CAPNRAHN'S BLOG
Answer to the question:" Why Dragonfly?"
Sunday, February 8, 2004 3:20 AM
I have been asked (in various ways):"Why are doing a spin-off of Firefly concerning the Alliance, aren't they the bad guys?"
The end of that question aptly illustrates my VERY reason for 'going to another perspective'.
Mostly it comes down to 2 points:
1) Most do not know that I am a Gulf War vet. Now you do.
2)
Quote:
"There are more shades of gray than stars in the 'Verse" -Marovech Rahn-
Point One </font color>
The idea that a government or military could betray their service members is close to my heart.
Most folks don't know that RIGHT after the GW, a 'cost-saving' proposal was passed to 'roll-out' 500,000 service members from EACH service. No matter the experance, skills or loyalty of the member. If there was a way -- roll 'em out.
So they did. Even offering soon-to-be-retirees a lump sum instead of their monthly (until death) retirement pay. Lump sums look good on paper, but dosen't come near what the retiree would get (then at 45% of exiting pay) if they lived for more than 8 or so years after they left the service. Don't invest smart, you end up working at Meijers as a 60 year old 'greeter' -- with nothing but social security and you retail store check for you to try to survive on. The 'help' seminars were just set dressing ... most of the investments they suggested were ... unhelpful.
Good, the 'government' is saving money -- right? Nope - the money 'saved' went elsewhere, most notably into the pockets of congress-members -- remember the 50% raise they gave themselves in '91/'92?
I am not here to debate this, I lived it. This is information about my reasons for doing Dragonfly, only. Savvy?
OK, now you know the barest minim, there many other reasons for my feelings concerning 'betrayal'.
Point Two </font color>
I feel that lumping EVERYONE exists/lives/participates in a system, government, corporation, religion or just plain fan group - into a bigoted pile, is wrong.
There is another story to be told here in the Firefly 'Verse. I am going to attempt to do so, with the help of the players/actors in the proposed RP.
Quick Synopsis of Dragonfly </font color>
During the Battle of Serenity Valley a group of intelligent and loyal Alliance elite military engineers {A.P.E.s} come across information that shows that the Alliance faked several incidents to precipitate a war with the Independents.
The Commodore in charge gets wind of this and insures the group is persecuted in various manners that cannot, or will not, be questioned {see point one for the tiny basis for this}.
Before the Commodore's plan can move to completion, the APEs decide to resign/break-out/accept-forced-retierment and attempt to right the wrong that they helped to perpetrate. They disappear to the mid/rim worlds. To one planet in particular - Arcade' {r K dee a}
They build a ship out of scrapped vessels (most notably Firefly class) while on this Alliance junk yard/trash-dump planet.
Arcade' was once a garden-world, one of the 'breadbasket' planets of the Alliance. It's biosphere was all but destroyed in one of the falsified incidents nearly 10 years before the incidents shown in Firefly. It is now a junk yard/trash dump planet.
The APEs spend 5 years building a ship. One they can utilize to fulfill their reasons for being in the military in the first place -- help and protect the citizens, regardless of their affiliation.
However, the loss of faith in the APEs ex-superiors has made a mark. One visible example is the name of the vessel they build - Justiciar.
{jus tish E air : to and of the dispensation and administration of justice.}
Well, there ya go... I hope that answers the question!
Shades of gray ...
COMMENTS: 11