As one of the original participants of the ATAF program, Patrick Dean became privy to the details of Operation Sudarberg in April 2617. He fled to Earth, hoping to escape and reveal the intentions of the CSN, before he was caught and shot by CSS operatives that had chased after him. He survived the incident for long enough to attempt to warn Simon Dodds of both the ATAFs and Operation Sudarberg before he died at the Dodds Orchard. He was unable to give a detailed explanation.
Full details of both the operation, the implementation plans and the ATAFs themselves were stolen from the research vessel CSN Cardinal, by a thief known as Daniel Sullivan, who hoped to sell on military secrets for a generous profit. The encrypted details were downloaded onto a data card, that was taken to Imperial space.
The plans were recovered by Claire Barber, and subsequently returned to the CSN by the White Knights, from Arlos Starport in the Phylent system. Though the recovery of the plans were made a top priority by the CSN and Helios government, no one spoke openly of what they actually involved.
After rescuing Kelly Taylor and Enrique Todd on Coyote in late 2617, Simon Dodds once more became suspicious of the ATAFs, questioning why the CSN would develop such a powerful starfighter, yet only build five of them. Natalia Grace detailed Operation Sudarberg, telling the White Knights of how the CSN and a number of independent nations had collaborated to create a solution to the threat of the Pandoran army.
Operation Sudarberg ultimately involves the intentional supernova of five stars in Imperial space (Mekel, Carthege, Haylahe, Atlante, and Codexa), using a device known as a Tachyon Star Bomb (TSB). The bombs would be delivered to the system using the ATAFs, which were developed especially for the purpose (high defence / offensive capabilities, as well as possessing a cloaking device). With the stars destroyed, 80% of the resulting energy would be scattered about Imperial space, causing death to the Pandoran soldiers via radiation, heat, elimination of planetary atmospheres, and explosions.
Operation Sudarberg is the Helios / Independent solution to the threats posed by the Pandoran army (which, they deemed would be an unwinnable war). Sudarberg is essentially a suicide mission, as the pilots of the ATAFs (the delivery system) would be killed during the execution phase.
Operation Sudarberg failed to go ahead, after one of the key components, the Tachyon Star Bombs, were destroyed while aboard Grendel's Mother.
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