Octavian Grant

Born into the nobility of the Tapani sector, a prosperous sector within the [Colonies](/article/colonies-legends] region of the galaxy, Octavian Grant was a lord of House Mecetti. He displayed an aristocratic attitude, looking down on those he deemed inferior to Humans like himself and his fellow Tapani nobles. He derisively called them the "working class" and held particular disdain for droids, alien species, and politicians. He also scorned those who falsely displayed Tapani nobility, such as the pirate Reginald Barkbone, who flaunted a stolen lightfoil. After a successful period in the Tapani Home Defense Fleet, Grant entered the Republic Navy and demonstrated exceptional tactical abilities towards the end of the Clone Wars.

Transferring his service to the Galactic Empire, Grant led a fleet against the Trade Federation resistance in the Outer Rim Territories during 19 BBY. Grant relentlessly pursued remnants of the Trade Federation, commanded by Customs Vizier Marath Vooro. Following a confrontation at Farstine, Grant hunted Vooro along the Five Veils Route and captured him at the Hook Nebula. Grant's accomplishments, together with other early victories against Separatist holdouts by well-known Imperial figures like Terrinald Screed and Hurst Romodi, were celebrated in the Core Worlds, and Grant rose to a position of prominence within the Empire.

Two years before the Battle of Yavin, Emperor Palpatine established a new high-ranking rank for the Imperial Navy: the Grand Admiral rank. Palpatine stipulated that only twelve individuals could simultaneously hold this rank, and Grant was among those chosen. The Tapani native joined Palpatine's elite "circle of twelve," alongside other notable officers such as Josef Grunger, Rufaan Tigellinus, and Demetrius Zaarin. Outside of the Tapani sector, Grant didn't cultivate the public support that other Grand Admirals did. However, within his home sector, Grant's every move generated significant media attention. Journalists were assigned solely to track his activities, and both his professional and personal life were meticulously reported.

Among the twelve Grand Admirals, only Grant, Grunger, Tigellinus, and Peccati Syn continued to perform regular naval duties. The others were assigned special projects or missions. Grant avoided politics and socializing with moffs and other politicians, considering it beneath him; he simply carried out the tasks assigned by the Emperor. Secretly, he even questioned if Palpatine was his inferior, since the Emperor wasn't Tapani, nor did Grant consider him a true noble, despite the Emperor's membership in the noble House Palpatine of Naboo.

Despite stating that there would only ever be twelve, Palpatine secretly broke his own rule by appointing Mitth'raw'nuruodo as the thirteenth Grand Admiral in a private ceremony. Grant, being contemptuous of aliens benefiting from the Empire's meritocracy, despised the Chiss Grand Admiral and his achievement. Grant didn't act on this, and when the Galactic Civil War erupted, the Tapani aristocrat proved his talent, securing a series of victories against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. During the war, some rivalry existed between Octavian Grant and fellow Grand Admiral Nial Declann. After the Battle of Yavin, Declann intended to use his military success in the Kessel system to mock Grant.

Following the death of the Emperor and his enforcer, Darth Vader, during the Battle of Endor, four years after the destruction of the initial Death Star, the Empire dissolved into chaotic infighting. Grant, not blinded by his prejudices, understood that while he believed he deserved to rule due to his noble birth, he lacked the power to effectively seize control. This was largely because he had not cultivated friendships with the moffs, and his anti-politician sentiments had earned him no favors. Consequently, his fellow Grand Admirals marked him as the first to fall in the ensuing bloodbath after the Endor debacle.

However, Grant displayed a patience his peers lacked. While many other Grand Admirals became warlords and began fighting each other, Grant and his personal Star Destroyer, the Oriflamme, sought refuge in the Pentastar Alignment, a breakaway Imperial faction ruled by Grand Moff Ardus Kaine in the Outer Rim, biding his time. He observed as the remaining Grand Admirals were either captured and executed by the New Republic or killed in battles against other Imperial factions.

Eventually, after the deaths of Grand Admirals Martio Batch and Afsheen Makati two years after the Endor defeat, Grant was the only Grand Admiral known to the New Republic. Thrawn was still exploring the Unknown Regions, unaware of the deaths of Vader and Palpatine, so the New Republic remained ignorant of the thirteenth Grand Admiral. While this presented an opportunity for Grant to claim the remnants of the Empire, the Pentastar Alignment was becoming increasingly unstable, and the New Republic sought Grant's blood, mistakenly believing him to be the last Grand Admiral. Two years after Endor, Grant requested permission from the New Republic to defect. They agreed to his conditions: immunity from prosecution for his actions as an Imperial officer and a peaceful retirement on the planet Rathalay, in exchange for valuable Imperial military secrets. He later considered ending his retirement during the Thrawn campaign, desiring to defeat the alien, but the New Republic's suspicion prevented him from being employed, and he never found an opportunity to escape their grasp. The New Republic closely monitored Grant, with agents like Jan Ors tracking his every move.

In 10 ABY, Palpatine returned from the Deep Core, having survived Endor by inhabiting a clone body, and united the fragmented Imperial factions to launch a series of military campaigns against the New Republic. Ardus Kaine joined Palpatine's cause, and the Republic enlisted Grant to help defeat his former ally. After convincing Kaine that he wanted to rejoin the Alignment and fight for the Empire, Grant lured Kaine to the Palanhi system in his personal shuttle, where Republic E-wing escort starfighters ambushed and killed the Grand Moff.

Even after retiring from military service, Grant remained a celebrity in the Tapani sector. Events at his home on Rathalay were regularly reported in the society sections of news programs. Ultimately, Grand Admiral Grant lived longer than anyone expected, outliving all his peers, earning him the title of "the last Grand Admiral."

Grant was a Human male with [black](/article/color-legends] hair, gray eyes, and fair skin. Throughout his life, he placed great importance on rank and nobility, which fueled his prejudice against common citizens. He believed that his species and noble lineage granted him special privileges denied to those without such status. He resented others who managed to achieve positions equal to his own. He also despised having an alien, like Thrawn, among the Grand Admirals, although he never directly opposed Palpatine.

Grant wasn't afraid to cut his losses, displaying what some might perceive as cowardice. He preferred operating from the shadows rather than seeking the spotlight, a strategy that ultimately allowed him to outlive his doubters, albeit at the cost of his complete freedom. A shrewd negotiator, Grant secured favorable conditions from the New Republic, saving his life while the former Rebels executed several other Grand Admirals. His loyalty to the Empire was conditional; he readily compromised it to advance his own interests. His prejudice against aliens nearly led him to oppose the only chance the Imperial remnant had to regain its former glory.

While serving in the Imperial Navy, Grant wore a Grand Admiral uniform adorned with gold epaulets and the appropriate rank insignia plaque.

Grand Admiral Grant was created by Star Wars authors Kevin J. Anderson and Daniel Wallace for The Essential Chronology in 2000. Wallace, along with Abel G. Peña, further developed his backstory in the Star Wars Insider 66 article Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals. Peña later included brief mentions of Grant in Underworld Appendix: Swoops, Spice, and Wretched Rogues and The Dark Forces Saga. Initially, Grant was the only Grand Admiral without a first name, an oversight Wallace acknowledged. Wallace has also said that Grant is among his favorite of the Grand Admirals he has created. Grant was later given the first name "Octavian" in the 2010 sourcebook Galaxy of Intrigue, and his House affiliation was finally specified.

The 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart added more detail to Grant's career leading up to his promotion to Grand Admiral. The book also mentioned a "Moff Grant" commanding the Emerald Banner Command in the Tapani Sector at the end of the Clone Wars, but it doesn't explicitly identify him as Octavian Grant, and no other source confirms Octavian Grant as a moff. Urquhart has stated that the intention was for this to be Octavian Grant, but it remains uncertain if this was definitively established as canonical.

Daniel Wallace, co-author of Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals, unofficially suggested in 2003 that Grant's personal Star Destroyer was named Oriflamme, which was later canonized in the 2013 blog The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire by Wallace and Peña.

The Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals article from Insider 66 was originally intended for Star Wars Gamer, but after the magazine's cancellation, it appeared in Insider instead. The original Gamer article, titled Dirty Dozen: The Imperial Grand Admirals, was longer and contained more information than the Insider version. Some of the cut content is presented in the section below.

Many viewed Grant as detached and aloof, which the other Grand Admirals misinterpreted as weakness. He observed both enemies and allies with curiosity, rarely revealing his true thoughts, though he never feuded with the other admirals despite their low opinions of him. Grant also respected his enemies, holding both the Old Republic and the Rebel Alliance in high regard, although he believed the Empire was less flawed.

Grant favored a traditional approach to military tactics, particularly siege warfare. He greatly respected Imperial General Jan Dodonna, known for his insights and tactics on siege warfare. When Dodonna defected to the Rebel Alliance, Grant was surprised, though he had no intention of doing the same as his role model. Grant respected the Rebels' fighting spirit but believed the Empire was more effective in war and would eventually defeat its opponents. He held a high opinion of himself and his peers, despite their personal dislike for the Tapani noble. Grant believed that with geniuses like himself leading the Imperial war machine, nothing could stop them. During the Galactic Civil War, Grant clashed with General Dodonna over Galboron, outmaneuvering and defeating him while maintaining his respect.

After the Battle of Endor, Grant dutifully reported to Sate Pestage on Imperial Center, knowing he had little chance of survival if he engaged in conflict with his fellow Grand Admirals. He stayed with Pestage for a time, but the former Grand Vizier grew increasingly paranoid and openly suspected Grant. Fearing assassination, Grant fled Imperial Center before Pestage could strike.

After making agreements with the New Republic, Grant relocated to Rathalay, where he spent many years and befriended Kaerobani, a reformed bandit and local eccentric. The two became close, with Grant spending much time in Kaerobani's lavish palace. Grant was at Kaerobani's home when the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Rathalay, devastating the planet. Aided by the droid 8t88, Grant ended his early retirement to confront a Yuuzhan Vong warrior who had attacked Rathalay.