SORAG
SORAG (pronounced "soar-ag") is a special-purpose, para-military division of the Zhodani Consulate Combined Interstellar Forces. The name is an acronym for Study and Operations Recording Activities Group.
The stated purpose of SORAG is to observe the progress of emerging interstellar societies, using overt surveillance methods. While SORAG officially uses overt intelligence gathering methods, many believe that covert intelligence gathering methods are also used, if not in a deniable fashion.
Most of the activities of the organization consists of gathering civilian transmissions of various types and recording and cross-referencing the data therein. By this method, SORAG is able to keep the Zhodani abreast of the changes in government and technological levels within the Consulate and its Client States.
Although employees are paid via a pay scale similar to most military systems, SORAG is not directly affiliated with any military organization.