ACTIS - Alliance Counter Terrorism Intelligence and Sabotage
Top secret umbrella organisation encompassing Alliance's counterintelligence, counterterrorism and counter-sabotage divisions. Established after the First Contact War to combat alien intelligence activities and, recently, Cerberus actions in alliance territory. On the surface, each one of these appear to be independent entities whose existence is public knowledge. They all have their own field agent. However they are coordinated by ACTIS for higher efficiency. Only agents, field or otherwise, recruited by ACTIS and anyone with rank of Rear Admiral and higher, as well as the admiralty board, are aware of its existence. No alien entity, including the council posses any meaningful knowledge of it. ACTIS has no headquarters instead operating out of the three divisions' buildings and bases. It has its own field agents codenamed 'SMERSH' operatives, after the USSR World War 2 organization that was used as a template for creation of ACTIS. This agents operate in groups of 4 to 5 holding ranks of 1st Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander with the group leader holding the higher rank of Staff Commander. SMERSH agents have no distinguishing marks, only plastic lanyard like cards that appear empty until activated by DNA ID and show SMERSH agent's credentials and their SMERSH status. While SMERSH has its own logo for ease of recognition, ACTIS has no logo or icon as it is not supposed to be mention in anywhere but top-secret documents and speech. SMERSH agents are able to override Alliance security systems allowing them to assume any non-existent identity providing perfect recourses for undercover work. It is impossible to identify a SMERSH operative until they show their credentials. In addition to this, SMERSH agents have the authority over all ranks up to and including Rear Admirals. They can assume control of a vehicle or command of a group of soldiers to aid them in their mission. For that reason all alliance personnel are briefed upon recruitment to obey any one who presents SMERSH identification, but no explanation is given as to why. This created several rumors about SMERSH over the decades. SMERSH commands can only be belayed by their superiors: their squad leader, group coordinator (ACTIS employee of Captain rank), any Admiral or Fleet Admiral. SMERSH agents are recruited from the best agents of counterintelligence, counterterrorism and counter-sabotage divisions. They have two goals: complete the mission and quietly. Over-exposure on mission can result in court martial on offense of release of classified data. However, as court martial can be public events covered by the news, a mock offense can often be presented to prevent possible leaks on ACTIS existence.