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%%* TheAce

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%%* TheAce* TheAce - described by the Emperor as "the best there ever was"



%%* BoisterousBruiser

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%%* BoisterousBruiser* BoisterousBruiser - sings old Celtic ditties while taking on an entire mob of angry miners



%%* ColonelBadass
%%* FourStarBadass

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%%* ColonelBadass
%%* FourStarBadass
* ColonelBadass - spymaster, and active spy
* FourStarBadass - Absolutely willing to take up the gun or the knife himself, and gets in trouble with his boss for leading from the front
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%%* NepaliWithNastyKnives

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Commented out Zero Context Examples.


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%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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* {{Badass}}
* CombatPragmatist

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* %%* {{Badass}}
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* DarkAndTroubledPast
* {{Determinator}}
* TheHero

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* %%* {{Determinator}}
* %%* TheHero



* TheSmartGuy

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* BoisterousBruiser
* CulturedBadass

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* %%* CulturedBadass



* TheLancer
* HeavyWorlder

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* %%* HeavyWorlder



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* %%* ViolentGlaswegian



* ActionGirl
* FriendlySniper
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* %%* ActionGirl
* %%* FriendlySniper
* %%* BoobsOfSteel: "Hey, they float!"
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* TheBigGuy
* NiceGuy
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure

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* %%* TheBigGuy
* %%* NiceGuy
* %%* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
* %%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure



* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking

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* %%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking



* ColonelBadass
* FourStarBadass
* GeneralBadass
* NiceGuy
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness

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* %%* ColonelBadass
* %%* FourStarBadass
* %%* GeneralBadass
* %%* NiceGuy
* %%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* %%* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness



* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking

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* %%* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking



* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: In ''Empire's End''.]]

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* %%* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: In ''Empire's End''.]]



* ResurrectiveImmortality

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* %%* ResurrectiveImmortality



* SupremeChef

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* %%* BadAss: And how!
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* %%* NepaliWithNastyKnives



* ProudWarriorRaceGuy

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* %%* ProudWarriorRaceGuy



* NiceGuy
* TheProfiler

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* %%* NiceGuy
* %%* TheProfiler
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Do not spoiler tag trope names on work pages or the names of works on trope pages; please see Handling Spoilers for more information.





* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: He's accused of treason and killed in ''Vortex''.]]

to:

* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: He's accused of treason and killed in ''Vortex''.]]



* [[spoiler: YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness]]

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* [[spoiler: YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness]]
YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness



* [[spoiler: CameBackWrong: After being successfully assassinated by a cabal of ambitious businesspersons.]]
* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: He's killed at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'' and returns in ''[[CaptainObvious The Return of the Emperor]]'', but Sten permanently kills him in ''Empire's End''.]]

to:

* [[spoiler: CameBackWrong: [[spoiler: After being successfully assassinated by a cabal of ambitious businesspersons.]]
* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: He's killed at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'' and returns in ''[[CaptainObvious The Return of the Emperor]]'', but Sten permanently kills him in ''Empire's End''.]]



* [[spoiler: EvilAllAlong: Suggested by Rykor, who notes that he was quietly killing off anyone who could be a threat to him for years, even before he died.]]

to:

* [[spoiler: EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler: Suggested by Rykor, who notes that he was quietly killing off anyone who could be a threat to him for years, even before he died.]]



* [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal: In ''Empire's End''.]]

to:

* [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: In ''Empire's End''.]]
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* NoPartyLikeADonnerParty: As a young man, he ended up on a ship that, on the way back, ran out of food. By the end of the trip, he was the only person left alive. [[spoiler: Which meant that he was the only person who knew where to get AM2, which effectively gave him the keys to starting the Empire.]]
* RealityEnsues: The Emperor is the only person who knows where and how to get AM2. AM2 is used for everything from starship fuel to ammunition. So after [[spoiler: he dies at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'']], the Privy Council drives itself crazy trying to find where and how to get more, because they're rapidly running out of time until they run out- and then they're well and truly fucked.

to:

* NoPartyLikeADonnerParty: As a young man, he ended up on a ship that, on the way back, ran out of food. By the end of the trip, he was the only person left alive. [[spoiler: Which meant that he was the only person who knew where to get AM2, [=AM2=], which effectively gave him the keys to starting the Empire.]]
* RealityEnsues: The Emperor is the only person who knows where and how to get AM2. AM2 [=AM2=]. [=AM2=] is used for everything from starship fuel to ammunition. So after [[spoiler: he dies at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'']], the Privy Council drives itself crazy trying to find where and how to get more, because they're rapidly running out of time until they run out- and then they're well and truly fucked.

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'''Sten'''

to:

'''Sten'''

!!!'''Sten'''



* ConvenientlyAnOrphan

to:

* ConvenientlyAnOrphanConvenientlyAnOrphan: He ended up running late to a planned family outing. By the time he got there, the place where said outing was had been launched into space, killing over a thousand people (including every other member of his family).



* {{Determinator}}



* HurtingHero: But very [[TheStoic stoically]]

to:

* HiddenWeapons: He has a knife that he made himself (which cuts through just about everything), hidden in a specially-made sheath in his arm. Yes, ''in'' his arm.
* HurtingHero: But very [[TheStoic stoically]]stoically]].



* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname (He's named "Karl Sten.")

'''Alex Kilgour'''

to:

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname (He's named "Karl Sten.")

'''Alex Kilgour'''
OnlyOneName: Officially, he's known as Sten, NI (No Initial). His first name is actually Karl, but it hardly ever comes up.
* TheSmartGuy

!!!'''Alex Kilgour'''



* [[{{Pun}} Incredibly Lame Pun]]: He's prone to telling long-winded stories that go on and on, only to end with a punch-line consisting of a terrible pun. [[RunningGag Nobody thinks they're funny.]]



* TheBigGuy: Holy ''shit'' is he strong. Justified, as he comes from a world with heavy gravity.



'''Cind'''

A stone-cold gorgeous female soldier with a talent for the "long-arm." Descended from the defunct warrior caste of the Jannisars, she runs away from home to become one of the few humans in the Bhor-run military. Completely and totally in love with Sten.

to:

'''Cind'''

!!!'''Cind'''
A stone-cold gorgeous female soldier with a talent for the "long-arm." Descended from the defunct warrior caste of the Jannisars, Jannissars, she runs away from home to become one of the few humans in the Bhor-run military. Completely and totally in love with Sten.



'''Otho'''

to:

'''Otho'''!!!'''Otho'''
The leader of the Bhor, a race of ProudWarriorRaceGuys who end up on Sten's side during ''The Wolf Worlds'' and remains a good friend of Sten's afterwards.



* NiceGuy




'''Mahoney'''

to:

\n'''Mahoney'''* ReasonableAuthorityFigure

!!!'''Ian Mahoney'''
One of the Emperor's sidekicks and the closest thing he has to a real friend, Mahoney is the man who recruits Sten into Mantis Section. He leads the Section for the first few books, but later steps up to the plate and leads troops again.



* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: He's accused of treason and killed in ''Vortex''.]]




'''The Eternal Emperor'''

The Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humanity first reached out to the stars, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emp. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.

to:

\n'''The Eternal Emperor'''\n\nThe Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humanity first reached out to the stars, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emp. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.* NiceGuy



* [[spoiler: YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness]]

!!!'''The Eternal Emperor'''
The Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humanity first reached out to the stars, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emperor- he's lenient, makes sure that things are run efficiently and that everything works. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.



* [[spoiler: CharacterDeath: He's killed at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'' and returns in ''[[CaptainObvious The Return of the Emperor]]'', but Sten permanently kills him in ''Empire's End''.]]



* EmperorScientist: A skillful engineer

to:

* EmperorScientist: A skillful engineerengineer.



* [[spoiler: EvilAllAlong: Suggested by Rykor, who notes that he was quietly killing off anyone who could be a threat to him for years, even before he died.]]



* GodEmperor: His immortality has lead some groups, such as the Cult of the Emperor, to worship him as a god

to:

* GodEmperor: His immortality has lead some groups, such as the Cult of the Emperor, to worship him as a godgod.
* [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal: In ''Empire's End''.]]
* NoPartyLikeADonnerParty: As a young man, he ended up on a ship that, on the way back, ran out of food. By the end of the trip, he was the only person left alive. [[spoiler: Which meant that he was the only person who knew where to get AM2, which effectively gave him the keys to starting the Empire.]]
* RealityEnsues: The Emperor is the only person who knows where and how to get AM2. AM2 is used for everything from starship fuel to ammunition. So after [[spoiler: he dies at the end of ''Revenge of the Damned'']], the Privy Council drives itself crazy trying to find where and how to get more, because they're rapidly running out of time until they run out- and then they're well and truly fucked.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[spoiler: At first. After he dies and comes back, everything starts going to hell.]]



* TheSmartGuy: He was a genius even as a kid.



'''Bet'''

The first distaff half of Sten's BattleCouple. Born on the same hell-world as Sten, Bet's parents sold her to the Vulcan corporation to pay off their debt and escape the habitat. Utilizing the same ferocious intelligence that got her singled out in the first place, she escapes the lab (and the living death that faced her) and joins the Delinqs. Then one day a boy named Sten joins their group...

to:

'''Bet'''

!!!'''Bet'''
The first distaff half of Sten's BattleCouple. Born on the same hell-world as Sten, Bet's parents sold her to the Vulcan corporation to pay off their debt and escape the habitat.planet. Utilizing the same ferocious intelligence that got her singled out in the first place, she escapes the lab (and the living death that faced her) and joins the Delinqs. Then one day a boy named Sten joins their group...



* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: What was intended for her. The medicines given to the smart children effectively turned them into living dolls who never matured.]]
* TheSmartGuy



'''The Gurkhas'''

to:

'''The Gurkhas'''
!!!'''The Gurkhas'''



* BadAss: And how!
* DeadpanSnarker



* DeadpanSnarker



'''Rykor'''

The galaxy-renowned psychologist and preeminent criminal profiler, Rykor is frequently called upon by Mercury Corps as a consultant. She is also very good at her own kind of "wet work." Conducting interrogations and brain scans are two of her specialties.

to:

'''Rykor'''

The
!!!'''Rykor'''
A
galaxy-renowned psychologist and preeminent criminal profiler, Rykor is frequently called upon by Mercury Corps as a consultant. She is also very good at her own kind of "wet work." Conducting interrogations and brain scans are two of her specialties.


Added DiffLines:

* NiceGuy
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Bet Morrel lived through Wolf Worlds. At least in the printings I\'ve got.


* CartwrightCurse: She gets killed off in the second book, only to return a few novels later.
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* MightyWhitey: Not played straight, but invoked in one book. After Sten helped the [[ProudWarriorRace Bhor]] in a '''bad''' situation, they mythologized him as "the greatest fighter, lover, and drinker in Bhor history." When he learns this, he comments, "In the whole time I was there, I only got laid twice, and I lost almost every battle except the last." Not to mention that no human can keep up with Bhor alcohol intake.

to:

* MightyWhitey: Not played straight, but invoked in one book.Invoked by the Bhor, and sarcastically deconstructed by Sten. After Sten helped the [[ProudWarriorRace Bhor]] in a '''bad''' situation, they mythologized him as "the greatest fighter, lover, and drinker in Bhor history." When he learns this, he comments, "In the whole time I was there, I only got laid twice, and I lost almost every battle except the last." Not to mention that no human can keep up with Bhor alcohol intake.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* CartwrightCurse: She gets killed off in the second book, only to return a few novels later.
* DisneyDeath: She falls down an elevator shaft to an off-screen death. This makes her return easy to retcon.
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None

Added DiffLines:

* TheFettered: Doesn't trust anyone with power, including ''himself'', which is why [[spoiler: his first incarnation arranged things so that none of his subsequent clones would be able to deviate from a moral standard enforced by the computer governing his resurrection facility]].
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Added DiffLines:

* BoisterousBruiser
ccoa MOD

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Immortality was split into subtropes


* {{Immortality}}: Type IV, Resurrective

to:

* {{Immortality}}: Type IV, ResurrectiveResurrectiveImmortality
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The galaxy-renowned psychologist and preeminent criminal profiler, Rykor is frequently called upon by Mercury Corps as a consultant. She is also very good at her own kind of "wet work." Conducting interrogations and brain scans are two of her specialties.

to:


The galaxy-renowned psychologist and preeminent criminal profiler, Rykor is frequently called upon by Mercury Corps as a consultant. She is also very good at her own kind of "wet work." " Conducting interrogations and brain scans are two of her specialties.
specialties.
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None

Added DiffLines:

'''Rykor'''
The galaxy-renowned psychologist and preeminent criminal profiler, Rykor is frequently called upon by Mercury Corps as a consultant. She is also very good at her own kind of "wet work." Conducting interrogations and brain scans are two of her specialties.

* GeniusBruiser: When she slapped Kilgour on the shoulder she almost knocked him off his feet.
* IntelligentGerbil: She's a whale-sized alien walrus-thing.
* TheProfiler
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None

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* StuffBlowingUp: He's a demolitions expert.


Added DiffLines:

* LastGirlWins

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* [[spoiler: CameBackWrong: After being successfully assassinated by a cabal of ambitious businesspersons.]]



* {{Immortality}}: Type IV, Ressurective

to:

* {{Immortality}}: Type IV, RessurectiveResurrective
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Added DiffLines:

* MightyWhitey: Not played straight, but invoked in one book. After Sten helped the [[ProudWarriorRace Bhor]] in a '''bad''' situation, they mythologized him as "the greatest fighter, lover, and drinker in Bhor history." When he learns this, he comments, "In the whole time I was there, I only got laid twice, and I lost almost every battle except the last." Not to mention that no human can keep up with Bhor alcohol intake.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
typo


The Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humans first reached out to the starts, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emp. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.

to:

The Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humans humanity first reached out to the starts, stars, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emp. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.

Added: 187

Changed: 13

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None


* EmperorScientist: A skillful engineer



* GodEmperor: His immortality has lead some groups, such as the Cult of the Emperor, to worship him as a god
* {{Immortality}}: Type IV, Ressurective




to:

* SupremeChef
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* TheBeastmaster: By the second book, this is literally her job description; she has two trained tigers under her command.
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* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname

to:

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname
OnlyKnownByTheirNickname (He's named "Karl Sten.")

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to:

* SingleTargetSexuality: She set her sights on Sten and that was it.




The Man. The Authority. The Eternal Emperor. Since humans first reached out to the starts, he has been the supreme ruler of the known universe. No one really knows the secret to his immortality, and after a few thousand years, people have stopped asking. Besides, he's a pretty cool dude. Things are alright under the Emp. Not to mention, he can kick your ass in a bar fight, drink you under the table, and then fix you up with a mean Angelo Stew.



* CombatPragmatist

to:

* CombatPragmatistCombatPragmatist: His preferred shipboard sidearm is a crowbar.




to:

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He spends so much time personally overseeing his intelligence arm, it's a wonder he gets anything else done.


Added DiffLines:


The first distaff half of Sten's BattleCouple. Born on the same hell-world as Sten, Bet's parents sold her to the Vulcan corporation to pay off their debt and escape the habitat. Utilizing the same ferocious intelligence that got her singled out in the first place, she escapes the lab (and the living death that faced her) and joins the Delinqs. Then one day a boy named Sten joins their group...
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* NastyNepalisWithKnives

to:

* NastyNepalisWithKnivesNepaliWithNastyKnives
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* NastyNepaliWithKnives
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Sten observes that the Gurkhas could be very naive, but sometimes that naivete was could be very convenient for them.

to:

* NastyNepaliWithKnives
NastyNepalisWithKnives
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Sten observes that the Gurkhas could be very naive, but sometimes that naivete was could be very convenient for them.would result in them getting exactly what they wanted.
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None


* ImpenetrableAccent

to:

* ImpenetrableAccent

Added: 421

Changed: 48

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to:

* ImpenetrableAccent



A stone-cold gorgeous female soldier with a talent for the "long-arm." Descended from the defunct warrior caste of the Jannisars (removed by Sten himself), she runs away from home to become one of the few humans in the Bhor-run military. Completely and totally in love with Sten.

to:

A stone-cold gorgeous female soldier with a talent for the "long-arm." Descended from the defunct warrior caste of the Jannisars (removed by Sten himself), Jannisars, she runs away from home to become one of the few humans in the Bhor-run military. Completely and totally in love with Sten.



* ColonelBadass
* FourStarBadass



* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Psuedonyms aside, he is the Emperor. That's it.

to:

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Psuedonyms Pseudonyms aside, he is the Emperor. That's it.


Added DiffLines:

'''The Gurkhas'''

The Emperor's personal bodyguard is made up of Gurkha mercenaries. They are listed together here because in the series their personalities are pretty much interchangeable.
* NastyNepaliWithKnives
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Sten observes that the Gurkhas could be very naive, but sometimes that naivete was could be very convenient for them.
* DeadpanSnarker
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy

Added: 238

Removed: 42

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* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Interestingly, she more or less abandoned the culture of one ProudWarriorRace (the Jannisars, which Sten broke in half) to join up with another, the cheerful, hairy alien Bhor. (See Otho below).

'''Otho'''
* TheBigGuy



'''Otho'''
* TheBigGuy
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
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* ViolentGlasgewan

to:

* ViolentGlasgewan
ViolentGlaswegian
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* ViolentGlasgiewan

to:

* ViolentGlasgiewan
ViolentGlasgewan



* DoomedChildhoodFriend

to:

* DoomedChildhoodFriend
UnluckyChildhoodFriend
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None


* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname

to:

* OnlyKnownByTheirNicknameOnlyKnownByTheirNickname

'''Alex Kilgour'''

Laird Kilgour of Kilgour, called Sten's "personal thug" by the Emperor. A Scottish aristocrat who joined the Emperor's service like his brothers. Unlike his brothers, he didn't die. He also joined Mercury Corps, became a Mantis operative, and Sten's right-hand man.
* CulturedBadass
* TheLancer
* HeavyWorlder
* ViolentGlasgiewan

'''Cind'''

A stone-cold gorgeous female soldier with a talent for the "long-arm." Descended from the defunct warrior caste of the Jannisars (removed by Sten himself), she runs away from home to become one of the few humans in the Bhor-run military. Completely and totally in love with Sten.
* ActionGirl
* FriendlySniper
* BoobsOfSteel: "Hey, they float!"
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy

'''Otho'''
* TheBigGuy
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy

'''Mahoney'''
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* GeneralBadass

'''The Eternal Emperor'''
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* CombatPragmatist
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Psuedonyms aside, he is the Emperor. That's it.

'''Bet'''
* ActionGirl
* DoomedChildhoodFriend

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