View source for Operation TRIDENT

{{InfoBoxBattle
| conflict   = Operation TRIDENT
| partof     = 
| image      = 
| startdate  = [[3129]]
| enddate    = 
| planet     = Various
| place      = [[Tortuga Dominions]]
| result     = Significant Reduction in Pirate Activity
| territory  = 
| faction1   = [[Calderon Protectorate]]<br>[[Fiefdom of Randis]]<br>[[Filtvelt Coalition]]
| commander1 = [[Grand Knight]] [[William Dirac]]
| command1   = [[Second Taurian Pride]]<br/>[[Thumpers|Thumpers Assault Regiment]]<br/>[[Brotherhood of Randis]]
| faction2   = [[Tortuga Dominions]]
| commander2 = 
| command2   = 
| faction3   = 
| commander3 = 
| command3   = 
}}
== Overview ==
=== Origin of Conflict ===
Tensions between the Fiefdom of Randis and the Tortuga Dominions had always been high, with the Brotherhood fighting pirates from the Dominions in systems as far away as [[Ddraig]] in the [[Outlands Wastes]].<ref name="BCSLS">''Lost Souls''</ref> These tensions reached a boiling point in [[3128]], when a pirate force from the Dominions roughly a [[battalion]] in size launched a raid on [[Randis IV]], heavily damaging the [[Hope Industrial Works]] (HIW), the [[BattleMech]] construction plant located on the planet. The raid severely limited the production of 'Mechs, and led to the head of the Brotherhood of Randis, Grand Knight William Dirac, to call upon those nations allied with the Fiefdom to launch a retaliatory strike on the Dominions.<ref name="FM:3145p185">''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 185–186: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref>

=== Operation TRIDENT ===
A multinational force consisting of the First Battalion of the Brotherhood of Randis, a battalion from the Second Taurian Pride and a battalion from the Thumper Assault Regiment assembled in early [[3129]] in response to Dirac's efforts, and proceeded to launch a year-long campaign of assaults and raids on various pirate havens scattered across the Dominions.<ref name="FM:3145p185"/> The largest battle of the campaign was fought on the Copper Ridge Plateau on [[New Port Royal]]. The allied forces had struck at several other Dominion planets before landing on New Port Royal, and as a result the pirates on New Port Royal had time to organize themselves and prepare for the arrival of the allied units.<ref name="TRO:3145Mp44">''Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries'', p. 44: "HWK-4F ''HawkWolf''"</ref>

The TRIDENT force landed on the Copper Ridge Plateau and was led by Dirac. The pirates had assembled a force with a strength of approximately eight battalions and launched their attack as the TRIDENT forces were landing, with the TRIDENT forces barely having time to deploy before making contact with the pirates. The pirates pressed the TRIDENT forces hard, with Grand Knight Dirac committing the last of his available reserves to the front line after three hours of constant combat - and the battle lasted another ten hours before the pirates were forced to retreat having been reduced to less than a third of their original strength.<ref name="TRO:3145Mp44"/>

=== Aftermath ===
The Fiefdom or Randis benefited from Operation TRIDENT; for at least fifteen years afterwards, raids against the Fiefdom from pirate bands based in the Dominion were rare, and the relative peace and prosperity led to a "Golden Decade" of expansion on Randis - both in terms of industry and culture.<ref name="FM:3145p185"/> The Hope Industrial Works also benefited from the drop in raids; historically, the manufacturing facilities had been a high-value target that attracted frequent raids, but the sharp drop in attacks following Operation TRIDENT allowed HIW to expand in a significant fashion, adding three modern BattleMech designs to their production capacity, significantly advancing the technological level of the Brotherhood's military forces.<ref name="FM:3145p189">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 189: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* [[BattleCorps Scenarios#Scenario: Lost Souls|''Lost Souls'']] (BattleCorps scenario)
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries]]''


[[Category:Republic Age Era Military Operations|Trident]]