Reclusor

Reclusors are an Order of small hazardous-operation spacecraft used by the Covenant.

Characteristics
The Covenant's appointed task of tracking down the remnants of Forerunner and hunting down heretics has occasionally brought them to harsh environments, inaccessible even to their mighty Examiners. Dangerous planetary conditions such as deep oceans, energetic storms from gas giants, and toxic atmospheres can render a foot expedition impossible, and unusual space phenomenon may need to be charted or studied in order to allow for safe passage. In these cases, ordinary dropships and light warships are not up to the task of dealing with these, requiring a specialized breed of spacecraft to be used.

Reclusors are hyper-amphibious spacecraft, able to function in atmospheres and mediums that could damage or destroy any other vessel. They are diverse in terms of form, function, and capability, although most are smaller than Attack Ships in size. Indeed, some use exotic systems that are not used by the rest of Covenant, simply because their regular components cannot function in the hostile environments they fly in.

Though their purpose is usually civil, military models do exist, and these are armed with alternatives to plasma and laser weapons. In Ministry circles, only the Rangers make extensive use of them, although they can be found on vessels belonging to intelligence agencies.