57th Overlanders (2nd)

The 57th Overlanders are a small Black Team allianced based around the Firefly TV show, and its successor, Serenity. They are a reformation of the original 57th Overlanders, and follow much of the same ideals. The 57th was founded during the PB-NpO war, which led some to the conception that they exist only to blow stuff up; however, the standing Captain has stated that this is not the case, and that the 57th plans to last after the war.

The 57th prides itself on being small and tight-knit, and they have a community focus on friendship and activity.

The 57th Overlanders
“I'm thinking someone ought to put you down, dog.” “I'm thinking we'll rise again.”

Here's how it is. There are all kinds of people who don't take too kindly to us and our ways; strong folk, folk with money, folk with guns. You know the kind. Those who ain't too keen on the idea that there may be something beyond their own selves? Some of those went and formed an alliance, waged war to make everyone like them, make 'em... better. Few idiots tried to fight them, among those idiots, ourselves. We lost that battle, scattering throughout the black. We became I, and, for a time at least, the 57th did not exist but as a memory. Adrift in the black, no power, no course. Lifeless. Days when there wasn't room for naughty men like us to slip about. Dark days. Those days are over. We done got ourselves a mechanic, a few fighters and a warrior woman. We even picked up a preacher, for some reason. Its a good crew and a fine ship, ship they like of which will be with you 'til the day you die, even if it turns out to be a deathtrap... again.

“I've staked my crew's life on the theory that you're a person, actual and whole, and if I'm wrong, you'd best shoot me now...”

So, who are we? What are we? Such deep thinkin' questions are best left to those with too much time on their hands. Have you ever asked yourself who you are? Way we figure it, "I don't know" is the good answer. Most of us here don't know, not in any manner that can be written down and such. We can tell you won't ever find anyone here in the 57th Overlanders looking out for 'emselves, they're looking out for their crew, their Captain, their 57th. The crew here is the lifeblood of the 57th, and someone turning on the crew will find themselves staring down the wrong end of the Captain's barrel, and some more besides. 'Course, that ain't to say you don't have your own bunk. Them as feel the need to be free are some of the folk that travel with us, and they don't sleep any other way but alone. We're not keen on telling people what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. Those kind of folk meddle, they're meddlesome, in our homes and in our heads and they haven't the right. We throw a wrench into the works of such meddling folk, when and how we can. We just want to go our way, you leave us alone and the odds are fairly good that we won't be bothering you. Is this the 57th? Is this all that we are? Of course not, but it is what we've got figured out enough to put into words... even if it don't really make any kind of sense, after all that.

What we do know is this; we ain't much for big words, or long eloquent prose, or any other fancy luh-suh, so we ain't ever likely to be able to put into words what exactly it is we are, or how exactly it is we work, or even why we work so well. If you want to try and put the 57th in one sentence... well, we reckon that a one of the 57th is a stubborn fool, an independent fanatic, a passionate cynic, a crazy bastard, a hopeless romantic and that ain't the half of it.

Truth be told, if you're part of us for long enough you'll know. If you're not... Well, it damn well ain't any concern of yours, is it?

The Crew
“We're... a little rebellious, a little generous, a little crazy, and a lot dedicated.”

Ain't gonna lie to you, some of us are more important to this here boat than others. Can be a hard fact for new folk to handle, so we tell you straight that we don't trust any ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng who wanders onto our boat. So don't panic if we're not moonstruck over your arrival. We like to know who it is you are before we welcome you into our homes. 'Course, if you happen to be a bit mysterious, maybe even have mood swings of a sort, don't worry. It could be worse. In fact, it probably will be.

If yer still 'ere, well don't you worry none about ranks. There are only two ranks as such, and provided you're not some hwoon dahn, you'll be grand. New folk start off as Independents, you'll be taken in under our wing. Teach you what we're about, make sure that you're the right stuff to be in the 57th. You could say that Independents are continually under review, and if we don't like what we see we'll leave you off at some port or harbour and let you on your merry way. Some folk may consider that harsh. Way we figure it, this boat here is our home and you Independents are all guests on it. Us here look out for me and mine, and that don't include you 'less we conjure it does. Most of you will prove yourselves, some of you won't, a few of you we'll take in against our better judgment, 'specially if you can tickle us abit with tales of daring do – like running away from the law after they captured your sister and tried to turn her into a psychopathic killer. Such stories are what'll see you right in here quick enough.

After your stint as an Independent, you become a Browncoat and these are a different batch of folk altogether. Browncoats are the 57th in all its glory. You want to know who the 57th is, you look to these people. These are the crew of the 57th, her essence, her raison d'etre, if you want to put some fancy words to it. Browncoats get to vote on things as such things come to pass, they also get to help out the Cap'n if they're called upon. I ain't gonna sully these good folk by attempting to explain who they are or what they do in any great detail. They're the 57th, and that's all that needs to be said, all that they'd want to be said. Good folk those Browncoats, family you could say.

How do you move from Independent to Browncoat? Well, there ain't any set path. Folk have to think that you could make a valuable contribution to the 57th, whatever that contribution may be. We don't have to like you in order for you to get your promotion. In point of fact, Browncoats have a habit of putting up with folk they don't particularly care for it will help the 57th as a whole... crazy bastards. Dedicated bastards too I reckon. Tell you this though, you hang around us for long enough, say your piece, help make this your own piece of the 'verse and before too long, you'll get a tap on the shoulder.

Leadership
“You turn on any of my crew, you turn on me! Since that's a concept you can't seem to wrap your head around, then you got no place here.”

Us here in the 57th are spread across the black, and coordinating such a dispersed and varied crew of individuals requires a common sense approach to leadership. You already know that there are two tiers of members, Independents and Browncoats. Leadership, on account of us not being particularly fond of folk telling us what to do are kept simple and distanced enough.

Captain is in charge of the crew. He's leader of the 57th, actual and whole. He may not be in your particular part of the 'verse, but there's not a Captain worth his salt that doesn't know what you're up to inside and out, and that's a fact. He leads the community, and may lead particular games too, if that's what needs to be done. Captain is Captain til the day he dies, 'less he steps down or the Browncoats get a notion in their heads that the Cap'n ain't doing what he needs to be doing.

Lieutenants are different folk, and help fill out the upper layer of the 57th community. They organize their particular games, and keep the Cap'n in the loop as to how the 57th is doing in their part of the 'verse. Lieutenants are appointed by the Captain. The position is permanent until the Lieutenant steps down or the Captain finds someone else to do it better.

Sergeants are the workhorses of the 57th, managing the daily task of running the alliance. Sergeants are appointed by the Lieutenants and Captain to help organize the alliance, and the community. The position is permanent until the Sergeant steps down or the Sergeant is relieved by the Lieutenant or Captain who appointed him.

Who gets to be Captain, Lieutenants and Sergeants? Well, Captain selects the Lieutenants, and Lieutenants select Sergeants. Easy enough. What happens you need a new Captain? Well, then the Browncoats vote, with the Lieutenants organizing the process. The vote itself must continue for a minimum of one week, but cannot be held from December 21st until January 7th. While there is no Captain, the Lieutenants take over. Any Browncoat can run for the Cap'n's chair.

Decisions
“This is how it is. Anybody doesn't wanna fly with me any more, this is your port of harbour. There's a lot of fine ways to die. I ain't waiting for anyone to choose mine.”

Decisions 'round these parts are fairly easy to follow. Captain or Lieutenant makes the call in conjunction with his Sergeants. Captain ranks Lieutenant and Lieutenant, Sergeant, obviously enough, but its a poor Cap'n who doesn't listen to his own crew. The envisaged set-up is that the Sergeants are the workhorses of the community in any particular game, helping with recruitment, propaganda and generally just keeping the place running. The Lieutenant will then command the 57th in any particular game. While the Captain commands the 57th as a community and helps coordinate the 57th and its expansion. It may come to pass that the Browncoats feel that the Captain has gone completely round the bend, and there's a procedure for dealing with such situations. If two-thirds of the Lieutenants agree that the Browncoats have lost confidence in the Captain, then the same procedure that happens during the election of a new Captain is begun.

Amendments & additions
“Sometime a thing get broke can't be fixed.”

This ain't one of those times, but if something needs to be changed, there had better be a damn good reason. Just keep flying, that's enough. The personal quotes from the 57th members on the 57th can be amended at will and as necessary without any red tape. Changes to anything else requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the Browncoats, and two-thirds of the Lieutenants.

It may be that in another game the 57th is playing that a separate policy document has to be drawn up. The Lieutenant or Captain in charge of that game will make that call, and are free to write up such documents so long as they don't conflict with anything that's written here, including the ranking system. There's a reason for this, a lot of it to do with the fact that we're part of a community first and an individual game second. We're a flexible group though, and at his discretion the Captain can allow individual exceptions to certain games and certain situations as and when they're needed. Such moves shouldn't be taken lightly though, and a Captain or Lieutenant found to be tossing this document out the airlock to suit his individual preferences for a particular game could soon find himself facing the wrath of the Browncoats.

57th Thoughts
One way or another, the 57th will tell you how it is, and here they are to do exactly that.

"Well, I'm back again." - Theoroshia "Don't quote this." - Mitch "Signing on behalf of the squirrel horde and my giant nuclear nuts!" - ES "Where am I?" - Stormking "Providing moral support." - Roosterton "I'm not dead yet!" - Willis "Let this remind you why you once feared the dark." - Browncoat "Time for some more thrilling heroics." - JTKirk "We Fight for the Users." - Lord Panda "I'll be in my bunk." - HollowEyes "We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." - Veneke "We're back. Stronger than ever." - Dunnowhat

“We're still flying.” “That's not much.” “It's enough.”

Treaties
The 57th is currently a member of Ragnablok.

Wars of the 57th
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" cellpadding="5" width: 100%; border: 1px solid #999; margin: 0; ont-size: 95%; background-color: #000; ext-align: center; order-collapse: collapse;
 * War||Who||Outcome||Ribbon
 * PB-NpO War || Ragnablok vs. Poison Clan || Ongoing || None awarded
 * PB-NpO War || Ragnablok vs. Poison Clan || Ongoing || None awarded
 * PB-NpO War || Ragnablok vs. Poison Clan || Ongoing || None awarded