Shepherd's secret

[MentPatient]

I've been wondering this, but never really remembered to ask you smarty-pants Whendonversers. :whatever:

What do you supposed Shepherd's secret is?
There was a Firefly episode in which he's injured and the Alliance turns down Mal's request for assistance 'til Shepherd gives the captain his ID card.
Plus, in Serenity (which I'm watching again, thus the remembering to ask you smart kids), he seems to know quite a bit about how the Alliance operates.

[nerd4hire]

So far as I know the last we heard on it was in Serenity when Mal and Book are discussing how much Book knows about operatives, and Mal says "You'll have to tell me about that sometime", then Book replies "No, I don't".

Was there anything in the comics about this? This brings up another question. How much of what we'll see in the proposed upcoming continuation of the comics will be canon. I'm pretty sure I heard Joss say he is going to be actively participating in them.

[MentPatient]

Yeah... too bad about that.

Just a little speculation, but, for a while, I thought Book was a former Operative. Not sure why though.

[Mr. Pointy]

I also suspected that Book had been an Operative, after seeing the film, and the consensus, that I've read online since, is that he probably was but I can't recall it ever being confirmed officially.

[Angel's vision]

I wouldn't be surprised if Shepperd was, that would part explain his religious faith in way, as he acts as if he did something bad in the past regarding the quote Mal: you have to tell me about that sometime.
Book: No i don't.
But it is yet to be confirmed, as Mr Pionty said.

[Mesektet Ra]

I just thought he was a veteran of the war, Alliance side. Doesn't nessecarily make him an Operative, but it gives him clout and stuff like that.

[Wicked]

There was the ID card and the fact that Early said to Simon "hes not a Shepard" or something like that. So Early knew somehow.
Makes me believe the operative thing.

Personally I was hoping it was jucier than that, but thats just me :D

[Wanabee-slayer]

Yeah I always just assumed that he was like a commander for the alliance or something or at least he used to be. I thought maybe he decided he didn't want to be alliance anymore. Or he could have been royalty or something. Did they have like a royal family did they ever mention it on the show? I don't think they did. I'll go check. *scampers off to watch the entire Firefly series and Sernity* (It gives me a reason to watch it all at once lmao)