Silver Division

While not technically criminal, the Silver Division and Achroma do operate illegally, and are feared by O-Positives who want to blend into society. They've been known to partner with true criminal organizations, such as fighting rings and extraction plants, to obtain more information on the Oratic threat, but usually demolish those criminal organizations when they're done with them. Not to mention, their methods of obtaining recruits are criminal in their own rights.

Structure

EARLY EDUCATION

The modern Silver Soldiers are made up of abandoned kids who were taken in by Achroma to be raised as elite fighters. Usually taken from adoption agencies or off the streets if they are homeless or abandoned, kids in the Silver Initiative, the early education phase of for recruits, are educated and trained in the Achroma Complex instead of attending school. This makes them easy candidates for brainwashing, and by the end of their early Silver Education a majority of them are already on board with Achroma's anti-O agenda.

When entering the Silver Initiative, children are given call signs that replace their original names. These call signs are anything but unique, so several Silver Soldiers can have the same call sign with the only difference being their rank and ID/serial code. A majority of call signs are just noun examples of which include Baker, Birdcage, Rooster, and Rhubarb. This is used as a way to deindividualize the recruits and make them more open to brainwashing. By the end of the early education period, it isn't uncommon for Silver Soldiers to not remember their original names. In some cases, they may simply be referred to by their serial code instead of their call sign. They also lose their birthdays and cannot celebrate them. The Silver Soldiers are about as close to a hivemind as you can get without a true mental connection.

Most Silver Soldiers were either abandoned by a family that didn't love them or orphaned by a family the died, leaving them with no one to go back to outside of the Achroma. As a result, many of them come into the Silver Division with a lack of self-worth or identity. During the Early Education phase, recruits are taught that all Silver Soldiers respect each other and that they can fit right in if they just follow the rules. Being in the Silver Division gives them a sense of belonging and older ones tend to bond with their squads over a long period of time.

In rare cases, a Silver Soldier may still have living or close family. These Soldiers a forbidden from seeing or speaking with their family. If they are caught attempting to contact or interact with their family, they will be punished and/or threatened.

RANKS

Tiers are identified by the symbol on their mask and the chest of their jackets. While they use the same titles as the army, they don't necessarily mean the same thing. When they mean similar things, like the number of units they can control, it is usually on a much smaller scale for Silver Soldiers because of the initial size of their division. The titles are not always active and instead suggest their authority when it matters. A Silver Soldier Captain may not take the role of Captain every time they go on a mission. Instead, they may act as Infantry to another Captain. It is rare to refer to a Silver Soldier by their rank.

Standard Ranks

The following ranks are not only the most used ranks, but also the most likely any Silver Soldier will ever reach.

Rank One: Cadet

• Cadets are trainees. The age of Cadets usually ranges from five to ten, but they can rank up whenever they reach the appropriate skill level regardless of age. Some Cadets may be older depending on when they joined the Silver Division, but they are mostly children who are adopted into the program. They are not allowed to on missions or to leave the complex. Advancing ranks requires that the Cadet is trusted not to run away. Any other ranked soldier that is currently under penalty and grounded will wear a Cadet insignia to identify their inability to leave or participate in missions. Cadets are also not permitted to take Silver until ranking up.

Rank Two: Infantry

• A Silver Soldier upgrades to Infantry when they have shown the necessary skill to combat and contain O-Positives and that they can be trusted outside the complex without running away or giving away the truth of the Silver Soldiers. Infantrymen are sent out in groups, usually consisting of about five or six soldiers and a higher-ranking soldiers leading them. That leader decides what roles each Infantryman will take for that particular mission, of which there are several that may or may not always be needed. The purpose of the different roles is to keep certain solders focused on a single task instead of overwhelming them with accomplishing multiple tasks at the same time as the rest of the group. Roles are designed so that the entire team is working together and not getting in the way of others. There are also a variety of branches Silver Soldiers in the Infantry can decide to go down, including but not limited to Medical, Arms Specialization, Specialized Containment, and Espionage. There is also a minor Air Force branch with mostly remains inactive due to the secrecy of the Silver Soldiers, but is on alert if an emergency occurs and Achroma must become public. This is also when they start taking Silver. From this point onward, an Infantryman can expect to always, in some regard, play the role of Infantryman. There's a saying in the Silver Division: Once Infantry, Always Infantry. This is where the main difference between the Silver Soldiers and the U.S. Army becomes distinct.
  • INFANTRY ROLES:
    Director: Usually the role of the highest ranking member of a group. Silver Soldiers who do not have an additional rank above infantry cannot be the Director of any given mission. There is always a Director.
    
    Flanker: Pure combat. Flanker roles can be held by any member of a group and there may be more than one. Not always needed, but good to have available. Flankers chase down the target, ready to attack, but mostly trying to back them into a corner.
    
    Decoy: The Decoy role is helpful, but not always required. They are the good cop to the Flanker's bad cop. They can either ease the target into going with them, or, in the case of a volatile O-Positive, act as a target while another group member attacks from behind.
    
    Lookout: The Lookout is essential to any good mission. A role that can be performed by any rank apart from Cadet, the purpose of a Lookout is warn the rest of the team if they are in danger of being spotted. It is preferred that the Lookout role is given to a higher ranked member of the group who can be trusted to focus on the task. There may be one or two Lookouts, one to scout the perimeter and another to make sure the conflict isn't getting too out of hand. While anyone can call for backup, it's usually expected that the Lookout will.
    
    Capture: Often referred to as "Dogcatchers" or "Getaways", the Capturer is expected to either wait in the armored car prepared for when the rest of the group will bring in the O-Positive or act as additional Flankers by assisting in wearing down the target in an attempt to drape them in an electrified net to be carted off. Capture may also double as Medical in some cases. In the event of an minor outbreak, Capturers may need to be from a special branch of containment training.
    
    Sniper: The Sniper is not always required and may overlap with Lookout. Snipers are usually saved for high stakes missions and tend to be taken from a special branch of arms training.
    
    Spy: Different from Decoy, Spies are used for the purposed of infiltration and gathering information. They must come from a special branch of espionage training.
    
    Medical: Medical is a role performed by higher ranking Silver Solders in a special branch of medical training.
    
    Cleanup: Cleanup can either be a whole other group coming in post-conflict to cleanup after the previous, the same group cleaning up after themselves, or certain members of the same group cleaning up after the whole group. While not necessarily a role, it does act as a type disciplinary training. This is a role which only Infantry level Silver Soldiers and Cadets, as a trust exercise, nearing the very end of their training will perform.
    
    Patrol: Patrol isn't a role that exists separately within a team setting. Patrol is a state that whole team participates in where a squad isn't currently hunting for a target but on the lookout for anyone who might come off as O-Positive.

Rank Three: Lieutenant

• A Lieutenant may control a single squad of Infantrymen. This rank is only reached by Infantrymen who've proven themselves to be efficient leaders of small groups in training exercises.

Rank Four: Captain

• A Captain can control double-squads, which are ten-twelve soldiers as opposed to five-six, or two separate squads. This rank can only be achieved when a lieutenant has shown the proper skill to command more than a handful of people in training exercises.

Rank Five: Major

• Prior to becoming a Major, Silver Soldiers are not allowed to train other Silver Soldiers. Majors are allowed to just that in addition to controlling double-squads, just as the last rank was able to. Majors can also direct specific missions of their own design with the permission of higher up, designing their own single or double-squad consisting of hand-picked soldiers of lower ranks. Majors are the moms of the standard ranks and are usually the ones lowers ranks go to when they have a complaint or problem pertaining to other soldiers, their living situation, or the Division in general. They are expected to pass on the complaints to higher ranks.

Emergency Ranks

The following ranks are used in the case of emergencies, such as outbreaks, uprisings, or situations that require large numbers of soldiers. They are also given seats in tactical meetings and discussions on the well-being of the Silver Soldiers, methods of training, and the future of the Division. When their tactical and commanding skills are not necessarily, they act as infantry with the main thing that differentiates them from the standard ranks is their ability to participate in those meetings as representatives. There are few Silver Soldiers who actually hold these ranks and those who do were hand-picked, trained extensively, and tested.

Rank Six: Lieutenant Colonel

• A Lieutenant Colonel is capable of controlling a couple hundred Silver Soldiers, roughly the size of a single section of the Infantry, in the case of an emergency. That aside, they have all the qualities of a Major as well as the ability to speak in meetings, though their voice means the least out of all the other speaker ranks. They represent sections of the Infantry which consist of a handful of squads each, which don't discriminate between special branches and standard Infantry.

Rank Seven: Colonel

• A Colonel can control a minor branch, like Nonspecialized Infantry, of the infantry, which contains two sections of the Infantry. They also represent whole minor branches in meetings.

Rank Eight: A Brigadier General

• A Brigadier General can control a major branch of the infantry, which contains three sections of the Infantry, and represents whole major branches, like Espionage and Specialized Containment, in meetings.

Rank Nine: Major General

• The Major General can command and represent the entire Silver Division.

Rank Ten: Lieutenant General

• The Lieutenant General can act outside the base infantry and command external Silver Soldiers of other bases as well with the permission of the Commanding Generals of both their home base and the base which they're requesting squads from. They represent Silver Divisions from other, smaller bases in meeting as a point of comparison.

Special Ranks

Rank Eleven: General

• The General is the right hand man of the Commanding General, or head of the Silver Division. They act as a mediator in meetings and tend to talk directly with the CG. The General, of which there is only ever one, is chosen by the Commanding General based on trust and skill level, usually ranking up from Lieutenant General, but not always.

Rank Twelve: Commanding General

• Regular Silver Soldiers will never achieve this rank, which is held by the head of the Silver Division. This head is allowed to select the next Commanding General. This rank can overrule any tactical decisions made by lower ranks.

Public Agenda

The Silver Soldiers don't really have an agenda of their own and instead act out that of Achroma: get O-Positives off the street and into containment where no one can get hurt.

Assets

Silver Soldiers have access to a variety of weapons and accessories to aid them in their missions. They are capable of using automatic weaponry, melee weaponry, explosives, projectiles, and chemicals so long as they are trained in that form of combat. They're provided vehicles to drive and to collect O-Positives in the back, and equipment to keep the secure.

Most importantly is their access to Silver Compound, a chemical configuration that, when injected into the bloodstream, has the temporary effect of turning that person into a super soldier. Named after it's tendency to turn the eyes silver while under its effects, Silver Compound is only available to Silver Soldiers, hence their name. A side effect of Silver Compound is that it shortens the lifespan of the Silver Soldiers, which is one reason why they have so many. Every time they use it, they're knocking a couple years off of their life. They are not aware of this and Achroma has no intention of telling them. The current estimated lifespan for a Silver Soldier taking Silver Compound twice a week is 30-35 years.

Silver Soldiers are paid with a virtual currency for completing missions and capturing O-Positives. The amount they are paid is based on their rank, the role they took on during the mission, and the success of the mission. Within the Complex, money is almost exclusively spent virtually, but Soldiers can withdraw money when going out and deposit money when they come back. Leaving the Achroma Complex requires that the Silver Soldier be any rank above Cadet, not currently under penalty, and not currently be due for a mission, training exercise, or test. They must also input where they are going and how long they can expect to be gone so that they can be tracked and receive warnings if they are close to or passed the time they said they'd be back. Failing to abide by the warnings will result in penalty.

They possess motion-tracking chips in the palms of their hands.

Rules and Regulations

• Silver Soldiers must not give their call signs to "Outsiders".
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught giving their call sign to a civilian or in any way jeopardized the secrecy of Achroma and the Silver Division, they will be stripped of their call sign and given a new one, ranked down, and put under temporary penalty.

• Silver Soldiers must not give their original names to other Silver Soldiers or Outsiders.
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught giving their old name to others, they will be put under penalty and undergo the Early Education process again.

• Silver Soldiers must not socialize with Outsiders, befriend Outsiders, or romance Outsiders.
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught with a civilian, they will be put under temporary penalty and have their right to the leave the facility when they want revoked for and indefinite amount of time. The Outsider they'd been in contact with may suspiciously disappear.

• Silver Soldiers must not attempt to contact or visit their family.
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught attempting to get into contact or meet with their family, should they still have one, they will be put under penalty and their remaining family may disappear. They will also undergo the Early Education process again.

• Silver Soldiers must not Socialize with O-Positives, befriend O-Positives, or romance O-Positives.
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught in the presence of an O-Positive for personal reasons, they will be put under penalty: indefinitely banned from leaving the facility, scrutinized by their peers, and physically punished by instructors. Though this is not a frequent occurrence, a common insult used to describe these Silver Soldiers is "O-Fucker". They may also receive a "public" punishment taking place in an auditorium where they would be used as a demonstration as to what happens to Silver Soldiers who form relationships with O-Positives. This punishment is usually physical and painful.

• Silver Soldiers must bring books or technology from the outside world into the compound.
  • If a Silver Soldier is caught with books or technology from outside the compound, everything will be confiscated and they will need to undergo Early Education again. If a Silver Soldier has been compromised by the material be put in isolation and/or threatened and blackmailed to work for Achroma. This is because Silver Soldiers are not educated in genocide, discrimination, prejudice, and proper history, including WWII.

History

When starting Achroma back in the 1970s Lloyd Duan's initial concept for the Silver Soldiers was to have a team of elite fighters who were prepared to take down any O-Positive that crossed the line. After an incident left hundreds of people dead, he reconfigured the Silver Soldiers to function as containment. They were all volunteers, some ex-military officers and other anti-Os looking for something to do. Original called the Soldiers, Silver wasn't added to the name until the development of Silver Compound in the 1980s. Their name is also a reference to the historical application of silver as a method of warding off evil.

The modern incarnation of the Silver Soldiers began development post 1974 when it was decided that Achroma needed to keep it's activity covert. They couldn't just put out ads asking for people to join a top-secret anti-O agenda, so they did something a little more sinister. Achroma turned to adoption agencies and searched the streets for orphaned or abandoned children to take in and raise as Silver Soldiers. This would remain the standard method for recruiting Silver Soldiers for the next forty+ years.

The current head of the Silver Division, otherwise known as the Commanding General, considers the Rainbow Division, a brand new division consisting of five O-Positives undergoing a trial period, to be against the Achroma agenda and has set up a small task force of trusted and highly skilled Silver Soldiers to find a way to dismantle it. This task force is made up of Birdseye, Arrow, Saturn, Storm, Hound, and Rabbit, who is of the lowest rank of them all. The Commanding General made it a competition: the first one to succeed will be awarded the General rank.

Show spoiler

Rabbit is a Captain ranked Silver Soldier with a connection to the Rainbow Division, which is the only reason he was put on the task force. He personally knows Pulse, a member of the Rainbow Division, and has, by extension, met the rest of the team as his alias, David Coelho.

Show spoiler

Post-outbreak, which occurs in 2019, the Silver Soldiers work publicly. Under Eclipse's command, it is illegal not to report an O-Positive to the Silver Soldiers, who will pick up the person and check everyone in the vicinity for traces of O-Radiation in the blood.

Type

Secret, Military

Alternative Names

Silver Initiative
Silver Soldiers

Training Level

Elite

Parent Organization

Achroma

Location

Achroma Complex

Notable Members

• Dollar

Related Historical Events

• 2018
  The Outbreak