Firefly meets Star Wars.

[The Romulan Republic]

Suppose a wormhole exists in the main solar system in Firefly (let's say on the far side of Reaver space and Miranda). The other end is in the Star Wars galaxy, near the planet Lothal (from Star Wars: Rebels). This happens just after both series start (the main stories that is, not the prolog about the Battle of Serenity).

Version one: A random Star Destroyer stumbles on the wormhole.

Version two: The crew of the Ghost stumble on the wormhole.

What happens?

Poor, poor Mal. He probably thought the Alliance was the worst of his troubles.

Edit: Oh fuck. I posted this in the fantasy forum instead of the science fiction forum. Sorry. Can a moderator please move it?

[Ted C]

Version 1: New system to conquer. Minimal resistance. Of course, the destroyer Captain's priority would probably be to keep the place under observation while sending work back through the wormhole. The Star Destroyer is pretty much invulnerable here, but 25,000 stormtroopers aren't enough to maintain order on one planet, let alone dozens.

Version 2: A faster-than-light small freighter in a system with no FTL technology? They can get all the small transport jobs they want!

[The Romulan Republic]

I'm not sure I'd give the Star Destroyer an easy victory, actually. While I don't know of any statistics for firepower in Firefly, their are suggestions of Base Delta Zero-like attacks. I don't know if it was mentioned in the show or elsewhere, but I recall reading that Mal's home planet was bombarded until it was no longer habitable by the Alliance, and the opening credits' song on the show has the line "Burn the land and boil the sea", which seems to reference Mal's experiences during the war. However, the Alliance doesn't seem to have shielding from what I've seen, and in any case, if the Star Destroyer calls in backup its a moot point. One system vs. a galaxy.

As for the Ghost, yeah, it can be the premier smuggling ship. However, the Alliance might try to seize it to get its technology. Sure, they probably can't catch it in space, but if its on the ground, they could try to seize it. Although a Jedi should be able to handle anything squad-sized or smaller that the Alliance has.

As for Serenity's crew, Kaylee's going to go nuts over hyperdrives and Mal is going to start longing for the good old days when he was fighting the Alliance.

And the Reavers are going to find out what real military power is.

Another interesting thing is how the Alliance would react. They've suddenly gone from being the only power in the known universe to the galactic equivalent of an undiscovered tribe. The Operative is going to be lost. All that vile work to create "a better world" only to see his government utterly impotent in the face of an evil greater than them. My bet is that he joins the Rebellion and then gets drummed out for being too extreme. Basically, the Alliance is going to experience what Mal experienced, only more so. Mal will be able to enjoy the irony, at least.

[Dass.Kapital]

From what I remember of both the show and the RPG (Which the creators heavily ued the stuff written for the show)

The drives they use to cut down on travel between planets makes for an... interesting.. weapon?

Heck, the one time they turn the drive on at low altitude the effects seem... impressive.

So... if you can make a drive system small enough for even a large missile... You're doing a heck of a lot of mps/ps of interesting blam into a target.

That's one of the things I can think of which the 'Verse has on Star Wars. Plus the 'Verse has its own kilometer high flying skyscrapers. That was shown once. They just don't have a lot of them.

[The Romulan Republic]

If you mean the Alliance cruisers, they actually showed up more than once. They were in at least two or three episodes that I've seen.

[Simon_Jester]

Hmph. I liked my Han Solo competes with Malcolm Reynolds idea better.

Anyway, I really, really don't think that Firefly has the more-than-nuclear firepower levels required to handle Star Wars as interpreted through the lens of the old EU.

In terms of the new and pruned canon... not sure at all.

Now, if the Empire has one ship discover the wormhole, the odds are that in the short term nothing happens- but that ship will call for backup in large enough numbers to attack and defeat any likely single-system defense force.

[The Romulan Republic]

The end result of a conflict is pretty much inevitable. The only question in my mind was weather one Star Destroyer would be sufficient.

One thing I'd be interested in comparing is non-FTL speed. We talked about how fast the Ghost would be, but hyperdrive might not be useable at all in Firefly's setting. Its one huge solar system full of obstructions. So, how long does it take a top of the line ship in Firefly to cross its solar system compared to how long it would take a Star Destroyer, for example, to do it?

And as for Mal vs. Solo, the outcome depends on the competition. Wrestling match or boxing match? I'm inclined to give it to Mal. He's a tough son of a bitch who fights dirty (though for that reason, a friendly match where the goal wasn't to kill or maim the opponent wouldn't play to his strengths). Shooting contest? Actually, Mal again. He pulled off some impressive marksmanship at times. Gambling/cards? Probably Solo. Mal didn't seem like much of gambler in anything I've seen. Piloting? Solo. The only one in Firefly who might be able to equal him is Wash (and maybe River eventually).

[Simon_Jester]

And as for Mal vs. Solo, the outcome depends on the competition. Wrestling match or boxing match? I'm inclined to give it to Mal. He's a tough son of a bitch who fights dirty (though for that reason, a friendly match where the goal wasn't to kill or maim the opponent wouldn't play to his strengths). Shooting contest? Actually, Mal again. He pulled off some impressive marksmanship at times. Gambling/cards? Probably Solo. Mal didn't seem like much of gambler in anything I've seen. Piloting? Solo. The only one in Firefly who might be able to equal him is Wash (and maybe River eventually).

I actually made it a pentathlon competition for lovable rogue smugglers with hearts of gold. It did fairly well the first time I posted it back in '09 (on another forum); would you like to see?

[The Romulan Republic]

Why not post it in the User Fiction forum?

[Sidewinder]

As for Serenity's crew, Kaylee's going to go nuts over hyperdrives and Mal is going to start longing for the good old days when he was fighting the Alliance.

Actually, Mal will find himself RELIVING the good old days, fighting the Alliance taken up to eleven, for reasons detailed below.

And the Reavers are going to find out what real military power is.

I doubt the Reavers have the sanity to understand, or to care, what "real military power" is.

Another interesting thing is how the Alliance would react. They've suddenly gone from being the only power in the known universe to the galactic equivalent of an undiscovered tribe. The Operative is going to be lost. All that vile work to create "a better world" only to see his government utterly impotent in the face of an evil greater than them. My bet is that he joins the Rebellion and then gets drummed out for being too extreme. Basically, the Alliance is going to experience what Mal experienced, only more so. Mal will be able to enjoy the irony, at least.

From what I understand of both fictional universes, Alliance and New Order propaganda are very similar. The Alliance will probably negotiate a deal in which they join the Empire, and pledge to offer materiel support, in exchange for a limited degree of autonomy. (Yes, I'm aware the Imperial idea of "autonomy" will reduce the Alliance leaders to mere figureheads, but being a figurehead is better than being in prison- or being dead.) The Operative from 'Serenity' may join the Rebellion, but I'm sure the Empire will be able to convince other Operatives to support its "peacekeeping missions."

Upon Alliance's union with the Empire, Mal will go from "rallying point for antigovernment activists and potential rebels," to "inconsequential, and ultimately, forgettable."

[The Romulan Republic]

Hmm. I can see the Alliance's Parliament cutting a deal with the Empire for sure. They seem to be basically a mix of well-intentioned pragmatists and self-interested assholes and the Empire has them outmatched hopelessly. And I think the Operative would go along with it for a while. He is a die-hard loyalist after all. But the thing about him is that he truly thought he was doing necessary evil to make things better, so if he ever catches on to what the Empire really is he'll be shattered as utterly as he was at the end of Serenity. And then he'll either off himself or turn into a rebel. It would make for an interesting alternate universe- him and Mal potentially fighting side by side against the Empire.

Really, though, I don't think Mal wants to find himself in another war. He'll fight if he's pushed far enough, but he'd rather just live as a small time crook.

Another interesting thought: would the Empire give a damn about River? They have Force users for the stuff the Alliance wanted her for and its no big scandal to them if she spills the beans about Miranda. Could this actually take some of the heat off Serenity as long as Mal and company don't do anything too overt that pisses off the Empire?

[The Romulan Republic]

Another interesting issue that we haven't really touched on here: aliens. Nobody in Firefly has met an actual alien. That in itself is going to be a massive shock, possibly even beyond suddenly being merely a province of a much greater empire or the economic implications of hyperdrive.

Edit: Now that I think about it, this would be about as shocking to the people of the 'Verse as encountering a galactic superpower would be to the real world.

[Sidewinder]

It would make for an interesting alternate universe- him and Mal potentially fighting side by side against the Empire.

They DID fight side-by-side, in Serenity: Leaves on the Wind.

Really, though, I don't think Mal wants to find himself in another war. He'll fight if he's pushed far enough, but he'd rather just live as a small time crook.

I agree.

Another interesting thought: would the Empire give a damn about River? They have Force users for the stuff the Alliance wanted her for and its no big scandal to them if she spills the beans about Miranda. Could this actually take some of the heat off Serenity as long as Mal and company don't do anything too overt that pisses off the Empire?

The Empire will probably force the Alliance to shutdown the program that created River, and deny potential rebels any chance to rival its power. The researchers working on the program, will be offered generous terms of employment in the Empire's own supersoldier programs- with the obvious exception of Sith Lords, the Empire is of the opinion you can never have too many supersoldiers- and any surviving subjects will be "reprogrammed" (i.e., brainwashed) to serve the Emperor instead.

The Empire's policy towards River, will depend on her actions. If she sticks with smuggling and other petty crime, well, she's just another soldier "gone rogue"- the Empire already has plenty of such soldiers (see clonetroopers who desert in various EU works), few of whom were able to actually threaten it, so "getting her back" will be a waste of time and resources. If she joins the Rebels- more importantly, be featured in Rebel propaganda, as the "Heroine of [insert battle or planet of your choosing]"- then she becomes a priority target, for which the Empire will expend almost as much effort to kill or capture, as it does for Luke Skywalker.

[The Romulan Republic]

Wondering about the economic fallout. Is someone like Mal still going to be able to do business? I wonder if ships with hyperdrives would put him out of business. I would think that their might still be a role for STL transport inside the Alliance's solar system, though Star Wars ships might still be faster and/or cheaper.

Alternatively, would someone like Mal be abel to scrape together enough money to buy at least a crappy ship with a hyperdrive?

Of course, the Empire might choose to cut off the new galaxy. A big but isolated solar system with only one easily guarded way to access it sounds like a great place to put secret bases where the Rebels can't touch them.

[bilateralrope]

I expect that Miranda will be quickly rendered irrelevant after the Empire decides to eliminate the Reavers as a show of force.

[The Romulan Republic]

Sounds like a good day's work for a single frigate.

Edit: It helps that the Reavers don't seem to have any long-term presence on any world. On the ground, Imperial troops would be more likely to suffer some losses, though they could obviously win in the end.

[Adam Reynolds]

If we're assuming that both stories are in the same universe and thus follow the same physics, does that mean that River is Force sensitive? Though with the experiments caused by the Alliance, could she still become a Jedi given her inability to shutdown emotion? Though part of what had driven her insane was the exposure to what happened on Miranda. Once that was uncovered she seemed much better.

As another issue, given that evolutionary biology indicates that humanity evolved on Earth, how would this revelation affect the Empire? Though the fact that humanity in the Firefly verse no longer lives on Earth might affect this somewhat.

EDIT: Why is this in the Fantasy forum rather than OSF?

[The Romulan Republic]

If River was a Force user she'd probably have gone to the Dark Side with all the crap she's been through, and that doesn't fit. River doesn't seem evil. Just nuts.

Edit: And if you read the OP, you should know that this was put here by accident. I have already requested that a moderator move it. There's nothing more I can do about that.

[Steve]

Honestly, we'll just leave this thread here since it's a crossover that's not SW/ST.

[The Romulan Republic]

Okay then.

Adamskywalker007, as for the issue of humans having developed on Earth... well, that might have a huge impact culturally, but I can see the Empire suppressing the discovery. I doubt they'd want people identifying the origins of humanity with another galaxy rather than their own. If they decide to embrace the discovery, however, it should be fairly easy for them to actually find the location of Earth That Was and send archaeologists. The advantages of probe droids and hyperdrives. Like I said, this will change the whole nature of the 'Verse.

[Balrog]

One thing I'd be interested in comparing is non-FTL speed. We talked about how fast the Ghost would be, but hyperdrive might not be useable at all in Firefly's setting. Its one huge solar system full of obstructions. So, how long does it take a top of the line ship in Firefly to cross its solar system compared to how long it would take a Star Destroyer, for example, to do it?

Microjumps within a solar system are still a thing in the new continuity, so in terms of sheer speed hyperdrive will still beat out pulse drives. Reading the Serenity wiki it looks like pulse drives come in different grades, the fastest ones being able to travel between the inner worlds within a day or cross the entire system in a matter of weeks, which I believe is still much slower than Wars STL travel. Their weapons are also weaker (a projectile weighing several hundred kg traveling at a few km/s are considered battleship killers) so it wouldn't take much for the Empire to conquer by force. Of course this information comes from the wiki and is sourced to RPG material, so take it with a grain of salt.