CARMINE SHADOW (TPF)

CARMINE SHADOW is a Special Missions Program headed by the Office of Naval Intelligence, Section Four in 2565. Stood up by Captain Carina Steinbacher, a respected Intelligence Officer from Naval Special Weapons, she created an umbrella organization to house sensitive intelligence operations on strategic issues throughout Humanity's reach. 
CARMINE SHADOW was established as a Pilot Program to develop UNSC-backed stay-behind-networks on at-risk colonies to maintain situational awareness and a trusted source of information flow. After the success of the Pilot Program, CARMINE SHADOW grew to develop networks around sensitive areas such as the Joint Occupation Zones and Pale Zones.
CARMINE SHADOW emerged as a crucial key to Section Four's expansion into the surveying and observing of strategic threats to the UNSC. The SMP helped establish Section Four's credibility to run long-term intelligence programs and develop new findings outside of ONI Section One's reach. Their methods of developing organic networks enabled the program to become a strategic tool for the Section Chief to lean on. As of 2574, CARMINE SHADOW remains active within Section Four and collaborates with other intelligence units for mission requirements.
==Notable Sub-Programs==
===Counter-Extremist Pursuit Program===
Under the Operations Cell, the CEPP is a robust intelligence collection network to monitor extremist groups on designated colonies. Networks monitor organizations such as the and . The CEPP is focused exclusively on human-only extremist groups to help with focus on specific threats.
===NITRO ECHELON===
NITRO ECHELON is the codename for supporting the Frontier Coalition's Frontier Territorial Security Wing (FTSW), the primary security and military arm of the coalition. Section Four directed assigned personnel to conduct joint training, intelligence, and missions with the FTSW. Embedded as UNSC Foreign Area Research and Analysis Teams, intelligence and special warfare personnel conducted clandestine and covert military actions to support the defense and legitimacy of the Frontier Coalition.
===Xeno-Material Exploitation Program===
Under a Cell, the XMEP is a sub-program of CARMINE SHADOW to identify, recover, and transport technologies, materiel, and unknown objects to study. XMEP is noted for being tapped into the black market on where they monitor and flag shipments of interest.