So we are back for the next episode of Season 2, and if the first had its fair share of weapons use, this one is practically bursting with firepower. Read on to see all the weapons used, and to learn how the Rocinante, a standard Martian corvette, was able to defeat a hyper-advanced secret stealth attack ship in a one-on-one engagement!
Moving on with the recap! Titled “Doors and Corners” this is a true battle episode, where the first half is build-up, and the latter is execution. In my mind, the battle sequence in this episode (often referred to as “the battle of Thoth station”) is even better than the Donnager-fight in season 1, episode 4, because this time we and our heroes are active participants in the battle rather than just being along for the ride.
The episode begins more or less where the previous ended, in the UN “situation room.” I love the camera work in this scene, where the camera moves towards the left while panning to the right, thereby shifting the focus from one speaker to the next without changing the shot.
But we are here for the weapons, so what do we have here?
Well, first, as we move to Tycho station, we get some more insights into the point defense cannons (PDCs) on the Roci, with Naomi and a somewhat hapless Holden performing some maintenance. First we see one of the aft PDCs extending…
… before seeing what appears to be the inner workings of the PDC within the pressurized part of the outer hull.
The first thing we learn here is that the Rocinante’s PDCs have a max ammunition capacity of 10 000 rounds, and that it used 2800 of them just getting out of the Donnager in season 1. Secondly, that Naomi understands just how fast they are going to chew through the remaining 7200 rounds! Given how crucial these weapons are, that is an important realization!
Once the camera moves, and Naomi bends down, we also get to see the opposite side of the ammunition feed system, this time with rounds in it. Since the return feed is empty (i.e. no empty cases) it would appear that the rounds are either caseless (more likely) or are discarded once fired (less likely.) Since the PDCs would have to be more or less recoilless, and we haven’t seen any cases ejecting (which would be bad anyway), my money is on caseless!
Next we see that the crew of the Roci were successful in convincing Fred Johnson into taking action. He is facing some resistance from the other factions of the OPA, particularly Black Sky. Their representative makes an angry speech, confirming they were behind the strike against Avasarala on Earth. As he turns his back on Fred, we see that he has a Star Helix Pistol (which I am renaming a UN pattern pistol) tucked into the back of his pants.
Turns out, having a gun in the back of your pants is not the most practical location. I wonder if Fred picked a meeting spot in front of an airlock specifically for this reason…!
Fred isn’t just spacing people – he is also helping Alex train for the upcoming confrontation, a task the latter takes on with some, well, passion. In the process we get a nice close-up of both the Roci and one of the stealth ships (or Amun Ra-class, as its called.)
Thankfully we never get to see the end of their simulation in “real life.”
But they push forward, and after some politicking on Earth…
… the battle is on. First we see the OPA freighter Guy Molinari, serving as a good example of the fact that aerodynamics are not really a priority in space.
Seeing the Roci prepare for battle, we also learn a few more things about space combat in The Expanse – or at least we get some reminders from season 1.
First of all, deception and concealment are still important aspects of combat – even in space – perhaps unsurprisingly, given the theoretically unlimited range of some of the weapons. The only way to survive is to hide and confuse. In this case, and much like the stealth ships did in season 1 episode 4, the Rocinante is able to hide its true nature until the last possible moment by taking cover behind the much larger Guy Molinari.
Next, we are reminded of the dangers posed by gravity! After Holden very casually (and quite obviously) leaves his coffee cup floating he is later reprimanded by Amos who asks him if “didn’t the Navy teach you to stow your gear before you went into maneuvers”? Well, now we know that as well!
Another issue of space combat is, to quote Ty Frank in Ty and That Guy “there is no magical shield.” They will be poking holes in you, so you might as well store your air in a tank to avoid wasting it, and to avoid the escaping air turning into another thruster.
Meanwhile, Drummer and Miller give us a view of what life is like for a space boarding party – at least one representing the OPA.
We see a few weapons in the breaching pod scenes, including both UN, MCRN and other sub-machine guns and sidearms, reinforcing the image that the Belters use whatever they can get their hands on.
Before the action begins, we get a nice wide shot showing all the players – the Ring Station (apparently called Thoth Station), the Rocinante, and the Guy Molinari. All but one, that is…!
So where is the final player, the stealth ship? Well, it appears others can play the hiding game too. Presumably the stealth ship didn’t want to be seen by what appeared to be a Belter freighter passing by, and was waiting on the far side of the ring, essentially using the same tactic that the Roci was using with the Molinari.
Missile launches follow…
… which are intercepted by the Rocinante, for once acting in one of the roles she was designed for as a corvette/light frigate; escorting larger vessels, defending them against attack.
But the Roci is not incapable of offensive action either…!
And we get to see why depressurizing the interior ahead of the battle was a good idea.
Now the Molinari steps in – launching the breaching pods.
Before the battle, Alex had been very concerned with avoiding the rail gun on the stealth ship, and now we get to see why.
Note the glowing cut in the Roci from the rail gun round making just a grazing hit, clearly illustrating the kind of force embodies in this kind of weapon.
But the stealth ship isn’t the only threat. The station itself has what Naomi refers to as an “old anti-asteroid gun”. Unfortunately they have just presented that gun with two incoming objects looking very much like asteroids…!
It is not until Amos has completed his repairs of the one disabled thruster that the Roci is able to take it out in order to protect the remaining pod.
As it loops around the station to take out the gun, it also ambushes the stealth ship, practically riddling it with holes. This next shot reveals how the Roci has one critical advantage over the stealth, which in the end would prove to be decisive.
What we see is that while the stealth ship is clearly very capable, that capability comes with its own set of compromises. Its preferred tactic appears to be using stealth to remain undetected until it is in an optimal position to fire its missiles and its rail gun. After using these weapons to disable its target, it will board it using its advanced breaching pods. In other words, it is built as a predator, one that hides while it prey approaches, launches a sudden, furious attack aimed to stun and disable, which then allows it to move in for the kill.
The Roci, on the other hand, is less of a predator and more like a street fighter. Where the stealth is more of a one-trick pony, the Roci is far more flexible and adaptable. In military terms, we would say that it is a multi-role vessel built to cover a wider range of missions. This means that if it is able to get around the obvious advantages of the stealth ship, it can use its own advantages to take it out.
In this case those advantages likely stem from the fact that one of the missions the Roci was built for is as a fast and maneuverable escort ship capable of defending other ships against attack. To that end, it is equipped with six PDCs in highly flexible mountings, while the stealth ship only has four. The PDCs on the stealth are also mounted in flat mounts much closer to the hull, and therefore cannot move and fire as freely as those on the Roci.
This makes sense since the PDCs on the stealth were presumably not designed to slug it out with another ship up close, or to take out incoming missiles from multiple angles. They were meant to keep the ship alive during a short time window from the start of an ambush and until its target is disabled and the stealth ship can launch its breaching pods. In this type of scenario, having only four PDCs with reduced firing arcs is sufficient, as you would be able to roll the ship to point as many weapons as possible towards the incoming threat. At this short range, however, the stealth is forced into a fight it wasn’t built for, where its primary ship-to-ship weapons are useless. The Roci however was very much built for this, and is able to take advantage of its larger number of weapons with superior firing arcs to effectively shred its enemy with concentrated close-in firepower.
In the image above you can just make out the barrels of one of the stealth ship’s four PDCs in the upper right of the frame. It appears the Roci has already damaged the area around it, apparently putting it out of action, but even if it hadn’t it is very clear how its low mounting would have severely restricted its firing arcs.
I have had the privilege of working closely with several fighter pilots as part of my work, and this engagement first very well with what they have told me about aerial combat. No aircraft is perfect in every way, they all come with strengths and weaknesses. The hallmark of a good pilot is that they know how to play this to their advantage, and to defeat their opponent. In this case, by hiding inside the ring, Alex and the Roci forced the stealth to come inside it in order to find them, a situation where the Roci was able to use its superior maneuverability and close-in firepower to loop around them and deal that killing blow.
Enough ship-to-ship combat – time for some boarding action.
Once the boarding team is, well, onboard, we see that this is really not a team of highly trained marines. Instead of setting up a perimeter and securing their position, they are milling about in the hallway, providing perfect targets.
At least they give us a good look of their weapons. The two closest ones carry Martian assault rifles, while third carries the same sub-machine gun we saw in season 1, episode 8, based on the TDI Vector.
They are soon reminded, however, of the folly of their actions, as Diogo gets a well-deserved smack to the head.
Fortunately (or not, given what transpires in later seasons) Diogo was not hit by a real bullet, and after the Belters mow down their opponents, we see that they have apparently been firing gel rounds from what looks like an adaptation of the Protogen abominable guns we saw in season 1 (starting with episode 4).
After being shocked out of complacency, the Belters begin to get a bit more organized. As they do, we get a better look at the Martian assault rifle carried by Staz, and he shows us just how compact it is compared to the UN assault rifles carried by some of his compatriots.
And they proceed further into the station in something resembling a tactical formation.
Here they enter the room with the scientists…
… where our friends again bunch up as perfect targets.
At least we get a good look at Miller’s gun, the modified Chiappa Rhino 50DS that he picked up in season 1, episode 8.
After the Belters once again demonstrate that they are not disciplined marines…
… we see Miller deciding to proceed on his own, locating big baddie himself, Dresden. Here we actually see the front of the bullets inside the cylinder on Miller’s gun.
Of course, Dresden is mainly concerned with keeping his work going (“can’t stop the work…”), and tries to convince Fred Johnson to let him continue, while Holden looks on, brandishing a Martian service pistol. It seems no one else from the Roci joined him onto the station.
Miller however disagrees with what he is hearing, and instead gives us another demonstration of just how different his gun is from most others in the world of The Expanse. As discussed in my recap of season 1, episode 9, his revolver clearly uses chemically powered rounds causing a much stronger percussive shock (i.e. a big bang) than other hand guns we see on the show.
In front of a stunned Fred, Miller then walks up and puts a few more rounds into Dresden, just to be sure.
And that was it for episode 2. Again, space combat in The Expanse is short and intense. Winning in ship-to-ship engagements depends on deception, only exposing your true nature and/or position when absolutely necessary. When that fails, you do what you can to get into an optimal firing position where your particular mix of weapons have the greatest advantage, enabling you to take out your opponent as fast as possible before they can do the same to you. In that respect, it has many similarities with aerial combat today.
Infantry combat continues to be dominated by short distances, where fire superiority and blanketing an area with bullets with rapid fire hand guns is key. Aimed fire is clearly secondary, unless, of course, you are blowing out the brains of crazy scientists!
Stay tuned for the next explosive recap – coming soon!
The Weapons of The Expanse 