StarBase 118 Intelligence/Nicholotti
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There are three distinct areas within the scope of the SB118 history that define both the growth period, what can be looked at as both the apex and deconstruction of, followed by the analysis of SFI today.
Formation Years
Admiral Tristan Wolf led the development and rise of SFI through SB118 and the USS Phoenix-B during its mission years. This would branch out with the launching of the Fleet, which in the beginning consisted of the USS Alliance, the USS Isannah and the USS Centris. The commanding officers of the ships, Elinor of Kanist, Doug Relic to name a few, generally oversaw Intelligence aboard their respective ships, along with some of the early Fleet Captains. Intelligence Agents were more common at the time between the Flag Officer and their crews.
The Black Tower
The Black Tower legacy perhaps is the best well known, as it is an adjunct of SB118 Ops and has been redesigned by the multiple contributions of the station’s commanding officers. At one time, however, beginning in 2377, the Black Tower operated as a sim group in its infancy. The core years of that particular time period wouldn’t happen until 2379 where Commander Michael Rourke commanded as Director up to 2380, when as a sim group, the Tower was disbanded.
The Black Tower today serves with Starbase 118 under the command of Captain Rocar, although he himself doesn’t necessarily have access. It is believed the Black Tower hasn’t officially been used since 2382, but the Captain’s Council and Executive Council may know differently.
The following is the organizational structure of how the Black Tower was originally designed.
Missions
Starfleet Intelligence missions can be categorized into six major divisions:
Counter-Intelligence
Counter Intelligence duties within SFI are primarily directed at identifying intelligence activity targeting the Federation. This not only includes operations undertaken by hostile governmental agencies such as the Tal Shiar and the Obsidian Order. It also deals with threats from independent organizations such as the Orion Syndicate or the Maquis.
Counter Intelligence operations involve identifying possible hostile activity and taking preventative action to impede their operations. This could require uncovering long term operatives, taking proactive measures to stop planed operations or in extreme cases require Counter Terrorism teams being employed to resolve any urgent situations.
Deception & Disinformation
Generally these types of mission require careful and subtle planning. The aim is to impart information into the enemies' hands, which they believe viable. This may require 'sting' operations to be carried out. Often this is done to divert intelligence-gathering operations away from vital Federation interests or to disguise ongoing SFI operations.
Extraction
There are two types of extraction mission:
- Extraction of a friendly target. Typically this involves recovering undercover agents that have completed a mission; rescuing agents that have be compromised or assisting possible defectors.
- Extraction of an unfriendly target: At times it may be necessary to obtain key enemy personnel to acquire their technical knowledge or strategic information.
Infiltration & Undercover Missions
Many SFI missions require the operative(s) to covertly infiltrate a target organization. This can be done in many ways such as in a cloaked ship, traveling in disguise or using some other subterfuge. Once successfully in place the operative(s) must complete their assigned mission and withdraw safely.
Reconnaissance & Surveillance
Intelligence information is collected in the following methods:
- Intercepting subspace transmissions from listening posts along the Federation border and analyzing such transmissions and/or sending such transmissions to Starfleet Intelligence Headquarters for analysis
- Researching data archives
- Conducting field investigations and covert/overt strategic operations including infiltration, counterespionage, search and seizures.
Investigations
Occasionally SFI investigates incidents that they consider could have some intelligence impact. Either through the involvement by outside agencies or other Nonaligned groups.
Divisions
Sector 118 Intelligence is composed of three major branches and within these branches exist different subdivisions:
Command
The main administration of the sector intelligence, it is headed up by the Director, Deputy Director, and any adjunct administrative officers. Command oversees all intelligence operations in the sector and designates missions for agents assigned to Black Tower and those assigned in the field. However, intel command does not have direct authority over the agents whose duty station is aboard an installation within UFOP. Agents assigned to those duty stations are only required to provide reports to intel command.
Tower Ops
This branch’s activities are widely more connected with intel. Tower ops carry out most of the active operations for Sector 118 Intelligence and answers directly to the intel command. It is led by a team leader, but all agents in this division are capable in executing independent missions. Assignments of Tower Ops agents are usually mission related. Agent trainees are prepared in this branch until they are ready for either the command or field branch.
Field
The field division of intel are composed of agents who are sent on extensive away missions. Most are assigned to Black Tower, but agents may be assigned somewhere else. Those agents are required to report to intel command frequently, they are under the direct authority of the Commanding Officers of their respective duty stations. Intel command can only assigned these agents their duty stations, not specific missions. The field agents’ assignments aboard their installations are to the Commanding Officer’s discretion. However, the Commanding Officer cannot order agents aboard their ships to “spy” on Black Tower, just as Black Tower cannot do also.
Agent Trainee Program
At this point in time, there was a separate training program for members of the UFOP in good standing on their respective ships and had been active for at least half a year. The program was similar to the Cadet Training Program, with two notable exceptions: first being a long training duration and second recruits were required to remain with the Tower Ops Branch of the Black Tower.
Recruits were either assigned in Command, Missions Ops, or Field and allowed for two character specialties among the following:
- Communications
- Crypto/Intelligence Analysis
- Infiltration
- Linguistics
- Security
- Counseling
- Engineering
- Insertion/Extraction
- Ops
- Science
- Other (please specify)
Additionally, recruits were required to submit two different SIMs. The reason behind this was to emphasize the importance of prospective Intel trainees to handle plots with balance and as much “realism” as possible.
Comparison
In review, a large portion was dedicated to what’s defined now as Field Operations, which the bulk of the mission departments can be assigned to. Equating information also equally falls into Director of Intelligence, which in this case, the information contained within the Tower structure was more flushed out.
They have different names, but we can apply the same principles of how Starfleet Intelligence works today as it did prior. Field Operations here had a greater emphasis, Tower Ops (which is technically classified as Analyst) isn’t persay a training ground anymore as it’s a vital component of any intelligence agency, and Command, which does have its own chain structure.
The Core Issue
The principles behind the Tower when it was an active sim were actually well designed. Some, if not most, can be applied to how Starfleet Intelligence works today, five years later.
The right kind of simmer is able to play an Intelligence Officer without circumventing the Flag Officer’s ship chain of command and can be both a team player and contributor. However, when improperly played, Intelligence Agents have shown historically to ignore chain of command and instead operate the Black Tower as a completely separate entity they answer to first and only, which in actuality, was never supported by the core mission statement.
There was a mandate that specified that SFI can and does operate independently of the SB118 Fleet, however, that is the fundamental difference of what Starfleet Intelligence was at one point.
It does not operate with that mandate today.