History PlayingWith / StateSec

* '''Defied''': [[PragmaticVillainy Evulz]] [[GenreSavvy realizes]] the unfortunate dangers of such an all-powerful organization, and works to make sure the Secret Police never has their own army.

* '''Straight''': [=StateSec=] is an autonomous organization that uses a paramilitary army to help keep order. It also includes administrative, research, propaganda, political sections, a personal bodyguard and elite forces. Personnel puts great emphasis on ideology.

** [=StateSec=] includes every civilian security agency, all intelligence agencies, its own fleets and planets, a paramilitary group, a section of regular military loyal to the Ruler, a PraetorianGuard, Elite Troops to keep everyone in line, Special Elite Troops to keep the Elites in line, an Administrative division, a Science section, an Occult section, a Propaganda network, Judicial branch, the Horse Riding Club, a Social Engineering committee, and its own teen groups. Hard core personnel are obsessed with their ideology, considering any other viewpoints as treasonous.
** There are at least three state sec agencies and they spend as much time watching each other as watching everyone else. This was [[TheChessmaster deliberately engineered]] by the ruler to keep them from getting out of hand.

** State Security is a small special investigation division, mostly civil investigators, a few Special Ops troopers and some Tankettes. While its firepower is formidable against street thugs, the military could easily defeat it in open combat. Ideology is largely unimportant

** The Ruler decides he can't trust the Military. To check their power, he arms his Security agency.
** The Ruler decides that he needs to shape the world in his image. He creates [=StateSec=], expanding his small bodyguard to create loyal tools to do his bidding.

** The post-war treaty limits the size of military forces, [[LoopholeAbuse but doesn't specify anything anything about pararmilitary groups.]]

** The Military started off as the Secret Police. When their responsibilities expanded to include National Defense, the agency armed itself, changed its mandate and structure to become a regular armed force.
** As the war drags on and TheEmpire slides further and further into militarism, the military's role expands until they're basically running all of society.

* '''Invoked''': A character creates [=StateSec=], hoping that it will enhance the image of his government. "And we'll have cool uniforms and every other country will respect us!"

* '''Defied''': A character realizes the unfortunate dangers of such an all-powerful organization, and works to make sure the Secret Police never has their own army.

* '''Implied''': The Orange Section troopers who show up in the story every once in a while wear their own uniforms (which include armbands), have their own ranks and hierarchy, can do whatever they want regardless of the law, and regular military Officers must obey them "or else". The astute reader will notice these hints, which suggest that Orange Section is a [=StateSec=].

** Despite their fearsome reputation, [=StateSec=] Troops regularly get slaughtered in battle. Being the "Elite", they're used to being treated like winners and are overconfident. Being led by political hacks with little or no experience does not help. Also, a bunch of street thugs or bureaucrats used for political bullying are no match for trained soldiers.

** The post-war treaty limits the size of military forces,[[LoopholeAbuse but doesn't specify anything anything about pararmilitary groups.]]

** The Special Ministry has it's own magic-using troops, but their main purpose is investigating and research (not warfare or playing politics).

** [=StateSec=] are nothing but a group of delusional terrorists with dreams of fascism that the actual democratic government works to eradicate... or at least that's what the ''corrupt'' government wants you to think. In reality, the secret service has regular liasons with them and regularly contracts them to do their dirty work. That's strictly classified, of course. Right up until TheCoup happens, anyway.

** The FourStarBadass of the enemy army concentrates his attack on the State Sec forces knowing that they are incompetant soldiers who will be easily crushed and hoping that there will be a mutiny in the enemy camp once it becomes safe.