The ExComm Office

External Communications, commonly abbreviated ExComm, is the section of the Intelligence Bureau responsible for the rapid and secure transmission of high-priority and emergency messages between the components of Imperial Intelligence, the Ubiqtorate, and the Imperial military.

Function

While Sector Plexus handles the great volume of routine Intelligence traffic, ExComm exists for those communications that cannot wait for normal channels. When a situation requires the immediate attention of the Ubiqtorate, a Grand Moff, senior military commanders, or, in the most extreme cases, the Emperor, ExComm provides the dedicated pathways and procedures necessary to deliver that information without delay.

ExComm maintains specialized facilities and protocols designed for speed and reliability under pressure. Its systems are kept separate from the ordinary Plexus network so that emergency traffic is not slowed or interrupted by the volume of day-to-day messaging.

Authority and Use

Access to ExComm channels is restricted. Ordinary Intelligence personnel do not possess the authority to initiate an ExComm transmission. The section is activated by senior officers of the Intelligence Bureau, by the Ubiqtorate, or by Crisis formations when the urgency of the situation justifies the use of emergency channels.

Once a message has been accepted into the ExComm system it is treated as a matter of the highest priority. Delivery is confirmed, and the recipients are expected to acknowledge receipt so that the originating authority knows the information has reached its destination.

Place within the Intelligence Bureau

ExComm is a permanent support element of the Intelligence Bureau. It does not produce analysis and does not conduct operations of its own. Its sole purpose is to ensure that critical information moves between the proper authorities as quickly and securely as the circumstances demand.

By providing this specialized communications capability, ExComm allows the rest of Imperial Intelligence to function with the knowledge that, when speed is essential, the necessary channels already exist and are ready for immediate use.