Imperial & Federal Bureau of Countersedition and Intelligence
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Security and Intelligence Service |
| Jurisdiction | Imperial and Federal Union |
| Headquarters | Kaerndal Fortress, Gerstintor |
| Motto | Pro Domo |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | R.u.B Home Office R.u.B Privy Council |
| Child agencies |
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The Bureau of Countersedition & Intelligence (BC&I) is the primary security service of the Imperial and Federal Union. A part of the R.u.B Home Office, and reporting direction to the Home Secretary and the Privy Council, the BC&I serves as a pan-Union organisation for internal security along with domestic and foreign intelligence. The BC&I has often been termed a 'secret police' by critics of the R.u.B Government, although the Privy Council and Emperor have always denied such accusations. The BC&I serves as an umbrella organisation for all civilian intelligence agencies, and co-operates closely with the Office of Military Intelligence (OMI), which provides similar services for the military.
The BC&I is a civilian service, unlike the OMI, although the BC&I does have a militarised branch in Directorate VI and the Office of the Black Chamber's agents. The BC&I's primary responsibilities are domestic security, counter-intelligence, investigation, foreign intelligence, and the security of government communications. The BC&I is also heavily concerned with combating attempts at secession, and defusing potential crises before they become large enough to require military attention. The BC&I is heavily involved with the Imperial & Federal Grand College of Chymetics for the use of investigating and dealing with the unusual concerns that develop from chymetic research.
Organisation
Directorate I
The First Directorate is responsible for domestic operations of the BC&I, targeting anti-government, secessionist, and other domestic threats to the R.u.B Union. The First Directorate thus takes responsibility for supervising and collating information gathered by various lower level intelligence agencies, including those focused on individual groups and territories.
Directorate II
The Second Directorate is responsible for foreign operation of the BC&I, gathering intelligence on foreign states and other entities to benefit the R.u.B Union.
Directorate III
The Third Directorate is responsible for both communications and cryptography, providing both secure communications links for the R.u.B government, and decrypting civilian, government, and military communications of other states.
Directorate IV
The Fourth Directorate is responsible for chymetics and other related issues, specialising in the particular issues related to chymetic affairs, and supervision of the Imperial & Federal Grand College of Chymetics.
Directorate V
The Fifth Directorate is responsible for counterintelligence operations, both within and without the R.u.B Union, rooting out and compromising foreign intelligence operations.
Directorate VI
The Sixth Directorate is responsible for security of BC&I facilities and operations, as well as providing a pool of trained operatives for direct actions.
Office of the Black Chamber
The Office of the Black Chamber is the most secretive and unknown branch of the whole Bureau. Officially, the Black Chamber is merely an office for analysis of intercepted communications, but is widely believed to have authority and power reaching far beyond its own stated role. The Black Chamber is widely believed to be a secret police and black ops force for the R.u.B Union, providing an extrajudicial tool to deal with threats to the safety and security of the Union. While not officially recognised, unofficially, an Officer of the Black Chamber is a figure of utmost importance and respect to all who know the true extent of their authority. With the sense of fear the presence of an Officer can generate, they are commonly referred to in popular parlance as 'Inquisitors' or any one of a variety of other titles. Officially, though, most agents of the Black Chamber are only titled as officers and agents, and may adopt a wide variety of other titles as necessary.
Little is known about the internal structure, but it seems to be relatively unorganised. Individual officers are given wide remit to do as they please, answerable only to their fellows. While there is a Lord Palatine of the Black Chamber, who traditionally sits on the Privy Council, this position seems to rotate fairly frequently, with the same individual rarely serving as Lord Palatine for a significant period of time. Observers have theorised that this is because the office is not one of authority, but rather one of a representative--filled by any reasonably respected Officer who is available at the time to report to the Privy Council the activities of the Black Chamber that are necessary for the Councillors to know.
Due to their relatively independent operation, officers of the Black Chamber tend to gather retinues of useful individuals around them to assist them in their tasks. Often times, officers will simply place themselves in positions to supervise their agents and acolytes as they do their work, and rarely act themselves. Officers of the Black Chamber are near universally highly skilled in a wide variety of fields, ranging from investigation and evidence collection, to personal and vehicular combat. Many of them also work closely with similar experts in the Office of Military Intelligence, the Grand College of Chymetic's Hellsing School, and a variety of other organisations. Officers can generally be recognised by their Black Seal, a symbole which officially designates their authority, and allows them great lee way, as letters stamped by a Black Seal are to be interpreted as coming from the highest levels of government, with all the backing of the Emperor, the Imperial Council, the Federal Diet, and the Aulic Council. As such, Officers of the Black Chamber can requisition assets and information from nearly all aspects of the R.u.B Union, including military forces--when necessary--and can sentence any individual, without privilege to appeal, as well as carry out the sentence, all on their own authority.