Editing Operation CERBERUS

{{Update Needed|[[Technical Readout: Dark Age]]}}
{{InfoBoxConflict
| conflict = Operation CERBERUS
| partof = [[Dark Age]]
| image = 
| caption = Operation CERBERUS
| date = November [[3147]]
| enddate = December 3147
| place =
| planet =
| territory =
| faction1 = [[Federated Suns]]
| faction2 = [[Capellan Confederation]]
| commander1 = [[First Prince of the Federated Suns|First Prince]] [[Julian Davion]]
| commander2 = [[Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation|Chancellor]] [[Daoshen Liao]]
| forces1=[[Armed Forces of the Federated Suns]]
| forces2= [[Capellan Confederation Armed Forces]]
| result = Federated Suns reclaims [[New Syrtis]] and other conquered worlds from Capellan Confederation
| environment =
| conditions =
}}

'''Operation CERBERUS''' was a campaign mounted by the [[Federated Suns]] with the goal of reclaiming [[New Syrtis]] and other [[Capellan March]] worlds which had recently fallen to the [[Capellan Confederation]]. Launched in late [[3147]], the operation ended successfully for the [[AFFS]] with its primary objectives achieved.

==Background==
From late [[3144]] until May [[3146]] the Capellan Confederation carried out [[Operation CELESTIAL REWARD]], an all-out invasion of the Capellan March that culminated in the fall of several key Suns worlds including [[Demeter]], [[Victoria (CC)|Victoria]], [[Chesterton]], [[Tikonov]] and [[New Syrtis]], the March capital itself. Beleaguered as it was by an even more devastating assault from the [[Draconis Combine]], the [[AFFS]] was unable to stop the Capellan advance until mid-[[3146]]. At that point the expected attack on [[Kathil]] was prevented thanks to [[Task Force Navarre]], whose raids behind the Capellan front lines caused [[Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation|Chancellor]] [[Daoshen Liao]] to redirect the [[CCAF|CCAF's]] attention towards his [[Coreward|coreward]] border.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 21–22</ref><ref>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 35</ref><ref>''Era Report: 3145'', pp. 24–25: "Timeline of Events (cont.)"</ref><ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 17–18</ref>

Although his [[Battle of Marlette (3146)|subsequent victory]] at [[Marlette]] finally ended the Capellan invasion with a ceasefire, [[Julian Davion]] then found himself officially taking control of a realm in a very precarious state. With [[New Avalon]] and [[Robinson]] both occupied by the Combine, and New Syrtis under Capellan rule, Davion needed to give his military and people a major victory to begin reversing his nation's ill fortunes. Deciding for the moment to have [[Operation PERCEVAL]] chip away at the Combine-occupied regions with raids, Julian approved Operation CERBERUS, which would see the AFFS' efforts focused upon reclaiming New Syrtis and the salient of worlds leading to it.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 22–23: "The Marlette Deception"</ref><ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 31: "Searching for the Grail"</ref><ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 39: "The Three-Headed Dog"</ref>

==Operation CERBERUS==
CERBERUS began in early November [[3147]] and was carried out by three task forces, each comprised of a mixture of AFFS and [[Mercenaries|mercenary]] units with the latter being assembled into ad hoc forces designated Fortune Able, Baker and Charlie.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 39–41</ref>

On the way to Capellan space, the TaskForce, which had departed [[Goshen]] iun early March, made a resupply stop on [[Acala]], though really was on [[Axton]], and it was a smokescreen to uncover potential traitors in their ranks. They succeded: a company-size mercenary unit, [[Tiger Hunt]], attempted to defect, but they were left stranded on the world, hunted by the local militia.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 32</ref>

===Task Force Chimera===
Task Force Chimera, made up of the [[Dawn Guards]] and Fortune Able, first struck [[Hobson]] on November 2nd. Unable to engage the attackers in a stand-up fight, the defending [[Warrior House Kamata]] opted to wage guerrilla warfare instead. While unable to score any decisive success against their opponents, the Kamata warriors managed to delay Chimera's units for two weeks before finally leaving the planet.

Chimera's next target was [[Taygeta]], which was [[Battle of Taygeta (3147)|invaded]] on November 16. Capellan aerospace fighters crippled two of Fortune Able's [[DropShip|DropShips]], forcing the mercenaries' BattleMechs to drop all over Taygeta's primary continent. The Dawn Guard engaged the [[Dynasty Guard]] even as [[Warrior House Tsang Xiao]] hunted the mercenaries across Taygeta. In the end the Dawn Guard and remaining mercenaries managed to link up for an assault on Taygeta's capital but both Capellan units withdrew on the Chancellor's orders, ceding the planet to the Federated Suns.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 39–40: "Chimera"</ref><!--<ref name=TRODA>''Technical Readout: Dark Age'', p. 16: "MLR-B2 Mjolnir"</ref>-->

===Task Force Orthus===
Comprised of the [[5th Crucis Lancers|Fifth Crucis Lancers]] and Fortune Baker, Task Force Orthus first attacked [[Beenleigh]] in early November. The defending [[Harloc Raiders]] used ambush tactics and aerospace strikes to whittle away at Orthus' units as they advanced on the planetary capital, until its fall led to the Raiders abandoning Beenleigh. However, as Orthus' DropShips made their way to their JumpShips, the Harloc Corsairs unexpectedly struck, destroying two Crucis Lancers' DropShips before being driven off.

On [[Jaipur]], Orthus' next target, [[Lockhardt's Ironsides]] hammered the FedSuns landing zone as soon as they had touched down, forcing their DropShips to leave. The stranded Lancers and Fortune Baker found themselves under constant attack as they attempted to secure another landing site; when they finally did so, the Ironsides' aerospace contingent destroyed over half of Orthus' DropShips. The task force units set up a defensive position around their remaining transport and the fighting on Jaipur turned into a low-key stalemate throughout December.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 40: "Orthus"</ref>

===Task Force Hydra===
Taking personal command of Task Force Hydra, Julian Davion led its units - the [[1st Davion Guards|First Davion Guards]], the [[1st Davion Auxiliaries|First]] and [[2nd Davion Auxiliaries|Second Davion Auxiliaries]], and Fortune Charlie - on the riskiest strike of all. Hydra would hit the newly-conquered worlds situated closest to the prewar border in an effort to cut the salient off from the Confederation entirely.

Hydra's first target was [[Atlas (system)|Atlas]]. Landing on November 4th, the attackers drove the [[2nd St. Ives Lancers|Second St. Ives Lancers]] off-planet after three days of heavy fighting. On November 17th Hydra struck [[Narellan]], where [[Warrior House Imarra]] and the [[2nd St. Ives Cheveau-Légers|Second St. Ives Cheveau-Légers]] put up a sterner fight before withdrawing a week later. A similar situation played out on [[Avigait]], Hydra's final target, where the [[4th Confederation Reserve Cavalry|Fourth Confederation Reserve Cavalry]] fought briefly before retreating farther back into the Confederation.

Despite Julian's expectations of CCAF counterstrikes, Daoshen Liao cautiously refused to commit any more units against Hydra rather than risk overextending his army at a critical moment.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 40–41: "Hydra"</ref>

===Battle of New Syrtis===
See also: [[Battle of New Syrtis (3147)]]

Following these attacks elements from all three task forces converged on Taygeta in preparation for striking at CERBERUS' chief objective: New Syrtis itself. Collectively dubbed Task Force Styx, this force comprised four AFFS and three mercenary regiments: the First Davion Guards, Fifth Crucis Lancers, First and Second Davion Auxiliaries, Fortune Charlie, the [[12th Vegan Rangers|Twelfth Vegan Rangers]] and the [[59th Strike Regiment|Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment]] of the [[Illician Lancers]].

On December 4th, Styx entered the New Syrtis system via [[Jump_Point#Pirate_Jump_Points|pirate points]] and made landfall on the Mawreddog continent. Upon reaching the planetary capital Saso Styx's units set about pursuing multiple objectives.

The Fifth Lancers and First Auxiliary attempted to secure [[House Hasek|House Hasek's]] ducal mansion - which served both as a command center and a symbolic target - but the Dynasty Guard held the attackers off just long enough to evacuate Capellan personnel before they destroyed the palace with artillery.

In the fighting for Saso Spaceport the [[1st McCarron's Armored Cavalry|First MAC]] kept the Fifty-ninth Striker pinned down with aerospace strikes and stubborn defense fighting. Julian denied the mercenaries reinforcements, preferring to hold the Second Davion Auxiliaries in reserve.

The Twelfth Vegan Rangers also struggled to take their objective, the Capellan March capital complex, from [[Warrior House Hiritsu]], until the Dynasty Guard arrived at the mercenaries' rear and forced them to retreat.

Julian Davion himself led the effort to secure the Cave, the underground command center for the Capellan March. Taking the First Davion Guards and Fortune Charlie with him, the First Prince was assailed by the [[4th McCarron's Armored Cavalry|Fourth MAC]] and Warrior House Kamata as he entered the tunnels. Fortune Charlie was tasked with keeping the Capellans tied up while the Davion Guards entered the Cave. Shortly after Fortune Charlie joined the First Prince, practically unscathed, before opening fire on their erstwhile employer. After an hour's brutal fighting the Fifth Crucis Lancers arrived and caught the Fourth MAC and Fortune Charlie between them and the Davion Guards, enabling Julian to finally capture the Cave.

Following the Cave's fall, the disorganized Capellan units began retreating while razing civilian areas to cover their withdrawal. By Christmas Day all of Styx's objectives had been secured and New Syrtis could be declared liberated, though Capellan holdouts persisted for another two months.<ref name=SF41>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 41: "Crossing the River Styx"</ref>

==Aftermath==
While CERBERUS had ended in success, the high casualties among his mercenaries and their prominent role led both AFFS and mercenary soldiers to question Julian Davion's competence as a battlefield leader.<ref name=SF41/> When he returned to [[Remagen]] early in [[3148]] to confer with his senior officers, Julian faced a storm of criticism from the AFFS High Command, and was forced to a compromise. [[Prince's Champion]] [[Erik Sandoval-Groell]] assumed effective leadership of the military in exchange for supporting Julian's overall strategy of postponing the liberation of New Avalon.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 55: "Unfit to Lead"</ref> [[MIIO]] also followed up New Syrtis' liberation with [[Operation WHIRLWIND]], a covert campaign aimed at nearby Capellan-occupied worlds that netted the Federated Suns three more planets by April.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 57: "The Fox Bites"</ref>

With New Syrtis once again a threat to the Confederation's [[Galactic Directions|spinward]] flank, Daoshen Liao ordered cells of Capellan saboteurs, apparently members of the [[Thuggee Cult]] very well equipped, on the planet to conduct terror attacks throughout 3148. Culminating in nerve gas strikes, New Syrtis fell into near-anarchy by August and Julian Davion was forced to personally return to regain control of the world, where he would find himself fighting off another Capellan invasion and being maimed in the process.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 55–57: "Costly Sacrifices"</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''

[[Category:Late Dark Age Era Military Operations|Cerberus]]