Section 31

At the birth of Starfleet, there existed a clandestine cabal of operatives who formed a splinter faction that operated outside the chain of command and acted with complete autonomy. The original cabal, self-named Section 31 after a clause in the Federation charter, was weeded out over time. But "that is not dead which can eternal lie," and so various reincarnations of the rogue agency have popped up from time to time, often during periods of turmoil, war, or unrest within the Federation.

As a decentralized organization, all cells and divisions operate independently of one another, linked only in name and by the creed of justifying their means by the ends. The latest iteration of Section 31 was directed by Commodore Thaddeus Hightower, whose legitimate role was that of Deputy Director of Internal Affairs. He was arrested when evidence of his collusion with the Black Nagus organization was brought to light, with many of his subordinate Section 31 operatives either going to ground or serving concurrent life sentences along with him. Subsequent Section 31 cells are not predicted to form again for some time.