Chikri-Merkaa Conflux

The Chikri-Merkaa Conflux (Qers'nok: Chikri-Merkaa'ni Rhalai), commonly known only as the Conflux and often abbreviated CMC by the UNSC, is a modestly-sized post-Covenant polity centered around the group of star systems known as the Chikri-Merkaa Strand in the Siakar Expanse, a former Covenant province located galactic north and coreward of Orion from the human colonial sphere. A post-war outgrowth of an already extant trade alliance in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand, the trend in the Conflux has been towards growth into a full-fledged interstellar polity with an emerging identity and ethos of their own. In many ways, the CMC is not unlike most localized colonial alliances in the ex-Covenant sphere, roughly of the same size and level of influence and activity as such polities as the Golden Compact, the Jjaibii Shroud Nexus or the Dren-Jekup Constituency, while their military capability is quite comparable with that of the Panoply of the Enlightened or the Quenzi Periphery Trident. The CMC's primary strength lies in their robust economy owing to the several influential commercial entities and guilds they house or have dealings with, as well as their alliances with various other polities.

The Conflux is a signatory of the Concord of Reconciliation in the capacity of an Outer Vigil polity. In practice, such an alliance retains their independence and autonomy while making them subject to the main terms the Arbiter's council imposes on allied polities, largely regarding foreign policy and the handling and distribution of potentially destructive Forerunner artifacts, but also ties them into some degree of military cooperation. As the Conflux is situated relatively close to the human sphere, they have a significant Joint Occupation Zone presence for their size as well as various dealings with human settlements along the crossing region of the Pleiades Corridor. They have also carried out joint military operations with the UNSC as well as part of the overall arrangement with the Arbiter's coalition.

While distant from the focal points of the Blooding Years, the Conflux is nonetheless affected by the turmoil and uncertainty that now rules across what used to be the Covenant-held portions of the Orion Arm. Should the CMC make it through the turbulence, they will slowly carve themselves a foothold in their home region and further cement their influence.

Government and politics
The Chikri-Merkaa Conflux is a localized trade and military alliance trending toward greater internal unification as the memory of the Covenant's cultural hegemony grows ever dimmer. Their primary decision-making body is a council of approximately a dozen representatives from its various member groups known as the High Conclave. The basis of the Conclave was the several-hundred-year-old Chikri-Merkaa Trade League, of which most (albeit not all) of the current members of the Conflux held a position in. A secondary body known as the Council of Many Voices was recently established to act as a legislature, but it remains largely ineffective due to a large amount of conflicting interests within. The cultural and political heart of the Conflux the colony of Radiant Zenith in the Chikri system, and specifically the orbital platform known as the Station of Auspicious Confluence, a key waystation in the Covenant's interstellar slipspace network.

The Conflux is not strongly embodied by a singular leader, though were one to be named it would likely be former Lesser Councilor, now High Speaker Sossak Kar 'Usoi. A key figure in organizing the political system of the Conflux, 'Usoi's status is formally advisory, though in practice he still handles much of the political heavy lifting within the Conclave as well as foreign relations to other polities. Hailing from the capital world Radiant Zenith, 'Usoi was formerly part of the Covenant governmental apparatus for the Siakar Expanse, and his knowledge of local customs and politics helped greatly in creating the foundations for the Conflux, along with his personal aspirations stemming from a lifelong frustration with the Covenant's governance and policies. 'Usoi and several of his allies within the Conflux's political system have infused the polity with an ethos that looks beyond the immediate utilitarian benefits of the alliance. He seems adamant on learning from the Covenant's mistakes and forging a more well-rounded and less dysfunctional society, though not all members of the alliance share his vision.

Below the Conclave, pre-existing Covenant pseudo-feudal politics remain largely in effect, with several key Sangheili houses retaining most of the power. It remains to be seen how the fall of High Charity will alter the power relations between the lordships and wildcards such as rising trading guilds. A delicate balance exists in the Chikri-Merkaa region between the local kaidons and commercial entities, the latter represented prominently by a Kig-Yar banking alliance and various trade guilds, a trade port run by an Unggoy, as well as Sangheili mining concerns. There is no fully reliable system of checks and balances, and the Conflux's federal government exists in a complicated relationship with the corporations and corporate quasi-governments it hosts, especially in relation to differences in policy; the government would rather not provoke the merchants' ire or have them shift their allegiances to other ex-Covenant groups, occasionally granting them various concessions as a result.

Radiant Zenith
Considered by many to be the capital of the Conflux is the colony world Radiant Zenith, located in the Chikri system. Housing the Jewel-City of Terpen, well known of old for its splendor, and encircled by an expansive belt of orbital habitats and docks known as the Ring of Radiance, Radiant Zenith was first established by the Covenant in the 16th Age of Doubt as a trading outpost in the then-growing Siakar Expanse. Its brightness has somewhat waned in the recent centuries as the focus of the Covenant's outward expansion moved elsewhere, but it remains a moderately important center of culture and political power particularly in the wake of the Human-Covenant War due to the prominence of the Siakar Expanse as a common waystation to the human sphere. With a population of 8.9 billion, Zenith has historically been a Covenant world first and foremost; the world is home to at least as many Kig-Yar and Unggoy as Sangheili, as well as Yanme'e sub-hives.

The government of Radiant Zenith and the Chikri system is known as the Zenith Lordship, based out of Terpen and comprising the ruling city-state of Vernam and their several dozen vassal-states and provinces, including a pair of active orbital ports as well as clans on off-world colonies within the system. The House of Vernam is very old, rising to prominence on the Moons of Tar Chatta of the Argent Straits all the way back in the Covenant's first millennium; Zenith's founders had already been removed from Sanghelios by two generations of colonies by the time the world was settled. The world's settlement was part of a Ministerial initiative to form a strong basis for security and prosperity in the then-growing Siakar Expanse, which included the settlement of strong Sangheili populations in the crossroads of major sliplanes.

By 2558, the Lord of the Zenith is Archkaidon Ilen 'Vernam, who rules out of the great Spire-Keep of Jahl Terpen. The Archkaidon is fairly young, assuming the position after his predecessor was killed in the Devastation of Joyous Exultation. His relative inexperience prepared him well for the task of rule in a post-Schism world, as those more set in their ways may not have been able to adapt to the new order as well as he did.

Skar-idir
A predominantly Kig-Yar habitat and trading outpost consisting of several hundred interconnected asteroid-habitats. Many of the asteroids are connected by flexible docking tubes in a traditional Kig-Yar fashion, creating an intricate "web" of nest-colonies. Most of the asteroids (or hab-clusters) are independent societies of their own, though they elect a largely ceremonial governor to represent the entire colony's interests for a term of a local year. By 2558, Skar-idir's governor is the self-styled "High Broodmistress" Shik Rok, who is often represented on the Conclave by the Broodprince Skirn Rok.

Based in the asteroid belt of the Chikri system, the Nestweb began as a Kig-Yar trading and refueling station several centuries ago and eventually became a permanent habitat as the families who controlled the outpost ended up settling there, having formed profitable trade partnerships with the local Sangheili clans and enterprises. Over time, the Kig-Yar families branched off and more Kig-Yar were attracted to the area due to its business opportunities. As a result of its settlement having occurred in waves from across the Covenant sphere, the culture of the Skar-idir Nestweb is highly variable among the families and clans that inhabit its many asteroids. Now, it is primarily a nestworld, home to 810 million permanent inhabitants. While many large family-businesses still operate from there, it has lost its role as the region's main trading outpost to the Haar Nappar Freehold due to the latter's more advantageous location. Though Skar-idir is the largest concentrated habitat of Kig-Yar in the region, they are a rather common sight across the Chikri-Merkaa Strand and its immediate surroundings, particularly on Radiant Zenith, Haar Nappar and several lesser worlds.

Haar Nappar Freehold
An active bazaar and trade port located in a sprawling asteroid-complex at the confluence of two of the most active trade routes that run through the Chikri-Merkaa Strand at the borders of the neighboring Jjaibii Shroud Nexus. Run by the Unggoy merchant-lord Yibyip the Affluent, who retained much of his wealth since the Covenant's fall due to his adaptability as well as Haar Nappar's fortuitous location, the Freehold is a link in a great network of trade stations across the Covenant Empire, connecting to hundreds of centers of commerce. Haar Nappar is the Conflux's beating economic heart as well as easily the most cosmopolitan of its constituents, particularly as trade has opened up to the human sphere and is continually increasing in volume as ex-Covenant polities both recover from the Schism and continue to push to the coreward regions of the Orion Arm, displaced by the turbulences of the Schism and the Blooding Years. Although the Jjaibii Shroud remains more popular as a pit stop for travelers between the human and ex-Covenant spheres in the Siakar Expanse, the Chikri-Merkaa Strand still sees a notable amount of activity due to the region's relative stability, and the prominence and wealth of Haar Nappar grow by the day as traffic between the two civilizations' spheres of influence increases.

The core asteroid of Haar Nappar was originally mined out by Sangheili over a century before the region was colonized. After the Kig-Yar settled in the nearby Skar system and founded the Skar-idir trading outpost, Haar Nappar was colonized by a rival family-brood with the intent on outdoing Skar-idir. It did not last, and after a century, Haar Nappar was all but abandoned. Since then, it served as a den for pirates and various lowlifes over several decades, until the young Sangheili clan of Kor-Norsam took over it in the Cleansing of Haar Nappar and made it a military outpost, though even this was not to last as Kor-Norsam lost their status and were forced to abandon the station. After systems were settled beyond Chikri-Merkaa and more traffic began to flow through the region, Haar Nappar suddenly found itself in a more advantageous location in regards to trade routes, and Kig-Yar from Skar-idir moved in, roughly three centuries ago. Since then, the station has only grown, with more asteroids (as well as other assorted objects) being merged with the core complex and spawning many outlying facilities in neighboring rocks. Around a decade ago, the Kig-Yar enterprise in charge of Haar Nappar's largest emporium were driven into a crisis with a powerful guild on Skar-idir, and were forced to migrate elsewhere in Covenant space lest they be forced into a bloody feud; the Unggoy merchant Yibyip bought off the enterprise with all his savings at the time. In less than then years, he became known as Yibyip the Affluent, for there was business to be had at Haar Nappar, and business was good.

Having already declared Haar Nappar an independent state since the Covenant's fall, Yibyip has come to an arrangement with the Conclave for protection, offering his contacts and trading resources in return; it did help that most of the major Sangheili clans of the region had so far treated Yibyip with more respect than Unggoy are usually accorded—though Yibyip's wealth and influence may have played a role. Since the Conflux's founding, Yibyip and his inner pack have contributed extensively to the well-being of Unggoy in the Conflux, including securing a deal involving more protective Unggoy harnesses in the military and seeking to improve the conditions of Unggoy workers within the various Sangheili and Kig-Yar corporate enterprises.

Amaranthine Resplendence
One of the three most prominent Sangheili worlds in the Conflux, with a population of 3.5 billion. Much of the planet is covered in a shallow ocean on the shores of which many of its cities and keeps are built; the landmasses are mostly steep mountain ranges and are home to many vast gorges and canyons, and many of the coastal cities are built directly into the mountainsides. By 2558, their ruling family is Clan Ryskeema, perhaps the second or third most influential Sangheili family within the Conflux, ruled over by High Kaidon Onatjann 'Ryskeema from the City-Tower of Hakar Shaan on the Isle of Otchichi. They are best known for their artisans and builders who have worn even wider renown for their sleek and elegant trademark style.

Glorious Proclamation
A Sangheili colony known for its plains, forests, jungles and swamplands, Glorious Proclamation was the first world in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand to be formally colonized. Home to 1.2 billion inhabitants, it is the least populous of the major Sangheili worlds of the Conflux but has a strong industrial base. Even now, much of the planet remains untamed wilderness the Sangheili enjoy to roam and hunt in. The planet was originally named for the famed proclamation of the colony's founder, Ottal 'Jaren, who declared it as the new home of his people over 1,500 years ago after a long journey of which many ballads are sung; for their original homeworld, the mighty Vaal Kettar of old, was devastated by a great disaster after a fanatic activated a long-buried Forerunner relic. Even now poems and songs speak of their long-lost home with longing; though the clans who survived the Ruin of Vaal Kettar did recover admirably, they would never return to such greatness as they had on their ancestral homeworld.

Glorious Proclamation's capital is known as Dohn Haur, the City Above the Mist. Governed by Kaichen Uri 'Jaren, the Sangheili of Clan Jaren are now renowned for their armorers and weaponsmiths; indeed, the Jaren Manufactories are the most well-known clan-armorers in the region and have historically supplied armor for the house Jaren and some of the region's lesser families as well as many Kig-Yar and Unggoy based out in the region. Now, they are the prime supplier for the Conflux itself. Free of the Covenant's restrictions and standardization dictates, they are now experimenting with various all-new patterns of armor and weaponry. However, there has historically been some bad blood between the population of Glorious Proclamation and those of the other key worlds, as the former arrived in the region earlier yet never achieved similar distinction as the relative newcomers on Amaranthine Resplendence and particularly Radiant Zenith.

Kiin Djetjom
A toxic world home to the Yanme'e Kup'qak Master-Hive, the largest Yanme'e hive in the Strand. The Kup'qak Yanme'e are longtime vassals of Clan Ryskeema of Amaranthine Resplendence dating back to the founding of the local colonies over a millennium ago. They have since pledged allegiance to the Conflux for protection and trade, offering their engineering expertise in return; as they have done in the region for centuries. By 2558, the master-hive is governed by Queen Kup'Huk-Xiruk, who is represented on the Conclave by the Hive-Prince Kup'Huk-Tuplik 12. Kup'Huk-Xiruk also represents several lesser queens inhabiting sub-hives across the Conflux's lesser worlds, though hive-queens on the major worlds—primarily Radiant Zenith—mainly deal with their local Kaidons.

Kiett'abannot
A Lekgolo Swarm-moon home to the grouping known as the Kiett'abannot Gathering, which has continued its millennial agreement with Clan Vernam to supply troops and nonsapient collectives for various mining and industrial machinery in exchange for access to spaceways and resources; otherwise Kiett'abannot is perhaps the most isolated entity in the Conflux. The Kiett'abannot swarm and Clan Vernam have been partners since the Fall of Jakat Nur of the Qerkossian Shore Crusades over 2000 years ago, and the Swarm has previously handled their dealings exclusively through the clan. However, they have lately began sending a special colony-gestalt—Qwaza Ziin Hoob, the Voice of the Swarm—as their envoy to the Conclave and seemingly aim to become more involved in the Conflux's decision-making.

History
First charted in the 15th Age of Discovery (the 14th century in the human calendar), the Chikri-Merkaa Strand was originally a province of its own for several ages following its settlement, but after a major civil war in the region as well as a greater restructuring of Covenant Empire that came with the Second Illumination, its authorities were merged with those of the greater Siakar Expanse albeit with the Chikri-Merkaa Trade League remaining as a connecting tissue between the worlds of the region. Within the Covenant, the worlds of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand went through the usual motions; paid their tithes and sent their requisite warriors to the Ministry of Resolution. The region saw its share of conflict, but produced remained stable throughout the since the civil wars preceding the Second Illumination.

The Strand was not the most common path for Covenant fleets headed out for the human sphere during the Human-Covenant War, as the region lacked major military supply bases; fleets instead favored the neighboring Jjaibii Shroud or the coreward Hark'azai Curtain, both of which housed more refueling stops and supply facilities. In the later years of the war, there was an increasing amount doubt as to the Prophets' excuses for the extermination of humanity as part of a greater trend within the Covenant; as such many sought service in the Covenant's internal patrol fleets and local garrisons rather than the forces headed out to the war. Mostly, the population went about their business while their warriors were out in the front lines. The faithful awaited for the Great Journey that never came, and when the news of Truth's demise and the Covenant's fall broke, the general reaction was one of disbelief, confusion, and ultimately, resignation.

The Chikri-Merkaa Strand emerged from the early years of the Great Schism relatively intact. There were Jiralhanae in the region, largely civilians and workers, while the warriors' numbers were not great enough to mount an effective resistance in the long term; as such, after various skirmishes, the Jiralhanae in the Strand either submitted to the Sangheili's rule or fled. Throughout the 2550s, there was fighting on several worlds of the region with scattered Jiralhanae raiding parties, though no lasting damage.

With the Siakar Provincial Synod of the Golden Worlds dissolved in the chaos of the Schism, the local states realized they would rather take their chances in the turbulence as part of larger units, preferably gathered around common interests; in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand's case, those were continued security and trade, and with other interstellar polities quickly forming all around them, the leaders of the Strand were forced to act swiftly. On December 27, 2552, everyone who had any major pull in the Strand region was summoned to Station of Auspicious Confluence, the historical center of the Chikri-Merkaa Trade League. What is now known as the First Gathering was attended by Councilor Sossak Kar 'Usoi, Archkaidon Ilen 'Vernam, Kaichen Uri 'Jaren, Broodmistress Shik Rok, Baron Zhak Yig, Hive-Prince Kup'Hak-Xilik 5, Mistress Overseer Shvaaru 'Norsam, and various lesser members of the alliance. Thus, before the year 2552 was over by UNSC reckoning, a tentative agreement had been reached by the core parties of what would become the Conflux. Yibyip and the Haar Nappar Freehold would formally become part of the Conflux only nearly a year later after no small amount of convincing and concessions on part of the Conflux.

In the start, the Conflux had little in the way of a unified ethos and were largely a more involved continuation of the already existing Chikri-Merkaa Trade League. For the most part, business would continue as usual, though there was a greater focus on locally-provided security, and the foundations of the common military were quickly laid by Fleet Master-turned-Supreme Commander Skhora 'Huozinam and General Kora 'Zamam. The Ultimatum of Confluence, the formal ratification document of the Conflux such as it exists today, was drafted largely by High Speaker Sossak Kar 'Usoi and signed by the members of the Conclave on February 7, 2554. The date of the signing of the Ultimatum of Confluence, as recorded by their own calendar, has become a national holiday of a similar caliber as the Covenant's Cycle of Union. Otherwise, the member worlds have largely carried on with their own preexisting customs.

The Conflux's home territory is fortunate enough not to have not been subject to major attacks; most hostile activity within the Chikri-Merkaa Strand since the Schism has been in the form of pirates and assorted independent raider groups, with the exception of several larger skirmishes with the Sons of Heaven and the Storm of Faith, operating out of the Ikket'hai Bloc. The majority of these battles took place at Glorious Proclamation and Amaranthine Resplendence, several lesser worlds, as well as various uninhabited and off-Conflux systems in 2555 and 2556. The Nestweb of Skar-idir was embroiled in an inter-Kig-Yar feud with the Roostworld Cii'hith based in the Koor-Zaan Stream in 2556, though the conflict was ultimately settled through a peculiar combination of arranged marriages and gifts.

Since the Schism, the long-term effects of the surrounding unrest and cultural upheaval on the worlds of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand have yet to be determined. An increasing number of displaced individuals, even entire Sangheili families and their subjects, have emigrated to frontier polities such as the CMC from elsewhere in the Covenant in search of a better future, to the point the worlds of Chikri-Merkaa, like other far-flung colonies, may soon have a refugee crisis in their hands. So far, most refugees have been directed to the Strand's secondary worlds, such as the agricultural colony of Khimshi and the mining world of Ytchorr.

Culture and society
Culturally, the Conflux is diverse among its constituent states, though an independent overall cultural identity is slowly emerging, drawing heavily from the extant cultural makeup of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand - partly as a conscious effort to build up their identity as an independent group rather than an adjunct of the Covenant. Like many regions colonized well into the Covenant's existence, the Chikri-Merkaa Strand and the entire Siakar Expanse is rather cosmopolitan in terms of species makeup partly due to policies imposed by the Covenant administration. Of the other species operating in proximity to the Sangheili, many of the Zenither or Chikrim Kig-Yar in particular have adopted many Sangheili customs and cultural quirks - something not too uncommon in such environments, as the Kig-Yar tend to be rather adaptive. This is one of many factors that have made the Kig-Yar's gradually increasing presence more tolerable to the Sangheili over the past few centuries.

The Sangheili clans of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand are best known for their artisans and builders, and the architectural marvels of the region have been well-documented for over a thousand years by travelers. The cuisine of clans Zamam, Achla-Vernam and Oskinam is likewise renowned among Sangheili across the Siakar Expanse and beyond, and clan Jaren as well as their lesser lords produce many arts and crafts besides their manufacture of war harnesses. The poets, writers and philosophers of House Vernam and the greater Zenith Lordship have worn fame since their oldest families migrated into the Siakar Expanse, over a millennium ago, from the earlier colonies of Jakat'haar and Ishebannai in the Qerkossian Shore of the Covenant's middle rim. Zenith's nature as a world of scholars and thinkers, combined with its location at a crossroads of activity and thus many varied influences, have all contributed to making it a forward-thinking world by Sangheili standards. The Great Library in Terpen's Ruunril Spire is one of the most extensive collections of ancient texts within the Siakar Expanse, and since the Schism, many databanks rescued from High Charity by dedicated Loremasters and Deacons have been copied there. For higher learning, Sangheili from Amaranthine Resplendence often seek attendance in the academies of Radiant Zenith, for they are the most renowned in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand, and there is a strong historical bond between the inhabitants of both worlds. The inhabitants of Glorious Proclamation are more traditional than the clans of Zenith and Amaranthine Resplendence, and have a fiercely independent spirit and strong sense of pride thanks to their unique history as the first settlers of the region.

Societal conditions and demographics
The Conflux has abolished the Covenant's formal species-based caste system. The reasons behind which are not merely selfless ones; it is also way to present them as an attractive option to prospective members among the formerly mistreated subject species, as well as to improve their productivity and motivation. That said, exact conditions and attitudes vary by individual and sub-group, and tensions obviously remain to varying degrees. Functionally, many of the roles the different species assume in the Conflux also tend to correspond to their roles in the Covenant era (e.g. Unggoy and Yanme'e still comprise most of the manual labor force), if only out of convenience and lack of time for a larger social upheaval to take effect. Despite the often less-than-perfect implementation of the group's rather noble ethos (there is some variety in policies among the group's political subdivisions), the former "lesser" species still have more of a chance of having their voices heard or rising through the ranks than in the Covenant.

The most prominent species in the CMC are Sangheili, Kig-Yar, Unggoy, and Yanme'e. A substantial number of Yanme'e and Lekgolo serve in various specialist or laborer roles on the worlds of the Strand - such as technological enterprises, mining and industry - but their true numbers at Kiin Djetjom and Kiett'abannot are impossible to gauge. The Yanme'e's engineering expertise has come in particularly useful, as the Conflux has relatively few Huragok compared to factions with larger war-fleets, though more have since been bred by the CMC's base population and as part of deals with neighboring polities. A number of Jiralhanae exist within the Conflux's sphere, but they were never significant enough on the other worlds to comprise a major demographic, their fairly recent incorporation to the Covenant not yet having taken effect in the region. A small number of San'Shyuum have been granted amnesty, most of them civilians of low political status ignorant of the high-level scheming in their species' political structure. By and large, a strong resentment of Brutes and Prophets is still prevalent especially among the Sangheili inhabitants, and there have been continued incidents involving the Jiralhanae in the area.

The official line of the Conclave speaks of the Human-Covenant War as "the Great Atrocity", and the majority within the Conflux condemn the war as a needless and costly folly instigated by the Hierarchs' treacherous regime. However, most of the core Conflux population's views toward humans could be described as politely indifferent, as humans are of little relevance to their daily lives. Perhaps the Conflux's most visible human contact are their periodic patrols in the Hades Gulf as well as a handful of joint training exercises with the UNSC.

The Conflux's rather integrated arose out of circumstance. The Kig-Yar in the region had generations-long business deals and other arrangements with the local Sangheili clans, along with a permanent nestworld in local space with protection provided by the Sangheili; many also occupy lesser positions in the Sangheili-run business concerns and guilds. The Yanme'e were likewise integrated to the region's society by generations-long bonds. Most Unggoy in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand live as worker-subjects on the Sangheili worlds or their off-world facilities, while Yibyip's trading enterprise at Haar Nappar is hardly Unggoy-exclusive. Few Unggoy of lower stature, even those with the means or permission to leave, have taken up the offer due to having secure jobs where they are and the fact they would face an uncertain future in their species' home regions, particularly given the CMC's relative stability; while many remain little more than indentured servants, they know their masters would still treat them far better than many warlords.

An unfortunate byproduct of the new order is the radicalization of particularly Sangheili youths to various cults and terrorist groups - resulting from a feeling of aimlessness caused by the Conflux's lack of a definite mission or collective faith that is actively exploited by cultist recruiters within the Conflux's underworld.

Views on religion
The Conflux's government is, for a Covenant state, relatively secular. While an increasing number of the population is irreligious or some variation thereof, many within the Chikri-Merkaa Strand have also not forsaken the core idea of the Path, but have accepted differing (usually more worldly) interpretations of the Great Journey, something not uncommon across the former Covenant Empire. While they do not officially concern themselves with matters of faith, the Conclave as well as some of the local governmental bodies actively work to prevent the spread of radical religious ideologies, so that support for fanatics would not take hold and upset the stability of the region; as such, the Conclave's agents actually support the more worldly churches so that believers would not end up enticed into the radical groups - an approach rather similar to that of the Concord proper.

Several religious groups are active on the Conflux worlds, though only a select few are exclusive to the CMC, with some being tied to the greater Mending Communion. Among many believers, it is commonly agreed that although the Sacred Rings may not in truth initiate the Journey, there are other ways into the Divine Beyond; theologians of old speak of the Long Path, where the Halos were the Swift Path to the Journey. Now, various philosophical and mystic sects study the Mysteries of the Journey and how it may be reconciled with the truth of the Halos. Many views once branded as heresies are now being re-examined, such as the notion that the Great Journey may be achieved through lesser Forerunner discoveries, or in more radical cases, even spiritual and moral self-improvement, as stated by the increasingly popular Solipsist philosophy known as the Raah Chïwei ("[The] Path From Within"), originating from the great thinker Qtaan the Far-Dreamer in a particularly enlightened age of the Covenant's classical antiquity, albeit banned as heretical shortly thereafter.

Another rising religious ideology with various social dimensions is the Raahu Achkun ("Doctrine of the Broad Path") - that is, notion that since all sentient species possess the potential for godhead in the Great Journey, it follows that all species are of equal standing. The Doctrine of the Broad Path was actually part of the Covenant faith in its early days, before more species were found and the subjugation of some species became convenient; the Covenant's Ninth Doctrinal Council decreed that although all believers walk the Path into the Divine Beyond side by side, the hierarchy of creatures of lesser and greater stature is the natural order of things in the mortal plane. Now, the teachings of the Broad Path are preached by the Church of the Broad Path, founded by the former Deacon Ilyil after studying ancient texts in the Great Library of Terpen since a crisis of faith during the Schism drove him to a journey of soul-searching. The Church has even sent missionaries to human settlements the Conflux has dealings with; and although converts remain few, they do exist. As well, the religious views of some members of the Conflux have already started to syncretize with human religions in their Joint-Occupation Zone holdings and trading outposts.

An increasingly popular view shared by many casual believers is the universalist Chiah Haqu'un (directly translated as "Branching Tree Plurality", or more freely styled as the "Way of the Branching Tree"), stating that all forms of belief in the Path are merely different facets of a universal Truth, and thus one need not concern themselves with details of doctrine. The Cult of the Master Builder remains quite strong among the craftsmen, builders and artisans of Amaranthine Resplendence, and even many of those who publicly denounce the Forerunners' divinity continue to make offerings to their profession's patron god in private. Other fringe sects include the group known as the Punished (not to be confused with the Banished) who actually worship humans as reincarnations of the Forerunners and views the Covenant's fall and the Great Schism as divine punishment for their crimes against the Reclaimers, though the Punished do not enjoy any noteworthy level of popularity. Sacred Ring cults do still exist as well, but not above street level.

There is also widespread aspostasy, which has caused some tension and even conflict between religious and abdicationist groups. Hatred of the treacherous Covenant administration in the 9th Age of Reclamation remains strong, and many within the Conflux go so far as to label the entire Covenant faith as tainted and false.

Territorial extent
The Conflux's territorial holdings are fairly modest by ex-Covenant standards. They mainly operate in the Chikri-Merkaa Strand, a collection of systems in the Siakar Expanse, a region of several hundred stars the Covenant first settled in the the 15th Age of Discovery. Located on average 900 light-years from humanity's furthest-flung Orion-side colonies, the Strand is relatively close to the human sphere. Not all worlds of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand, as historically defined, are part of the Conflux, though the borders of such informal subdivisions of the Old Covenant are hardly set and are ever shifting in the chaos of the Treaty period as allegiances shift and change. As of 2558, the Conflux holds dominion over a total of 17 systems and 23 worlds. Many of the lesser worlds are agricultural and industrial colonies or mining outposts in otherwise uninhabited systems, as well as vassal-colonies of the larger states; the Chikri system itself houses three colonies in addition to Radiant Zenith, and there is significant Kig-Yar activity and lesser settlements across the entire Chikri-Merkaa region.

The Conflux maintains a noteworthy Joint Occupation Zone presence on the newly-founded colony of Far Shore in the Hades Gulf, along with elements of the Jjaibii Shroud Nexus. The Jaa'ata Tradebrood, based out of Skar-idir, maintains an outpost on the Pleiades Corridor node Amethyst Skies, and the Conflux has an agreement with the UNSC to operate their ships out of Nouveau Montreal's docks. Trade agreements also exist with various human colonies in the Perseus side of the human sphere as well as the Cygnus Verge.

Economy and industry
For its size, the Conflux has a remarkably robust economy, owing to their extant infrastructure and corporate presence. Most of the major worlds' exports are works of art, various luxury items, as well as renowned builders, architects and engineers from Radiant Zenith and Amaranthine Resplendence. Battle-harnesses manufactured by Jaren Armories are exported outside the Chikri-Merkaa Strand, though not in major volumes, though they are in talks with nearby polities to begin larger-scale production. Overall, they have access to most aspects of the Covenant's technological base such as it existed on a local level, though they lack shipyards capable of constructing large capital ships, and can barely service the ones they have. They control one Sar'wibaan-type fuel refinery - old and low-capacity by modern standards, but enough to supply their needs for now alongside several lesser fuel stations.

Notable corporate or economic entities include the Chikri Explorer Guild, a former Ministry of Tranquility sub-contractor in artifact acquisition; Norsam Mercantile, a Sangheili familial merchant consortium operating from Amaranthine Resplendence with contacts all the way to the Sangheili Mid and Inner expansion rims; the Zamran Builder Guild, based out of Amaranthine Resplendence; the Zhag Banking Alliance, a Kig-Yar-run effort that has largely handled the heavy lifting in creating the economic and financial foundations for the Conflux - in no small part to their own benefit; and the Jaa'ata Tradebrood, a Kig-Yar trading concern. The Haar Nappar Freehold is home to Yibyip's impressive bazaar and trade fleet, who have managed to procure numerous items since the Covenant's fall - though the focus of Yibyip's trade has historically been on luxury goods, foodstuffs such as spices and other civilian items, he has shifted some of his focus to acquiring more military materiel at the urging of the Conclave. Dozens of lesser markets exist within Haar Nappar with items from all across the former Covenant Empire and beyond.

Foreign relations
In the larger scheme of post-Covenant political alignments, the Conflux is a sub-entity of the Concord, or more specifically one of several dozen semi-involved allies known as the Outer Vigil. The CMC may, in time, become increasingly assimilated into the Concord proper depending on the progression of the Blooding Years. The Arbiter has yet to visit the Conflux in person, for he is very busy with other matters; while returning from Earth to Sanghelios in early 2553, the Shadow of Intent did stop at the nearby Golden Worlds, but the Arbiter and Rtas 'Vadum did not stay long within the Siakar Expanse. The CMC's alliance with the Concord was formally ratified in mid-2555, when the Arbiter's envoy and nephew Trass 'Vadam accompanied the major Kaidons of the worlds of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand on a hunt in the forests of Glorious Proclamation, and received a specially-made Jaren battle-harness as a gift.

The CMC's foreign policy can be summed up as "cautiously expansionist", and despite their alliance with the Arbiter, they avoid involving themselves with larger civil wars wherever they can. While they try to build connections with other ex-Covenant colonial polities, their main interests lie in regions with less established interstellar governments where they may expand their own sphere of governance, and have successfully done so in two contested systems. They place a great emphasis on their public image and information warfare to polish their reputation in the eyes of ex-Covenant and humans alike. As they have gained power and reputation, they have grown bolder and are not above military intervention against more aggressive factions if it benefits them significantly, but they tend to weigh in the populace's perception of the previous government; they prefer to be seen as liberators rather than conquerors. Case in point, the Sons of Heaven, a military junta that had been harassing the Conflux's trade convoys was recently overthrown in the nearby Iar-Djebuus system and replaced with a Conflux-aligned interim government welcomed by most locals.

Favorable diplomatic relations and trade deals are upheld to a handful of comparable polities in the Covenant sphere, notably the Jjaibii Shroud Nexus, the Golden Compact, the Jahkuur Annex Gauntlet and the Tempered Accord, along with roughly a dozen individual colonies; most of these are also Concord members. The Conflux is also part of the larger Siakar-Hezzaggor Trade Pact, encompassing roughly 150 inhabited systems and 14 interstellar post-Covenant polities. Lesser trade deals exist all the way to the Jartuub Salient, the Qleshan Twilight and the Lesser Iabuzen Thicket and groups such as the Apex-Clutch of Hizik, the Skarr Girdle and the New Cohort of the Third Migration. Tenuous non-aggression pacts are upheld with several less reputable factions (notably the Empyrean Dominion, the Eternal Covenant and the Guardians of the Consecrated Chalice).

Of the more "alien" members of the CMC, Hive Queen Kup'Huk-Xiruk has had seemingly peaceful dealings with a handful of other Master Hives, while the Kiett'abannot Gathering appears to be completely isolated from other Lekgolo, as many such Swarmworlds are wont to be. Some pirate ships have been recorded landing on Kiett'abannot, but the ships or their crews have not been heard of since.

As part of their pact with the Concord, they must also adhere to Thel's no-go list and not be found assisting factions at war with the Arbiter or his other allies. The Chikri-Merkaa Strand is also located near the Ikket'hai Cascade, a highly unstable region where more hostile and militant factions have a stronger foothold and chaos reigns. Were the delicate balance of power in that region change, the turbulence of Ikket'hai may expand outward and the Conflux may well be caught in more trouble than it can handle.

The CMC is one of the more active ex-Covenant polities engaged in Joint-Occupation Zone activity, partly due to their relative proximity to the human sphere. Many Conflux-based enterprises appear rather ignorant of (or indifferent to) inter-human politics, however, and frequently ignore UEG trade regulations in their dealings with human colonies despite the CMC formally remaining an ally to the UEG and even partaking in joint operations with the UNSC, including the ANVIL Initiative. They have additionally contributed a number of researchers to the Concord's ongoing joint research efforts with the UEG, along with a number of other allied factions. Ytimmal Signals Enterprise, an emergent technological infrastructure concern operating in the Conflux, has also worked to establish FTL communications to a pair of settlements along the Pleiades Corridor trade route.

Military
The Conflux's military strength is average by the standards of ex-Covenant polities their size. The alliance has a dedicated military force of its own, though a considerable portion of its military strength remains in the hands of its member states, in the form of household guards and colony-specific security forces. The primary element of the Conflux's unified military are the patrol flotillas which police the Chikri-Merkaa Strand and protect Conflux worlds and trade convoys from threat, and at times project force beyond the polity's borders. These forces are largely drawn from the region's preexisting regional garrisons. By 2575, a total of seven legions served within the Conflux military. The Conflux's ground forces are by and large well-organized and decently equipped, with a standardized training regimen established in the years since the war, but their fleet elements remain lacking.

Besides the alliance's common military, most of the member states field some form of militias of their own. Like the Covenant, the CMC does not distinguish between military branches the way most human polities do, and on some occasions the difference between civilian and military organizations is not fully clear especially in regards to the Sangheili.

The Conflux maintains a relatively small expeditionary fighting force and special tasks unit known as the Foremost Legion, to which only the most elite are chosen. Foremost Legion teams are small, flexible in terms of species and role makeup and are often formed on an ad hoc basis. They represent the tip of the spear of the Conflux's warfighting capability and are equipped accordingly.

Beyond what is necessary for their colonial defense corps training, the Conflux possesses little preexisting high-level training infrastructure such as war colleges; the development of such is still under way under the leadership of Sangheili and select Kig-Yar veterans. High-level officer training is provided in an arrangement with the war-academies of the Shikran Moons in the neighboring Golden Compact and some warriors have even studied in institutions further toward the Sunlit Worlds.

The overall commander of the Conflux's military forces is Supreme Commander (formerly Fleet Master) Skhora 'Huozinam, who served in the early to middle years of the Human-Covenant War. Their garrison legions are led by General Kora 'Zamam, who merely resumed his old post, having been in charge of the Covenant's local garrisons for decades. The Foremost Legion is led by veteran Skirmisher Commando Zhik Shin.

Aesthetics
The Conflux's symbol and banner are a variation upon the original emblem of the Chikri-Merkaa Trade League, itself styled after a variation of the Har Tanqi school of Covenant calligraphy, which is predominant in the Chikri-Merkaa region and remains popular in other aspects of their heraldry as well. Stylistically, their aesthetics have changed little since the Covenant. Most of the Conflux's artisans favor elegant, minimalist and smooth forms, although they also introduce more sharp angles and lines for contrast than the Covenant mainstream. In comparison to the Covenant, the Conflux also uses more varied color schemes and apply more decoration on their vehicles and structures.

The Conflux's signature colors are the light steel blue, blue-turquoise and a darker blue-purple of the old Chikri-Merkaa Trade League. Gold and silver are used in decorative elements as well as to indicate rank or status as in the Covenant, but are rarely used as a primary armor color, and grays, blue-grays and purple-grays are quite common in architecture. Their primary colors are typically light, opalescent pastel hues of purple, green and blue favored by the artisans and builders of the Chikri-Merkaa Strand. Conflux vessels of war use light blue and purple exterior lighting.

A gamut of blues and greens is used to indicate rank in the ground forces; vehicles and other equipment are usually some variety of turquoise or light blue with parts adorned in purples and pinks. Ground troops from the clans of Amarathine Resplendence often choose to represent the color of their homeworld (literally, in their case), a radiant burgundy red, alongside the mainstream Conflux colors; their ships, such as the CCS-class cruiser Amaranthine, also bear markings of that color. Meanwhile, the primary world-color of Glorious Proclamation is an emerald green, though the local Sangheili mostly use it in civilian applications. The colors of Radiant Zenith are ice blue and pink, which are often represented in Conflux equipment.