Imperial Foreign Intelligence Ministry of Zahava

The Imperial Foreign Intelligence Ministry, domestically known as the Ordo Externus, IFIM, or by its ministry number of "order 9", is the foreign intelligence service officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily through the use of human intelligence (HUMINT). The IFIM is a member of the Zahavan Intelligence Community, and the IFIM Magister reports to the ZIC Magister. The IFIM has no law enforcement function and is mainly focused on overseas intelligence gathering, carrying out and overseeing covert actions at the behest of the Imperial government.

While other intelligence agencies focus on SIGINT, GEOINT, or imagery intelligence IMINT, the IFIM focuses on human intelligence or HUMINT. Through the use of spies, double agents, assassins, defectors, and other operatives. The IFIM has been involved, or has been suspected of having involvement in a number of assassinations, coups, and revolutions all over the world.

In more recent times the IFIM has expanded its role to include carrying out offensive cyber-operations.

Lunar Insurgency
In the late 1960s and into the 1980s the IFIM was involved in a number of operations in Theyka during a period known as the Lunar Insurgency where the Theykan government engaged in a crack down against various tipsprek terrorist organizations. The IFIM was involved in gathering intelligence through the use of informants, and interrogation. The IFIM also assisted in training Theykan security and intelligence assets in more modern intelligence gathering and analysis practices.

The operations during the Lunar insurgency were not without set backs, and during one operation two IFIM agents were killed when unknown to the IFIM agents their informant had been compromised and during a scheduled meeting with that informant the entire group was attacked by members of the Black Apostles Brigades terrorist organization resulting in the death of two IFIM agents, the informant, and the wounding of several civilians.

Overall however the operations in Theyka were deemed a success, and in 1984 hostilities between the Theykan government and tipsprek organizations ceased with the Theykan government remaining in power.