Senate Planetary Intelligence Network

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The Senate Planetary Intelligence Network or Senate (Inter)Planetary Intelligence Network, abbreviated as SPIN, was a clandestine intelligence service founded in 4 ABY by Chief of State Mon Mothma to serve the New Republic government. Headquartered in the Palace of the Woolamander on Yavin 4 and under the direct control of the New Republic Provisional Council, the agency proved largely ineffective and set the stage for Mothma's formation of the ultra-secret Alpha Blue intelligence agency. Though SPIN was able to conduct some operations against Emperor Trioculus, Motham togehter with General Airen Cracken worked to form the New Republic Intelligence Service (NRI) to correct SPIN's failings. By the time the New Republic captured Coruscant, SPIN served little more than an outpost function. It was disbanded and its resources turned over to the NRI.

History

After the defeat of Galactic Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader at the Battle of Endor the Alliance to Restore the Republic, reorganized as the Alliance of Free Planets, began preparations to become as the New Republic and take Coruscant from the Galactic Empire, thereby establishing their legitimacy. The Empire began a HoloNet propaganda campaign under Prophets of the Dark Side Cronal, going so far as to claim Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker as hero of the Empire. To counter the Imperial propaganda fears of autocratic leadership, Chief of State Mon Mothma had Alliance Intelligence reorganize as the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network, or SPIN. Though a true "Senate" did not yet exist at that time, leadership of the new intelligence agency was given to the New Republic Provisional Council which included Mon Mothma and Admiral Gial Ackbar. The heavy handed Alliance Special Operations units where phased out though Generals Airen Cracken and Crix Madine continued various SpecOp missions which they reported to the SPIN leadership and council admiral Hiram Drayson.^[1]

SPIN was headquartered on the New Republic's temporary capital on Yavin 4 in the refurbished Palace of the Woolamander where the Provisional Council met. They also built the Defense Research and Planetary Assistance Center (DRPAC) on Mount Yoda on the planet Dagobah. Both locations however had major security flaws that would later cause serious issues. Although said to be an analysis and infiltration network utilizing stellar agents such as Kea Moll, Mirith Sinn, and Kyle Katarn, SPIN formed the Rapid Response Team to deal with covert missions. Composed of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Han Solo, the team had a major flaw in that all the operatives were well known. SPIN's existence would be defined by the short rule of Trioculus as Emperor and his search for the Lost City of the Jedi. When Trioculus bombarded Yavin 4 in search of the Lost City, SPIN relocated to DRPAC on Dagobah.^[1]

Even at DRPAC though the agency was confounded by security flaws and intelligence leaks. It was these issues and the ineffectiveness of SPIN that brought about Mothma's formation, unknown to her fellow councilors, of a second, ultra-secret intelligence network known as Alpha Blue. Additionally Mothma began working behind the scenes with General Cracken in forming the New Republic Intelligence Service (NRI). By the time the New Republic captured Coruscant, SPIN had become little more than an outpost guarding the secrets of the Lost City of the Jedi. The organization was disbanded and its resources turned over to the NRI. The short time of SPIN's existence was generally viewed as a complete intelligence failure or at the very least a very naïve attempt. However the agency did provide a useful testbed for the formation of the NRI and did, in its own way, conduct an effective campaign against Emperor Trioculus that kept him off balance and thereby giving other New Republic forces more freedom to act.^[1]