Intelligence Secretariat

The Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Secretariat (or FCIS) was the command element of the Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Command, an umbrella intelligence agency for Federated Commonwealth, overseeing operations from the Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations and the Department of Military Intelligence from the Federated Suns and the Lyran Intelligence Corps from the Lyran Commonwealth.[1] In addition, the head of the service, the Intelligence Secretary, served as the top intelligence advisor to the heads of state of the Commonwealth.[2]

Overview

In the aftermath of the War of 3039, the intelligence failures experienced by the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth highlighted the need for coordination between the intelligence communities of both states. The leaders of the Federated Commonwealth Alliance initially intended to consolidate their intelligence agencies into a single, combined organization. Facing serious resistance from the establishment of both intelligence communities, the leadership decided instead to form an umbrella agency, allowing them the organization to coordinate while still operating independently. Thus, the FCIC was formed, under the overall command of the Intelligence Secretariat, and answerable only to the rulers of the Federated Commonwealth.[3][4][5][6] In addition to these three more established agencies, the Secretariat also supervised the Military Intelligence Division, the intelligence-gathering branch of what had been the LCAF.[7] During its existence, the Intelligence Secretariat effectively replaced the MIIO Liaison - termed MI7 - within that organization, informing the LIC of MIIO and DMI operations as needed.[8]

Among its many responsibilities, the Secretariat provided the AFFC's Marshal of the Armies with all pertinent intelligence reports, freeing the organizations under its command from the duty.[9] The Secretariat also apparently had Regional Coordinators, one for each of the AFFC Marches.[10]

The FCIC and the Intelligence Secretariat were effectively cut in half with the Lyran secession in 3057, and the agency was finally dissolved at the conclusion of the FedCom Civil War.[11] MI7 of the DMI once again became the liaison department with the DMI, although it had been expanded with former FCIC personnel.[12]

Intelligence Secretary

The chief of the new agency was titled as the Intelligence Secretary, and was effectively the top intelligence advisor to the First Prince and Archon, and later to the Archon-Prince. The first individual to hold this post was Justin Allard, hero of the Fourth Succession War and son of Quintus Allard, who had previously been the head of MIIO and Hanse Davion's intelligence chief until he retired after the War of '39.[13][14][15][16]

After Allard's assassination in January 3052, Alexi Mallory, another war hero who had been Allard's Deputy Secretary, was promoted to take his place. Apparently, Mallory, and by implication Allard, continued to serve as the head of MIIO even while serving as the Intelligence Secretary.[17][18][19]

Mallory retired in 3056, and was succeeded by Jerrard Cranston, who in reality was Galen Cox, Victor Steiner-Davion's aide and confidante.[20] Although he served as Steiner-Davion's top intelligence advisor, Cranston/Cox's status of Intelligence Secretary was apparently not known to the public at-large and other intelligence services, who knew him only as a top aide to Victor. It is implied that even the LIC was not fully aware of Cranston's position.[21][22][23]

There is no record of a replacement Intelligence Secretary for Cranston, though Richard Dehaver of the MIIO served as the top intelligence advisor under Katherine Steiner-Davion.

Other Functions

Most notably, the Intelligence Secretariat apparently included the security personnel assigned to protect the ruling family. It was Intelligence Secretariat agents who handled the protection of Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion when she was assassinated in 3055.[24] This practice continued during the reign of Victor Steiner-Davion.[25] The Secretariat also had the responsibility to monitor the loyalty of military personnel, and had the authority to order transfers to avoid potential problems.[26]

The FCIC (and, by extension, the FCIS) apparently included a number of their own departments altogether separate from the three organizations they oversaw. These included the Office of Science and Technology, whose accomplishments included the development of the Infiltrator Mk. II Battle Armor, which was primarily used for intelligence-gathering missions and reconnaissance work. This was accomplished in cooperation with the New Avalon Institute of Science, using the Star League-era Nighthawk Mk. XXI as the basis. But into production in March 3060, most of the first runs were distributed to the intelligence services. Even by the Word of Blake Jihad, approximately 40 percent of the Infiltrator Mk. IIs remained in service with the DMI and MIIO.[27][28][29]

The Intelligence Secretariat had its own Forensics Division, which was considered highly capable and reliable.[30]

The Secretariat also had a Psych Division, conducting assessments of the Federated Commonwealth's friends and enemies alike, such as in the case of Phelan Kell and Ciro Ramirez in January 3052.[31]

Public relations also appeared to be part of their responsibilities, specifically the concern that Victor Steiner-Davion was seen by the Lyran people as more "Davion" than "Steiner".[32]

The FCIS also investigated criminal dealings within planetary governments, such as in the extreme case of Boss Tybus of Dustball in 3048. The Secretariat intended to find the evidence to prove Tybus' criminal dealings, and then send a detachment of AFFC troops to remove him from power. This was apparently unsuccessful, however, as Tybus was not removed until the Clan Invasion.[33]

The FCIS even went so far as to employ mercenary special forces and freelance intelligence agents for select tasks, such as investigating the rogue Citizens for Davion Purity organization, a separatist movement on Mararn.[34]

Accomplishments

Not long after the Fourth Succession War, the Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Command Network was envisioned to expedite communications across the vast super-state, using the famed Black Box communications devices. The network was maintained by the DMI's MI3 and the Narns of the LIC. The network was scheduled to go on-line shortly before the Lyran secession.[35][36] The fate of this network is unclear, but it may be assumed to have been dissolved thereafter.

In March 3056, the Intelligence Secretariat foiled an attempt to sabotage the newly constructed Federated-Boeing Interstellar WarShip facility at Galax. The attempted explosion might have set back the Commonwealth's WarShip production program by several years. The alleged perpetrator, a contractor with suspected Free Skye leanings, was quietly imprisoned.[37]

One of the FCIS most noted accomplishments remained unknown to the Inner Sphere at large until more than a decade after it occurred. The Forensics Division discovered by chance in late 3057 that Captain-General Thomas Marik had been replaced with an imposter in 3037.[30] This gave Victor Steiner-Davion a political advantage in his further dealings with Marik. Because of the impressive security of the Division, no one else would learn of this discovery outside of Victor's inner circle. The rest of the Inner Sphere would not learn of the duplicity until the Jihad.

Investigation into the assassination of Melissa Steiner-Davion

Arguably the most important investigation undertaken by the Intelligence Secretariat during its existence was the investigation into the murder of Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion. The FCIS undertook this task itself, and with the cooperation of all three agencies, and the assistance of Fuh Teng of Cenotaph Stables on Solaris, Agent Curaltis successfully hunted down and captured the killer, though he was initially unable to present evidence of who hired this assassin.[38][39][40][41][42] Later, it was FCIS agents who assisted the assassin in his operation to eliminate Ryan Steiner, although the assassin would escape afterwards.[43] It would not be until near the end of the FedCom Civil War that Curaltis would obtain enough evidence to convincingly implicate Katherine Steiner-Davion in the death of her mother.

Challenges and Weaknesses

The challenges of the post-Clan Invasion Era pushed the FCIS to its absolute limit, and ultimately proved to be overwhelming. The single largest challenge faced by the Secretariat was the continued presence of interagency rivalries between the three relevant organizations, often with nationalist sentiments. In some cases, it was even alleged that field agents from different agencies had opened fired on each other while conducting operations. As such, the FCIS spent much of its time as a clearinghouse of information, adding another level of separation between the intelligence and the leadership.[44][45]

The leadership of the Commonwealth in the form of Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion was focused on the Clan threat, and the challenge of sending operatives into the Clan Occupation Zones and obtaining the intelligence needed to reclaim those planets and off-set any new offensives was difficult in the extreme. At the same time, the internal threats to the united Federated Commonwealth were unprecedented during this period, as the Free Skye Movement and the Capellan-backed Zhanzheng de Guang were both well-organized and funded, and enjoyed popular support in the Federation of Skye and Sarna March, respectively. Other separatist movements also gained traction.

Arguably the largest single failure for is FCIS was Operation GEMINI, the attempt to replace Joshua Marik, the deceased son of Captain-General Marik, with a double. This effort was exposed by SAFE agent Francesca Jenkins, resulting in the invasion of the Sarna March by Marik and Liao forces.[46]

Insignia

Notes

  • The 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook) makes no mention of the LIC in its description of the Secretariat, naming only the DMI and the MIIO.[2]
  • In many of the sources, the terms Intelligence Secretariat (or FCIS) and Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Command (or FCIC) appear to be used interchangeably.[27][28][29] In addition, the Secretariat is referred to as MI7 in some works.[2]
  • In an apparent oversight, page 91 of the 20 Year Update states that Justin Allard was the Secretary of the Federated Commonwealth Ministry of Intelligence (the FCMI).[47] This is contradicted by multiple sources, and the "FCMI" is not mentioned in any other work.
  • The Office of Science and Technology is mentioned only with respect to the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor, and is not named in any other book.
  • There's virtually no mention of the Intelligence Secretariat or the FCIC after 3060, implying that the organization was already becoming redundant by that time.

References

  1. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 29, "Overview", the Intelligence Secretariat serves as an umbrella agency for the intelligence organizations of both Houses of the Federated Commonwealth
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook), p. 5, "Intelligence Secretariat : Internal Document No. 329/649e", a brief breakdown of the functions of the Intelligence Secretariat
  3. Intelligence Operations Handbook, pp. 35-36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat is formed as a sort of compromise
  4. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 55, "Lines of Command", the FCIC is formed as an umbrella agency
  5. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 69, "The Succession Wars: LIC on the Offensive", the Intelligence Secretariat is formed as an umbrella agency
  6. Historical: War of 3039, p. 134, "Repercussions: The Allies", the Intelligence Secretariat takes over coordination of the FC intelligence agencies
  7. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 20, "Military Intelligence", the Military Intelligence Division was part of the FCIS umbrella prior to the sundering
  8. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 41, "MI7: Intelligence Secretariat", the Secretariat replaces MI7
  9. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 18, "United Realms and the LIC", the FCIS provides intelligence to the Marshal of Armies
  10. 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook), p. 14, "Coded Transmission... page 1 of 11", Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Secretariat - refers to a Tamar March Regional Coordinator
  11. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 55, "Lines of Command", the FCIC is finally dissolved at the conclusion of the FedCom Civil War
  12. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 58, "MI7 - Liaison", former FCIC form the new MI7
  13. 20 Year Update, p. 91, "Major Personalities of 3050: Justin Xiang Allard", Justin Allard replaces his father, Quintus
  14. Lethal Heritage, pp. 34-34, Justin Allard named Intelligence Secretary
  15. Lethal Heritage, p. 37, Justin Allard leads the Intelligence Secretariat
  16. Lethal Heritage, p. 190, Justin Allard named the Secretary of Intelligence
  17. Lost Destiny, pp. 49-55, Alex Mallory takes over for Justin Allard as Intelligence Secretary
  18. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat is led by Alex Mallory
  19. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 46, "Alex Mallory", Mallory is listed as the head of MIIO
  20. Assumption of Risk, pp. 353-360, Alex Mallory plans to retire as Intelligence Secretary, will be replaced by Jerrard Cranston
  21. Bred for War, p. 300, Cranston's title is confirmed as Secretary
  22. Malicious Intent, p. 133, Cranston is named as the Intelligence Secretary
  23. Shattered Sphere, p. 35, "Lieutenant General Jerrard Cranston", Cranston described as an ill-defined "aide"
  24. Natural Selection, pp. 162-163, security personnel are deemed Intelligence Secretariat
  25. Assumption of Risk, pp. 23-24, Intelligence Secretariat operatives guard Victor when he visits his mother's grave
  26. Assumption of Risk, p. 43, the Intelligence Secretariat transfers out questionable individuals from the Lyons SMM when Peter Steiner-Davion was assigned there
  27. 27.0 27.1 Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 24, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor
  28. 28.0 28.1 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 156, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor
  29. 29.0 29.1 LosTech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide, p. 86, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor
  30. 30.0 30.1 Malicious Intent, p. 107, Victor refers to the FCIS Forensics Division, discovery of "Thomas Marik" duplicity
  31. 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook), p. 34, "Intelligence Secretariat Internal Document No. 74309/vpc", Psych Division report to Secretary Mallory on Kell and Ramirez
  32. 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook), p. 29, "Intelligence Secretariat : Internal Memo No. 5692-B", Prince Victor's public image
  33. 1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook), p. 14, "Coded Transmission... page 1 of 11", Dustball investigation
  34. Hot Spots, p. 36, "Contract FC 56603-001-3 Behind the Scenes", the FCIS offers a contract to investigate the CDP
  35. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 19, "Intelligence Command Network", the FCICN is formed
  36. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 19, "LIC Branches", the Narns help form the FCIC Network
  37. BattleSpace, p. 5, "Current Events", the Intelligence Secretariat prevents an explosion at the Galax WarShip facility
  38. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 15, "Briefing", the FCIS investigate Archon Melissa's death
  39. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 29, "Briefing", the Intelligence Secretariat coordination investigation of Melissa Steiner-Davion's assassin
  40. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 41, "MI7: Intelligence Secretariat", the Secretariat supervised the assassination investigation
  41. Natural Selection, p. 166, the Intelligence Secretariat drops a dragnet for the assassin of Melissa Steiner-Davion
  42. Natural Selection, pp. 194-200, Agent Curaltis of the Intelligence Secretariat leads the investigation into the assassination
  43. Assumption of Risk, pp. 308-313, the Intelligence Secretariat uses the assassin to eliminate Ryan Steiner
  44. Intelligence Operations Handbook, p. 36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat compromise still leaves room for interagency rivalry
  45. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 55, "Lines of Command", cooperation remains an issue between the Davion and Steiner intelligence agencies
  46. Bred for War, pp. 111-120, Francesca Jenkins exposes Operation Gemini
  47. 20 Year Update, p. 91, "Major Personalities of 3050: Justin Xiang Allard", the Federated Commonwealth Ministry of Intelligence

Bibliography