Lesath

“	Ice and moss-covered rock can be found across most of the surface of this planet.	„
	~ Official Descripton

Lesath is one of the four planets that reside within the Lacaille Sector. Following unchecked Automaton advances into Federation space, Menkent and Lesath would be where SEAF Engineers would build orbital defences as part of the Menkent Line. As of October 2185, Lesath is the most well-connected planet within Federation space, with a total of 6 FTL Lines connecting almost 4 sectors, making it a vital chokepoint and a crucial location with high strategic value.

On November 13th, 2184, a division of S.E.A.F. soldiers hailing from this planet would depart for Mastia in order to aid in the battle against the Jet Brigade. Despite the loss of the battle, the sacrifice of this division dealt severe casualties to the Jet Brigade, paving the way for their eventual defeat at the Battle of Imber on November 20th. For their bravery, heroism and their courageous sacrifice, they have been nicknamed as the "Lesath Martyr Corps" in remembrance of their actions.

Topography and Astrography[]

The **Helldiver Fleet** and the **Democracy Space Station** in orbit over Lesath.

Similar to Estanu and Choepessa IV, Lesath is a cold tundra world, compatible to the Arctic Tundra on Sector 3 of Super Earth prior to the Last Great War. Leasth's climate is characterized by its extreme cold, with year-round frozen grounds, long and cold winters, a very short growing season and low precipitation rates. SEAF forces deploying to the planet are advised to bring extra layers to insulate from the cold and take advantage of the climate to more effectively utilize laser based weaponry.

The planet possesses large oceans and several continent sized lakes filled with freezing arctic water. It's coastlines are rugged with long winding fjords and large areas of exposed bedrock. Inland are rocky mountains, ice fields and deeply cut valleys, with some lowland plains that are broken up by more rocky outcrops. Prolonged periods without sun light, frozen ground and strong winds also prevent substantial tree growth, with a very sparse number of grasses and a unique form of rock-covering moss making up the majority of the planet's flora.

A street view of Crystal Slopes, with the Lesath System's eponymous star shining brightly upon the battle-damaged infrastructure. The star Lesath would be classified as a B2-IV type subgiant star.

Lesath is home to 4 Mega Cities, which will be mentioned by tier. Mega City tiers do not affect level generation and only serve to determine the city's health pool in the galactic war map. The Mega Cities in Lesath are the Towns of Morskie Oko and Serenity Summit, the City of Crystal Slopes and the planetary capital Mega City of Bucu's Rest. Morskie Oko is located some kilometers off the coast of Lesath's Northern Polar Ocean, while Crystal Slopes is located north of Lesath's equator, bording a small lake. Serenity Summit and Bucu's Rest are both located right on the shorelines of Lesath's Southern Polar Ocean.

Combined together, the 4 Mega Cities can bump campaign progress in Lesath by 87.5% during any liberation campaigns being conducted on Lesath, making them crucial positions to be taken since any single city will help expedite the planet's liberation efforts massively. However, the true worth of these urban centers shines brightest during defense campaigns. During defense campaigns, the 4 Mega Cities alone can bump campaign progress by a staggeting 105%, meaning that liberating all four Mega Cities will usually clear an ongoing assault from the Automatons. Bucu's Rest, a Tier 4 "Mega City", grants 45% campaign progress when liberated, with Crystal Slopes, a Tier 3 "City" grants 30% campaign progress when liberated, making these two urban centers crucial and highly critical targets. It should be noted however that, the higher a Mega City's tier is, the higher percentage of Helldivers currently on the planet that will be required to liberate it.

The Town of Serenity Summit (right) and the planetary capital Mega City of Bucu's Rest.
The Town of Morskie Oko.
The City of Crystal Slopes.

Besides the 4 Mega Cities, Lesath's surface is dotted by multiple urban settlements and other smaller detached villages, rural dwellings, farms and S.E.A.F. facilities, some operational but most laying in ruins after the collapse of the Menkent Line. The urban settlements that dot Lesath house the planet's rural population and have running water, working electricity, sewage systems, garbage collection services and will often have a SEAF SAM Site or SEAF Artillery Battlement, if not embedded within the town, within walking distance. These military installations help protect the inhabitants of these humble settlements and can prove benefitial to Helldivers willing to commandeer them during operations.

The Lesath System consists of the planet Lesath itself and at least 2 other astronomical bodies that can be observed in close proximity to it. Whether either of them, if not both, are white dwarf planets independent from the planet Lesath or are moons of the planet Lesath itself is unknown. The Lesath System is the most well connected out of all other inhabited systems in the galaxy, possessing an astonishing 6 FTL Lines connected to it.

Lesath alone controls access into the Tanis and Talus Sectors through its FTL Lines with Vog-Sojoth and Gaellivare respectively, making Lesath the linchpin that holds together the entirety of the Automatons' eastern holdings. Additionally, Lesath's FTL Lines with Menkent, Vernen Wells, Chort Bay and Penta make Lesath a critical frontline planet to control in order to conduct further liberation campaigns in the crucial Lacaille and Hydra Sectors against the Automatons.

Following the Automaton Invasion of Cyberstan, Lesath was one of the many planets that were immediately thrust into the frontlines against the Automatons. It's advantageous position would see it form part of the short-lived Menkent Line, a line of planets that was supposed to stop the advancing Automaton Reclamation Fleet. However, following the Fall of Lesath, the Menkent Line would be destroyed as the advancing Automatons advanced all the way to Vernen Wells and destroyed the SEAF Forward Command Base, with Menkent finally falling on April 24th, 2184.

Despite this, Lesath remains a crucial planet to be controlled. It played a critical role on November 2184 during the construction of the Democracy Space Station, not only being used by the Automatons to expand into the Tanis and Talus Sectors, but also being immediately connected to Gaellivare, which was the original DSS Construction Site. The Lesath System's positioning and connections with multiple other planets makes it a critical strategic position to be liberated and controlled at all costs, should no other orders be active.

History[]

Special Military Operations[]

First Battle of Lesath - Automaton Invasion of Cyberstan[]

A Helldiver battles against the Automatons in the fields of Lesath. The Helldiver Statue on the right is the only remnant of a once vibrant civilian settlement. January 30th, 2185.

Lesath was once a peaceful frontier colony of Super Earth in the Northwestern Galactic Rim. Having been settled during the Great Democratization after the end of the First Galactic War, Lesath's colonists would come to master their frigid environment and, as the generations passed, built the settlements that gradually became the towns of Morskie Oko and Serenity Summit, the city of Crystal Slopes and the planetary capital Mega City of Bucu's Rest. However, other forces in the galaxy soon conspired to wreak havoc in Lesath, casting it into the fires of what soon would become the Second Galactic War.

Despite valiant efforts by the Super Earth Armed Forces and colonial defenders, they failed to hold back the Automaton onslaught during the opening phases of The Reclamation, with Lesath being one of the planets taken by the socialist menace. On the 12th of April, 2184, High Command issued the Helldivers an order to liberate the Menkent Line, which consisted of the namesake planet, alongside Lesath after they were both claimed by the Automaton Faction at the beginning of The Reclamation.

Menkent Line[]

On the 14th of April, just 2 days later, Menkent had been liberated, and the Helldivers set their sights on Lesath, with an approximate 130 thousand Super Destroyers deploying onto the frozen wastes that same day. The planet would be swiftly liberated, with SEAF engineers immediately setting to work constructing the orbital defences, whilst the Helldivers redeployed to Menkent to counter an automaton counter attack.

With the Automaton advance arrested, rudimentary orbital defences were established Menkent and Lesath, which were then augmented by hardworking SEAF and civilian labourers. Meanwhile, a SEAF Forward Command Base was established on Vernen Wells, providing fresh recruits and supplies to the front.

Helldivers retake a civilian settlement from the Automatons. The burial pit dug before the Helldiver statue being concrete evidence of their wanton brutality against civilians. February 3rd, 2185.

Second battle of Lesath - Operation Enduring Bulwark[]

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 to the breaking point. Despite it's considerable orbital defenses, Lesath lacked the manpower to fully utilize them and stop the follow up ground invasion, causing it to be one of the first planet's to fall to the Automatons fresh offensive. This opened up the FTL lanes to Vernen Wells and caused some analysts (currently under investigation by the Ministry of Truth) to question the tactical viability of fixed fortifications.

Third Battle of Lesath - Operation Metallic Harvest[]

Having fallen back into Automaton control after the failure of the Terminid Control System and the disaster of Meridia, Lesath and other planets in the Lacaille Sector would be put under great toil, as the Helldivers were diverted to contain the Terminid menace to the east. However, once the Supercolony Spore Outbreak was mostly contained, barring some missed quotas, new orders would be issued by Super Earth High Command: The dismantling of 2 billion automatons.

The Automatons did an ephemeral attempt to delay the incoming Helldivers by assaulting the forward base at Vernen Wells. However, their meager assault on the planet failed and the Helldivers pushed into Lesath.

Second Galactic War[]

Fall of Lesath - Declaration of the Galactic War on Tyranny[]

Lesath would not remain free for long. With the failure of Operation Metallic Harvest, the Automatons would gain momentum and, as Super Earth began to mobilize its war machine, Lesath would be caught in the chaos, its defenders being overwhelmed and with Lesath being conquered by the robotic tyrants. Despite many sacrifices, Lesath would be unable to be saved and, shortly after the fall of Vernen Wells, Lesath would be permanently lost to the ways of Managed Democracy.

Operation Ecologic Immolation[]

From May to September, Lesath would remain under the odious grip of the robot's iron fist, serving as a forward base from which they spread their socialist plight westward, towards the far reaches of the Trigon Sector, while the Helldivers bounced back and forth between the Terminid Supercolony and the ever growing robotic front. However, Freedom will always find a way to triumph over tyranny, as the Helldivers managed to sever the horrid fief of the Automatons in half, crushing their might and delivering a heavy, yet not crippling, strike at the tin man's heart.

As the Helldivers were diverted towards the newly spawned Gloom, a mysterious nebula comprised of immense amounts of interplanetary terminid spores, the Automaton Vanguard would attempt to advance towards Super Earth and invaded the Marspira Sector. This would prove to be a grave mistake, as the Helldivers managed to force the Automatons to withdraw back towards their once insulated garrison: Lesath.

Operation Titanium Belt[]

With the liberation of Vernen Wells on September 1st, Lesath would find itself back on the frontlines. However, the Automatons would prove to be more than a mere nuisance, as they managed to successfully entrench themselves in Lesath. Then, from Lesath, they launched an assault onto Gaellivare on September 6th, while mounting a new supply line to Vog-Sojoth, all while their encircled vanguard at Mastia "coincidentally" launched an assault onto Shelt in an attempt to take over Imber and its titanium deposits in order to create a malevolent new, unknown force.

Operation Crossroads[]

Lesath would remain as a frontline planet since the liberation of Vernen Wells. However, due to the months it had spent out of liberty's reach, the Helldivers found it to be a massively fortified Automaton position, one which connected to pretty much every other planet on the bot front with the exception of Choohe.

As such, throughout the month of September, Super Earth Tactical Command had been drafting plans for an eventual liberation of Lesath, as control over it would not only serve to reinforce the fragile position of the Democracy Space Station's construction site, but would also severely disrupt the Automaton network, not only by disconnecting the Tanis Sector but also by allowing for multiple incursions into many strategically valuable planets that connected into the Valdis Sector.

However, time and time again, new threats emerged that kept Lesath off the top of the list of targets, both at the Automaton front as well as back at the Terminid front. But, in Freedom's due time, an opportunity presented itself.

Following the defeat of the Jet Brigade at the defense of Marfark, the Automatons were now forced to retreat, which allowed for an opening to take Lesath and, in return, create a protective buffer around the Democracy Space Station's construction site. However, around the same time, SEAF Satellites detected a massive Terminid offensive building up around the Terminid Research Preserve.

With Liberty Day right around the corner, the Helldivers had to make a choice to either capture Lesath and secure the Democracy Space Station's vulnerable flank in case of a new Jet Brigade offensive or facing the Terminids in order to secure the Terminid Research Preserve.

Super Earth High Command would issue the order for either of the objectives to be completed before Liberty Day, leaving it up to the Helldiver Corps to choose where to send in the main fleet. After some hours of deliberation, the decision was reached that, while the Terminid Research Preserve was important and its loss would present a major setback, the risk of a Jet Brigade assault onto Gaellivare from Lesath put the entire DSS project at risk and, as such, the main fleet began to immediately deploy onto Lesath, hoping to liberate it in time to relief the rearguard force that had stayed behind to defend the Terminid Research Preserve.

Lesath would be liberated by the end of October 25th, shortly before Liberty Day, which allowed its displaced citizens to be safely resettled back into the planet and begin repairs and resettlement in time for their patriotic celebration duties.

A Pelican shuttle arrives to extract a squad of Helldivers after successfully completing their mission. October 2nd, 2185.

Operation Spark of Liberty[]

“	S.E.A.F. reinforcements from Lesath, grateful for the recent liberation of their homes, have reclaimed key ground from the Automatons on MASTIA in a valiant act of sacrifice.	„
	~ Strategic update, Operation: Spark of Liberty

Lesath would remain free ever since its liberation, with its colonists rejoicing at the liberation of their sufficiently-sized dwellings just in time for Liberty Day. However, where they enjoyed freedom, other planets soon weren't. Shortly after Liberty Day, the Automatons would unleash their most nefarious weapon once more: The Jet Brigade. After having been rebuked at Marfark some weeks prior, they had now managed to pinpoint the location of the Democracy Space Station at Gaellivare and had begun their slow march towards it, seeking its destruction.

The colonists at Lesath watched in horror as the news came from the brutal fall of Tarsh and decided to take direct action to remediate it. As an act of gratitude towards the Helldivers for liberating their homes, an entire division of S.E.A.F. soldiers departed from Lesath and towards Mastia, where the Helldivers were fighting against the Jet Brigade in hopes on inflicting enough damage to later defeat this nefarious foe. The first regiments would only arrive 22 hours after the battle had started, but even then, they would quickly make their presence felt, as they launched themselves at key Jet Brigade positions, giving their lives while dealing considerable casualties to the invading Automatons.

These heroes would have had no trouble breaking through a part of their numbers and escape, no matter how many tens of thousands of Automaton Troopers approached or how many fleets of Dropships encircled them. But they knew very well that this was not the way of Super Earth, as it would very much go against the very meaning of loyalty. Instead, they willingly chose to face the entire force of the enemies' war machine, regardless of how outnumbered they were or how supposedly formidable these foes were, and died a resplendent death, the likes of which only the heroes from the First Galactic War have ever surpassed.

A soldier's duty is to this truth. Beyond this, there is nothing to be said.

To these courageous heroes, the Bureau of Galactic Wide Web Forums of the Ministry of Truth dedicates this small paragraph, so that their example leads all of our citizens, present and future.

A Helldiver finds a recently slain **S.E.A.F.** Infantry Squadron in an alleyway. October 2nd, 2185.

Operation Balance of Liberty[]

Following the heroic efforts of S.E.A.F. forces from Lesath, coupled with Helldiver victories at Gaellivare and Imber, Liberty shone brightly on the Western Front. However, the Automatons, in their mechanic evil, would make moves to take revenge over their necessarily and righteously defeated Jet Brigade.

On the morning of November 21st, roughly 24 hours after the Jet Brigade's defeat at Imber, the Automatons would unleash a sizable assault of 15 battalions towards Lesath. The robots combined the strength of 5 planets to this attack: Menkent, Vernen Wells, Penta, Chort Bay, and Vog-Sojoth all sending smaller groups of forces to Lesath in an act of devious synchronicity.

Liberty was not to shine on Lesath this time. With the majority of the Helldiver Corps and the Democracy Space Station posted at Crimsica and Gar Haren on the Terminid Front, only around 25% of the Helldivers would join the defense of Lesath at the height of the campaign. As such, the Automatons would capture Lesath by the next morning, and cut off 4 of Super Earth's supply lines to the invading planets, excluding Vog-Sojoth.

While Lesath would not be liberated within the timeframe of the Operation, its liberation would come a mere 2 days after its failed defense, as the Helldivers persisted on its liberation with the aid of the DSS' Planetary Bombardment.

Festival of Reckoning 2184[]

Since Lesath's liberation in November, the icy world would see little action in the next month. As a whole, the Automaton front would see relatively little action in December 2184, with the bots only invading Shelt and instead opting to muster their forces for future offensives. In this time, the main Helldiver corps would be concerned with the unthinkable resurgence of the previously thought-to-be defeated Illuminate, essentially leaving the Western Front in a stagnant stalemate of sorts as the bots remained deviously quiet while there were too few Helldivers to make any serious liberation efforts.

As the new year approached, the Automatons at Chort Bay, Menkent, and Penta would not wait to spoil the festive cheer on Super Earth. The 3 planets would send 12 invasion fleets toward the strategic frigid planet. The bots, in their evil mechanized wiring, sought to reconnect themselves through Lesath's supply line with Vog-Sojoth in the Tanis Sector to bolster their forces in the east.

While not a particularly massive assault on Lesath, it would be sizable enough to require at least a third of the Helldiver Corps to repel it. Sadly, this would not materialize as the Helldivers were forced to pull toward Julheim to repel a large-scale assault by the wretched Illuminate. As a result, Lesath's defense would be relatively valiant but ultimately undermanned. The planet would fall by the next day, cutting off Super Earth's supply lines to Vernen Wells and Penta while reconnecting the bots in the Tanis Sector with the rest of the Automaton network, reinforcing and bolstering their despotic domain for the undoubted purpose of future illegal invasion attempts.

Operation Keough Push[]

Lesath would remain under Automaton control for the rest of December 2184, seemingly lost for good as the Helldivers were now occupied handling the crisis created by the return of the Illuminate. However, Lesath's chance for freedom would seemingly arise earlier that most would have expected. On January 30th, 2185, Helldiver Tactical Command reported an increasing number of Automatons on Menkent's surface that were rapidly increasing said planet's resistance projections. With this information, Super Earth High Command would immediately begin making preparations for a potential Jet Brigade assault until new intel was decrypted from Automatons captured during Operation Jetclipper.

The location of the Jet Brigade foundries had been pinpointed at Chort Bay. With this information and the report from the Helldivers, High Command immediately issued a new major order with the objective of capturing Chort Bay and destroying the Jet Brigade Factories on its surface before the strike force could assemble on Menkent's surface and attack. And the planet closest to Chort Bay was none other than Lesath. The Helldiver Main Fleet and the Democracy Space Station immediately relocated onto Lesath's surface, raining hellfire and delivering swift, precise and devastating strikes on Automaton positions all over its surface, as the Helldivers hoped to capture Chort Bay before the Jet Brigade was active and capable of attacking any planets adjacent to Menkent.

On January 31st, Lesath would be reliberated once again, the Automatons being caught with their guard protocols sufficiently backlogged and completely exposed, unprepared to deal with the might of Humanity's Best defenders.

A Helldiver advances through the ruined streets of an urban settlement conquered by the Automatons. October 2nd, 2185.

Operation Shattered Skies[]

Recognizing a higher than usual threat level on Menkent and the threat that even a partially rebuilt Jet Brigade posed, the Helldiver Corps voted to move the DSS to Menkent in the early hours of February 3rd. There, the battle station was able to confirm the presence of a rebuilt Automaton Jet Brigade. Only then did it become clear that Automatons intended an underhanded surprise attack to cut off the extended forces of the S.E.A.F. on Chort Bay -- effectively pulling a reverse gambit.

But their treachery was thankfully stymied by the natural-born tactical intuition of the Helldivers. Furthermore, with the activation of the station's Zero G Anti-Ship Missile System, the DSS instituted a blockade that would hold the Jet Brigade for a limited time, enough to augment S.E.A.F. forces on Lesath and thin the ranks of the Jet Brigade itself, but not enough time to fully evacuate the forces still on Chort Bay, which would take at least three days. Sure enough, the Jet Brigade would launch their delayed and weakend attack on Lesath on the evening of February 3rd.

The Jet Brigade, though cut off from reinforcements and diminished by the DSS blockade the day prior at Menkent and lacking the element of surprise, remained formidable fighting force, as they would still manage to rally an incursion fleet of 42 Automaton Batallions to attack. The blockade of Menkent bought some time, but more is yet needed whilst the tactical egress of the forces deployed to Chort Bay is finalized. Thus High Command ordered the Helldivers to hold the planet until deployed S.E.A.F. soldiers could withdraw.

To this end, the DSS would be moved to the ongoing siege on Lesath, with the full might of the Helldivers not far behind. With the DSS in orbit over Lesath, the Eagle Storm protocols were enabled, which unleashed the DSS' fleet of Eagle Fighters onto the invaders and further delayed their efforts, which were already projected to take 48 hours to overwhelm Lesath's planetary defenses. With the Eagle Storm delaying the Jet Brigade's attack from 48 hours to almost 6 days, the Helldivers charged forth, determined to eradicate the nefarious platoon that had already taken too many lives in 2184.

The socialist toasters would taste defeat once as through the night of Februrary 4th into the morning of the 5th, the Helldiver Corps supported by the DSS would meticulously and permanently destroy the last of the Jet Brigade. The Helldivers wielded the might of the DSS with unassailable proficiency and effectiveness against the Brigade, resulting in a complete defeat of the Automaton menace. Rarely has the galaxy seen such strategic brilliance, and it bodes well for the challenges to come that the Helldivers are able to manage their managed democracy.

2 Helldivers advance through the streets of Bucu's Rest. October 2nd, 2185.

Operation Niflheim[]

The Helldivers' tactical brilliance demonstrated in Operation Shattered Skies rewarded Lesath significantly for the next two months. The planet went on peacefully, celebratory of the prowess displayed by the SEAF's most elite fighting force. As a whole, the Automaton front remained very quiet following the dismantling of their most recent Jet Brigade, the bots choosing to rebuild their forces rather than launching any immediate invasions. In a time of relative quiet for SEAF West, the Helldivers turned most of their attention to the East, launching their first ever expedition into The Gloom on Fori Prime while trying to find a solution for the now rapidly moving destructive force of the Meridian Singularity.

Into March 2185, 3 months after the Illuminate made their shocking return to the galaxy, the Automatons, ever so quiet during this period, finally brought SEAF West back into action. The Automatons launched numerous large-scale assaults, taking control of Lesath's neighbor Chort Bay once more while also beginning to turn to their old holdings out west with their captures of Meissa and Wasat. They also lightly continued their expansionism to the east, capturing the remote and relatively undefended Blistica as they sought to grow from their previously slim holdings.

Later into the month, the Automatons launched a coordinated, massive attack across dozens of worlds in the Federation out west led by a new detachment dubbed the Incineration Corps. The detachment, led by Automatons with incendiary weaponry and technology, made planet-fall across numerous worlds, stomping through Martale, Bekvam III, Julheim and others. Simultaneously, the normal Automaton fleet led a massive offensive campaign in the Ymir and Trigon sectors, reaching as far as Troost while they took full 100% control of the Ymir Sector. The Automatons even made it back to the Xzar Sector, briefly taking control of both Mort and Ingmar but would be repelled in the epic defense of Pöpli IX, halting the Automaton advance and allowing for a slow yet effective SEAF counterattack.

Following the Helldivers' liberation of planets Ustotu, Varylia 5 and Wezen during Operation Crew Downtime Adjustment, progress was slowly yet surely being made following the latest crisis caused by the Automatons. Alas, the Helldivers turned their attention back to the East, with High Command authorizing the second expedition into The Gloom on Nivel 43 in mid-April. High Command demanded the liberation of the planet, labeling it imperative that the Helldivers complete the operation so that the latest plan to stop the Meridian Wormhole could take place.

With essentially the entire main Helldiver fleet fighting in the East along with smaller skeleton forces to the South still attempting to quell Illuminate raids, the West was left fairly undermanned for 3 to 4 days aside from a couple of thousands of Helldivers stationed between Troost and Choepessa IV. The Automatons, ever devious and studious of the Helldivers' movements, saw an opportunity to take back strategically-critical worlds. On the morning of April 14, with the grueling campaign on Nivel 43 still raging on, the Automatons sent a small scout force of 6 invasion fleets toward the important Lesath, hoping to regain control of the crucial chokepoint world while expending as few resources as possible.

While the invasion fleet sent by the Automatons was unusually small, it still would require at least 15-20% of the Corps in the initial stages of the campaign to repel the attack. With SEAF West short-staffed amid the bloody campaign in the east, Lesath would only see around 10%-15% of the Helldivers throughout most of the defense- not an insignificant force, yet not strong enough to outpace Automaton gains on the ground early on.

Around 8 hours into the campaign and the Helldivers on the backfoot, the Corps opted to vote the Space Station toward Lesath as the DSS still wasn't capable of traversing into The Gloom and aiding the ongoing operations on Nivel 43. Shortly after, a slow yet steady influx of divers on the frigid world ensued, with around 7,000 total Helldivers joining at the peak of the defense. Despite additional aid arriving on the planet's surface, the help would unfortunately come too late. By then, the Automaton lead gradually grew larger and larger, and with time ticking before the planet's defenses collapsed, it seemed Lesath was likely doomed.

Just before 10 AM-SEST on April 15, the Automatons officially collapsed Lesath's defense and captured the world. To add to the Helldivers' troubles, the Terminids began assaults on Acamar IV and Ursica XI, essentially draining support out west and allowing the bots to slowly take full control of the planet.

Operation Split Synapse[]

**S.E.A.F.** Ground Troops, supported by a **Helldiver**, advance towards an Automaton position in Bucu's Rest. October 2nd, 2185.

Lesath would remain under Automaton control following its fall in April. In the months since, Lesath would remain in the frontlines with little hope for liberation on sight. From the apparition of the Incineration Corps to the Battle of Super Earth, the Automatons would use Lesath to fortify their own control of the Tanis Sector and move their forces all the way to Emeria before they were finally stopped.

However, Lesath would soon see its chance for liberation through a path that few would have expected. Ongoing efforts to decrypt Automaton Data obtained from Database One on Wasat had led to the discovery of data caches containing encryption keys on both Menkent and Aesir Pass. However, the expectation was that the Automatons would purge all data from one site as soon as the other was compromised, so only one could be recovered.

Initially, the Helldivers would move towards Aesir Pass, engaging the Incineration Corps on Tarsh through October 1st. However, Helldiver Tactical Command would soon spy an opportunity for success on none other than Lesath. Immediately, the Helldiver Fleet relocated its forces onto Lesath's orbit, with the Democracy Space Station quickly relocating as well and deploying the Orbital Blockade so as to prevent any Automaton forces from attempting to cut off access to the planet.

Helldivers and SEAF Ground Troops engage an Automaton patrol on Crystal Slopes. October 3rd, 2185.

The Helldivers would immediately move to secure the planetary capital of Bucu's Rest, hoping to establish a beachhead for S.E.A.F. forces to commence planetary liberation efforts soon after. Being the biggest city on the planet, it was also the most reinforced Automaton position present, as the city alone was estimated to advance the liberation campaign's progress by a staggering 37.5%. Throughout October 2nd, the Helldivers would engage the Automatons in brutal urban warfare, battling against the wretched machines across the rubble-filled streets, dodging machine gun fire between the scorched concrete husks of the once beautiful skyscrapers that still stood on the city. However, the bloody struggle would soon prove to be worthwhile.

In the early hours of October 3rd, Bucu's Rest would be liberated, immediately forcing the Automaton forces to withdraw into the town of Serenity Summit and noticeably advancing the liberation's progress. Helldivers would soon pursuit the Automatons into Serenity Summit and began deploying units planetwide in order to eliminate whatever scattered Automaton enclaves they could find in the many abandoned urban settlements and SEAF Facilities they could find.

The battle continued throughout Lesath, as the Automatons relocated the Incineration Corps towards Menkent as the Helldivers successfully liberated Serenity Summit, quickly putting the Automatons on the run, forcing them to withdraw into the city of Crystal Slopes. The S.E.A.F. immediately laid siege to the city as the Helldivers immediately moved in for the kill, seeing how the Automaton garrison at Crystal Slopes represented the last major contingent left for the Automaton Legion on Lesath before liberation was all but assured.

The battle for Crystal Slopes continued through the day and into the early hours of October 4th, without any of the robotic invaders being spared. By 2:30 SEST, the S.E.A.F. had confirmed their control over the city, the Automatons having been successfully pushed out and the city now being liberated. The Automaton forces on Lesath began disintegrating and would soon have to withdraw into their last bastion at the Town of Morskie Oko in hopes of making a last stand against the soldiers of Freedom. The Helldivers immediately set out to expunge the mechanical scourge off the face of Lesath for good.

A Helldiver surveys the ruins of an **Automaton** Command Bunker in a park in Morskie Oko during the **Jet Brigade** attack on the city. October 16th, 2185.

Operation Reclaimed Fire[]

After the liberation of the planets Zzaniah Prime and Zosma, during the task of confiscating explosives from large Automaton stockpiles on Zosma and Marfark, the command of the Automaton Legion decided to deploy a Jet Brigade to prevent the threat of isolation of its largest group (since Operation Andromeda in 2184) in the Nanos, Hydra, Marspira and Sagan sectors, as well as to surround Menkent. At 16:30 SEST, the Automaton Fleet Destroyers, whose data indicated that they belonged to the Jet Brigade, were discovered leaving Aurora Bay, where the factories for the production of combat units of the Jet Brigade are located. At 18:03 SEST, the appearance of a large number of enemy ships was recorded in the Lesath system. An analysis of the battle formation, the number of ships, and the level of resources involved revealed that the Automatons had engaged 40 invasion fleets. Monitoring and intelligence data confirmed the participation of the Jet Brigade in the attack on Lesath, where fierce fighting is already taking place on the surface.

A ranger Helldiver shoots at the landed troops of the Jet Brigade, destroying several and . October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes. — A ranger Helldiver shoots at the landed troops of the Jet Brigade, destroying several jet troopers and berserkers. October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes.

In response to the use of these "elite" forces, the Super Earth High Command sent free forces to defend numerous population centres, the atmosphere and outer space of the planet. Thousands of Helldivers would also come forward to defend the planet.

The fighting initially focused around the Town of Morskie Oko and surrounding urban settlements, as the Helldivers rushed to protect crucial urban centers from the advancing Jet Brigade troops.

However, as the hours passed, the situation slowly became more and more hopeless, as the main component of the Helldiver Fleet was still focused on the campaign at Bekvam III. It would take 12 hours for Helldiver Tactical Command to finally reach a very tense agreement and redeployed the Democracy Space Station towards Lesath, as the DSS Eagle Storm was inching towards activation.

With only 12 hours and 36 minutes left before planetary defense collapse, The DSS Eagle Storm was activated and the Jet Brigade would be left trapped on Lesath's surface starting at 5:00 SEST on October 17th. The tide soon turned on the Helldivers' favor once they successfully repelled the Invasion Platoons at Morskie Oko just 2 hours later, which significantly depleted the Jet Brigade's forces. Only the assaults at Crystal Slopes and the planetary capital of Bucu's Rest remained, each being targeted by sizeable contingents of Automaton attackers.

Two Helldivers and a squad of gathered after destroying a group of Automatons. October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes. — Two Helldivers and a squad of SEAF soldiers gathered after destroying a group of Automatons. October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes.

Fighting continued through October 17th, mostly concentrated on the city of Crystal Slopes, as it was under siege by what was slowly becoming the biggest remainder of the invading Automaton forces. Brutal fighting ensued in the suburbs around the city and in the streets, with civilians having to be hastily evacuated during firefights between S.E.A.F. squads and Jet Brigade contingents. By the midnight of October 18th, 70% of the planet was under Super Earth control, with the Jet Brigade contingent left at Crystal Slopes being the last remainder of the enemy forces.

A Helldiver Ranger, supported by an and an , attacks an Automaton unit near the . October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes. — A Helldiver Ranger, supported by an OPS and an Eagle Strafing Run, attacks an Automaton unit near the bulk fabricator. October 17th, 2185, Crystal Slopes.

The Helldivers would initiate deployment en masse onto Crystal Slopes, seeing as a new assault onto Julheim was now threatening the FTL connection into Bekvam III, and with it the operational integrity of the Major Order, as the loss of Julheim would make Bekvam III inaccessible, and the Major order target planet of Marfark with it.

On October 18th, at 01:15 SEST, Crystal Slopes would be successfully defended and the last remaining troops of the Jet Brigade eliminated. Lesath would have been defended just fast enough to allow the Democracy Space Station to relocate onto Julheim's orbit while the Eagle Storm's operational capability still had 4 hours left before shutdown, which would prove invaluable during the planet's defense.

Operation Big Brother[]

Lesath was attacked again on the 14th of November at 10:43 SEST by a huge group of Automatons equal to 40 invasion fleets. This audacious attack threatens S.E.A.F.'s plans to defeat the encircled Legion's group in a number of sectors to the southwest. In response to the sudden aggression of the socialist separatists, the SEAF deployed significant forces on the planet and sent large reinforcements.

For the first day of the assault, the Automatons would advance almost unimpeded. However, a significant Helldiver force on the planet would inflict a small but impactful number of losses that, by November 15th, accounted for almost half of the invading force. With the end of the defense at Mastia, reinforcements came to aid in Lesath. However, the Automatons were advancing into the city of Crystal Slopes.

As the battle continued, the losses of the Automatons on Crystal Slopes pilled up to the point that, when their assault was broken and repelled on the morning of November 16th, 30% of their forces would be wiped out, on top of their accrued 65% losses from the prior 2 days of combat. With this momentous victory, the grim situation on Lesath would rapidly turn around into a major victory. Within just an hour of their forces being eradicated on Crystal Slopes, the Automatons would be repelled from Lesath once again and the Helldivers would have scored another victory against the self-actuated socialist menace.

Operation Tide of Tyranny[]

Throughout later part of November 2185, Automatons would perform a major offensive across the central and northern parts of contact line. While defense of neighboring Vog-Sojoth was successful, Socialists were eager to reconnect with the encircled forces in Tanis Sector.

On November 22nd, in a not-yet-seen scale of attack, Incineration Corps would arrive on Lesath in an estimated strength of 50 invasion fleets. Immediately, Helldivers from across the whole Federation rushed to the aid. Despite the sheer scale, by the end of first day, the Town of Morskie Oko was defended, catching up to the slowly advancing Automatons. Progress would stay strong, despite small amount of Divers being taken by the defense of Marfark that was hit with the second group of the Incineration Corps. Defense of Serenity Summit in late night of 24th allowed the Helldivers to once again, take the lead. The situation would change when Automatons reached the city of Crystal Slopes - while the defense was going apace, it was not going fast enough. Put in this ultimatum, most of divers decided to weaken Automaton forces in the countryside.

In the end, by 20:32 SEST on November 24th, Lesath had fallen to the Incineration Corps in what is perhaps one of the SEAF's worst defeats throughout the entirety of the Second Galactic War. This cataclysmic defeat not only gave the Automatons control of such a crucial chokepoint, but had essentially ravaged whatever chance the Helldivers had of succeeding the Major Order target of 8 successful defenses. The tactical decision to defend the massive, 50 invasion fleet attack on Lesath rather than repelling the smaller-scale assaults on Marfark and Irulta against the Illuminate now loomed large.

Now, with the morale of the Helldiver Corps severely broken following this devastating defeat, the Corps would be forced to leave Lesath and deploy to the Eastern Front to try to salvage whatever defense successes they could on Acamar IV and Inari against the Terminids.

Since their successful takeover of Lesath, the Incineration Corps would have yet to make another move through the rest of the 24th and the 25th of November. They would instead bide their time while the Helldivers were forced to defend both Acamar IV, before deploying to aid the defenses at the besieged Bekvam III from the other Incineration Corps division.

Operation Free Space[]

Lesath would serve as a hub for double-pronged attack of Incineration Corps on Vog-Sojoth and Gaellivare on January 1st, 2186. Despite early attempts at Gambit Maneuver (with Democracy Space Station being voted to orbit the planet), immediate orders from High Command to redeploy on Omicron buried any hopes in stopping the offensive. However, this development would immediately catapult Lesath towards a prime opportunity for its liberation.

After the completion of the Star of Peace, Super Earth High Command would leave the decision of where to fire next to the Helldivers. Three target planets were chosen as potential objectives for the Star of Peace's laser: Hive World Zagon Prime, should Nivel 43 be liberated from the Terminids, planet Valmox, should Afoyay Bay be successfully defended from the Illuminate, or planet Penta, should Lesath be liberated from the Automatons.

Despite Afoyay Bay, which was already housing Pandora Base and the Center for the Containment of Dissidence, being already under Super Earth control, the Helldivers would set out to liberate Lesath to open up Penta as a viable target for the Star of Peace's Dark Fluid beam. In the afternoon of January 15th, Helldivers and S.E.A.F. ground troops, aided by the DSS' Heavy Ordnance Distribution, would swiftly liberate the planetary capital Mega City of Bucu's Rest, wiping out the Automaton forces garrisoned there, which accounted for more than 37% of the planet's enemy garrison force. Along with operations on smaller urbanized settlements and other detached enemy positions planetwide, the campaign in Lesath immediately jumped from 19% liberation progression to 57%. On the midnight of January 16th, the liberation of the town of Morskie Oko would further bump the campaign up from 65% to 78% progression, as most Automaton forces had been wiped out, leaving only their bases at the city of Crystal Slopes and Serenity Summit left to wipe out, as all-out S.E.A.F. operations proceeded at full throttle.

With Helldivers fully focused on Crystal Slopes, it was liberated on 17:00 SEST, collapsing the remaining Automaton resistance on the planet with it. With Lesath liberated, the window to turn Penta into black hole was now fully opened.

FTL Lines[]

FTL Timeline[]

February 8th, 2184: Lesath is connected by FTL to Chort Bay, Menkent, Penta and Vernen Wells.
September 6th, 2184: New FTL lines to Gaellivare and Vog-Sojoth are established.

Trivia[]

During the 3rd battle of Lesath in the first phase of Operation: Legitimate Undertaking, some players noticed what appeared to be Terminid corpses on some maps. This was in all likelihood due to reused tilesets.
As of September 7th, 2184, this planet is the planet with the most FTL Supply Lines in the Galactic Map, with a total of 6.
Lesath is most likely named after Upsilon Scorpii, or orbits it. Upsilon was originally named Lesath before a name change, and is in the constellation of Scorpius.
- However, the distance of the star from the Sun, which is approximately 580 light-years, conflicts with the location of the Menkent star (58.8 light-years, almost 10 times less), if you focus on the relatively equal distance in the game between the Sun and Lesat, and between the Sun and Menkent. Even if we assume that the boundaries of the sectors and the location of the FTL lines are conventionally depicted, it remains unclear why Lesath is located closer than Merak (the distance from the star of the same name to the Sun is 79.7 light-years, which is about 7 times closer).
The Town of MORSKIE OKO is a reference to lake of same name in Polish section of Tatra mountains.
- Alternatively it is a reference to Morské oko ("Eye of the sea"), a lake in the Vihorlat Mountains in eastern Slovakia.