So who was Book?

POSTED BY: SpaceCoyote
UPDATED: Thursday, August 3, 2006 16:52
VIEWED: 6460
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PAGANPAUL

Monday, July 31, 2006 4:37 PM

High ranking generals would not get beat up and taken off guard quite so easily. Same with law enforcement and cops. An operatave (or even an ex-operative) would be doubly aware of potential dangerous situations. Plus I don't think a retired operative would be allowed to just walk away (if allowed to retire at all!), and almost certainly their past would be shrouded and they'd not have enough clout to make an Alliance crew hop to it.

I've posted it in other threads, and I'll post it again here.

I think he used to be a member of Parliament. That's how he would know about the methods the operatives use, and would have some military training, but as a government official he wouldn't necessarily be used to assessing every situation for personal danger, thus he gets knocked out and beaten up much more than a general, cop or operative would.

We've never seen the members of Parliament itself, their identities are closely guarded, and we wouldn't recognize one if he just wandered on to the ship, just like Book did.

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流口水的婊子和猴子的笨儿子。
Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh bun ur-tze.
"Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey."

LAMPYRID

Monday, July 31, 2006 10:48 PM

In the pilot, the captain of the Dortmunder tells the ensign to "flag Interpol".

I think Book was simply an Interpol agent, a top cop or intelligence gatherer. He has knowledge crime, Niska, and "scrap shops". He knows police procedures when he tells off Wommack and he knows how to identify the type of gun by the wound it causes (War Stories).

In Serenity it is strongly implied that he was a former Operative, but in Firefly, Operatives didn't exist.

Book doesn't impress me either with his military knowledge or knowledge of Parliment. Was there even a Parliment in Firefly?

He doesn't seem to know what River is, he only becomes suspicious and I think shocked at what was done to her.

If he was a former Operative, he may not know specifically about Project Oracle, but it would have been his job to protect the secrets of places like Area 54.

STINKINGROSE

Monday, July 31, 2006 11:02 PM

Landscaper hmm?
Maybe that's another term for terraforming? Or blowing the hell out of the landscape in battle until the hills are valleys and the valleys are plains?
Or maybe he's just got a green thumb!

PENGUIN

Monday, July 31, 2006 11:14 PM

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you...

PAGANPAUL

Tuesday, August 1, 2006 5:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Lampyrid:
Book doesn't impress me either with his military knowledge or knowledge of Parliment. Was there even a Parliment in Firefly?

Somebody had to start the Unification War, and authorize the experiments done on River, and later send the Blue Hands after her. Call it whatever name you'd like, but those would be the minds behind the war, the bounty hunters, the Blue Hands and even the Reavers. They would be the ones responsible for the whole mess that lands in Mal's lap.

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TRAVELER

Tuesday, August 1, 2006 6:09 PM

I suspect Book was some type of police. Perhaps interplanetary. Just a guess. He probably got caught up with some bad cops. There seems to be an endless supply of these. Cops kind of get a bad rap on this show. But they are aliance and Mal and his crew are criminals so cops look bad even when they are only trying to arrest poor old Mal. Anyeay back to the tread. Book saw the wrong he was committing and quit. Who knows what kind of deal he had to make to leave, because he does seem to know to much. But once a cop his ident card will show this and get him some respect from Aliance dudes. I am still trying to decide if he actually joined a brotherhood of shepherds or is faking it. I always go back to what Early said in the last episode. That Book wasn't a shepherd. He seemed very sure of that fact. Or it may have been just Early's attitude toward Book personally.
I will leave that open. And since Book is now gone we will probably never know. So this is just a guess on what I've noticed from his behavior.

PHOENIXROSE

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 5:49 AM

You know what, PaganPaul? You've convinced me. It makes much more sense that he was Parlament. He would know about Operatives, would probably have worked his way through a few ranks, maybe been in some form of law enforcment first... Yeah, that fits. Very good!

ZOID

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 5:38 PM

Before 'losing his faith' in the Alliance Ideal and becoming a cloistered Shepherd as a reaction, Book was General Richard 'The Hammer' Wilkins. Wilkins was a brilliant battlefield tactician, mastermind of the "deep flank" maneuver that broke Independent resistance on Hera at the Battle of Serenity Valley, and effectively ending the War of Unification.

His nickname, 'The Hammer', stems from his unstinting demand for discipline from his troops throughout his military career -- and most particularly -- from his reputation as the presiding officer in numerous courts martial. He was so-nicknamed because of an over-90% conviction rate in cases he heard, and a tendency to sentence said convicts to multiple-year terms at hard labor. Basically, it was rumored that Gen. Wilkins didn't really give half a hump if you were innocent or not. If you were even peripherally involved in wrongdoing, he was going to drop the hammer on you.

After Serenity Valley, in which massive casualties were taken in both camps after the hostilities had ceased, General Wilkins held himself accountable to that same standard, quit a promising military career, and joined the clergy. It wasn't his fault that his masters decided to make examples of the rebels by letting them starve to death, but he held himself responsible anyway...

Aside from his knowledge of weapons, fighting, spies, military and police tactics, et cetera -- and the medical attention he receives on an Alliance military cruiser just by showing his retired general officer/Alliance Hero of Serenity Valley IDent card -- it also explains why he can't discuss his past with Mal.

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
...And as a general officer, I'd be willing to bet he'd had more than passing familiarity with Parliamentary Operatives. The CIA does lots of stuff hand-in-hand with the US military...
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"I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDBOF'

NCBROWNCOAT

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 7:11 PM

Zoid,
What you said makes perfect sense and answers all the questions.

ZOID

Thursday, August 3, 2006 5:45 AM

ncbrowncoat:

Well, yeah, it makes perfect sense; but is it right? I'm just guessing, like everyone else...

But for me, the ultimate clue is how Book talks. Specifically, every time he calls Mal, "son" (or "boy"). It's not a "my son", like a priest would say. It's not a "let me see your license, son" like a cop would say. It's the "son" spoken by a military commander.

Hot on the heels of that little insight is the way Book interacts with Jayne. That's military camaraderie to a tee. You may not have a lot in common with the guy next to you, but you're still pals. If he was a secretive ex-agent, if he was a cop, or a judge, he'd be a lot more aloof and/or judgmental, especially toward Jayne. By way of contrast, think of Jayne's interaction with (cop and spy) Dobson, leading up to his sarcastic remark: "Gee, I've never been in trouble with the law before."

Point is, Jayne's been in trouble with the law, a lot. So Book as a civilian officer or interpreter of the law? I don't think so, but that's just my opinion.

I reckon Jayne reminds the old general of most of the 'dogfaces' he once commanded, many of whom joined the service to avoid jail time...

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel for most of the officers I've met; but the generals I've talked with truly impressed the hell out of me. They're great communicators (meaning they actually listen to what you're saying, too) and their breadth of knowledge and experience is nothing short of amazing. Military history and tactics, jurisprudence, intelligence gathering, logistics, battlefield medicine... The list goes on and on...
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"I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDBOF'

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