Jim Holden discovers that the Rocinante’s galley has lost power, leaving the coffeemaker dead just before the ship is due to confront pirates. The wall comm is also out, so Holden calls Naomi Nagata, who confirms from ops that only the galley is affected and tells Holden that Amos Burton has been rewiring something.

Under 1.3 g acceleration as the Rocinante chases a fleeing pirate freighter, Holden rides the lift down to find Amos in the machine shop. Amos has removed a component from the galley for an important repair but has also prepared emergency coffee, easing Holden’s immediate complaint and showing the crew’s informal, familiar dynamic.

Holden returns to operations, where Naomi reports that the pirate ship’s drive output has fluctuated and then failed after the chase pushed it too hard. With only minutes to intercept, Holden orders Amos to strap in, has Alex Kamal bring the Rocinante to a stop at ten thousand kilometers, and prepares targeting systems and weapons displays to intimidate the pirates.

As the Rocinante closes in, Holden reflects on how far his life has shifted since the Eros incident. He remembers working with Miller, the deaths and radiation exposure on Eros, the alien infection diverted to Venus, and the fact that saving humanity has left Holden working for the Outer Planets Alliance as a pirate hunter.

Holden contacts the pirate freighter and accuses its crew of attacking the Somnambulist, stealing protein, and taking all of its air. When a young pirate challenges the OPA’s legal authority, Holden points out that legal arguments do not change the Rocinante’s overwhelming firepower, then orders Alex to fire a warning burst. The pirate immediately surrenders, allowing Naomi to take control of the ship for return to Tycho Station and OPA tribunals.

As Holden leaves ops to look for aspirin, Fred Johnson calls. Holden reports the successful capture, but Fred says that is not why he called: Holden must return to Tycho quickly because something is happening on Ganymede.