Eighth Ruling Family
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The Eighth Ruling Family (probably named the Mitth Family) was one of the Ruling Families of the Chiss Ascendancy. Along with the Second Ruling Family, the Eighth Ruling Family had charge of military affairs. Every Chiss Ruling Family was apparently associated with a specific color, and that of the Eighth Ruling Family was a dark burgundy red.
As with all Ruling Families, membership and status within the group was defined partially by blood descent, but partially also by merit. The brothers Mitth'ras'safais and Mitth'raw'nuruodo, born commoners, became members of this Family by a complex process of adoption, which seems to have involved their being attached as temporary merit adoptives, then declared Trial-born, and finally matched permanently to the bloodline, a process that may have involved marriage to female members of the kin-group. By 27 BBY, Thrass, the elder brother, was a Syndic of the Family while Thrawn was still a Force Commander in the Expansionary Fleet.
At some later date, it appears that Thrawn likewise became a Syndic of the Family, as in 19 ABY, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade encountered warriors from a Chiss Household Phalanx on Nirauan, identifying themselves as warriors serving "Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo", and wearing the burgundy colors of the Family.
In 22 ABY, the number of Ruling Families was still said to be nine, although it was not said explicitly that the designation of Eighth Ruling Family was still borne by the same affinity; but by 29 ABY, it was claimed that the number of Ruling Families in the Ascendancy had been reduced to four, and the Mitth Family was not mentioned as one of them.
However, it is clear that Thrawn's Household Phalanx was still in existence at this time, and in 35 ABY, a Chiss legation to Coruscant was led by an Aristocra Mitt'swe'kleoni, whose name suggests that he is likely to have been a member of this Family. The internal politics of the Ascendancy at this time are very unclear, and it is possible that much of the available information is misunderstanding or deliberate misinformation, making it hard to draw any firm conclusions.
[edit] Behind the scenes
If we exclude Thrawn, whose appearances date back to Heir to the Empire, Chiss associated with the Eighth Ruling Family first appeared in Vision of the Future. However, the designation of the Family was not used until Outbound Flight, and even now, it is not quite clear what the Family's proper name is. Although there are very strong hints that they are known as the Mitth Family, the evidence is not quite categorical.
