Chiss Ascendancy / Legends 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 . 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 . 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 - ruu k and the threat of the Vagaari ( who fought three wars with the Chiss ) , the Yuuzhan Vong War in which is the reason Thrawn went to Palpatine in the first place , to help defeat the threat of the Yuuzhan Vong in the Unknown regions , and the later Killik incursion . There were two military organizations : the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet and the Colonial Phalanx es , 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 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 . 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 charric s , could be found in Republic markets by 3951 BBY . When the Sith Empire returned in 3681 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 Agent s . When the Eternal Empire conquered the galaxy in 3636 BBY , the Ascendancy ceded its two richest industrial worlds to Emperor Arcann as tribute in exchange for the Ascendancy ' s continued autonomy . When the Eternal Empire fell to the Alliance six years later , the Ascendancy quickly reclaimed the worlds with the aid of the Sith Empire . At some point prior to 1000 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 did not even reply to Imperial requests for open liaisons . Astrography . In total , the Ascendancy 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 .