The Combined Intelligence Directorate

Formed after the start of the Ascomanni conflict, the Combined Intelligence Directorate, or CID, was created by amalgamating the various civilian and military intelligence organizations into a single entity. As such, its powers stretched across both spheres of operation, though its role in supporting the war effort would become its primary focus.

Spurred into being by serious deficiencies in information sharing and division of labor, the Directorate's military functions were aggregated from Army, Navy, and former Reaction Force resources. Like functions would be combined and placed under the directorship of a senior member of these earlier organizations, and pain was taken to limit inter-agency tensions by appointing equal numbers of directors from each parent organization.

Each of the directors would report to the Director-in-Chief, or DIC, who was ultimately responsible to the Triumvirate. The DIC would often be referred to simply as the Director, as their role entailed significant public visibility. They would advise the Triumvirate and the Senate on intelligence matters and provide information to inform policy discussions. The DIC also served as the chief liaison with the War Council, of which the Director was not a member.

In the civilian sphere, the CID would support the varied organizations responsible for interplanetary policing through data mining, predictive policing, and analytical extrapolation. It would also partner with local planetary governments to investigate certain types of crimes which break the Republic-wide Common Law.

Despite the importance of the organization, it is quick to draw criticism and has a surprisingly broad base of opposition. Its critics site concerns over the growth of the Directorate and its dual purpose military and civilian mission. They also express reservations regarding the implications of its work on privacy and the rights of those accused of crimes.

Regardless of the organization's popularity, it remains an important resource in the ongoing fight against the Ascomanni.