Elysian Space Navy, or ESN, was the naval branch of the Allied Forces in the Cerberus System, the freed prisoners of war held on the Havenite Hades Planetary Prison.


The Elysian Space Navy was an ad hoc naval force, composed of captured Havenite warships in 1913 PD by freed prisoners from Hades, the Republic of Haven's planetary prison.[1].

In Old Earth Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields were the portion of the Underworld (Hades) designated as the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous, thus the name was suggested for the fleet by one of the escaped prisoners, Jesus Ramirez. (HH8)


The main objective of the Elysian Space Navy was the evacuation of all prisoners willing to leave Hades, requiring the capture of sufficient transports. The ESN initially succeeded in capturing transports for a large portion of the prisoners from an Office of State Security convoy that came to Cerberus in route to Seabring. The remaining transports needed were captured in a subsequent short, but intensive, engagement against a second StateSec naval force sent to recover Hades.


Legal status[]

Anti-Havenite forces in the Cerberus System, as well as the Elysian Space Navy, were provisional organizations of POWs from the Manticoran Alliance, freed from the Hades planetary prison. Non-allied volunteers' presence there was significant, but supplementary only.

A collection of ships, captured in the Cerberus System, were claimed as prizes. Their "prize" legal status was confirmed according to Grayson law, when the hardware was bought by the Protector of Grayson.

On the basis of the Grayson constitution, there was a controversy concerning the organization by Steadholder Harrington of a military force. This was illegal, as steadholders were legally prohibited from having a military force greater than 50 armsmen, unless it was within the GSN chain of command. 

In order to solve the problem, Protector Benjamin IX took the ESN into the Grayson Space Navy as a whole[2], turning it into the Protector's Own and charging the Protector's Champion (Honor Harrington at the time) with permanent command of that force. (HH9)


See: Personnel of the Elysian Space Navy

Only thirty-five percent of personnel were equipped with fit Havenite skinsuits.

Ships acquisition[]

The ESN was built from captured Havenite ships, and consisted 11 warships and 7 transports:

Order of battle[]

Against the Shilo Force[]

Senior officer in space, second in command - Commodore Jesus Ramirez

The main unit used to overpower StateSec expedition was Charon Control - CO, Commander Susan Phillips. Admiral Harrington issued her orders during the operation from that place.

First evacuation flight[]

Captain Cynthia Gonsalves commanding:

  • ENS Sabine - CO, Captain Cynthia Gonsalves
  • five Longstop-class transports

Battle of Cerberus[]

See: Battle of Cerberus#Elysian Space Navy

Order of seniority in final stage of ENS organization - flag officers and senior ship commanders:

  1. Admiral Honor Harrington,
  2. Commodore Jesus Ramirez,
  3. Captain (SG) Alistair McKeon,
  4. Captain Harriet Benson,
  5. Commander Solomon Marchant.

Operational history[]

Capture of StateSec Shilo Force[]

The Shilo Force was planned to load and transfer prisoners from Hades for forced fortification labor there. On October 12, 1913 PD, the StateSec expedition entered parking orbit at Hades for that purpose. The convoy was ordered by Charon Control to lower its impeller wedges and sidewalls. When the demand for surrender was transmitted, the commander of PNS Attila attempted to respond and the ship was destroyed by the orbital defenses. The explosion resulted in the near total destruction of two other warships - PNS Hachiman and PNS Seahorse. The rest of the convoy remained spaceworthy[3].

Battle of Cerberus[]

See: Battle of Cerberus

Evacuation of prisoners[]

See: Allied Forces in the Cerberus System

1913 PD:

  • Sep 22 - three evacuation lists were started to complete by the ground branch[4]
  • Oct 14 - the first evacuation flight departed from the Cerberus System[5] - three days after the ships of the Shilo Force were captured
  • Oct 24 - Battle of Cerberus - two more transport ships were seized[6]
  • Nov 24 - main forces of the Elysian Space Navy arrived in the Trevor's Star System[7] with over 106000 people
  • Dec 3 - first evacuation flight - expected arrival date to Trevor's Star[8] with over 286000 people


  1. They earlier captured by force the StateSec planetary headquarters and system defence control.
  2. Grayson bought all prizes and recruited its non-allied personnel.
  3. 5 battlecruisers, 3 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and 5 military transports
  4. Three weeks before the Shilo Force arrival.
  5. 10 days before the Battle of Cerberus. (HH8)
  6. 2 years and 1 day from the disaster in the Adler Stystem. (HH8)
  7. 24 days shiptime were equal to 30 dirtside days, plus at least one day for upload of passengers. (HH8, HH9)
  8. 50 base days.