Republic Intelligence was an intelligence service of the Galactic Republic. It was also referenced as Military Intelligence during the Clone Wars. The clone intelligence units as well as certain activities conducted by the clone troopers of the Special Operations Brigade were considered part of Republic Intelligence operations. Republic Intelligence was separate from its counterpart under the Galactic Senate, the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, but during the Clone Wars, Armand Isard served as director for both intelligence services.

OverviewEdit

In its early years, the organization was largely a covert force which had no use for uniforms.^[4] Among its sub-divisions was the Analysis Bureau of Republic Intelligence.

As part of the Republic Military, Republic Intelligence was separate from the Republic's four major civilian intelligence agencies including the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, the Republican Security Organization, the Interstellar Consortium on Technology, and the Special Acquisitions Branch of the Library of the Republic.^[6]

It was led by the Director of Republic Intelligence. Armand Isard was the director during the Clone Wars and also served as Director of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence.^[1]

HistoryEdit

Mandalorian WarsEdit

The agency dated as far back as 3,964 BBY where it operated during the Mandalorian Wars. At the time, Lhosan Industries chairman Jervo Thalien used his company's immense resources to consult with Republic Intelligence in order to determine the location of Taris Senator Haydel Goravvus after his world had fallen to the Mandalorians. However, Republic Intelligence determined that the senator was still on Taris.^[3] Following that conflict, Revan became a Dark Lord of the Sith and forged a new Sith Empire which consisted of many of his own followers included soldiers that had originally served the Republic. Republic Intelligence reports indicated evidence that the Jedi Order had suffered even greater casualties after the war, when the First Jedi Purge was being perpetrated, but the information remained classified until some time after the devastation of Katarr, so the dissolution of the Order became one of the greatest mysteries of that time.^[8]

Great War and Cold WarEdit

Main article: Republic Strategic Information Service

In the years leading up the the Great Galactic War, the Republic had made several attempts to operate a viable intelligence organization with peace time duties though they had had little success. With the resurgence of the Sith Empire and the start of the Great War, the Republic saw the need for a capable espionage agency. With most of the military intelligence dismantled, the Republic turned to the Strategic Information Service of the Senate Library. The SIS was reorganized and moved from its simple duties of decryption and monitoring duties under the Senate Library and transferred into a full fledged intelligence and espionage agency. Though technically a part of the military intelligence, it became the de facto central intelligence service of the Republic and served in this capacity throughout the Great War. It continued to gather intelligence on its intelligence counterpart during the Cold War standoff between the Sith Empire and the Republic.^[5] At some point after the Cold War ended, the Republic dissolved the SIS and Republic Intelligence was reestablished later on along with the Senate Bureau of Intelligence.^[1]

Post-Ruusan ReformationEdit

Republic Intelligence remained active through 32 BBY, when it was involved in watching the activities of the Trade Federation. Certain intelligence officers expressed the concern that the Neimoidians in charge of the Federation were taking control of outlying systems through deceitful or militaristic tactics. Once this was done, the Trade Federation would form exclusive contracts with the newly conquered world and enforce them with further threats of military action. In addition, the Federation had been keeping the Gungans of Naboo under observation, though knew little of the workings of their underwater cities or even the size of their Rep Council. In addition, intelligence agents reported pirate gangs on Naboo that dealt in the trade of stolen Shaak.^[9] In the time following the Invasion of Naboo, Republic Intelligence was responsible for the examination of the Star Courier vessel that belonged to the slain Sith Lord known as Darth Maul. However, the intelligence agents made a mistake during the entry into the ship which led to the weapons, flight and communication systems on the ship self destructing. The remains of the damaged ship were left in a secret hangar on Theed where it remained for many years.^[7]

The Clone WarsEdit

It played a crucial role during the Clone Wars where it operated against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In 21 BBY, Besany Wennen of the Republic Treasury Audit Division was informed by a Gurlanin that Republic Intelligence was monitoring her movements and kept surveillance on her.^[10] Following the Malevolence's destruction, Clone Captain Lock led a clone trooper team to search through the cruiser's debris. They found evidence that the warship had been constructed by the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps at Pammant, confirming beliefs held by Republic Intelligence.^[11] Republic Intelligence conducted data-interception efforts to prevent holos of Alto Stratus from spreading. Despite this, bootleg holos of the Jabiimite Separatist leader managed to proliferate throughout the neighbouring Outer Rim sectors.^[12]

Jedi Master Mace Windu made use of the organization's sporadic reports on Separatist activity on his homeworld of Haruun Kal in 21.5 BBY in order to track down the activities of fellow Jedi Master Depa Billaba who had been dispatched to the planet. Through intelligence's resources, Windu managed to uncover a report of a sabotage made against a Separatist starfighter base as well as the failure of the Balawai militia's attempts at eliminating Depa's resistance forces. At some point, Republic Intelligence received word that the Confederacy had pulled back its forces to the Gevarno Cluster and had left their base at Pelek Baw abandoned. Despite this being the case, there had been no sighting from Master Billaba which prompted concern from Master Windu. Later, an agent from the intelligence service reported to Grand Master Yoda, Master Windu and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine that Master Billaba had gone renegade on Haruun Kal. When Palpatine decided to send a Republic Intelligence covert team to the planet to apprehend Depa Billaba, Mace Windu decided that he would attend the matter personally. After arriving on Haruun Kal, Master Windu was accompanied by a planetary chief from Republic Intelligence though she was later killed during the operation. Following the success of the mission on Haruun Kal, Master Mace Windu aided in enlisting Nick Rostu into Republic Intelligence.^[13]

Final actsEdit

In 19 BBY, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi had captured the protocol droid TC-16 who had belonged to Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. After the successful capture of the droid, it was transferred to the custody of Republic Intelligence on Coruscant for further debriefing. During the conflict with the Separatists, the agency was successful in deploying one of its agents on the Commerce Guild planet of Escarte where they proved to be vital in the capture of Thal K'sar as well as taking the Bith to a secure facility. Following the discovery of the Neimoidian's mechanized chair, it was learned that there had been a Sith Lord operating on Coruscant who was known as Darth Sidious. This led to Republic Intelligence dispatching former Judicial Forces agent Dyne who worked alongside Advanced Recon Commando Valiant as well as the members of the Jedi Order in uncovering the identity of the mysterious Sith.^[14]

At the closing stages of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi suggested to the Jedi Council that they focus the efforts of Republic Intelligence on locating General Grievous. On Utapau, Kenobi promised Tion Medon that he would file a report with the intelligence service in regards to the crisis on the planet.^[15] By 19.5 BBY, Armand Isard served as director of Republic Intelligence.^[16] With the Declaration of a New Order, Republic Intelligence became a part of the newly formed Imperial Intelligence.^[4] Some resources were also allocated to the Imperial Security Bureau, the Empire's secret police.^[17] Shortly after that, Lorz Geptun was charged by the agency to gather more information on the Jedi Rebellion though he later uncovered truths about the decimation of the Jedi Order that his superiors did not want known and Geptun defected to the New Republic.^[4]

AppearancesEdit

SourcesEdit

• Galaxy of Intrigue
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Galaxy at War
•  Essential Atlas Extra: The Knight Errant Gazetteer on StarWars.com (article) (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
•  Shadow trooper in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• The Essential Reader's Companion

Notes and referencesEdit