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The Outer Planets Alliance (OPA) is a loosely affiliated network borrowing or associating under a core common ideology. It started its life as a labor union or advocacy group, fighting for the interests of inhabitants of the Belt and was often in direct conflict with the inner planets' Earth-Mars Coalition Navy. Its logo is a split circle and distinct factions have cells based at every station in the Belt including two major sites Tycho Station and Ceres Station.

OPA logo-black on white-square-585x440

The OPA is described as either a sociopolitical movement, according to people sympathizing with Belters, or a terrorist network, according to the inner planets. Because of its decentralized structure and the range of activities by groups claiming affiliation, both descriptions have more than a little basis in fact. The statement that it's decentralized negates the assertion that it has a headquarters.


History

Eros Incident

While the OPA consists of various cells and associated movements, such as the student group Far Horizons Foundation, by the time Leviathan Wakes takes place, Fred Johnson has attempted to organize those he holds influence with into a provisional government and retain the chief administrative position.

RPG OPA logo

Book OPA flag as depicted in the RPG

When Earth withdrew from Ceres, the Outer Planets Alliance announced the inclusion of Ceres among official OPA-held real estate.

A group of about one hundred soldiers under the command of Fred Johnson, with the help of the crew of the Rocinante and Miller, are able to take over Thoth Station, the managing station for the Eros Project.

Later, in an attempt to give Miller more time to convince the protomolecule-infected Julie Mao to drive Eros into Venus, Jim Holden has Fred reroute the UN nuclear missiles headed for Eros, and then store them after the crises is over.

After the events of the Eros incident, Fred Johnson, representing the OPA gave a speech at the peace conference on Ceres.Fred Johnson converts the Nauvoo generation ship into the Behemoth as the OPA's battleship and sends it into the flotilla to join the investigation of the ring.Taking advantage of the growing frustration among the Belter population and using his access to the military resources he barters with Winston Duarte to retain, Marco Inaros is able to influence many powerful OPA faction leaders to join him in the Free Navy. As the war continues, those leaders become disillusioned by his constantly changing promises.After the events of Babylon's Ashes and leading into Persepolis Rising, the OPA evolved and gave way for the Transport Union as part of the settlement of affairs following the war; however, when the Laconian Imperial Navy came to take control, the various factions re-emerged especially the most violent ones. Many of the varied OPA factions managed to unite under Saba's leadership in order to escape Medina.

Factions

"There's OPA and there's OPA"

Although recognized by the general populace and media of Earth and Mars as a cohesive group, the OPA contains many groups and factions, all on varying points on the political spectrum.

Fred Johnson represents the largest faction, achieving a form of legitimate recognition by the United Nations and the Martian Republic.

Marco Inaros represent the Free Navy, a faction favoring Belt independence from interference and taxation by Earth and Mars.

A violent terrorist-like faction is called Black Sky.

Known factions

Faction Leadership Areas of Operation Notes
Tycho Station OPA Fred Johnson[1][2] Tycho Station, Behemoth, Medina Station Part of the OPA Council[3]
Ceres Station OPA Anderson Dawes[1][2] Ceres Station, Behemoth, Medina Station
Zig Ochoa's OPA Zig Ochoa Ceres Station Opposition group on Ceres[1]
Kelso Station OPA Unknown Kelso Station Publicly condemned Free Navy[4]
Rhea OPA Unknown Rhea Publicly condemned Free Navy[5]
Voltaire Collective Rosenfeld Guoliang Medina Station
Maruttuva Kulu Unknown Nonviolent near-collaborationist[2]
Black Sky K. Nikil, Black Sky OPA Leader Tycho Station, Ceres, Pallas, Hygiea An extremist faction that used drones for terrorist attacks[6][7]
Inaros OPA[8] Marco Inaros Would go on to form the Free Navy
Tres Copains[8] Unknown
Union OPA[6] Unknown
Golden Bough Society (Books) Unknown Ceres Station (Book Only faction) Openly criminal organisation[2][6]. Claims to be OPA, but denied by other OPA factions.
Golden Bough (TV) Unknown Unknown (TV Only faction) A significant faction of the OPA. Although more extremist was willing to work with OPA Navy prior to joining Free Navy.
Matar Kubileya Unknown Vicinity of Ceres
Ostman-Jazinski OPA Aimee Ostman Unknown Militant branch of the OPA that was responsible for a significant number of attacks on Inner Planets military targets.
Glapion Collective Unknown Unknown A business front for the OPA which owns and operates ships in the Belt.

OPA Navy

Main article: OPA Navy

The OPA Navy was an attempt by the Tycho Station OPA and Anderson Dawes' OPA as the most legitimate factions of the OPA to create a navy. Before a navy was established the independently owned gunship Rocinante was hired for anti-piracy missions[9]. Ships operated as a part of this navy are given the lettering OPAS before the ship name (Outer Planets Alliance Ship).

The Navy began with the commandeering of the adrift generation ship Nauvoo and converting it into the battleship Behemoth. After the Slow zone incident, the Behemoth was converted into Medina station[10].

Tycho station despite being a civilian shipyard was used to build several gunships for use as a part of the OPA Navy. Three of these ships were under construction shortly before the Free Navy Conflict and were described as large, bulky, and functional as well as shaped like a sledgehammer[11]. These ships would be the first in a custom-built OPA Naval fleet that would form an armed defensive force.

At the beinging of the Free Navy Conflict these Tycho built ships were still being constructed leading to the Corvette-class frigate Rocinante being hired by Fred Johnson for the conflict. During this time an official OPA crew served onboard alongside the main crew of the Roci.

Known ships/stations

Designation Images Class Faction Notes
Nauvoo/
Behemoth/
Medina station
RPGNauvooBooks Generation ship/
Behemoth-class/
Spin station
Tycho Station OPA/
Anderson Dawes' OPA/
OPA Navy
Rocinante Corvette-class Independently owned Operated under contract for OPA on many occasions.
Callisto's Dream Heavy freighter Tycho Station OPA supplied Medina Station.
Scopuli Transport ship Anderson Dawes' OPA Captured by Protogen and used as bait to destroy Canterbury.
Guy Molinari Transport ship Tycho Station OPA
Talbot Leeds Transport ship Tycho Station OPA Sent teams to plant nuclear weapons onto the surface of infected Eros
Weeping Somnambulist Transport ship Tycho Station OPA
Desiderata of Bhagavathi Unknown Carlos Walker OPA
Jammy Rakshasa Unknown Goodfortune OPA Docked at Tycho Station during high level OPA meeting during Free Navy Conflict[12]
Giambattista Converted water-hauler Ostman-Jasinzki OPA
Torngarsuk Unknown Al-Dujaili OPA Destroyed by Free Navy during Free Navy Conflict.

Designation Image Class Faction Notes
Nauvoo/
Behemoth/
Medina station
S02e07behemoth10m49s Generation ship/
Behemoth-class/
Spin station
Tycho Station OPA/
Anderson Dawes' OPA/
OPA Navy
Rocinante RociArtS4 Corvette-class Independently owned Operated under contract for OPA on many occasions.
Tynan Tynan Gunship Anderson Dawes' OPA/
OPA Navy
Captained by Klaes Ashford. Later came under control of Drummer pirate fleet outside of the OPA.
Gatamang Feronte S05E01opasGatamangFeronte29m40s Gunship Tycho Station OPA/
OPA Navy
The Gatamang Feronte was the first purpose built Gunship of the OPAS, and was under construction at Tycho Station.
Scopuli S01E09scopuli Transport ship Anderson Dawes' OPA Captured by Protogen and used as bait to destroy Canterbury.
Guy Molinari S02E04guymolinari14m20s Transport ship Tycho Station OPA

Trivia

  • The "A" in OPA looks similar to the symbol that stands for Anarchy.

Media

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 1: Pa
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 2: Filip
  3. The Expanse Novel Cibola Burn - Chapter 17: Basia
  4. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 10: Avasarala
  5. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 10: Avasarala
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 21: Jakulski
  7. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 18: Filip
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Expanse TV Series - Season 2, Episode 7: "The Seventh Man"
  9. The Expanse Novel Caliban's War - Chapter 2: Holden
  10. The Expanse Novel Cibola Burn - Chapter 4: Holden
  11. The Expanse Novel Nemesis Games - Chapter 1: Holden
  12. The Expanse Novel Babylon's Ashes - Chapter 37: Alex
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