The Expanse, #2
Caliban’s War
by James S. A. Corey
Contents
Chapter Sixteen: Holden
Overview
Holden’s improvised rescue team pushes deeper into the hidden Ganymede facility and discovers evidence that the abducted children were held there, including the body of Katoa. The discovery devastates Prax and confirms that Mei may be in immediate danger, while Holden’s reflections show his fear that violence has become his default response. When Prax bursts into an occupied room and demands Mei, a tense standoff with armed personnel threatens to become a firefight.
Summary
Holden leads Amos, Prax, Wendell, and the Pinkwater guards through the hidden Ganymede tunnels Naomi identified from the footage of Mei. Because Naomi’s map is incomplete and the group may be walking into an occupied base, Holden establishes comm discipline, leaves lookouts at intersections, and uses the Pinkwater team to secure their route back.
As the team advances, Holden notices unmapped passages and the age and decay of the unused corridors. The mission prompts Holden to reflect on Naomi’s warning that violence has changed him since Eros; he worries that he now reaches for his gun first and hopes that any necessary fighting to recover Mei will still bother him.
The group enters a workroom containing abandoned equipment, a glass cube large enough to hold children, and a sheet-covered body on a table. Prax nearly breaks down before Holden uncovers the body and finds a young boy rather than Mei. Prax identifies the boy as Katoa, one of the missing sick children, and realizes that Strickland’s involvement did not guarantee the children were being kept alive.
Wendell connects Naomi’s network bridge, and Naomi confirms encrypted traffic, proving the base is still active. Amos notices the temperature rising near the next door, suggesting the adjoining room is heated and inhabited. Before Holden can organize the entry, Prax takes Amos’s handgun, opens the door, and walks in alone.
Holden, Amos, and the Pinkwater guards rush after Prax and find a dozen armed people apparently packing equipment while taking a meal break. Holden orders them disarmed, but a stern woman with pizza refuses, calculating that her group outnumbers Holden’s and that more allies are nearby. Holden almost chooses a lethal tactical response, then reins himself in and tries to negotiate for Mei’s location.
Prax’s grief and panic undermine Holden’s attempt to de-escalate. Prax aims his shaking gun at the woman and screams for Mei, then cocks the weapon. In response, the armed personnel all reach for their holsters, leaving the confrontation on the brink of violence.
Who Appears
- James HoldenLeads the rescue team, confronts his growing violence, and tries to prevent a firefight.
- Praxidike MengMei’s father; devastated by Katoa’s corpse and impulsively demands Mei at gunpoint.
- Amos BurtonActs as point man, protects Prax, spots signs of habitation, and backs Holden’s intimidation.
- Naomi NagataProvides remote overwatch, map guidance, door access, and network intrusion support.
- WendellPinkwater leader helping secure the search route and connect Naomi’s network bridge.
- PaulaPinkwater guard assigned to hold an unmapped intersection with a grenade.
- KatoaMissing sick child found dead under a sheet in the hidden facility.
- Stern-faced womanArmed facility worker who refuses disarmament and challenges Holden during the standoff.