Commissioned in 2681 shortly after the defeat of the initial Nephilim invasion by the crew of the TCS Midway, the Cerberus was the first of the new line of Hades class strike cruisers.

Its maiden voyage consisted of a secret ops mission through the sectors surrounding Sol. Nephilim invaders had been spotted, and the top pilots from the TCS Midway were transferred temporarily to the Cerberus to combat them. The Cerberus moved from system to system, warding off the incoming Nephilim hordes, making their way to a new wormhole and pushing the invaders back once again. Unlike the Nephilim conflict in the Kilrathi sector, however, the Midway pilots aboard the Cerberus were able to keep this new wormhole intact, providing Confed with direct passage to Nephilim space.