Question about Reavers by Leee

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Question about Reavers

POSTED BY: LEEE
UPDATED: Monday, June 20, 2005 05:22
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Saturday, June 18, 2005 5:21 PM

First of all, I got my first Firefly convert....my wife. While she was away at conference two weeks ago, I bought the DVD set and began my journey into the land of Firefly.
I was anxious to get my wife into it when she got back. I was a little worried she wouldn't like it as much as me, but she does!

Anyway on to the question, it's actually a question that she posed.
If Reavers are such savage creatures, how do you suppose they keep their ships running? I mean I can't picture them having an engineer that can sit down and figure out a problem like Kaylee does?

I wonder if they kidnap people, make them fix their ships and THEN eat them?

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Saturday, June 18, 2005 5:42 PM

INEVITABLEBETRAYAL

Well, Simon called them "men gone savage on the edge of space" and Mal said, "they got out to that place of nothing and that's what they became".

Ostensibly they had some kind of ship that got them out to the place of nothing on the edge of space. Said ships must have had engineers. They may be cannibals, but even terrestrial homicidal cannibals can have semi-functional lives (hell their neighbors always say, "He was always so quiet").

I'll need more convincing that brutal homicidal cannibals can't also fix machinery.

_______________________________________________
I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 12:12 AM

PURPLEBELLY

Maritime pirates in our own and prior eras have managed to survive in inimical environments by adept use of technology, while maintaining extreme lifestyles.

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 7:32 AM

FANGIRL

I HIGHLY recommend checking out the essay on the Reavers in the "Finding Serenity" book. It explains a lot about reavers and the real story they are based on. They are a variation of a real story that happened in 16th century Scotland. It was a great little essay.

"Hell is empty and the devils are all here." - Shakespeare

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 9:27 AM

PURPLEBELLY

Quote:
Originally posted by Fangirl:
... a real story that happened in 16th century Scotland...

You may like to re-read. Especially the text after the phrase I did write as if Beane's history were fact.

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 9:38 AM

STATIC

Here's the mistake I see folks are making most frequently.

Noone has EVER said that Reavers were unintelligent.

They may be savage. . .they may even qualify as insane...TRULY insane. But noone ever said they were unintelligent. In fact, the Reavers we encounter in the time that "Firefly" takes place, are probably second or third generation born in space. . .born to the life. Learning how to maintain their equipment would be knowledge that was learned right alongside learning to crawl, walk and kill.

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 7:31 PM

FANGIRL

I should have clarified. It is a real story. It was not a real event. The story was believed and told for years and then it turned out not to be true. My bad. I should have explained better.

"Hell is empty and the devils are all here." - Shakespeare

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Monday, June 20, 2005 3:47 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Quote:
Originally posted by Fangirl:
They are a variation of a real story that happened in 16th century Scotland.

And here I thought they were the result of an attempt by the Alliance to clone Howard Stern, gone horribly awry.

---------------

"All that is required for evil to triumph is for the good man to do nothing."

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Monday, June 20, 2005 4:21 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Quote:
Originally posted by Static:
Here's the mistake I see folks are making most frequently.

Noone has EVER said that Reavers were unintelligent.

They may be savage. . .they may even qualify as insane...TRULY insane. But noone ever said they were unintelligent. In fact, the Reavers we encounter in the time that "Firefly" takes place, are probably second or third generation born in space. . .born to the life. Learning how to maintain their equipment would be knowledge that was learned right alongside learning to crawl, walk and kill.

Agreed Static.

I think the tales of the Reavers have taken on Boogeyman proportions in the 'Verse. It might even be that the Reavers help to foster these myths as pirates of old used to to help strike fear into the hearts of their prey.

We can see by the way the pilot of the Reaver ship handles his craft that he is obviously a fairly good pilot which indicates he is not some mindless savage. Anyone who can hang on to Wash's six as long as the Reavers did is no slouch.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

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Monday, June 20, 2005 4:23 AM

ZEEK

I guess the best way I can think of it is like an instinct thing. The Reavers are only savage when some stimuli activates their savage instincts. Which would be why they passed right by Serenity in the first episode of Firefly. Serenity didn't act like prey so they didn't go nuts and attack. However, once their savage instincts are activated then they are focused solely on killing.

That's at least how I get around the fact that they can maintain spaceships.

It's sorta like my cat. She's all nice and sweet until she thinks your hand is a mouse. Then there's this visible switch in her personality and all bets are off.

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Monday, June 20, 2005 5:22 AM

STATIC

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
I guess the best way I can think of it is like an instinct thing. The Reavers are only savage when some stimuli activates their savage instincts.

See. . .

I don't think it's quite like that.

In MY opinion, the Reavers are savage, brutal and cannibalistic. . .ALL THE TIME. But, as I said, they're also intelligent.

Imagine what Hannibal Lecter would be like if he didn't have to HIDE in society.

From what little we have about them, we're able to glean that they have something of an animalistic CODE, rather than an animal intellect.

"Could be they just hit somewheres and they're full up."

The Reavers most likely don't like to kill what they can't eat.

"If we run, they'll have to chase us. That's their way."

I take this as a suggestion that the Reavers despise weakness. I'd be willing to bet that the Reavers have a 'pack' mentality, ruled by an Alpha Male.

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