Royal Intelligence Service

The Caledonian Royal Intelligence Service is the "spy" agency for the Principality of Caledon. It's director, the "Minister of Information", is an advisor to the Cabinet.

The Service has several branches:

Department 0

Also called the "Star Chamber", this is the high-level clearinghouse of all intelligence activity in the Principality.

Department 1

"One" is in charge of recruiting and training agents, analysts and support personnel.

Department 2

"Two" is the Analysis wing. Operating out of a large room at the RIS' headquarters, analysts from Department Two try to synthesize the flood of information coming in from the other info-gathering departments - especially "Three" - and turn it into actionable conclusions.

Each area of vital interest - whether a system or a specific threat area - is represented by a "desk", which is manned (depending on its tension and level of importance) either during normal working hours (the Duncinean Desk) or around the clock (the "Imperium/Nightrim Subsector" desk). The analysts are responsble for processing the information coming in from the other departments, analyzing it and developing conclusions (sometimes with the help of the "Funnies" over in "Eight", or Technical Services).

Department 3

"Three" is the "Operations" wing - the agent-running arm of the Service.

"Three" runs agents out of embassies and consulates in friendly areas, and from extemporized locations in denied territory. It is by far the biggest department in the RIS. . A typical "Three Station" involves a station chief - an experienced operative - and 2-5 "case officers" or junior operatives who run the actual agents (who are usually locals who are painstakingly recruited to provide information). While intelligence agents always try to avoid combat - it tends to blow covers - stations in "denied territory" are often accompanied by a team of 2-3 "minders" who handle security and any "dirty work" that needs doing. "Minders" are very frequently former soldiers, guardsmen, Marines, and former members of the Phantom Regiment.

Department 4

"Four" is the Administrative department.

Department 5

"Five" gathers intelligence from commercial sources.

Part of Five gathers information from Caledon's huge sector of well-connected trading houses and well-travelled traders are a huge, largely open source of information; "Five" develops, maintains and works these links both openly and covertly; "agents" in Five often do their best intelligence-gathering over dinner, drinks, or playing pub games with traders just returned from long expeditions.

Five also gathers information covertly from foreign traders, who are ubiquitous at Caledonian ports. Starports in Caledon and in affiliated states (like the Principality of Douglass) are often frequented by agents from Five, with drinks, drugs, and other emoluments.

Department 6

"Six" handles direct action assets; it includes the Caledonian Special Service, relationships with numerous mercenary firms, and a link to the Phantom Regiment for the serious dirty work.

Department 7

"Seven" manages counterintelligence operations.

Department 8

"Eight" is the technical services branch. "Eight" develops all manner of equipment for use by other departments (especially "Two").

Department Nine

"Nine" handles liaison with the Caledonian military. It's operatives do everything from debriefing warships to riding along on intel-gathering missions with the scouts and researchers of the scouts..