"Zenobia" is the second episode of One Ship, a set of bonus content shorts about the main characters of Season 6 of The Expanse. It was released to streaming on December 17, 2021.
Synopsis[]
Avasarala struggles to hold herself together, constantly under pressure by the war with the Free Navy, the Earth's environmental and humanitarian crises and her own declining health, when she receives a message of encouragement from her granddaughter.
Recap[]
Avasarala, in voiceover, says that The Doctrine of One Ship describes a system of unities between home and society, work and rest, fear and hope.
In the UNN Zenobia's command deck, Avasarala converses with MCRN Admiral Preston, who expresses they are in the same boat, as the Free Navy is causing disturbances in their satellites, hindering their reconnaissance capabilities. Avasarala thinks the Free Navy is clearly up to something and, although Preston hates saying their name, he agrees with her, but he opines that the Free Navy's plan doesn't matter, as they can't go toe-to-toe with the EMC joint fleet. He is eager for them to try, though, so he can get his hands on some of the traitors who gave Martian ships over to Marco Inaros. He asks if Avasarala has ever heard of a Hecate Keel Haul, which she hasn't. Preston coldly says he looks forward to demonstrating it.
After their call is over, Avasarala gets a notification on her terminal, and Gareth approaches, asking if she prefers the bad news first, though amending that it's a trick question as it's all pretty bad: The global weather projections for Earth are "not very encouraging" as temperatures all over the planet are falling sharply and the asteroid residue levels are rising quickly, turning the sky over Sydney fully white. Avasarala remembers the UN de-commissioned some high altitude air scrubbers a few years ago and, though she knows it will only help a little, she hopes they still work so they can make use of them. She laments that their own air and water are killing them and notes they are all essentially Belters now. Gareth responds by proposing they destroy Ceres as revenge against Marco, citing the old saying: "nuke them 'till they glow, and shoot 'em in the dark", causing Avasarala to stare at him with aversion and then walk away indignantly, much to his disappointment.
Entering her quarters, Avasarala sits down to look through the reports on the Earth's situation, being informed that Admiral Sidiqi has been delayed in another meeting and will be with her in fifteen minutes. It is revealed she has conducted a medical scan on herself, and the results are rather concerning, showing an elevated heart rate and blood pressure and unbalanced cortisol levels. Avasarala sighs dejected and decides to take a nap for ten minutes, turning off the lights and sitting alone in the darkness, but is interrupted by a video message from her granddaughter Kiki. She apologizes as she knows Avasarala is busy and her mother Ashanti told her not to bother her grandmother, but she wanted to show her the new garden she has started. Avasarala smiles as Kiki shows her a thriving collection of tubes with sprouts growing in them, as well as introducing her to her pet guinea pig Sajahad, who helps fertilize the soil. She tells Avasarala she doesn't have to worry about them, as Kiki will make sure the whole family has fresh vegetables to eat. She closes by telling her grandmother that she loves her.
After the message is over, Avasarala's smile lingers, though it slowly turns into a grimace of sadness. After collecting herself, Avasarala records a reply for Kiki, smiling warmly and thanking her for showing her the garden, saying it's nice to imagine people on Earth doing whatever they can to help each other, even if just a little. When she gets back, she wants Kiki to make her a salad from her garden, certain it will be delicious. She asks Kiki not to tell her mother that they spoke, and affirms she loves her too.
Avasarala has an emotional moment, alone in the darkness, struggling to contain her tears and stop herself from sobbing. She recollects herself once more, calling her doctor and asking him to bring her the medication they discussed, adding her condition must stay a secret. She then turns the lights back on and gets up on her feet, calling her assistant and urging her to "tell Sidiqi to move his ass" as they have a lot of work to do.
Cast[]
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala
- Ted Dykstra as Gareth
- John Ralston as Admiral Preston
- Chloe Figueras as Kiki
Media[]
Notes[]
- Septimia Zenobia was a queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Initially queen consort to her husband Odaenathus, after his assassination she became queen regent in the stead of her young son.
- The title also alludes to the command ship on which Avasarala spends much of season 6.
References[]
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