Fanfic / The Grau Verse

The First Generation

The Grau Verse are a series of Star Wars Fanfictions, written by Mira Grau, also known as Helena 140 on Deviant Art. The stories are largley set in the later stages of the Post Endor Timeframe of Star Wars Legends. And though they use several characters and some plotline from the Legacy comics it branches of into it`s own AU around 41 ABY...

The Stories are mostly focussed around the World of Eriadu and the Outland Regions Security Force (usually called ORSF), as they deal with threats in the Outer Rim, eventually leading to the formation of a new major faction in the Galaxy: The Coalition of Free States

The primary characters in the story are the members of the lower noble Grau Family, specifically Ulrika Grau for the first Generation (set around 37 to 46 ABY) and her adopted niece Mira Grau for the Next Generation (beginning in 65 ABY). Whereas the First Generation Deals with the Creation of the Coalition, the Next Generation sees them brought to the forefront of a new Galaxy spanning conflict.

The first and next Generation can be found on the Jedi Council Forums: https://boards.theforce.net/threads/the-prolific-writers-index-updates-on-the-1st-16th-of-every-month.50027002/page-7#post-57918492The Next Generation also on Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/helena140

Chronologically the Stories are:

• Prelude:
  • The Mother of Chaos
  • Bonnie and Bonnie - The Untold Backstory of the Eriaduan Power Couple
  • The Beast and the Beauty

• First Generation
  • The Value of Freedom
  • Shadow over Curean
  • Path of Lies
  • Into the Fire
  • Following the Thread
  • Trials and Tribulations
  • The Price of Victory

• Next Generation
  • Defenders of the Outer Rim
  • The Emperors Maneuver
  • The Brewing Storm
  • The Art of Diplomacy
  • New Alliances
  • The Spark is Lit
  • The Long War

The Grau Verse features the following Tropes:

• Action Girl: Most of the cast, as the story focusses on the ORSF soldiers
• Adaptational Expansion: For Eriadu and the Galactic Southwest, the Verse greatly expands the lore beyond the bit`s from Tarkin by amongst others tying Eriadu to the Pius Dea Faith, making it the last major bastion of that religion.
• Adaptational Villainy: Jagged Fel is essentially a full on Neo Nazi here, as the author hates the "good Empire" plot of later Legends.
• Affably Evil: Captain Laric is a proud servant of the Empire and openly supports many of it`s pratices. Though at the same time he is nothing short of polite and respectsful to the heroines he fights alongside with, to the point of telling Ilona she would make a good dictator.
• Affirmative Action Girl: Downplayed as SW of course has a long history of badass female characters, but generally had more male than female characters in most stories. By contrast the Grau Verse cast is female centric and also includes various gay and bi characters which were largley prohibited in Legends (up until it`s final years).
• The Alliance: The Qaelan Accords can be considered as this. Between the increasingly overbearing Galactic Alliance and the Empire-lead Unity Pact, this faction has become a true alliance of states who value independence and democracy. Ironically enough, the core members are Eriadu, Corellia and Arkania; with the Nightsisters, the reformed Senex-Juvex sector, and eventually the Tof as important allies.
• Always Chaotic Evil: Certain species, such as the Falleen, the Tof and the Karkarodon are perceived this way by many people in the Star Wars Galaxy. Deconstructed, as the story shows both antagonistic and heroic characters of these species.
• Amazon Brigade: Ulrika and Ilona`s squads, Justified Trope as the conservative Eriaduans segregate their military units by gender. Averted with the Rangers later on who feature mixed units.
  • Beth`s pirate gang also appears to be all female.
• Amazon Chaser: Seeing Lena cut down a Sith in front of him Alec Fenton just smiles brightly says "That`s my wife!"
• Ambition Is Evil: Actually averted with Ilona who is quite politically ambitious but denies offers of power several times when they come in form of absolute power offered to her. As she put`s it, she is happy to lead her people, but only when they choose her in open and fair elections which they eventually do.
• Anti-Hero: Laric, Florianne and Cassandra during the first generation, amongst others.
• Ascended Fan Boy: As a child was a fan of the In-Universe show Star Wars: The Clone Wars and when her force sensetivity manifests her aunts bring in Asajj Ventress to train her.
• Asshole Victim: The Hutt Space gets invaded and occupied by the Galactic Alliance. While this happens as a part of Darth Krayt´s plan for galactic domination, nobody feels particulary sorry for the Hutts. Least their many liberated slave species.
• The Atoner: Jacen Solo has become this since he was defeated, mostly working as a healer in the slums of Coruscant.
• Badass Normal: Ilona, Ulrika, Elena, Tobin... most of the ORSF soldiers are just normal humans without any force powers but they are still amongst the strongest fighting force in the Galaxy.
• Bald of Evil: Durran has no hair on her head and neither any morals in her heart.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Mira has this with both Yosh and Beth.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Elena is a sweet and kind woman who always tries to see the good in people, doesn't stop her from kicking all sorts of ass.
  • Mira takes after her in that regard.
• Benevolent Dictator: Deconstructed very hard with Emperor Jagged Fel. While the manipulations of Darth Krayt fueled his paranoia and aggression, the story makes it very clear that Fel´s unchecked political power and rampant ego caused the entire situation in the first place.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Tobin doesn't talk much, but he is the best soldier Eriadu had in centuries and an amazing General as well.
• Big Bad: The Iron Alliance, and specifically the Iron Lord, for the first Generation, Darth Krayt for the Next Generation
• Boyish Short Hair: It would be easier to list the female character who actually have long hair in the story. Justified due to it being focussed on professional soldiers.
• Breakout Character: Ulrika Grau, she doesn't even appear in the first story and get`s introduced then as Ilona`s rival. From the third installment onwards she takes over as the lead character (though Ilona remains a main character as well).
• Broad Strokes: The story generally uses Legends canon but ignores certain stories and/or events, as well as keep some characters alive who died in Legends. It also includes several Characters from Canon such as Phasma, Elia Kane and Sabine Wren.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Ulrika is a shameless flirt who often teases people to get under their skin and has is more of a Cool Big Sis than an authority figure to her squad. She is nonetheless one of the best officers the ORSF ever had.
• Butch Lesbian: Ulrika and Elena are bi but general check all the boxes.
• Casual Kink: Ulrika occasionally mentions bit`s of her and Elena`s bedroom shenanigans, mostly to get under peoples skins.
• Central Theme: While the story shows often that Humans Are Flawed, many characters are also able to learn from their past mistakes and change for the better.
• Child Soldiers: Laric was drafted into the Imperial Army when he was fifteen years old. He spend most of the next four decades on the frontlines.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Ulrika Grau, she is a shameless flirt and used to sleep around with several other men and women. Yet at the same time she is upfront with them that it`s just some casual fun. She also is a caring lover to her girlfriend Elena and stops sleeping around when they get married. She still remains very kinky in the bedroom though.
  • Mira later takes after her aunt, being quite flirty and kinky herself but is a real Nice Girl at heart.
• Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: The Author has fancasted many characters of the fanfic:
  • Ulrika Grau is Ruby Rose
  • Elena Kyr is Briana Venskus
  • Ilona Malek is Ginnifer Goodwin
  • Tobin Malek is Park Hae-soo
  • Victor Laric is Stephen Dillane
  • Maximilian Palpatine is Peter Capaldi
  • Mira Grau is Brianna Hildebrand
  • Yoshihisa Pandionne is Mackenyu
  • Hilda Jerec is Mackenzie Lansing
• Colonel Badass: Ulrika and Ilona both spend much of their military careers on this rank, and both are skilled and capable leaders.
• Composite Character: Ventress survived the Clone Wars like she did in Legends and also makes references to her... relationship with Obi Wan which was more a thing in the old EU. At the same time though she has the Dathomirian Background, eventually regrowth of hair and close friendship with Lassa Rhayme from the New Canon.
• Continuity Nod: Tons, rivaling the official James Luceno novels:
  • The General Altuin mentions other Seperatist Remnants including Kalani from Star Wars Rebels and Gizor Dellso from Star Wars: Battlefront II he also is said to have been the Commanding CIS General during the battle of Umbara from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • When discussing a Clawdite Assassin Ventress briefly mentions Cato Parasitti from The Clone Wars
  • Ranulph Tarkin and his plans to expand the ORSF into a Rim Wide military from the Star Wars: Republic are mentioned several times.
  • Kaiya Adrimetrum from the Star Wars: Roleplaying Game appears as the Co Leader of the Southwestern Liberation Front, Kentor Sarne is also frequently mentioned.
  • The pirate Queen Q'anah from Star Wars: Tarkin is mentioned as one of Ulrika`s childhood heroes.
  • Cal Kestis, Merrin and Trilla from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are mentioned to still be alive and leading a tribe on Dathomir, the latter having been Spared By Adaptation
  • Savan from Shadows of the Empire appears as the leader of the Black Sun, having reclaimed the mantle sometime after being released from prison during the Vong War
  • An older Trace Martez appears in The Beast and the Beauty, as does Chasselon Stevis from Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Trace also briefly mentions Ashoka (who actually was her wife in this continuity)
  • Elia Kane has an energy saber and a silver Mandalorian Helmet in her trophy collection, referencing of course The Mandalorian
  • Elena at one point lists pretty much all the Legends Imperial Warlords including Carnor Jax from Star Wars: Crimson Empire, Zsinj, Krennel and Isard from the X-Wing Series as well as the names of their respective nations, which she had to learn for a school exam.
  • Ventress uses Kani Narec as an alias, referencing her Jedi Master Ky Narec
  • Sabine mentions her mother used to run with the Death Watch, when discussing an old compound of their on Mandalore
  • Darek was send to one of the Jedi Argicorps, a fate Obi Wan fears in Jedi Apprentice
  • The Dark Empire Palpatine is briefly mentioned as an example of the troubles with cloning force users.
  • Callos is one of the planets listed as having been depopulated by the Sith, Juno Eclipse from The Force Unleashed was the commanding officer back then
  • Sonya Thane is the niece of Beed Thane, a Hapan noble who fought a duel against Isolder in New Jedi Order
  • Tika, the ophan girl Jacen used as a Allana decoy in Legacy of the Force has become Allana`s Body Double allowing the real Allana to infiltrate Coruscant alongside her father.
  • Han and Leia died of Bybbec fever a disease usually only leathal to Twie'lek that first appeared in Mercy Mission Mira and Lando briefly discuss how the Empire witheld the cure to control the population of Ryloth.
  • Myri Antilles, Wedges younger daughter from the final X-Wing Series appears as supreme commander of the Corellian military. Her sister Syal is also mentioned.
  • Even though the AU does exclude Star Wars: Legacy from it`s timeline it still uses various elements for it such as the Imperial Knights, also Elke Vetter appears as Yosh`s squire and Roan Fel is born as Jagged and Jaina's grandson.
  • When Eryl and Raynar meet again they discuss their brief "relationship" from Star by Star
• Covert Pervert: Elena often tries to come of as more mature than Ulrika when it comes to sex, but in truth she is just as kinky as her girlfriend.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Turns out that the Nightsisters are not inherently worse than the other witch clans of Dathomir. They are mostly vilified for going against the clans traditions, like being more willing to treat males as equals and even train them to become warlocks.
• Dating Catwoman: Both of Mira`s love intrests, Imperial Knight Yosh and Pirate Girl Beth, are people who should be her enemies (infact she arrests Beth in their first scene together) but instead they end up falling in love with each other.
• Democracy Is Flawed: The story acknowledges the difficulties of a pluralistic system. On the other hand, it is shown that without the proper checks and balances, governments are even more prone to corruption and misuse of power.
• Demoted to Extra: Kat and Liz roles shrink as times goes on, justified as they live on Curean and the story begins moving further and further away from it.
  • Cassandra also was largley absent from the Next Generation until very recently.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Asajj Ventress went through absolute hell in both old and new canon, and in this timeline she also eventually looses her HeterosexualLifePartner Lassa Rhayme. Yet while she get`s heavily injured twice she does get to see the Iron Alliance fall appart and Qaelan liberated. Not only that but traveling back to Dathomir she joins the Stinging Mantis Nightsister tribe, finally finding a place to belong, as well as a close friend and student in Mira Grau.
• Elite Army: The ORSF is considered some of the finest fighting force in the Galaxy being extremly well trained and equipped.
• Enemy Mine: The origins of the Coalition started as Teeth-Clenched Teamwork between Eriadu, Imperial holdouts, various rebel factions and other independent world against the Iron Alliance. It worked out quite well in the long run.
• Establishing Character Moment: Mira`s first scene has her dine with Pirate Queen Beth, flirting and bantering with the pirate while in shackles. Across the conversation she takes more and more control of the situation, revealing to Beth just how outmatched she is, up and including arranging for the ORSF reinforcements arrive in system at just the right time. When they do she casually uses the force to unlock her cuffs and tries to convince Beth to surrender. Despite being able to easily overpower and disarm the pirate she offers Beth the chance to stand down on her own, a chance the young pirate eventually takes. As she arrests her Mira gently teases her captive while also reassuring her she made the right descision. The chapter showing us Mira as a clever and resourceful woman who is not above teasing and sarcasm but ultimatley tries to avoid fights and believes in the good in people.
• Ethical Slut: Ulrika used to sleep around a lot, but is ultimatley a good person at heart.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Laric is more of an anti hero than an outright bad guy, but he still a harsh and uncompromising man who lives and breathes only for his duty. Unless he is visiting his old mother who he still greatly cares for.
• Everyone Is Bi: Many characters in the story are either bi or gay. This is in part as an F-You against the "no queers" rule in Legends.
• Evil Is Petty: Jagged Fel wanted to have Elena murdered because Ulrika broke his nose over three decades ago over some transphobic slurs or so it seems, in truth the Sith are behind the plot to murder Elena and Jagged has forgotten the indcident.
• Eye Scream: Ulrika took out Tobin`s eye when she hit him with a stick in summer camp, causing her rivarly with Ilona. Tobin would later get a cybernetic replacement.
• Faking the Dead: After Jaina defeated Jacen, the Jedi imprisoned him while official proclaiming that his sister slew him. This being revealed to the public is one of Hett's plots to throw shade at the Jedi.
  • Mira later helps Valin Horn fake his death so that his family won't be punished for his surrender.
• False Flag Operation: Durran had mercenaries raid Tof worlds under the disguise of being Coalition forces to goad the Tof into war, hoping that it would give her National Vanguard party public support.
• Fascist, but Inefficient: The Fel Empire claims to be a Heel–Face Turn version of the The Empire, due to being under a wise and well-meaning emperor now. Said emperor later cripples the entire state in a devastating purge, because of personal paranoia.
• The Federation: The Coalition of Free States is a democratic federation of free worlds and nations, united to stand against the Fel Empire and increasingly authoritarian Galactic Alliance.
• Feminine Mother, Tomboyish Daughter: Inverted with Ulrika and Elena being very butch women, yet their daughter Lena is a very feminine fashion designer. Played Straight with Elena and her mother.
• Foil: Several characters of the Next Generation are this to OT main characters:
  • Mira and Luke were both children primarily raised by their aunt('s)/uncle, both wanted to travel the Galaxy and experience adventure while looking up the Jedi. Both of them had their guardians try and keep them away from the order because of the Jedi`s dangerous lifestyle. Both end up facing the Sith Lord ruling over the Galaxy and becoming a symbol in that fight. Both are mentored by old Clone Wars heroes and later have a to shoulder a huge burden despite their young age. They also share the ability to find friends and allies amongst former enemies, culminating in both of them starting a relationship with a red haired female former enemy of theirs. Both also just barely manage to escape their respective Arch-Enemy and suffer a Heroic B So D afterwards. Though were Luke grew up a relativley poor farmboy Mira grew up as a privileged noble. Luke was trained by Obi Wan Kenobi, Mira by his Worthy Opponent Asajj Ventress. Where Luke became a Jedi after he lost his adoptive parents, Mira made the choice to join the order after she reached adulthood with the, reluctant, blessing of her aunts. Also were Luke becomes known as the hero who destroyed the Death Star, Mira is branded a terrorist for most of the Galactic Population becoming a hated figure. Luke suffered his Darkest Hour after finding out Vader was his father, Mira who lacks a personal connection to the antagonist instead had a Crisis of Faith over the people she had killed in her escape. Luke is also far more powerful than Mira could ever hope to be, eventually being able to face and defeat Vader on his own, while Mira has to rely far more on her wits and allies to suceed. Mira is at best servicable at flying surviving several space battles only because of the Force and capable allies, while Luke is an Ace Pilot. Also were Luke was given the task to rebuild the Jedi Order, Mira had to swear to lead the Khanate after Callista passes away, to become the next protector of the Galaxy against Abeloth. Also on a lighter note while both are addicted to unhealthy "Earth" meals Luke perfers Hot Chocolate a sweet drink, while Mira likes Cheeseburgers a hearty food.
  • Beth is like Han a relativley nonviolent charming, and flirty, criminal who runs into The Hero early on in their quest. She also claims to be a descendant of Keran Sarne, just as Han Solo is a possible descendant of the ancient Solo Kings of Corellia. They are also both flying Aces who the good guys desperately try to recruit. They also both eventually fall in love with a dark-haired force sensitive noble and become full on good guys. Both very much have a Hidden Heart of Gold that the hero finds without too much digging. Though where Han was Luke`s ally from the start, Beth is actually arrested by Mira in their first meeting. Her claim to be a descendant of Keran Sarne is also just a lie whereas Han is actually a descendant of ancient royalty. Were Han is from a core world, Beth was born deep within the Outer Rim. Han also worked for some of the largest Criminals of his Age while Beth leads her own gang independent from anyone else. Both care a lot about their respective crews though in Han`s chase that pretty much amounts to just Chewie (and whatever friends are currently with him) while Beth surrounds herself with a larger gang.
  • Calia and Leia are both headstrong dark-haired daughters of high noble families. Both have been groomed to take command over both soldiers and politics from an early age. Both fights to free their people from a force using monarch. Each of them dreams of one day taking over the reins of ruling and leading their nations to a better future. Both eventually fall in love with a laid back somewhat cynical brown-haired companion of theirs, having a very Slap-Slap-Kiss dynamic to their relationships. Their best friend is also a fair-haired woman who serves as their The Consigliere. Though where Leia was adopted into nobility Calia is a trueborn daughter, something she is initially very proud of her heritage. Where Leia fought for democracy from the start Calia only adopted these ideals after she had been sent into exile. Where Palpatine was a real tyrant Allana is far more ambiguous. Calia was clearly intended to be nothing more than a puppet of her parents while Leia was honestly loved by Bail and Breah Organa. Leia starts out as a heroine while Calia is an anti-hero at best at the start. Winter was Leia`s maid originally while Sonya was a fellow noble involved in the conspiracy. Leia never changes all that much over the course of the OT while Calia slowly comes to terms with the morality of her families’ actions, eventually resolving to become a true queen defending her people. Also Leia was ultimately willing to sacrifice Alderaan for the rebellion, while Calia considers protecting Hapes her top priority even after being banished.
• Former Bigot: Eriadu as a whole is becoming this as the story goes on. The human centrism began to erode with the fall of the Tarkins but has since been further dismantled, leading to Eriadu becoming the leading world of the multiethnic Coalition. That said the presence of groups like the Goddess Militia show that not everyone agrees with the new values.
• Girls vs. Boys Plot: It`s mentioned in the backstory that the ORSF has the tradition of the male and female cadets facing each other in mock battles every year. Incidentially the males won five of the main characters six years in a row, because Ilona and Ulrika, the two best female cadets, were too preoccupied with screwing each other over than to fight to win. This played a part in Tobin being considered an amazing tactician already then leading to disaster.
• Great Offscreen War: The Liberation of Qaelan, the Coalition defeating the Iron Alliance happens entirely offscreen though we hear a lot about it.
• Happily Married: Ulrika and Elena when they finally tie the knot. Ilona and Tobin as well. Most couples in the story actually.
• Heel–Face Turn: Xela starts out as a slavers daughter, running her mother buisness after Xora is arrested. Forced to work together with the good girls she is confronted with the harsh realities of slavery, destroying her walls of denial. Afterwards she resolves to become a better person up and risking her life several times to save others. Eventually becoming a political activist fighting for freedom and reconcilliation, between former slaves and slavers. Her mother eventually also reforms into a better person during her three decades in prison.
  • Beth and her gang start out as a bunch of pirates but after being recuited into the Rangers to escape prison they start to come around to the side of good.
• Heel–Race Turn: The Arkanians used to be the Galaxies resident MadScientists with a horrible cast system for everyone not considered a "pure" specimen. The Vong invasion destroyed it completly as Araknians from all casts had to work together to survive. After the war a new Arkanian society, though still extremly focused on For Science!, became an egalitarian republic and would go on to join the Qaelan Accords.
  • The Geonosians and Tof would later also join the Coalition.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Tobin and his best friend Corvyn Scales.
• Homosexual Reproduction: Downplayed but Ulrika and Elena have a biological daughter, Lena, using sperm collected from Elena prior to her transition.
• The Horde: The Iron Alliance is a collection of pirates, warlords and raiders ruling over a slave state in the Galactic Southwest.
• Hotter and Sexier: Than the usual Legends novels, especially the next generation gets a bit more explicit.
• I Have Your Wife: Hett`s main MO to control the Jedi order, using Ben as a hostage against Luke (and vice versa), the same for Corran and Mirax Horn and their children, to the point that Valin ultimatley would rather die than to surrender to the good guys, knowing it would doom his family. Thankfully Mira finds a way to save his life.
• Incompatible Orientation: Kat, and Ulrika, had crushes on Ilona, who is heterosexual.
• Jerk with the Heart of a Jerk: Sarah Duran. At the start she comes of a jerk willing to murdrer unarmed prisoners but she had every right to dislike Ulrika for insulting her. After the trial ends in her humiliation Ulrika is willing to mend the divide and reach out to her hoping to fix the rift.... Instead Duran denies each and every attempt at reconcilliation and forms the far right National Vanguard party, showing her true colours when she temporarly becomes President of the Coalition and wasts no time in letting her supporters start deadly riots all over the nation, not to mention causing the Tof War to make her hardline racist party look reasonable to the public.
• Karma Houdini: Garth Redan get`s away with framing Ilona for treason, due his large personal wealth allowing him to just disapear into the wider galaxy. Also with the war against the Iron Alliance beginning the protagonists had more important things to do than to hunt him down.
  • Later the Elite of the Senex Juvex Sector stepps down peacefully and allows the slaves to be freed without bloodshed... in exchange for complete and full immunity from prosecution. Meaning that why they lost their slaves, they escaped any further punishments and were allowed to integrate into the Coalition, causing quite a Broken Base in universe.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: Within this continuity Turr Phennir from Legacy of the Force gets imprisoned after yet another attempted coup on Corellia, while Warmaster Nas Choka from New Jedi Order gets assassinated after becoming the corrupt dictator of Zonama Sekot.
• The Klan: The Goddess Militia is pretty much the KKK in space, being fundamentalist followers of the Pius Dea Faith and fanatical human supremascists. Though they primary take after the second Klan in that they are more a political movement than a terrorist group.
• Lady Land: The Hapes Consortium and most witch clans of Dathomir are still very matriarchal. However, the oppression of men and the misandry in these societies is clearly portrayed as negative. Hapan exile Calia starts to acknowledge this injustice and wants to reform Hapes for the better.
• Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Actually averted. Ulrika and Elena are both butch, meanwhile both Kat and Liz are both feminine.
• The Mentor: Asajj Ventress was this for Mira growing up as a Force User.
  • Ulrika`s uncle Jimbo was this for her and Elena as he prepared them for the ORSF academy, being a veteran himself.
• Ms. Fanservice: Discussed Trope in Mother of Chaos were Ella Grau teases Lambert that cheerleaders are just "tits and asses" for the crowd to enjoy. Lambert, and Ella`s husband Arjen, quickly turn this around on her by goading her into joining the squad for a game, which actually leads to her joining permanently as develops a taste for the sport. Still the outfits are quite skimpy and Lambert mentions it took her quite a bit of courage to wear the outfit in public for the first time.
• My Greatest Failure: For Tobin the battle of Dennon, where he as an inexperienced commander send his unit into an ambush that got nearly all of them killed. Tobin only survived because one of his soldiers dragged his body out of the fire.
• Never My Fault: Ulrika acted this way over having cost Tobin his eye, making her come of as vile and callous. In truth she was scared shitless about what she had done and just acted tough to hide it.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Pretty much the entire plot only happens because Garth Redan frames Ilona for treason and thereby reveals the corrupt dealings Eriadu had with the Iron Alliance. If he hadn't done that Tobin might have never been able to convince the Quintad to go to war with the Alliance and the Coalition wouldn't have been formed. To his credit Garth did claim revealing this was his goal but wether the statement was genuine remains to be seen...
• Noble Demon: Betsy Hiran, who not only is the leader of the fanatical Goddess Militia but also controls most of the Eriaduan Underworld. At the same time she is genunley loyal towards the Coalition, always keeps her word and repays her debths.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Saul Cameron is clearly inspired by Neville Chamberlain coming off as a weakling who thinks appeasement and compromise are the way for the Coalition to deal with their enemies, to the point that several characters wonder if he actually is in league with the Sith. In actuality he, like the actual Neville Chamberlain, fully understands the danger the Sith are posing, but he also knows that the Coalition isn't ready for war with them yet, so he plays along for now. Just like Neville Chamberlain played for time while strengthening the British Military for the inevitable war on the horizon.
• Nominal Hero: Betsy Hiran is on the side of the good guys due to having every reason to hate the Sith. She also is a terrible person as both a crime lady and leader of an extremist group.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: At first glance, Darth Krayt´s intention to get rid of regimes like the Hutts and spread the influence of the comparatively progressive Galactic Alliance doesn't sound that bad. Until you take into account that Krayt has caused death, suffering and oppression on a massive scale in order to achive his master plan. In the end, he is just another callous egomaniac with a very flimsy veneer of benevolence.
• Odd Friendship: Nice Guy Jimbo Grau was actually a close personal friend with the warlord and dictator Sander Delvardus to the point of following him into the Deep Core after the collapse of the Eriadu Authority. This friendship actually helped protect the liberal House Grau from getting purged during the Imperial Era.
• Older and Wiser: Asajj Ventress has mellowed out quite a bit in the decades since the Clone Wars to the point she was willing to sacrifice herself to takeout the Iron Lord. Afterwards she get`s suprisingly along with the female Eriaduan soldiers (who remind her of her long dead sisters on Dathomir) to the point she stays in touch with them afterwards, even becoming a Cool Teacher to Mira.
• One-Steve Limit: Actually averted as there are two Lena`s. Lena Fenton, Jedi Knight and wife of Alec Fenton, and Lena Kyr, daughter of Elena and Ulrika. This is due to the author for a time forgetting Lena Fenton's existence while she named Lena Kyr.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: After the Vong War some young Imperial Pilots, including Jagged Fel, threw transphobic slurs at Elena during a victory gala. While Elena didn't even bother to respond to them, Ulrika and the rest of the squad beat the crap out of the Imperials and forced them to appologize.
• Pragmatic Hero: Ulrika is willing and capable of fighting dirty to win, but she has enough lines she would never cross to remain firmly on the side of good. Florianne Idril later also serves as this in the Coalition‘s leadership.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Unlike Palpatine, Darth Krayt does not set himself up as an emperor. Instead, he prefers to control the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi Order from the shadows. This way he can keep up the sham of the GA still being a democracy and conceal his own identity as a Sith Lord.
• Preserve Your Gays: As the author hates the oppositte Bury Your Gays trope this does come up. Infact the two major characters who die violently (Corvyn and Xenia) are both amongst the few actual heterosexual ones. While the bisxeual Duchess and Johannes are killed, both of them were over two hundred years old and the former was a villainess. Ulrika also mentions her gay uncle Jimbo is dead by now but he died of natural causes.
  • The lesbian cheerleaders also all survive in The Mother of Chaos
• Privileged Rival: Downplayed with Ulrika towards Ilona as both of them are lesser nobles, but the Grau family has been around for longer and is wealthier than the Malek`s.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: So far, the story has portrayed warrior cultures types are either dangerously misguided at best (as seen with the Tof and the Nagai) or corrupt hypocrites at worst (as seen with the Yuuzhan Vong warrior caste and the Mandalorians). Concerning the Soldier vs. Warrior trope, the soldier characters tend to be more relatable. That said, there are still many evil soldier characters in various factions.
• The Purge: After his son and heir is murdered by General Darius Jagged Fel launches a massive pruge through the Empire, his paranoia being further fanned by the Sith he gutts his nation of many of it`s best commanders and leaders.
• The Quisling: Keran Sarne is the brother of the Imperial Warlord Kentor Sarne. After his brothers death he betrayed the Empire and joined the Iron Alliance, becoming one of the few humans to achieve a leading role in the group.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: ORSF Commander Edwyn Caer in the first generation, President Saul Cameron in the next Generation.
• Reformed, but Not Tamed: Beth and her crew become good girls over the course of the story, eventually being willing to follow Mira into a Galactic War. Yet they still remain snarky, dirty minded tough girls regardless...
• The Remnant: Quite a few actually in the Southwest, remnants of the Imperial Colonial Government, of the CIS in the region as well as members of the Rebel Alliance who were abbandoned by the New Republic, all of them serve as founding members of the Coalition.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: The Story. Many of the leading characters are part of Eriadu`s noble class who often joined the military as it`s expected by their families.
• The Rival: Ulrika and Ilona were this to each other for decades, often trying to one up or undermine the other. Yet at the same time this pushed them to become two of the three top graduates at the ORSF academy.
• Safe, Sane, and Consensual: Ulrika and Elena enjoy bondage in bed yet their relationship is nothing but healthy for them. Same for Beth when she makes Mira "her bitch".
• Shout-Out: Many, often involving side characters:
  • Ulrika`s Uncle Jimbo is of course a reference to South Park
  • Florianne Idril takes her first name and apperance from Duchess Florianne from Dragon Age: Inquisition at one point Ilona even suggest she would look sexy in a Jester Outfit
  • The Hapan Captain Sonya Thane is a reference to Sonya Kantor from Poster Girl
  • The Southwestern Liberation Front is reference to the West Russian Liberation front from The New Order Last Days Of Europe it`s co leader Mikael Altuin alludes to it`s Generals Mikhail Tukhachevsky and Alexander Altunin.
    • The Fel Empires faction the "Unity Pact" is also named after the German lead faction in the mod. So is the far right National Vanguard Party in the Coalition
    • The ORSF Oath and Colours (Black and Gold) are partially based on the Black League from the mod.
  • The Name Iron Alliance comes from a minor Raider faction in Old World Blues
  • Sarah Durran is obviously a reference to Sarah Kerrigan and Samir Duran from StarCraft
  • Vice Admiral Garp is refering to the Vice Admiral of the same name from One Piece
  • Nev and Captain (later Admiral) Lenz take their name from extremly obscure bit characters from Mass Effect
  • A blonde lesser noble named Ulrika is itself a reference to Gotrek & Felix though this Ulrika isn't a Vampire.
  • The story "Mother of Chaos" includes several shout outs to Alien including Lambert (who is a transwoman here too) and Jenette Vasquez as major characters, and various namedrops to the Crew of the Nostromo and the Marines from the second movie (as well as Call from the fourth). Also in that same story Lambert`s girlfriend is called Sigourney after of course Sigourney Weaver.
    • Adding to that Marshal Amanda Hayes is named after Amanda Ripley heroine of Alien: Isolation and Administrator Maeko Hayes from Aliens: Dark Descent
  • The Duchess in the first story is based on the popular image of Elizabeth Báthory while the ritual to bring eternal youth and health is a reference to The Wicker Man
  • Maximilian Palpatine is a reference to Emperor Maximilian of Mexico also he is fancasted as Peter Capaldi who is a Scott just like Ian Mcdiarmid who of course plays his cousin Cosinga "Shev" Palpatine.
  • Elena`s father Cedryc Kyr is at least in part based on American Segregationist George Wallace.
  • Ruth, the good looking anchorwoman of the Galactic Alliance News Network is a reference to Ruth Dzeng from Cyberpunk 2077
    • The Leader of the Hacker Collective Leonie Auro is a reference to the character of Aurore Cassel and her voice actress Leonie Schliesing from the same game.
  • The Khanate is based on the Great Khan event chain in Stellaris
  • Beth and her crew of pirates are based on friends of the author on DeviantArt
    • So are Lady Pamela and the Senex Juvex Spy Alice, the latter is also a reference to Alice Ribbons from Home Alone 3
  • The Stega System and it`s position as a mining region at the edge of civilized space is lifted straight out of Chorus Nara also makes a cameo as a Hapan pilot.
  • The Eriaduan House Vist is a reference to Mobile Suit Gundam
  • The Tunnel Cat`s gang is taken from Necromunda
  • The Celonia System and Kira O'bannon are references to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine so is Ezri, Elena`s new councilor. Her previous one Deanna is reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Alec Fenton is essentially the Star Wars version of George Orwell having written the novels Homage to the Black Sheep and Down and Out on Coruscant and Corellia both of course references to Orwells work.
  • The mysterious Joy Girl deity revered by the anti-slavery faction of the Unseen is inspired by the Afro-Caribbean deity Joy Boy and how this figure was interpreted in One Piece.
  • The Anti Imperial holomovie The 120 Days of Tralus is a reference to the infamous Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
  • The Hutts being forcibly deported to and imprisoned on Nal Hutta, "until they have been reformed enough to return to Galactic Society" mirrors Prison Germany in Thousand-Week Reich
    • The Coalitions wider alliance is also named the Qaelan Accords, after the Toronto Accords in TWR.
  • The Backstory of Ulrika`s parents is something of a down to earth version of Cinderella up and including her mother being named Ella.
    • Her sister, Mira`s mother, is named Maguerite, a reference to the evil stepsister in the Cinderella adaptation Ever After
  • Ulrika`s father Arjen who is a professional Limmie player is a shout out to Arjen Robben.
  • The Beast and the Beauty of course pays some homage to Beauty and the Beast
  • Bonnie and Bonnie is named after the german movie of the same name, Yara and Kiki also make a cameo.
  • The Eriaduan main Starfighters, the light Erlking and heavy Valkyrie are a nod to Freelancer
• Show Within a Show: In this continuity Star Wars: The Clone Wars exists In-Universe as a pseudo-historical entertainment show, based very loosely on the real Clone Wars. Which explains the Continuity Snarl between this show and the older media. That said certain characters introduced in it, like Trace Martez are real people in universe.
• Skinny Dipping: Mira and Beth do this during their "date" on Zonama Sekot.
• Slave Liberation: Happens several times in the story. While the Senex-Juvex state abolishes slavery due to internal pressure, the slavery based societies of the Iron Alliance and the Hutt Space are destroyed due to conquest by their external enemies.
• Spared By Adaptation: Eryl Besa survived in this chronology as did Jacen Solo and Callista Ming.
• Spoiled Brat: Ulrika could come of as one during her childhood, especially towards Ilona. She was heavily spoiled by her parents causing her to be Innocently Insensitive in certain situations (primarily after accidentially costing Tobin his eye) that she came of as cruel. Eventually she would mature out of this due to Elena`s influence.
• Spoiled Sweet: Mira was adopted into nobility and given pretty much everything she could want by her aunts during her childhood, still she was never bratty about it and instead remained a kind girl at heart. Ironically enough in parts due to the influence of Asajj Ventress of all people.
• Tank-Top Tomboy: The casual wear for the ORSF members is a black tank top and pants, leading to this.
• Token Evil Teammate: Laric is the most openly amoral leader of the Coalition in the first generation and the only suggesting the new state to become a autocracy, though he has mellowed out somewhat after the timeskip. His role is taken by Betsy Hiran and Elia Kane amongst the Coalitions leadership, who are both far more ruthless than Laric ever was.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Jedi Knight Mira is the Tom Boy to her cousin Lena`s, who is a The Fashionista, Girly Girl.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Ilona is used to be a no nonsense professional soldier and still keeps her hair relativley short. Yet she also is a massive fan of corny romance novels and embraces her calling 'princess'.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Cheeseburgers for Mira. When she briefly imagines herself as a Dark Lady ruling the Galaxy she imagines making them the national dish of her empire.
• Trans Tribulations: Downplayed as Elena went through a sucessfull gene therapy on Arkanis that makes her indistiguishable from a Cis woman. It`s the fact this therapy was paid for with her fathers dirty money that troubles her.
• Unscrupulous Hero: Laric, at the start the only things making him heroic are that he fights against the Iron Alliance and that he is protecting Imperial Civilians. Even after joining the Coalition he largley keeps this attitude.
• Vasquez Always Dies: Actually inverted, while quite lot of female soldiers die in the stories, amongst the main characters it`s actually Xenia, the most feminin woman in the squad who dies during the battle of Qaelan.
  • The Trope Namer herself also survives her appearance in The Mother of Chaos
• Villain Team-Up: From the perspective of the Qaelan Accords nations the Unity Pact nations are this. This alliance between the Fel Empire, the Hapes Consortium, and the Tion Hegemony (with the Mandalorians, the Chiss and several Dathomir witch clans as allies) openly considers authoritarian rule as a virtue and wants to expand their influence across the galaxy. Turns out that Darth Krayt build them up as patsies, to justify the conquest and occupation of their territories by the supposedly democratic Galactic Alliance.
• Villain with Good Publicity: As far as the public is concerned, Darth Krayt is the wise and friendly Jedi Master A'Sharad Hett, the loyal advisor of Grand Master Luke Skywalker. Under this cover, Krayt has turned both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance into his personal regime.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Many characters within the story are less than impressed that the Solo family and other famous Jedi became affiliated with the Fel Empire after the events in Fate of the Jedi.
• Worthy Opponent: Back when they were still rivals Ilona and Ulrika hated each other... and had more respect for the other than pretty much everyone else.
  • Ventress still regards Obi Wan as hers, thinking back to him quite fondly.