A treatise concerning
The Existing Reality of Chiss Equality and the Necessity for Their Integration into Imperial Society
By
Nicohlas Heermann
Minister (Acting)
Sith Intelligence
Original
Edited by
Strategic Communications, Imperial Trade and Communications Bureau
Published by
Outreach Bureau, Sith Intelligence, The Citadel, Kaas City
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INTRODUCTION
A hallmark of our Empire is its exclusive governance by humans and Sith purebloods. This tradition of racial dominance of Imperial politics, society and culture extends back to the founding of the Sith Empire. Such supremacy has afforded strength and purity to our system of governance, assuring many of our victories over our enemies.
The earliest years of the Empire’s inception witnessed common interbreeding among humans and Sith purebloods, giving way to a partnership of two races that would come to oversee the most powerful civilization in Galactic history. Thousands of years later, the Empire has been unpredictably fortunate to discover a third race whose prospective incorporation into Imperial life promises a revival of racial purity and an emboldening of our traditional and shared values. The race in question, are our Chiss allies.
This treatise advocates a pro-integrationist approach concerning the status of Chiss living in Imperial Space. It shall submit evidence of the existing racial equality of the Chiss with the ruling class of humans and Sith purebloods, and explore the prospective benefits of fully integrating them into Imperial culture.
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PART I – Why integrate the Chiss and what does the Empire gain from integration?
The aforementioned coupling of the human and Sith pureblood races marked the genesis of a powerful new Empire destined to consolidate Galactic rule under a single ruling authority. Adding the Chiss to the ruling racial classes of Imperial society will revitalize and bolster the Empire’s resolve. Facilitating the ability of Chiss to become full Imperial citizens also reinforces our alliance with the Chiss Ascendancy, bringing our two civilizations closer.
By assimilating Chiss living in Imperial Space into the ruling classes, the Empire achieves a closer working relationship and greater trust with the Chiss Ascendency and its personnel stationed in Imperial Space. Consequently, the Empire will be able to capitalize more fully on our Chiss allies' military and economic resources. Greater access to Chiss material and expertise stands to revitalize our war effort against the Republic.
A more long-term benefit is that by opening up more opportunities for the Chiss in Imperial society, we afford ourselves the opportunity to examine our shared cultural values. Bringing in the current Chiss outsiders can cause us to undertake an introspective evaluation of our own system, recognizing areas for improvement. Sharing knowledge, resources and culture with the similarly-minded Chiss stands to make the Empire stronger and more efficient.
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PART II – Are the Chiss worthy of integration and what have they done for the Empire?
Naturally the first question to be asked after determining the benefits of Chiss integration is whether the Chiss are worthy of achieving higher social status within the Empire. The Chiss have in fact, already substantially proven their worth in terms of their already existing racial and social equality as well as contributions already made to the Imperial war effort. The challenge for Imperials is to objectively assess the current standing of Chiss in the Empire and review their assistance to Imperial efforts to date.
Like Imperials, the near-human Chiss share a meaningful sense of citizenship and social responsibilities. They place a high value on the success and welfare of their entire civilization, while maintaining opportunities for individual achievement. Their utilization of a highly complex language system as well as their intricate political governing structure is evidence of an advanced intellect not found in alien species. Chiss are xenophobic and cautious of alien influences just as Imperials. The isolationist policy of the Ascendancy has significantly contributed to the preservation of the racial and social purity of their race. That Chiss Ruling Families bolster their ranks via merit adoption ensures rule by the strong while societal structures and protocols guard against crippling political debilitation. There is vast evidence of shared values between the Chiss and Imperial cultures, such as national pride, a high intellect, and a strong emphasis on the value of pragmatism and efficiency.
The contributions made to Imperial efforts by the Chiss have been incomparably greater than all other Imperial allies or subjects. The Chiss Ascendancy is unique in its relationship to the Sith Empire in that it is the only partner to willfully engage in a mutually beneficial alliance to the end of achieving shared goals. As I can speak on the matter with great authority, I can assure the Imperial citizenry that the Ascendancy has made invaluable contributions to the war within the realm of intelligence and espionage operations (regrettably, details must remain strictly classified). In terms of their military prowess, the professionalism and skill of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force establishes it as the only non-Empire military body that rivals that of the Imperial military. The contributions and competence of Chiss officers has been so great in fact, that some have achieved official rank in Imperial military and intelligence organizations.
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PART III – How can the Chiss be integrated into Imperial society?
Finally, after witnessing the value and perhaps even the necessity of integrating the Chiss into Imperial society, means to ensure the smooth integration of the Chiss must be explored. Mechanisms must be implemented to ensure the rapid and efficient incorporation of the Chiss to permit, as early as possible, their continued contributions and advancement in the Empire. These means must address both our current relationship with the Ascendancy as well as Chiss living in Imperial Space.
With regard to Imperial relations with the Ascendancy, the following recommendations should be considered:
• Under the existing treaty, Chiss space or territories under the administration of the Chiss Ascendancy are granted permanent autonomy from Imperial rule. This “special status” should continue through the end of armed hostilities with the Republic, being permanently binding. Negotiations should be conducted by the Diplomatic Service to determine whether the Ascendancy shall seek further incorporation into the Sith Empire while considering a uniquely held right to self-governance.
• The Imperial Ministries of Logistics and War should conduct a study to determine if resource contributions made by the Ascendancy may be scaled back in order to allow for more independent operations. Intelligence contributions should continue at current levels and may be subject to enhancement pending any scale-back in other areas.
• Once Republic forces are successfully repelled, Ilum should be established as the official waystation for trade, military deployments or other travel between Imperial and Chiss space. The Empire may consider offering Ilum to the Ascendancy as a colony.
• Marriages between high-level Imperial and Chiss citizens may be considered as a way to both promote closer cooperation between the Empire and Ascendancy as well as a means to more quickly normalize the standing of Chiss living in Imperial territory.
Regarding Chiss living in Imperial territory, I recommend the following:
• Chiss expatriates and others citizens living or operating in Imperial Space should be granted full citizenship and rights as equals under an expedited process. The Empire shall assume responsibility for their safety and welfare as it does for its own citizens.
• Imperials must become accustomed to treating Chiss as equals, not aliens. This new perspective must be applied when Chiss are being assigned or promoted by Imperial officials.
• The Ministry of Biotic Science should conduct a study of Chiss physiology to examine (and undoubtedly discover) relation to humans.
• A committee or non-governmental organization be established to further explore the merits of Chiss integration and mechanisms to ensure a rapid and efficient incorporation.
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COUNTER-ARGUMENTS
The Chiss are aliens. Certainly the Chiss are non-human, but the accusation of them being ‘alien’ is an unfounded bias. Indeed, it is likely Chiss physiology more closely resembles that of Humans than that of the Sith purebloods. In terms of culture, the Chiss are more similar to the Empire than any other known civilization, and share many of our values.
Integrating the Chiss pollutes the racial purity of the ruling elite. While the entry of a third race into the ethnic ruling elite of Imperial society is historically significant, the vast similarities, physiological, cultural and other between Chiss and Imperials is such that their integration stands only to reinvigorate the authority of the Empire’s ruling class. The benefits of Chiss integration, as explored above, promises to give way to a second golden age for the Sith Empire.
The Chiss will usurp the existing Imperial authority. It is unlikely the Chiss will come to dominate Imperial administration, preferring instead to remain in their isolationist enclave, but the Empire only benefits from the full integration of Chiss living and operating in Imperial Space. This reality should dismiss any fears of a Chiss “takeover” of Imperial government.
This is an advancement of the Alien Initiatives. On the contrary, incorporating the Chiss into the Imperial power structure will allow a more selective racial integration and permit a scale back of the implementation of the Alien Initiatives. What some progressives hoped to achieve with the Initiatives program can be more effectively achieved through greater cooperation with our Chiss allies and allow us to maintain our purity and traditions.
The Chiss cannot be trusted. Easily the most common complaint against the Chiss. Though a widely held perception this bias holds little basis in truth. The Ascendancy has been allied with the Empire for years, and has remained our trusted ally even during time of great trial. There has never been any substantial evidence to prove the Chiss mean to renege on this valued partnership.
Children potentially borne of Chiss-Human/Sith relationships will be “half-breeds.” When the Dark Jedi arrived on Korriban and began inter-breeding with the Sith natives, their union gave birth to an enhanced species of powerful warriors who came to lead the Sith Empire. Similarly, a union with the physiologically and culturally similar Chiss promises to revitalize the racial supremacy of the Empire’s ruling elite. Rather than “half-breed,” the union of Chiss and Humans/Sith Purebloods may give way to a “new-breed” of Imperial leadership. Whereas the marriage of the Human and Sith races gave way to an aggressively militaristic culture, incorporating the Chiss can maintain that system while offering a boost to the intellectual aspects of governance and expansion. Very little is currently known on the subject of Chiss hybrids; however, so this possibility remains hypothetical.
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CONCLUSION
I trust it can be seen that the notion of Chiss integration promises to be of great benefit to the Empire. Arguments against this proposal are principally rooted in unfounded bias and fear. Certainly while I advocate strongly for Chiss integration there are some important points of concern to address.
While the Chiss should be integrated into Imperial society, we must but must be careful not to let this be a precedent for a more inclusive approach with regard to other species. The Chiss have proved themselves a cut far above that of other near-human species, but this is not a blanket endorsement for the incorporation of those races as well. Also, advocacy for Chiss integration is not a deviation from our principles, rather, it makes the Empire stronger and renews the values we share.
I’m a known traditionalist to many. My views here do not represent an abandonment of traditional values and principles. Instead, they are the reasoned observation of the existing fact that the Chiss are similar to the Empire in almost every manner, and there is tremendous potential for integrating them into our society.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicohlas Heermann is the acting Minister of Sith Intelligence. A career military intelligence officer, Heermann spent most of his career in the War Ministry. He is a veteran of the Battles of Corellia and Ilum.
