The Free Navy is the self-styled naval military branch of a faction of the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA). Originally, it was formed from a student-led organization. Their members are sometimes viewed and/or referred to as "OPA extremists", especially by the incumbent OPA leader, Fred Johnson.
History[]
The Outer Planets Alliance, or OPA is not as unified and solid as many believe. The organization has become even more fractured as time goes on and as clear leadership is vied for. While Fred Johnson assumes the outward label of "leader" of the OPA, various cells and sub-factions have splintered off from the core OPA group. In addition to various small grass roots cells such as Far Horizons Foundation, a student led organization that came from the OPA, larger cells have emerged.
One such is the self-titled "Free Navy". The creation of Naomi Nagata's ex-lover Marco Inaros, this cell of the OPA wants to focus on controlling the newly discovered gate system that has emerged at the edge of the Sol system.
"OPA Extremists", as Fred Johnson refers to them, led by Marco, the Free Navy has begun initiating pirate-like and even terrorist attacks against the Martian Congressional Republic (MCR) and OPA held facilities. The MCRN Callisto shipyards and Pallas Station were two particular targets of the Free Navy. Marco and his group fear that the appearance of the gates (and thus travel to distant, habitable worlds) will cause the Belt to fall into economic collapse.
The Belt was once the frontier and the destination of many travellers and thus held much influence in trading. With the gate in place and other worlds looking to be more highly desired realms of exploration, the Belt would be abandoned. In reaction to this, Marco channels his already established resentment of the Inners into the creation of the Free Navy.
The Free Navy begins strategically attacking targets and stealing ships, weapons, cargo, water, ship parts, and other supplies. Most alarmingly, ships begin to disappear on their way through the gate system. While the ratio isn't too high, enough of them begin to go missing that it raises some eyebrows. Some of the missing ships were indeed being captured, pirated, refitted, and re-purposed into the Free Navy's growing armada. They attempt to disperse the newly fitted and branded ships throughout different stations along the Belt.
Marco, on behalf of his Free Navy organization, delivers a threat/ultimatum to the Inner Planets. He officially declares, that the United Nations (UN) and MCR will be allowed to exist and govern themselves, but they must submit the gates to the Free Navy and will no longer have any jurisdiction over the Belt.
Filip Inaros, the son of Marco Inaros and his former lover Naomi Nagata, is being groomed by his father to equally hate Earth, Mars, his mother, and the inner system. He plans to "inherit" the Free Navy organization. Filip has already participated in multiple attacks and raids and is soon on the run from the MCR.
In a brazen blitzkrieg of attacks, the Free Navy, which had slipped away with its newly re-purposed and stolen cache of ships and equipment, successfully launch a near-apocalyptic attack against Earth. They also strike against Mars in an assassination attempt against Nathan Smith, and Tycho Station, the corporate arm of the OPA. The strikes present themselves as a sort of declaration against all and come with immediate shock from the big three organizations. The major attack, which involved launching and hurling stealth coated asteroids down on Earth in a massive bombardment, was initiated and given the "go ahead" by Naomi's son Filip, who took major pride in the devastation.
During the final stages of their planned first attacks on the inner planets, a Free Navy ship, the Chetzemoka is caught flatfooted, and is involved in a direct standoff with all the other major players. A UNN (United Nations Navy) escort fleet arrives, along with the Rocinante and Julie Mao's old racing skiff, the Razorback, which has Bobbie Draper and Alex Kamal aboard.
Marco Inaros and his Free Navy continue to wage a war against James Holden and Fred Johnson. There is growing doubt over charismatic leader's vision within the man's core organization, including Anderson Dawes and Michio Pa. Even more, his prince, Filip Inaros, is becoming disillusioned.
Marco has commissioned Michio Pa to capture inner planet colony ships headed through the gates with stockpiles of goods, which she is to redistribute to the Belt.
At the behest of the Consolidated Fleet, Bobbie Draper commands a mission for the Rocinante crew, now with Clarissa Mao, to disable the prospector ship Azure Dragon, which has been responsible for propelling asteroids on trajectories to slam into Earth. They are ambushed, as Bobbie becomes trapped in an airlock bridge while attempting to board the Free Navy ship. The Azure Dragon sends three mechs to strip the Rocinante in a surprise counterattack. Amos Burton and Clarissa risk their lives to rescue themselves and their shipmates.
The Free Navy abandons Ceres Station, Anderson Dawes' home and governorship after Filip hospitalized a station peacekeeper. To Michio Pa's chagrin, Marco Inaros orders not only the abandonment of Ceres but other stations along with abandoning their commitment to feed the Belt.
Michio abandon's Marco and arranges a pact with Fred Johnson representing the Consolidated Fleet on Ceres. This allows safe passage while she distributes goods to Ceres.
As Fred Johnson once again attempts to unify OPA factions against Marco's Free Navy extremists, he organizes a meeting with OPA factions on Tycho Station. Marco leads an attack against Johnson and the enlarged crew of the Rocinante as they travel from Ceres to meet the others. Marco leaves Filip in weapons control. Fred Johnson manages to summon missile support from Ceres, which draws one of the pursuing attackers off the Rocinante. Alex and Bobbie manage to claim victory after a tense fight with the remaining two Free Navy ships, but not without Fred Johnson succumbing to a stroke.
At the alliance summit on Tycho, Holden and Bobbie plan a daring scheme unifying the inner planets with OPA to take Medina Station from Marco and the Free Navy.
Having obtained stealth technology deposits from corrupt officials of the MCR (Martian Congressional Republic), the Free Navy began collecting iron-nickel asteroids and coating them in these materials. These were then artificially accelerated and slung towards Earth.
When one of the asteroids broke apart by the gravitational pull of the Sun, it was spotted as a debris field by the science vessel UNS Hasami near Venus which moved to investigate. Unknown to the crew however a Free Navy gunship was following them. The gunship disabled Hasami and launched a boarding party. Once onboard, the computer cores were removed and the crew executed. Afterwards, missiles fired from the gunship hit the science ship destroying it, removing any potential evidence for their activities. While individuals on Luna such as Chrisjen Avasarala suspected a potential danger from the Free Navy, the UN (United Nations) remained largely oblivious to Inaros' plans.
When the first asteroid reached Earth it remained completely undetected by UNN (United Nations Navy) planetary defences, making an impact off West Africa. While the UN was quick to organize humanitarian relief efforts and the senior government under Nancy Gao was evacuated on board UN One above South Asia, the second and third impact proved disastrous, however. The initial impacts killed millions, while seismic activity and tsunamis devastated major cities on Earth, most notably New York City; most of the government and senior military infrastructure was presumed to have been eliminated with the attacks. However, it was possible for Avasarala to convince Gao to connect the Sentinel asteroid spotters to the sensors of the Watchtower spy satellites as to penetrate the stealth coating of the remaining asteroid. With this method, three other asteroids were successfully destroyed before impact.
Simultaneously to the attacks on Earth, a presumably Free Navy terorist bombing plot was successfully conducted at the Parliament of the Martian Congressional Republic (MCR), with a yet unknown amount of casualties and damage. On Tycho Station, a hostile takeover of the last remaining Protomolecule sample and the defection of numerous OPA and station staff led to the killing of Fred Johnson.
Subsequent to the row of attacks, Marco Inaros as the figurehead of the Free Navy claimed responsibility to the attacks, setting its political and ideological demands to Earth and Mars and igniting the Free Navy Conflict.
Investigating the theft of Martian military equipment Alex Kamal and Bobbie Draper took the unarmed racing pinnace Razorback out following at a distance the MCRN Barkeith and its two frigate escorts. They followed them towards the Hungaria group asteroids where they spotted them with Free Navy ships some of which were MCRN built and others Belter ships. At this point, the Razorback was spotted and fired upon with a torpedo. The Pinnace attempted to flee at High-G but was forced to drop core to destroy the torpedo behind them.Leadership[]
- Marco Inaros, in charge of the military branch.
- Rosenfeld Guoliang, in charge of production and design.
- Nico Sanjrani, in charge of the finances.
- Anderson Dawes.
- Michio Pa (defected).
- Marco Inaros
- Karal, commanded Drummer faction fleet for the Free Navy.
- Rosenfeld Guoliang
- Nico Sanjrani, chief station administrator of Ceres Station
Known fleets[]
Designation | Commander | Appears | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Command fleet | Marco Inaros | TV | Contained several advanced stolen MCRN warships. |
Michio Pa fleet | Michio Pa (Books) | Books | Consisted of eight stolen MCRN frigates. |
Drummer faction fleet | Camina Drummer (TV) | TV | Consisted of three torpedo-armed Belter ships, defected during the FN engagement of the Rocinante. |
Golden Bough fleet | Unknown | TV | A fleet of five armed Belter ships. Engaged two UNN cruisers, along with an MCRN heavy frigate taking four losses in a pyrrhic victory near Patroclus. Used engagement to hide the transfer of stolen MCRN frigates to Free Navy. |
Known ships[]
Designation | Class | Ship type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Pella | Corvette-class (presumed) | Light frigate | Stolen from the MCRN and served as the Free Navy's flagship. Later destroyed by a Ring network anomaly. Coated in stealth composites for improved stealth capabilities. |
Connaught | Stolen from MCRN for the Free Navy. Later when Michio Pa defected the ship fought alongside the Consolidated Fleet against the Free Navy. Eventually heavily damaged in battle. | ||
Shinsakuto | Coated in stealth composites for imporved stealth capabilities.[1] Utilized in the ambush on the Rocinante, but forced to turn back to fend off torpedoes from Ceres. | ||
Koto | Utilized in the ambush on the Rocinante. Crippled by the Rocinante's railgun when its reactor is pierced. | ||
Andreas Hofer | Stolen from the MCRN for the Free Navy. | ||
Solano | Part of Michio Pa's Fleet. Used to blockade Pallas Station after Michio's forces take out its defenses. | ||
Panshin | Part of Michio Pa's Fleet. Heavily damaged in the Battle of Pallas Station. | ||
Serrio Mal | Part of Michio Pa's Fleet. Destroyed or heavily damaged in the Battle of Titan. | ||
Witch of Endor | Part of Michio Pa's Fleet. The Witch of Endor and the Munroe were hunted down and destroyed by the Free Navy for supporting Pa in her defection. | ||
Munroe | |||
Ando | Part of Michio Pa's Fleet. The crews of the Ando and Dagny Taggart denounced Pa when she broke off from the Free Navy. | ||
Dagny Taggart | |||
Azure Dragon | Unknown | Prospector ship | Used by Free Navy to coordinate meteor strikes against Earth. |
Frank Aiken | Unknown | Transport ship | Used in attack on the MCRN Callisto shipyards. |
Toreador | Unknown | Freighter | Seized at Medina Station. |
Hornblower | Unknown | Cargo ship | Seized by Michio Pa for Free Navy. Later given by Pa to Iapetus Station. |
Alastair Raunch | Unknown | Cargo ship | Seized by Free Navy. |
Bedayadat Jadida | Unknown | Colony ship | Seized by Michio Pa's fleet for Free Navy. |
The John Galt | Unknown | Colony ship | |
Mark Watney | Unknown | Colony ship | |
Helen R. and Jacob H. Kanter | Unknown | Colony ship | |
San Pietro | Unknown | Colony ship | |
Caspian | Unknown | Colony ship | |
Kingfisher | Unknown | Colony ship | |
Brilliant Iris | Unknown | Colony ship | Seized by Solano for Michio Pa's fleet. |
Minsky | Unknown | Colony ship | Given to Consolidated Fleet by Michio Pa after defecting from Free Navy. |
Designation | Image | Class | Ship type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pella | Unknown | Light cruiser[2] | Marco Inaros's flagship and commanding ship of the Free Navy. | |
Aryabhata | Scirocco-class | Assault cruiser | Present at the Battle for the Sol gate. | |
Zmeya | Unknown | Armed transport freighter | Used in the Tycho station Coup to steal the last remaning Protomolecule sample. Crippled by Rocinante railgun round, destroyed itself. | |
Chetzemoka | Unknown | Transport freighter | Taken from Naomi Nagata. Used to lure the Rocinante into a trap as a proximity sensory bomb. Later adrift and destroyed by Rocinante torpedo. | |
Bashi Bazouk | Unknown | Belter skiff | Armed with external torpedo racks and PDC turret. Attacked the Razorback when discovered. Drive cone sabotaged by Alex Kamal and ship destroyed. | |
Granicus | Unknown | Armed civilian ship | Used to coordinate and execute the asteroid strikes against Earth. | |
Serrio Mal | Unknown | Heavy frigate | Given to Free Navy by MCRN Barkeith crew. Involved in the Free Navy engagement of the Rocinante, destroyed by the Rocinante railgun shots. | |
Panshin | Unknown | Heavy frigate | Given to the Free Navy by MCRN Barkeith crew. | |
Unknown | Morrigan-class | Patrol destroyer | Used to escape the Mariner Valley shipyard bombing. | |
Koto | Morrigan-class | Patrol destroyer | Part of Marco's command fleet. Involved in the Free Navy engagement of the Rocinante, damaged and disabled by Rocinante railgun rounds. | |
Unknown | Morrigan-class | Patrol destroyer | Part of the Free Navy command fleet. | |
Jotunn | Unkown | Armed Belter skiff | Used as Bounty hunter ship to chase Drummer faction after defection from Free Navy | |
Unknown | Unknown | Belter skiff | Used by Filip Inaros for the destruction of the UNS Hasami. | |
Solano | Unknown | Unknown | Captured the last remaining Dos Arriagas ship and spaced its crew. | |
Azure Dragon | Unknown | Prospecting Ship | Coordinated the continuous asteroid strikes against Earth from orbit in the Belt. Captured intact by Rocinante | |
Lauber | Unknown | Armed Belter skiff | Escort vessel of the Pella following the Free Navy retreat from Ceres during the Ceres Offensive, heavily damaged by a railgun shot of the Rocinante during the Free Navy ambush of the Roci. |
[]
Designation | Image | Class | Ship type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tynan | Unknown | Torpedo boat | Became part of Free Navy when Drummer faction joined. Defected after the Free Navy engagement of the Rocinante. | |
Dewalt | Unknown | Armed civilian ship | Became part of Free Navy when Drummer faction joined. Drive cone damaged in combat. Defected after the Free Navy engagement of the Rocinante. | |
Mowteng | Unknown | Armed civilian ship | Became part of Free Navy when Drummer faction joined. Defected after the Free Navy engagement of the Rocinante. | |
Inazami | Unknown | Armed Belter ship | Golden Bough vessel, responsible for moving supplies to depots; captain Liang Walker who disliked Marco Inaros but didn't split off from Free Navy initially. Eventually joined Drummer faction |
[]
Faction | Supported or Opposed | Notes |
---|---|---|
Inaros OPA | Supported | Founded Free Navy. |
Tycho Station OPA | Opposed | Was attacked by the Free Navy at begining of conflict. Fought against Free Navy alongside Consolidated Fleet. |
Anderson Dawes' OPA | Supported | Supported until the scorched Earth policy used by Free Navy on Ceres. |
Ganymede OPA | Supported | Officially Ganymede declared itself neutral, however was operated by Free Navy forces. |
Zig Ochoa's OPA | Opposed. (presumed) | |
Ostman-Jasinzki OPA | Opposed | |
Al-Dujaili OPA | Opposed | |
Goodfortune OPA | Opposed | |
Carlos Walker OPA | Opposed |
Faction | Supported or Opposed | Notes |
---|---|---|
Inaros OPA | Supported | Founded Free Navy |
Tycho Station OPA | Opposed (later supported) | Was attacked by the Free Navy and its leader, Fred Johnson was assassinated the Free Navy. |
Black Sky | Supported | Combined with Golden Bough would convince half the OPA to join the Free Navy.[3] |
Golden Bough (primary faction) | Supported | Combined with Black Sky would convince half the OPA to join the Free Navy.[4] |
Golden Bough (Broken off elements) | Opposed | A portion of Golden Bough broke away from the primary faction as they opposed Marco Inaros and the Free Navy.[5] |
Drummer faction | Supported (Later opposed) | Joined despite hatred of Marco Inaros by leader Camina Drummer. |
Matar Kubeliya | Opposed | Refused to join Free Navy. Later had at least one ship destroyed by Free Navy. |
Dos Arriagas | Opposed | All of its ships were destroyed or captured and their crews Spaced.[6] |
References
- ↑ The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 26: Filip
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JamesSACorey/status/1320087800125911040
- ↑ The Expanse TV Series - Season 5, Episode 6: "Tribes"
- ↑ The Expanse TV Series - Season 5, Episode 6: "Tribes"
- ↑ The Expanse TV Series - Season 6, Episode 2: "Azure Dragon"
- ↑ The Expanse TV Series - Season 6, Episode 1: "Strange Dogs"