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	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 offset 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.		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 offset 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 [[Operation Guerrero|invasion of the Sarna March]] by Marik and Liao forces.<ref name=BFW111120-IS-FJ-1>''Bred for War'', pp. 111-120, Francesca Jenkins exposes Operation Gemini</ref>	+	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 [[Operation Guerrero|invasion of the Sarna March]] by Marik and Liao forces.<ref name=BFW111120-IS-FJ-1>''Bred for War'', pp. 111-120, Francesca Jenkins exposes Operation Gemini</ref>
	==Insignia==		==Insignia==

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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]].<ref name=IOH29-O-IS-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</ref> In addition, the head of the service, the '''Intelligence Secretary''', served as the top intelligence advisor to the heads of state of the Commonwealth.<ref name=1SSS5-IS-1>''1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)'', p. 5, "Intelligence Secretariat : Internal Document No. 329/649e", a brief breakdown of the functions of the Intelligence Secretariat</ref> ==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 Document|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.<ref name=IOH3536-BOTFC-IS-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', pp. 35-36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat is formed as a sort of compromise</ref><ref name=AGTCO55-LOC-FCIC-1>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', p. 55, "Lines of Command", the FCIC is formed as an umbrella agency</ref><ref name=AGTCO69-LIC-IS-1>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', p. 69, "The Succession Wars: LIC on the Offensive", the Intelligence Secretariat is formed as an umbrella agency</ref><ref name=HW39-134-RA-FCIS-1>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 134, "Repercussions: The Allies", the Intelligence Secretariat takes over coordination of the FC intelligence agencies</ref> 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]].<ref name=FMLA20-MI-FCIS-1>''Field Manual: Lyran Alliance'', p. 20, "Military Intelligence", the Military Intelligence Division was part of the FCIS umbrella prior to the sundering</ref> 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.<ref name=IOH41-MI7-IS-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 41, "MI7: Intelligence Secretariat", the Secretariat replaces MI7</ref> 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.<ref name=IOH18-FCIS-MOA-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 18, "United Realms and the LIC", the FCIS provides intelligence to the Marshal of Armies</ref> The Secretariat also apparently had Regional Coordinators, one for each of the AFFC Marches.<ref name=1SSS14-IS-1>''1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)'', p. 14, "Coded Transmission... page 1 of 11", Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Secretariat - refers to a Tamar March Regional Coordinator</ref> 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]].<ref name=AGTCO55-LOC-FCIC-3>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', p. 55, "Lines of Command", the FCIC is finally dissolved at the conclusion of the FedCom Civil War</ref> MI7 of the DMI once again became the liaison department with the DMI, although it had been expanded with former FCIC personnel.<ref name=AGTCO58-MI7-FCIC-1>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', p. 58, "MI7 - Liaison", former FCIC form the new MI7</ref> ===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.<ref name=20YU-91-JA-QA-1>''20 Year Update'', p. 91, "Major Personalities of 3050: Justin Xiang Allard", Justin Allard replaces his father, Quintus</ref><ref name=LH3334-JA-IS-1>''Lethal Heritage'', pp. 34-34, Justin Allard named Intelligence Secretary</ref><ref name=LH37-JA-IS-1>''Lethal Heritage'', p. 37, Justin Allard leads the Intelligence Secretariat</ref><ref name=LH190-JA-IS-1>''Lethal Heritage'', p. 190, Justin Allard named the Secretary of Intelligence</ref> 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.<ref name=LD4955-AM-1>''Lost Destiny'', pp. 49-55, Alex Mallory takes over for Justin Allard as Intelligence Secretary</ref><ref name=IOH36-BOTFC-IS-AM-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat is led by Alex Mallory</ref><ref name=IOH46-AM-MIIO-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 46, "Alex Mallory", Mallory is listed as the head of MIIO</ref> Mallory retired in [[3056]], and was succeeded by Jerrard Cranston, who in reality was [[Galen Cox]], [[Victor Steiner-Davion]]'s aide and confidante.<ref name=AS353360-IS-AM-JC-1>''Assumption of Risk'', pp. 353-360, Alex Mallory plans to retire as Intelligence Secretary, will be replaced by Jerrard Cranston</ref> 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.<ref name=BFW300-IS-JC-1>''Bred for War'', p. 300, Cranston's title is confirmed as Secretary</ref><ref name=MI133-IS-JC-1>''Malicious Intent'', p. 133, Cranston is named as the Intelligence Secretary</ref><ref name=SS35-LGJC-1>''Shattered Sphere'', p. 35, "Lieutenant General Jerrard Cranston", Cranston described as an ill-defined "aide"</ref> 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]].<ref name=NS162163-IS-SP-1>''Natural Selection'', pp. 162-163, security personnel are deemed Intelligence Secretariat</ref> This practice continued during the reign of Victor Steiner-Davion.<ref name=AS2324-IS-VSD-1>''Assumption of Risk'', pp. 23-24, Intelligence Secretariat operatives guard Victor when he visits his mother's grave</ref> The Secretariat also had the responsibility to monitor the loyalty of military personnel, and had the authority to order transfers to avoid potential problems.<ref name=AS43-IS-LSMM-1>''Assumption of Risk'', p. 43, the Intelligence Secretariat transfers out questionable individuals from the Lyons SMM when Peter Steiner-Davion was assigned there</ref> 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.<ref name=TRO3058-24-IMII-FCIC-1>''Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade'', p. 24, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor</ref><ref name=FMFS156-IMII-FCIC-1>''Field Manual: Federated Suns'', p. 156, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor</ref><ref name=LTMWEG-86-IMII-FCIC-1>''LosTech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide'', p. 86, "Infiltrator Mk. II", the FCIC develops the Infiltrator Mk. II battle armor</ref> The Intelligence Secretariat had its own Forensics Division, which was considered highly capable and reliable.<ref name=MI107-IS-FD-1>''Malicious Intent'', p. 107, Victor refers to the FCIS Forensics Division, discovery of "Thomas Marik" duplicity</ref> 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]].<ref name=1SSS34-IS-1>''1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)'', p. 34, "Intelligence Secretariat Internal Document No. 74309/vpc", Psych Division report to Secretary Mallory on Kell and Ramirez</ref> 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".<ref name=1SSS29-IS-1>''1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)'', p. 29, "Intelligence Secretariat : Internal Memo No. 5692-B", Prince Victor's public image</ref> 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.<ref name=1SSS14-IS-2>''1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)'', p. 14, "Coded Transmission... page 1 of 11", Dustball investigation</ref> 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]].<ref name=HS36-C-FCIS-1>''Hot Spots'', p. 36, "Contract FC 56603-001-3 Behind the Scenes", the FCIS offers a contract to investigate the CDP</ref> ==Accomplishments== Not long after the Fourth Succession War, the [[Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Command Network]] was envisioned to expedite communications across the vast superstate, 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 online shortly before the Lyran secession.<ref name=IOH19-ICN-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 19, "Intelligence Command Network", the FCICN is formed</ref><ref name=IOH19-LICB-N-FCIC-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 19, "LIC Branches", the Narns help form the FCIC Network</ref> 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.<ref name=BS5-CE-IS-W-1>''BattleSpace'', p. 5, "Current Events", the Intelligence Secretariat prevents an explosion at the Galax WarShip facility</ref> 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 of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] [[Thomas Marik]] had been replaced with an imposter in [[3037]].<ref name=MI107-IS-FD-1/> 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.<ref name=IOH15-B-FCIS-AMSD-C-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 15, "Briefing", the FCIS investigate Archon Melissa's death</ref><ref name=IOH29-B-IS-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 29, "Briefing", the Intelligence Secretariat coordination investigation of Melissa Steiner-Davion's assassin</ref><ref name=IOH41-MI7-IS-2>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 41, "MI7: Intelligence Secretariat", the Secretariat supervised the assassination investigation</ref><ref name=NS166-IS-DN-1>''Natural Selection'', p. 166, the Intelligence Secretariat drops a dragnet for the assassin of Melissa Steiner-Davion</ref><ref name=NS194200-IS-C-1>''Natural Selection'', pp. 194-200, Agent Curaltis of the Intelligence Secretariat leads the investigation into the assassination</ref> Later, it was FCIS agents who assisted the [[Dancing Joker|assassin]] in his operation to eliminate [[Ryan Steiner]], although the assassin would escape afterwards.<ref name=AS308313-IS-DJ-1>''Assumption of Risk'', pp. 308-313, the Intelligence Secretariat uses the assassin to eliminate Ryan Steiner</ref> 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.<ref name=IOH36-BOTFC-IS-F-1>''Intelligence Operations Handbook'', p. 36, "Birth of the Federated Commonwealth", the Intelligence Secretariat compromise still leaves room for interagency rivalry</ref><ref name=AGTCO55-LOC-FCIC-2>''A Guide to Covert Ops'', p. 55, "Lines of Command", cooperation remains an issue between the Davion and Steiner intelligence agencies</ref> 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 offset 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 [[Operation Guerrero|invasion of the Sarna March]] by Marik and Liao forces.<ref name=BFW111120-IS-FJ-1>''Bred for War'', pp. 111-120, Francesca Jenkins exposes Operation Gemini</ref> ==Insignia== <gallery> File:MI7 Intelligence Secretariat.jpg|Intelligence Secretariat as MI7 </gallery> ==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.<ref name=1SSS5-IS-1/> * In many of the sources, the terms Intelligence Secretariat (or FCIS) and Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Command (or FCIC) appear to be used interchangeably.<ref name=TRO3058-24-IMII-FCIC-1/><ref name=FMFS156-IMII-FCIC-1/><ref name=LTMWEG-86-IMII-FCIC-1/> In addition, the Secretariat is referred to as MI7 in some works.<ref name=1SSS5-IS-1/> * 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).<ref name=20YU-91-JA-FCMI-1>''20 Year Update'', p. 91, "Major Personalities of 3050: Justin Xiang Allard", the Federated Commonwealth Ministry of Intelligence</ref> 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== <references/> ==Bibliography== <div class="desktop-3-col"> * ''[[1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)]]'' * ''[[20 Year Update]]'' * ''[[Assumption of Risk]]'' * ''[[BattleSpace]]'' * ''[[Bred for War]]'' * ''[[Field Manual: Federated Suns]]'' * ''[[Field Manual: Lyran Alliance]]'' * ''[[A Guide to Covert Ops]]'' * ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]'' * ''[[Hot Spots]]'' * ''[[Intelligence Operations Handbook]]'' * ''[[Lethal Heritage]]'' * ''[[Lost Destiny]]'' * ''[[LosTech: The MechWarrior Equipment Guide]]'' * ''[[Malicious Intent]]'' * ''[[Natural Selection]]'' * ''[[Shattered Sphere]]'' * ''[[Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade]]'' </div> [[Category:Intelligence Agencies]]

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