The Expanse Delivers Its Best Space Battle, Plus Blasts From the Past

Season six of The Expanse is ripping proper alongside, as Avasarala discovers hassle brewing on Ceres, Drummer builds a key new alliance, and the Rocinante crew’s transient breather after final week’s large discovery is rudely interrupted by a sure Mr. Inaros. And has a smidge of Pet Sematary has entered the chat? Let’s get into “Force Projection,” it’s about to get sizzling!

As is changing into custom, we open on Laconia for extra drama that appears unconnected to the remainder of season six up to now—however since that is The Expanse, chances are high the whole lot’s gonna hyperlink collectively in some unspecified time in the future. Still mourning the lack of her chook buddy, Cara brushes off her little brother, Xan, who pesters her to play soccer after faculty. Instead, she returns to the clearing within the woods, the place she notices the damaged drone she’d pilfered from her mother and father has been repaired. Then the “strange dog” seems… as does the chook, who’s by some means alive once more. “You fixed her! You fix things!” Cara shrieks with delight and rushes off. But her temper adjustments quick when she sees the scene at residence: Xan’s immobile, blood-covered physique is laid out on the sofa, and her shocked mother and father are sobbing. Hmm… one suspects “you fix things” is certainly coming again round for this plot improvement.

Now that the Rocinante has put an finish to Marco Inaros’ rock-flinging operation, the mixed forces of Earth, Luna, and Mars head out to reclaim Ceres Station, which was briefly below Free Navy management. But the station—at all times an necessary strategic stronghold—is weirdly vacant and depleted, with Marco and his individuals nowhere to be discovered. The MCRN’s Kirino wonders if it’s a lure; Avasarala seems like she’s pondering the identical. A search turns up some stragglers, together with chief administrator Nico, who’s none too happy to see “the inners” return for his or her “illegitimate occupation.” But when Avasarala questions her, the Belter says she doesn’t know the place Marco went or why—it seems like an trustworthy reply—and advises the Secretary-General to “take your people and leave.” And whereas Nico insists Marco didn’t abandon the Belters who stayed behind, she additionally says Ceres solely has three weeks’ price of meals and air left—one thing the stretched-thin UNN fleet isn’t geared up to help with. Yep… it’s most undoubtedly a lure. “If we don’t help this station, we will be the ones responsible for a massive humanitarian crisis,” Avasarala says. “The Belt will see us once again as the oppressor and Inaros’ power will continue to grow.”

Also heading to Ceres is the Rocinante, the place Clarissa—who’s nonetheless wobbly after utilizing her mods—is taking her first night-watch shift. She clears the air a bit with Holden, confessing to him about how she as soon as used her mods to kill a co-worker who was buddy—The Expanse confirmed it in season three—and he or she’s nonetheless haunted by it. “Everybody on this ship has something they regret. Including Amos… I think,” Holden says, lightening the second. “You’re in good company.” In the kitchen, Bobbie and Amos have a pleasant alternate dissing the horrible meals aboard the Roci, reminiscing concerning the Canterbury and their outdated lives, and planning their actions on Ceres: “They got decent booze, and all the brothels are union,” Amos says excitedly.

And we have now one other good second between Naomi and Holden, the place she opens up about why she froze through the Azure Dragon mission—no shock, it was on account of lingering trauma from her terrifying house walks in season 5—and says she’s embarrassed about what occurred. When Holden adjustments the topic by asking for her assist with the info surrounding the Barkeith thriller, Naomi smiles and appropriately deduces “You’re trying to distract me by giving me an interesting problem.”

In a much less peaceable way of thinking: Filip aboard the Pella, watching information reviews that Belters are rioting to protest Marco’s abandonment of Ceres (Filip’s particularly aghast to identify a poster of Marco’s face with “COWARD” scrawled throughout it). Marco, nevertheless, is in a chipper temper and appears unconcerned with Rosenfeld’s report of the inners’ elevated navy presence of their midst. He’s pumped for a “hit and run” plan if any Free Navy ships encounter battle teams whereas selecting up provides for Medina Station. Filip enters, wanting Marco to elucidate why they left Ceres after declaring it to be the Belt’s capital. In a patronizing tone of voice, Marco says he knew they might by no means preserve management of Ceres—he simply wanted the individuals there to imagine they might. “I told the people what they needed to hear when they needed to hear it,” he says; appears Avasarala’s evaluation about him intentionally making a humanitarian disaster for the enemy to cope with is 100% true. He additionally insinuates that the Belters who spent their lives serving inners on Ceres are a category beneath Belters like him and Filip. “You and I are meant to be out here in the darkness, in the fight,” he tells his son. They hug it out, however there’s nonetheless unease between them.

Aboard the Tynan, Drummer and Walker are chewing over the ex-OPA ships that may assist them goal Marco’s secret provide depots. She wonders why he has the depots within the first place, and Walker says he’s unsure both: “You tell me. Strategy is for generals.” Nearby, Michio watches a information interview with… hey, season three once more! It’s Pastor Anna (Elizabeth Mitchell) speaking concerning the ongoing aftereffects of the catastrophe on Earth, a bit we quickly be taught is one in all Monica Stuart’s Avasarala commissions. “Poor, poor Earther,” Josep snarks. “Doesn’t know where she’ll get her food and water. Welcome to the Belt.” Michio disagrees—she doesn’t suppose anybody ought to be handled the best way Belters had been handled—they usually argue loudly sufficient to attract Drummer’s consideration.

And then we get to the juice. The Pella picks up a lone ship in its neighborhood and a delighted Marco can’t imagine who it’s (you need to love the sinister means he stretches out the phrase Ro-see-nan-tay). Rosenfeld tries to speak him down as Filip quietly freaks out within the nook, however Marco can’t be reasoned with: “You should learn to recognize an opportunity when one presents itself!” Everyone heads to their battle stations, together with Filip, who’s answerable for the weapons.

We get yet one more past-season callback within the subsequent scene. Amos and Bobbie are making repairs to her armor (sarcastic pet identify of the week: “honeybuns”) when Amos will get a message despatched by means of clandestine channels… from his bestie, Prax! After telling Amos {that a} scientist in his lab was killed by the Free Navy, allegedly as a result of they suspected she was a spy, he says they’ve found a brand new pressure of yeast that would assist rebuild the meals provide. “You know people with power,” Prax says, earlier than pleading with Amos to share the info with Earth. “Chrissie will know what to do with it,” Amos mutters as he sends it off. “The Old Lady loves it when you call her that,” Bobbie cracks. “At least I say it to her face,” he smirks.

Elsewhere on the Roci, Naomi’s made a small breakthrough with the Barkeith information: she’s found a sample to the ships that’ve disappeared throughout their transits by means of the Ring. They occur in clusters, and as soon as a ship “falls through” the outlet that opens up, the ship vanishes—after which the outlet itself vanishes quickly after. Holden says he is aware of anyone who would possibly have the ability to assist puzzle by means of this… however earlier than we discover out who that could be, crimson alert: the Pella (plus Marco’s two different large gun ships) are rushing straight towards the Roci. “Everybody suit up and strap in, it’s about to get hot!”

Of course, earlier than we get to the warmth, we should patiently wait by means of one other scene on Ceres, through which Monica and her digital camera eye are recording UNN troopers, a few of whom have a greater perspective than others, doing reduction work to assist the Belters. She wanders off to speak to an aged Belter petting an orange cat when abruptly there’s a sequence of big explosions throughout the station. A parting present from Marco, maybe?

And talking of you-know-who, the Pella has missile lock on the Rocinante. Shiiiiiiit! (Literally what I yelled on the display screen at that second.) Filip takes the shot, however happily the Roci’s capable of defend itself. Still, as Holden aptly surmises, “We’re out of our weight class here.” It’s gonna take some tough maneuvering from right here on out, although the Roci catches a break when the 2 ships touring with the Pella duck out of the battle. Filip fires once more, and the Roci abruptly wants some pressing repairs. “In the middle of the fight?” Clarissa says in disbelief. “That’s the job, Peaches,” Amos replies, they usually scramble off to care for enterprise, even because the Roci flips and tumbles. Bobbie goals, fires, and notices the Pella retains dodging the identical route each time. Her subsequent shot doesn’t miss. Marco is a sitting duck, briefly no less than, and Bobbie’s prepared to finish it, however Holden hesitates. “Marco’s better as a prisoner,” he says, however provides, “If that doesn’t work, you fire.”

A video hyperlink is established, which means we get to see see Marco and Holden eyeballing one another (that is the primary time they’ve truly “met,” until I’m mistaken), and likewise Marco oh-so-carefully leaning over in order that Holden (and Naomi) can see Naomi’s lookalike son sitting subsequent to him. “I will die before I live at the end of your leash,” Marco snarls. That’s all Bobbie wants to listen to, however when she fires once more, the kill shot… is a dud? Couldn’t have something to do with no matter Holden beep-booped on his wrist controller on the final second, might it? (Yes, as we quickly see; unbeknownst to everybody else however endlessly preserved within the Roci’s information, the warhead was disarmed by “Holden, J.”)

Fortunately, the Pella disengages from the battle and hustles away. (“Did we win?” asks Amos. “No,” says Bobbie. “But at least we didn’t lose.”) The Pella is in dangerous form, and Marco is livid at everybody, together with Filip, who protests that he did precisely as his father instructed. “You failed,” Filip snaps in entrance of everyone. “This is your fault. We didn’t need to be here. We didn’t need to be in this fight. We didn’t need to kill James Holden.” An outraged Marco orders him off the deck, however Filip ain’t flawed and from the look on her face, Rosenfeld is aware of it, too. But abruptly Marco will get a bit of fine information to show his no good, very dangerous day round: a missive from Medina concerning one thing top-secret that’s been obtained at Laconia gate. The Laconia gate, you say? Oh crap. We get a take a look at it on Marco’s display screen and—might that be some form of brand-new stealth ship constructed utilizing protomolecule know-how? Oh crap certainly. The dots are beginning to come collectively… and by some means we’re already on the midway level of The Expanse’s remaining season.

The Expanse airs new episodes Fridays on Amazon Prime.

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