1984, Taking the Initiative
The Chiss were conservative to the core.
The root of that conservatism was that, in their little corner of the Unknown Regions, they lacked natural enemies. Their ability to use Skywalkers' "third sight" for hyperspace navigation had allowed the Chiss to build a vast power spanning dozens of habitable planets. In the Unknown Regions, where hyperspace travel was generally unavailable, this was practically a dimensionality-reduction strike.
Thus, the Chiss' true conflicts lay between the families within their own territory. There were currently nine ruling families among the Chiss, but at their fewest there had been only three, while at their most there had even been twelve. The intensity of their internal struggles was obvious.
As a result, every family feared that if it committed all its strength to an offensive, the other families would exploit the opening. There had been many such precedents.
So, Chiss military theory actually had major flaws. They did indeed possess a highly refined officer-training system, but it was not as formidable as people imagined—such systems also existed in the Galactic Empire and the Duchy of Dawn.
The difference was that the Galactic Empire was too vast and too corrupt. Many truly capable people could not be promoted or entrusted with important duties. With countless great noble houses of the Core Worlds monopolizing power, many talented individuals had no room to prove themselves.
Moreover, the Galactic Empire was rich and powerful. Even if its military was controlled by a pack of incompetents, it could afford to lose... In the end, it only needed to crush its opponents with its overwhelming industrial capacity.
The Duchy of Dawn's situation was simple and clear. It was not corrupt, and it offered plenty of opportunities to demonstrate one's abilities, but it lacked the accumulation of time.