History Literature / HowMuchForJustThePlanet

* PlanetOfHats: Played with. It appears to the visitors at first that the Direidians' hat is crowd songs and comedy routines, [[spoiler:but they're putting it on as part of a scheme to keep the visitors off-balance and manipulate events toward an outcome that won't ruin life of Direidi]].

** Pretty much everybody during the climactic FoodFight.
--->Blueberry, Kirk thought instead of ducking.\\
''Splat.''\\
Blueberry it was.

*** When someone address her as "fair maiden", Uhura responds "Sorry, neither," just as she did in "The Naked Time"

--> "Pam! ''Bullets won't stop it!!"

-->'''[=McCoy=] (ordering from the food slot):''' Plergb hfarizz ungemby, ''and coffee''.

* NotSoDifferent: Many of the humans and Klingons find common ground. Sanchez and Arizhel bond over unwanted male attention and fathers who didn't agree with their life choices, and Chekov and Korth bond over a shared exasperation with the odd ways of elder officers while Scotty and Maglus bond over a shared exasperation with the odd ways of junior officers. And of course, the first time we visit any of the starships in the opening chapters, they are all having issues with the food replicators.

-->Scott's eye was caught by an unusual constellation: a ring of stars haloing a distant peak. "Look at that, now. Doesn't it awe you a little? To think there might be a higher power than us, arranging matters?"\\

** One of the posters at the Silver Magic movie theatre is a fake poster for a version of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' starring UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan and Anne Sheridan. (Reagan and Sheridan were announced as the stars of ''Casablanca'' early in pre-production, but they were never in serious contention for the roles; the announcement was just a publicity stunt for their film ''Kings Row''.)

** One of the posters at the Silver Magic movie theatre is a fake poster for a version of ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' starring RonaldReagan and Anne Sheridan. (Reagan and Sheridan were announced as the stars of ''Casablanca'' early in pre-production, but they were never in serious contention for the roles; the announcement was just a publicity stunt for their film ''Kings Row''.)

* ChainedHeat: Uhura and Aperokei; lampshaded as a homage to the 1935 film version of ''Film/The39Steps''.

* {{Tuckerization}}: Much of the supporting cast of ''How Much For Just The Planet?'' is based on Ford's friends and fellow authors, including Creator/DianeDuane, Creator/PeterMorwood, Creator/NeilGaiman, PamelaDean, and Creator/JanetKagan.

* {{Angrish}}: A series of coincidences leads the Klingon captain, Kaden, to believe that he has walked in on Captain Kirk cheating with his love interest. Kirk is unable to determine whether his subsequent utterance is actual Klingon speech or just Angrish, since they normally sound very similar anyway (and he's rather distracted with his efforts to flee for his life).

* CarnivoreConfusion: WingedHumanoid officer Tellihu has had eggs for breakfast every day of ''Smith'''s mission so far. It's starting to creep Catpatin Trofimov out a bit.

** Played with in the case of T'Vau, the science officer of the ship that discovers Direidi's dilithium. Spock clearly recongises her, and Kirk speculates about her being an old flame; Spock eventually admits that they once shared a milkshake when they were much younger, and that's all. (It's implied she spilled the milkshake on him.)

* TimeForPlanB: The Diredei plan to stop the Federation and/or Klingons from exploiting their dilithium is called "Plan C". [[spoiler:There was no Plan A or B; C stands for the keystone of the plan: "Comedy".]]

* WinWinEnding: The Diredei would prefer not to have to deal with either the Federation or the Empire, but are pragmatic enough to realise that the dilithium is such a vital resource that they have no realistic chance of stopping one or the other side from taking it eventually. They decide to join the Federation, but with the condition that the Federation contract out the dilithium mining operation to the Klingons with the idea that the two powers would keep each other in check and prevent either of them annexing the entire planet. Both the Federation and the Klingons get dilithium (most likely 50% each) and the Diredei get to keep their planet and way of life.

* PhlebotinumOverload / BeamSpam: Why you can't fire disruptors at a ring of enemies carrying dilithium-covered shields. The term "lit match in a fireworks factory" is bandied about.

* NotAMorningPerson: "Bones [=McCoy=] was not a morning person". Even after getting the coffee he fails to notice his grits are bright orange -- though everybody else at the table does. He also didn't notice Kirk's electric blue "orange juice" until he'd finished the mug. (The food replicators were malfunctioning that morning.)

* MundaneUtility: On Direidi, our heroes encounter a slab of solid dilithium engraved with writing from the local {{Precursors}} -- which is being used as a baking dish. The locals argue that if dilithium can regulate a matter-antimatter reaction a few hours in the oven isn't going to hurt it.

* AstronomicalExchangeRate: Invoked in Uhura's favour. A harp she's interested in buying costs 1140 in the local currency, and she's about to give up on it when she's informed that in Federation currency it's 2 credits. The vendor is mildly put out when Uhura doesn't try to haggle the price down, per local custom.

* AstronomicalExchangeRate: Invoked in Uhura's favour. A harp she's interested in buying costs 1140 in the local currency, and she's about to give up on it when she's informed that in Federation currency it's 2 credits.

** The ''Jefferson Randolph Smith'' is named after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soapy_Smith "Soapy" Smith]], an infamous [[TheWildWest Old West]] confidence man.

** The ''Jefferson Randolph Smith'' is named after "Soapy" Smith, an infamous OldWest confidence man.

* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Deliberately lampshaded (along with much else) in Uhura and Aperokei's confrontation with the villainous Ilen.

-->'''[=McCoy=]:''' Plergb hfarizz ungemby, ''and coffee''.

* {{Tuckerization}}: Much of the supporting cast of ''How Much For Just The Planet?'' is based on Ford's friends and fellow authors, including DianeDuane, Creator/PeterMorwood, Creator/NeilGaiman, PamelaDean, and Creator/JanetKagan.

"Or that we are the property of some vast indifferent thing. No, Scott, I shall finish out my service to the Empire with the best honor I can, and then there shall be nothing, nothing at all."