Chiss Ascendancy

The Chiss held onto the wisdom of ancient thinkers, many of whom believed war to be inherently irrational. In 5100 BBY, the Chiss Great Families consolidated their power under a single Ruling Family: the Stybla, which became the First Ruling Family. Over time, the number of Ruling Families fluctuated, ranging from as many as twelve to as few as three. The Ascendancy also grew in stature, becoming a legendary entity to other civilizations within the Unknown Regions.

In 5019 BBY, the Chiss began venturing beyond their territory—referred to as "Chaos" by the Chiss. During this period of exploration, around 5000 BBY, they discovered an ancient alien superweapon known as Starflash. Around 4300 BBY, during the climax of a major war against an enemy, the Chiss were forced to retreat to Csilla. Despite initial setbacks, the Chiss Ascendancy resorted to using Starflash. However, the weapon also affected Csilla's sun, causing it to cool and render the planet's surface uninhabitable.

This led to a Chiss exodus, with many relocating from Csilla to colony worlds such as Avidich, Rentor and Sarvchi in 4260 BBY. This movement was largely kept secret within the Ascendancy. Official accounts of the event stated that Csilla's population had moved underground, omitting the fact that the subterranean population was far smaller than the pre-climate change population of four billion. Nevertheless, the headquarters of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet and Chiss Syndicure, along with numerous commercial and logistical facilities, remained on Csilla. Furthermore, most of the Chiss Ruling Families were reluctant to completely abandon their capital world, although some relocated their homesteads to other planets. By the time Mitth'raw'nuruodo commanded the Boco, Csilla's population was approximately sixty to seventy million, with some living aboveground to maintain the appearance of a thriving capital.

Beginning in 3650 BBY, during a period of Chiss history that was later viewed unfavorably, the Chiss Ascendancy ventured into the wider galaxy and participated in the Sith Wars, a series of conflicts between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. The Ascendancy encountered various aliens before withdrawing to its borders in 3450 BBY, incurring losses in wealth and technology. Rumors circulated among other powers in the Unknown Regions that the Chiss had joined the conflicts in what they called "Lesser Space," but these accounts remained unverified. The Chiss themselves considered their forays into the wider galaxy to be misguided endeavors.

Around 285 BBY, the Stybla family discovered a second Starflash weapon, concealing it from public knowledge on Sposia. Only trusted members of the Stybla family knew about the second Starflash, and sometime between 39 BBY and 19 BBY, Mitth'raw'nuruodo and Mitth'ras'safis uncovered the Stybla's secret.

The Chiss Ascendancy possessed records of numerous engagements against the Grysk Hegemony, including both those they participated in and those where they merely observed the Grysk. Around 150 BBY, the Coduyo family lost its status as a Ruling Family, while the Xodlak family was removed from ruling status around 68 BBY. Consequently, there were only Nine Ruling Families by the time of the Clone Wars in "Lesser Space."

Prior to the Nikardun conquests, the Chiss Defense Force was solely responsible for the internal security of Ascendancy territory. The Defense Force had repeatedly requested a broader mandate and enhanced capabilities from the Syndicure. Eventually, the Aristocra acquiesced, establishing the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet in 40 BBY. Its mission was to "monitor Chiss interests in the regions of the Chaos beyond the Ascendancy's borders, to identify external entities and assess their potential threat." The construction of numerous new ships, bases, and support facilities for the Expansionary Fleet created a demand for skilled officers and warriors. It was during this time that a young Chiss named Kivu'raw'nuru was recruited from Rentor to join the Mitth family.

In the early years of the Expansionary Defense Fleet, the Ascendancy showed little interest in establishing diplomatic relations with other civilizations in the Chaos. During this period, Junior Commander Mitth'raw'nuru sought to initiate the Lioaoin pirate campaign, promising General Ba'kif to differentiate between "hostiles and friendlies." Ba'kif responded that the Ascendancy had barely acknowledged the presence of other peoples and was not interested in friendships with them, instead tasking Thrawn with distinguishing between "hostiles and neutrals."

Sometime after the Lioaoin pirate campaign and before the Nikardun conquests, the Chiss Ascendancy launched a series of operations against Vagaari pirates. The Chiss successfully defeated the Vagaari. However, while militarily successful, the operations were a political setback for the Ascendancy, resulting in the death of Syndic Mitth'ras'safis and causing turmoil within the higher ranks of Chiss society. Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk of the Ascendancy and the Aristocra were displeased with the operation.

During the Nikardun conquests, the Chiss Ascendancy's capital, Csilla, was attacked by the Paataatus, who deployed three warships. Following the attack, Admiral Ar'alani launched a counter-attack on the Paataatus homeworld of Nettehi. However, this was orchestrated by General Yiv "the Benevolent" of the Nikardun Destiny in an attempt to conquer various governments of the Unknown Regions. Yiv successfully subjugated or allied with several factions, including the Lioaoin Regime and Urchiv-ki. However, the involvement of the Chiss Ascendancy, led by Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, also known by his core name of "Thrawn," hampered Yiv's plans.

Seeking allies against the Nikardun, Thrawn and his pilot Che'ri encountered Jedi General Anakin Skywalker above Batuu on the edge of the Outer Rim Territories, where Thrawn sought Skywalker's assistance in learning about the Clone Wars. Thrawn aided the Jedi Order and Republic Senator Padmé Amidala in fighting the Confederacy of Independent Systems and in assaulting a Separatist droid factory led by Duke Solha on the planet Mokivj, which was producing cortosis B2 super battle droids. Thrawn successfully retrieved the deflector shield generator that protected the factory, which was of a more advanced design than those known to the Chiss in the Unknown Regions. However, Thrawn was unimpressed with the state of the Republic and deemed it unsuitable for an alliance with the Chiss.

After Thrawn and Che'ri returned to Chiss space with the "Republic energy shield" taken from a Separatist base, the Chiss outmaneuvered the Nikardun forces in a battle near the Vak homeworld of Primea. The Vak Combine allowed the Chiss to engage the Nikardun to break the blockade over Primea, enabling Thrawn to board the bridge of Yiv's flagship and capture Yiv. Following his capture, the Nikardun Destiny was left without a capable leader, and their plans for conquest collapsed.

The Chiss Ascendancy's Chiss Defense Force conducted a series of campaigns to locate and eliminate the scattered remnants of Nikardun forces following Yiv's defeat. Although the Ascendancy typically did not permit military action without a prior attack, the threat posed by the Nikardun led the Syndicure to relax these rules.

Following the Nikardun conquests, a new, enigmatic adversary began targeting the Chaos. This unknown faction did not issue threats or ultimatums, nor did they amass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Instead, they attacked the very foundation of the Ascendancy: the relationships between Chiss families.

The Grysk operative "Jixtus," with his agent Haplif of the Agbui, sought to understand, exacerbate, and exploit the divisions between the Chiss' Nine Ruling Families and Forty Great Houses. Their plan was to instigate a civil war within the Chiss Ascendancy, making it vulnerable to conquest by the Grysk Hegemony. After learning about an ambitious mid-ranking Xodlak family Councilor on Celwis named Lakuviv, Haplif established himself on Celwis. There, Haplif manipulated Lakuviv into declaring a family emergency and attempting to forcibly seize a purported Agbui mining world rich in the valuable metal nyix. Senior Captain Xodlak'in'daro of the Chiss heavy cruiser Grayshrike was placed in command of the newly formed Task Force Xodlak. Similar plots unfolded concurrently on the Chiss planets of Copero, affiliated with the Erighal family and their fleet; and Sarvchi, associated with the Pommrio family and their fleet.

Each of the three Great Families being manipulated by Jixtus' agents—the Xodlak, Erighal, and Pommrio—were allied with rival members of the Nine Ruling Families. Open warfare between the Xodlak, Erighal, and Pommrio would inevitably involve the Ruling Families and engulf the entire Chiss Ascendancy. With each of these three Great Families determined to claim Hoxim's supposed nyix mine and willing to fight to the death for it, Jixtus's plans were close to succeeding.

The forces of the three Great Families converged in the space above the Agbui mining world of Hoxim, unaware that the planet held no real value. They were on the verge of engaging in hostilities when they noticed the Springhawk, flagship of Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, derelict and seemingly under attack. The three families' forces cooperated to "rescue" the Springhawk, fighting and defeating the forces that had "attacked" Thrawn. In the ensuing battle, the purported nyix mine on the planet's surface was destroyed, ensuring that the families could not fight over the nyix that was allegedly there.

Through this, Senior Captains Thrawn and Lakinda prevented Jixtus's plot from triggering a full-scale civil war among the Chiss. The Xodlak, Erighal, and Pommrio families were all commended and honored for rescuing a downed Expansionary Defense Fleet warship. Nevertheless, the Patriarch of the Xodlak family was furious at Lakinda for failing to secure the supposed nyix deposit, leaving Lakinda, a merit adoptive, in a precarious position within her family. Shortly thereafter, Syndic Zistalmu of the Ruling Irizi family offered her a spot as a Trial-born of the Irizi, without requiring her to undergo the Trials.

The end to Jixtus's plans against the Chiss came with Senior Captain Thrawn's last stand. Although the Grysk Hegemony's plot to incite a Chiss civil war was thwarted, the Grysk remained a threat to the Ascendancy.

The Chiss Ascendancy tasked Thrawn with exploring the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy to assess whether the emerging Galactic Empire would be a suitable ally against the growing threat of the Grysk Hegemony. When Thrawn departed, there were renewed signs of political discord within the Ascendancy, but he assumed the Aristocra would resolve their issues, as they had done many times before. Upon his return, the Ascendancy decided that it was time to determine whether the Galactic Empire would be a viable ally. They decided to infiltrate the Empire, either to forge an alliance or to weaken it, making it an easier target for the threat to attack instead of the Chiss. With the Aristocra's approval, Thrawn selected a planet in Wild Space to stage his fake exile and attract the attention of the Galactic Empire.

On his "exile" planet, Thrawn was captured without resistance by Imperial Captain Voss Parck. Thrawn was then brought before Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine on the galactic capital of Coruscant to be questioned about the threats lurking within the Unknown Regions. Thrawn became his advisor on matters related to these areas, but he kept the location of Chiss territory a secret from the Emperor. He was also assigned Ensign Eli Vanto as his translator and aide. However, after years of partnership, Thrawn sent Vanto to the Ascendancy as an Imperial liaison, believing that he could be of great assistance to the Chiss. Vanto then rendezvoused with Chiss Admiral Ar'alani.

Discovering the Grysks stealing the moons surrounding Mokivj, Thrawn, who had been promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral after the victory at Batonn, and the Empire engaged Grysk forces on Mokivj and in space, rescuing Force-sensitive Chiss girls known as ozyly-esehembo from the Grysks. Ar'alani pledged to reinforce the defenses of the colony world from which the Chiss children were taken. Speaking with Darth Vader, Thrawn admitted that the Ascendancy might be on the verge of a civil war, suggesting that the Aristocra had failed to resolve their differences or that one side was under Grysk influence.

Later, an armed Grysk warship concealed itself within an asteroid, prompting the Empire to bombard the enemy ship with turbolaser fire. Shortly after exiting hyperspace, the Steadfast deployed plasma spheres to deflect Grysk laser fire. Before departing, Ar'alani instructed her crew to salvage debris from the Grysk warship. Eli and Ar'alani then boarded the Grysk warship to find that the Empire had captured two Grysk prisoners. A tense exchange occurred between Ar'alani and one of the Grysks. Soon after, the Chiss entered Imperial space to warn the Empire about the Grysks and to warn the Grysk Hegemony to withdraw. The Grysk commander dismissively asked if the Chiss were serving the Empire and attempted to downplay recent Grysk defeats. Observing the space battle, Vanto and the Chiss officers realized that the surviving Grysk starfighters were returning to their warships to relay information about their enemy's defenses to newer reinforcements. However, with the aid of Thrawn's TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighters, the Ascendancy defeated the Grysk craft.

After pushing the Grysk back, Vanto learned that his work focused on the navigators, and Thrawn dispatched Assistant Director Brierly Ronan to join the Ascendancy. Emperor Palpatine also spoke to Thrawn, who acknowledged that the Chiss force had breached Imperial space, but explained that it was to warn the Empire about the Grysks, and that the Grysk presence in the Kurost sector demonstrated their active interest in the Empire. However, the Emperor privately resolved that, to counter the Grysks, he should seize control of the Chiss Ascendancy, intending to use Thrawn to achieve this. However, before the Grand Admiral and the Emperor could have their "long talk," Thrawn, the Chimaera, and Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger were taken away during a local rebellion on Lothal into deep space by a pod of Purrgil that Bridger had summoned.

Referred to as a "nation" like other powers in the Unknown Regions, the Chiss Ascendancy was a hegemonic empire comprised of interconnected sovereignties. These sovereignties were governed by the noble houses of the Aristocra, a sociopolitical body consisting of mid-level members of the empire's Nine Ruling Families. The Aristocra collectively served, represented, and unified the Chiss species, bringing them under a single, common structure. Most notably, the Aristocra effectively constituted the governmental hierarchy and bureaucracy of the Chiss, known as the Chiss Syndicure, the executive leadership that served as the collective head of state of the Ascendancy. The Syndicure was located in both Assembly Cupola and Convocate Hall in Csaplar, the capital city of the Chiss Ascendancy.

The power held by the ruling families was the source of the Aristocra's authority. As such, they had the power to pass legislation and approve decisions to be implemented throughout the Ascendancy.

The Chiss Defense Force, responsible for the defense of Chiss territory, and the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, which patrolled the Chaos, together comprised the Ascendancy military. These forces operated under a legal framework that restricted their authority to launch preemptive attacks and mandated that they "watch over Chiss interests in the parts of the Chaos extending beyond the Ascendancy borders, to learn who was out there and assess their level of threat." In addition to the Expansionary Defense Fleet, many Chiss families maintained their own family fleets, which served a similar purpose to planetary defense forces for planets where the family exerted significant influence.

The Defense Hierarchy Council, an admiralty, oversaw all operations of the Chiss Defense Fleet. This council also possessed the authority to exile traitors for offenses against the Chiss. Chiss officers wore specialized uniforms designed to absorb energy, offering protection against blaster fire. The Chiss Defense Fleet employed a variety of military ranks, including admiral and commander. Despite official policy prohibiting Aristocra influence over military assignments, such interference was known to occur covertly. The fleet utilized diverse starships, encompassing both Chiss warships and Chiss shuttles. The Chiss shuttle was also known as a Chiss courier vessel.

Ozyly-esehembo, a Cheunh term that translates to "sky-walker" in Galactic Basic Standard, referred to Force-sensitive Chiss navigators. These individuals were managed by the Sky-walker corps for navigating challenging regions within the Unknown Regions. Sky-walkers were typically Chiss children, usually girls aged between seven and fourteen, although some recalled the power lasting until fifteen. However, the power could also diminish prematurely.

Unlike many other governing bodies, the Chiss Ascendancy favored a more open approach in its galactic interactions, adhering to a principle of strict non-intervention and peaceful diplomacy. This principle was formalized through Chiss laws that forbade preemptive strikes. While military service held significant importance within Chiss culture and heritage, the concepts of conquest and aggressive expansion were almost universally rejected by Chiss society and would fundamentally violate military protocols. The Chiss believed in only resorting to war if the Ascendancy was attacked by external forces, not in initiating force. Official military policy emphasized exhausting all possible options to avoid a preemptive strike against a potential adversary. Although gathering intelligence in another faction's territory was technically permitted, it bordered on violating the rule and raised concerns.

Even though the Chiss did not permit involvement in non-Chiss conflicts without provocation, they also prohibited deliberate provocation. Their military vessels were allowed to provide humanitarian assistance if they happened to arrive after such conflicts. The Chiss Ascendancy generally maintained an isolationist stance, rarely involving itself in matters beyond its own territorial boundaries. When the Ascendancy did engage in intergalactic affairs, which was infrequent, it demonstrated its peaceful values through a benevolent approach. However, the Ascendancy always exercised extreme caution, taking measures to keep the location of Chiss Space concealed, even from leaders of other galactic governments. Despite having diplomats, the Chiss showed little interest in cultivating serious relationships with other "nations" in the Unknown Regions, with some Chiss even questioning whether aliens were truly sentient beings.

While direct involvement in galactic conflicts was rare, the Ascendancy would occasionally dispatch emissaries to observe large-scale wars and assess the galactic geopolitical landscape. For example, during the Clone Wars, Mitth'raw'nuruodo was sent to Republic space to analyze the conflict, during which he encountered the Jedi Order. Years later, he was sent to the Galactic Empire to evaluate its strength and determine its suitability as an ally against threats lurking in the Unknown Regions, just beyond Chiss territory. These external engagements were only undertaken if they were perceived as beneficial to Chiss interests or if specific circumstances presented potential future negative consequences for the Ascendancy. Chiss and Imperial forces collaborated in battles against the Grysks in 1 BBY. While Thrawn sought mutually beneficial outcomes for both the Empire and his people, Emperor Palpatine, unbeknownst to the Chiss, aimed to gain complete control over the Chiss Ascendancy and become their emperor.

Throughout history, refugees occasionally sought asylum on Ascendancy worlds. However, Chiss Patriels almost always rejected requests for land and turned the refugees away. While the Ascendancy did not actively pursue expansion, it regularly sent ships beyond its borders for exploration and research. This enabled them to map and chart vast areas of Wild Space and the Unknown Regions and to discover potential threats to the Chiss species.

From a philosophical standpoint, the Ascendancy justified its actions through a utilitarian framework, reflecting the empirically-minded nature of the Chiss. The Chiss viewed their government as the antithesis of the chaotic Unknown Regions, believing their Ascendancy represented order, security, steadfastness, power, glory, light, and culture. Young Chiss were permitted to take a "wandering year" after completing their basic education to travel throughout the Unknown Regions and learn. Following this year, which also provided an opportunity for self-reflection and meditation, the Chiss were expected to resume their studies, whether vocational training or advanced education. The wandering year was a common practice among some Chiss families, with proponents arguing that it allowed younger generations to better identify their talents and goals, potentially preventing false starts in their future studies. However, critics of the practice argued that there was little evidence to support these benefits.

Critics of the wandering year tradition suggested that it was merely a period for young people to indulge in self-centered laziness while squandering parental resources. A cynical perspective from some members of Chiss society viewed the wandering year as an escape for young adults seeking to avoid what was traditionally considered the most condescending and arrogant phase of their lives. While similar practices existed in other cultures within the Unknown Regions, the Chiss considered their tradition unique. Indeed, the Chiss often displayed condescension towards other species in the Unknown Regions, as if they believed themselves to be the only truly sentient beings in the region. The Chiss language was Cheunh, and written communication was conducted using Cheunh script. Government officials employed variants of the Cheunh script that were intentionally difficult for observers to read upside-down. In the distant past, the Stybla family used Tybroic as a language, but by around 18 BBY, it was only used in ceremonies. In their limited interactions with outsiders, the Chiss utilized trade languages such as Sy Bisti, which served as a common means of communication throughout the Unknown Regions and Wild Space. Other trade languages used by the Chiss both within the Chaos and during their rare ventures into Lesser Space included Taarja and Minnisiat.

The social and political structures of the Ascendancy revolved around "family" structures, which often led to political conflicts. While several Ruling Families existed, a number of "Great Families" could potentially ascend to the ruling elite under the right circumstances. Thousands of lesser families also existed, holding less influence than the Great Families. The number of Ruling and Great Families was not fixed, with families capable of rising and falling. Some lesser families aspired to join the ranks of the Great Families, while others were content with their local power bases. Although family loyalty was not supposed to influence military decisions, it often did so unofficially. While the Syndicure lacked official control over military matters, it could offer advice, encouragement, and, as Thrawn put it, "make trouble," a skill at which the politicians excelled.

Most Chiss names were multi-syllabic and composed of three distinct parts, exemplified by Mitth'raw'nuruodo. The first part identified an individual's family, the second was their given name, and the third indicated other social factors. A combination of parts from the three sections formed the individual's core name, such as "Thrawn" derived from "Mitth'raw'nuruodo."

The secrets surrounding Second and Third Sights were among the Chiss Ascendancy's most closely guarded, to the point where many Chiss were unaware of their full extent or even their existence. Those with the ability to use the Sight to navigate for the CDF were known as ozyly-esehembo, the Cheunh term for "sky-walker." The existence of the sky-walkers was also concealed from other species and nations in the Unknown Regions, with the Chiss even hiring alien navigators to maintain the illusion that they lacked their own. Jixtus speculated that the Chiss possessed their own form of hyperspace navigation, but he incorrectly assumed that they used electronic hyperdrives acquired during the Sith Wars. However, Grysk agents later became aware of the Sky-walker corps.

Similar to the Galactic Empire's prejudice towards aliens, the Chiss Ascendancy was known for distrusting humans. When Imperial Commander Eli Vanto served in the Chiss Defense Fleet, he experienced treatment similar to that received by Grand Admiral Thrawn when he joined the Empire. Nevertheless, all mistrust towards Vanto dissipated once he proved his value. Despite maintaining limited relations with neighboring nations in the Unknown Regions, the Chiss saw little reason to treat them as allies or equals.

The Chiss Ascendancy governed a region of space situated beyond the known galaxy's boundaries. The Chiss Ascendancy placed immense value on its sovereignty. The Ascendancy's government went to extreme lengths to avoid compromising the location of its territory, resulting in the Chiss becoming a species shrouded in mystery and legend. The Chiss Ascendancy was divided into multiple sectors, including one located in the northeast-zenith of its territory. Additionally, a group of sectors was situated in the southeast of the Ascendancy. By the Clone Wars era, the Ascendancy had evolved into an empire that controlled a substantial portion of the Unknown Regions.