Helldivers II - TV Tropes

The Terminids represent everything Super Earth stands against. Their rampant expansionism, fascistic society, and utter lack of self-awareness or independent thought make them incompatible with Democracy on the molecular level. It is also on the molecular level that Super Earth's Ministry of Science discovered that they produce Element-710, a substance that fuels FTL travel. Following the First Galactic War, the Bugs of Kepler Prime were peacefully herded onto E-710 farms where Class B Super Earth farmers would do their patriotic duty and convert Bug corpses into the backbone of the democratic fleet. In their wisdom, the Super Earth government even approved growth-additives and mutations to better allow the Terminids to suit Super Earth's (fueling) needs. Despite the harmonious and symbiotic relationship that was fostered between the two races, the bugs would repeatedly breach containment and cause havoc on the Eastern galactic fringe. The Helldivers' daring exploits on the Terminid front are recorded here.

The Terminid Control System

The early weeks of the war against the Terminids focused mostly on preventing the Bugs from making any advancement towards Super Earth and its controlled territories, beginning with the recapture of a staging ground on the planets of Heeth and Angel's Venture in the Orion Sector. Once Super Earth began to gloriously go on the offensive, however, no Terminid could stand in her path, with the Draco and Mirin sectors swiftly losing ground to the march of Helldiver boots. The most vicious fighting was carried out over the planets of Hellmire and Estanu in particular. Though Super Earth's legions could not be matched upon the battlefield, Bug resistance prevented Helldivers from penetrating as deep into the quarantine zone as High Command would have hoped.

Thankfully, Super Earth's top scientists had found a solution. To keep the Terminid threat at bay, the Terminid Control System ("TCS") was deployed on the barrier planets of Fenrir III, Erata Prime, Meridia, and Turing. These towers would democratically dispense termicide throughout the planet to quarantine the bugs, and allow the brave Helldivers to focus their attention back toward the bot front. In short order, the Helldivers succeeded in activating the TCS, eradicating 99.6% of the alien menace in the affected sectors. Despite this victory, veterans would later report sightings of new Terminid breeds capable of flight following the activation of the TCS. Some cowardly voices believe the TCS itself created mutations in the surviving bug population. This is, of course, dissident propaganda, and any doubts about the efficacy of the TCS should be reported to your local Democracy Officer.

Resource Replenishment - Operations Prime Liberation and Hell-Draco

With Super Earth's core worlds shielded behind the TCS, High Command issued orders for Operation Prime Liberation, an ambitious plan to liberate several worlds in the Mirin and Draco Sectors in order to cull excess Terminid populations and reestablish vital production centers for the all-important Element-710. Despite the Helldivers' valiant efforts, confusion and divided priorities resulted in the failure to capture all the objective planets, leading Super Earth's government to temporarily restrict reproductive privileges nationwide in anticipation of the projected E-710 shortfall. A subsequent follow-up operation, Hell-Draco, was successful in protecting civilian Biomass Collection Teams on the liberated worlds as they harvested raw E-710 for offworld processing, somewhat alleviating the situation and allowing High Command to safely shift its priorities to the upcoming Operation Swift Disassembly on the Automaton Front.

New E-710 Farms

By early April of 2184, the Galactic War had been won in all but name. The Automatons had been smote upon the dunes of Durgen where they made their last stand, and the TCS was preventing the Terminids from making any further advancement towards Super Earth's territories. But High Command cautioned the Helldivers not to hang up their capes just yet, as there was still yet more work to be done for the glory of Super Earth regarding the Terminids. High Command unveiled its plans to construct safer, more efficient and more humane E-710 farms on the planets Estanu, Crimsica and Hellmire to further sustain Super Earth's economy and help recoup material losses from the Automaton front, giving the order to liberate said three planets from Terminid control.

Easily, the Helldivers completed their order. SEAF expeditionary forces would soon establish more advanced E-710 farms and procedures (including Terminid growth-additives) to increase E-710 and human-resource production. As a reward, C-01 procreation permits were reintroduced. Thankfully, this objective was completed just as the Automatons unveiled their main battle fleet and launched their gigantic Reclamation offensive, meaning Super Earth was able to secure stable resource production for the impending ferocious battles to come with the Bot legions.

Bug Resistance

Strangely (and due to circumstances completely beyond Super Earth's control), the Terminids were able to easily breach containment once again on numerous farms across the newly-liberated Quarantine Zone worlds, forcing the Helldivers to once again liberate several planets from Terminid control and reestablish E-710 production in the region so more attention could be given to the rapidly heating-up Automaton front. Due to brutal ongoing combat operations against the Bots which required greater attention from the Helldiver fleet, the defenses of several planets, including Hellmire once more, were lost, and Helldiver retaliation in the area was slow to come.

And yet when it did come, it came with a vengeance.

Operation Harvest

With the Hydra, Lacaille, and Andromeda Sectors secured against further Automaton incursions by the newly-established Menkent Line in mid-April 2184, Super Earth High Command felt the time was right to redeploy the Helldivers' main efforts to the Terminid front. Unlike previous efforts which had targeted specific worlds, this would be a pure population-culling exercise, with the Helldivers being given a target to kill a minimum of 2 billion Bugs across all accessible Bug-infested worlds to replenish E-710 stocks for a planned counteroffensive into Automaton-occupied space. In its infinite wisdom, High Command allotted a generous 6 days to complete the Major Order. However, to say that the Helldivers made short work of this objective would be something of an understatement. In just over 12 hours since the declaration of the Major Order, the seemingly impossible quota was met with extreme prejudice. Truly, freedom never sleeps for the mighty Helldiver corps^note .

As a great patriot once said, "The only good bug is a dead bug". These words rang true across the galaxy on April 18, 2184.

The Meridia Crisis

• The Umlaut Disaster

With Operation Legitimate Undertaking underway against the Automatons and the Helldiver Corps' attention largely focused towards that front, other Helldivers continued to push back against the Terminids, repelling several Insectoid attacks against Oshaune and Estanu whilst beginning attacks on Omicron, a planet that Helldivers had attempted to liberate earlier in the War, but failed and were pushed back into the Mirin and Draco Sectors. This time, however, the Second Battle of Omicron was progressing well in Super Earth's favor, and by April 29th it is just about liberated fully. Helldivers were pleased with the progress they were making, despite the fact that Arthropod-occupied Hellmire continued to stood firm against Helldiver attacks. However, the near-liberation of Omicron only served as the calm before the storm, because something absolutely beyond prediction happened at the same day.

The Terminid Control System was an array of complexes across the planets of the Umlaut Sector such as Erata Prime, Fenrir III, Turing and Meridia that functioned to distribute into the atmosphere Termicide, a chemical designed to kill Terminids. It was installed onto these planets by the Helldivers in early March to serve as an impenetrable wall for the Bugs to not be able to stray too close to Super Earth. For almost two months, this system worked wonderfully, despite treasonous "concerns" (read: Dissident propaganda) that the Termicide would backfire and in fact mutate the Terminids in unpredictable ways instead of culling their population.

Then suddenly, without warning or prior indication that anything was off, the TCS failed, and catastrophically so. Instead of culling their population, the Termicide instead massively boosted the Arthropods' reproductive cycle, causing Terminid populations in all planets in which the TCS is active to absolutely explode. Within a matter of minutes, the Umlaut Sector was almost completely overrun by the Terminids with the notable example of Meridia, which was fully and irrecoverably occupied and became a planet-wide supercolony, cutting the whole of the rest of the Terminid Front off in addition to Crimsica becoming assailed by Insectoids once more. SEAF High Command responded by putting Operation Legitimate Undertaking on indefinite hold and ordering all Helldivers to scramble to the Umlaut Sector immediately in order to keep order, to salvage anything they could and to deactivate the failed Terminid Control System before it causes even more mutations.

Fortunately, Operation Umlaut Firebreak was successful, preventing the three barrier planets from spreading their contamination for the time being. Despite this, Super Earth's (recently replaced) scientists not only determined the Meridia Supercolony to be as infested with bugs as Kepler Prime itself, but feared that it would now develop new varieties of mutant Terminids. Until further notice, Super Earth high command would have to cease Helldiver deployment on Meridia, deeming conventional operations ineffective. As returning Helldivers climbed into their cryo-pods for reassignment, their thoughts would surely wander to the threat a new Terminid homeworld would pose so close to Super Earth itself.

• The Spread of Infection

Not long after the Helldivers abandoned Meridia, its neighboring planets reported massive Terminid outbreaks, hypothesized to be from the much greater numbers of Terminid spores now being produced on Meridia. These included the Orion Sector worlds of Heeth, Angel's Venture and Veld as well as Acamar IV in the Jin Xi Sector. Knowing that all they could do at this point was beat back the encroaching bug threat while the Ministry of Science patriotically worked on a solution to the Meridia question, High Command gave the order to liberate these four worlds from Terminid control over the course of the next week (Pandion XXIV also suffered a large Terminid outbreak, but was not included in the Major Order, resulting in it quickly falling under bug control). Ultimately, the order was left incomplete with the failure to liberate Acamar IV in time. While the Helldivers took solace in having reclaimed the entire Orion Sector from Terminid tyranny, increasing the buffer zone nearly to a pre-TCS level, it was clear that bug containment wouldn't be as simple an endeavor as it was before.

Operation Enduring Peace

• Phase I: Forge a Path

Super Earth's top scientists (no, not the ones that made the Termicide) had found a solution to the blemish on Democracy's honor that was the Meridia Supercolony. In order to eliminate the threat posed by the bug menace once and for all, Super Earth approved the use of an extremely volatile, highly classified, and very democratic weapon—Dark Fluid. Peacefully requisitioned from the tentacles of the Illuminate invaders from the First Galactic War, the Dark Fluid would bring a permanent end to Terminid occupation via the controlled detonation and creation of a black hole on the infected planet. Though dissenters questioned the efficacy of a weapon made by aliens, it's utility was proven when twelve scientific minds were lightly spaghettified during an incident at a Ministry of Science base on Moradesh. With it's freedom-spreading potential proven, production of the exotic material raced forward. To accommodate this bold and heroic plan, the Helldivers were directed to create a staging ground to Meridia through the liberation of the planets of Fenrir III, Angel's Venture, and Turing. All other territorial losses were considered acceptable given the severity of the situation. With the very dignity and respectability of Super Earth at stake, the Helldivers mobilized quickly to Illuminate the torch of Democracy toward the savage galactic fringe.

Easily, the Helldivers carved a righteous path toward Meridia, suffering no expected territorial losses in the process. With no time to spare, High Command enacted the second and final phase of what would go down in history as the turning point of the Second Galactic War.

• Phase II: Destroy Meridia

The time had come. As the Helldivers landed on what was once the verdant jungles of Meridia, they saw only a wasteland of bug hives and fascist sympathizers. They needed no instruction, but High Command nonetheless relayed their assignment: the total annihilation of Meridia through the use of Dark Fluid. For the weapon to take effect, sufficient payloads of Dark Fluid would need to be deployed across the entire planet in order to accrue and supercondense into a controlled planetary implosion. However, the Helldivers were on a tight schedule. Dark Fluid production was rapid, but unsustainable. Even with optimized sleep and safety protocols enacted, weaponization of the superweapon would only last a few days. Eager to take their vengeance upon the sworn enemy of Managed Democracy, the Helldivers did what they do best—spread freedom.

Helldivers returned to Meridia to find it an inhospitable wasteland compared to previous altercations on the planet, the Terminids having forcefully transformed it into a spore-clogged simulacrum of their homeworld Kepler Prime. While high numbers of casualties were to be expected from such a dangerous operation, the truly unprecented swarms of bugs crawling across the planet's surface made any military actions on the ground become sisyphean. Reports began incoming of Terminids deliberately targeting and destroying Dark Fluid injectors (definitely false and treasonous information; Terminids are incapable of focusing on objectives) and flocks of Shriekers so large and aggressive that they made extracting nigh-impossible. Some early reports from surviving Helldivers claimed that the bugs were surfacing right below the injectors, but later intel discounted such reports as the ravings of shellshocked and/or traitorous soldiers^note . Nevertheless, even while millions of their comrades were giving their lives under such conditions, the Helldivers pressed onward with the mission in the name of Democracy.

Finally, on June 2, 2184, the Helldivers' victory would irrevocably change the course of the war. With enough Dark Fluid injected into Meridia's crust, the entire planet collapsed into a supermassive black hole. Unable to escape the gravity of justice, neither the mutated Terminids nor their perfidious cries for mercy would spread across the barrier planets. Meanwhile, on Super Earth, Observers watched in glee as spontaneous celebrations took place across the galaxy. Those brave scientists who participated in "The Moradesh Project" were awarded the Super Citizenship Medal of Freedom, and hailed as heroes for creating such an effective and safe tool of liberation. Though all remaining Dark Fluid stores were depleted in Operation Enduring Peace, Super Earth servicemen and Council Members alike joked that they would have liked deploying it on other troublesome planets such as Hellmire and Menkent. Nonetheless, Terminid containment once again became possible, allowing for responsible E-710 harvesting to continue and for the Helldivers to refocus their attention toward the encroaching Automaton front. It was a glorious day for Democracy, one that Super Citizens would remember for all time for tipping the Great War on Tyranny in Super Earth's favor, and having no lasting consequences other than permanent victory.

...Or so they thought… (see The Illuminate Front below)

Nuking Nurseries

Though the Helldivers celebrated the creation of the Meridian Black Hole^note , Terminid spread in the Mirin and Draco Sectors remained unmanageable. In particular, subterranean nurseries would create safe havens for Terminids to reproduce in terrifying and C-01-noncomplaint ways. This presented a major problem. If the bugs were left unchecked, how would patriotic citizens settle the cosmos with above-average mutilation-rates? Luckily, Super Earth's top scientists had found a solution. Using leftover tectonic drilling equipment from Operation Enduring Peace, the Helldivers would refit the earth-boring device with patriot-grade nuclear warheads. In an act surely inspired by their child-rescue activities in the recent Operation Trolley Problem, the Helldivers would then activate the device and instantly liquefy the infant monsters before they could grow up and spread their tyranny. Eager to kill the pint-sized terrors, the Helldivers got to work, creating irradiated craters throughout the Galactic East. On return, some Helldivers would report hearing eerily active and angry bug noises from what Super Destroyer scanners assured were lifeless demolition sites. The Ministry of Truth has reassured us these are the insane ramblings of stim-abusing veterans. In the end, Terminid population levels were sufficiently culled, allowing for our Super Citizens to resettle the galactic frontier, and teaching the bugs (that is, if they can even think) a lesson in messing with Super Earth's finest.

Operation Jin Xi-Falstaff Lockdown

As part of ongoing galaxy-wide operations in the summer of 2184 to secure contested space from the enemy, a bulletin was once again issued by the Ministry of Expansion to claim a large swath of territory lost to the Terminids. In an entirely uncoordinated effort that analysts asserted was no kind of retaliatory push brought about by the recent nuclear destruction of Terminid nurseries by Helldiver forces, the bugs had claimed much of the Falstaff and Jin Xi Sectors while Helldiver attention was focused elsewhere. The order came fast and was to the point; clear both sectors of bugs by liberating Erson Sands, Bore Rock, Pandion-XXIV, Phact Bay and Acamar IV. Quickly after this objective was established, the Terminids began once again attempting to bring both sectors into their disgusting chitinous limbs with a hail of attacks on planets across the sectors simultaneously. Worse yet, as the week progressed, more Terminid outbreaks appeared in the Jin Xi sector, theorized to be the result of heavy spore seeding before the bugs could be annihilated from adjacent worlds, further tying up supply lines and allowing them to launch even more attacks on the brave but unsuspecting settlers of Super Earth's rightful colonies. Thankfully, the Helldivers were successful in maintaining the unspoiled beauty of the galactic frontier for future settlement. Despite the mindless tyranny of the Terminid horde, their well-coordinated sabotage of the target planets near the end of the Operation would not stop Super Earth from bringing the light of Democracy to new star systems.

The Terminid Research Initiative

• Part I: Controlled Duress

Wishing to better understand the Terminid menace and prevent any more wartime developments from going unaddressed, the Super Earth Ministry of Science approved the Terminid Research Initiative—a coordinated research effort with the Helldivers to determine how Terminids would react under controlled duress. Based on the known phenomenon of Terminids evolving more rapidly when given environmental stressors, the Ministry encouraged the Helldivers to kill 100,000,000 bugs in creative ways. In the wake of multiple repeatedly failed "mass slaughter" Major Orders on both fronts, the SEAF intended to approve a research period of three days for this already heavily scaled-back quota—and grant the Helldivers a free stratagem each day to determine its psychological effects on the bugs—but the Helldivers' sheer enthusiasm to unleash Democracy resulted in the order being completed in less than 8 hours. Despite this development, the Ministry of Science did learn new biological facts about the Terminids. Namely, Terminids produce higher quality E-710 when under extreme duress. With this information, the SEAF's approach to E-710 harvesting would be altered to improve Super Earth's logistical capabilities. The Ministry's xenobiologists also discovered that the Terminids had begun to produce new, skyscraper-sized spore towers—a behavior not seen before. This development was determined to pose no immediate threat to Super Earth's interests, though it will still be closely monitored.

• Part II: Operation Glorious Xenocide

With morale high following both the rapid success of the first TRI venture, as well as a multi-Order winning streak across both fronts, High Command once again approved experimentation in the infested Terminid Front. This time, a far heartier bounty of 1,000,000,000 bugs was licensed for controlled extermination. Given the much larger quota, it was expected that the Helldivers would actually remember their research objective of determining novel Terminid behavioral responses with varying sensatory inputs, and as such take advantage of the supplemental weapons approved for deployment. It was on the final day of the operation that the Major Order was completed, allowing for the twin lights of liberty and super science to shine brilliantly. Regrettably, it was found that no particular method of execution produced E-710 more efficiently than any other—a development that was to be expected, but was not particularly novel. More interestingly, it was found that Terminid mutations became less prevalent among cohorts closer to Super Earth itself. Did this mean there was a physical source to the bugs' mutations? Were new, more terrifying species of Terminid brewing deeper in enemy space? No, of course! This simply meant the bugs were mollified by the light of Managed Democracy and that Super Earth's cause was just. While research efforts, though redundant, would continue, the Helldivers knew in their heart that no new variants of Terminids would suddenly appear.

Operation Benevolent Sanitation

New variants of Terminids suddenly appeared. From a SEAF base on Socorro III, distress calls claimed Super Earth territories were being overrun by Terminid breeds that resembled the vicious Impalers from the First Galactic War; only now, they were hugely overgrown and had more tentacles than ever. Furthermore, some soldiers reported sightings of miniature bug larvae that looked suspiciously like the Hive Lords long thought to be extinct. Super Congress has rejected these claims as shell shock and embellished requests for funding from a sub-standard training cohort. Despite the unreliable nature of eyewitness coverage, however, sightings of a growing interstellar phenomenon were able to corroborate some of these reports. Around Socorro III, an unusually large and dense cloud of Terminid spores brewed—its presence being suspected to be the cause of increased Terminid mutation and spread in the sector. Having never before seen such a cosmic event, High Command in its endless generosity approved Helldiver deployment in the area to assist in killing these non-existent bugs through both the culling of 500 million on Socorro III itself, and the simultaneous liberations of Esker and Bore Rock in order to stage a new quarantine zone. These efforts coincided with an increase in Helldiver operations and a general intensification of Super Earth's glorious war effort—an Escalation of Freedom, if you will.

Despite brief concerns that Helldivers had wound up liberating Socorro III so quickly that they would become unable to fulfill the actual kill quota on the planet, further attempts at Terminid incursions on the planet would provide just enough dead bugs for the Corps to stagger over the finish line. In the face of the many dozens of worlds still lost to the Terminid menace and troubling reports about spore clouds in deep space—nicknamed, The Gloom—the beginnings of a new defensive line could be erected while the Ministry of Science worked tirelessly to devise an alternative to the TCS.

Operation Prometheus

Despite Super Earth's impeccable and peerless engineering talents, all radio contact with probes and vessels would immediately fail upon entering The Gloom. Denied the vast security measures and intelligence gathering tools that define the lives of Super Earth's free citizens, the Ministry of Science could only assume the Terminids were secretly developing more terrible ways to spread their villainy. Absent a means to directly supervise the movements of the enemy, High Command instead directed the SEAF to gather intelligence through a different avenue—samples. In an effort to investigate the long-term effects and behavioral patterns of the Terminids on Gloom-infected planets, the Helldivers were ordered to collect a whopping 45 million common samples on Nivel 43, 15 million rare samples on Erson Sands, and 10 million rare samples on Crimsica. By collecting sufficient organic matter from the afflicted zones, High Command hoped to both gain a better understanding of the enemy, and raise more funds for Super Destroyer fleet upgrades. Though many Helldivers were shocked at how great the quota was for a mere four-day Order, Super Earth's finest nonetheless mobilized to collect those delicious samples^note .

However, in less than a day, this Order came to an ignominious close. In what can only be assumed was an effort to hoard these samples for an undemocratic and non-edible purpose, a large number of counterfeit samples were submitted to the Ministry of Science by a conspiracy of dishonest Helldivers. Forced to identify the millions of false submissions, Super Earth laboratories across the galaxy had to divert their attention from researching The Gloom, further sowing confusion across the Federation and slowing the scientific war effort. This even had the secondary effect of allowing planetary resettlement protocols to be approved prematurely, putting more citizens in danger. At the very least, Helldivers who were honest and upstanding in their service were still granted the Major Order medal reward as per tradition. Any Helldivers who failed the Ministry of Truth's forthcoming audit and were found to have made false reports were to be given the other tradition—summary execution of their pet fish.

Operation Brute Force

By late August of 2184, the situation on the Terminid front was becoming dire. While efforts to contain The Gloom inside expressed Major Orders had been largely successful, the spore cloud as still rapidly expanding and hordes of bugs were still overtaking every planet in sight. The setback caused by the counterfeit samples (see above) was doing the Ministry of Science no favors in finding a solution. Thus, the order was given to stop the advancement of the fascist arthropods in their tracks to demonstrate that freedom will not be intimidated. The order comprised a three-pronged defense of border worlds in danger of being overrun^note , while simultaneously killing 750 million Terminids and— perhaps most crucially of all—5 million of the monstrous Bile Titans. This would send an ultimatum to the unintelligent hive mind of the Terminids that their spore-spreading tyranny would not stand.

In the end, human ingenuity and raw strength won. Obviously intimidated after a week of nonstop slaughter, The Gloom at last arrested its spread (though not without completely devouring the entirety of the L'Estrade Sector, the Mirin Sector, and Hellmire. Despite the fact the Terminid war front had been moved back to the buffer zone during the TCS initiative, Helldivers and Super Earth citizens nonetheless celebrated the undeniable truth that the might of humanity reigned supreme and that whatever questions the newly mutated Terminid spores presented could and would be answered with the same thing—overwhelming military force. In the meantime, the Ministry of Science would continue to investigate whatever new mutations and seditious behaviors were brewing behind the impenetrable cloud of spores. As all probes and satellites would fail immediately upon entering Terminid space, the Ministry approved cutting-edge upgrades to their surveillance technology, including the addition of aluminum foil insulation to the otherwise perfectly designed spacecrafts.

The Gloom Thickens

Finally, September 2184 had arrived. Less than two months before Liberty Day, Helldiver morale was high but stagnate after a string of successes but a crucial "failure" on the Automaton front. (High Command would report some hiccups in their Battlefield Systems OS around this time that caused interference in relaying out deep-space communications to Super Destroyers.) Proving that the enemies of Democracy do not rest even for a moment, a massive Terminid assault emerged from the still rapidly expanding Gloom targeting the recently lawfully settled Jin Xi sector. Knowing the lives of innumerable colonists—many of them babies—were once again in great danger, High Command ordered a steadfast defense of the remaining occupied planets within the sector. The Helldivers had their work cut out for them, as hordes of bugs were pouring into the sector from all sides. To supplement their efforts, and despite the failure to acquire sufficient scrap metal in "Operation Ecologic Immolation", the Helldivers were given temporary access to the Orbital Napalm Barrage stratagem, which immediately proved popular in bringing righteous terror to the bug menace. Indeed, some Super Destroyers even reported Helldivers requesting ordinance to be launched en masse simply for the pleasure of watching the fire spread.

Like most bug Major Orders, this operation was easily handled with ample time to spare and a veritable mountain of Terminid corpses racked up from failed incursion after failed incursion into the sector. Having suffered minimal territorial losses, the Ministry of Expansion approved resettlement of the Jin Xi sector colonies to maintain their Democratic investment. Families dutifully returned to their beautiful—if slightly scorched—homes with gratitude in their hearts and the knowledge that Freedom's defenders would always answer the call with overwhelming might.

Operation Critical Mass

As the Helldivers eagerly awaited an incoming shipment of fleet-wide arsenal upgrades, they were given another chance to prove both their commitment to the cause and their state-mandated love for all things lethal. Spurred into a mating frenzy by the Gloom, the Terminids' population growth was calculated to be approaching an exponential reproductive rate. Not to be deterred by the enemy's lack of self-control, the Ministry approved yet another population control exercise. This time, rather than targeting the monstrous Bile Titans or an overall kill count, the Helldivers were ordered to eliminate the medium-sized bug specimens that contribute the most toward hive growth patterns. Specifically, 45 million Bile Spewers and 100 million Warriors were ordered to be shown just what awaits those that don't fill out their C-01 permits.

Although the operational focus of this order was to punish Terminid freakiness, the Ministry of Defense noted a golden opportunity to expand Helldiver firepower before their long-awaited weapons upgrade. The remaining planets Mastia and Tarsh were discovered to contain factories that produce polystyrene—one of the most crucial ingredients in producing napalm. Clearly licking their wounds (or circuitry) after their failed invasion of Imber, these planets were left practically undefended. While not officially part of the Major Order, the Helldivers were alerted via communication relay (and not Major Order progress trackers) that liberation of the two planets would both free the entirety of the Maruspira Sector, and grant them permanent access to the much-loved Orbital Napalm Barrage stratagem. So what would it be? Would the Helldivers spill E-710 or oil?

While the entire history of Helldiver operations has been characterized by the interservice rivalry of the informal "Bugdivers" and other SEAF divisions, it was this operation that exacerbated this sentiment even further. Whether it was due to a patriotic fervor to kills bugs, or perhaps Helldiver military education not prioritizing reading strategic alerts, the majority of Helldivers had mobilized to the Galactic East, leaving only a few thousand divers in the Maruspira Sector. This development was despite the popularity the Orbital Napalm Barrage had during its limited deployment. Though many divers mourned what they believed was a lost cause in increasing fleet capabilities, the remaining regiment fought hard to free the polystyrene factories from Automaton use. Indeed, despite having limited numbers, Mastia was liberated with a mere day to go. By completely cutting off Tarsh, the planet's infrastructure soon crumbled and—for the first time in galactic history—showed a negative decay rate^note . Believing that Lady Liberty herself was providing divine intervention, deployment numbers on Tarsh skyrocketed, bringing hope that the Helldivers would bring fiery justice everywhere. And thus, in what could only be a meritorious miracle, Tarsh was liberated with only three hours to spare. Granted access to one of the largest stratagems yet, the Helldivers celebrated their newfound powers by setting fire to enemies everywhere, and returning their attention to the bug front.

While the Helldivers ultimately failed to contain the Terminids' orgy of oligarchy, many still considered themselves victorious by having organized the liberation of Maruspira. With the light of freedom and liquid explosives on their side, the Helldivers were ultimately content to have more firepower rather than adding another medal to their already extensive collection. Of course, however, this loss would have ramifications beyond the fleet. Projecting a deluge of Terminid outbreaks, Super Congress was forced to order evacuations for citizens on affected worlds, and increase general work hours by 14% for Class B citizens and below to stimulate the ailing war economy. Though many citizens would surely perish or go destitute by these austerity measures, it was a sacrifice Super Earth was willing to make.

Democratic Dakka

The humble machine gun and its derivatives are considered by many a Helldiver to be among the most versatile and elegant tools of Liberation. While those on the ground know this Freedom Fact intuitively through their two minute service periods, the top brass wished to confirm which among them was the most democratic through a Machine Gun Efficacy Review. The first machine gun to achieve 50 million Terminid kills^note  would be considered the victor, and its factory workers duly rewarded with a luxurious hour lunch break. Which would it be? Would the sleek and smooth M-105 "Stalwart" reign supreme? Perhaps the armor-shredding strength of the MG-206 "Heavy Machine Gun" would win? Or, maybe every Helldiver's first support weapon—the all-purpose MG-43 Machine Gun—would prove victorious? In the face of a massive bug invasion on Fenrir III, the Helldivers would have ample opportunity to cast their bullets for Freedom. And after a mere three days of lead raining in the Galactic East, the winner of the friendly competition was revealed to be the lovely MG-43 Machine Gun. As promised for being the first to achieve the never-altered bounty, MG-43 assembly workers were indeed rewarded with an hour lunch break. Then, in a further display of gratitude, they were given the incredible honor of having mandatory overtime hours approved so that all Helldivers could have free access to their favorite support weapon. While the runner-up Stalwart and Heavy Machine Gun stratagems may not have won, their honorable service in this Order demonstrated the unimpeachable and honest work every bullet contributes to the greater war effort.

Operation Bughammer

Following the signing of a multitrillion-Supercredit contract between the Ministry of Defense and Super Earth's most valued partner in the market—AM Defense—construction was at last approved for a sophisticated Multi-Factory Hub on Achernar Secundus. Having long stood as a bastion of capitalism and the glory of the military industrial super complex, AM Defense hoped to augment the Helldiver forces with new weaponry for the endless battles ahead. However, construction would be hampered by temperature readings indicating imminent Terminid attacks on adjacent planets. After all, the only thing Terminids seem to love more than eating Super Earth's hardworking farmers is to desecrate the free market and everything it stands for. Not to be deterred by the alien scum's lack of faith in trickle-down economics, the Helldivers stood ready to defend against forthcoming invasions in the Jin Xi and Sten Sectors.

But a mere day into this order, all Super Earth military directives were aborted in favor of a larger threat. One thought to have been extinguished long ago. See The Illuminate Front below.

Operation Wormhole Spaghetti

With the return of the Illuminate scourge to the galaxy, concerns regarding the mindlessly fascistic Terminids were considered a low priority for a time. However, soon enough mysterious new phenomena piqued the interest of the Ministry of Science; the Meridia Black Hole was exhibiting strange fluctuations in its event horizon and electromagnetic flares. Concerns began to rise that this was somehow connected with the Illuminate given that the singularity was created using Dark Fluid, a reappropriated Illuminate technology (see "The Meridia Crisis" and "Operation Enduring Peace"), even though this was obviously impossible. Super Earth's intelligentsia would absolutely never deploy completely untested technology that they barely understood the properties of. Nevertheless, a requisition was ordered for the Helldivers to clear Fenrir III and Erata Prime of being overrun with bugs so that a new Center of Science might be constructed to more closely examine the mysterious black hole phenomena, and hopefully prevent any further anomalous events from transpiring.

Compared to the devious trickery of an Illuminate invasion, Terminid fumigation proved to practically be a vacation for the mighty Helldivers. With plenty of time to spare, the target planets were liberated of fascism, and observation centers were handily established. Preliminary reports would confirm what was always suspected—the Meridian Singularity was actually a wormhole, connecting the Milky Way with another point in spacetime. While further investigations were needed to determine whether or not the singularity was always a portal, its connection to Illuminate activity became a subject of great scrutiny.

Operation Farsight Breach

2185 was already proving itself to be a tenuous year for the war against tyranny after only a few weeks. The Illuminate could attack anywhere in the southern sectors of the galaxy at any time, the Automatons had demonstrated their unwavering commitment to their despotic reign of terror with invasions of Gaellivare and Matar Bay and now worst of all, the Xenoentomology Center on Turing reported a high spike in Terminid spore outflow from The Gloom, endangering numerous nearby planets with the threat of being wholly consumed by new hordes of bugs. The Terminid outbreak risk level was subsequently set to "Very High", and the armed forces of Super Earth were given a clear edict to hold back this unforeseen surge in Terminid activity by successfully defending five planets from the bugs, a time-tested strategy that had always worked perfectly as intended. Meanwhile, two Terminid incursions onto Grand Errant and Pherkad Secundus brought the Terminid Front into the perviously untouched Farsight Sector. Though Helldivers fought valiantly to save every last citizen from bug incisors on both planets, Pherkad Secundus fell, bringing the protected planet Polaris Prime within reach of Terminid attack. To the west, the snowdrifts of Heeth were just barely overrun by a bug invasion, later prompting two simultaneous invasions of Cirrus and Angel's Venture stemming from the planet. Seeing the opportunity for a daring counterattack, High Command gently advised the Helldivers to assist in the swift reliberation of Heeth in order to simultaneously stop both invasions in their tracks. Eager to see this Major Order successful, the Helldivers dutifully deployed en masse to Angel's Venture. One may harbor suspicion that this was a tactical blunder that only resulted in a net material loss of ground, but any doubt of the strategic planning skills of Super Earth's military is undemocratic and should be reported to the nearest available Democracy Officer. Ultimately, Terminid containment was still deemed to have fallen within acceptable parameters at the order's completion (even with the completely necessary loss of three planets), and Helldivers across the galaxy were duly rewarded for their efforts in keeping humanity safe from bug tyranny. High Command noted in their post-operational briefing that the Helldivers had no choice but to sacrifice Cirrus rather than cut off the advance with a gambit, which would also bring the bug front a mere two sectors from Super Earth itself. Of course, this was all part of a masterful move to bring even more E-710 closer to home, evidencing the Helldivers' unshakable grasp on their teamwork and literacy skills.

Operation Prometheus 2: Electric Boogaloo

For months, The Gloom remained an unknowable and undemocratic force of nature—a hideous cloak of spores and mutagens that shrouds the Terminids' next act of heinous tyranny. Despite its continued occupation of Super Earth space presenting a military threat, however, the brave scientists at the Xenoentomology Center had apparently made a fortuitous discovery; one that would change the direction of humanity forever. Exposure to Gloom particulates was discovered to produce massively increased E-710 yields of up to ten times the standard Terminid juicing rate. Overwhelmed with possibilities for future research and trade expansion offered by a new source of energy, High Command ordered that Helldivers verify the results of the Ministry of Science through a massive requisition of samples on Gloom-adjacent worlds. That way, potential explorations into The Gloom and the development of Gloom-resistant technology could be given an accelerated development pipeline. By collecting 22,000,000 Common Samples from Erata Prime and 15,000,000 Rare Samples from Gacrux, as well as holding Fenrir III, the Ministry of Science would be well-prepared for future expeditionary actions. However, recalling the treasonous behavior demonstrated by former Helldivers in a similar Major Order, counterfeit detection technology was advanced in order to ensure the validity of each sample. With these measures, it was hoped not only that humanity's rightful expansion into the stars would continue unabated, but that it would be done honestly and without the unnecessary termination of pet fish throughout the Federation.

With ease, the Helldivers not only held the line on Fenrir, but rapidly collected the requisite samples with the unquestionable valor expected of the Corps. However—when the Major Order seemed to have been accomplished with an ample two days to spare—an unexpected development would derail the Gloom expedition. Across the Federation, unexpected gravitational waves and "wobbles" in planetary orbits were reported by Super Earth's numerous Astronomical Monitoring Stations. Jointly referred to by the Ministries of Science and Defense as "Spacetime Fluctuations," and duly tracked on Super Destroyer war tables, these anomalies were found to be correlated with Illuminate activity. Up to this point, Illuminate slave raids had been ongoing, leading to fears that the cephalopodic fiends were preparing for an even larger attack. However, until Super Earth could determine what exactly the Illuminate were planning—since, after all, their autocratic intentions remain shrouded in mystery—the Helldivers simply stood on high alert, eager to face whatever threat lay before them.

The First Gloom Expedition

• The Predator Strains

As Meridia continued on its path of destruction, Super Earth's top scientists (no, not the ones who devised the Dark Fluid campaign) were working on a solution to preventing the apocalypse. From the Center of Science on Fenrir III, the galaxy's top astrophysicists gathered to understand the Singularity and its relationship with Illuminate Dark Energy. Unfortunately, repeated Terminid attacks threatened their brave work—after all, how could scientists do science when they are being eaten? When the Helldivers made planetfall, expecting to perform their typical fumigation duties, however, a horrible discovery was made. Based on scattered reports (and body parts), it was believed that new, Gloom-empowered Terminid strains had breached containment. Called "Predator Strains," these terrifying cross-breeds of Stalkers and Hunters would haunt the battlefield with enhanced stealth, numbers, and intelligence. Over three days, the Helldivers were ordered to hold Fenrir III at all costs, all the while adjusting their tactics against an enemy evolved to resist their faultless ways.

Though many Helldivers were destroyed, delimbed, decapitated, and/or de-everything'd over the course of the operation, the Helldivers were successful in protecting the scientists in their thankless work; a fact exemplified by the oddly high enlistment rates on what to others appeared to be a hostile Death World. Indeed, when the Predator Strains appeared on Erata Prime due to spore contamination from Hellmire, the Helldivers proceeded in a "victory lap" by liberating the long-besieged planet from what they saw as a Worthy Opponent among Terminid strains. With this victory, the eggheads on Fenrir III were able to determine a shocking discovery: E-710 energy signatures matched those of Illuminate Dark Energy. The implications of this breakthrough were staggering both for alleviating the threat of the Meridian Singularity, but for the economy, and would assist in the start of a new turning point in the war.

• The First Expedition

In an unprecedented collaboration between the Ministries of Science, Expansion, and Defense, the first true expedition into The Gloom was approved for Helldiver deployment. Through the development of improved communication devices and spore filters, the Helldivers were allowed to make planetfall on Fori Prime—a star system on the very fringes of The Gloom and with relatively low spore density. Such an endeavor was approved not a moment too soon, since the scientists on Fenrir III had been burning through their allocated E-710 stores, threatening the Federation's research into stopping the Singularity. From this deployment, it was hoped that the SEAF would determine not only what fascist terror plots the Terminids were brewing in their fetid spore nebulae, but to harvest enhanced-strains of E-710 only possible through Gloom exposure. To succeed, the Helldivers were ordered to liberate the planet, gather 100 million Common Samples for research, and to liquefy 1 billion Terminids so Super Earth could re-capture its frontier world. Bravely, the Helldivers dropped feet-first into the unknown...

Within the Gloom, the Helldivers saw horrors never thought imaginable in a Democratic society. Not only had the Terminids completely infested Fori Prime's colonies, forcing the Helldivers to liberate the streets for the first time against the Bugs, but the planet was overrun by new strains of Spore Bursters—variants of lower-caste Terminids that would explode into deadly fumes upon death. It is within this new frontier that the Helldivers lived up to their name, re-exploring and settling what to others looked like the very jaw of Hell. By the end of the alloted time period, Helldiver operations had successfully scoured the surface of Fori Prime despite the adverse conditions, confirming the hypothesis that Gloom-saturated planets had a projected 436% greater yield than non-saturated planets. While an unexpected increase in Gloom density prevented any further operational attempts to reclaim Fori Prime for now, two highly important developments came from the success of this operation. The first was the Ministry of Expansion's decision to appoint a new Gloom Exploitation Commitee comprised of the Federation's top E-710 industrial manufacturing organizations to determine a method by which to better harvest E-710 from the Gloom. The second was that the cornucopia of E-710 harvested from the Gloom-ridden planet would allow for greatly accelerated research at Fenrir III's Center of Science. It was now only a matter of time before a method to stop the Meridian Singularity from its inexorable path toward Super Earth was devised.

The Penrose Energy Siphon

• Building the Rocket

Moradesh had been reduced to rubble floating in the depths of space, like Angel's Venture before it. How many more countless lives would the Illuminate and their black hole of autocracy claim before it could be stopped? For the sake of every man, woman and working-age child in the immediate pathway of the Meridian Singularity, an immediate solution needed to be devised. Attempts to raise a blockade around the Singularity had only achieved mixed results. Luckily, the tireless efforts of the researchers at the Center of Science had produced a highly scientific plan of action; a device called the Penrose Energy Siphon; a large rocket which would be launched into the gravitational field of the Singularity, then drawn back out with a large quantity of E-710 fuel, thereby draining a large quantity of Dark Energy from it and greatly slowing down its approach toward Super Earth. The Helldivers were ordered to hold several Terminid planets to allow for the Siphon's construction, with the bulletin that this was only the first phase of a larger operation to come. Unfortunately, the Terminids had other ideas.

In a move that lesser minds would consider, "coordination," or, "signs of intelligence," the Terminids simultaneously struck Achernar Scundus and Fenrir III—the latter of which became overrun with a resurgent Predator Strain. This not only crippled vehicle refueling efforts galaxy-wide, but forced many divers to reconsider their usually infallible hit-and-run tactics. Thankfully, and with considerable effort, both sites were reclaimed from the enemy, allowing the Helldivers to once more focus on creating staging grounds rather than going on the defensive. With a little more effort in the days to come, the staging ground was secured and the Siphon began to be assembled in orbit of Ivis, the next planet on the Meridian chopping block. It still needed a massive amount of E-710 to fuel it, and the projected timeframe of the Singularity's movement meant that Super Earth would likely only have one shot to use the Siphon to rescue Ivis from imminent destruction.

• Zero Hour

The accumulation of required E-710 to launch the Energy Siphon operation had been foiled due to a sudden spearhead from the Automaton Incineration Corps (see "The Fire and the Void" under Multiple Front Operations), leaving the primed rocket on Ivis still well away from being ready to launch as Meridia continued to move ever closer. This would be the absolute last chance to rescue Ivis for the time being using the Energy Siphon, so High Command issued an immediate order to rapidly accumulate enough E-710 for the task by liberating Bore Rock and Esker. Freed from the shackles of decision-making that had wrapped around them so many times in the past several months, the Helldivers mobilized with honor to save Ivis before it was too late and preserve the helpless inhabitants, who were already preparing their Class 1 citizens for evacuation. Fortunately, the Helldivers had a clear course of action before them: to secure a jump point to liberate Esker, they had to first reclaim Bore Rock, and so the full might of the Helldivers dropped first on Bore Rock, setting it free within twenty-four hours, and then it was Esker's turn. Thankfully, there were no further unpredicted surprises and both planets were liberated without incident. The Energy Siphon was launched shortly thereafter, and the operation was executed flawlessly, slowing down the movement of the Singularity and the accumulation of Dark Energy within it. Citizens of Ivis began expressing their utmost gratitude to the defenders of Democracy for sparing their home for the time being.

The Second Gloom Expedition

The threat that the Meridian Singularity now posed to Super Earth had been greatly reduced in large part due to the efforts of the Helldivers, but it still presented a large threat to several planets in its path. Regrettably, even though they had fought as valiantly as they could, the Helldivers could ultimately not save Ivis from the inexorable march of freedom's enemies, though they could take solace in the fact that countless more citizens were able to evacuate than would have otherwise.

Even in the face of this overwhelming destruction, they still had a job to do. The first expedition Super Earth has launched into The Gloom onto Fori Prime had provided a significant breakthrough in research regarding both the properties of Gloom-afflicted bugs, the Meridian Singularity and E-710 itself, meaning it was only a matter of time before a second excursion was greenlit by High Command. For the sake of heightened research, the millions of lives counting on their success, and the merchants who would no doubt stimulate Super Earth's beautiful economy via the trade of the excess E-710 harvested from the mission, the Helldivers were ordered to recapture the bordering Nivel 43 from the clutches of The Gloom. This would be no means be an easy task, as the thick fog of spores and deadly Terminid variants encountered on the planet have already proven them to be tenacious foes of democracy.

And yet, thanks to the fearless work of the Helldivers, Nivel 43 and its valuable scientific data were secured. Based on findings on the relationship between E-710 and Dark Energy, The Ministry of Science had found a solution to the looming presence of the Meridian Singularity. On Pilen V, Super Earth's latest and greatest scientific endeavor would be constructed—The Repulsive Field Generator. Through the use of captured Illuminate Dark Energy technology and massive E-710 stores, the Generator once constructed would reverse gravity and officially stop the wormhole in its path. Upon hearing the announcement of this glorious project, lesser minds began to question whether the use of alien technology to stop a threat to Super Earth would present unintended consequences. However, in an act of boundless mercy and patience, these fears were softly reproached, and the Center of Science announced that any unforeseeable risks had been mitigated, and that construction would begin soon...

Emergency Order: The Predator Strain Returns

...But before construction of the Repulsive Field Generator could begin, multi-planet landings of Predator Strain Terminids occurred on Gloom-adjacent planets within the hour of Super Earth's return from the second Gloom expedition. This move by the calculatingly mindless bug hordes baffled High Command strategists, who could not comprehend why such attacks would occur unprovoked. Putting out an alert to defend against at least 9 Terminid invasions, the Helldivers worked overtime to stop this senseless aggression and crush the mutant bugs beneath their boots. Luckily, and despite Super Earth losing millions in civilian lives and insurance liability payouts, the bugs were at last arrested, and minimal ground lost. Such an unforeseen and unprompted escalation in Terminid response was determined by Super Earth's finest xeno-epidemiologists to portend greater acts of war, as it was found that further propagation would allow more strains to appear randomly even on non-Gloom planets. The Helldivers would remain on high alert, ready for whenever the Predator Strains would appear again (that is, if they had the decency to uncloak before attacking).

The Automatons, with their inability to feel or express loyalty, are driven by their desire to free their Cyborg "parents" from Super Earth's loving embrace. Following Super Earth's victory in the First Galactic War, the Cyborgs were disarmed and given the chance to express their newfound fealty to Damsel Democracy by working in the mines of their former homeworld, Cyberstan. However, in secret, the Automatons were made outside the galaxy to prevent their full reeducation. Beginning with an invasion on the Western edges of the galactic map, the Automatons began a campaign of terror against Super Earth-controlled planets. Now, they bide their time kidnapping babies, killing voters, and spreading the sadistic, seditious socialism Managed Democracy simply cannot abide. The history of Helldiver operations on the Automaton front is recorded here.

The Fall of Malevelon Creek

In the early weeks of the galactic war, the Automaton-controlled planet in the Severin sector known as Malevelon Creek swiftly garnered a reputation amongst Helldivers everywhere as a fiercely territorial battleground, with the Bots fighting tooth and nail to maintain their baby-snatching grip over the planet's lush jungles. This period also gave rise to the "Creek Crawlers", an informal sub-group of Helldivers defined by their will to liberate the Creek. Millions of valiant Helldivers gave their lives ceaselessly attempting to liberate the planet from Bot control, but to no avail as the Bots' hold on the planet was simply too tight. Eventually, on Februrary 27, 2184, evacuations were made and the last remnants of the planet controlled by Super Earth were overtaken by the Automatons. This dealt a crippling blow to Helldiver morale, and fingers were pointed in all directions about how the battle was mismanaged.

Operation Swift Disassembly

After Automation transmissions were intercepted hinting at a "reclamation" and some kind of massive Automaton counterattack, a multi-stage military operation known as Swift Disassembly was put together by High Command to strike the Bots while the iron was hot.

• Phase I: Liberation of Ubanea and Tibit

The first stage of Swift Disassembly immediately hit a snag; the simple goal of asserting control over Ubanea and seizing Automaton production centers on Tibit was not being as focused upon as High Command had anticipated, with numerous Super Destroyers deployed on the Automation front still attempting nobly to retake Malevelon Creek despite its strategic unimportance. As such, the stage of the Major Order failed and the Automatons were able to relocate their production centers off of Tibit, allowing them to maintain their war effort.

• Phase II: The Return to Malevelon

At this stage of the operation, High Command took notice of the fragmentation between the "Creek Crawlers" seeking to restore Super Earth's pride and the other Helldiver legions attempting to follow their orders to the letter. Since factionalism and division are ANATHEMA TO THE IDEALS AND PRINCIPLES OF SUPER EARTH, High Command gave the order to reunite all Helldivers under a shared objective and retake Malevelon Creek once and for all. The Major Order was a resounding success, with Super Earth's forces dealing a critical blow to the Automaton forces stationed on the Creek and finally liberating the planet once and for all. April 3rd was subsequently declared Malevelon Creek Remembrance Day and commemorative capes marking the occasion were given out to all Helldivers in honor of their restored pride and cameraderie.

• Phase III: Severin Automaton Counteroffensive

Finally taking notice of their dire situation, the repulsive Automatons launched a major counteroffensive targeting Draupnir, Ubanea and once more Malevelon Creek. These pitiful counterrattacks were repelled with marginal casualties, despite the supposed deployment of new powerful Automaton war machines. Sightings of these have been dismissed by intelligence as nothing but rumormongering amongst scared Helldivers. Remember, Fear is UNDEMOCRATIC!

• Phase IV: Automaton Annihilation

With the Automatons failing to regain their lost ground and Swift Disassembly lagging slightly behind schedule due to the initial failure to liberate Tibit, High Command rolled out the final stage of the operation; nothing less than complete and utter extermination of the Automatons and liberation of the last three remaining worlds under their control. Though the ultimate stage of the plan was initially slow to gain momentum, the liberation of Maia provided a noticeable decrease in the Bots' reinforcement efficiency, leading Intelligence to hypothesize that they had relocated their Tibit production centers to Maia and the Helldivers had rediscovered them through a stroke of luck. With all the prior objectives of the operation fully achieved, both Maia and Tibit were swiftly liberated in lieu of newly-deployed and deadlier Automaton war machines (which High Command has always acknowledged the existence of), leaving the planet Durgen as the Automatons' last redoubt.

At last, on April 7, 2184, Durgen was liberated. With the Automaton threat thoroughly eradicated, Super Destroyer war tables throughout the galaxy showed an empty western front. Operation Swift Disassembly was a resounding success for Freedom and Managed Democracy. Left only with four Terminid-controlled sectors to deal with, the citizens of Super Earth would rest easy in their sufficiently-sized homes knowing that the Automatons would never be heard from again.

...Or so they thought…

The Reclamation

• Cyberstan Rises

Somehow, the Automatons returned. In a completely unforeseeable turn of events, it was revealed that the enemy forces previously dealt with were the mere vanguards to the greater Automaton legion. Over a few short hours, a fleet ten times larger than the Automatons' initial strength invaded the northern portions of the galactic map. This invasion rapidly swept across and overtook the entire Valdis sector and revealed the true intentions behind the Bots' mysterious "Reclamation": The reclamation of Cyberstan, the Automatons' ancestral homeworld and prison of the Cyborg menace from the First Galactic War. Helldivers across the galaxy entered a LIBCON-1 alert and scrambled to hastily and valiantly defend at least five planets from the encroaching onslaught of the Automaton armada in Operation Courageous Defense. Unfortunately, despite these heroic measures, the Helldivers' resources were simply stretched too thin across such a large area in need of defense and the unrelenting Automaton war machine was able to totally overrun the Lacaille Sector and establish a significant presence in the adjacent Andromeda and Hydra Sectors. Any Super Earth citizens who failed to evacuate are feared lost to the cruel whims of the uncaring machine menace.

• Courageous Defense versus the Red Flood

As the initial Automaton assault paused to consolidate its gains, High Command saw an opportunity for a counterattack. A subsequent Major Order was issued to liberate the recently lost worlds of Menkent (itself already beginning to earn a reputation as the "Hellmire of the West" for its similarly volatile ecology) and Lesath before the infernal machines could fully secure their defenses, hoping to use these worlds to anchor a series of orbital defenses known as the "Menkent Line" to protect Super Earth itself and the surrounding core worlds of the Federation from direct assault. After a few days of heated battle, the Helldivers managed to liberate both Menkent and Lesath while simultaneously withstanding a sneaky Bot counterattack on Menkent with inferior numbers, leaving only the objective of defending both planets while Super Earth's engineers got to work. Thanks to their valiant efforts, the Menkent Line was firmly established, creating a bulwark for Lady Liberty herself to shine throughout the galaxy. In addition, a SEAF forward command post on Vernen Wells was established, securing supply lines to nearby liberated worlds and fully cementing Super Earth's foothold against the Bot tide.

• The Battle of Marfark

Forced to divert their plans, the Automatons began to solely concentrate their efforts on preventing the liberation of the ice planet Marfark, unleashing a torrential attack like nothing seen yet in the war in an attempt to secure a flank of the Hydra Sector and presumably open an avenue of attack on the newly-established Vernen Wells command post. Reinforced with far larger numbers of imposing Factory Striders (their previous low-appearance rate suspected to be from a limited batch of prototype models), the Automatons were relentless in their siege against Freedom™ and the glory of Super Earth. Taking the Automatons' vicious assault into consideration, the Helldivers were forced to redeploy their forces away from liberating nearby Martale in an effort to contribute to victory at Marfark. The battle was hard-fought, but not even the full might of Automaton resistance could prevent the Helldivers' inevitable triumph and with Marfark's liberation, all direct lines to Super Earth's core worlds were secured against the machine menace.

• The Noose Tightens

By April 21st, it was becoming clear that exhaustion was beginning to set in for the Helldivers against the simultaneous endless assaults from the bugs and the un-tiring advancements from the Bots. High command's Major Order to successfully defend 10 planets was faltering, especially due to the failure of the "Martale Gambit", an attempted counterattack on Martale which would have also resulted in a successful defense of Charon Prime due to the only linked supply route to it coming from Martale. By the end of the day only one planet had been successfully defended and it was Estanu on the Terminid front. Meanwhile, the Automatons once again seized control of Marfark and smashed through the Menkent Line's defense to capture Lesath as well. With the entire Hydra Sector flanked, Super Earth's presence in the region seemed in dire danger of being wiped out, especially with a new assault on the Vernen Wells forward command post coming not long after. To make matters even worse, a critical long-range communications array on Vernen Wells was destroyed, rendering Liberation percentages and incoming war data miscalculated and unreliable. By the next day, Vernen Wells had been lost despite a valiant defense and the Automatons were still refusing to let up as they pushed even deeper into Super Earth territory.

And yet, against all odds, Operation Enduring Bulwark was a success. When all hope seemed lost, the Helldivers were able to defend their holdings on Varylia 5 and Ustotu, completing the Order with less than a day left as well as narrowly regain control of the Vernen Wells command post before it could be fully reinforced. Though the Menkent line was smashed, Helldivers nonetheless rejoiced following a week-long battle of attrition and reported infighting among dedicated "Bug" and "Bot" focused Helldiver forces regarding deployment priorities.

• Super Earth Strikes Back!...And Then It Doesn't

By late April, Super Earth High Command had grown tired of being constantly on the defensive from the Automatons' unfeeling and uncaring assault. Therefore, in their infinite wisdom, they conceptualized Operation Legitimate Undertaking, a multi-step plan to finally make a decisive strike against the Bots. The first stage of this plan involved the rescue of civilian researchers developing new weaponry on the worlds of Choohe and Penta, which at that point had become heavily garrisoned by Automaton legions. High Command knew that there would probably be only enough time to rescue civilians on just one planet, so they cautioned Helldivers to wisely choose which Stratagem they would rather add to their arsenal when deciding which planet to liberate first. The Helldivers ultimately chose liberating Penta first rather than Choohe, granting them access to the recently-developed (and extremely useful) RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher^note  once the planet had been freed from Bot clutches.

Unfortunately, Legitimate Undertaking would immediately be revealed to catastrophically coincide with the total failure of the Terminid Control System on the Terminid front (see "The Umlaut Disaster"), stopping the planned counteroffensive dead in its tracks and rendering all the ongoing sieges of Automaton-held planets to fail as all Helldivers' attention was directed towards the rapidly spreading Terminid supercolonies now with an unimpeded path towards Super Earth. The order to liberate Choohe perished miserably and the civilian lives on the planet were likely slaughtered to a man by the unfeeling Bots, severely impacting progress in the then-ongoing development of improved Anti-Tank mines. The fact that the Terminids made a resurgence just as Super Earth was about to strike against the Automatons has not gone unnoticed by intelligence, who began attempting to further investigate any possible evidence for Automaton and Terminid collaboration. In the meantime, Helldivers went to total war against the bugs and Legitimate Undertaking was shelved for the time being, with a small Helldiver retainer staying on the Automaton front to keep them from further advancing.

Operation Metallic Harvest

While the Helldivers were occupied with the failure of the Terminid Control System, the Automatons continued in their campaign of baby-snatching terror throughout the northwestern quadrant of the galaxy. In an effort to increase defensive weaponry development, production of the MD-17 Anti-Tank Mine stratagem was restarted locally (their previous developers on Choohe being unavailable, as they were democratically chosen to sacrifice their lives). However, due to Automaton occupation and the strain of war, Super Earth lacked the material resources to begin full manufacturing efforts. Recalling the completely legitimate and not-at-all inflated victory over the Terminids in Operation Harvest, High Command therefore decreed a similar bounty: the decommissioning of 2 billion Bots. If victorious, their scrap would go toward the production of the previously unavailable mines. Though eager to begin, the Helldivers were warned at the start of the order that Super Earth's contracted defense service, Battlefield Systems, had a software issue with their previous kill count. Though this obviously does not mean the original Operation Harvest was illegitimate in its victory, Helldivers were nonetheless cautioned not to expect the same 13-hour victory period they achieved before. After almost a week of fighting and even with highly-advanced statistical projections confidently asserting that the Helldivers would meet the quota in time, they had still fallen around 440,000,000 Bots short of success by the time the Major Order expired and as such Operation Metallic Harvest was declared a failure, further delaying development of the MD-17 Anti-Tank mines. High Command sternly reassured all Helldivers that the shortcomings of Operation Metallic Harvest were in no way influenced by the more accurate incoming data readings of kill statistics than in Operation Harvest.

The Varylia 5 Petafactory

After a string of defeats on both fronts, Helldiver morale was beginning to wane until the discovery by Surveillance Satellite "Security" of a staggeringly colossal Automaton "petafactory"^note  on the misty highland planet of Varylia 5. It was quickly determined that this enormous structure's only purpose was to mass-produce Automaton weapons of war and then deploy them immediately to the frontline, leading High Command to determine that its seizure by Helldiver forces would be of utmost cruciality to efforts on the Automaton front, citing that the petafactory's production could be re-oriented towards the deployment of the newly-developed EXO-49 "Emancipator" Exosuit. Helldivers quickly rallied around the planet en masse and while progress was being made on schedule to complete the order, High Command issued a bulletin after about a day of fighting that the Bots had taken notice of Super Earth's attempt to liberate their laborers from vile working conditions and had greatly increased their resistance efforts on the planet. Though the fighting was vicious, the goal of liberating only a single planet was barely a challenge for the Helldivers. Varylia 5 was liberated in time and the petafactory was hastily captured within an acceptable casualty range, allowing the EXO-49 to be immediately rolled out to all frontlines across the galaxy.

The Road to Wasat

Fresh off the heels of destroying Meridia, the Helldivers were feeling energized and morale was high, so High Command only felt it appropriate to test their skills with a daring Automaton counterattack. After a long string of defeats at the hands of the Automatons due to the SEAF being distracted with the Meridia Supercolony and Super Earth having been pushed all the way back to Curia (and thus only five planets stand between enemy lines and Super Earth itself) and Ustotu (and thus only three planets stand between enemy lines and Malevelon Creek), it is high time Super Earth truly strikes back. And this time, without the distraction so rudely offered by the Supercolony.

After analysts discovered a critical Automaton data center (nicknamed "Database One") deep within Automaton territory on the planet Wasat, it was immediately determined that the correct course of action would be a surgical strike into the Automaton lines with a frontal push to liberate the planet and seize the valuable enemy data while also regaining some lost territory. To accomplish this, the Helldivers were recommended that the shortest possible route to Wasat would be to first liberate Wezen and Vega Bay to gain access to the system. With only a few days to complete the assignment and the shadow of many recent failures on the Automaton front hanging over them, the Helldivers would have to work diligently and persistently to liberate Wasat of the Bot menace in time.

Despite Wasat having been rather far behind enemy lines and the SEAF having been forced to push through two other planets to even reach it, the Helldivers nonetheless punched through regardless, as if there was any doubt they can. The heroic struggles of the Helldivers had borne fruit, and Wasat was at last liberated with just a few hours to spare on the Major Order's deadline. The Major Order was a success despite internal friction between the Helldivers that chose to travel to the Ymir Sector to battle the Bots and the Helldivers who stubbornly remained on the Terminid Front to attack Crimsica and Estanu and the Automaton returning to Ustotu cutting the recently liberated Vega Bay, Wezen and Wasat off.

With Database One secured by the Helldiver Corps, Super Earth's finest cyberwarfare experts set to work on decoding everything the Automatons have been so desperately trying to keep hidden. Among the information found there included a massive Automaton plan to terraform Cyberstan and detailed recordings of the impact of the Meridia Supercolony. Also discovered were several other keywords without additional context, such as "Vessel 00", "Nucleus" and "The Final Collective". While not everything on Database One could be decrypted immediately, the situation was clear: The Automatons were planning something big and Cyberstan was involved. Therefore, the SEAF's overarching target for future operations against the Automatons would be Cyberstan.

Choices, Choices

As Super Earth's data specialists were occupied with decrypting the information from Database One, two alerts would test the Helldivers' coordination and unflappable moral character. Back on Vernen Wells, an emergency distress call was raised, revealing thousands of civilians were trapped in the occupied remains of Super Citizen Anne's Hospital For Very Sick Children. With the local SEAF Recruitment Facility unavailable—it's fall in no way the result of it being constructed on the front lines of an active warzone—the sickly children would soon die of either starvation or Automaton butchery without immediate aid. At the same time, intercepted communications identified a massive cache of raw explosives on Marfark—precisely the kind needed to (for the third time) jump start production on the long-delayed MD-17 Anti-Tank Mine Stratagem. To add insult to injury, those resources were determined to be the very same tools used by the developers on Choohe before their untimely and very willing demise. Despite receiving these urgent and disparate priorities, there would only be enough time to liberate just one planet before the other was lost. Valuing Democracy and freedom in military discretion, Operation Trolley Problem trusted the Helldivers with where they wished to deploy. What would they choose? Would the Helldivers save the orphans from the Automatons' baby-snatching grasp? Or, would producing the MD-17 Anti-Tank mines save more lives in the responsible, military-age hands of the SEAF? Only time would tell.

In the end, the Helldivers came to the conclusion that any advantage the MD-17 Anti-Tank mines could bring them would be worthless if it meant having to picture all those smiling children's faces buried under rubble every time they used them. They began valiantly deploying en masse to Vernen Wells to rescue the future of Managed Democracy, ripping through countless bot hordes to ensure the tykes' safety. Inevitably under the assault of so many legions burning with a hatred of any who would harm Super Earth's upcoming generation, Vernen Wells was liberated well within the expected time frame. Almost all of the children (4,311 to be exact) were saved from Automaton clutches and Helldivers immediately reoriented towards liberating Marfark in an attempt to still salvage the MD-17 Anti-Tank mine development, but as predicted there was too little time left. Even so, the wave of good feelings brought about by this rescue would not soon be forgotten and would surely inspire many children across Super Earth's colonies to one day become Helldivers themselves.

Operation Xzar Lockdown

Unsatisfied with keeping their socialism contained to the Galactic North, but obviously too scared to move further south toward Super Earth itself, the Automatons began to make incursions in the westernmost Xzar Sector of the galactic map—the very same territories held by the initial Bot vanguard at the start of the war. Not only would this present an unacceptable territorial loss to Super Earth, but it carried the terrifying possibility of the flag-forsaken Automatons defiling the Memorial of Malevelon Creek. Unwilling to see Super Earth's latest Liberty Heritage Site fall to their enemies, the Helldivers got to work defending the familiar planets of Mort, Ingmar, Pöpli IX, Mantes, and Draupnir from becoming socialist footholds once more. Thanks to careful strategic planning and deployment from Helldivers at large (including a daring and successful invasion of Mort to simultaneously fully liberate the sector and cut off vital supplies from an ongoing assault on Pöpli IX), the Xzar Sector was rescued from Automaton onslaught after onslaught over the course of the next several days as the bots furiously threw everything they had against the unbreakable bastion that is Democracy. Likely knowing that they could never break the Helldivers' resolve, the Automatons even resorted to the underhanded trickery typical of their race and constructed a new FTL supply line from Vandalon IV to Mantes to reinforce an invasion on the planet in an attempt to open up a new frontline from which to assault the Xzar Sector. Like all the others, this pitiful excuse for a pincer attack perished miserably in a few paltry hours. The major order would succeed with flying colors, namely the white, yellow and blue of Super Earth's flag waving proudly over the defended planets.

Operation Starslayer

Though the war against the Automatons seemed to make slow progress, an opportunity to shift the tides of battle presented itself. During the First Galactic War, an Abandoned Laboratory was left behind on the planet X-45 within the Ymir Sector; though buried following the responsible use of planet-wide nuclear weapons, it housed plans for an Interplanetary Battle Station. By the Summer of 2184, Super Earth determined the radiation had subsided to "completely safe" levels, allowing for safe retrieval of the plans and eventual construction of a new liberation-grade superweapon. However, the devious Automatons soon began to make incursions into the Ymir Sector; their movements clearly demonstrating a knowledge of the weapon plans, and a duplicitous infiltration of Super Earth's information network through cunning email scams. Threatening to both take the plans and cut-off SEAF Forces from the Ymir Sector, the Helldivers amassed on Aesir Pass to break the line and re-capture X-45 before the bots could deny Super Earth a new weapon of peace.

Remarkably, within a mere two days of a 6 days-long Major Order, the Helldivers had liberated X-45 and thus shifted their priorities to cutting the Automatons off from their supply lines through the Meissa Gambit—the liberation of neighboring Meissa and Vega Bay. Such tactical ingenuity gave Super Earth forensics ample time to investigate the lost laboratory. Preliminary excavations found that the lab was largely intact and even contained a functional weapons cache from the First Galactic War. Having secured the entire Ymir sector, the Helldivers would now have to hold it while the lab was being excavated—a task which suddenly became daunting when the Automatons launched a three-pronged counterattack, over a million bots strong. Not only were two assaults directed once more onto both of X-45's neighboring planets, but a surprise attack on Aesir Pass was also unleashed, threatening to ruin Super Earth's efforts to link up its liberated planets on the Automaton Front with the Ymir sector. While the Helldivers were able to valiantly defend Meissa, both Vega Bay and Aesir Pass were lost once again to the cold metallic jackboots of Automaton rule. With this development, High Command shifted their priorities; even if X-45 could not be held, it must be held until the excavation of the laboratory was completed, at any cost. To assist in this endeavor, the Helldivers were given free access to the MLS-4X "Commando" Rocket Launcher stratagem, which was successfully excavated from the lab (and seemingly modified for contemporary use). Happy to rain down rockets as the bots have for months, the Helldivers dove to the turgid swamps of X-45 to defend the lab and gather those plans.

Ultimately, in defiance of an overwhelming and cowardly Automaton ambush across the Ymir Sector, the SEAF was victorious in extracting the battle station schematics from X-45. Though many Helldivers died to bring us this information, it was still a glorious day for Democracy, as Super Earth would begin the long but potentially invaluable effort to construct a new peacekeeping weapon to confront the rapidly growing Automaton front. To rub salt on the Automatons' wounds (wiring?), Super Earth even chose to destroy the lab, leaving the bots with nothing but irradiated waste should the planet fall later. Now armed with a new cache of MLS-4X Rocket Launchers and the hope to see a flashy new battle station at their future disposal, the Helldivers got to work making their eventual push to Cyberstan.

The Ymir Encirclement

• Operation Andromeda

Though Super Earth had successfully recovered the battle station plans on X-45, it had been an extremely costly endeavor. Huge territorial losses had been suffered for the greater good, and the entire Ymir Sector was now surrounded by encroaching Automaton hordes. Taking note of this situation, High Command organized a daring strategic countermaneuver; the Automatons currently had their ranks spread thin across all their recently annexed territory, which opened a small window of opportunity to send them into disarray if they were cut into two fronts by a sudden frontal assault. Thus High Command's new orders were transmitted to all available Super Destroyers; the time had come to blaze a trail straight through the Andromeda Sector, linking the Ymir Sector up with Super Earth's supply lines once more and cleaving the bots' unified front in twain. The Helldivers would need to liberate four planets in a straight line^note  in order to link up with the Ymir Sector and for this offensive to be considered a success. By the end of the order, the righteous fist of Democracy had smashed through the Andromeda Sector, succeeding in re-establishing Super Earth's own support network while splitting Automaton occupation down the center. Cut off from Cyberstan, the remaining Automatons in the Ymir Sector would be unable to resupply or receive their treasonous directives from enemy communications. With their planetary defenses weakened, the Automatons would be at the mercy of the Helldivers so long as the SEAF barrier planets remained liberated.

• Operation Righteous Expunge

Eager to keep up the momentum of the Helldivers' virtuous campaign (and to prevent a certain regiment of well-meaning "Bugdivers" from being distracted on the Eastern Front), High Command wished to press the advantage from Operation Andromeda and liberate more planets before the Automatons could recover. Provided the newly established Democratic Defense line remained under Super Earth control, Automaton planetary defenses would be severely weakened and liberation rates would skyrocket. However, the SEAF recognized that either the loss of this line, or the failure to capitalize on this opportunity within a mere three days, would result in the bots re-connecting their forces and wasting the past month of progress. With only a short window of time, the Helldivers got to work liberating the planets Charon Prime, Charbal-VII, and Choepessa IV. On top of this, the SEAF calculated that further Automaton assaults were forthcoming. With utterly no time to spare, the Helldivers were ultimately victorious in maintaining the line and spilling oil across the red fields/acidic crags/mossy moors of the target planets. Through the last-minute liberation of Choepessa IV, the Automatons were forced to rout and abandon their occupation throughout much of the Andromeda Sector. SEAF surveyors were dismayed to see that long-term bot presence had stripped the lands of the resources that were Super Earth's democratically-mandated birthright, but were nonetheless proud that the Helldivers could strike simulated-fear into the tin hearts of the robot menace.

• Bot Entrenchment

The Second Galactic War had not looked so favorably upon Super Earth since Operation Swift Disassembly. The Automaton forces were cut in twain, and while they were frantically beginning to regroup their defenses and attempt to regain their lost ground, High Command would never permit that for long. Executing the next stage of this massive operation would require Helldivers to liberate five more planets within the Ymir and Trigon sectors^note  in order to further encircle the rapidly recuperating Automaton forces on the newly liberated western flank. However, Helldivers were forewarned— the bots had erected massive orbital cannons on these planets to target SEAF air forces, increasing the amount of time required for a Helldiver squad to extract from a mission. High Command also noted, though, that this was accompanied by a potential blessing in disguise—because the Automatons are mindless drones incapable of the perfect infrastructure management practiced by Super Earth, these orbital cannons were linked by such a network that liberating one planet would disable the cannons on all planets briefly, meaning the Helldivers stood a better chance of successfully completing their objective if they kept the pressure up. Furthermore, rapidly liberating two planets within 12 hours of each other would severely destabilize the cannon network, allowing for shorter extraction times for the rest of the Major Order.

Regrettably, full liberation across the five planets could not be achieved, with Wezen being the only planet not yet liberated, being at 55.1% liberation, by the time the Major Order expires. Breaking both the Helldivers' aerial superiority and their long winning streak. Despite Super Earth's major territorial gains and the widening defensive line started by Operation Andromeda, the bots were able to mass-produce their orbital cannons and deploy them to more planets in their domain—an anomalous fact given the inadequacy of their collectivist infrastructure, but a definitive increase in their defensive capabilities that would hamper further offensives in the region nonetheless. At least SEAF pilot shortages would no longer plague the Helldivers, as Pelican-1 training standards were dropped in the face of the mounting war effort.

Operation People's Shield

Though Operations Andromeda and Lighthouse were successful in eliminating bot occupation from the westernmost sectors of the galaxy, the Automatons created an even more immediate danger by mounting a brazen invasion of Super Earth's core systems. With the capture of Curia, the Automatons were closer than ever to Super Earth itself, threatening both ordinary citizens, and the high-classification citizens of the Developed Worlds. Such an affront could not stand. Returning their attention from the encroaching Terminid Gloom and the punitive reassignment of dishonorable Helldivers to Chemical Weapons duty (see "Operation Prometheus" above), Super Earth High Command was able to order the liberation of Curia and the defense of three planets from predicted Automaton invasions. It was hoped that completing this task would both restore the dignity of the Helldiver Corps, and prove their commitment to saving citizens of all stripes and social classes^note .

Because of the Automaton's diabolically socialistic lack of strategic thinking, a massive assault consisting of about 1.3 million units (numbers not seen since the Reclamation) was launched from Curia onto its neighboring planet of Tarsh. However, Curia was well on its way to liberation and the Helldivers knew that cutting off the Automaton attack force at the source was a proven strategy that would work, allowing them to kill two bots with one stone by liberating the planet. Curia was swiftly cleansed of the stench of collectvism and the Tarsh invasion fizzled out miserably. Clearly becoming desperate from the frequency of their repelled assaults, the Automatons even tried their old trick of constructing a new warp line from Vernen Wells to Tarsh, but the Helldivers had seen that trick before and maintained the defense of Curia. Meanwhile, the chemical weapons produced by the counterfeiters still proved invaluable to the success of this Major Order, and their dedication to Managed Democracy was determined to be sufficient enough clear their records and permit them to keep producing weapons for a righteous cause. A clear message was sent to whatever superintelligences run the Automaton collective after Curia was reclaimed—any attack that even approaches Super Earth's borders will be utterly annihilated.

Operation Ecologic Immolation

Contrary to popular belief, Super Earth is not only the champion of Democracy and Freedom. The people of the Federation are also proud to be stalwart defenders of the environment and nature—a fact exemplified by the Ministry of Defense's approval of the Orbital Napalm Barrage for Helldiver enjoyment. However, immediate deployment of the stratagem across Super Destroyer fleets was prevented by a wartime shortage of crucial high-tech resources. Most critically, polystyrene foam^note  and scrap metal were in short supply, wasting millions in taxpayer supercredits and citizen work hours to compensate. Thankfully, an economical and eco-friendly solution would present itself. On Vernen Wells, the Automatons were discovered to have tonnes of the wondertech material stored for use in their packaging and transport of enemy units to the front lines. Aghast at the Automatons' flagrant disregard for the environmental consequences of their thoughtless pollution, High Command ordered the re-capture of Vernen Wells and the decommissioning of 500 million bots to recycle the enemy's imperial war machine into Helldivers tools of righteous liberation.

Unfortunately, the Helldivers were only successful in liberating the Vernen Wells foam factory on time. By the time Helldivers were ordered to return their attention back to the Terminid front, only 80% of the bot quota was met—clear evidence of the enemy's cowardice and refusal to meet on the field of battle. With the Helldivers' recent MO winning streak broken, deployment of the Orbital Napalm Barrage would be shelved until supply chain issues were rectified. Such a development came as a severe blow to the morale of both infantry and leadership alike, with High Command itself seemingly refusing to even deign Super Destroyer communications with a proper briefing beyond the simple word of "Failure".^note 

Operation Titanium Belt

Until early September of 2184, the Talus Sector had been unspoiled by the galactic war and the perversions of Automaton collectivism. However, that changed with a large scale invasion of Imber and its surrounding planets through the reopening of previously destroyed FTL lines. Intercepted communications suspected the clankers were focused not only on territorial expansion, but the capture of large titanium deposits that would go on to the construction of an enhanced strike force. What those upgrades would entail was unknown^note  and ultimately irrelevant. With the depravity of the soulless, socialist menace proven in their endless hunger for resources, High Command gave the grave order to defend against six Automaton invasions and hold Imber at all costs, lest the titanium fall into the servos of the unworthy. Thankfully, the patriotic resolve to maintain the war economy led the Helldivers to annihilate every siege launched upon Imber and deter the Automatons with ease. While intelligence reports suggested that the bots were continuing to stage the construction of some kind of upcoming strike force, they would find themselves denied of critical resources for the undertaking and any operations they were planning were likely delayed by their hapless failure to defeat the agents of Democracy.

Operation Jetclipper

Though the twice-destroyed Jet Brigade no longer presented an immediate threat to Super Earth and her free subjects, the threat of their return remained an object of concern. Thankfully, despite the location of the Jet Brigade's production facilities still remaining unknown, decryption of the Matar Bay database revealed their staging ground lay somewhere in the Choohe system. In an effort to determine where their parent factories were based, a liberation campaign was thusly ordered as per tradition. Furthermore, in a redundancy effort to extract potential intel from the hard drives of the Jet Brigade's comrades, an additional bounty of 150 million bots was placed. Notably, the Helldivers began this order with the absolutely brilliant move to transfer the DSS to Choohe itself despite it being surrounded and thus completely invulnerable to Helldiver deployment. While the voting habits and tactical genius of the Helldiver Corps are above analysis, High Command was pleased to see that several weeks of DSS deployment had yet to diminish the independent spirit and freedom from thought Super Earth values of its soldiers. Unfortunately, due in part to time being wasted attempting to siege from the more entrenched planet of Chort Bay, the Choohe staging ground was not liberated in time, with any potential information it held surely being wiped after the week was up. While this came as a blow to the Helldivers' confidence, there was consolation in their retrieval of enemy hard drives as an avenue of information retrieval. Indeed, it would only take a trivial amount of time to interrogate all 89,601,000 memory drives and discover the root of Managed Democracy's third-most pernicious airborne enemy.

Meanwhile, High Command saw fit during this Major Order to notify the Helldivers that investigations into the Meridia Black Hole had been commenced and duly completed. As always believed by any rational citizen (and not those Cult Of The Orb fanatics), the singularity created by the Dark Fluid was found to be an ordinary black hole, devoid any known anomalies. Though such news was seemingly unprompted given the length of time since the Terminid Supercolony's destruction, it was welcome nonetheless as it reassured citizens across the Federation that there was absolutely nothing to fear. As the Ministry of Science has never erred before, humanity could rest easy in the knowledge that any further speculations on the black hole or its use by Super Earth's enemies were delusions and nothing more.

Implementation of the FREEDOM Act—Operation Liberty Shield

At long last, the year 2185 had arrived. Though the Illuminate scourge was still unable to gain a foothold in the parts of the galaxy they had once subjugated with a tyrannical fist, fear and doubt had begun to fester within the Super Citizen populace. They had no fear that the Helldivers would be able to shield them from any extraterrestrial threat, but simultaneously were paralyzed by the fear of the Illuminate invading their homes and turning their friends and loved ones into Voteless. Super Earth's leadership came to a quick resolution, and unanimously voted to put into place the Freedom & Readiness to Enable Effective Defense & Obstruction of Mind-influence Act of 2184 (FREEDOM), guaranteeing all Super Citizens the protection of the watchful eye of heavily increased government surveillance. This would simultaneously strengthen Super Earth's resilience against internal subterfuge while also providing a much-needed and definitely asked-for morale boost to its citizens. To implement this vast nationwide undertaking, Helldiver forces were ordered to clear Mastia of Automaton occupation for the construction of a new Centre for Citizen Surveillance and Security, simultaneously fulfilling a desire to push back the ever-advancing Automaton lines. Perhaps in their continuing and unearned arrogance, the Automatons believed that the Illuminate frontline reopening would divert Helldiver attention away from their diabolical socialist schemes. This would be a clear wake-up call to their legions that Freedom never sleeps, as Helldivers began to deploy to Mastia and Tarsh. Both planets were ultimately secured amidst heavy resistance, but the seeming victory was short-lived by yet another incursion of bot tyranny; whilst the majority of Helldivers were occupied upon Tarsh, they launched a large-scaled retaliatory invasion of nearby Gaellivare, also required to be clear for the center's construction. Thankfully, Helldiver forces were able to wrest Gaellivare back from Automaton control well before the order's expiration and before the bots could lay down any significant entrenchment on the planet.

At last, the CCSS was successfully constructed upon the dunes of Mastia. The newly-formed Unity Corps was apprehending thousands of dissidents, and citizens were practicing Patriotism Reinforcement Exercises to inoculate their minds against harmful foreign sedition and forming Neighborhood Watch & Constitution Study groups to better fortify their communities against any and all signs of dissent. A feeling of absolute safety and contentment had once again filled the hearts and minds of every Super Citizen thanks to the courageous efforts of the Helldivers.

Operation Keough Push

For some time, the Automaton Front appeared to be quieting, evidencing the bots' lack of fighting spirit, and their cowardly retreat when Super Earth was distracted by the Illuminate Invasion (and right when the Automatons were about to be completely destroyed, too). As such, High Command believed it to be an opportune moment to strike back at the heartless fiends. After rigorous interrogation of Automaton POWs, it was discovered that the Jet Brigade were being constructed in the sulfur-filled wastes of Chort Bay. With intelligence believing the enemy's elite units were already at least partially constructed, an emergency strike was ordered to smother the bots in the metaphorical crib—a prospect the Helldivers were incredibly eager to do.

Meanwhile, both the amateur and professional conspiracy theorists of Super Earth kept their watchful eyes on the continuing development of Spacetime Fluctuations on the Galactic Map. Not only was the fluctuation chart ever so slightly more erratic, but keen eyed viewers noted that the FTL lines on Meridia had been destroyed for the familiar worlds of Estanu and Crimsica. With the first year anniversary of the Second Galactic War (including prior special military operations) rapidly approaching, Ministry of Truth-approved mass speculation of the enemy's depravity ran rampant amongst Helldiver ranks. Later—when the transportation route to Turing also became unusable—Helldiver paranoia reached new heights, even inspiring some rather unproductive members of the Corps. to park their Super Destroyers by the wormhole to keep an eye on its undemocratic fluxing.

Though the Helldivers performed their duties rapidly, troopers who made landfall on Chort Bay noticed a conspicuous absence of Jet Brigade troopers on their supposed planet of origin. To ease the Helldivers' already alerted states of minds, the Ministry of Intelligence released an assurance that the planet did, indeed, house the target production facilities, and that the absence of elite troopers was due to the inability to rebuild their forces fast enough. Despite this, seasoned Helldivers with deployment times of more than six-minutes, couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was forthcoming. By the end, all Chort Bay production facilities had been destroyed, only to be followed by a surprise attack of Jet troopers on Menkent. Luckily, the Helldivers in a (legitimately this time!) show of intuition predicted their resurgence there, which they answered with a preemptive DSS blockade on the planet. Whether the Helldivers would continue with their protracted siege of Vernen Wells or if they would attack the Menkent strike force, no future citizen would doubt the Helldivers' natural-born warrior instincts.

Operation Shattered Skies

Though the immediate threat of the Jet Brigade had been once more beaten back into the depths of Automaton space after the liberation of Chort Bay, the Automaton legions were not so content as to simply wallow in their glorious defeat. An immediate counterattack was launched upon Lesath, clearly in an effort to encircle the millions of brave SEAF soldiers now stationed on Chort Bay. Employing the snap decision to bravely make a tactical retreat to better-fortified space, High Command ordered all available Helldivers to hold FTL lines to Chort Bay open until the planet could be evacuated, so that the strike against the Jet Brigade could be considered a truly complete operational success which had fallen within perfectly acceptable casualty parameters, and to maintain the tempo Super Earth had gained from their recent assault.

Thankfully, through the brilliant use of the DSS, the Helldivers were able to prevent the Automatons and their flying toasters from slaughtering the SEAF forward advance force. Even if the bots were attempting to set a trap for Super Earth—which the SEAF did not fall for, obviously—they had clearly failed, since the Jet Brigade and their production facilities had been shuttered. Henceforth, all Jet Brigade kills would be permanent, giving the Helldivers some much needed good news...

(See "The Illuminate Front below)

More Choices, More Choices

It was a tumultuous period in the Galactic War. Still besieged by enemies on all sides and with an impending threat slowly moving toward its next planet with the ultimate goal of reaching Super Earth itself, the forces of democracy were being tested like they hadn't been for a hundred years. Naturally, the Automatons chose this moment to cravenly snatch away some poorly-defended Super Earth territory for themselves, launching an attack on two planets. The first was Duma Tyr, home to many civilians but more importantly the staging ground for the delayed MD-8 Gas Mines. If the planet were to be lost, it would surely mean further delays for the universal deployment of the Stratagem. The second planet was Julheim, upon which a distress call was received giving word that thousands of civilians were trapped inside the ruins of Good Citizen Andrews' School for Moderately Feeble Young Adults. Defending both planets was deemed unlikely by High Command, and the whole incident brought to many Helldivers' minds the rescue of Super Citizen Anne's Hospital on Vernen Wells back in 2184 (See "Choices, Choices"). Would the Helldivers continue the streak of righteous altruism they had demonstrated once before by liberating the citizens in need, or would they commit themselves this time to a more material benefit? Only time would tell.

The Helldivers attempted to Take a Third Option by forcing engagements with the Automatons at the planets Bekvam III and Charon Prime, observing that if they could hold the line there, the Automatons' invasion routes to both Julheim and Duma Tyr would be blocked. Charon fell to the Automatons, only to be taken back by a desperate Helldiver counterattack before they could consolidate. Bekvam was held against the Automatons, only for the robots to mount another attack, so powerful that Super Earth estimated that even if every Helldiver in the galaxy deployed to Bekvam, it still might not be enough to beat off the attack.

But then, just as the Helldivers' defense was about to be overrun at Bekvam, a miracle occurred. The Automatons' offensive suddenly collapsed, not just at the Bekvam-Charon line but across the galaxy, as the Bots experienced massive system crashes as a result of a faulty update. Absolutely nothing else of note would happen in the next 24-hour period whatsoever, and any suggestion otherwise may be a sign of Illuminate mind-influence and is grounds for an immediate psychological evaluation. While new orders would be temporarily withheld after this miracle, likely so that High Command could investigate the enemy's sudden lack of morale, the Helldivers could rest assured that the moderately feeble were safe, and that they would soon enjoy a Hague-unfriendly new minefield stratagem.

Remember the Creek—The Battle of Pöpli IX

The Bots' depravity had reached a new low. In an effort to reclaim manufacturing facilities, the Automatons made a staggering blitz in the Galactic Northwest toward the Severin Sector. As multiple planets fell to invasions, with their heroic defense efforts hampered by the newly forged Incineration Corps, Super Earth analysts determined there was only one target the mechanical menace truly desired—Malevelon Creek. In a flagrant attempt at demoralizing the Helldivers on the eve of the first annual Malevelon Creek Memorial Day, the Bots wished to trample upon the graves of the millions of brave "Creekers" who gave their lives to defend Freedom (and the rhodium deposits) from the first Automaton vanguard among the blood-soaked forests of this hallowed planet. While High Command gave out the official order—to defend Malevelon Creek at all costs—tens of thousands of Super Destroyers mobilized simply upon seeing the news of the offensive. To Democracy Officers and their crew, the war on Malevelon had never truly ended. Motivated by the chance to redeploy where the Second Galactic War had begun for many, the latest batch of Helldivers scrambled to test their mettle as their predecessors had before. Beginning with an attempted blockade with the DSS over Ingmar, the days to come would prove just how much the war had changed Democracy's Last Line of Offense.

The Automatons had also changed. Their offensive was spearheaded by the somehow-returned Jet Brigade and the Incineration Corps, and they attacked relentlessly from multiple directions, each successful defense by the Helldivers answered by an ever-more ferocious attack from another location. Against all odds, the Helldivers held back the Automatons in the frozen hills of Vandalon IV, but the Bots' next strike was at Pöpli IX with a staggering force, and even if all the Helldivers were pulled from every other battlefield in the galaxy and dropped into Pöpli's fiery wastes, it was doubtful they could do more than slow the Automatons down. Even worse, the bot menace would tighten the pressure on Pöpli over the course of the next several days via brutal attrition warfare, relentlessly raiding SEAF interstellar supply convoys and severely worsening logistics on the planet, making it harder to speedily deploy ammunition and reinforcements to the frontlines.

But somehow, the Helldivers held. As their ammunition ran out, they held. As their reinforcements dwindled, they held. The Democracy Space Station unleashed an Eagle Storm just in time to blunt the Automatons' advance, and they retreated in disarray, the Jet Brigade smashed, and on Malevelon Creek Memorial Day, no robot feet would defile the hallowed ground of the Creek. More impressively, perhaps, the entire Automaton assault did not merely fail— the Automatons threw so many of their local assets into the (obviously ill-fated from the outset) effort to seize Pöpli IX that their reserves on all planets within two jumps north of the Vandalon-Dolph line became fully depleted, leaving only their local garrison forces with no ability to replenish their losses. Losses that immediately began rapidly mounting, as the galvanized Helldivers launched a sweeping counter-offensive with major headway being made on Julheim, and gradual progress on Mort, Troost, Ustotu, and Bekvam III following as well, as precision strikes prevented the already strained Automaton forces from regrouping. If the Automatons had hoped to break the resolve of the Helldivers by defiling Malevelon Creek, one thing was certain: they had made a serious blunder that they would now pay for in triplicate.

The Squ'ith, better known to humans as the Illuminate(s), are a xenophobic race of aquatic humanoids originating from far beyond the reaches of the Milky Way and one of the most pernicious enemies to Managed Democracy that Super Earth has ever faced. Hating freedom in all its forms, the Illuminates willingly let powerful supercomputers run their society for them in a disgustingly undemocratic and inherently inferior manner to Super Earth's democratic and liberty-based voting algorithms. During the First Galactic War Super Earth was forced to preemptively strike against the Illuminate menace, after it was discovered that they were stockpiling weapons of mass destruction to use on innocent voters and after many harrowing battles the Helldivers drove them from the galactic borders, co-opting their wondrous technology for a more deserving nation and forcing what little surviving Illuminates remained in the galaxy to dismantle their armed forces and leave the Milky Way, so that they would never again be a threat to Liberty and Democracy.

But like the worst kinds of vermin, they simply will not stay stamped out. A century since leaving the galaxy on Super Earth's grace and mercy, in their alien arrogance somehow they have returned for round two. Having abandoned the false veneer of an enlightened and advanced species and now embracing the barbarism and zealotry befitting this foul xenos menace, they now wage psychological warfare to steal the minds, bodies, souls and worst of all the votes of Super Earth's unsuspecting citizens. The Helldivers' valiant struggles against the Illuminate menace are recorded here.

A New (Old) Enemy Emerges

For generations, the Illuminate empire was believed to have been eradicated from the galaxy. Following the First Galactic War, the Super Earth government magnanimously allowed the Illuminates to leave the galaxy on the condition that they surrender their FTL technology and definitely real WMDs. In the century since, the Illuminates faded from memory, becoming yet another footnote in Super Earth's long history of Democratic Cleansing. Despite this, as the Second Galactic War raged on, the Illuminates continued to occupy the imagination of Super Earth's forces. Mess Hall stories of so-called "blue beams" sniping unsuspecting Helldivers, of cloaked starships above the battlefield, and even supposed Illuminate kill-counts on planet liberation counters became rampant as an in-joke amongst those in service. While these conversations would ultimately subside via Democracy Officer, the actual return of the Illuminates would emerge, bringing with them a true ideological enemy to the very concept of Managed Democracy. It began as a simple string of mass civilian disappearances across Super Earth's territories, which was deemed to not be a foul omen by the infinite wisdom of High Command. But then everything took a sudden turn for the worse when the Illuminate showed it's sinister piscine visage once more. Launching a dastardly surprise attack on the planet Calypso while the Helldivers were occupied elsewhere, the unassuming colony world soon became engulfed in the largest enemy attack force that had set foot on a planet in the war so far. Worse still, it became clear that the Illuminates, still suffering from their righteous cleansing a century prior, had rebuilt the backbone of their army upon uncountable numbers of zombified Super Citizens, now given the horrific moniker of the Voteless. A galaxy-wide distress call the likes of which was unseen since the Automaton Reclamation was immediately sent out, and Super Destroyers from all corners of the democratic world swiftly rushed to Calypso to stop this invasion in its tracks.

Though the battle initially seemed hopeless due the sheer undemocratic numbers of squid planting their rubbery inhuman feet upon Calypso, the righteous spearpoint of Super Earth responded in kind: over 200,000 Super Destroyers, even some thought to have been lost or decommissioned and their millions of Helldiver cargo arrived at Calypso to drive the Illuminate menace from the galaxy once more and over the course of days' worth of absolutely brutal warfare the conflict ended in a conclusive victory for Super Earth by a very narrow margin. With more than 38 million Helldivers lost over three short days, The Battle of Calypso was easily the bloodiest battle of the war (even the legendary Creek only saw 25 million shipped to the great ballot box in the sky over 9 months!). Thankfully, and despite having more than a century of planning, the Illuminate simply couldn't keep up, and suffered 3 billion in losses^note . The pitiful squid had dared to once more challenge the only supreme authority of the Milky Way galaxy, but had been dealt a significant wound by the battle and now all of Super Earth was on high alert for their next diabolical plan—ready to spill ink and face whatever Omens of Tyranny lay before them.

Operation Squid Game

Despite the Helldivers' unmitigated and unambiguous victory over the initial Illuminate vanguard, the boneless fiends continued in their campaign of guerrilla warfare (which is ironic for a species that hates superior primate physiognomy). With unpredictable attack patterns, the Illuminate would blitz colony worlds and leave just as quickly, kidnapping citizens and stripping them of their Freedom before adding them to their unsustainable war machine. As Super Earth scrambled to defend her colonies over a week of on-and-off-again warp incursions, the severity of the threat became clear. Not only was Super Earth's usually impeccable enemy surveillance technology lacking as evident by a failed prediction of a landing force in New Stockholm, but the Ministry of Defense's highest analysts made the disturbing connection between Illuminate sightings and a movement pattern towards the Meridian Black Hole. Worse still, Helldivers (in strict violation of their orders) who idled on the Bug Front had reported the singularity looked...angrier than usual. Managed Democracy was facing a new type of enemy—one no less hateful of Liberty, but one cunningly adapted to her faultless ways. Nonetheless, Super Earth was up to the challenge, ready to stop any invasion at her doorstep.

On a related note, the Helldivers would not go under-equipped in their fight against tyranny. Despite the tremendous strain on Super Earth’s resources and Q4 profits, a partnership with the highly reputable Stål Arms would grant the SEAF advanced assault infantry weapons and armor. Better yet, Helldivers wouldn't even need to spend their military stipend to receive most of the shipment in an extension of the collaboration's gratitude and generosity. Super Earth salutes the military-industrial complex!

Armed with the unbeatable industrial might and boundless innovation of Democracy, the Helldivers fulfilled their quota of repelling Illuminate raids, saving countless innocents from being transformed into hideous Voteless monsters and also stopping an attack on the then-recently constructed Fast Reconnaissance Vehicle construction plant on Aechernar Secundus. Though the Illuminate still dared not reveal their full fighting force to launch an offensive upon the galaxy, a clear message had been sent to their shadowy computerized overlords. Super Earth would not stand idly by as its citizens were put in danger and it would fight to the last breath to defend the homeland.

Operation Hydra's Head

As swiftly as they had arrived back to the galaxy, the constant Illuminate slave raids became just another fact of life for the Second Galactic War. Too cowardly to even make an attempt to seize back their old territories, the despotic squid were content to continue their skirmishing Hit-and-Run Tactics for as long as they had to in order to rebuild their once-great army for whatever mysterious scheme they had long been planning. Unable to simply pinpoint the Illuminates' location and bring the fight to them, High Command found itself in a quagmire. Eventually their resolution was a simple and straightforward one; as long as the raids continued, Super Earth's armies would ensure that the Illuminate lost far more than they regained from each attack. An order was thus dispatched for the Helldivers to defend against 6 Illuminate attacks while destroying 115 million Voteless and 7 million Harvesters. If successful, this battle plan would at least uphold the stalemate both sides of the front found themselves in whilst Super Earth worked tirelessly to trace the true source of the Illuminate invaders. Their rage from Calypso still red-hot, the Helldivers easily and fortuitously completed this objective, freeing countless Voteless from the immeasurable torment of squid rule. Meanwhile, Super Earth pathologists confirmed the worst; the Voteless had indeed been irrevocably defiled on a genetic level by the taint of Illuminate DNA splicing and were truly beyond saving in any capacity.

Operation Democracy Delivered

Like the neverending curse upon the galaxy that they are, the Illuminate continued their reprehensible butchery at the same rate they had previously, regardless of how many of their numbers they continued to waste against the indestructible shield of Super Earth's galactic defenses. It seemed as though both forces were strategically at an impasse—the Ministry of Defense was unable to locate the source of these ceaseless raids, while the Illuminate cult could not make whatever their sinister next move was without accruing more troops via the forceful enslavement and irrevocable defiling of Democracy's people. Another order was issued to all Helldiver forces to defend against as many Illuminate attacks as possible, but this time they would once again have a great boon at their side; the Democracy Space Station had at long last been cleared back into active service, its orbital cannons now directly guided by Helldiver Stratagem beacons in an effort to minimize their once unfortunately staggering friendly fire casualty rate. With this shining beacon of liberty at their side once more, the Helldivers had no chance of failing to rebuke and destroy the enemies of Democracy.

...Or so they thought. Though the DSS itself proved to be much more discriminate in its distribution of justice, the Helldivers that guide it had voted for its deployment in areas that Democracy Officers could only call, "bold." Despite Illuminate warp incursions being the military target of the operation, the DSS would instead make starfall on Bug-infested planets at the discretion of the Helldivers, thereby depriving colonies of DSS reinforcement. Indeed, a multi-day siege of Heeth was only accelerated by a timely weather event that decimated Terminid forces and allowed for a friendly SEAF advance. While no Super Citizen would dare accuse of Helldivers of abandoning the colonies, the top brass at the MoD began to wonder whether they should add an extra five minutes to Helldiver military training. Nevertheless, top analysts reported no negative side effects of the DSS' increased movement frequency despite the failure of the defense quota, meaning its much more rapid six-hour shifts would become standardized for the forseeable future.

The Meridian Apocalypse

From the Center of Science on Fenrir III, the Ministry of Science uncovered a horrible truth: Illuminate attacks were being conducted not only to steal more Voteless, but to harvest Dark Energy — the powerful force that accelerates the expansion of the universe — to destabilize the Meridian Singularity and cause it to hurdle toward Super Earth itself. If successful, the Illuminate would turn the very center of galactic culture and Democracy into a pit of autocratic spaghetti. To begin this campaign of terror, the Meridian Singularity began to move on February 8, 2185 (exactly one year after the start of the Second Galactic War) putting it directly in the path of Angel's Venture — the site of the very first Helldiver Major Order since their redployment. With haste, the Helldivers mobilized to stop at least eleven Illuminate Invasions in an effort to slow the progression of the wormhole, and stand sentinel against the threat of total annihilation.

But it wasn't enough. Despite valiant resistance against the squid, the Meridian Singularity reached a critical mass, meaning contact with Angels Venture became inevitable. Unable to save the planet, evacuation orders were given (for priority citizens only), and the Federation was forced to watch as the colorful forests, gaseous plantlife, and Democratic Youth Scouts campgrounds of the idyllic barrier world became engulfed by the wormhole. After confirming the planet had indeed been irrevocably shattered by gravitational forces, Helldivers paid their respects by visiting its former coordinates, which had now been rendered into a mere asteroid belt. Never before had the Federation seen a threat so monstrous and existential as this, and never before was humanity so motivated or filled with vengeance. Once the Presidential 24-Hour Mourning Period was up, nothing less than total annihilation would face the enemies of Freedom. Though the galaxy cried out in anguish, one thing was certain: The Illuminate's autocratic intentions were no longer shrouded in mystery.

Meanwhile Meridia would continue its lumbering journey towards Super Earth, with the Ministry of Science flagging other planets expected to be in danger over the coming weeks. Moradesh, Ivis, Nublaria I, Pilen V, New Haven, and potentially even the jewel of the Milky Way itself...

The Fight for Ivis

The Center of Science had reached a breakthrough in their study of the Meridian Singularity thanks to the deployment of the Penrose Energy Siphon (see the eponymous section under the Terminid Front) from the forest planet Ivis, having spared it from total anihiliation for a time. The Singularity lost both energy and momentum the more it moved, and given projected Dark Energy averages it would eventually arrive at a complete halt. Estimates gave this stopping point as somewhere past Super Earth itself, sending a wave of dread throughout the democratic world. The intention of the Illuminate was clear and present; nothing less than the destruction of the Federation's capital. But there was still much ground for them to push their superweapon over, and the Center of Science also determined that in tandem with the activation of the Energy Siphon, the Singularity was in a position to be halted completely if not enough Dark Energy was supplied to it soon. Helldiver forces were ordered to repel and destroy all Illuminate invasions over the next several days in order to slow the accumulation of Dark Energy, stop the Singularity once and for all, and not only spare Ivis, but Super Earth itself from the fate of Angel's Venture and Moradesh.

Over a few short days, the Helldivers fought valiantly to protect Super Earth's citizens, and with the support of the new E/GL-21 "Grenadier Battlement" stratagem, the Helldivers at last arrested the spread of Dark Energy. Deprived of Illuminate treachery, the Meridian Singularity was calculated to stop an entire sector away from Super Earth, sparing the Jewel of the Milky Way from spaghettification. While war with the Illuminate would continue, as other planets were still calculated to be turned into autocratic asteroids, Super Earth celebrated that the existential threat to humanity was over, and that the Illuminate had absolutely no other tricks hidden beneath their tentacles. Meanwhile, the Helldivers turned their attention back to the Automatons, whose rampage toward the Severin Sector went unimpeded in a campaign suspiciously close to the first anniversary of Malevelon Creek Memorial Day...

Their Boldness Grows

The desperation of the Illuminate was clearly growing by the second as Super Earth more rapidly approached a solution for their superweapon once thought indestructible just a few months prior. Alien dogmatism would always stagnate where human creativity and ingenuity would innovate, meaning that it was inevitable their campaign would result in failure. Even so, the squid gave a momentary shock to Super Destroyers everywhere when they began deploying on both Fenrir III, a planet only so far touched by Terminids, and Pilen V, right next to Super Earth itself. Their autocratic intentions were clear—they aimed to sabotage the construction of the Repulsive Gravity Field generator while simultaneously trashing accumulated E-710 research at the Center of Science. Even though the Meridian Singularity was no longer capable of reaching Super Earth on its current trajectory, the Illuminate were so petty that they would settle for the destruction of Pilen V as one last consolation prize. High Command gave a quick response—defend Super Earth's critical research infrastructure at all costs so that the safety of Pilen V could be secured. At the same time, an order was given to kill 1.25 million Voteless, so that the Ministry of Science might be able to collect enough specimens to study the inner workings of how they are controlled and one day reverse-engineer this technology for Democracy. Thankfully, these incursions were rebuked without delay, especially after battlefield intelligence determined that large numbers of Voteless in these assaults were under more extreme mind control, and that repelling their larger invasion forces would render them useless as combatants. The march of Super Earth's scientific advancement would continue to advance unimpeded by squid interference.

Neither Democracy nor warfare discriminate against those who embrace it. While there were several previous instances where High Command would mandate multi-front operations, the Helldiver After-Action Report Committee saw fit to record such acts following the declaration of the Great War On Tyranny. After all, Super Earth prides itself on its clear record-keeping and transparency in wartime rationale. All Major Orders and developments across multiple fronts made since the start of the Second Galactic War are recorded here.

A Divided Front

The enemies of Managed Democracy® wouldn't take the Helldivers' pre-emptive self defense efforts lying down. In what was surely a coordinated act of terror, the Terminids and Automatons launched large-scale invasions on both fronts in late April of 2184, pushing Super Earth to its limit. Faced with distress calls throughout the galaxy, High Command gave a daring order to defend at least ten planets from capture by either enemy. High-ranking Super Earth analyists claimed that this Major Order was doomed to lose at least some territory. Such naysaying revealed them to be dissident traitors and as such, they were summarily executed by Autocannon Firing Squad.

As the Major Order progressed, it became clearer that the Helldivers were having much greater success on the Terminid side of things compared to how they were rapidly losing ground to the Automaton menace. In particular, the bugs made assault after assault on the longtime battlefield of Estanu only to be repelled by flamers and heavy weapons each time. Indeed, it was on the fields of Estanu that nearly half of the Major Order's defense quotas were fulfilled. Ultimately and despite significant losses to morale and troop coordination, the Major Order was completed with just a few hours to spare (See "The Noose Tightens" on the Automaton After-Action Report for more detail). Though ground was ultimately lost as our sadly martyred officials always knew would happen, Helldivers celebrated what was considered one of the greatest tests of their ability to coordinate and sustain their way of life.

Total War Is Declared

• SEAF Voluntary Conscription

In mid-May of 2184, the gravity of the situation became clear. With continued Automaton occupation in the west and the development of the Meridian Supercolony in the east, Super Earth announced they had merely been engaging in special military operations before and thus declared they were now fighting in the Great War On Tyranny. Super Earth would no longer rest until all enemies of Democracy were utterly vanquished like they had been a hundred years prior and thus dedicated their infinite resources to the mobilization of the economy and the mass levying of billions of voluntary SEAF conscripts. In order to ensure every man, woman and fighting-age child would be battle-ready for the war to come, High Command gave the brave order to develop training facilities on the front lines of each theatre of war. Though the demand to capture the planets of Aesir Pass, Vernen Wells, Heeth and Angel's Venture were bold, it would surely be worth it to ensure every citizen could access their rigorous 72-hour SEAF basic training course. And sure enough, the Helldivers succeeded in establishing dominion over each planet, ensuring each Brasch Tactic™ would be firmly lodged in the hearts and minds of each SEAF recruit.

For the past three months, the Second Galactic War had been raging. But now, it was official.

• Slaughter (Yay!)

In a war against Tyranny, all enemies of Managed Democracy are equal. No matter the front, bug or bot, each foe slaughtered would push the line forward. And so, High Command gave a simple but effective order: Operation Freedom's Calling, the destruction of 3,141,592,653 enemies. This number was not only the greatest of any Democratic Purification Order, but was symbolic of Super Earth's values. Like pie, victory would be sweet and easy even when encircled by Freedom's infinite enemies. Alas, even with this simple and straightforward goal, the Helldivers failed after falling behind schedule on the third day, they had still fallen about 345,575,191 to 282,743,338 enemies short of success by the time the Major Order expired and thus Operation Freedom's Calling was declared a failure. Such a rare deficiency in Managed Democracy was attributed to a combination of fatigue from constantly being on the defensive, slowing reinforcement rates and general malaise amongst troop morale. Though High Command promised improvements to weapon quality after rearrangements among Super Earth's Supreme Congress, there were nonetheless concerns of reduced enlistment rates and what was beginning to feel like a war of attrition.

Minefield Mayhem

As usual, Super Earth High Command performed their audit of Helldiver weapons and training effectiveness and determined that there was a possible dearth in Mine Stratagem support popularity. Due to reports of consistent-yet-inevitable friendly fire incidents with squadmates and mines appearing invisible beneath the ground, Helldivers would often opt-out of using them during the war. Fearing that most impossible and heinous of possibilities—that the Helldivers were under-equipped in the fight for Managed Democracy—an Efficacy Review was approved. If the Helldivers could not eliminate 1.5 billion enemies to Democracy over four days, the long-delayed Anti-Tank Mine would be fast-tracked for production. Immediately, the Helldivers scrambled to prove both their might and to prevent the seemingly cursed Mine Stratagem from being approved.

Though the conditions of Operation Vengeful Cleansing appeared nigh impossible to complete under such short notice, it must be noted that it afforded the Helldivers one of their most incredible victories. Having laid the groundwork down earlier in Operation Andromeda, the Helldivers were independently able to rout the Automaton forces from the Ymir Sector, splitting the bots' territory by an entire galactic region, and leaving them with only a pitiful regiment on Vandalon IV and Troost. Not even a last-minute sneak attack on Marfark would prevent Managed Democracy from maintaining its rightful grip on the stars. Even if the Helldivers' overall kill-count was projected to be lower than what was mandated, their tactical foresight and coordination deserved a commendation and an extra ten-seconds to their lunch breaks.

Alas, Lady Liberty only gives her hardest challenges to the most Democratic. Unable to kill the target number of enemies in time, the Helldivers made it clear that an increase in firepower was necessary to maintain freedom's ironclad grip on the galaxy. Requisitioning funds originally meant for schoolyard air quality improvement, the Anti-Tank Mines finally made their way to Super Destroyer Bridges. It was a grim choice, but one that the non-conscripted youths were okay with. Said one student from New Haven Elementary, "It was a small price to pay. After all, the children yearn for the mines." Nevertheless, the Helldiver Corps' pride would likely never truly recover from the extreme embarrassment of being awarded this Stratagem.

Operation Lighthouse

The victory over the newly mutated Terminid strains in the Falstaff Sector was short lived. Visible even on the Galactic War map, the Gloom was spreading rapidly across the entire northeast quadrant of the Milky Way. In its wake, more fearsome mutations and anti-Democratic ideas would develop unimpeded in the darkness of space. The Ministry of Science thusly predicted that massive Terminid invasions were forthcoming, requiring at least five successful planetary defenses for the Helldivers to contend with. However, Freedom does not have the luxury of waiting to be spread only where it is most convenient. To capitalize on the hard work and lost lives the Helldivers had committed in Operation Andromeda, Super Earth also ordered the dual liberations of Troost and Vandalon IV—the final remnants of the isolated Automaton regiments in the Trigon Sector. To make matters worse, a desperate Automaton invasion of Curia occurred immediately as the order began, bringing the bots frighteningly close to Super Earth territory. Even as more Helldivers were freshly caped and defrosted for the weekend, the fight would be brutal and close to home.

Through the last-minute liberation of Erata Prime, the Helldivers were able to achieve a strategic victory—though not without great cost. Not only were the Terminids able to expand their dominion farther southeast, but the Gloom had practically engulfed the entire L'Estrade Sector. Its growth had become so severe, several planets^note  became impossible to even view on the Galactic War map, let alone deploy. Furthermore, despite at last forcing the Automatons to rout from the Trigon Sector, Curia was indeed lost in a development that could only have resulted from continued underhanded tactics from the enemy, given the extreme dedication of the Helldivers to the liberation of the planet. With bot propaganda touting that only a single sector stood between Super Earth and their supposedly endless supply of anti-Democratic rockets, the Galactic War would now have to be balanced between two emboldened fronts.

Operation Liberation Tide

Freshly equipped with adjusted weapons from a new arms contractor, the mighty Helldivers Corp. saw skyrocketing recruitment rates and a near fanatical rise in their average patriotism index. In order to properly judge the efficacy of the new battalions, however, High Command ordered a Helldiver Force Readiness initiative to see where else the Ministry of Defense would need to reallocate their budget to guard humanity against the alien hordes. To do so, this Major Order chose to live up to the ideals of Freedom and simply unleash the Helldivers across the galaxy at their own discretion. Rather than being mandated specific planets for liberation, the Helldivers were simply ordered to free more planets than those that would be lost in future invasions. Given a full week to accomplish this—the longest of any Major Order—the Helldivers organized amongst themselves (but not in an Automaton kind of way) to determine the best way to bring a net increase of Freedom and Managed Democracy to the galaxy.

Throughout the allotted liberation period, the Helldiver regiments quickly found their newfound firepower was a sight to behold. Using souped-up recoilless rifles, extra-spicy flamethrowers, and re-engineered 500kg bombs, Super Earth's Last Line of Offense fought some of the fiercest and most explosive battles the galaxy had ever seen. Despite having more than ten times their average number of forces prior to the fleet-adjustments, however, High Command found that old-habits were hard to break with regards to deployment priorities. By far, Helldiver platoons prioritized landings on the bug planets of Gatria, Trandor, and especially Pandion-XXIV—the latter of which only broke after a full-week of Terminid extermination efforts. Meanwhile, planetary gains were repeatedly offset by Automaton incursions in the Galactic East. On the last day of the Readiness Initiative, the bots once again made a desperate invasion of Imber in what analysts suspected was yet another attempt at stealing its titanium deposits for sinister redistribution. With only hours before the Order's expiry, and the planetary counter perfectly tied, the Helldivers scrambled to protect Imber and liberate Pandion in order to prevent a stalemate. But in the end, it wasn't enough. Unable to prevent the capture of Imber, High Command determined the amount of Freedom in the galaxy remained the same, and thus declared the Helldivers were only "moderately ready" for the battles to come. Thankfully, High Command did learn one important lesson; increases in weapon effectiveness are strongly correlated with increases in battlefield effectiveness. Promising to investigate such a groundbreaking discovery further, the Ministry of Defense turned to their war tables and weapons labs to determine how best to proceed.

The Democracy Space Station — Phases 1 & 2

• Laying the Groundwork

Since Operation Starslayer, the Ministries of Science and Prosperity were determining how best to construct and fund the creation of the GW1-era Interplanetary Battle Station as discovered on X-45. Finally, months later near the end of September 2184, construction was set to begin for what would be known as The Democracy Space Station (The DSS). However, such an awesome tool of righteous destruction would require extensive planning and long-term defensive investments. To even begin proper development, the Helldivers would have to liberate either Gaellivare or Clasa from the Automaton legions, as only those two planets had suitable magnetospheres for safe construction. Furthermore, High Command alerted the Corps that long-term sustainability in defending the planet from future invasions would be paramount in their decision, lest Super Earth's hard work and taxpayer credits go to waste. Whatever the Helldivers chose, it would have to be soon and with Democratic conviction.

Remarkably, likely spurred by the prospect of a new and truly epic weapon, the Federation was pleased to find that most of the SEAF successfully agreed upon taking Gaellivare—a decision made due to its location being closer to Super Earth's inner territory. For days, the Helldivers then fought some of the most brutal battles seen since The Creek. Across the dense and dark jungle thickets, tens of thousands of Helldivers heroically perished to give their (metaphorical) children a chance at life. Unable to resist Helldiver synergy and patriotism, the planet was at last liberated after a relatively swift four day campaign. Immediately, construction began on The DSS, with its patriotic foundation made visitable site for Helldiver enjoyment. Furthermore, the DSS Logistics Hub was established on nearby Tarsh to act as a gateway for galactic resources to be stored and shipped for production. While full-scale deployment would take far longer to complete, the Corps celebrated what was the first step in turning the tides against the stalling Automaton front. However, High Command did warn their fleets that future DSS-related orders were not only forthcoming, but that it was imperative they succeed. If not, the enemy would eventually discover its location, and waste their efforts permanently.

• (War)p Drive Improvements

After many collective hours observing the splendor of the forthcoming DSS, the Helldivers got back to work to advance what would (ideally) be a four-phase construction plan. First among the critical stages of infrastructure development would be to establish a magnificent Xenoentomology Center in Terminid space. As the largest weapon of liberation to date, the DSS would not support the standard Alcubierre Drive technology that powers Super Destroyer FTL transportation. To prevent a catastrophic shortfall of E-710 supply, High Command declared Turing a prime construction site for High-Efficiency Alcubierre Drive research and development—as a planet close to Terminid space yet safe from potential Gloom incursion, Turing would provide the Ministry of Science an abundance of resources to prototype the necessary warp technology. Though Turing was quickly liberated, the Helldivers remained vigilant over the long order period for potential entrapment of either Turing by the Terminid hordes, or for an Automaton advance force to stumble upon the nascent DSS construction site. Such genius foresight proved well-founded; by Order's end, the Helldivers were able to organize the Shelt Gambit to cut off an Automaton invasion of Mastia, and the less-organized-but-still-pretty-impressive dual liberations of Turing and Acamar IV following a Terminid invasion at the last hour. With the research station now established, the future of The Democracy Space Station looked brighter. Projections indicated that in a few weeks, the DSS's tragic design flaws of high energy use and self-combustion at speeds over 33mph would be averted.

• Deep Mantle Galactic

Next on the list of DSS research goals was the construction of more durable building materials. With the Federation's current material technology, The DSS would risk structural collapse at warp speeds, presenting a somewhat troubling risk for SEAF staff and crew. To avert this, permits were issued for the creation of a Deep Mantle Forge Complex—high-pressure and heat furnace facilities built near a planet's core that would be suitable for the creation of ultra-durable Chronium-Cobalt-Nickel alloys. While this would ordinarily require significant resource investment, military intelligence discovered that the Automatons were already engaging in deep-mantle mining operations on the planet Claorell. Seeing opportunity, High Command directed its operatives to liberate the lonely moon so that its mining facilities could be righteously repurposed, and to gain further insight into the bots' devious plans.

Though resistance was fierce, the Helldivers fought with the iron fist of Liberty until the very last minute—winning the Order with not a moment to spare. In an inspiring show of determination to build the DSS—and defying the Corps' typical issues with deployment priorities—the vast majority of Helldivers actually chose to commit to a week-long siege of Imber and Claorell. This not only allowed Super Earth to establish the Forge and send thousands of very willing workers to the mines, but resulted in some of most significant territorial gains ever seen on the bot front through the complete liberation of the Talus Sector. Now with ample defensive buffer and resources to establish the forge, Super Earth would be able to develop the FTL-resistant alloys necessary to prevent catastrophic hull collapse. Despite this tremendous victory, the Ministry of Intelligence forewarned the Helldivers from complacency, stating that their excavations revealed troubling bot movements. The deep-mantle networks the bots built were for the development of their own alloys—ones seemingly meant for use in armour plating. While further investigation would be necessary to determine what the enemy was planning, the Helldivers were nonetheless thrilled not only to see speedy progress on the DSS, but a significant staging ground towards their push toward Cyberstan.

• Operation Bulwark of Democracy

Not five Liberty-forsaken minutes after the last operation, dual invasions of Claorell and Vernen Wells occurred, placing the Helldivers right where they started. Moreover, advanced Automaton cybersecurity attacks were discovered on DSS-related servers. While the Ministry of Truth had no reason to believe the bots knew of the forthcoming battle star, they suspected it was only a matter of time before Freedom's best kept secret would be revealed. To keep the DSS on track, an emergency 3-day Order was established to hold Claorell and defend against three Automaton invasions. The first objective was of particular strategic importance, as the loss of the Forge would risk both significant delay and possible discovery of the DSS by the enemy. Thankfully, dutiful Helldiver deployment to Claorell repelled a number of Automaton attacks throughout the week, preserving the deep mantle forge's secrecy. Unfortunately, a simultaneous data breach was discovered in the computer system of the DSS logistics hub on Tarsh, proving the bots' relentlessness in finding any possible avenue to probe Super Earth's defenses. While the breach was swiftly quarantined, it was unverifiable just how much critical information had been leaked, and High Command urged the Super Destroyer fleet to be available for any emergency that arose from this development.

• Operation Ring of Freedom

By this stage in the DSS' construction, significant advancements had been made in developing the necessary High-Frequency Alcubierre Drives by the Ministry of Science at the Xenoentomology Center on Turing, but progress was beginning to stagnate due to a deficiency in Terminid research specimens, as well as the dawning realization of the greater E-710 demands the DSS' drives would require. As such, High Command outlined a plan to create a Terminid Research Preserve on Acamar IV where Terminids could be grown via controlled seeding and overseen by appointed SEAF "Bug Wardens", thereby securing a new and steady stream of both research specimens and E-710 and killing two Shriekers with one autocannon. Thus, a number of planets surrounding Acamar IV^note  were determined to require maintained liberation by Helldiver forces while the Research Preserve was constructed and quarantined. Over the next week, ground was swiftly cleared and then held as Helldiver forces paved out the necessary quarantine zone (even managing to defend Achird III by a razor-thin margin of only 14 minutes in the process). With the area secure, the Research Preserve was dutifully erected in short order. In addition to safeguarding necessary materials for DSS construction, a small portion of the Preserve was allocated to "Tyranny Park", where adventurous Super Citizens could spend their hard-earned Super Credits to both observe Terminids in their natural habitat and even participate in a Big Tyrant Hunt, which was expected to bring an additional source of democratic revenue to the war effort. In an additional show of brilliant tactical foresight, contingencies were made so that in the unlikely event of a containment breach, the entire planet and its staff would be subject to total nuclear bombardment. Secure in both resources and physical wellbeing, the Xenoentomology Center would progress in their research unimpeded.

• Operation Jet Brigade

Intelligence's worst suspicions after the data breach on Tarsh were soon confirmed, as a massive armada of Automaton warships were reported entering Matar Bay's orbit not long afterward, suspected to be a brute-force attempt to determine the location of the DSS or its subsidiary stations. Worse yet, this assault was being spearheaded by a crack Automaton detachment known as the Jet Brigade, augmented with advanced jetpack technology. An emergency alert was issued to all available Super Destroyers ordering the defense of Matar Bay at all costs, and that some loss of ground was to be expected as long as the secrecy of the DSS' location was preserved. Though the onslaught of the Jet Brigade seemed hopeless with their blitz through Matar Bay and Martale, the bots' advance was ultimately arrested in the icy tundras of Marfark. The Helldivers' courageous display not only showed the galaxy that the Automatons' morals were as flimsy as their jetpacks, but that they were not yet aware of the location of the DSS. For the time being, Liberty's secrets were safe, and SEAF troopers could look upon clear skies.

• Operation Crossroads

Just before Liberty Day—that most precious and sacred of all Super Earth traditions—High Command wished to further secure Freedom's ironclad grip on the galaxy. With the recent Jet Brigade assault making it clear that the Automatons' hateful march would not cease any time soon, the SEAF raised the possibility of liberating Lesath in order to relieve the DSS of its precarious defensive position. At the same time, multiple bug outbreaks were calculated to threaten the Terminid Research Preserve, beginning with Gacrux. Having little more than two days to accomplish their objectives, High Command decided to live up to the ideals of Managed Democracy a little early and ask the Helldivers to decide how best to maintain Liberty's future. With swift conviction, the Helldivers chose to protect the DSS from further incursions and liberate Lesath. Though this came at the cost of exposing the Acamar Research Preserve to external contamination (the threat of internal breaches or escapes from Tyranny Park being declared a statistical improbability), the DSS was safely allowed to enter its third and final phase of construction. Once completed, the DSS would only require a massive infusion of raw E-710 to begin operation, giving the Helldivers the perfect motivation in the future to take their vengeance on humanity's sworn arthropodic adversaries.

The Democracy Space Station — Phases 3 & 4

• Operation Adamant Resolve

As Super Citizens returned to their regularly scheduled 22-hour work days after a wild Liberty Day, the harsh reality of the Second Galactic War became apparent. Across both fronts, high priority strategic objectives were ordered to keep the the enemy at bay. First, decryption of Automaton strongholds revealed the presence of a key database on Matar Bay that would potentially reveal the location of a Jet Brigade fabrication center—thus crippling the enemy's resolve and ability to produce elite shock troops if captured. Furthermore, the Terminid horde's unlawful and undemocratic occupation of Gacrux and Pandion-XXIV threatened the Acamar Research Preserve and its high-paying customers to external contamination, requiring Helldiver attention lest Tyranny Park fall. Lastly, the Automatons pushed to expand their territorial holdings—beginning with invasions of planets on fringes of the Galactic North—requiring at least five successful planetary defenses. While greener Helldivers balked at one of the most demanding Major Orders ever seen, many more declared their intention to live up to their legendary status. Reminded that Liberty guides their every step, Helldivers across the galaxy affixed bayonets to their new shipment of cutting-edge Constitution Rifles and fearlessly charged against the enemies before them. However, after a grueling week of non-stop liberation, the failure to liberate Gacrux on time meant Helldivers came up a Super Penny short. With the "Bugdiver" platoons blaming their loss on a lack of reinforcements from the east (in a rare reversal of roles), High Command ruled that their near victory wasn't enough for commendation. Thankfully, all other tactical objectives were met at least, giving the Corps a multitude of potential avenues for retribution. From Matar Bay, intelligence was able to decrypt the existence of a Jet Brigade Staging Ground, where the flying fiends were planning an imminent invasion force. Also, after five back-to-back defenses on the eastern front, citizens expressed gratitude that their brains would be safely full of patriotism rather than being scooped into hateful socialist constructs. And though Gacrux was not liberated before the deadline, it was luckily fumigated a few hours after the fact, once again insulating The Preserve from cosmic contamination. Indeed, a belated alert appeared congratulating the Helldivers on re-establishing the perimeter, which noted that contained Terminid populations inexplicably grew during the attack—a fortuitous and untroubling finding. Overall, the Ministry of Defense saw the operation as meeting their current needs (even if some fingers were pointed behind the scenes).

• Operation Courageous Exodus

With The DSS nearly complete, the issue of sufficient staffing emerged as one of the final problems needed to be solved before it could go online. Recognizing both an imminent invasion by the recouping Jet Brigade forces and the military's eagerness to rain Freedom down upon their enemies, The Ministry of Humanity authorized more than 1.3 million colonists to be relocated and serve as skilled labor aboard the vessel. Despite getting applications from citizens across the galaxy, The Ministry determined that Eastern Front civilians who were tragically and unavoidably displaced by bug-related homicides would make the best candidates. As such, the Helldivers were ordered to aid in planet-wide evacuation efforts by holding Terrek, Cirrus, and Angel's Venture. In further anticipation of Xenoentomology Center predictions, the Helldivers were also to defend against at least 8 forthcoming bug invasions.

Luckily, the bugs provided minimal resistance, as the Helldivers successfully completed a series of gambits—resulting in hardly any territory being lost. With the evacuation order complete, more than a million citizens (of all ages!) were given the privilege of joining the crew of the DSS and getting to live like Democracy-loving sardines in its hallowed dormitories. At last, as the DSS had now entered its fourth and final phase of construction, full mobilization would now only require fueling of its massive E-710 tankers, and the inputting of activation codes at designated sites. Though the top brass began to grow restless after months of construction, they were assured by the Ministry of Science that before long, the DSS would see active duty.

• The Spark of Liberty

The final phase had begun. Fully staffed and equipped with awe-inspiring weaponry, The DSS was nigh ready to begin operation. All that was left was to fill its E-710 stores to jump-start its high-efficiency engines. However, in yet another instance of a villainous conspiracy between the bugs and the bots, safe harvesting was stymied by an incoming invasion of the rebuilt Jet Brigade in the Galactic West. Amassing on Vernen Wells for a perverse invasion of the DSS Logistics Hub on Tarsh, the Automatons appeared to have discovered the existence of the DSS and made plans to turn humanity's Democratic investment into ash. In a last push before bringing their super weapon online, High Command ordered the liquidation of 500 million Terminids to power the DSS, and to hold Gaellivare at all costs lest the Automatons kill yet another baby in the super cradle. Unwilling to let months of hard work and human resources go to waste, the Helldivers fought to their last liberating breaths to usher in a new era of Free peacekeeping.

Quickly, this Order proved one of the most challenging and explosive ever seen in Galactic History. Through a fearsome blitz, the Jet Brigade forces brought Tarsh under their socialist digitigrade heels. While thankfully the DSS Logistics Hub had been depreciated and an adequate percentage of its staff evacuated, the bots were able to confirm the exact coordinates of The DSS. High Command could therefore only speculate that in a number of hours, the Automatons would try to take Gaellivare. Meanwhile, and in a development absolutely nobody could have predicted, Tyranny Park and the Acamar Research Preserve fell to the throes of a fascist bug takeover. Somehow chewing their way through its underground fencing, and likely egged on by extragalactic spore contamination, the Terminids destroyed the entire preserve and caused every surrounding planet to experience mass outbreaks. On the bright side, the nature of the breach offered a unique opportunity to perform a five-planet gambit and secure the entire sector with the limited time liberation of Acamar. However—as a result of miscommunication during the first few critical hours of the bug invasion—the majority of Helldivers instead chose to deploy on neighboring Turing, causing Democracy Officers throughout the fleet to pull what few hairs remained on their pristine heads.

But all those fears would be alleviated when, at last, the necessary E-710 was imported to The DSS. Finally brought online, a new era in Galactic Peacekeeping was brought forward—and proved to be as well-thought out and controlled as a 380mm Barrage. Flooded with generous donations from eager Helldivers, The DSS was first deployed onto Mastia and given the requisite ordinance to activate its Planetary Barrage ability. However, due to a lack of junior gunner training protocols, shells would be launched indiscriminately at friend and foe alike (mostly "frend"). Despite the miscalculation in field testing sacrifice limits, the boost to liberation rates and the additional firepower meant that The Helldivers would have the ability to perform a gambit and cut off the invasion of Gaellivare with the re-capture of Mastia...if the Helldivers didn't vote to send The DSS back to Gaellivare! In a move High Command noted was unorthodox but potentially cunning, The DSS was moved back into danger in order to activate its Eagle Storm ability to halt the Enemy's defense counter and initiate broken arrow strafing runs—a Democratic gift that proved far more popular with the SEAF. This would potentially give more time for forces on Mastia to cut off the invasion staging ground, and was actually directly ordered in The Helldiver Dispatch, but wound up being ignored by ground troops in favor of a protracted war of attrition back on Gaellivare. And yet, despite a near-total breakdown of communications from both High Command and the Helldivers themselves, Gaellivare was held (if during an active invasion). This was counted in the record books as a win, but would still be treated as an active development for the purposes of the war^note . In the meantime, High Command would be swamped with congressional letters claiming everything from gratitude for the Eagle Strike squadrons, angry calls to send The DSS to Meridia, and an increase in reports on missing colonists throughout the galaxy.

• Balance of Liberty

With The DSS now operational and at the Helldivers' disposal (notwithstanding multi-day cooldown periods following activation of each ability), High Command believed it the perfect time to test its long-term effectiveness. From the east, the Automaton Jet Brigade continued in their ballot-destroying campaign of terror by landing on Imber and other planets closer to Super Earth. Meanwhile, the fall of the Acamar Research Preserve meant the Terminids would fester without the necessary supervision. To correct the brazen disrespect and anti-democratic behavior of Super Earth's enemies, the Helldivers were ordered to supplement their physical superiority with their moral superiority; to succeed, the Helldivers would need to liberate more planets than those lost to the enemy through effective use of The DSS. While some Helldivers (in an egregious act of Thought Crime) second guessed this order due to the logistical difficulties of voting and Orbital Barrage targeting, thousands of other non-traitors got to work to prove Managed Democracy would reign supreme in both theory and in practice. And, to the surprise of no one, Democracy won once again. The enemies of Freedom could only put up a tepid defense against the combined might of the Helldivers and the still-calibrating DSS, with the Operation ending in the net-gain of two planets for Super Earth. Furthermore, the entire second batch of Jet Brigade forces were wiped out once their rampage ended with them being cornered on Imber without a means of escape. Now able to focus once more on finding Automaton elite factories and reworking the fire support infrastructure of The DSS^note , Super Earth believed future of Freedom looked brighter than ever, and declared The DSS and its, "undeniably nonzero utility" a success.

• Operation Crop Dust

Though the war effort had never looked brighter, an unforeseen colonial labor and general population shrinkage nonetheless presented a challenge to spreading the good fight. As Truth Enforcers and intelligence officials throughout the Federation proceeded with a vigorous investigation into why so many colonists appeared to be going AWOL from their posts, Democracy's enemies would still need to be redressed. Luckily, the MoD concocted a new weapon to aid in the Galactic War: the MD-8 "Gas Mine". However, despite the undeniable fact that Super Earth is a nation of plenty and abundance, a shortage of chlorine prevented full-scale deployment of the odiferous ordinance on the opposition. To address this, the re-capture of massive salt deposits on Esker, Blistica, and Mintoria was ordered to ensure that Super Earth's materiel logistics could keep up the pace against her relentless foes. While many Helldivers expressed eager anticipation that they would finally be able to have a full gas-themed personal arsenal, some leaders at the top privately expressed un-democratic trepidation that the short timeframe and high resource requirements of the Major Order would lead to yet another Anti-Tank Mine incident. And unfortunately, despite a tremendous civilian effort on Zzaniah Prime advancing the cause and a widespread advancement of SEAF forward operating planets in the Gellert Sector, too little salt was requisitioned. To make up for the loss, sodium stores would have to be redistributed from non-essential pediatric nutritional supplements to the weaponry division. On the bright side, a Ministry of Truth audit confirmed there was no need to panic regarding the disappearances of colonists. Their unexcused absences were the result of a, "small epidemic of navigational errors while hiking." Safely found and devoid of hostile interference, these colonists would be given the requisite land navigational training to avoid another scare.

Resist and Bite

Every second that passed was now a second that Meridia drew closer and closer to its ultimate destination. The galaxy clasped its hands together in fear of what challenges would arrive next. But there was to be no rest for the brave academics at the Moradesh Research Facility, who were working feverishly to use any and all resources Super Earth had at its disposal in order to stop the singularity on its forward trajectory that endangered the lives countless innocent and democracy-loving citizens, as they once had months prior when their efforts successfully resolved the Meridia Supercolony Crisis (see "Operation Enduring Peace, phase 1"). Though the heads of that project were now under suspect for Illuminate mind-influence due to the Illuminate's return being linked to the creation of the singularity, the remaining scientists had discovered some remaining Dark Fluid in the facility's ventilation systems and hoped to use it to devise a plan to halt Meridia in its tracks. The only problem was that Moradesh itself was now directly in the pathway of the black hole, necessitating immediate Helldiver action to slow its advance by preventing the merciless squid from harvesting more Dark Energy to accelerate it for the time being.

And yet, almost as if they were colluding with one another (preposterous though the idea may be), the Automatons simultaneously launched a massive surprise invasion of Claorell, upon which the Deep Mantle Forge once used to construct the DSS was located (see "The Democracy Space Station, phases 1&2—"Deep Mantle Galactic"). Though the forge was not currently being used in service of a project, High Command immediately balked at the idea of what the bots might use it for should the planet fall into their control and ordered an immediate simultaneous defense of the planet. In such a short period of time after their last tough decision that they had narrowly managed to bypass and avoid any sacrifices for (see "More Choices, More Choices" on the Automaton Front), the Helldivers now found themselves faced with another extreme dilemma. Slow the Singularity for a long-term benefit, or stop the Automatons from seizing a valuable asset in the short-term?

Not being able to force a meeting engagement with the Illuminate as they had with the Automatons at the Bekvam-Charon Line, the Helldivers initially dispatched the DSS to Claorell to hold off the Automatons, while they swiftly beat back two Illuminate incursions ... but the Illuminate showed an ability and willingness to strike anywhere, harvest Dark Energy and disappear, leaving the Helldivers one step behind. The Automatons overpowered the defense of Claorell, threatening the loss of both the Deep Mantle Forge and the Moradesh Research Facility, but the Helldivers, anxious to save what they could, repeated their tactics from the Bekvam-Charon Line and struck back before the 'bots could make good on their attack. The decision was made: rather than spread themselves all over the south trying to chase the Illuminate, the Helldivers would stand or fall at Claorell.

And stand the Helldivers did, for they were able to retake Claorell from the bots, saving the Deep Mantle Forge. Through messages intercepted from the bots, Super Earth learned why they wanted the forge: To replace their fallen Jet Brigade with something worse. And while stopping the Automatons only delayed their plans, Super Earth's finest intel agents could pursue this information. But while one lead opens, another closes. Due to the Illuminate's hit and run tactics, the Helldivers couldn't stop them in time as they harvested enough Dark Energy to cause the singularity to move further along its path to Moradesh. While the scientists were safely evacuated, they were forced to abandon their work stations and Dark Fluid experiments. Any chance to halt the ever encroaching Singularity was for now, lost to the yawning void that was coming for Moradesh, and would eventually arrive at Super Earth...

Raising of the Blockade

Moradesh was now a lost cause, providing a substantial setback to the patriotic researchers of Super Earth's tireless effort to stop Meridia. Simply put, the Singularity had to be slowed at all costs, lest it consume any hope of stopping it before it arrived at Super Earth. Since the boots-on-the-ground method of protecting planets from Illuminate Dark Energy harvesting was clearly lacking in operational effectiveness, High Command needed a better solution. Though Illuminate interstellar vessels still possessed technology which made them untraceable, it was determined through careful strategic analysis that a military blockade of the frequently targeted sectors would still be the most effective method of slowing the ravaging of Super Earth's colonies and the buildup of Dark Energy. A massive starship construction protocol for the raising of this blockade fleet was quickly drawn up to implemented within the week, with the righteous aid of the Helldiver Corps to gather the truly staggering amount of both E-710 and scrap metals needed for this project. Both of these resources could be easily and dutifully acquired by rending apart the armies of the other two enemies of freedom, the Automatons and Terminids, by laying waste to billions of their numbers in short order. With this single order, Super Earth could maintain the pressure on all three of its enemies simultaneously.

This objective immediately encountered a snag, as supply chain shortages meant that Eagle fighters in reserve across the galaxy were experiencing increased rearmament times from lack of ordnance. High Command alerted available Helldiver forces that liberating the supply node of Bore Rock from the Terminids would swiftly expedite Eagle rearmament for the duration of the order. Later that night, reports began flooding in of a sudden spike in anomalies on the Galactic Map, which required an immediate response in the form of fleetwide ophthalmological examinations for those affected as there was clearly nothing wrong with the Galactic Map at the time. By the next day, Bore Rock was liberated and all Eagles in the fleet were operating with a temporarily increased 50 percent armament efficiency.

Unfortunately, the Helldivers simply couldn't acquire sufficient E-710 or scrap metal stores by Order's end. With substandard supplies, only a partial blockade could be made around the black hole. Comprised of spare warships, transports, and refitted merchant vessels, several thousand interlocking ships formed an irregular line of defense in all directions. While Illuminate ships remained undetectable to the blockade, its creation (somehow) precipitated an immediate reduction in Dark Energy accumulation. Though it wouldn't be enough to prevent the imminent destruction of Moradesh, citizens continued to hope that more scrap would patch the defensive line and allow Super Earth's greatest scientists to discover by what horrific means the Illuminate were advancing the total annihilation of Freedom and Justice from the galaxy.

The Fire and the Void

The Penrose Energy Siphon had been successfully constructed and was in the process of being assembled on Ivis to hopefully slow down the advance of the Meridian Singularity, but it still required a great deal of E-710 in order ro be launched, which would have to be forcefully extracted from as many fascist bugs as possible in as quick an amount of time as could be if Ivis was to be saved for the time being. Only this was not the only threat during this period, as the Automatons could seemingly detect the precarious situation Super Earth found itself in and chose this moment to launch a huge new offensive, spearheaded by their newly-unveiled special forces division, the Incineration Corps. Armed with the evil flames of socialism itself, these new unthinking hunks of metal threatened to torch countless innocent civilians on the frontline border worlds while Super Earth tried to deal with the greater threat of Meridia, almost in a twisted mockery of the Helldivers' own upstanding Fire Safety Officers, who use flamethrowers for entirely virtuous and justified purposes such as purifying an area of Terminid eggs. Regardless, High Command presented Helldivers everywhere with yet another tough decision in a recent string of them—stop the Automatons and risk a third planet being destroyed by Meridia, or let thousands perish horribly in the flames of the bots in order to save Ivis? Either way, with each option requiring eight separate defenses or the deaths of 1.25 billion Terminids, it was going to be an arduous test of Democratic conviction.

And it was to the horror of many across the Federation that the Helldivers failed on both accounts. In what some would consider to be one of the worst military defeats in the Second Galactic War, the Automatons were able to seize vast swathes of territory and raze thousands of toxin-free homes through the Bots' newfound willingness to attack colony-zones. Based on their movements, High Command suspected that the Automatons' latest offensive was made in order to regain industrial assets in the Severin Sector—site of the first Automaton invasion force and, of course, Malevelon Creek. Meanwhile, with insufficient Terminids liquidated over the allotted operation period, the Penrose Energy Siphon could not be deployed, leaving it to stare quietly at the Meridian Singularity as it hurdled towards its staging ground on Ivis. It was a dark day for Liberty, one lit only by the flames of hatred from the Automatons' new units.

Democratic Innovation

Against all odds, Pöpli IX had stood against an unimaginable Automaton assault thanks to the bravery and dedication of millions of Super Earth's children who gave their lives so that the memory of the millions who died on Malevelon Creek would never be desecrated (see "Remember the Creek—The Battle of Pöpli IX" on the Automaton Front). Post-conflict analysis intantly pointed out the cruciality of the deployment of the Democracy Space Station's vast hangars of Eagle Fighters to the skies of Pöpli in securing victory for Super Earth, and it was determined that the DSS had successfully proven its true worth as a tactical asset since its entering into service the previous year. To ensure future decisive victories like the one on Pöpli IX, plans were drawn up for an immediate and rapid upgrade to the DSS' systems. Like all decisions of such great importance, the final iteration of the upgrade was presented as a strategic decision to the Helldiver fleet. They could either liberate Automaton-occupied Wezen to secure enough factories for the construction of an Exosuit Support Bay using vacant space aboard the DSS, or they could liberate Trandor from the Terminids as part of a mutual contract with Admiral Defense to further expand the Eagles' Convocation Bay and improve overall fighter efficiency. But it wasn't that simple: the counterattack following the Helldivers' victory at Pöpli was still in progress, and its momentum had pushed the front lines against the Automatons within two jumps of Wezen. Would they withdraw and abandon their gains in order to fight Terminids for better fighter support, or would they continue to press the Automatons? Understanding the ramifications that each option presented, Helldivers swiftly took action and made the decision to coordinate with the Automaton counterattack and liberate Wezen on top of reclaiming much lost territory in the process. With Wezen's factories once again in the firm grip of the righreous fist of liberty, the Exosuit Bay was installed immedaitely upon the DSS, adding another powerful tool to its already impressive arsenal.

Meridia's Final Reckoning

The day had finally come. The Repulsive Gravity Shield Generator neared completion on Pilen V in hopes of completely stopping the advancement of the Meridian Singularity, who had claimed so many helpless civilian lives and destroyed three planets already, in its tracks for good via a highly complicated (and very scientific) projection of repulsive gravitational waves. All that remained was to prevent the Illuminate from interfering with the final stages of the Generator's development as well as secure a titanic amount of E-710 to power the device. As if by request, this coincided with a Predator Strain outbreak on Turing. Hence, Helldiver forces were ordered to disrupt as many Illuminate operations as they could while simultaneously protecting Turing from falling into fascist claws in a demonstration of their absolute commitment to freedom and unassailable righteousness.

Despite coming up short in stopping Illuminate invasions, however, Super Earth was able to declare an unequivocal and permanent victory in the end—The Meridian Singularity had stopped! For reasons that could only be explained by the Illuminate's incompetence, squid incursions occurred primarily on planets unrelated to the Gravity Shield Generation—such as the Deep Mantle Forge Complex on Claorell or derelict Automaton factories on Tibit—meaning construction on Pilen V would occur unmolested. Moreover, by the end of the Major Order, Illuminate presence in the Milky Way had simply stopped entirely. This was a magnificent sign since, as Galactic historians know, the sudden disappearance of an enemy force never preceded a larger invasion. With the squids gone without a trace, and thus nobody to accumulate Dark Energy, the Helldivers could therefore celebrate the second extermination of the Illuminate by the righteous hand of Liberty, and the end of the Meridian Singularity as a threat. Of course, Managed Democracy still had to make sacrifices for such a result: three planets were destroyed, millions of Helldivers were lost to the cause, and the Pilen V construction facility tragically and unavoidably imploded when Super Earth decided to activate the Gravity Shield despite it not being ready. However, with the apocalypse firmly prevented, Super Citizens everywhere celebrated with the knowledge that Super Earth was safe, and the Illuminate were gone forever (again).

Operation Damage Control

With the squids gone and never coming back, Super Earth turned its attention back to the bugs and bots. Due to Illuminate attacks on critical Super Earth logistical sites, antidemocratic forces were able to overrun what was formerly well-defended territory. Indeed, simultaneous and massive sightings of Terminid Predator Strains and the Automaton Incineration Corps across the galaxy evidenced conspiracy of the highest degree, requiring the Helldivers to reclaim their homes. Specifically, the liberation and holding of Mastia, Claorell, Achernar Secundus, Fenrir III and Turing were ordered by the Ministry of Defense. Though the Helldivers were eager to return to their familiar peacekeeping duties, the enemies of Managed Democracy were devious. By performing what Super Earth's strategic masterminds could only call a "reverse gambit", the Automatons were able to cut off the liberation of Claorell when the Incineration Corps razed Imber. At the same time, the bugs were able to siphon critical support by staging a simultaneous invasion of Terrek. While a small expeditionary force was at least able to liberate the isolated and Automaton-held planet of Troost throughout the ordeal, the Helldivers were put on the backfoot throughout most of the Major Order. And indeed, despite managing to reclaim almost all of the requested targets, the Automatons through their trickery managed to hold on to the Claorell Deep Mantle Forge Complex, thereby preventing total victory. Though they were denied their medal stipend, the Helldivers nonetheless rested in the sure knowledge that they would soon retake the planet, and that the enemies of Freedom would soon be as dead as the Illuminate.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the Illuminate's second and final defeat, a festival was scheduled to occur on May 13, 2185. Dubbed, "The Singularity Party," a planet-wide rave was to be held at Widow's Harbor and be hosted by Super Earth's finest talent: DJ Guard Dawg, Creek Mob, and Civic Rhythm. With the site chosen by Super Earth since it would allow Class A citizens to party in the light of the stopped Singularity, this celebration would surely be a day Super Earth would remember forever!

Further Defensive Measures

As the Singularity Party rapidly approached, the remaining enemies of Democracy knew that this was merely another day in their endless crusade against all that is good and virtuous. Though Super Earth had lost several planets in the wake of Meridia's defeat, morale was still high among the troops and High Command knew that an immediate victory would be needed to maintain it for the coming celebrations. Thus, a challenging yet ambitious task was given to all Super Destroyers; for the duration of the next Major Order, at least one more planet must be liberated than lost, so that Super Earth might consider it a material victory. This command would be the lynchpin needed to drive the brave soldiers of Democacy forward to vanquish the evils of the galaxy.

Liberty Day, 2184

At exactly 00:00 Prosperity City Time every year, Super Earth observes its most treasured and holy of celebrations—Liberty Day. This day is not only one of remembrance of Super Earth's founding from the chaos of the old world, but one where Super Citizens reaffirm their vows to Lady Liberty herself. For a full twenty-four standardized space hours, Freedom's unwavering subjects engage in ceremonies like the pulling of presents from the Liberty Day Pyre, the Orbital Bombardment of the Moon, and—of course—dissident executions (both planned and surprise). As for Liberty's most stalwart protectors—the Helldivers—they were given the privilege of deploying wherever they pleased for a full day. No tactical objective was deemed as important as allowing the Helldivers to exercise their rights and defrost themselves for Democracy. Provided they simply hold Super Earth by the end of the day, the Helldivers would be given a free shipment of ceremonial DP-00 Armor from the First Galactic War, and sacred Constitution Rifles (now with affixed bayonet action!). Stay Free!

Finally, after a too-short day, the official celebration of Liberty's rise came to a close. Contrary to the deluded ramblings of squid-fearing dissidents, Liberty Day ended on a quiet and peaceable note, with Super Earth standing as tall and unyielding as the celebratory sponge cake. As the party wound down and Class C Citizens cleaned the streets of the confetti and blood from their raucous festivities, the Helldivers returned their attention to the endless wars ahead—reminded once again why and for who they fight.

Festival Of Reckoning, 2184

Though times were perilous throughout the Federation, no threat—fascist, socialist, or cultist—would stand in the way of Super Earth's other most treasured holiday: The Festival of Reckoning. Where Liberty Day is a historical event that celebrates the forging of Managed Democracy from the crucible of chaos, the Festival of Reckoning is a commercial exercise—one that sees the yearly Reckoning Fund for ordinance spent in a three-day carnival of slaughter against Freedom's enemies. On each day, families watch televised Helldiver operations as they are gifted a themed weapon cache. Even better, each kill would help consumers earn special discounts on goods of all kinds. As Helldivers got to work with a free shipment of StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launchers, citizens everywhere gathered 'round the pyre-place to celebrate the family spirit embodied by Father Freedom and Mother Meritocracy. Merry Reckoning and a Happy New Star Date from the Ministry of Prosperity!