Chiss Star Destroyer

The Chiss Star Destroyer was a kilometer-long capital ship used by the military of the Chiss Ascendency, first observed during their conflict with the Killik Colony in 35 ABY.

The Chiss Star Destroyer somewhat resembled the 900m Victory-class Star Destroyer design still being used by the Galactic Alliance, but its grey hull was slightly longer and slimmer, giving it an aggressive, needle-shaped appearance. One distinct difference from most Star Destroyers was that the type lacked any obvious command superstructure, apparently in an attempt to deny attackers easy and visible targets. The most prominent feature was a large dome amidships, thought by Alliance observers to house cloaking equipment, but for the most part the planes of the armoured hull were as blank as an expanse of duracrete, interrupted only by recessed weapons mountings.

Like most Star Destroyer designs, the Chiss capital ships were powerful ships, but like most Star Destroyers, they were also vulnerable to a concerted starfighter assault. Their precise capabilities are unknown, but the ships of the class were outfitted with Chiss versions of the range of equipment found aboard a typical Star Destroyer. Primary armament consisted of beam weapons, including both light and heavy mountings, and divided between conventional turbolasers and the distinctive Chiss energy/particle megamasers. The ships were outfitted with tractor beams, ray shields and particle shields, the last of which were capable of stopping a few kamikaze dartships but not an entire swarm on a suicice run.

The launch complex of a Chiss Star Destroyer included capture bays to impound suspicious ships, and hangars supporting squadrons of Chiss Clawcraft starfighters. Although precise troop compliment is unknown, it is likely that they could serve as platforms for the landing craft, AirStraekers and heavy surface equipment which Chiss fleets deployed from orbit during the Swarm War, and they could also enter a planetary atmosphere themselves to operate alongside surface troops. During the Battle of Tenupe, the Chiss used a full fleet of thirty Star Destroyers in an attempt to overrun Killik positions.

Sources dating from the time of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion earlier suggested that the Chiss then had no capital ships larger than frigates: this information may have been inaccurate, or else the Chiss may have only begun to build Star Destroyers at a later date. During the conflict with the Killiks, Chiss Star Destroyers appeared in the major engagements at Qoribu and Tenupe; in the latter battle, more than thirty Star Destroyers were deployed, and the command ship was the Fell Defender, apparently commanded by Jagged Fel.

Appearances

 * The Joiner King
 * The Swarm War