How Did Mal and Zoe Get Out? by Mattie

TALK STORY

How Did Mal and Zoe Get Out?

POSTED BY: MATTIE
UPDATED: Thursday, January 19, 2006 16:58
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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:03 AM

Last night I was reading The Red Badge of Courage and it hit me, what did the Alliance do to the left over Independents once the war was over? I mean, they were traitors, weren’t they? (The Red Badge of Courage is about the American Civil War, so the connection isn’t all that difficult to make.)
I understand that there was a week of peace negotiations between the Alliance and the Independents once the Alliance took Serenity Valley (see the Firefly deleted scenes). Also, in the movie, when the operative looks up Mal’s file it says that he got an award for valor, or something like that. However, I can hardly believe that it was the Alliance that gave him that award/recognition.

I’m scooching around the real question, though. What I want to know is this: Did the Alliance just let all of the surviving Independents go? I have a hard time believing that the hard nose Alliance would let people with such radical ideas, and with so much conviction for those ideas, just walk away. And I can’t see Mal or Zoe renouncing their beliefs, their actions, their motives behind fighting, just to save their skins. What happened during those six years between the Battle of Serenity and where we see the entire crew together on Serenity? Did Mal and Zoe serve time in jail or prison? Were their actions monitored and/or restricted by the Alliance for a certain amount of time after the war? Like I said, I can’t see the Alliance just letting them go.

What do you think happened?

Wacky fun!

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:11 AM

WILDHARE

Well the answer to this quesion is in the book. I can tell you if you want. But I will give you the oppotunity to read the book if you want the answer.

Just let me know

"They tell you 'never hit a man with a closed fist,' but it is, on occasion, hilarious."

- Capt. Malcolm Reynolds

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:15 AM

STAKETHELURK

The thing about the Alliance you have to remember is that like the Operative, it’s incredibly idealistic. It wants to believe in a better world, and feels that its ideals can get people there.

According to the “Brief History” Joss wrote in the The Official Visual Companion, Mal and his group continued to hold the valley after the initial order to lay down arms, making them essentially war criminals. But the Alliance was determined not to try them as a sign of reconciliation. The Alliance even gave them their discharge pay (I think).

What Joss says about the Operative in the Visual Companion goes for the Alliance as a whole: “He’s the nicest, kindest, most humble guy who ever killed a bunch of people there was.” The Alliance believes in free speech, freedom of religion, all that good stuff. It wants to look after and care for its people. The problem comes when it takes this general impulse too far. Thus, it is composed largely of tragically misguided but essentially good people.

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:15 AM

BULLHOR

You have to remember, that even after the Civil War,
most Confederate soldiers just went home. After 5 years of war, people are tired of fighting, and killing. They just want it to end and get on with there lives. This is most likely similar to what happened in the 'verse. Even though The Independandts surrendered, the army didnt just disappear, they had to demobilize there forces. Hence, They could still award commindations for Valor. Most likely since Mal wasnt a high ranking officer, He like most Privates and NCO's just went home. Just my thoughts

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:28 AM

WILDHARE

well.. like I said.. the book states how exactly they got off the planet. No real speculation. I suggest reading the book. Its not how I imagined they would get off.

"They tell you 'never hit a man with a closed fist,' but it is, on occasion, hilarious."

- Capt. Malcolm Reynolds

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:42 AM

AMITON

I don't *not* recommend reading the novelization, but when Joss was asked how much he had to do with it, he said it was almost none. Just be aware that what you read in the novelization may not necessarily be cannon and the final answer to all of your questions.

Amiton.

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 4:58 PM

MATTIE

Quote:
Originally posted by StakeTheLurk:
The thing about the Alliance you have to remember is that like the Operative, it’s incredibly idealistic. It wants to believe in a better world, and feels that its ideals can get people there.
...
What Joss says about the Operative in the Visual Companion goes for the Alliance as a whole: “He’s the nicest, kindest, most humble guy who ever killed a bunch of people there was.” The Alliance believes in free speech, freedom of religion, all that good stuff. It wants to look after and care for its people. The problem comes when it takes this general impulse too far. Thus, it is composed largely of tragically misguided but essentially good people.

I can understand this, but at the same time, I want to think that there are some downright evil people that really turn the cogs of this government. River's secret (or one of the many) was one she gleaned off of a corrupt high ranking official. The woman in the hologram/video thing wanted to show the 'verse what went wrong on Miranda--I think that's why she made the video in the first place. It was buried, though.
What I mean to point out is that though the Alliance has these ideals, I think they'd use every and any means possible to quash insurrection. I guess an ironic way to do that would be to give the rebels a false sense of security by letting them go--the idea is somewhat Alliance-like.

Thanks so much to all of you for your suggestions, answers and insights.

Wacky fun!

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