ComStar Historical Archives

The original Capellan secret police and intelligence agency, and the predecessor to the Maskirovka. The Deimosis was created during the Capellan Hegemony era (2270-2310) and remained active until replaced by the Maskirovka in 2396. Initially created to conduct the Hegemony's census and to arbitrate disputes between member states, the Deimosis soon developed into an intelligence-gathering agency, and then into a secret police service. This institution was utilized freely by the Aris Prime Magnates to protect Capellan policy against both foreign and domestic foes. In doing so, it aided in the focus of Hegemony politics on Capella herself, and thereby indirectly helped undercut popular support for the Aris regime.

Nevertheless, the Deimosis was a critical (perhaps "the" critical) part of the Capellan government, and there was little oversight to prevent Prime Magnates, and later Chancellors, from using it as they saw fit. The appeal of this virtually unlimited power led to a continual increase in the size of the agency. Ultimately, this bloating led to the downfall of the Deimosis, as foreign agents found it easier and easier to penetrate. The fear that every other agent was a spy paralyzed the Deimosis and rendered it ineffectual. Consequently, in 2396 Chancellor Kurnath Liao commissioned the Maskirovka to ferret out enemy agents within the Deimosis. This effort was so capably executed that the Deimosis was effectively destroyed in the process, and the Maskirovka was assigned the older agency's intelligence functions.

• Sources Used:
• A Guide to Covert Ops;
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation);
• Intelligence Operations Handbook