Who Would You Want Taking On Your Precious Cargo?

[EntilZha]

Something funny (for lack of a better word) I thought of the other day. It's not your usual "vs." discussion, but:

Who would you want and/or trust to take a valuable cargo from one planet to another:

Han Solo

OR

Malcolm Reynolds

???

[Cubey]

Difficult question - as cool as both these individuals are, they are not the most reliable, especially if the cargo is of questionable morality (I do not mean illegal, but something along the lines of Train Job's cargo).

I'd choose Reynolds though. At least he doesn't have a history of jettisoning cargo when he's being scanned by security.

[RocketBard]

I'd say Malcolm Reynolds becuase I don't think that Han Solo usually gets his cargo past the Imperials.

[nerulean]

Definitely Mal. He actually gets the job done, and is considerably funnier to boot.

[Vespe Ratavo]

Dunno who this "Mal" guy is, and Han Solo is just awesome. So Han. (Despite the fact that he thought a parsec was a unit of time...)

EDIT: Oh wait, I remember who he is now...yeah, probably Mal.

[blackout]

I'd give part of the cargo to each; the one who reaches the destination first wins any cargo jobs I have for them in the future.

[Setra]

I'd give part of the cargo to each; the one who reaches the destination first wins any cargo jobs I have for them in the future.
I'd be similar.

However I'd judge less about the time, and more about the 'safety of the cargo'.

[Zmek]

Over all both are almost identical in every way.

I would go with Mel and here is why,

Han knows he is good and will cost a lot more for the job then Mel would who is desparate for work.

Also Han can dump a load and still be sitting fine, Mel dumps a load it very well could be his ship he loses, he just cant afford to mess up, and would do everything possible to make his payday.

Zmek

[Attilargh]

Mal, because Han's not available (http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1603.html).

[Burrito]

I would go with a third option: Planet Express!

[Pwenet]

Malcolm Reynolds, because at least he get's his cargo to it's destination fairly frequently.

Only time Han got his cargo from point A to B in the movies, point B was destroyed shortly before arrival. Not a good trend.

[RocketBard]

I would go with a third option: Planet Express!

Yeah, but they would probably screw everything up.

[mooseofshadows]

mal almost hands down. He's cheaper, more inventive, and though a might unpredictable, he's a lot better with cargo than with theft.

[BRC]

Mal Definetally, provided he hides Simon and River he's not activly hunted by the alliance like Han is by the imperials

[Ozymandias]

This topic title sounds vaguely dirty.

[Ishmael]

As much as Han impressed me during his own series, I have to trust Mal. He's more personable. Well, hmm...maybe. Han's been known to choose morality over profit (and even dumped a cargo of slaves he had--yay for the Expanded Universe!), but Mal, in purest canon, is the better.

Of course, the two are so similar it makes a choice rather hard.

[North]

Definitly Mal. Desperate and more competant. As long as hes not actively stealing something thats hurting someone directly. IE Medicine for a plague infected town, hes great.

[Sundog]

Mal. If only for reasons of backup.

Han has Chewie, who is very cool, and very strong and tough.

Mal has Jayne, Zoe and River. I'm figuring fur coat...

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

Yeah, but they would probably screw everything up.

Hmm, actually...while Mal is more reliable than Han (sorry dude), Planet Express may be even more reliable. The cargo almost always gets where it needs to and the crew will risk their lives if necessary (or even if unnecessary - a true indicator of quality). Remember, their crew is expendable...the cargo isn't.

Plus they're probably the cheapest option by far (and most legal), and they have less scruples than those two.

[bosssmiley]

Rubber Duck (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001434/), for old school lulz

[Lord Iames Osari]

Dunno who this "Mal" guy is, and Han Solo is just awesome. So Han. (Despite the fact that he thought a parsec was a unit of time...)

Actually, I that line isn't meant that way at all. One of the things that interferes with hyperspace travel is gravity wells, and the Kessel system happens to be located quite near a cluster of black holes. Obviously, flying a ship too close to a black hole is quite dangerous, so when Han said he "made the Kessel Run in under twelve parsecs," it meant that the Falcon was fast enough, and Han brave enough, to skirt so close to the cluster of black holes.

[Inyssius Tor]

Which was a pretty stupid thing to do, come to think of it. Mal, then; I don't want anyone messing around black holes with my cargo.

[Angel in Black]

*snip*
it meant that the Falcon was fast enough, and Han crazy enough, to skirt so close to the cluster of black holes.

There you go. Not that insanity is a flaw, mind you.

[Logic]

Actually, I that line isn't meant that way at all. One of the things that interferes with hyperspace travel is gravity wells, and the Kessel system happens to be located quite near a cluster of black holes. Obviously, flying a ship too close to a black hole is quite dangerous, so when Han said he "made the Kessel Run in under twelve parsecs," it meant that the Falcon was fast enough, and Han brave enough, to skirt so close to the cluster of black holes.

I got beat to it!

Bravo Iames.

Since he made it in less than 12 parsecs, that is still something to brag about, especially since less distance is also less time for the same speed.

Fun Fact

And the first guy Obi-Wan talked to, BoShek, claimed 2 contrary things, that he had also done it in less than 12 parsecs, but also that it was impossible. (He changes his tune when he is competing with Solo)

I would go with Mal. He has to actualy feed his crew. Chewie can fend for himself...

[Tam_OConnor]

First, we'd have to decide what said 'most precious cargo' is exactly. If it's unique in design and nearly-impossible to fence, Mal gets it, mainly because he doesn't have tremendously many contacts left.

If the item's really big, I think a Firefly-class has bigger hanger doors than a modified YT-1300 Freighter. Don't quote me on that one, though.

Then we have to consider which government considers it more illegal: the Alliance or the Empire. Since we have a Schroedinger's Dead Cat equation with the item itself (we can't know what it is, because then it would result in an actual decision being made), this question must go unresolved.

Ultimately, I think I'll force them to fight for my personal amusement (I am a Crime Lord in this situation, am I not?) and then give the cargo to the survivor. Actually, I think I'll locate the pick-up point within a planet's asteroid field, make them fight to the death there (Captains only, no support in the form of walking carpets, Vera, or psychic types) and then give the cargo to the survivor. Yes, that is officially my master plan in this situation. Excuse me while I go indulge in Maniacal Laughter (TM Pending) while feeding slave girls to my Rancor and making 'my reputation solid; real to you."

[Amotis]

Rubber Duck (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001434/), for old school lulz

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to loose. :smallamused:

[Hell Puppi]

Mal.

defiantly.

[Jimorian]

Mal.

defiantly.

If that's a typo, it's the Best Ever. :smallsmile:

[Saithis Bladewing]

Yeah, I'd go with Han for this one. As much as I love Mal, Han is one of the best smugglers in the galaxy and has a pretty big reputation, he can probably get a job just about anywhere, so if he loses my cargo, no big deal. Mal on the other hand is struggling to live from day to day, and while he's honourable enough to finish the deal, he's also probably not as competent as Solo at, well, hiding. Remember, if Han runs into a Star Destroyer, he can just raise deflector shields and book it the hell out of there. If Mal runs into an Alliance Cruiser, there's not much he can do other than smile and hope he doesn't get found out. They can ID him (and Serenity doesn't have many places to run, unlike the Falcon) or shoot him out of the sky without too much difficulty. Han is a much more elusive and dangerous target.

[Weezer]

I'd vote Han for while Mal may seem more trustworthy Han has a reputation as the smuggler best in the galaxy which shows that him dumping the cargo that got him in trouble with Jabba was an exception rather than the rule and also the Millennium Falcon is the fastest ship in the galaxy, with superior armament and shielding to other ships of its size while Serenity is just an average Firefly class transport and completely unarmed.

[Meshakhad]

Mal is probably more reliable, and has more gun hands if things go FUBAR.

[Kumquat]

I will have to go with Han on this one. for one thing, we only see him try to smuggle one thing and hear of only one other attempt that went awry, not a great record, but also, not a good sample. he probably has several other succesful jobs that we know nothing of, and this with the empire always around. Even when he was caught (by the deathstar or surrounded by star destroyers, or in the asteroid belt to name a few) he manages to protect his cargo by hiding either the entire ship or the cargo, and escapes to finish the job. we also can only judge his honour by his movie stuff, which includes helping the rebels continuosly, even with a price on his head, and continuing to help the farm boy and the old man after getting them to the destroyed Alderan (pretty good honour in my oppinion). Finally, Han's ship is faster, what with it actually having lightspeed, and he travels between star systems. On the other hand, we have Mal, who does have great honour, and manages to also hide his important cargo, but is boarded by only one alliance cruiser, and who mostly sticks to the outlying planets because of the lax alliance patrols. he also is only in one system I do believe, though I could be wrong, putting his ship as slower for the most part. Also, his ship is less well mantained due to his general lack of funds. it has no guns other than personal firearms of the crew, so it is less powerful in space. If I am protecting my most precious cargo, I would pay any cost, which means more money for the better ship nd better chance of getting it there, I go with Han.

[factotum]

I think there's a fairly important factor of SPEED to consider here. The Millennium Falcon can get from the outer rim territories of a galaxy to the Core worlds in a matter of a day or two, whereas Serenity just wanders around inside a single star system (at least according to the film, can't remember if the series contradicts that). So, if you need your cargo transporting more than a few million miles, it HAS to be Han Solo you give the job to!

[Nerd-o-rama]

Morena Baccarin. If you know what I mean.

[Hawriel]

I have no Idea why peaple think that being a smuggler is all about having a ship with a big honkin engine and enough fire power to take on a squadrion of capital ships.

Wile speed is important for evasion when detected. If your detected you messed up. Smuggling is a very sly art. its all about missdirection. Both Han and Mal are very good at this. Both characters have different tactics when it comes to smuggling. Han has a reletivly small ship wich looks benine at a distance. the only thing that would raise a red flag are his quad guns. That can be explaned by what space lanes he usess. there are pirats out there after all. Mal usess a ship that is very plane, no weapons. it looks harmless. It also has alot of places to hide stuff. He eather avoids traffic lanes like Han or humbly and slowly flys right on in them. Who is going to notice just another small time freighter. Han mostly goes to small out of the way ports. some no more than a clearing just big enough for him to land in. Mal also uses this method. Han has good compartments to hide the real ileagal stuff in too, so does mal. they both know how to hide things in plane sight. that is the key skill for a smuggler. Just land your ship and unload your go strait to jail dont collect 200 cred contraband at a port in a box marked pinball mechine parts as the customs officer shakes your hand and signs off on your stuff. Second Key skill know who and how to bribe. Both men are very good at what they do, they also have the unfortunat bad luck of being snagged by plot hooks.

but becouse I grew up with him my sneaky schoundrel is Han.

[Tamburlaine]

Han: ftl travel ftw!

However, if time was not a factor then i'd go for Mal because he has a bigger and better crew.