Chiss Expansionary Defense Force The Chiss Expansionary Defense Force was the military branch of the Chiss Ascendancy founded by the ancient syndic Jer ' Jo Cam ' Co after the initial discovery of several resource - rich worlds during the race ' s early explorations . Overview . The alternative name Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet appears to be simply an alternative translation from Cheunh , while the acronym CEDF seems to only be recorded in informal secondary use among non - Chiss . References to the Chiss Expansionary Fleet and Chiss Defense Fleet ; however , indicate two distinct subdivisions of the CEDF : the Expansionary Fleet was in charge of frontier patrols and exploratory missions in areas around the Ascendancy , and recorded its discoveries in the Expeditionary Library on the capital world of Csilla ; the Defense Fleet was charged with repelling aggressive incursions and considering long - term strategic concerns . The Defense Fleet was also noted as possessing a reconnaissance corps . It would seem that the high command of the Defense Fleet , known as the Defense Hierarchy , was in overall control of both divisions of the CEDF ; but as well as answering to the Hierarchy , the CEDF fell under the oversight of one or more of the Ruling Families — in 37 BBY , these were the Second and Eighth Ruling Families , apparently the Nuruodo and Mitth clans . Senior officers of the CEDF were stripped of their family names and made part of the Hierarchy . Bound by a strict non - aggression policy , both the Hierarchy and the Families refused to countenance or even consider preemptive strikes against potential enemies until they attacked the Ascendancy , although Commander Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo of the Expansionary Fleet ' s Picket Force Two stretched their rules of engagement to breaking point . It is not entirely clear on present evidence what relationship the Colonial Phalanx es assigned to guard the colony worlds of the Ascendancy bore to the CEDF ; but the evidence suggests that these constituted provincial guards under the authority of planetary House leader s , and it might be expected of them to have been distinct from the Defense Fleet ' s central strategic command . The CEDF also provided a role during the Chiss political decision making process as they gave the deciding vote whenever there was a deadlock between the Ruling Families over the best course of action to take during specific events . Standard CEDF officers wore black uniforms with patches colored to relate to their houses ; members of the Hierarchy wore all - white uniforms . Chiss commandos wore camouflaged color - shifting , fractal - pattern armor that allowed them to sneak across battlefields with ease , and carried demolition satchel s and charric guns . They were deployed on specialist tasks such as the placement of vape charge s on selected locations . History . During the Cold War , Ath ' en ' terro was a member of the CEDF . Little more was recorded of the CEDF until around the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War , and even then , the Chiss forces most prominently involved were not CEDF line units . The consular ship " Chaf Envoy " , involved in the recovery of " Outbound Flight " in 22 ABY , was technically under the authority of the Chaf family , while the Clawcraft deployed alongside New Republic forces from 26 ABY onwards were part of Mitth ' raw ' nuruodo ' s rogue Household Phalanx , which had evolved under the aegis of the Empire of the Hand . In around 29 ABY , radical — and still partially obscure — changes occurred in the CEDF and Chiss society in general . Imperial General Soontir Fel , a Human , apparently led Household Phalanx forces to intervene in a disagreement among the Ruling Families , as a result of which he became the CEDF ' s Assistant Syndic , while another Human , Peita Aabe , was appointed Chief Navigator . By 35 ABY , frontier tensions between the Chiss and the neighboring Killik Colony were reaching fever pitch , leading to the first skirmishes of the Swarm War . It was in this conflict that CEDF forces were first seen operating on a large scale by outsiders : the largest concentration of force observed during the war was the deployment of nearly fifty Chiss Star Destroyer s , plus hundreds of smaller capital ships , during the assault on Tenupe in 36 ABY .