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- "Raw Intelligence is useless. But with careful analysis, it can be refined into a weapon more powerful than any space station."
- ―An Imperial Intelligence officer
Analysis Bureau was a bureau of Imperial Intelligence responsible for handling large amounts of data from tens of millions of sources, searching for enemy activity by analyzing the patterns or trends in the data they handle and transmitting the information to Intelligence. Analysis also handled, examined and copied useful technologies, even developing a few of their own.
Media
Main article: Media was a branch of Analysis responsible for the handling of public scandocs, newsdocs, holos, comlinks, beamcasts, and every form of media in the Galactic Empire. They searched for patterns of hidden meanings which might betray a clue as to an enemy's plan and operation. Utilizing Sector Plexus and the Imperial CompLink, Media gave a cursory examination of all media within the Empire simultaneously. While they regularly concentrated on a significantly smaller portion of the Empire, they did make professional judgments on whether or not a new media source should be monitored on a more regular basis.
Signal
Signal examined the channel through which information was transmitted. Signal sampled and checked carrier wave codes and CompLink protocols, scan rates on scandocs, and image packs on holos to see if any vital information was being squeezed through. Signal examined line noise to check if it contained a pattern rather than random error, and broadcasts and beamcasts to see if the backup information sent with the primary information matched, and, if not, how they differed.
Signal was notorious for overreaching itself, applying blindingly sophisticated mathematical techniques to arrive at nonexistent meanings from chaotic data. However, it was Signal that discovered that Leia Organa had the plans to the Death Star through the analysis of un-shielded ELEL (Extremely Low Energy Level) transmission from her ship, the Tantive IV.
Cryptanalysis
Formed from the Cryptanalysis Department of the SBI, this division was responsible for all code-breaking. All evidence of coded communication found through Media and Signal's work were transferred to the Cryptanalysis branch. Calling themselves "lignyots," agents of Crypt had a reputation for bizarre and unprofessional behavior; they would often send scandocs to other branches in simple codes, which would mutate into an unflattering holo if not broken quickly enough. At other times, they would try to break the security of the communications between branches, forging inflammatory messages on secure channels.
They would often move the entrance to their offices or relocate their facilities entirely, leaving only a puzzling scandoc written in code to hint at their new location. All communications to the Sector Plexus from the new branch office had invariably been relayed through thousands of points before reaching Sector Plexus, making successful tracing almost impossible.
Their behavior caused other bureaus to complain to the Ubiqtorate, but they saw it as more of an opportunity than a problem, and whenever Crypt did something off-beat, another branch was assigned to deal with the problem as if it were an example of enemy-generated activity. However, Crypt calmed down after one of their branch offices was relocated, and found and liquidated by Assassination within eight days.
Tech
Tech was the branch of Analysis responsible for analyzing an enemy's hardware, figuring out how it worked and devising methods to provide Intelligence with superior hardware. Tech was given a lavish budget and a number of highly skilled personnel whose moments of brilliant inspiration could translate into innovative technology. The administration, however, which was chosen from scientists and technologists within the branch, were often lost when having to decide upon the proper priorities for projects which were outside their areas of expertise.
Tech did a better job analyzing enemy gear than in producing its own; with the hardware in front of them and orders to figure out how it worked, Tech scientists did the job better than anyone else. It was when they had to set their own goals and criteria for the project's success did the process go awry.
Interrogation
Interrogation was responsible for the handling of enemy agents captured by Imperial Intelligence. Interrogation was not as bloodthirsty as their counterparts in the Imperial Security Bureau, which would reduce their effectiveness in cracking prisoners. Nevertheless, they had a larger purpose, working on the assumption that the Rebellion would work as hard as possible to render any divulged information useless. Unless the captive agent was believed to hold vital information, interrogation was minimal.
A larger number of psychological probes were made of the prisoner, and direct neuroprogramming of susceptible prisoners would result. Their techniques were undetectable by everything but the most advanced medical probes, of which there were very few and every one of which was under Imperial control. While expensive, the reprogrammed Rebels had a high reliability as double-agents, and had provided Infiltration with some of their best agents.
The Rebellion eventually became aware of these reprogrammed agents, but Interrogation modified its approach. Releasing more Rebels than they once did, including some fairly valuable to the Rebellion, they only reprogrammed several. As suspicion fell on all of the released prisoners, the Rebellion was torn whether or not to accept any, all or none. The doubt and debate did significantly lower the morale at some Rebel bases.
The second modification was to use image surgery on a reprogrammed agent, and have Infiltration brief him and then have him join the Alliance as an unknown recruit. While this method took considerable time, no agent who had been infiltrated this way had ever been discovered.
Appearances
"Galaxywide NewsNets" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 3- Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Empire: The Wrong Side of the War
- Black Ice
Sources
- Imperial Sourcebook
- Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back
- Dark Force Rising Sourcebook
- Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim
- The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook
- Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition
- "ISB Intercepts" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 9
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 6 (PRO1, Arakyd Viper Probe Droid – Probot)
- The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
- Galaxy of Intrigue
- The Official Star Wars Fact File (2013) Part 3 (PRO1, Arakyd Viper Probot)
- Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide