“	Broadleaf woodlands spread across rolling hills, broken by shallow waters that wind through mossy logs, flowers, and stone.	„
	~ Companion App Description.

Brilliance is one of 8 planets that reside within the Orion Sector. Alongside Luxuriant, it was one of first two Temperate Forest planets, added to the game on April 28th, 2026.

Topography and Astrography

Brilliance is a verdant, temperate planet comprised of one supercontinental landmass dotted by sparse lakes and swerving rivulets that interrupt the otherwise endless grove. The idyllic prairies of Brilliance are vibrant with life and color, as countless flowers blossom all over the meadow while the nearby trees provide shade and sustenance for the most equal species of the Galaxy, with only the odd rock or small chasm interrupting the otherwise perfectly waving hills and valleys of this planet.

The lush grasslands are regularly bathed by rainstorms which, while a blessing from Liberty herself during peacetime and no doubt a modest aid for agriculture, can hinder long range combat against any would-be invaders, as the pouring rain and the rising mist from its fall can lower visibility and drown out sounds that would otherwise give away the enemy's dastardly intentions. However, the monsoon can also provide some cover for the more stealthy of Helldivers.

Due to the planet having been a nuclear testing ground during the First Galactic War, Brilliance is not home to any Mega Cities or other facilities of importance for the ongoing Galactic War. However, as of April 2186, Brilliance is home to various urbanized settlements, which house a significant number of frontierspeople, as well as various scattered settler dwellings, frontier villages, camps, E-710 Storage Silos and S.E.A.F. installations.

The Brilliance System is comprised of planet Brilliance itself, its orbiting white, rocky moon and at least 3 other astronomical bodies, which are a gas giant, an unknown exoplanet that regularly eclipses the system's star and said exoplanet's orbiting satellite.

Sitting right on the elbow of the Orion Sector, Brilliance opened a new flank into Heeth once it was cleared for deployment, allowing the nefarious Terminids an opening to swarm the entire sector, and potentially invade the neighboring Celeste Sector if they are not stopped.

History

First Galactic War

Nuclear Tests

Brilliance had been discovered by the Federation of Super Earth during its early forays into the cosmos. During this time, they had managed to achieve some control over Brilliance and, during the First Galactic War, used it alongside planets Luxuriant and Big Rock to conduct nuclear weapons tests. Which weapons were being tested are unknown, but their democratizing power was such that they left the planet irradiated long enough to prevent any significant development on the planet during the Great Democratization. Because of these tests, Brilliance and the other two nuclear testing planets were declared as protected natural parks.

Second Galactic War

Operation Spore Cleaning

Despite the status of the planet as a protected natural park, Brilliance would see some form of democratic colonization, as some brave frontierspeople would establish urban settlements and other small frontier villages and dwellings throughout the prairie despite the risk of radiation.

After a century sitting in peace, the idyllic groves of Brilliance and the other nuclear testing planets would be finally rid of any traces of radiation left over from their First Galactic War misadventures. Because of this, the Ministry of Expansion scouted the three planets in hopes of securing new lands over which to construct new residential developments for high-classification citizens. There was only one problem. At some point after the Initial Terminid Outbreak of 2184, all three of these planets had been overrun by the Terminid Horde, which would require an expert hand in order to appropriately handle the "local" stakeholders: The Helldivers.

Brilliance, Luxuriant and Big Rock would be cleared for deployment on April 28th, 2186, and the Helldivers would be issued immediate orders to secure one of the three planets. With Big Rock sitting far away in the Sten Sector, deep behind Terminid lines, the only two available options left were Luxuriant in the Jin Xi Sector and Brilliance.

The Helldiver Fleet, accompanied by the Democracy Space Station, immediately warped onto Brilliance's orbit and began deployments planetwide. The campaign to liberate the world would be a hard one, thanks in no small part to the Spore Burst Strain which had taken root upon the planet, and had evolved significantly since the Helldiver Corps' last foray into the Gloom. Not only were they much faster than previous encounters, but they also had created a new strain of titan class bug: the Spore Burst Bile Titan.

However the bugs weren't the only ones to evolve, as the Helldivers were granted access to new equipment through the Exo Experts warbond, which as the name ... included new exosuits. These being the modern reinvention of the Lumberers of the first Galactic War, the EXO-51 Lumberer, as well as the completely new and brand new EXO-55 Breakthrough. Despite some minor teething issues, the exosuits proved themselves highly capable in combat, allowing the Helldiver Corps to clear the world one bomb at a time.

On the 1st of May 2186 at 0600 hours (SEST) all major Spore Burst Strain infestations had been removed from the paradise world, paving the way for full colonization. Yet the Helldivers could not celebrate just yet, as not only did they still have to liberate Luxuriant and Big Rock to complete the portfolio, but also protect Brilliance from re-infestation as the Spore Burst Strain had spread to the neighboring worlds of Terrek, Azterra, and Cirrus. As they say, a hero's work is never done.

Hours later, Brilliance would be attacked once again by the Terminids on May 2nd. The attack was projected to last 2 days, the defense rating being of 30. However, thanks to the diligent appearance of the Helldivers, the attack on Brilliance would be successfully defended by the night of May 3rd. By midday of the 5th of May, the planet was considered secure enough that the Ministry of Expansion could deploy cleanup teams, to remove all Terminid remains.

At the same time, development companies specializing in the preservation of nature were also contracted to construct homes for high-classification citizens while maintaining land value. Further expansion plans were immediately approved, as land auctions broke acreage valuation records. The beauty and bounty of these planets would finally be shared with those most deserving, thanks to the Helldivers.

Operation Ad Memoriam

MINOR ORDER: BRILLIANCE PERIMETER

Amongst the first of Brilliance's new colonists was the former Fort Union satellite technician turned commander of the 405th Cyberwarfare Detachment, who developed a malware system capable of disabling Illuminate technology during the invasion of Super Earth. Rumors that this eccentric genius was conducting unauthorized cross-species experimentation or "insect-conversion side effects" are entirely unfounded.

However on the 22nd of May, 2186, in the middle of the anniversary celebrations of the successful defense of Super Earth, the Terminids launched a vile assault against Erata Prime which threatened to cut Brilliance off from the rest of the federation. To counter this, the Helldivers were deployed to liberate Heeth (the source of the Terminid spores assailing Erata Prime) and Bore Rock, thereby establishing a ring of protective planets around the paradise world.

Heeth would be successfully liberated just before midnight on the 22nd, while Bore Rock would be liberated at 10:45 SEST on the 26th of May. Still, with the quarantine ring established, Brilliance would be shielded from any future harm. At the same time, the Ministry of Science released a statement confirming the legendary patriot remains safely inside their laboratory, completely un-mutated, and that any chittering or frantic clicking vocalizations are merely signs of their uncommon genius.

FTL Lines

• Heeth
• Terrek
• Bore Rock - Falstaff Sector

FTL Timeline

• April 28th,2186: Brilliance is added to the Federation Map - Connected by FTL Lines to Heeth, Terrek and Bore Rock.

Trivia

• Despite being the first planet to feature the Temperate Forest biome, the planet was initially added into the game as an Ionic Jungle biome instead. This could be seen by checking the planet in the Helldiverscompanion app from the planet's addition on April 28th, 2026 until May 1st, 2026.

References