Tarsh

Tarsh
Type	Foggy Swamp
Faction(s)	Super Earth
Solar System	Tarsh System
Sector	Marspira Sector
Environmental Conditions	Thick Fog: Dense fog lightly reduces visibility for both enemy and friendly units.
Technical
Planet Index	67

“	Squelching mud, twisting roots; the odor of rot and anarchy. A teeming, endless morass.	„
	~ Official Description

Tarsh is one of the five planets that reside within the Marspira Sector. After the liberation of Gaellivare on September 27th, 2184, Tarsh was turned into a DSS Logistics Hub.

Topography

Tarsh is now a Foggy Swamp planet, covered in endless expanses of mangrove trees that block Eagle-01's effective delivery of high-caliber democracy onto Super Earth's enemies, while the ground is riddled with vast extensions of muddy lakes and high amounts of shrubberies, roots and vegetation that slow down Helldivers.

History

Second Galactic War

Operation People's Shield

Tarsh had been, ever since the start of the war against the Automatons, a solitary planet, cut off the rest of the Marspira Sector as its Colonial Overseer saw the incoming threat from nearby Aesir Pass and Vernen Wells. As the months passed, Tarsh would remain in a type of tense, fragile peace, as the Automatons inched ever closer to the Marspira Sector until, in August 17th, Tarsh's peace would be taken from it.

After successfully punching into neighboring Curia in August 11th, the Automatons would then restore the FTL line to Tarsh and launched a massive onslaught, in their desperate push towards Super Earth. However, the Automatons wouldn't count with the Helldivers' superior military strategy, as the Helldivers would capture Curia on August 18th, only a day after their initial push into Tarsh. The Automaton offensive would be forced to withdraw back to Vernen Wells that day.

However, this would not be the end of Tarsh's problems as the Automatons that survived would withdraw to Vernen Wells and, on August 20th, sent a second assault onto Tarsh through a newly formed FTL line connecting Vernen Wells and Tarsh, while also launching an assault onto neighboring Curia in a desperate attempt to hold on to their vanguard at the Marspira Sector.

Operation Critical Mass

Though primarily focused towards the Terminid containment zone on the eastern front, the secondary objective for Operation Critical Mass was the Automaton-controlled planets Tarsh and Mastia as both contain significant manufactories producing polystyrene foam, an important precursor to napalm. If both planets could be liberated within the duration of the operation, it would be possible to immediately roll out the Orbital Napalm Barrage for fleetwide acquisition. While the reduction of the Terminid population demanded critical attention, many helldivers saw the acquisition of these planets and their critical facilities as being more important for the long-term war effort.

Initially progress on Tarsh would be slow, with the majority of Helldiver and SEAF's focused on the neighboring desert planet of Mastia. However following its liberation on the 15th of September, 2184, Helldivers would gain access to the orbital napalm barrages now that the planet's polystyrene foam manufactories were under federation control. Moreover, Tarsh was cutoff from all adjacent Automaton systems, and their resistance crumbled as a result! While the isolated bots on Tarsh fought fiercely, they couldn’t hold off the Helldivers, bringing the planet back into Liberty’s warm embrace, and unlocking the Orbital Napalm Barrage fleet-wide.

Operation Leap Forward

DSS Logistics Hub
Date	28 September 2184 - 12 November 2184
Status	Destroyed
Faction	Super Earth
Planet	Tarsh

“	Part for the Democracy Space Station are prefabricated all over the Galaxy, then shipped here to await assembly.	„
	~ DSS Logistics Hub Description

After the Helldivers have managed to retake Gaellivare from the Automatons' clutches, securing an ideal construction site for the Democracy Space Station, A DSS Logistics Hub would be set up on Tarsh to manage the massive amount of resources and manpower which would be needed in the battle station's construction.

Operation Spark of Liberty

Since its final liberation in September, Tarsh would have seen pretty much zero attacks, allowing the DSS Logistics work to perform its duties without much interruption. However, this peace was not guaranteed, as Vernen Wells stood nearby with the Automaton Vanguard still waiting. The situation would only worsen when, in October, the Jet Brigade would take over Matar Bay and Martale before the Helldivers could put a temporary stop to them. As the DSS neared completion, the Automatons began to relocate the remnants of the Jet Brigade and, following their failed attempts of expansion, began to rebuild the Jet Brigade.

By November 11th, the writing was on the wall. The Automatons had rebuilt the nefarious special force and were preparing to take over Tarsh and, after it, Gaellivare, in a last ditch attempt to destroy the Democracy Space Station.

On the afternoon of November 11th, Tarsh would send an urgent emergency distress signal, reporting the presence of the Jet Brigade and at least 58 Automaton Battalions, the single biggest enemy onslaught faced in the war so far, even surpassing the Terminid Superonslaught faced in Socorro III in August 6th, 2184.

The main Helldiver fleet turned up on Tarsh immediately, decided to inflict as many casualties on the Jet Brigade's numbers as possible, in hopes of ultimately inflicting enough damage to allow for the strike force's defeat on a later defense. The remaining garrisons of the Colonial Defense and what little civilian stragglers had been left behind would be joined by almost every Helldiver there was in the corps, fighting shoulder to shoulder to keep the robotic tide at bay as desperate evacuations of important personnel were made.

But despite the immense courage and bravery, the Automatons had come in plenty of numbers towards the marshy planet. Tarsh would fall on November 12th, but not after an acceptable number of high-value personnel was evacuated. While the DSS Logistics Hub was destroyed, the facility had fulfilled its purpose and was of no more use. However, through its capture, the Automatons had pinpointed the location of the Democracy Space Station at Gaellivare and began to rally their forces in preparation for an advance towards it.

Operation Liberty Shield

Tarsh would remain under Automaton occupation since its fall in November, with the Helldivers successfully activating the DSS but having to contend with higher priority targets both at the Terminid front and at the Automaton front, which left Tarsh seemingly without a chance for liberation. That would change once the new year had come. On January 2nd, 2185, the government of Super Earth approved the FREEDOM act, which allowed the Ministry of Unity greater liberty to handle internal and external threats. In order to handle such threats, they necessitated the construction of a new Center for Citizen Surveillance and Safety at neighboring Mastia. However, given that not only was Mastia under the control of the Automatons but also connected to their vanguard forces through Tarsh, the order was given that Gaellivare, Tarsh and Mastia were all liberated and held for the 5 days of the operation.

Tarsh would see an initial wave of around 17,000 Super Destroyers deployed onto its surface, while the main Helldiver fleet concentrated on liberating Mastia. On January 5th, with Mastia fully secured, the main Helldiver fleet immediately began relocation towards Tarsh. Things would go smoothly for the Helldiver Corps on Tarsh until, later in the day, the Automaton forces on Lesath moved to attack Gaellivare, forcing the Helldivers to split which ultimately only served to slow down Tarsh's liberation, as the Helldivers could not commit enough manpower to Gaellivare's defense.

Despite this setback, Tarsh was liberated on January 7th, with the Helldivers that departed for Gaellivare managing to successfully hold the lines at preventing the liberation loss that would have usually followed after a failed defense. With this momentum behind them and with Tarsh safe, the Helldivers moved to secure Gaellivare.

FTL Lines

• Curia (Re-established on August 17, 2184)
• Mastia (Re-established on August 17, 2184)
• Vernen Wells (Established on August 20, 2184)

FTL Timeline

• February 8th, 2184: Tarsh is connected by FTL to Curia and Mastia.
• June 4th, 2184: FTL lines to Curia and Mastia are destroyed.
• August 17th, 2184: FTL lines to Curia and Mastia are re-established.
• August 20th, 2184: New FTL line to Vernen Wells is established.

Environmental Change History

Patch	Changes
1.001.002	Tarsh is change to a Foggy Swamp Biome.
1.000.000	Tarsh is a Arctic Biome.