Imperial Intelligence (Sith Empire)

Following the Sith's departure after the Great Hyperspace War, leaving behind territories like Ziost and Korriban, the Sith Empire restructured its government on Dromund Kaas. During this period, a new administrative framework was established, encompassing various ministries and bureaucratic bodies, with Imperial Intelligence being one of them.

By the 3900s, the organization had become a crucial asset to the Empire. It deployed numerous undercover operatives into Republic territory to facilitate the Mandalorian Wars, all in service of the Emperor's ambitions to reclaim the Republic. One such operative was Sechel, who later served as a personal agent to the Sith Lord Darth Nyriss.

Leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant in 3653 BBY, this branch of the Sith Empire took responsibility for thwarting the Republic's efforts to secure alliances with the Hutt Cartels. Intelligence operatives also orchestrated Mandalore the Lesser's ascent to power. Through intimidation and poisoning of his rivals, they ensured his victories in the Gladiatorial arena on Geonosis, granting him an unfair edge. Their subtle manipulations swayed public opinion, leading to his recognition as the new Mandalore. They then exploited him to unite the dispersed Mandalorian commandos under his command, all while using him as a pawn in the Emperor's grand scheme. Mandalore the Lesser was eventually killed and replaced by Artus, who then assumed the mantle of Mandalore.

At some point, Imperial Intelligence discovered the Galactic Republic's prison on Belsavis, known as "the Tomb." Consequently, they initiated efforts to pinpoint the location of this super-prison, eventually succeeding in launching a raid on the facility to liberate any imprisoned Sith.

During the Cold War, Intelligence deployed a highly skilled agent to Nal Hutta to infiltrate Suudaa Nem'ro's organization, posing as the notorious pirate known as the Red Blade. The objective was to persuade Nem'ro and his subordinates to support the Empire. The agent succeeded and was summoned back to Dromund Kaas to address a growing terrorist movement. Although the agent foiled their attempts to cause a blackout in Kaas City, the terrorists managed to destroy the Dominator, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Imperial civilians, including Dark Councilor Darth Jadus. The agent was subsequently promoted to Cipher Nine and tasked with tracking down terrorist cells on Balmorra, Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine and Alderaan. After defeating the terrorist leader, codenamed the Eagle, Nine discovered that Jadus was alive and the true mastermind behind the terrorists, preventing him from launching a coup against the Dark Council and the Sith Emperor.

As the Galactic War between the Republic and Empire resumed, Intelligence became focused on uncovering the identity of a third party responsible for destroying the Shadow Arsenal. This organization was identified as the Star Cabal, which aimed to eliminate both the Empire and the Republic in order to seize control of the galaxy. In their efforts to expose this conspiracy, Intelligence suffered setbacks. The Star Cabal introduced a virus within a hologram to disable enhanced Watchers, ultimately using their influence to disband the Operations branch of Intelligence, with its personnel being conscripted into the armies of individual Sith Lords and military officers.

Utilizing his remaining authority, the Minister of Intelligence mobilized the remaining members of Intelligence to track down and destroy the Star Cabal. Cipher Nine located their headquarters, eliminating the inner circle of the conspiracy and acquiring the Black Codex, the Star Cabal's central database. Despite this triumph, the Dark Council had no intention of rebuilding Imperial Intelligence, instead opting to establish a new Sith Intelligence.

Imperial Intelligence was arguably the most lethal and dreaded intelligence agency in the galaxy, far surpassing its Republic SIS counterparts. Intelligence agents were highly proficient at gathering information, maintaining spies and operatives on nearly every Republic and non-Imperial world, including Tython and [Coruscant](/article/coruscant-legends], without the knowledge of the Jedi or the SIS. Their field agents were often willing to go to any lengths to accomplish their missions, with most, especially those privy to the organization's activities, carrying a capsule or shot of poison in case of capture, as most members preferred death to betraying the Empire's secrets. Intelligence was rarely caught off guard, and even when it was, it quickly regained its composure and neutralized any threat to the Empire, from rogue Sith Lords to terrorist cells. Although Intelligence, like all Imperials at the time, served under the authority of the Sith, some have observed that Intelligence, while maintaining a facade of loyalty, held little regard for their dark-side masters; some agents even subtly undermined the Sith's efforts or disobeyed direct orders.

Official titles were reserved for speakers of Basic; non-speakers like Lodenth Kashar served in adaptable roles. The true identities of Ciphers, Minders, Fixers, and Watchers were classified, with agents being identified solely by their position and number (e.g., Cipher Nine, Minder Twenty, Fixer Six, Watcher Two). It is important to note that these numbers did not indicate rank or seniority; they were simply a means of distinguishing individuals with the same designation.

• Informer : Spies, scouts, and informants tasked with gathering information and transmitting it back to base. They were often assigned to a fixed location that they would never leave.
• Cipher : Operatives skilled in assassination, seduction, infiltration, and sabotage. Ciphers were often the field agents and primary offensive force of Intelligence, proficient with poisons, rifles, and gadgets.
• Minder : Information analysts who processed intelligence from Ciphers and anticipated enemy movements. Minders functioned as internal security, screening Intelligence for vulnerabilities and addressing any breaches.
• Fixer : Technical specialists adept at slicing, engineering, and biomechanics. They often processed and interpreted technical data (such as datapads and bioscans) collected by Ciphers.
• Watcher : Observers responsible for recovering, processing, and analyzing data, then relaying their findings to the Ciphers. Watchers reported directly to Keeper.
• Keeper : The primary leader of Imperial Intelligence. The Keeper issued orders to operatives, formulated overarching strategies, and possessed knowledge of all the Empire's and Intelligence's secrets.
• Minister of Intelligence : The ultimate head of Intelligence. The Minister managed the administrative and technical aspects of running Intelligence and reported directly to the Dark Council. Aside from the Imperial Guard, this was the highest position a non-Sith could attain in the Empire.