Infiltrators Infiltrators were an elite military speciality , part of the Special Forces of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Formed from those beings with a burning hatred for the Galactic Empire , the Infiltrators were the most feared Alliance unit , and the terror of Imperial soldiers throughout the galaxy . Masters of stealth , silent weapons , and hand - to - hand combat , Infiltrators penetrated enemy lines and installations to carry out raids , sabotage , and disruption missions . Organization . The Infiltrators were a military speciality of the Alliance to Restore the Republic ' s Special Forces . The 5th Regiment of a SpecForce division was comprised entirely of Infiltrators . Infiltrators were deployed as SpecForce ' s eyes and ears ; masters of stealth , they were trained to penetrate enemy lines and facilities to sow fear and confusion , conduct sabotage and critical missions , and distract officers to disrupt command and control operations . The most feared of all of SpecForce ' s soldiers , Infiltrators were highly skilled in hand - to - hand and melee combat , and employed slugthrowers and silent weapons to achieve their objectives . They were able to bypass mechanical and organic security systems , and the perfect Infiltrator mission was one that was not detected for several hours after the Infiltrators had exfiltrated . History . During the Galactic Civil War , the Infiltrators were the busiest branch of SpecForce , constantly being assigned to missions , sometimes at the behest of Alliance Intelligence , and sometimes loaned to Intelligence to work under their direction . An Infiltrator team was deployed during Operation Cobolt , a mission to capture an Imperial Scandoc decoding computer from an orbital base over the planet Mantooine . Twenty Infiltrators were inserted onto the station aboard an Imperial supply craft , where they proceeded to disable the base deflector shields , weapons , and communications . A further assault of Marines assault the station to recover the computer and further sabotage the base , and the assault plan called for the Infiltrators to hold their position until relieved , then extract out on the marine assault shuttles . All Infiltrators were listed as missing , presumed dead , during the operation , which was a success . Taskforce Shen was an Infiltrator company based around two Infiltrator platoons , along with a Pathfinder platoon and two squads of Technicians . Major Mart Stevez commanded the company , and their mission profiles included silent raids , ambushes , and striking critical targets . Taskforce Shen was often loaned to Alliance Intelligence to perform extraction missions , usually of data or personnel . Personnel . Infiltrators were drawn from recruits that had joined the Alliance after the Empire had torn their lives apart . Many had lost everything that they held dear ; refusing to give in to the pain , they vowed to destroy the Empire in return . Commitment and combat performance led to their induction into SpecForce , while their personality and hatred for the Empire got them assigned to the Infiltrators . Their skills were honed to peak perfection , and they were masters of stealth operations . Following drop camp , they received advanced training in hand - to - hand combat , melee combat , and the use of slugthrowers and archaic mechanical weapons . One week of their training involved the recruits being sealed in a black hangar and forced to operate entirely without their vision , relying on their other senses . Infiltrators were the terror of Imperial forces ; they were quiet , highly focused , and disciplined . They had little interest in anything that did not hasten the destruction of the Empire , and their only desire was to repeatedly hurt the Empire until it was destroyed . Their methodology earned them the nicknames of " wraiths , " " ghosts , " and " shadows " among their fellow Specs . Major Mart Stevez commanded Taskforce Shen during the Galactic Civil War . A former member of the Atrisian Royal Corps , his family — wife , son , and daughter — was assassinated by the Imperial Ubiqtorate after his father was considered to be " politically unreliable . " Joining the Alliance after neutralizing the assassins sent after him , Stevez assisted in the formation of the first Infiltrator teams . First Lieutenant Vu Nin was an Alderaanian SecForce soldier who requested a SpecForce transfer following the destruction of Alderaan . Although she originally wanted to join the Alderaanian Death Legion , she was assigned to Taskforce Shen instead as they needed Infiltrators following a mission that had ended badly . Vin Northal , a former member of the Emperor ' s Royal Guard , served as a training instructor for the Infiltrators in his spare time . Skills . Infiltrators were experts in the fields of stealth operations , hand - to - hand combat , and silenced weapons . They were trained to use blasters and firearm s such as slugthrowers . They were also proficient in the use of melee weapons , such as vibroknife s . Repulsorlift operation and survival training was drilled into Infiltrators , as well as the skills to defeat security systems , to effectively use demolitions equipment , and to conduct sabotage . Equipment . Infiltrators were generally deployed in the field with minimal equipment . Their main weapons of choice were the blaster pistol or heavy blaster pistol , vibroknife , and garrote , and they also favored Merr - Sonn Intimidator IR - 5s . Silent weapons were the order of the day for Infiltrators , such as silenced slugthrower pistols — such as the Adjudicator — and silenced subsonic sniper rifles . Melee weapons included slicewire , snap baton s , and multi - weapon s . Mechanical weapons were also prevalent in the Infiltrator arsenal , including bolt - thrower s , magna caster s , and vac blades . Fragmentation grenade s , stun grenade s , and detonite rigged with a timer were also carried by Infiltrators . Infiltrators made use of climbing gear for insertions , and had special equipment that allowed them to suspend from ceilings . A surprise attack from above was one of the Infiltrator ' s favorite tactics . Select units were equipped with shadowsuit s , and sensor - baffling No - Show s were deployed when needed . Infiltrators preferred to use jetpacks , such as the Whisper jet pack , for fast movement , and also employed the ShadoWing - 4 para - wing glider when necessary . Infiltrators rarely used comlinks , but when they did , theirs were encrypted .