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The Transport Union is an independent joint UN/MCR/Belter organization first proposed after the conclusion of the Free Navy Conflict to regulate ship traffic through the Ring space. The foundation of the Union raised Belters from the underclass of the Sol system with no future, to one of economic security and prosperity. This created the first real peace between the Belt and the inner planets.

The trade system re-stabilized Sol's economy and balance of power, and improved international cooperation between the UN and the MCR as sovereign states. It also oversaw Ring space traffic as not to provoke Ring network anomalies.[1]

The Transport Union was headquartered on Medina Station and had a number of stations that grew to include void cities and transfer stations.

Unlike the navies of Mars and Earth, the Transport Union gives contracts out to armed ships for any mission/assignment they partake in. In some cases independently owned ships are given mandatory security contracts.[2]

History[]

The formation of the Transport Union was first discussed at a multilateral conference on Ceres, proposed by James Holden. The idea was formalized there and accepted by all parties involved. Michio Pa was voted in as first president of the Union.

Thirty years after the bombardment of Earth, once the planet has recovered, the Union itself has established stations outside the gravity wells and opens for business through a ceremony where President Drummer presides on TSL-5, transfer station at Lagrange-5.

Before the Union was established, the populations in the Belt had been brought together with the Outer Planets Alliance through a shared sense of struggle, oppression, and in many cases, rebellion. With the change of conditions brought about by the ring gates and the treaty that established the Union, the power base of the OPA dissolves and many constituents were absorbed in a new role within the Union. Deft members of the old OPA leadership parlayed their political capital for a position in the Union.

During the hunger years caused by the devastation of the solar system, the Union was tasked with establishing and running the trade within the ring network. Earth was devastated by the attacks of the Free Navy and desperately needed the resources from the outer worlds. The Belters were chosen to form and run the Union, not only because of their experience in low-g environments, but also to integrate them into the new order of the solar system by providing economic opportunities.

The Union, with their monopoly on transportation, proved to be immensely successful. Not only were the regular shipments from outer-world resources extremely important to stop the starvation of the entire system (a threat that was becoming imminent after the bombardment of Earth), but the wealth distributed through this success made the Union very rich and powerful. The construction of void cities, a decades old belter-dream that was blockaded by the inner planets repeatedly in the past, is the most prominent example of this change.

While the Transport Union is officially an association that oversees transport inside the ring-network, in reality it is one of the two major political players in the Sol-system, putting them on a collision course with the colony worlds who are dependent on trade through the ring network.

When the colony of Freehold sent a ship through the Slow Zone without authorisation the Transport Union contracted the Rocinante Books • TV to visit the planet and inform them that they were being cut off from the Ring network as punishment.

Shortly after the Rocinante returned to Medina Station, an announcement came through the Laconia Ring stating that they would be entering the slow zone. The Transport Union formed a small two-ship fleet consisting of the cruiser Tori Byron and the frigate Rocinante along with the ring station railgun emplacements to fend off any aggression. When the Heart of the Tempest entered the slow zone it destroyed the Tori Byron. The captain of the Rocinante Bobbie Draper ordered the railguns to fire on the enemy. However, the enemy warship absorbed all projectal hits and fired it's mysterious weapon against the ring station destroying the railguns. The Rocinante then surrendered and Medina Station was lost to Laconian marines in boarding pods.

With the arrival of Laconia, factions of the old OPA re-emerge and act in ways reminiscent of their heyday. Factions such as Golden Bough and Voltaire as well as Johnson's OPA and Ochoa's OPA.[3]

After the defeat of the United Nations, Martian Congressional Republic, and Transport Union at the Battle of Point Leuctra the transport union became a client state of the Laconian Empire with its President Camina Drummer being given scripted speeches by the new rulers to say the official Laconian stance.

Under Laconian rule, the Transport Union is reorganized to serve the Laconian Empire and begins operating in the Laconia system. Their headquarters is also moved from Medina Station to the Laconia Capital City.

Following the destruction of the Free Navy command fleet and death of Marco Inaros in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Medina Station, a diplomatic summit was held on Ceres Station discussing the future of the system and the Ring colonies. There the idea of a "Transport Union" was first discussed between Camina Drummer, representing the Belt as leader of the largest coherent faction, UN Secretary-General Chrisjen Avasarala, and the MCR Prime Minister. At the end of the meeting, it was decided that James Holden would be appointed as the first President of that organization, to which he appeared to reluctantly agree on under certain conditions.

At the inaugural ceremony, Holden's his first official act as President of the Transport Union was resigning, as one of the conditions he insisted on was that Drummer be Vice President. In doing so he effectively gave the presidency to her, which was revealed to have been their plan from the beginning.[4]

Ships/Stations[]

Designation Class Type Appearances Notes
Medina station Behemoth-class Spin-Station Persepolis Rising (Books) Located in the Slow Zone
TSL-5 Spin-station Persepolis Rising (Books)
Deep Transfer Station Three Spin-station Tiamat's Wrath (Books) Critical central hub for traffic coming in and out of the Sol gate.
Pallas-Tycho Complex spin-station/asteroid station Persepolis Rising (Books) Pallas section abandoned before destruction by Laconia Tycho Station section withdrawn from conflict area.
Tori Byron Unknown class Cruiser Persepolis Rising (Books) Destroyed by Heart of the Tempest
Rocinante Corvette-class light frigate (TV)[5]
(Books)[6]
Under mandatory security contract during inital stages of the Laconia-Sol Conflict.
Vanderpoele VIP transport transport Persepolis Rising (Books) This ship was at the disposal of the President of the Transport Union in office at anytime.
People's Home Void city Station/Battleship Persepolis Rising (Books)
Independence Persepolis Rising (Books) Destroyed by Heart of the Tempest
Guard of Passage Persepolis Rising (Books)
Assurance of Peace Persepolis Rising (Books) Never completed. Was abandoned when Heart of the Tempest approached when only half-built.
Bhikaji Cama Unknown-class Ice hauler Tiamat's Wrath
Mosley Unknown-class Ice hauler Tiamat's Wrath Sister ship of Bhikaji Cama
Verity Close Unknown-class Ice hauler Tiamat's Wrath Sister ship of Bhikaji Cama
Pendulum Arc Unknown-class Cargo hauler Tiamat's Wrath

Images[]

See also[]

References

  1. The Expanse TV Series - Season 6, Episode 6: "Babylon's Ashes"
  2. The Expanse Novel Persepolis Rising - Chapter 11: Bobbie
  3. The Expanse Novel Persepolis Rising - Chapter 25: Holden
  4. The Expanse TV Series - Season 6, Episode 6: "Babylon's Ashes"
  5. Appears in all seasons of TV series
  6. Appears in all Novels


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