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Pallas (designation 2 Pallas) is the third largest asteroid in the Asteroid Belt, and the second asteroid discovered by humanity. It hosts one of the oldest stations, Pallas Station, in the outer planets,[1] but is also known for its extremist Belter splinter groups among its colony.[2]

The station itself has a long history of a refinement station for the mining operations of the Belt. Due to this legacy, it continues to have its infrastructure maintained and upgraded, making use of its older equipment as overflow capacity. This prominence can be seen by the fact that the first Ilusian shipment of lithium was sent to Pallas in 14 XTE.[3]

Unlike Ceres, Pallas was never artificially spun up, relying on the asteroid's natural microgravity instead. Because the gravity is only 2% as strong as Earth's, humans that live on Pallas have some of the most extreme Belter features, their bodies taller and their heads larger than even most other Belters. Despite the various drugs to mitigate the effects of null-g, blindness can still occur after years of living on Pallas, due to the eye capillaries dying.[4]

AnnanSec has had the contract for managing and enforcing security on Pallas for many years.[5]

History

During the land rush through the Ring Network, tensions in the Belt increased due to the new systems representing an economic death for the Belt. Shortly before the start of the Free Navy Conflict, a water riot took place on Pallas station. The riot appeared to be instigated by the same OPA cell responsible for the MCRN Callisto shipyards attack. While generally ignored by the major powers predominantly concerned with the land rush, the riot probably solidified control of the station by the instigators,[6] and giving them an industrial locus for their operations.[7]

A major battle of the Consolidated Fleet Offensive during the Free Navy Conflict took place here. During the Battle of Pallas Station, the Connaught, Serrio Mal, and Panshin under command of Michio Pa crippled her defenses neutralizing the station as a threat. An evacuated Solano with a primed Epstein drive was left as a way to slag the docks if any ships try to leave or approach the station. The resulting blockade of the station lasted until the closure of the War, and was overseen by Captain Rodriguez of the Panshin.[8] After the death of Marco Inaros and the destruction of his fleet, a group on Pallas declare themselves the New Free Navy and set off a few bombs when the Consolidated Fleet retakes the station.[9]

At the start of the Laconian unification, the Transport Union had control of Pallas Station and Tycho Station had semi-permanently docked with Pallas to form the Pallas-Tycho Complex. The void city Assurance of Peace was under construction at the time there. Admiral Anton Trejo, commanding the Heart of the Tempest, requested the immediate surrender of the union and of the Earth-Mars Coalition or Pallas Station would be destroyed. The Transport Union withdrew from Pallas Station and separated Tycho but did not surrender, thus dooming the station to obliteration by the Tempest's magnetic field projector. In doing so, however, the Laconians caused mass blackouts and hallucinations throughout the whole Sol system, including among their entire crew. Additionally, a mysterious orb similar to the one found on Ilus IV appeared aboard the Tempest. Despite not being corporeal, the orb moves along with the ship and causes double-vision and severe headaches to anyone in its vicinity.

Pallas had been the home of Marco Inaros, Naomi Nagata and their son Filip up to Naomi leaving the station after Filip had been taken away and hidden by Marco. The station is infamous for its radical Belter splinter groups.

Pallas mines had closed because of mining jobs going to the new worlds beyond the Sol ring. With this, many inhabitants on the station had lost their jobs and have been desperate to find work every time a ship lands. By the time of the Bombardment of Earth Pallas Station had a permanent population of 9,000 to 13,000 people and was the location of a major strike and riot incited by the Free Navy against the station administration. It is considered a potential military target by the UNN (United Nations Navy) as strategic retaliation and show of force in the Free Navy Conflict alongside Hygiea and Iapetus.

Media

Trivia

  • Pallas was a goddess of Greek mythology and friend to Athena who accidentally kills her in a sparring match. Afterwards, Athena takes up her name out of grief, using it as an alias. The Greeks, particularly the Athenians, used this as an epithet, taking Pallas Athena as their city's protector. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts, and symbolized prudence and strategy in warfare; she was adopted by the Romans as Minerva.
  • This was the second asteroid to ever be discovered by humanity, the first being Ceres.
  • It was originally designated as a planet. When it became clear (in the 1800s) that these objects were too unlike a planets, they were re-designated as asteroids, a brand new classification. Today it is considered an asteroid, which is a type of minor planet and bears the minor planet designation of "2 Pallas".

References

  1. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 2: Filip
  2. The Expanse Novel Leviathan Wakes - Chapter 9: Holden
  3. The Expanse Novel Cibola Burn - Chapter 28: Basia
  4. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 2: Filip
  5. The Expanse Novel Leviathan Wakes - Chapter 20: Miller
  6. The Expanse Novel: Nemesis Games, Chapter 5.
  7. The Expanse Novel: Babylon's Ashes, Chapter 5.
  8. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 41: Pa
  9. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 52: Pa
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