Silent Shadow

"We are the Silent Shadow. Once our charge was varied—assassination, extraction—direct and thorough acts of violence. Our goals, strategic—pointed and precise. Our ends, religious, verging on Godly. Those days are over. Or, at best, on hold. Now we have but one aim… the slaughter of beasts."

- Resa 'Azavayl

The Silent Shadow was a division of special operations Sangheili within the Covenant's Special Operations branch. It was made up of several individual squads. One such squad was led by First Blade Resa 'Azavayl. The Silent Shadow undertook numerous missions during the Covenant War, including assassinations and extractions. During the Great Schism, Resa's squad took it upon themselves to wipe out every Jiralhanae they encountered. However, Atriox was ultimately able to convince the rest of the Silent Shadow to betray 'Azavayl and join the Banished.

Shadow War
"You can sense your end, human. That is good. If it brings you any peace, the whole of your kind will soon follow suit."

- First Blade of Silent Shadow to Jonah At some point prior to December 2552, a unit of the Silent Shadow laid a trap for dual two-person teams of Spartan-III Headhunters. On an unnamed moon, ten Covenant base camps had been fielding crew for a Forerunner artifact dig site. Spartan teams were commissioned with destroying them. Spartans continued to observe the base for the next two days, identifying patrol routes, high-ranking enemies, and important control sites, unaware of a trap prepared for them. On the third day they infiltrated the base, eliminating all hostiles and setting charges around the base. At the moment Spartans let their guard down, cloaked Silent Shadow First Blade impaled one of the Headhunters with energy sword. Then five more Elites appeared and surrounded Jonah. The First Blade suggested Spartan to surrender, informing him that the second Spartan team was already dead. Refusing Jonah decided to fight till the end. He lured Sangheili closer to charges and set the explosives off, killing himself and Elites.

'Azavayl Silenced
"I see you for what you are and what you could be. We can do great things together. Not as master and slaves, but as the warriors you truly are—free to continue your crusade without the shackles of outdated faith."

- Atriox, offering the Silent Shadow a place within the Banished

After the Covenant's betrayal of the Sangheili and the outbreak of the Great Schism, the squad led by First Blade Resa 'Azavayl became dedicated to eliminating all Jiralhanae, as well as any forces under their control, that they encountered. Notably, the Silent Shadow wiped out a Jiralhanae pack in an armory on the fourth moon of Victors' Truth, runaway Jiralhanae forces aboard the stolen Covenant corvette Adherent, "butchers" encamped in a resource enclave in the northern highlands of Thalia, Covenant holdouts aboard a derelict colonial substation in the low orbit of Sansar, and the last remaining members of Chieftain Tartarus' crew aboard the Covenant cruiser Rapid Conversion.

At some point, the Silent Shadow embarked on a mission to eliminate Jiralhanae aboard the Elegy's Lament. Unbeknownst to the Silent Shadow, Elegy's Lament was crewed by the Banished and commanded by the faction's chief, Atriox. Infiltrating the corvette, the Silent Shadow eliminated several Jiralhanae before entering the ship's bridge. Despite being cloaked, the Banished detected the Sangheili's infiltration and Atriox noticed the assassins' arrival when they entered the bridge. Atriox offered the members of the Silent Shadow a place within the Banished, where they would serve as warriors and fight under their own free will. While the other members of the Silent Shadow were greatly tempted by Atriox's offer, 'Azavayl refused, citing that Atriox and the Banished deserved death for their "sins". However, as 'Azavayl moved to attack, he was slain by the rest of the Silent Shadow, who desired to join the Banished. Afterwards, Atriox allowed the remaining members of the Silent Shadow to join the Banished, offering to reward them with "blood and sport and spoils".

Ranking structure
First Blade officer: This was a commanding rank in the Silent Shadow. With them having a red visor instead of a blue one like the other members of the Silent Shadow.

Gallery
 File:Headhunters - Elite concept.png|Concept of the Silent Shadow Sangheili wearing a heavily modified Infiltration harness in Headhunters. File:Roland's Death.jpg|Roland's death at the hands of the First Blade. File:Headhunters - SS doom.png|Silent Shadow faces explosion. File:Resabetrayed.png|Resa 'Azavayl is betrayed by his subordinates. File:lastson.png|The aftermath of the betrayal. 

List of appearances

 * Halo: Evolutions
 * Headhunters
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Hunting Party