Vernen Wells

"The arid, rocky biome covering this world has driven the evolution of exceptionally efficient water usage in its various organisms."

- Official description

Vernen Wells is one of the three planets that reside within the Hydra Sector. The name of the planet is no doubt a reference to the actor Vernon Wells. Additionally the difference in spelling might be another nod to Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.

Following the establishment of the Menkent Line, the planet would play host to a SEAF Forward Command Base, which would provide fresh recruits and supplies to the frontlines on Menkent and Lesath.

Topography
Nicknamed "The Red Planet", Vernen Wells is an arid, rocky planet featuring great shallow basins, sunken deserts, picturesque buttes and mesas, and rare verdant sections of valley. By and large though the planet is dominated by a series of continent mesas and plateaus, some of which are the size of skyscrapers. This has created an unexpected challenge for Helldivers operating on the planet, as this geography has been reported to obstruct some stratagems.

Iron minerals, and particularly hematite, are responsible for coloring the planet's sedimentary rock layers, which when combined with the planet's seismic instability has created large quantities of dust due to soil surface disturbance. This combined with strong winds has resulting in a fine layer of red dust that covers most of the planet (thus it's charming nickname) which has also been known to clog up both unprotected machinery as well as lungs.

The majority of plant life on the planet consists of dry grasslands and shrub lands, with the arid nature of Vernen Wells also driving the evolution of exceptionally efficient water usage in its various organisms.

The Lesath Breach
In an act of sinister syncronicity, both the Terminids and Automatons launched large-scale assaults on the Federation at the same time. The Helldivers were forced to defend citizens on two fronts at once, stretching their numbers and resources thin, with Lesath being the breaking point. Following the breach of the Menkent line at Lesath, Vernen Wells itself would come under heavy assault by Automaton forces on the 21st of April. Whilst the Helldivers would contest their invasion of the planet, they lacked the numbers needed to a decisive win and could only slow down the invasion.

During the invasion, the Automaton horde were able to knock out the planet's long-range communication arrays which had been used to track our forces across the galaxy. This meant that, unfortunately, High Command were unable to provide updates to liberation percentage and ongoing galactic war progress for the foreseeable future. Super Earth High Command then dispatched expert S.E.A.F. engineering teams, under the protection of the Helldivers, to repair these arrays as soon as possible. In the meantime, some errors and incomplete data would be displayed on Destroyer systems and tracking software.

Communications would be nominally restored in the early hours of the 22nd of April, although by this point significant ground had been lost both on Vernen Wells and across the Galaxy. Never the less, S.E.A.F. and the Helldivers would remain resolute, with the war for the survival of humanity and the Federation continuing.

FTL Lines

 * Menkent
 * Lesath - Lacaille Sector
 * Aesir Pass