriously think they are going to quit being religious?

[Noble Ire]

Yes, but is the Covenant's "imatation not innovation" because of its member races inability or is it because of religious reasons?

Religious dogma prevents technological advancement in the Covenant. When Cortana interfaced with the central processor of the flagship Ascendant Justice following the destruction of Alpha Halo, the ship's AI rebuked her for employing the vessel's drive systems in an especially efficient way, despite the fact that it had always had the capability, because it was not the traditional utilization of the technology, and thus heretical behavior. If simply refining a known technology is contrary to Covenant doctrine, it stands to reason that actual innovation would be as well.

Were the Prophets to rescend their crusade against humanity and assimilate the species, I expect that they would fill a military role similar to Grunts, if on a slightly higher rank level due to their degree of intellect. Humans can function without methane tanks in an oxygen environment, and are faster and more agile than their cannon fodder counterparts, but they probably breed more slowly, and may or may not be physically weaker. They aren't sturdy or brawny enough to match Brutes or Elites, and lack their history in the Covenant; they'd likely only be allowed to command "lesser" races on the ground (Grunts, Jackals, Drones), and function as minor officers in the armada. I don't really know how they integrate into Covenant society at large; very little, in general, about the Holy Empire beyond its war machine and its command hierarch is known.

[Duckie]

Perhaps one of the reasons (besides the Prophets quest to keep power instead of letting their old Gods (the Forerunner Humans) back into the loop) for the genocide of humanity is that we're just too fucking badass to let in? I mean, think about it, we're generalists who are better warriors than the jackals and grunts (and, if given nescessary technology, the Elites) and are better technologists (in some department) than the engineers, numerous as the lesser warrior races, etcetera.

Seriously, the Covenant Warriors Union would have a fit if we joined, it'd be like replacing factory workers with machines. The Holy Empire would have a glut of unemployment.