Where did Mal get the money for Serenity?

POSTED BY: ncbrowncoat
UPDATED: Friday, January 20, 2017 21:40
VIEWED: 24769
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YELLOWJACKET

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 4:14 AM

It's been suggested that Zoe Contributed to the purchase of Serenity, but I doubt it given this quote...

"You paid money for this, sir? On purpose?"

This quote implies that she was outside the purchase altogether, and it also sets up the fact that Zoe valued a 45 year old, broken down Firefly to be of little or no value. And old fixer upper runs cheap.

Mal also mentions in Out of Gas that they had 'work waiting for them' when Serenity wasn't running, so paying jobs were already lined up, and he may have borrowed against the pay off from those jobs.

I don't think Mal's reputation began with Serenity. I think it started before, and money from previous jobs paid for Serenity.

M52NICKERSON

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 1:29 PM

In the movie Mal's rank is listed as Captain. He might have gotten a promotion after Serenity Valley which came with a bonus. Since the war was affectivly over at that point he never used the rank and still identifies as a Sergent. His officer bonus plus all his savings migth have been enough to buy Serenity.

Zoe might not have helpped buy the ship, but she might have helped pay for the repairs.

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 2:27 PM

Yeah, in the movie and some of the supplemental material, he got a field promotion to captain on account of most of the chain of command ahead of him tended to get themselves blown up while trying their hardest to get their own people blown up too.

Also, I recall reading he did get a stipend, but that Indy credits were worthless when they lost the war.

EBFIDDLER

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 10:26 PM

As far as I know, this question is not answered in canon. In my fanfic version, Mal's ma saw trouble coming shortly before Shadow was destroyed, and liquidated what assets she could and wired them to an account in his name on another world. I based this (completely made up) story on Mal's comment in "Our Mrs Reynolds" that his mother's ranch had 40 ranch hands. From what I've researched about your typical western ranch, any ranch that retained 40 ranch hands as permanent employees would have been a rather substantial ranch indeed. Mal would have been the son of a well-off family, even if most (or nearly all) of their wealth was tied up in land and the family business. I'm also assuming in my fanfic scenario that this account was not confiscated because Mal was not a commissioned officer. Non-comms and private soldiers are not typically held accountable for the actions of the command. (The Operative's dossier on Mal lists Mal as a non-trialed Browncoat.) If he'd been a commissioned officer, his assets might well have been forfeit.

RIONAEIRE

Thursday, December 29, 2011 3:53 AM

Good theories.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

WISHIMAY

Sunday, January 15, 2017 10:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Trapstar:
The bigger question for me is how did he get the license to fly such a ship?

I never got the impression HE had to have a license to fly, just one to OWN the ship, like a title. That's what he needed Wash for, right?

I imagined they only care about who's flying the thing when it gets crashed or they call for help.

And then again, maybe his mom had a ship and he learned to fly it in Shadow, before the war? Maybe he was licensed in the war, like my spouse was licensed to drive the big vehicles in the army? Troop transport stuff.

Just my two cents, anyhow...

THGRRI

Monday, January 16, 2017 1:24 AM

How did Mal get the money for Serenity? He stole it of course.

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REAVERFAN

Monday, January 16, 2017 8:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Trapstar:
I know this is an old thread, but I just finished Firefly and wanted to weigh in. In Star Wars they explained that Han won the Falcon in a pazaak game, but they never mention how Mal got Serenity even in its broken down condition.

I've worked professionally in the merchant marine for several years so I'll try to apply my experience since modern day sailing is as close to space travel as we can get these days unfortunately. A ship like Serenity would be pretty expensive in today's money, possibly close to half a million dollars. Some ship auction websites have ships with similar dimensions for about $400k. In the show the ship isn't functional in its current state which surely devalues it, however one engineer has the capability to get it running again so no major repairs/shipyard is required.

Mal could've easily taken out a loan provided he had a decent portion of start up capital from the ranch or investments and a plan to make good money trading, etc. The bigger question for me is how did he get the license to fly such a ship? In the modern shipping era it is moderated by what tonnage license you have to legally be a captain or officer on a merchant ship. Mal's ship is relatively large (as compared to the Falcon for instance) and would require a larger credential to command that would require years of experience prior to starting out on Serenity as captain. Han on the Falcon could get his license (legitimately that is) easier due to it being much smaller internally.

Anyway, that was kind of a ramble. Just made me curious because I know most guys that sail commercially dream of doing something like Han or Mal and we're always trying to think of ways to make it happen.

What is it like in the merchant marine? Sounds kinda interesting.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 6:38 AM

IIRC there was some mention of eventual payout following the war - but it took years for him to get it. Zoe supposedly got some too. Not sure if it was due to family memeber death benefits, or restitution for lands destroyed, or what not.
Joss based the whole concept on the aftermath of the American Civil War, and I have forgotten what types of payment the Confederate Soldiers got after losing the war.

THGRRI

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 8:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by THGRRI:
How did Mal get the money for Serenity? He stole it of course.

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Common people he was a crook. He stole the money he needed to purchase Serenity.

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