Open Water First Breath Still Day's Morning Watersprite Revelation Wisdom Something provoking a sense of a fresh start, a light freedom that still carries a deeper significance (given that the captain is seeking a new civilian life after leaving Starfleet, but didn't leave too willingly). So it perhaps should be a "light and free" name that's heavier and more dutiful when you think about it? Does that make any sense at all?
Probably not what your looking for but here's a list of hero-esque names I thought of for a fleet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqQHnODa-pESdDFLeFJWa2dKZm1mWXM3Q1F5YTAxbmc
Mal and Zoe were making a career of fighting for the principles of their people when they were forced out (by attrition and isolation) due to a fraught situation where the excrement hit the fan big time (the Independents' defeat at the battle of Serenity Valley) and Mal was strung out to dry (left with a decision to surrender or die. He ultimately chose neither.) Zoe, a loyal Independent soldier who lived for the principles Independents fought for, saw the injustice in their ultimate defeat and how it devastated Mal and decides to pledge her allegiance to him and his endeavours. The situations don't have to be clones to be similar. And her name, with a single changed letter... But she is an expatriate member of an eclectic group of women with an exotic cultural background, just like Inara and the Companions. Yeah, but...Moya was a prison ship, not a cargo ship. And its crew was not comprised of "rugged individualists" on cargo runs - they were all wanted fugitives from the ruling power in that part of the universe. Your idea and characters, as described in the initial post, are light-years closer to Firefly than they will ever be to Farscape. That makes her a romantic and an idealist, which is about as sentimental as human beings get. Then you use the short form of its model number, the way Star Wars characters say "Artoo and Threepio". I hope just the opposite. I hated Firefly.
You could always give the ship a tongue-in-cheek name like many of Iain M. Banks Culture vessels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_Culture_setting Some examples are: Just Read The Instructions So Much For Subtlety Irregular Apocalypse Prosthetic Conscience Congenital Optimist What Are The Civilian Applications? Frank Exchange Of Views Attitude Adjuster Lapsed Pacifist Now Look What You've Made Me Do
The P.F.V. SHIP is an old Jenx-Class Cargo Transport, built in the Denobula Triaxa System in 2203. The Jenx-Class are well known for being rugged and reliable, able to take all the abuse their owners can throw at them and still keep flying. They're not--by any stretch of the imagination--pretty, but they work and work well. Initially ordered by the Frilz-Omox Corporation, it served as a freighter for the first twenty years of its life, going back and forth among the core planets of the Federation. She went through all the required upgrades and refits, in short a well looked after vessel. But as newer, bigger and faster ships became available, she was sold off at auction to Jarv Mining a Tellarite company. It was at this time the ship was equipped with a light armament, as she was used as a prospector ship, sent out in search of untapped raw minerals--a dangerous occupation, which often saw unsavoury elements trying to subvert legitimate companies. She stayed with Jarv Mining for sixteen years, but then in 2239 she was boarded and seized by Orion pirates. The crew was slaughtered and the Orions claimed it as their own, using the unassuming ship on smuggling runs. But after seven years, the ship was eventually discovered by the Border Service who impounded her and detained the crew. She lay unused for just over a year, before being loaned out to Asafi III, where the newly warp capable race needed cargo ships to assist them with procuring necessary matierals for constructing their own ships. She was used by the Asafi for four years, before being returned to the Federation. In 2251, she was put up for auction and bought by a private owner, who was looking to create his own courier business. But just five years later, the ship was hit by a level nine ion storm and suffered catastrophic damage to her hull and many systems--due to several years of sub-standard maintenance. Towed to a surplus depot on the edge of the Vega System, the SHIP would remain there until mid-2263, when she was spotted by Rachel Keller. The depot administrator gave her the ship at a drastically reduced price, doubting that the old freighter would ever fly again. Keller secured a top notch Engineer, and together with two former Starfleet shipmates, they set about repairs. The work took close to nine months to complete, but once it was completed, she was certified as legally compliant to fly. Keller then took the ship to the Pa'a Freehold (a neutral species who had agreements with several major powers), where she negotiated with them to permit her to register the SHIP as Pa'a Freehold Vessel (P.F.V.), thus extending Pa'a's neutral status and diplomatic agreements to the old Jenx-Class freighter. Over the next six months, she assembled a small crew, and began working freelance, taking on whatever work was available to them.
I love the back-story on the SHIP. It provides a real sense of history and character. Considering her run of bad luck, I submit the following for consideration: Black Cat Broken Mirror Lucky 13 Apocalypse Houston, We Have a Problem 7 Plagues Broken Sidewalk Leaning Ladder Bermuda Triangle Snake Eyes Doomed Go Fish Titanic Another possibility would be to name her the SS Ship - a running gag based on Keller's inability to come up with a name she likes.
I wrote that when I got home from being out all night enjoying "Up Helly Aa" (Europes largest fire festival), and surprised it actually makes sense! I actually quite like that idea Usually I find naming a ship quite easy, but for this idea it just wasn't. Trying to think up a good name that isn't like any 'hero ship' of Starfleet, but rather something that is more humble.
The S.S. Sawyer? Not sure if an old Mark Twain reference is all that fitting but something old about meadnering and adventuring, anyhoo.
How about the Second Chance? Not only does the ship offer a second chance for Captain Keller, but also for several members of her crew, such as Leon Asher (who failed at Starfleet Academy) and potentially Ky-Ven, depending on whether or not his sister is missing because of something he did or failed to do. It also works the other way: the ship was old, broken down, and forgotten, considered a lost cause until Keller found it and gave it a new lease on life. Of course, you could also call it the Phoenix if you want to go with the theme of rebirth and renewal that Second Chance implies. So what was your idea for the steward/cook/purser? Maybe we could help you settle on a species for that character, if you're still stuck.
Meh, Second Chance sounds hackneyed. Took Keller a long time to get the ship in order. How about: Nine Months Hard Labor sort of a double entendre.
The Purser character is really pretty set in my head, they are a Pa'a (the same neutral species that the PFV Ship is registered with) who Keller meets during her time on the Pa'a homeworld and takes a liking to. They are stuck in a menial position, I was thinking maybe partly to do with their social order, and dreamed of escaping. After the Pa'a agree to register the Ship as one of theirs, Keller suggests a liaison between the ship and the Pa'a Trade Bureau and then tells them who she wants in the job. They accept her proposal but grudgingly agree to her candidate, but the Purser becomes her fourth crewmember. The issue I was having was how to make the Pa'a. At first I was thinking a sort of "little grey man" look to them; short, slim and frail looking. They would also be gender neutral. But as I was thinking it over, it really just didn't sit well with me (which pronoun to use would just get annoying after a while for a start). I've just had another idea, so I will look a little more at that, and then switch from a neutral gender to making the Purser female.
I was thinking of the little gray alien from the movie, "Paul." You would have to explain that it's a non-smoking ship, though. And he's definitely not female. At least his marvelous attitude and impeccable manners would compensate. *cough, cough*
Something nice like Songbird. As Sandoval pointed out giving a Firefly-style freighter a military-style name doesn't really work. With regards to Star Trek: Firefly as a concept, I can't see anything wrong with that and certainly wouldn't take it as a put down - it sounds great!
I've been doing some Micro Hero-ing for this little project. So in time honoured Spock (from "The Cage") tradition, I give you 'THE WOMEN!' Captain Rachel "Rach" Keller (Human) First Mate Devanisari "Sari" zh'Tharr (Andorian) Purser Tae'Dreea "Tae" Na'Leye (Pa'a) Apprentice Engineer Megumi "Meg" Hashimoto (Human) Sister Inaya (Deltan) I also think I've settled on a name for the ship. It was among one of the first suggested and has just stuck in the back of my mind since then. Will give it some more thought and let you all know once I get the men made up.