Caliban's War

How it opens

On Ganymede, the one moon neither Earth nor Mars will give up, Gunnery Sergeant Bobbie Draper of the Martian Marines patrols a greenhouse dome while UN Marines guard another dome across the ice. Then UN Marines run at the Martian outpost, fleeing a creature with no environment suit that tears armored soldiers apart and heals as fast as the bullets hit it. The creature kills soldiers on both sides until it explodes in front of Bobbie, and as she lies on the ice the night sky flashes with what looks like the ships in orbit firing on each other. Far away, Captain James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante hunt pirates for the Outer Planets Alliance, until Fred Johnson calls him back to Tycho because something is happening on Ganymede.

Who you meet early

• Bobbie DraperBobbie Draper is a Gunnery Sergeant in the Martian Marine Corps with twelve years of active duty. She came out from Mars in a surge of troops to the outer planets and has walked guard patrols on Ganymede almost since she arrived.
• TravisCorporal Travis is a Martian Marine in Bobbie Draper's squad on Ganymede and was with her on the patrol around the greenhouse dome when the alert went out.
• GivensLieutenant Givens is Bobbie Draper's commanding officer at the Martian outpost on Ganymede.
• James HoldenJames Holden captains the Rocinante, a Martian torpedo bomber, and works for the Outer Planets Alliance hunting pirates. He has to stay on anti-cancer drugs because of the radiation he absorbed on Eros.
• Naomi NagataNaomi Nagata, once chief engineer of the Canterbury, now crews the Rocinante with Holden and works its sensor and communications panel in the chase after the pirates.
• Amos BurtonAmos Burton, once Naomi's earthborn assistant on the Canterbury, keeps the Rocinante running and does his rewiring without telling Holden first.
• Alex KamalAlex Kamal, a Martian with a Mariner Valley drawl, flies the Rocinante as Holden's pilot.