I have recently finished reading the fourth novel in 'The Expanse' (and stopped watching the series a few episodes ago, though understand the second season is likely to climax at the mid-point of the second book) which got me wondering - this is a universe as rich and diverse as Star Trek and Babylon 5 but I have yet to see any good fan-fiction set within it and, therefore: If I were to write a fan-fiction or create a spin-off from the ongoing narrative, what sort of scenario would I pick up?
I've determined to put pen to paper today and am putting some of my thoughts out there - as such there shall be some spoilers for both the television adaptation and the novels. This is not necessarily something I am going to immediately actively develop - but wanted to put my ideas out there.
COLLISION COURSE
The book/novelette/series (to be honest, I'm picturing it as a two-hour television movie) would be set at some point between 'Leviathans Wake' and 'Caliban's War' (or, at some point between 'Home' and 'Paradigm Shift' in the shows second season) and would be told from the vantage points of (a minimum of) four characters - existing character UN Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo in the series) and new protagonists, Commander Cleve Tyson of the UNN Catherine Johnson, Lieutenant Commander Rosita Haddad of the MCRN Mistral, and Captain Clementine Takashima of the OPA vessel Tanith Lee.
UNN Catherine Johnson is a fast attack craft in the United Nations Navy, comparable in size and abilities to the 'Rocinante' as depicted in the television adaptation, with a crew of about twenty-five and the MCRN Mistral is intended to be the same class as the MCRN Scirocco shown in the same show (bigger than the 'Rocinante' but with the added facilities and support staff to support a detachment of MCRN Marines) and both are the vessels most likely to accomplish the missions assigned by their respective governments in the given timescale, though not necessarily the most appropriate ships for the mission at hand (in at least one situation, the most appropriate ship would not be able to reach the destination before the competition).
In contrast, the Tanith Lee is purpose built for the mission which results in it being overpowered - a massive drive system connected to a compact habitat space about half the size of the UNN Catherine Johnson with half the number of crew. It is also not a military vessel - things run differently here than the other two vessels.
Tyson (patterned on Ben Cotton) is a bit of a wildcard, the UNN Catherine Johnson is rarely deployed away from its fleet group and Tyson kept under the watchful eyes of his superior officers. This is both a test of how far he can be trusted - but also someone creating a potential fall-guy should the mission blow up in their faces. In contrast, Haddad (patterned on Ruth Negga) is a calm and collected professional - there's a sense of the MCRN believing that they have this in the bag and that there is no way they can loose, but also that they are expected to use whatever means necessary in order to stop their rivals reaching their destination, even if it means that nobody takes control of the asset. Takashima (patterned on Constance Wu) is likely the most aware of the three that her ship is not going to reach their destination ahead of their foes - they set off later in an overpowered ship that is probably going to blow up in their faces, but she has faith and is setting out on a wing and a prayer.
If we are to compare the characters to those in Star Trek, then Tyson is James T Kirk, Haddad is Spock and Takashima is Leonard McCoy.
The mission?
This is not a simple mission - with all three vessels facing hiccup along the way: the overpowered Tanith Lee must face its technical deficiencies when it breaks down, days from the closest vessel, with nobody with the practical experience to make the repairs; the crew of the UNN Catherine Johnson must deal with the morality of whether to break from their mission and rescue a civilian vessel whose crew would be otherwise doomed, or ensure that rival governments would not take command of a strategic asset; and the MCRN Mistral must deal with internal friction when the crew discover evidence that someone onboard is an OPA spy and may have been passing evidence to the enemy.
Which of the three ships will reach their destination first, and which government will claim jurisdiction over the key asset?
I've determined to put pen to paper today and am putting some of my thoughts out there - as such there shall be some spoilers for both the television adaptation and the novels. This is not necessarily something I am going to immediately actively develop - but wanted to put my ideas out there.
COLLISION COURSE
The book/novelette/series (to be honest, I'm picturing it as a two-hour television movie) would be set at some point between 'Leviathans Wake' and 'Caliban's War' (or, at some point between 'Home' and 'Paradigm Shift' in the shows second season) and would be told from the vantage points of (a minimum of) four characters - existing character UN Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo in the series) and new protagonists, Commander Cleve Tyson of the UNN Catherine Johnson, Lieutenant Commander Rosita Haddad of the MCRN Mistral, and Captain Clementine Takashima of the OPA vessel Tanith Lee.
UNN Catherine Johnson is a fast attack craft in the United Nations Navy, comparable in size and abilities to the 'Rocinante' as depicted in the television adaptation, with a crew of about twenty-five and the MCRN Mistral is intended to be the same class as the MCRN Scirocco shown in the same show (bigger than the 'Rocinante' but with the added facilities and support staff to support a detachment of MCRN Marines) and both are the vessels most likely to accomplish the missions assigned by their respective governments in the given timescale, though not necessarily the most appropriate ships for the mission at hand (in at least one situation, the most appropriate ship would not be able to reach the destination before the competition).
In contrast, the Tanith Lee is purpose built for the mission which results in it being overpowered - a massive drive system connected to a compact habitat space about half the size of the UNN Catherine Johnson with half the number of crew. It is also not a military vessel - things run differently here than the other two vessels.
Tyson (patterned on Ben Cotton) is a bit of a wildcard, the UNN Catherine Johnson is rarely deployed away from its fleet group and Tyson kept under the watchful eyes of his superior officers. This is both a test of how far he can be trusted - but also someone creating a potential fall-guy should the mission blow up in their faces. In contrast, Haddad (patterned on Ruth Negga) is a calm and collected professional - there's a sense of the MCRN believing that they have this in the bag and that there is no way they can loose, but also that they are expected to use whatever means necessary in order to stop their rivals reaching their destination, even if it means that nobody takes control of the asset. Takashima (patterned on Constance Wu) is likely the most aware of the three that her ship is not going to reach their destination ahead of their foes - they set off later in an overpowered ship that is probably going to blow up in their faces, but she has faith and is setting out on a wing and a prayer.
If we are to compare the characters to those in Star Trek, then Tyson is James T Kirk, Haddad is Spock and Takashima is Leonard McCoy.
The mission?
All three governments send ship to recover the repurposed Nauvoo, the ship that the OPA were intending to use to push the proto-molecule controlled Eros into the sun. In the novels, this occurs between the first two books and happens off-screen whilst, as far as I have noted, the continued existence of the Nauvoo hasn't been mentioned following the events of 'Home' -
This is not a simple mission - with all three vessels facing hiccup along the way: the overpowered Tanith Lee must face its technical deficiencies when it breaks down, days from the closest vessel, with nobody with the practical experience to make the repairs; the crew of the UNN Catherine Johnson must deal with the morality of whether to break from their mission and rescue a civilian vessel whose crew would be otherwise doomed, or ensure that rival governments would not take command of a strategic asset; and the MCRN Mistral must deal with internal friction when the crew discover evidence that someone onboard is an OPA spy and may have been passing evidence to the enemy.
Which of the three ships will reach their destination first, and which government will claim jurisdiction over the key asset?
Obviously - readers of the novel will know that the OPA, and therefore the Tanith Lee reach the Nauvoo first. Tyson becomes a fall-guy for his superiors but his rescue of the civilians makes the News and therefore he can't be busted in rank of dismissed in case of a public relations disaster - instead, he is advised he will NEVER recieve a promotion and handed command of a border patrol craft in the backwaters of the solar system. After the complete collapse of the command system on the Mistral, Haddad finds herself busted in rank and sent to fly a desk job at a consulate on some godforsaken mining outpost - she later becomes aware that she was only saved from dismissal by some very powerful benefactors and favours being called in from unusual places. Takashima is considered for command of the rechristened Behemoth but turns the post down - she considers walking away from the OPA and when a multi-government corporation offers her the position of commanding one of the first survey ships through the gate, she can't not accept.
The pieces are in place for the characters to be on a collision course again.
The pieces are in place for the characters to be on a collision course again.
