: I haven't read it yet, but how in the world is that possible for a grunt to
: give orders to an elite? From everything we've been led to believe, and
: what seems to be apparent is, the grunts are incapable of intelligence on
: the level of an elite warrior. That's not a knock against grunts, just
: what I thought was the apparent genetic facts. Is this grunt the Einstein
: of its kind, or how in the world does this even work?

Just two centuries ago, it was claimed that non-whites were too stupid to hold real jobs or run for office, using BS science about "skull shape" or "then why isn't Africa a superpower". The real reason is because the oppressed were being denied the same education as the privileged, and so said privileged made up such excuses so they wouldn't have to do anything about it. Liking cutting a guy's arm off and then claiming he was born that way.

I assume it's the same with the Covenant and their caste system. The Grunts seem stupid because they've been rushed through boot camp and treated like slaves while the Elites train for years and are given top of the line weapons and energy shields. Though in a way, you might not be wrong that Skolt is "the Einstein of his kind". To get this far against oppression to the point that the Elites revere him, he must have been very hyper-competent to succeed with all the odds against him. The guy wrestled a Spartan; that ain't ordinary.