Epsilon Company

"Using spartan threes to trade lives for time? Not a bad idea. But we need soldiers who can make use of that time. We need more spartan twos."-Dr. Kevin Viscas Mclain of ONI section 3

Conception, Creation, and Overview
Certain members of ONI section 3 felt uncomfortable with the transition of focus from the elite SPARTAN IIs to the expendable SPARTAN IIIs. However funding continued to be diverted to the SPARTAN III project, even after the second class of SPARTAN IIs was initiated. Wanting a third class, but unable to recieve the funds for it, these individuals created a secret SPARTAN II class three within the SPARTAN III program. This manifested in the form of Epsilon Company, a group consisting mostly of KAT-2 designated candidates and close KAT-2 genetic matches, totaling 315 candidates; all of whom that survived were allowed to graduate. This group, unlike the other SPARTAN IIIs were specially relocated to, and trained on Reach. Their augmentations were also much more extensive and almost the same as those recieved by the SPARTAN IIs. 37 of these candidates were kidnapped from their homes, the rest, being recruited orphans. They were initiated in August, 2534 and graduated in September, 2548. 257 SPARTANs survived and graduated the program. They were not given the standard spartan three class designations of A(alpha), B(beta), or so on, and instead, had their last name replaced only with serial numbers, starting where the second class of spartan IIs left off. During the Fall of Reach, a vast majority of these Spartans were killed in action with the remaining 47 survivors going missing in action.

History and Service Record
Initiated in 2534 by those who believed more SPARTAN IIs were needed in order to use the time bought by the spartan IIIs, a secret class of spartan IIs was initiated within the spartan III program without the knowledge of colonel James Ackerson. In Febuary 2534, 37 Candidates, all designated as KAT-2, were kidnapped from their homes. These candidates included, Mark Bishop, Lucy Jaeger, Cory O'brien, and Ferdinand Du'Vont. The remaining candidates were taken from shelters as orphans. Out of the candidates, 17 had actualy "fought", or simply fired guns at, covenant troops; 3 of whom, including Mark Bishop, Darren Kobalt, and Ferdinand Du'Vont, already having confirmed kills. Kobalt killing 3 grunts with a hand grenade, Du'Vont killing a jackal with a .22 hunting rifle, and Bishop killing a sangheili minor with a M-45D tactical shotgun. This class however, never stepped foot on Onyx, but instead, was transferred to and trained on Reach. Their serial numbers were also more indicative of SPARTAN IIs as they did not contain an E for Epsilon. 19 of these spartans died during the intense training. In 2548, the graduation year of this class, another 45 were killed or crippled by augmentations; 6 of whom, were revived and re-augmented successfully. Several of these Spartans Joined the Ranks of the Spartan IIs on the front lines. Some were reassigned to UNSC special warfare command to fight in spartan fire teams. Several more were used as elite head hunters. The rest were assigned into a ONI SPECOPS unit codenamed: SIERRA GHOST. This was a collection of 72 Epsilon Spartans assigned into multiple teams to carry out tasks against the covenant and insurrectionists who dared to break the ceasefire. The known teams had call signs of Shadow, Reaper, Scythe, Grim, Titan, Gaia, Hades, Viper, and Arrow. In 2552, all surviving Epsilon Spartan were in the Epsilon Eridani system on Tribute and Reach, with all of whom participated in the defense of the planets. All Epsilon Spartans assigned on Tribute were killed in action. The remainder either died in the defense of Reach, or went missing in action aboard the London Class Frigate, UNSC Pilgrims Heart while trying to escape the doomed system.