Imperial Information Intelligence Institute

The Imperial Information Intelligence Institute (I4) is a Galian Crown-Corporation headquartered on the planet of Izuna in the Galia system. I4 is a Private Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Communications corporation responsible for maintaining and operating the Imperial communications network. As part of this I4 maintains the second largest private fleet in the Empire (Behind the Mercenary corporation Associated Defense) consisting largely of heavily armored data runners, mostly retrofitted Osulara class Light Frigates, and Gorrus Corvettes. I4 is the source of much controversy outside the Empire, as they maintain a Monopoly Ex Corona over all commercial communication networks in the Empire, which has allowed the company to, with great success, tap virtually all communications which pass through the Empire, foreign and domestic.

History
I4 was originally founded 569/138 (December 1st 2633) as the "Akari Info. Systems Corporation" on the eponymous planet of Akari. AIS initially operated as a regional communications firm which quickly grew to expand outwards from Akari and into the rapidly developing core systems of the Galian Systems Alliance. The Corporation represented the growing business interests of the Systems Alliance and was one of the many organizations responsible for the GSA's rapid decline into autocracy. Though originally operating with a nominally meritocratic structure, AIS along with a multitude of other corporations began to appoint executive staff and leadership not based on their skills or performance, but instead based on their connections, and familial background.

Following the abolition of term limits and later elections by the Senate of the GSA the leadership of AIS entered into a contract with the GSA Senate, offering their services in the creation of a streamlined and nationalized interstellar communications network (Which was at the time the most ambitious proposal for such a project), in exchange for their nationalization of their company, the leadership of AIS were granted senatorial titles (Which would later evolve into Count and Baron level titles).

Following the success of the Aristocratic faction in the Galian Civil-War and the official formation of the Empire of Galia, AIS officially renamed itself to the "Imperial Information Intelligence Institute" and relocated its headquarters from Akari to the world of Izuna in the capital system. For the following half-century the corporation would flourish in Izuna thanks to its newly forged connections to the Imperial Aristocracy, however like the rest of the Empire, the 29th century would prove to be a treacherous one for the organization, as much of its leadership was implicated in the Avelanian War, and the Laelian Schism. As a result of the protracted conflict, and the mass defection of a substantial mass of the Empire to the newly formed Republic of Laelia, I4 was forced to recollect itself and assess its substantial losses both in terms of assets and in leadership.

Following the Imperial victory in the Avelanian war, I4 was brought further under Imperial Control by promoting the corporation from a Count-level title to that of a Duke, thus making I4 the single highest ranked Crown Corporation up to that point. In return for this elevation, I4 was granted special rights and responsibilities, including a Monopoly Ex Corona over all non-military of governmental information transmissions through Imperial Space. However the Corporation's entire board of directors would be centralized and held accountable to the Imperial Treasury. This new charter laid the foundations for the modern system of Crown Corporations.

Today I4 maintains its immense monopoly over Imperial Communications, which it has become notorious for tapping and monitoring in detail. Further I4's trove of data has long been suspected as being compromised by various Imperial Intelligence agencies such as the National Intelligence Service, Military Intelligence, The Protocol Office, Capital Police Section 12, and the Republican Office of Intelligence (ROI). The immense extent to which I4 has been tapped and monitored itself has earned it the nickname "The tap that sprung a thousand leaks."

Finances & Assets
I4 is an immensely wealthy corporation, earning a substantial annual revenue from the transfer of data and documents across Imperial and some Terran space, but also from offering services in Cyber-security and Private Intelligence. I4 reported net revenues north of $3 Trillion Dollars Terran (Or around 15 Trillion Galian Sovereigns), which represents a rise in revenue of around one percent. Additionally I4 possess around $39 Trillion in assets including around $16 Trillion in space craft, $9 Trillion in Real Estate, $5 Trillion in satellites and other orbital hardware, $5 Trillion in external stock, and $4 Trillion in liquid cash. Annually I4 is known to pay out approximately 50 Billion dollars to its executive staff, including $10 Billion in compensation to its Director, $6 Billion to its Vice-Director, and $3 Billion to the remaining 11 individuals in the C-Suite.

Leadership & Structure
I4 is chartered as a Crown-Corporation, meaning the entirety of its C-Suite is appointed by the Treasury Corporate Directory. These appointments are typically life-time but can occasionally be dated. All members of I4's C-Suite receive a rank-equivalent entitlement alongside their appointment. Below are listed the C-Suite including their entitlements:
 * Duchess Marina Howe, Director
 * Count Gael Lalande, Vice Director
 * Count Peter Avington, Operation Chair
 * Count ???, Financial Chair
 * Count ???, Communications Chair
 * Count ???, Information Systems Chair
 * Vicount Iris Fairwen, Directory Superintendent
 * Baron ???, Communications Section Chief
 * Baron ???, Security Section Chief
 * Baron ???, Analytics Section Chief
 * Baron ???, Charter Chief Counsel

Surveillance
It is estimated that I4 is responsible daily for the transmission of 2,000 exabytes of data across the Empire alone placing it among the largest data transmissions companies in the galaxy. In addition to this it has been known that for at least a century the company has been monitoring the data carried through its ship, sorting, and storing copies in immense facilities scattered across the Empire. This data is parsed and logged either for sale via the company's burgeoning Private Intelligence business, or in exchange for a bounty for the provision of information on potential traitors or terrorists against the Imperial government. I4 is not the only organization known to access this trove of data however, as Military Intelligence, the National Intelligence Service (Who are themselves suspected to have been tapped by Section 12), and the Republic Office of Intelligence have been known or suspected to have accessed this data at some point or another.

The existence of such an immense surveillance program, and the company's continued abuse of its rights to Monopoly Ex Corona had led to calls for the organization to be dissolved, its leadership purged, or for its monopoly rights to be retracted, though at present the Corporate Directory nor any high ranking officials in the Empire have made a formal statement for or against the company's monitoring program.