They may burn your land, however with this ship in your facet, they’ll by no means take the sky away. We break down the Serenity.

Throughout the ‘Verse, no ship has singlehandedly helped change the course of historical past as a lot as a lone, Firefly-class transport with a perennially malfunctioning compression coil catalyzer, the Serenity.

The Serenity was current throughout a few of the most pivotal occasions within the White Sun system. But how does one, unarmed ship make such a distinction? To reply that, let’s look again at her historical past.

Firefly-Class Transport – Origins

The Serenity was Firefly-class transport, Series 3. The Firefly sequence was a multipurpose, mid-bulk transport boat. Originally designed by the Allied Spacecraft Corporation for multirole hauling, the Firefly challenge was an vital fixture within the early Alliance days. The first hulls and engines had been constructed at ASC’s shipyard at New Burbank, on Osiris. But remaining outfitting was outsourced to any variety of smaller firms, together with the notorious Firefly Ship Works on Hera.

All Firefly ships advanced from the identical design: a big rear engine module, wing-mounted engines for VToL capabilities, and a centralized cargo part.

The unique Firefly was first accredited for manufacturing in 2434, with the primary boats accomplished in 2435. The early sequence 1 module proved the idea however wasn’t designed with the pliability of the later sequence. They lacked modular cargo areas, secondary cargo areas, and passenger berths. Though even the primary Firefly vessels had been able to carrying a pair of dorsal-mounted shuttlecraft.

The Series 2 improved on the design. Larger and extra streamlined, the Series 2 changed the cumbersome engines from the Series 1. This enhanced its prime velocity however was finally a extra temperamental design. Series 2 proved to be problematic, with solely 5,000 boats offered earlier than manufacturing was halted.

Series 3, nonetheless, was a lot beloved. They had a status for working without end if that they had a mechanic “even half-awake.”

Serenity’s Design & Capabilities

As a Series 3 Firefly-class Transport, the Serenity featured a variety of enhancements over the sooner fashions. The Serenity featured extenders beneath the wings to assist stabilize the rotating VTOL engines. This had the good thing about holding the engines farther from the primary physique of the craft and meant bigger shuttles could possibly be fitted into the bays. On prime of that, the VTOL engines boasted a 270-degree vary of movement, that means the exhaust could possibly be pointed ahead for reverse thrust.

Certain pilots might disable the protection permitting for every engine to rotate independently. Though this was harmful, a daring — or determined — pilot might use this rotation to drag off tighter turns than most different crafts are able to.

The Series 3 was longer, as nicely, with a roomier inside and higher amenities.

The Serenity particularly took benefit of this. Her crew was capable of modify her cargo bays with hidden smuggling compartments, able to defeating most scanners.

But it wasn’t simply cargo house and creature comforts that made the serenity. On the Series 3, the previous Gurstler engines had been changed with 2 Blue Sun 6V4-178-B31 Trace Compression Block 36 RCS thrusters. With a full load of gasoline and an empty payload, Serenity might journey as much as 400 A.U. earlier than needing to refuel.

When carrying the utmost payload of 74.8 metric tonnes of cargo, Serenity nonetheless boasted a 44 A.U. vary.

And alongside all of that: two Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Shuttles, and 1 MF-813 Flying Mule rounded out her praise.

History

Named for the decisive battle at Serenity Valley, extensively regarded to be the place the Independents misplaced the Unification War with the Alliance, the Serenity was a refuge for her crew. Acquired by Malcolm Reynolds in 2512, shortly after the tip of the Unification War, the Serenity was named that, reflecting how those that had been there might by no means go away Serenity however would merely need to study to stay there.

For 5 years, the Serenity ran odd jobs, working provides, licit and in any other case, to of us what wanted ’em. But that modified in 2517, when Serenity booked three passengers: Shepherd Derrial Book, Simon Tam, and his sister, River Tam.

Bringing on the escaped River Tam, needed by the Alliance after her escape from a psychic weapons analysis program, put Serenity in danger. However, her crew took on increasingly more harmful jobs, together with stealing the legendary Lassiter laser pistol. This job netted Serenity a much-needed retrofit, together with new bracing, a cargo ramp, bomb-bay doorways, and a fire-suppression system. And simply in time too, for a couple of months later, she was swept up in occasions across the secret Alliance challenge on the world of Miranda.

Serenity took her crew to study the reality of the experiments with G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate. These experiments led to the creation of the Reavers, and after the crew of the Serenity realized the reality, they had been caught in a battle between Alliance navy forces and Reavers as they sped in direction of a comm relay moon outdoors the Blue Sun system.

There they unfold the reality of the matter and began to convey a couple of change within the Alliance. Whether it could final, was anybody’s guess.

But for now, Serenity remains to be flyin’, and that ain’t nothin’

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and occasionally eats sandwiches. You can ask him about both at [email protected]

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