Chiss Ascendancy/Legends

"The Chiss do not simply accept alien concepts without careful consideration. We certainly do not submit to domination. By anyone."

- Thrawn

The Chiss Ascendancy, sometimes termed Chiss Space or the Chiss Empire by outsiders, was a portion of the galaxy just inside the Unknown Regions that was ruled by the Chiss.

Government
"We Chiss are accustomed to formulating our own policies."

- Aristocra Formbi.

The Chiss were governed by an oligarchy of extended Ruling Families from House Palace, located in the city of Csaplar. Each clan with the families was headed by leaders known as Aristocra who wore particular colors to indicate their clan and family loyalties. Standard and day-to-day decisions were made by a democratically elected parliamentary body from each of the 28 colonies. Issues were siphoned up through the parliament to a cabinet of appointed governors, and then to the ruling families, where a decision made by the parliament and/or cabinet could be approved for action. Each of the extended ruling families was responsible for a set of government affairs to manage: House Sabosen was responsible for social issues such as justice, health, and education; House Inrokini was responsible for industry and science; House Csapla was responsible for colonial affairs, agriculture and redistribution of resources; and House Nuruodo was responsible for military and foreign affairs. The Csapla's redistribution of resources amongst the Chiss colonies and Csilla was particularly important, given the collectivist-socialist economic system of the Chiss, and led to their relative position at the head of the families, with the others acting in an advisory role. House Nuruodo would be ranked as second, considering the importance of warfare on Chiss society.

Each family was equally represented in the Chiss government, although they went to great lengths to ensure that family identity was eliminated wherever possible. The leaders of the Chiss did not use names, but instead wore colorful robes to distinguish themselves. This helped ensure that decisions were reached in a fair and equitable method. Although the four extended ruling families were not known to face power struggles, five lesser clans often vied for greater authority and power, such as House Chaf, which was considered the fifth ruling family.

The vast financial holdings of the Chiss kept their supply lines running and also provided them access to a number of independent shipyards which they used to keep their vessels on constant patrol. It was through such methods that the Chiss maintained a poacher base at the Etyyy hunting grounds on Kashyyyk.

Military
"He has his orders, and when a Chiss accepts orders he carries them out, period."

- Chak Fel on Drask

The military of the Chiss Ascendancy consisted of a well trained and well armed force which protected a number of advanced and orderly worlds within its sphere of influence. Chiss belief in rigid discipline was further seen within their armed forces and they made use of superior technology when required in order to hold enemy forces at bay. Ultimately, the Chiss saw themselves as a bastion of order in a sea of chaos in their home space in the Unknown Regions.

While their history was marked by nearly continual warfare and conquest of other worlds, the Chiss were generally not violent. They preferred to extend themselves only from a defensive posture, although they were exposed to threats in the Unknown Regions and Outer Rim, such as the Ssi-ruuk and the threat of the Vagaari (who fought three wars with the Chiss), the Yuuzhan Vong War, and the later Killik incursion. There were two military organizations: the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet and the Colonial Phalanxes, which were both led by the Nuruodo family. The Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet patrolled the Chiss borders and space, although segments were known to combat forces beyond the realm of the Chiss in times of dire need. This fleet was considered to be a tool of foreign affairs rather than a military asset. Each of the 28 colonies was protected by a phalanx, which was commanded by a Syndic, or House leader, and responsible for handling any threats that slipped past the fleet. In times of crisis, Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet segments drew upon the nearby phalanxes to strengthen themselves and tighten border patrols. The formation of the Chiss Army and Navy was tributary, with each Chiss colony world sending a complete Phalanx to Csilla for command by the Nuruodo family.

In 965 BBY, the Ascendancy passed the Non-Aggression Law, prohibiting preemptive warfare.

Foreign affairs
"&hellip;our experience with Grand Admiral Thrawn, taught us that insularity could be a weakness as well as a strength. It's not enough to be strong; a truly successful culture needs to be flexible as well. And in order to be flexible, we must look beyond what we consider familiar; we must come to know our neighbors as well as we know ourselves."

- Commander Irolia

The Chiss were very xenophobic, believing themselves to be superior to all others. Because of this, the Chiss were as isolationist as possible. They rarely engaged in trade with those outside their borders. Despite their isolationism, Chiss goods, like charrics, could be found in Republic markets by 3,951 BBY.

When the Sith Empire returned in 3,681 BBY to fight the Republic once more during the Great Galactic War and the Cold War, the Chiss Ascendancy was the only actual ally of the Empire, unlike all the species that the empire subjugated, and some Chiss were known to serve as Imperial Agents.

At some point prior to 1,000 BBY, the Brotherhood of Darkness raided the Unknown Regions to bolster their own forces. As part of this operation, a regiment of Chiss were relocated to Thule. Nearly a thousand years later, before the Clone Wars, Count Dooku recruited the Force-sensitive Chiss General Sev'rance Tann and her lover, Vandalor, to the armed forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the Clone Wars, the Ascendancy held diplomatic meetings with the Republic, with Aristocra Sev'eere'nuruodo meeting with the Republic's representative, the Chiss Jedi Padawan Kung'urama'nuruodo. The Chiss' position was to stay neutral in the conflict.

During the later stages of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Chiss joined the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances in the fight against the invaders, and apparently maintained closer relations with the Galactic Alliance following the peace treaty.

One of the Ascendancy's major conflicts was the Swarm War. The insect creatures, the Killiks were disrupting Chiss space. This would eventually lead to all out war against the species when Jacen Solo and his friends executed a sneak attack on Supply Depot Thrago to prevent Jacen's catastrophic vision from coming true. The Galactic Alliance would eventually be caught up in the mix once they realized it was the Dark Nest's influence on the colony that was provoking the war. The war was ended after the capture of the Colony's leader, Raynar Thul, and the destruction of the Dark Nest with the death of Lomi Plo after the death of Welk.

During the Sith–Imperial War, the Chiss were dragged into the conflict on the Fel Empire's side when Fehlaaur'aitel'loro, the Chiss diplomat to the Empire, was made a Moff, the head of the Imperial Diplomatic Corps and placed on the Moff Council.

Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire allowed the Ascendancy to retain much of its autonomy. However, it maintained some control over Ascendancy by making heads of Chiss houses high-ranking officials within the new Empire. It also gave the Ascendancy control over large tracts of the Unknown Regions. In 138 ABY, as the Second Imperial Civil War escalated following the poisoning of Dac and the return of Darth Krayt, the Ascendancy remained neutral, though, like the Hapes Consortium, it didn't even reply to Imperial requests for open liaisons.

Astrography
"Don't forget, the rest of Thrawn's people are out there somewhere. Whole star systems full of Chiss, whom I notice haven't exactly been eager to make their presence known to the New Republic."

- Mara Jade Skywalker.

In total, the Ascendency consisted of Csilla and twenty-eight inhabited colonies, although the Ascendancy contained several hundred thousand star systems within or near its borders. Information on all planets and star systems visited by the Chiss were kept in the Expeditionary Library on Csilla.

Notable Locations

 * Avidich &mdash; A vertiginous world of high peaks and dizzying drops, Avidich is used by the Chiss to cultivate edible lichens.
 * Brask Oto &mdash;CEDF space station serving as the barbican for the Redoubt.
 * Celwis &mdash; This colony along the Vagaari Corridor, once raided with regularity by alien aggressors, showcased a decisive demonstration of Chiss military strength shortly after the formation of the CEDF.
 * Cioral &mdash; Home of House Csapla, this planet is heavily urbanized, yet is responsible for overseeing the Ascendancy's half-dozen agricultural colonies.
 * Copero &mdash; Home of House Mitth, this world is the location of the Chiss Ascendancy's largest Shipyard.
 * Cormit &mdash; location of one of the two major CEDF bases.
 * Crustai &mdash; colony world where Chaf'orm'bintrano later rendezvoused with Jade Sabre en route for Outbound Flight.
 * Csaus &mdash; Home of House Inrokini, Csaus is the Ascendancy's hub of science and communications.
 * Csilla &mdash; ice-girt home world and political capital of the Chiss. Site of the city of Csaplar and the Expeditionary Library.
 * Jamiron &mdash; this world appears barren from space, but hides hydroponic Ag facilities inside its porous crust.
 * Kinoss &mdash; location of one of the two major CEDF bases.
 * Klasse Ephemora &mdash; this system contains the gas giant Mobus, around which the living planet Zonama Sekot orbited until late in the Yuuzhan Vong War.
 * Mobus &mdash; gas giant in the Klasse Ephemora system. Zonama Sekot sought refuge in a lunar orbit around Mobus after its flight from its home system in 29 BBY, and from 30 ABY, Zonama Sekot was resettled by the Yuuzhan Vong remnant.
 * Naporar &mdash; home of the Nuruodo family and location of the CEDF headquarters.
 * Ool &mdash; A forested planet spotted with vast circular plots of farmland.
 * Oyokal &mdash; An aquaculture colony of fish-stocked pools and wave-riding algal beds, Oyokal is home to a quadrupedal native species.
 * Pesfavri &mdash; location of defense fleet base near the redoubt.
 * The Redoubt &mdash; dense star cluster developed as an interstellar fortress by the Chiss. Site of Brask Oto and the unnamed planet on which Outbound Flight came down.
 * Rentor &mdash; The Chiss settlements on this world are constructed atop icebergs that slowly cruise the ocean currents.
 * Rhigar &mdash; site of a Chiss military academy in the Rata Nebula.
 * Sarvchi &mdash; home of the Chaf family.
 * Shihon &mdash; All animals on Shihon are boneless, with bulbous gasbags filling the sky and city-sized jellies choking the oceans.
 * Sposia &mdash; Home of House Sabosen, Sposia holds the Ascendancy's top academies and med-centers.
 * Tenupe &mdash; Situated on the Sparkle Run, Tenupe is a jungle world captured by the Chiss Ascendancy from the Killiks in the final battle of the Swarm War.
 * Thearterra &mdash; An obscure body in the S-K system, this world is perpetually racked by volcanoes, hailstorms, and ground-quakes.
 * Thrago &mdash; site of a CEDF supply depot anchored around a small moon, destroyed by rogue Jedi in 36 ABY.
 * Yashuvhu &mdash; remote hinterland planet with a Force-sensitive Human population; home world of the duuvhal, and of Force-talent Valara Saar.
 * Catlia, Massoss, Sharb, Noris, Schesa, and Ornfra &mdash; These outlying colonies, all homes to former Ruling Families, were largely wiped out prior to the Swarm War. The families on Catlia and Massoss became Joiners, while the others fell on the losing side of a civil conflict.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Outbound Flight
 * Vision of the Future
 * Survivor's Quest
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Dark Journey
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Tempest
 * Fury
 * Invincible
 * Abyss
 * Vortex
 * Ascension
 * X-wing: Mercy Kill
 * Star Wars: Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2