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- "My lords, while Naval Intelligence agrees with ISB regarding the possibility of HoloNet sabotage, we feel that Deputy Director Ison is understating the importance of the evidence and the real nature of the threat."
- ―Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit
The Naval Intelligence Agency (NIA), also known as Naval Intelligence (NavInt), was the intelligence service branch of the Imperial Navy. Established by the Galactic Empire, the agency's headquarters was located in the Federal District of the Empire's capital planet, the Core World Coruscant, during the Imperial Era. Following the Berch Teller campaign, Naval Intelligence ceased to be an independent service and was folded back into Imperial Military Intelligence.
Description[]
The Naval Intelligence Agency,[1] or simply Naval Intelligence (NavInt),[5] and abbreviated as the NIA,[6] was an intelligence gathering and analysis agency of the Imperial Navy.[1] It initially functioned in a separate capacity and had a high level of autonomous direction before it was re-absorbed into Imperial Military Intelligence, where it operated to gather data in support of naval operations.[7] The agency was represented in high-level meetings by intelligence chiefs, and its leader held the title of Deputy Director.[1]
The Naval Intelligence Agency was located in Coruscant's Federal District, headquartered at the Naval Intelligence Headquarters which was formerly the Republic Center for Military Operations after further construction. The building was a centerpoint for gathering and analyzing transmissions that came from Coruscant and from all Imperial sectors. The building was installed with micro-holocams so that each action and conversation of the agency's staffers could be monitored at any time by the Galactic Emperor and members of the Imperial Ruling Council. A number of these staffers were analysts,[1] and the agency was also composed of intelligence officers, agents, and supervisors. Naval Intelligence personnel wore white Imperial military uniforms.[5]
History[]
Early history[]

The Naval Intelligence Agency was headquartered in the former Republic military base on Coruscant.
The Naval Intelligence Agency was established in the Imperial Era,[1] having been created by around 16 BBY. At around this time,[4] Emperor Sheev Palpatine's protégé, twenty-year old Gallius Rax, was assigned to the NIA as a commander, a military rank that was abnormally high for someone of his age with little to no military history.[6] By 14 BBY,[2] the headquarters had been established and everyone within Naval Intelligence understood that the facility's cameras were there to monitor them, but had gradually grown accustomed to their presence. Initially, officers and others spied on staffers more frequently earlier in their use, and staffers were aware that they could be honed in at any moment.[1]
Also by this time, Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, commanding officer of Sentinel Base, had been reassigned by Emperor Sheev Palpatine to lead the agency while he was replaced by Moff Wilhuff Tarkin at Sentinel. Rancit's rivals viewed the transfer as a demotion, and Rancit led the agency as its deputy director. Colonel Wullf Yularen, a high-ranking official within COMPNOR's Imperial Security Bureau, was appointed as the head liaison between the ISB and the NIA and was responsible for ensuring cooperation between the Empire's different intelligence agencies. Rancit was joined in representing the NIA in high-level meetings by Vice Admiral Terrinald Screed,[1] and both maintained offices. Commander Rax's reports were sent directly Yularen and bypassed the offices of Rancit and Screed.[6] The NIA worked closely with its ISB rivals, yet also conducted its own interrogations and investigations. Despite being separated, the NIA could represent Imperial Military Intelligence during briefings as well and provide intelligence and analysis from the military perspective.[1]
Rancit's betrayal[]

NIA leader Rancit conspired against Moff Tarkin and others in the Imperial Military.
NIA leader Rancit developed rivalries with other members of the Imperial Military and COMPNOR, especially ISB Deputy Director Harus Ison. Rancit became dissatisfied with the trajectory of his career, and so conspired with his old Republic Intelligence subordinate Berch Teller and his rebel cell in launching attacks against the Empire[1] in 14 BBY.[2] Rancit was able to curry favor with his response to the crisis, and planned to betray Teller and his forces in order to eliminate any evidence of his complicity and further improve his standing with Palpatine.[1] Throughout the crisis, Rancit and Screed attended multiple high-level meetings with members of the Imperial Ruling Council and the Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military, and Rancit had analysts review data to determine Teller's projected trajectory. Eventually, Rancit's treason was uncovered by Tarkin and Dark Lord Darth Vader, and he was forced to order his own execution aboard his flagship, the Conquest.[1]
Continued operations[]
Following the conclusion of the Teller campaign and Rancit's death, Naval Intelligence was reorganized under Imperial Intelligence once more and ceased to be independent. Colonel Yularen of the Imperial Security Bureau was concurrently appointed to Rancit's previous role as the Deputy Director of the NIA,[1] and Rax's reports continued to be sent to him.[6] Yularen continued to serve in his role in the NIA, while also as a member of the ISB,[8] even when serving as Director of the ISB.[9] With the destruction of the Death Star battle station during the Battle of Yavin[10] in 0 BBY,[11] the Naval Intelligence Agency lost high-ranking personnel, chief among them Yularen.[8]

Vice Admiral Screed, an intelligence chief of Naval Intelligence.
Following Yularen's death, Rax's reports were sent directly to Emperor Palpatine himself.[6] By 0 ABY,[12] Seyn Marana served as an NIA agent and supervisor with the rank of lieutenant. During Marana's service with Naval Intelligence, she was aware of the Singularity club at Tellik Four Station as it was frequently visited by Imperial officers. Naval Intelligence gathered information on regular Imperial visitors in case they needed to blackmail the officers to bring them in line. Marana was also made aware of ISB agent Lar Kantayan, as his file had passed by her desk. Marana was eventually transferred to the Imperial Special Forces unit Inferno Squad, and undertook a mission to the Tellik Four Station to extract Bokk Naarg, a defector from the Partisans.[5]
An Imperial agent had been coordinating with Naarg, and Naval Intelligence confirmed that the agent had multiple contacts with rebels, so their cover could not be jeopardized with an extraction. Datachips recovered from the mission were sent to Naval Intelligence for analysis.[5] Following Marana's death during the Dreamers Infiltration, Naval Intelligence had a dossier for Inferno Squad that they could review in transit to their next mission to neutralize blackmailers of a Moff.[5]
Members[]

Colonel Yularen, Director of the ISB, also served as the Deputy Director of the NIA.
The Naval Intelligence Agency was composed of various Imperial officers, and was represented by Deputy Director Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit‐ the agency's head– and Vice Admiral Terrinald Screed in high-level meetings with the Imperial Ruling Council and the Joint Chiefs of the Imperial Military. ISB Colonel Wullf Yularen came to lead Naval Intelligence as its Deputy Director after being its lead liason,[1] and other members of the agency included Gallius Rax, who initially joined as a commander and eventually reached the rank of fleet admiral,[6] as well as Lieutenant Seyn Marana who served as a NavInt agent and supervisor.[5]
Behind the scenes[]
The Naval Intelligence Agency debuted when it appeared in the 2014 novel by James Luceno, Tarkin.[1] Its acronym was subsequently established in the 2017 Chuck Wendig novel Aftermath: Life Debt,[6] and was first referred to as NavInt in the 2017 Battlefront II: Inferno Squad novel by Christie Golden.[5] It was retconned to debut in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, released in 1977, with Yularen's appearance.[10]
Appearances[]
- Tarkin (and audiobook)
Star Wars: Andor — "Announcement"
Star Wars: Andor — "Narkina 5"
Star Wars Rebels — "Through Imperial Eyes"
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (First appearance) (Retcon)
- Star Wars Treasury: The Original Trilogy
- Star Wars: Heroes Path
- Battlefront II: Inferno Squad (and audiobook) (First identified as NavInt)
- Aftermath: Life Debt (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Dawn of Rebellion
Star Wars Helmet Collection: Zuckuss Databank A-Z: Admiral Yularen–Zarro
- Star Wars: Timelines
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Tarkin
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Tarkin to 14 BBY.
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Tarkin to 14 BBY. Furthermore, Wullf Yularen begins his tenure as leader of the Naval Intelligence Agency during the events of Tarkin, and he dies during the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 0 BBY.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Battlefront II: Inferno Squad
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Aftermath: Life Debt
- ↑ Dawn of Rebellion
- ↑ 8.0 8.1
Star Wars Helmet Collection: Zuckuss Databank A-Z: Admiral Yularen–Zarro
- ↑ Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ Battlefront II: Inferno Squad begins during the Battle of Yavin, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 0 BBY. The Del Rey Star Wars timeline places Battlefront II: Inferno Squad between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Heir to the Jedi. In Heir to the Jedi, Luke Skywalker states that he has not heard from Obi-Wan Kenobi since the Battle of Yavin. As Skywalker hears from Kenobi in Star Wars (2015) 1, Heir to the Jedi must take place in between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and before Star Wars 1. Star Wars 1 takes place in between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Darth Vader (2015) 4. Since Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates Darth Vader 4 to 0 ABY, Heir to the Jedi and Battlefront II: Inferno Squad take place in the same year.