Line #115 Characters/FireflyAlliance


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7	----
8
9	[[foldercontrol]]
10
11	!Union of Allied Planets
12
13	!!!Leadership
14
15	[[folder:Parliament]]
16	!!Parliament
17	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alliance_flag-2_250.png]]
18	->'''Played By:''' N/A
19
20	->''"...The minds behind every military, diplomatic, and covert operation in the galaxy..."''
21	-->'''The Operative'''
22
23	The ruling body of the Alliance. Presumably democratically elected, but no details are ever given.
24	----
25	* BigBad: They're the governing body of the Alliance, and are responsible for the 'Academy' that River was sent to, the Blue Gloves, Jubal Early's contract, the Operative and -- indirectly -- even [[spoiler:the Reavers.]]
26	* BigBrotherIsWatching: Surveillance is very common on the Core Worlds.
27	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Alliance tends to favor shades of blue and grey.
28	* ControlFreak: One reason why they forced the Outer Planets into the Alliance. They saw their independence as a threat to their civilization.
29	* DrunkWithPower: It is made crystal clear by the film that they are. [[spoiler: Mal correctly notes that even after accidentally murdering tens of millions of people and driving the survivors insane, they haven’t learned their lesson and it is only a matter of time before they test their drugs on somebody else.]]
30	* EvilIsPetty: EU materials state that the former Independent Planets are in such bad shape because the government refuses to give them the necessary resources to rebuild from the war out of spite because they were "rebels". Likewise the former Browncoats (and their supporters) [[InsaneTrollLogic are not allowed to vote in elections since they are not "full citizens" because they fought on the wrong side and so "logically" they can't be trusted to vote for the right candidate]] (although it's only supposed to be a 10 year ban, there is no oversight to prevent them from extending it).
31	** The spinoff comics set after ''Serenity'' reveal that they are hell-bent on killing Mal and his crew for revealing the truth about the Miranda to the world; the damage is done so there's nothing motivating this other than sheer spite.
32	* TheGovernment: It's who they are.
33	* {{Hypocrite}}: An elected body of government that thought the outer worlds should be part of their Union... whether they wanted to be or not.
34	* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: They began as an effort to squash conflicts over trade and resources on the Core Worlds by forming a union in order to regulate such matters. Then they began to think that ''everyone'' should be part of this union, then they began to think of ways to "improve" life by controlling it...
35	* MedievalStasis: They intentionally keep the Rim in a frontier state to keep them in line.
36	* TheUnseen: Not a single member of Parliament is ever seen in the series or film.
37	* VestigialEmpire: Despite what they think, they only have ''real'' control on the Core worlds, they just don't have the manpower to maintain full control on the Rim Worlds. The RPG also states the economy is about to collapse and they are doing their gorram best to cover it up.
38	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Their general philosophy.
39	* WarForFunAndProfit: Another reason for the Unification War was to have access to the land and resources of the Outer Worlds, which would've otherwise been off limits to them (the idea of setting up a trade agreement was apparently ruled out).
40	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[WordOfGod Whedon]] says they aren't evil or malevolent, just "meddlesome", bringing many admirable and necessary things to their people (education, medicine etc) at their best. But they're also an example of a bureaucracy so vast that horrendous evils are being done through sheer lack of oversight.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Blue Sun Corporation]]
44	!!Blue Sun Corporation
45	->'''Played By:''' N/A
46
47	A contractor for the Alliance, the Blue Sun Corporation is an organization of scientists. They are responsible for Simon and River Tam's plight and the Blue Gloves.
48	-----
49	* ColdBloodedTorture: They screwed with River's mind a lot.
50	* EnemyCivilWar: Blue Sun has many divisions [[WeAreStrugglingTogether which aren't always]] [[RightHandVsLeftHand friendly with each other]]. They are willing to use espionage and even murder against each other.
51	* GreaterScopeVillain: Strongly implied that much of the Alliance answers to ''them'' and not the other way around.
52	* HiddenAgendaVillain: We still have next to no idea what their ultimate goals are.
53	* MegaCorp: Likely the most powerful entity in the 'Verse.
54	* MindRape: What they did to River.
55	* OneNationUnderCopyright: According to WordOfGod, at least half the Parliament is under their command.
56	* SigilSpam: As one of the largest corporations in the 'Verse, their logo is everywhere. {{Downplayed}} since they're not given any special focus and a casual audience member would not notice them.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	!!!Special Agents
60
61	[[folder:The Operative]]
62	!!The Operative
63	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TropeOperative_8358.jpg]]
64	[[caption-width-right:300:''"Do you know what your sin is?"'']]
65
66	->'''Played By:''' Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor
67	-->''"We’re making a better world. All of them, better worlds."''
68
69	The primary villain in ''Film/{{Serenity}}''. A special agent/assassin of Parliament, sent out to keep government secrets and take care of loose ends. While he technically represents their interests, they are never seen, making him TheHeavy.
70	----
71	* AffablyEvil: For a man who's possibly the most dangerous assassin the Alliance has, he is impeccably polite, willing to negotiate, and seems genuinely saddened by the measures he's forced to take in capturing River Tam.
72	* AmbiguousEnding:[[spoiler: In post-''Serenity'' comics, he's last seen holding a gun and staring down Zoe, who has politely informed him that she blames him for Wash's death. Zoe's seen afterwards, but he is not.]]
73	* AmbiguouslyChristian: He invokes a very Christian notion of sin, and has dedicated his life to purifying the 'Verse from it, but he never invokes a belief in God or the Bible as justification.
74	* AntiVillain: Type III.
75	* BerserkButton: He is clearly miffed when Mal calls him an assassin.
76	* BigBad: The closest that the film gets to one, although he's technically TheHeavy with nameless, faceless conspirators in the Alliance as the GreaterScopeVillain.
77	* CatchPhrase: "Do you know what your sin is?"
78	* CombatAestheticist: He seems to relish using exotic weapons and elegant tactics. But make no mistake, he's also a...
79	* CombatPragmatist: Despite his veneer of 'honor' there is nothing -- ''nothing'' -- this man won't do to win.
80	* CoolSword: He likes swords ''way'' too much for a guy living in a sci-fi world with laser guns. Lampshaded by [[spoiler:Mr. Universe.]]
81	-->'''[[spoiler:Mr. Universe]]:''' Guy killed me, Mal. He killed me with a sword. How weird is that?
82	* CorporateSamurai: His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves forcing {{Seppuku}} on an underling for screwing up.
83	* CulturedBadass: He’s both deadly and well-spoken.
84	* DeadpanSnarker: On occasion: "I am impressed that you came for her yourself, and that you made it this far... in that outfit."
85	* {{Determinator}}: Practically to a Mal Reynolds degree. It makes him borderline unstoppable in a straight-up fight.
86	* TheDreaded: All of his kind are.
87	* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:In the post-film comics, he joins with the crew of ''Serenity'' at Mal's request in order to help them rescue Zoe and deal a blow against the Alliance]].
88	* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Even after everything he himself has done, once he sees [[TheReveal the truth of what happened to Miranda,]] he’s ''horrified'']].
89	* EvilBrit: His actor keeps his normal accent for the film.
90	* FinishingMove: A particularly cruel one where he effectively paralyzes his victim, then places his sword at such an angle that the victim slowly overbalances and is impaled.
91	* TheFundamentalist: The Operative never expresses any particular religious beliefs, but is driven by a single-minded crusade to exterminate all human vice and folly.
92	* GeniusBruiser: The Operative is a powerful man, but also very eloquent and clever.
93	* GodzillaThreshold: Calling in the Operative is itself a sign that the Alliance parliament is getting desperate. He has complete freedom to break any laws he likes and commandeer any forces necessary, and his methods [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill are expensive and messy.]]
94	* AGoodWayToDie: Shows a fascination with this. When he kills [[spoiler:Dr. Matthias]], he tells him that falling on his sword is a good way to die, rather than be murdered in his sleep like a sick pet. [[spoiler:When he faces Kalista, who he knows he can't beat, in ''[[ComicBook/SerenityLeavesOnTheWind Leaves on the Wind]]'', she asks him how he would chose to die, and asks that he be allowed to fall on his sword.]]
95	* TheHeavy: Of TheMovie.
96	* HeelFaceTurn: After Mal shows him the recording of [[spoiler:what the Alliance did to the planet Miranda]].
97	* {{Hypocrite}}: The Operative overlooks his own pride and his masters' outright hubris; yet he's always chastising others about their sins.
98	* InspectorJavert: The crew of ''Serenity'' are criminals, and they're associating with someone who has information that could shatter the Alliance. He has been assigned to fix the problem.
99	* KatanasAreJustBetter: His preferred weapon.
100	* KickTheDog: The Operative kills people whose deaths are not necessary for the completion of his mission, including [[spoiler:Mr. Universe.]]
101	* KilledOffscreen:[[spoiler: His implied fate, at the hands of Zoe, in post-''Serenity'' comics]].
102	* KnightTemplar: He really does believe he's helping to create a better world, even if, in Creator/JossWhedon's words, it "does involve a ''certain'' amount of genocide."
103	* NecessarilyEvil: He is himself disgusted by his own actions and has no illusions that they can be considered noble on any level, but he also firmly believe that they are ultimately helping to further the greater good.
104	-->"I'm a monster. What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done."
105	* NoNameGiven: Although in earlier drafts he was given the name "Jude."
106	* NoNonsenseNemesis: The Operative is pragmatic to a fault, takes no chances and always has a plan.
107	* NoPlaceForMeThere: The Operative is the TropeNamer. He speaks with conviction of a future utopia in which he, and men like him, will not exist.
108	* TheParalyzer: His signature move is to paralyze his victim by striking a nerve cluster in their lower back and making them fall on his sword.
109	* PetTheDog: In a RightForTheWrongReasons way. Dr. Matthias needed killing, but the Operative was killing him for his stupidity and failure, not his many sins.
110	* {{Pride}}: That would be ''his'' sin.
111	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He was quite understanding about Dr. Mathias' failure to anticipate Simon breaking River out of the facility. (He did execute the doctor, but for [[EpicFail other reasons.]]) His methods are extraordinarily brutal, but he ''did'' try to negotiate in good faith as his opening move. And at the end, when Mal manages to broadcast the horrible truth about Miranda, he immediately commands his forces to stand down, recognizing that he's failed and more killing won't help.
112	* ScaryBlackMan: An unusual example, because he is invariably soft-spoken.
113	* TheUnfettered: The Alliance's utopian goals require he work his hardest and kill anyone who gets in his way, and he's fine with that.
114	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: His reason for existence; he seems to regard the idea that he will have to be destroyed before the universe can achieve peaceful perfection as a HeroicSacrifice.
115	* VillainousBreakdown: He cracks a bit when he realizes the Alliance fleet has been cornered by the Reavers, but pulls himself back together. The final one inflicted on him by Mal is an ironic, thematic defeat; by the end, [[spoiler:he himself says that he's a shell waiting to die, bereft of purpose. In short, exactly what Mal took steps ''not'' to become after Serenity Valley]].
116	* VillainRespect: He is openly respectful of his targets' potential. This, unfortunately, only drives him to greater ruthlessness. He also values the conviction of his opponents, offering Mal a small but genuine nod when he confirms he's prepared to die to tell the 'verse about the Reavers.
117	* WarriorPoet: Though he misquotes a few poems from time to time, he fits the bill.
118	* WhyDontYaJustShootHim: He takes steps to defy this trope as it applies to him by means of a BulletproofVest.
119	* WorthyOpponent: Seems to think this of Mal.
120	* WouldHitAGirl: He slams Inara to the ground when she tries to assist Mal.
121	* WouldHurtAChild: One of the people on Haven is a little kid Kaylee plays with. The kid was killed in the Operative's attack. Many more such dead children are implied, and the Operative -- with regret -- makes it clear that this is not a first for him.
122	-->'''Mal:''' ''I don't murder children.'' \
123	'''Operative:''' I ''do''. If I have to.
124	* YouMonster: A variation, in that he believes ''himself'' to be a monster. He acknowledges that JustFollowingOrders is not redemption, and he ''will'' have to pay once mankind is on its way to perfection.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:The Blue Gloves]]
128	!!The Blue Gloves
129	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blue_gloves_1231.jpg]]
130	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Two by two...Hands of Blue."'']]
131	->'''Played By:''' Creator/JeffRicketts & Creator/DennisCockrum
132
133	A pair of mysterious men who wear suits and what appear to be blue gloves. They work for the Blue Sun Corporation and are in pursuit of River and Simon Tam. They will not hesitate to kill anyone who has had contact with River, even Alliance personnel, using a handheld device that induces fatal hemorrhaging to anyone near it (except themselves).
134	----
135	* BadassInANiceSuit: They are dressed formally, and they're here to gather the evidence and kill all witnesses.
136	* BrownNote: The mysterious weapon they use, which appears to be sound-based.
137	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: What generally happens to those said weapon is used on.
138	* {{Cyborg}}: [[spoiler:If the metallic parts in one of them in the comic is anything to go by, which might explain their immunity to their own weapons.]]
139	* DeathRay: Though not so much a ray as a sonic emitter that causes catastrophic internal bleeding. The blue gloves they wear extend to cover their chests under their suits, so they're not affected.
140	* GovernmentConspiracy: They appear to be the wet-work men for Parliament.
141	* ImplacableMan: They're always in pursuit. They will never stop.
142	* KillItWithFire: [[spoiler:Killed in a comic that was set between the film and the movie: they were trying to board ''Serenity'' from another craft, and caught the full force of her thrusters.]]
143	* LaserGuidedKarma: The first people we see them kill are [[spoiler:the same Alliance crew members that were going to turn River and Simon back to the Academy -- the ones who double-crossed Jayne (though Jayne probably had it coming)]].
144	* {{Mysterious Mercenary Pursuer}}s: We know next to nothing about them, except that they want River, and anyone that came in contact with her ''dead''.
145	* {{The Quiet One}}s: They barely say anything, making their pursuit somewhat more unnerving.
146	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: They don't appear in the movie. Spin-off material eventually explains that they were killed in deep space while trying to board ''Serenity,'' thus forcing the Alliance to call in a new agent -- the Operative.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	!!!Alliance Military & Law Enforcement Personnel
150
151	[[folder:Lawrence Dobson]]
152	!!Lawrence Dobson
153	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TropeDobson_3137.jpg]]
154	[[caption-width-right:300:''"That girl is a precious commodity. They'll come after her. Long after you bury me they'll be coming."'']]
155	->'''Played By:''' Creator/CarlosJacott
156
157	An undercover Alliance agent with an itchy trigger-finger. He was intended to be a recurring character before the show was cancelled. He returned in the spin-off comic 'Those Left Behind'.
158	----
159	* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:In the comic, his revenge scheme goes awry and Mal kills him with a DoubleTap.]]
160	* DirtyCoward: He shoots Kaylee by accident when he's scared, beats up his only (somewhat, anyway) sympathetic party, Shepherd Book, in order to escape, and uses River as a hostage and human shield.
161	* DoubleTap: When confronted by Dobson a second time in a spin-off comic, Mal makes absolutely sure of his death this time.
162	* EyepatchOfPower: He resurfaces in a comic (set between "Objects in Space" and ''Serenity)'' with an eyepatch and an obsession.
163	* EyeScream: Dobson survived his pretty little headshot, but one of his eyes didn't.
164	* TheFarmerAndTheViper: In the pilot episode, after Dobson accidentally shoots Kaylee, Shepherd Book protects him from Mal and Jayne's retribution. When Dobson breaks free, the first thing he does is beat Book unconscious in a fit of rage.
165	* {{Jerkass}}: For starters, he beats up Shepherd Book for no reason, ''after'' Book protected him from Mal and Jayne.
166	* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: After he ambushes Shepherd Book and knocks him to the ground (and presumably unconscious), he smacks him two additional times before running off. On the DVDCommentary, [[WordOfGod Joss]] states that they added that scene just to emphasize that Dobson was a psychotic bastard who deserved to get shot by Mal.
167	* KubrickStare: He does it in the picture.
168	* MeaningfulName: LAW-rence.
169	* TheMole: He's actually at least working with the Alliance and only pretending to be a normal passenger while he tries to reclaim River for them. He discards his cover after he flags an Alliance ship to the crew's location.
170	* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: To be fair, Mal was in a hurry. After getting shot in the eye, Dobson is unceremoniously tossed out the hatch and left for dead.
171	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Before showing his true colors, he appeared bumbling and indecisive.
172	* RevengeBeforeReason: He was kicked off the force, mutilated, and stuck on Patience's little backwoods moon, but he was still breathing. But if he hadn't decided he was 'owed' something, he could have gone on breathing.
173	%%* SanitySlippage
174	* UndercoverCopReveal: He claims to be a lawman, but it's never made clear if he was this or a BountyHunter with [[ImpersonatingAnOfficer a front of legitimacy]].
175	* WouldHurtAChild: He shoots Kaylee (by accident, however) and threatens to shoot River. Every indication is given that he would follow through with the threat.
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder:Harken]]
179	!!Harken
180	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harken_9781.jpg]]
181	[[caption-width-right:350:''"No mandatory registration markings on the bow. Make sure we cite them for that."'']]
182	->'''Played By:''' Creator/DougSavant
183
184	-->''"I'm not in the habit of destroying evidence."''
185
186	An Alliance Commander whom the crew encounter in the episode "Bushwacked." He discovered and arrested the ''Serenity's'' crew after catching them in the midst of pillaging a derelict spacecraft. [[InspectorJavert He falsely believed them to have killed the crew]], and [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist correctly believed that they were robbing it.]]
187	----
188	* AntiVillain: Essentially, he represents many of the Alliance's good traits: Harken is responsible, firm, compassionate and capable. He's an antagonist to the main characters, but that's because they're criminals and he's trying to maintain law in a lawless region of space.
189	* AgentScully: Somewhat. He doesn't believe in Reavers, but he does come around by episode's end. Of course, seeing is believing.
190	* ByTheBookCop: He grills all the members of the crew according to procedure: their reactions range from Wash's cheerful (but irrelevant) blather to Jayne's contemptuous and silent glare.
191	* EveryoneHasStandards: When he discovers the sole survivor or the vessel has been horribly mutilated, he's quite shocked.
192	-->'''Harken:''' I haven't seen that kind of torture since... well, since the war.
193	* IOweYouMyLife: After Mal saves him at the end, he releases the crew without pressing any charges, but he does confiscate what they stole, because it was Alliance property.
194	* PetTheDog: When the tortured victim succumbs to his madness and begins killing members of his crew, his first order was to post guards at the nursery [[note]]The ship is the size of a city[[/note]].
195	* PunchClockVillain: He's pretty much just a regular policeman doing his job -- frustrated by a lack of information from the higher-ups and trying to do what's right.
196	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He just wants to figure out what happened, and has no evident corrupt or fascistic traits. Most of the evidence available to him suggests the ''Serenity'' crew murdered the colonists in order to rob them, and that some or all of them are sadists. He dismisses their claim of "Reavers" because (as Simon demonstrated in the pilot) people much higher up in the Alliance have kept everyone ignorant of the Reavers' creation -- and it seems other criminals caught red-handed have used such excuses before.
197	** In the boardgame, he's even a source of missions, and sells you fuel and helps you get around customs if you're on good terms with him. His missions tend to be BoringButPractical -- transporting settlers or running supplies isn't as flashy or valuable as pulling the big mine job, but you don't have to rely on the tender mercies of the Misbehave deck.
198	* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: Harken won't be winning any personality contests anytime soon, but he's far from a bad person even if he is on the opposing side to ''Serenity's'' crew.
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder:Lt. Womack]]
202	!!Lt. Womack
203	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/womack_4846.jpg]]
204	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm a dangerous-minded man on a ship loaded with hurt."'']]
205	->'''Played By:''' Creator/RichardBurgi
206
207	-->''"[[FalseReassurance Relax! You've been great. And I was just bluffing with that stuff about arresting you.]] I mean, who needs that kind of paperwork? [[TheBrute Skunk]], [[KillItWithFire light him on fire]]."''
208
209	A corrupt Alliance federal agent who pursued Tracey and the crew of ''Serenity''. Although he claimed to be chasing Tracey because he was a criminal, which was true, he actually wanted to catch him because he was smuggling Womack's goods. He was ''supposed'' to be a recurring villain, but due to ''Firefly'''s cancellation, he became a one-off villain.
210	----
211	* BadassLongcoat: As opposed to other uniformed Alliance-types we see, Womack favors a long duster-like coat.
212	* DeadpanSnarker: Womack is deeply sarcastic and snarky to just about everyone he meets.
213	* DirtyCop: He's an Alliance agent involved in a spot of organ smuggling on the side, and God knows what else.
214	* {{Jerkass}}: He's not just a crooked cop, he's a repulsive sadist who enjoys taunting others.
215	* JurisdictionFriction: PlayedWith. Book does some research on Womack, and learns that he has wandered ''far'' from his own legitimate area of authority in pursuit of Tracey. He points out that if ''Serenity's'' crew shot him and left his corpse where it landed, nobody would care.
216	* KickTheDog: Womack is the one to tell Jayne that his hat makes him look 'like an idiot'. Sure, perhaps it needed to be said, but c'mon Womack...
217	** There's also the PrisonRape threat that he issues to that postal worker to intimidate him into betraying Mal.
218	* KillItWithFire: Threatens to set a poor guy on fire. He relented at the last moment, but informed him that if word got out about this, he'd be back.
219	* ANaziByAnyOtherName / PuttingOnTheReich: Sports a leather black trenchcoat and shoulder harness ''very'' reminiscent of an SS uniform. The fact that he's part of the Alliance's secret police division and is shown rather cruelly interrogating a Jewish postal worker doesn't do him any favors either.
220	* SpitefulSpit: When forced to leave ''Serenity'', he spits in the cargo bay in frustration.
221	[[/folder]]
222
223	[[folder:Boss Moon]]
224	!!Boss Gloria Moon
225
226	Introduced in the comics. A leader of the Unificators, a mercenary group deputized by the Alliance to hunt down war criminals.
227	----
228	* {{Cyborg}}: Claims to be a "quarter robot."
229	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Not really ''bad'', just on the opposite side of the main characters. She frequently gets calls from her mother while on duty. Her mother even befriends Mal.
230	* EyepatchOfPower: Wears one after losing an eye in the war.
231	* FriendlyEnemies: With Mal. She's Alliance, he's a Browncoat who she arrested but they get stranded in a swamp with giant centipedes and [[FireForgedFriends have to work together]]. Mal even talks to Moon's mother on the phone.
232	[[/folder]]
233
234	[[folder:The Captain of the Dortmunder]]
235	-> '''Played by:''' Creator/AndyUmberger
236	The Captain of the Alliance starship ''Dortmunder.''
237	----
238	* HeroAntagonist: The captain is a gruff man who displays contempt for the Outer Planets citizens (or at least the scavengers and smugglers) and obstructs Mal's salvage mission. However, he also shows some noble DueToTheDead sentiments and abandons his pursuit of ''Serenity'' when he thinks another ship is in danger nearby.
239	* NoNameGiven: The captain's name is never revealed.
240	* StarterVillain: He's more of a HeroAntagonist and is only appears for about a few minutes, but the captain is the first threat that Mal faces in the show (not counting the unseen enemy troops in the Battle of Serenity Valley) when he tries to arrest the crew during a salvage mission.
241	[[/folder]]
242
243	[[folder:The Georgia System Colonel]]
244	-> '''Played by:''' Creator/KevinWill
245	The commander of a ship stationed in The Georgia System in "The Train Job."
246	----
247	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: His apathetic refusal to help investigate the train robbery costs the Alliance a chance to catch the Tam siblings when they're at their most vulnerable.
248	* NoNameGiven: His name is never mentioned.
249	* PoliceAreUseless: He shows absolutely no interest in lending any of his men to the local authorities to help them retrieve vital, life-saving medicine.
250	--> '''Colonel:''' "These are federal marshals, not local narcotic hounds. They've got better things to do, and so do we."
251	[[/folder]]
252
253	[[folder:[=McGinnis=]]]
254	-> '''Played By:''' Creator/BlakeRobbins
255	The head of a marshal station on Ariel.
256	----
257	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: The Hands of Blue subject him to an agonizingly painful death.
258	* DirtyCop: [=McGinnis=] cuts a deal with Jayne to capture the Tam siblings, then smugly arrests Jayne as well, accusing him of being their accomplice (which is kind of true) so he won't have to share the reward.
259	* HeKnowsTooMuch: [=McGinnis=] tries to avert this by not interrogating his high-profile prisoners until TheMenInBlack come to pick them up, but just talking to them at all is enough to get him and his men killed for being liabilities.
260	[[/folder]]
261
262	!!!The Academy
263
264	[[folder:Dr. Matthias]]
265	!!Dr. Matthias
266	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mathias_4351.jpg]]
267	->'''Played By:''' Creator/MichaelHitchcock
268
269	The Academy technician in charge of taking care of River. He had an odd encounter with a doctor 'sent by the Alliance' who had some questions about that experiment. Subsequently, he was visited by a ''real'' government agent who gave him lessons about the customs of "certain older, ''civilized'' cultures".
270	----
271	* BioAugmentation: What he was researching.
272	* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:The Operative paralyzes him, forcing him to literally fall upon a sword in forced penance.]]
273	* DidntThinkThisThrough: He decided to show off his "star pupil" River Tam to the Alliance brass, not thinking about the implications of doing so. The Operative points out what a monumentally stupid idea that was.
274	--->'''Dr. Matthias:''' ''[Recording]'' Key members of Parliament have personally observed this subject. I was told that the Alliance's support--
275	--->'''The Operative''': "Key members of parliament." ''Key''. The minds behind every military, diplomatic, and covert operation in the galaxy. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis And you put them. In a room. With a]] ''[[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead psychic.]]''
276	* DirtyCoward: He makes a run for it and leaves his guards to die.
277	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He thinks Simon's decision to throw away a promising future in medicine to free his sister was "madness."
278	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:By the Operative, and... gravity.]]
279	* LaserGuidedKarma: Paralyzing a government scientist and then leaving him helpless to stop himself from being impaled would normally be a KickTheDog. But Dr. Matthias is a specialist in mutilating brains and [[MindRape implanting subliminal programming]] in innocent youngsters. Let's just say nobody was going to miss him.
280	* OrganTheft: Particularly parts of the brain.
281	* PlayingWithSyringes: Directly into the forehead.
282	* {{Pride}}: His sin.
283	* PunchClockVillain: An unusually unsympathetic take on this trope. Matthias doesn't seem to [[MadScientist take any particular joy in his experiments]], neither does he seem to think he's [[WellIntentionedExtremist working for the betterment of mankind]] or [ForScience ushering in a new era of scientific progress]]; he treats cutting into and altering gifted children's brains like a comfy and secure but not particularly exciting 9-to-5 office job.
284	* MadDoctor[=/=]MadScientist: With Parliament approval!
285	* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler:Involuntarily, thanks to the Operative]].
286	* TortureTechnician: He's not a sadist, and isn't out to intentionally cause pain, but he doesn't give a single damn if he does. River is put through outrageous torture at his hands, and his only concern is avoiding blame about the breakout.
287	* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:Why the Operative kills him.]]
288	[[/folder]]
289
290	[[folder:The Interviewer]]
291	!!The Interviewer
292	->'''Played By:''' Creator/JossWhedon
293
294	An interviewer for the Academy sent to determine River's mental state.
295	----
296	* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:River stabs him in the throat with a pen, killing him.]]
297	* CreatorCameo: For our boy Joss.
298	[[/folder]]
299
300	!!!Other Alliance Personnel
301
302	[[folder:Dr. Caron]]
303	!!Dr. Caron
304	->'''Played By:''' Creator/SarahPaulson
305
306	A member of the research and rescue team that investigated the strange happenings on Miranda.
307	----
308	* ApocalypticLog: She leaves one behind, which is found by the ''Serenity'' crew.
309	* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:She tries to shoot herself before the Reavers get to her, but she isn't quick enough.]]
310	* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:Dr. Caron is grabbed by the Reavers. What happens after that is only implied, not shown, but she's definitely dead.]]
311	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: If the infamous statement about what the Reavers ''do'' to the people they capture is true then she was raped to death, cannibalized and skinned by them, and if she was lucky they did it in that order.]]
312	* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Subjected to this by the Reavers. Ending in death, which was undoubtedly a relief.]]
313	* HeroicBSOD: She's horrified by the effects of the [[spoiler:Pax.]]
314	-->'''Caron:''' We meant it for the best!
315	* MrExposition: She provides a straight-forward explanation of [[spoiler:Miranda, the Pax and the Reavers.]]
316	* PosthumousCharacter: Appears only in a holographic journal.
317	[[/folder]]
318

Context Characters / FireflyAlliance