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The Shadows - Part 1: The Unknowns
Posted By: Glenny<CalKid07@aol.com>
Date: 4 September 2002, 5:01 am


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Several years after the Spartans received their radical body alterations, the Navy Intelligence began to work on a new type of soldier raised from their early days. These new soldiers were trained for strictly covert operations, and nothing but them. The chemicals used to enhance the Spartans were altered, and were used on these new soldiers. The new chemicals focused mainly on senses: Enhancing their hearing, sight, touch, and smell. They were also enhanced in speed and agility. These enhancements were far better than the Spartan's, but only because the Spartans were enhanced in a more well-rounded way. But these enhancements enabled these new soldiers to sneak aboard enemy ships and exit without the enemy even knowing. They are the number 1 resource for the Navy Intelligence. But their knowing was strictly classified: Only the ones at the top of the Navy Intelligence even knew of their existence, excluding their trainers and such (who were strictly on a Need-to-Know basis) . Nobody knows of their existence, but they do very well exist. But to those who know them, they are known by nothing other than the Shadows.

These Shadows were taken from their childhood at the early age of 4. The chemicals were placed in them at a very early age so that the body enhancements would also grow stronger as they grew older. The program started with about 100 children, but by the age of ten only 20 were still in the condition required for the purpose of the Shadows. These children were also identified with a first name and number, like the Spartans. Among the last 20 were five that stood out the most: Castor-88, Josh-23, Mike-53, Willie-32, and Cameron-78. Each were strong in certain areas: Cameron could pilot/drive any vehicle you gave him, Willie was probably the fastest son of a gun alive, Mike had extremely excellent shot with pistols and sniper rifles, Josh was just plain out crazy (in a courageous, controlled manner) with anything he could get his hands on, and Castor was probably the best at sneaking around. The 20 Shadows were split into four different squads of five, and luckily these five recruits were in the same squad. At the age of 15, these top five recruits were assigned their first task: To assassinate a rebel leader known as General Harold Givens, who was revealed by Colonel Robert Watts.

The General's ship was located within the asteroid belt that Colonel Watts was captured. The Shadows took a stealth transport in and connected to the ship's hull. After applying the equipment needed to board the ship (jet packs and a breathing system) they glided along the ship's hull until they found a vent for the ship's waste. They made their way through the vent and came up inside the ship's facility for the waste. Before revealing themselves, they hacked in and set the room's camera to replay a smooth video previously recorded. They all changed their attire (into the type of stealth suits that made them look like ninja) and headed out. The five Shadows silently moved through the vent system until they located the General's quarters. The General was sleeping, with guards outside his bedroom. The Shadows used a silent laser and slipped off the vent cover in his room. Castor dropped into the room without making a sound, while the others watched the guards from a vent opening directly above the bedroom door outside the room. Making sure to stay out of the camera's view, Castor pulled out his knife, and prepared to make the kill quickly.

From the vent, the four saw about ten guards walking into the main suite with another high ranking officer...it looked like another Colonel. Cameron quickly set the cameras in the whole suite to replay footage, making it seem like nothing was happening. Josh smiled and said, "I think a General and a Colonel would be much better." "I'm with you," replied Cameron. Mike whispered down to Castor the situation, and Castor slipped under the General's bed.

The guards and the Colonel entered the bedroom, closing the door behind them. With the door closed, the four other Shadows dropped into the living room outside the bedroom. They readied their weapons and laid out their plan...from inside the room the Colonel woke the General and spoke to him about business and such. Suddenly the doors swung open. The guards pulled their weapons and looked, but nobody was there. One guard was sent to check it out, and as he stepped through the door...he was hooked by a rope and pulled off his feet. Josh had hooked him from the vent and tied the rope to one of the supports within the vent. The guard hung their, dying. Two more guards ran forward, and as they stepped through the door they were met by two hits to the heads from butt-ends of two assault rifles. The seven other guards charged the door, just as Josh swung down from the vent. Josh collides with the group of guards, knocking them all of their feet and tumbling to the ground. The three other Shadows hurried in and began eliminating the fallen guards with their silenced weapons. The Colonel (standing next to the bed) pulled his pistol, but before he could shoot his feet were pulled out from underneath him. He hit the ground hard, and he looked under the bed...seeing the one who pulled him down. As he aimed his gun again at Castor, Josh came over and kicked the gun from his hands. Josh pulled the Colonel up and began giving him repeated punches across the face. The Colonel struck Josh back once, but it was his last. Josh pulled two knives and began slicing at the Colonel's arms and legs, allowing him to suffer. As the Colonel fell to his knees, he took one more slice and slit his throat. Castor rolled out from under the bed and stood. The General still lay in his bed, scared to death.

The General asked, "Are you with UNSC?" Castor approached his bed, raised his silenced pistol to the General's head, and simply replied, "We are unknowns." He took a single shot, killing the General on the spot...

The team pulled out the way they came, undetected to everyone outside the suite. Hours later someone would walk in the suite, and find 12 dead bodies not knowing how and when.

And the Shadows pulled away in their shuttle smiling, knowing this was only the first of many.





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