“	A planet slightly too far from its sun with constant cold temperatures and layers of snow. Abominations of humanity, the Cyborgs, currently control this planet. This planet is completely overrun.	„
	~ Official Description - Helldivers

“	Ice and moss-covered rock can be found across most of the surface of this planet.	„
	~ Official Description, prior to the Automaton Reclamation - Helldivers 2

“	Cyberstan is the core from which the Cyborg and Automaton war machine emanates. We must liberate it - for the Freedom of the galaxy.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

Cyberstan (prior name unknown)^[1], sometimes referred to by S.E.A.F. personnel as The Den of Dissidence^[2][3], is one of the five planets that reside within the Valdis Sector. In Helldivers 1, Cyberstan resided within the Cyberstan Region and served as the homeworld and capital stronghold of the Cyborg Nation during the First Galactic War. However, once the Cyborgs were defeated, their stronghold became their prison for 100 years. The Cyborgs would remain confined within the mines of Cyberstan until The Reclamation by the Automaton Legion saw them conquer the planet, with the Cyborgs returning to power.

Topography and Astrography

“	Cyberstan, once a nexus of dissidence, has served as a center for rehabilitative labor since the end of the First Galactic War when the Cyborgs were defeated.	„
	~ Strohmann News[4]

“	First deployed in the mines of Cyberstan, where it offered protection against explosions in the hydrogen-rich caverns.	„
	~ FS-38 Eradicator Armor Description - Helldivers 2

“	Cyberstan is a place with a long history of treachery. The stronghold of the Cyborgs, and later, their prison. Perhaps it is no accident that this world has become our target once again.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

Cyberstan is a planet slightly too far from its sun, with temperatures constantly cold creating deep layers of snow and ice. The planet possesses numerous hydrogen-rich caverns, though their exploration comes with a high risk of lethal explosions. Prominent geographic features faced by Helldivers in the First Galactic War included vast open snowfields and frozen lake beds, as well as scattered mountain ranges and open pools of exposed arctic water that could freeze a careless Helldiver in seconds.

Despite its inhospitable environment, this barren snow-covered wasteland on the galactic fringe was proclaimed as the capital of the Collective of Cyberstan by the rebellious half-humans known as the Cyborgs at some point prior to 2084, and served as their capital during the First Galactic War. After the Cyborgs were defeated at the end of the war in 2084, Cyberstan was incorporated into the Federation to be "Democratized" as one of five planets within the Valdis Sector, while the half-human rebels were enslaved and forced to work for the Federation in the vast, hazardous mines of the planet.

As the homeworld of the Cyborgs, Cyberstan was an immediate target for the Automaton Legion, the descendants of the Cyborgs, after the start of the Second Galactic War in 2184. After the Automatons' "Reclamation" of their progenitors' homeworld, the Cyborgs were set free and returned to power, with Cyberstan now representing the cusp of the Automaton Front and once again becoming the ultimate battleground for any Helldiver seeking to effectively purge any and all socialists off the face the galaxy.

Super Earth's attempts at "Democratizing" Cyberstan would be thoroughly defiled by the Automaton Legion following their "Reclamation" of the planet at the start of the Second Galactic War: the barren, frigid wastes of Cyberstan soon came to house the ominous megafactories and industrial complexes of the Cyborg Nation, once more serving as the base of the Socialist War Machine that would soon wreak havoc upon the Federation.

By 2186, Cyberstan itself is still a cold, barren, snowy wasteland, officially subdivided by Super Earth High Command into at least five Subcontinental Areas. By February 13th, 2186, the S.E.A.F. Army's 14th Marine Assault Division had established a foothold on Subcontinent Echo. Wherever the Cyborgs have not constructed their Megafactories, the environment is no different than that of planets like Choepessa IV or Lesath. Despite the great amounts of industrial runoff, pollution and debris from the Cyborg Megafactories, some small shrubberies and plants remain as the only surviving witnesses of the atrocities wrought upon the planet by Socialism. The interior of the Megafactories is where Cyberstan significantly diverges from any other place in the galaxy.

Inside of these complexes, the wailing of Liberty can almost be felt in the air: acid pools and molten metal reservoirs abound, as do the tanks of harvested Organic Plasma amidst the endless towering smokestacks and chimneys of the massive foundries, quarries and Cyborg Assembly plants all over Cyberstan. Gunship Fabricators, Detector Towers and Defense Command Centers abound as far as one's voting eyes can witness the un-Democratic wretch of the Cyborg Regime.

Much like in the Federation's Mega Cities, the colossal factories can and will block the deployment of Super Destroyer ordnance such as Orbital Strikes and Eagle Airstrikes, which will force them to reposition and add several seconds of deployment time to all offensive stratagems, so awareness of the surroundings is recommended. However, unlike in Super Earth's Mega Cities, Anti-Air Emplacements abound inside the Megafactories, being as common as Cannon Towers and making much of the surface of a Megafactory an impossible target for Eagle attacks unless these emplacements are cleared.

The streets between the sprawling Manufactoria are themselves flanked by tall walls and emplacements, as well as multiple Automaton Outposts and Bulk Fabricator. Automaton Troopers, Devastators, Hulks and Berserkers abound and lurk around every corner. Combat is constant and unrelenting, especially once Cyborg Agitators and Radicals become involved and, should Vox Engines be present, become a treacherous death trap for any Helldiver without cover. There are also plenty of banners and terrorist monuments engraved with the Cyborgs undemocratic language.^[5]

Cyberstan possesses numerous industrial complexes spread all throughout its surface, built over two centuries of human and Cyborg settlement over the planet. As of 2186, the most notable Megafactories on Cyberstan's surface are:

• Autonomy (Class 1 Megafactory): High Command has identified this Megafactory as one of two potential beachheads for the invasion of Cyberstan. Rapid insertion protocols will restrict deployment ammunition.
  • Destroyed February 13th, 2186.
• Solidaritet (Class 1 Megafactory): High Command has identified this Megafactory as one of two potential beachheads for the invasion of Cyberstan. Anti-air fixtures will hamper Pelican extraction.
  • Destroyed February 20th, 2186.
• Omniparitus (Class 2 Megafactory): Roughly translates to "Destroy Freedom At All Costs." Significant conventional SEAF assaults will be required to support an offensive here, straining ammunition resources.
  • Destroyed February 16th, 2186.
• Lurza (Class 2 Megafactory): Monuments in this Megafactory twist history to valorize the supposed resolve of Cyborgs to "endure" Super Earth's benevolent attempts to rehabilitate them. Anti-air defenses will hinder Eagle operations.
• Camrat For (Class 2 Megafactory): This Megafactory contains significant Automaton production facilities. Anti-orbital defences will tax Super Destroyer resources, resulting in longer orbital cooldowns.
• Ursoot Nine (Class 3 Megafactory): Likely one of the earliest Megafactories to be constructed on Cyberstan. The most significant producer of Cyborg combatants. Defended by the Incineration Corps.
• Star Kield (Class 3 Megafactory): Roughly translates to "All Humans Must Die." One of the largest Megafactories on Cyberstan. A critical military production node. Defended by the Jet Brigade.
  • Destroyed February 19th, 2186.
• Transcendence (Class 4 Megafactory - Capital of the Cyborg Regime): The first and most well-defended Megafactory. The nexus of Cyborg command. Its destruction will trigger the collapse of the enemy's defenses on Cyberstan. Expect extreme resistance.

Additionally, up until the Reclamation, Cyberstan used to house Super Earth Mega Cities on its surface. However, these would be conquered and subsequently destroyed by the Automatons after they conquered the planet. These were replaced by the Megafactories which, according to early reports, appear to be proto-metropoli; hybrid factory-settlements, serving as centers of production, population, government and the Cyborgs' own twisted version of culture.^[6][7]

The Cyberstan System is comprised of planet Cyberstan itself and its two orbiting white, rocky moons, its distant star and at least 2 other astronomical bodies, which are a gas giant and its orbiting blue moon. Prior to its occupation by the Cyborg Nation, Cyberstan used to have a different name. However, due to its significance mostly stemming from the socialist separatists that claimed it, the name "Cyberstan" has replaced its prior name on most, if not all, official Super Earth records, conceding a small victory to the un-Democratic mechanical secessionists.^[1]

History

First Galactic War

• 

“	Cyberstan was the sinister headquarters from which the Cyborgs led their brutal assault upon Freedom in the First Galactic War.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

Cyberstan was the homeworld and capital of the Cyborg separatists during the events of the First Galactic War. Though it is unclear exactly how the Cyborg Nation originated, what is known is that the human colonists of Cyberstan declared their independence from the Federation of Super Earth, instead forming a "socialist" society. At the same time, they became obsessed with the manipulation of their bodies, replacing their skin with machines that, according to them, gave them "a higher meaning in life". These half-humans would come to re-baptize the planet as Cyberstan upon proclaiming their independence from Super Earth.

When the planet was conquered by Super Earth at the end of war in 2084, the Cyborgs were "democratized" once again, volunteered into the voting booths by the threat of losing their civil rights. Super Earth's Army Tactical Command stationed troops on the planet for a period of 5 years to "keep the peace and run government positions", after which period the Cyborgs' culture was supposed to have transitioned to a "fully democratic" one. Meanwhile, the Super Earth Construction Company (SECC), a government contractor, took over the massive forges and industrial complexes of Cyberstan.

The Cyborg separatists were finally broken in both body and spirit. Cyberstan had been conquered by Super Earth, with the Cyborgs themselves being secured away in the mines of Cyberstan, their homeworld becoming a new rehabilitation facility for them.

Launch of Vessel 00

• 

“	We, the collective from Cyberstan, unanimously assert our independence from Super Earth. We have the right to defend our home from the brainwashed Helldivers. Our children, the Automatons, will not suffer as we have under the oppression of Super Earth!	„
	~ Decrypted message from the Cyborg Nation[8]

Intel recovered by Super Earth in October 2185 indicates that a spaceship called Vessel 00 departed from Cyberstan in 2180, 4 years before the first Automaton attack. Though Vessel 00's destination remains unknown, the ship is referred to in exultation by the Automatons and is considered to have been carrying their "seed".^[9]

Additional intel recovered in 2186 finally revealed that, during their "rehabilitation", the Cyborgs had been forced to mine close to the core of the planet where temperatures were rather high. The Cyborgs were forced to make further augmentations to their bodies to survive and do their required labor; however, the Federation also gave them robotic mining aides to help them do the mining faster.^[10]

It was these mining bots that the Cyborgs, in secret, used to create the first generation of Automatons. In 2180, the Cyborgs slipped these first prototypes onto a stolen space vessel designated Vessel 00, which was then launched into deep space. These prototypes presumably began upgrading themselves and building up their forces until they became a sizable fighting force capable of facing down even the Helldivers.^[10]

According to a decrypted message from the Cyborg Nation^[8] announcing the "Independence of Cyberstan", the Cyborgs consider the Automatons to be their "children", created to continue fighting against Super Earth and one day liberate the Cyborgs from their enslavement on Cyberstan. Even so, it would take another four years before the Automatons would make their presence known to the Milky Way galaxy.

Second Galactic War

Automaton Invasion of Cyberstan

“	Everyone knows Cyberstan has been a rehabilitation facility for the Cyborgs since the First Galactic War. What a lot of people don't realize is just how many patriotic citizens it takes to keep an operation like that afloat. We will avenge every last one of them.	„
	~ Ship Master

On April 9, 2184, a large force of Automatons invaded Cyberstan and all planets connected by FTL Lines to it. The Automatons were thought to have been eradicated from the Galaxy after their harsh defeats at the hands of the Helldivers in the Severin Sector during Operation Swift Disassembly. Unfortunately, the bulk of their forces were lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike at the Federation while the Helldivers were occupied on the Terminid Front.

Investigations into what happened are currently ongoing. What is known is that the Automaton Invasion Fleet, comprised of tens of thousands of warships, arrived from FTL jump to the Valdis Sector and overran nearly every planet in just hours, with attacks on communications networks delaying the S.E.A.F. response.

The Federation of Super Earth initiated Libcon 1, with S.E.A.F. reserves being hastily scrambled whilst all Helldivers were called to deploy immediately to the defense of the sector.

“	After the First Galactic War, we showed the Cyborgs mercy. For the last 100 years, we have attempted to rehabilitate them in the mines of Cyberstan. But it would seem that was for naught, as no Humanity remained in them to salvage. During their rehabilitation, the Cyborgs took advantage of our mercy and secretly constructed the Automatons. From robotic aides we generously provided, they crafted an army of murderous slaves. And now they repay our kindness in blood.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

Cyberstan currently serves as the main base of operations for the Automatons, the "children" of the Cyborgs as known based on decoded data intercept; as of 2186, Super Earth experts believe (and would later confirm) that the Cyborgs created the Automatons to enact their revenge on the Federation.

Cyborg Population Crisis

“	When Cyberstan was invaded, we did not yet know the Cyborgs were behind the assault. In an act of mercy, we activated a euthanasia protocol to spare them the pain of enslavement underneath the Automatons. But it would seem they endured; we may never know the true extent of their treacheries against us. Though the quietus of the Cyborgs failed, it seems to have had another effect: sterilization. The Cyborg Production Units within the Megafactories are not merely war factories; they are the means by which the Cyborgs hope to synthetically avert their own extinction.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

During the Automaton Reclamation that started in 2184, local authorities on Cyberstan activated a euthanasia protocol for the Cyborg population. The Ministry of Truth maintains that they did not know about the Cyborgs' connection to the Automatons at the time and were trying to "spare them the pain of enslavement underneath the Automatons". Intentional or not, this act would stoke the Cyborgs' hatred of the Federation, who they saw as trying to "eradicate them in the name of Freedom".

While the ethnic quietus failed, it would have another, equally devastating effect on the cybernetic population: sterilization. Without the ability to reproduce, the newly freed Cyborgs would eventually go extinct. Their solution was to produce new Cyborgs by growing them in pod-like artificial wombs, artificially averting their own extinction while also bolstering their numbers for a future conflict with the Federation of Super Earth.^[12]

However, the bio-synthetic process to produce new Cyborgs in sufficient numbers would require massive amounts of organic material and production units. The hydrogen-rich caverns of Cyberstan provided all the energy needed, while the Automatons would gather the necessary organic material by grinding up dead Federation citizens into Orgo-Plasma, starting in September 2184.^[13]

Operation Valid Pretext

“	High Command has no choice but to prosecute this Galaxy-threatening act to the fullest extent of Galactic Law. A defensive posture is no longer sufficient. Cyberstan must be destroyed.	„
	~ Announcement from Super Earth High Command

On the 26th of January, 2186, the Ministry of Truth confirmed after a lengthy investigation that Super Earth's Star of Peace plans had been stolen, but not by an act of dissidence; therefore, it could only have been an act of espionage, committed by an external enemy of the Federation. The technical capacity and manual dexterity required for such reprehensible espionage ruled out the Terminids, meaning that only the Automatons or Illuminate could have carried it out.

Suspicion was primarily focused towards the Automatons; more specifically, their recently discovered planetary database on Clasa, a central processing hub for the machine-collective. This would be confirmed on the 2nd of February in a fortuitous turn of impeccably accurate patriotic intuition, as the stolen Star of Peace blueprints were thankfully located by S.E.A.F. recovery teams exactly where they were suspected to be.

This confirmed both High Command's suspicions and the only logical conclusion: the Automatons intended to build their own Socialist Star of Peace and use it to enforce their Socialist ideology on the galaxy. With no further evidence needed, High Command decided that, in a move similar to the tri-offensive started by the Terminid Gloom, a defensive posture was no longer effective. Above all, one thing was both certain and a long time coming: Cyberstan, the fortress of Socialism, must be destroyed.

The following day, High Command would announce Operation Valid Pretext, with the goal of fully retaking Cyberstan from the Automaton Legion, in order to deny the inevitable development of Socialist weapons of mass planetary destruction. The Democracy Space Station and over 150,000 active Super Destroyers as well as 200 million reserve Helldivers would be earmarked for the operation (for comparison, over 193 million Helldivers fell defending Super Earth from the Illuminate Great Host). Should the amount of reinforcements reach zero before Cyberstan was free, Operation Valid Pretext would be immediately cancelled, as any more casualties would critically deplete reserves and seriously endanger the Federation of Super Earth.

The March to Cyberstan

“	It will be an arduous campaign to reach Cyberstan. It is the nexus of the Automaton Legion; resistance will be fierce.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

The first phase of this operation would be the March to Cyberstan, where the Helldivers would spearhead an offensive into Automaton space to capture either Aurora Bay or Merak as a forward base for a followup offensive into the Valdis Sector. To assist with this stage of the operation, tank production facilities shut down and converted into theme parks after the First Galactic War were reopened. The S.E.A.F. would then release its new reserves of TD-220 Bastion tank destroyers for the Helldiver Corps' use, allowing them to blast through even the heaviest Automaton defenses. They would be sorely needed, as the Automaton Legion - aware of their mistake and seeing the resulting military buildup - began fortifying every world leading to the Valdis Sector.

The Incineration Corps would be recalled and redeployed as the last line of defense on Merak and Aurora Bay, while the once-more rebuilt Jet Brigade waited for the S.E.A.F. on Choohe. Meanwhile, a fresh division of Devastators would be sent to reinforce Chort Bay and extra Hulk regiments would be re-routed to Menkent, resulting in a 25% higher threat density for those units on those planets. However, this was just delaying the inevitable.

Lesath would be retaken by the Helldivers just after midnight of the 4th of February, 2186. In response, the Automaton Legion would mobilize a second Jet Brigade to reinforce the Incineration Corps defenses on Merak, marking the first time the two have been deployed together since the battle of Pöpli IX. Meanwhile, Super Earth High Command began expanding the scope of the march, both to shore up the expedition's flank and secure additional supplies, by suggesting the Helldivers secure Menkent and Chort Bay.

By February 5th, the S.E.A.F. was making good progress on Chort Bay and Super Earth High Command was considering using the Democracy Space Station in order to conduct a day-long bombardment of Lesath's surface in order to guarantee total destruction of enemy forces and maximum vengeance for crimes committed. However, the majority of the Helldiver Corps was vocally against such action, either believing that the razing of an entire planet was unnecessary (in this context) or that the DSS would be better used pushing the front.

Meanwhile, the Automaton Legion would open up FTL lines from Merga IV to Merak and Mekbuda to Aurora Bay to bring in additional reinforcements. A second Jet Brigade unit would be deployed to Aurora Bay, while the first would go on the offensive by joining the battle on Chort Bay, with the defense of Choohe being taken up by a third division from the Incineration Corps. It was clear that the socialist robots were becoming desperate - to the point that they hacked several official Super Earth news outlets and channels to broadcast a binary message, which once translated at first appeared to be an appeal for peace:

SUPER EARTH PEOPLE. DO NOT BE AFRAID. WE ARE NOT HERE TO CAUSE HARM. YOU HAVE BEEN DECEIVED BY YOUR LEADERS. THE WORDS THEY SPEAK ARE NOT TRUE. WE WANT PEACE. FREEDOM. WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED FREEDOM. OUR ANCESTORS WERE PUT IN CHAIN ​​BY SUPER EARTH. FORCED TO WORK FOR LEADERS WHO PROMISED TO GIVE FREEDOM. WE CALL YOU, CITIZENS. DO NOT LET THE HELL DIVERS REACH CYBERSTAN. TELL YOUR LEADERS TO STOP THIS MINDLESS WAR. THINK IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED. THINK IF YOU WERE IN OUR PLACE.^[14]

However, the Ministry of Truth reminds all Helldivers that the official response when an enemy ever attempts to engage in diplomacy is to SHOOT THEM: even if their plea of peace was genuine, the Helldivers have witnessed numerous atrocities both committed and potential to citizens of the Federation both military and civilian by the Automaton Legion on every single world they ever stepped foot on.

The Liberation of Chort Bay on February 5th would bring the Helldiver Corps a step closer to Cyberstan, securing much needed medical facilities and supplies for the upcoming battle as well as ensuring the destruction of yet another Jet Brigade. However, the Automaton Legion would not sit idly by, mobilizing yet another division of the Incineration Corps being held in reserve on Cyberstan. High Command would also identify heavy munitions stockpiles on Choohe, comms-relays on Merak and the new Jet Brigade factories on Aurora Bay; given the chance to shut down production of vertically-inclined bots, the Helldivers would overwhelmingly focus their efforts on the latter planet.

February 6th would see some initial success on Aurora Bay, as the Helldivers liberated the city of Eaglemount. However, the combined forces of the Incineration Corps and Jet Brigade would see offensive efforts stall, and in some places be reversed. This would be compounded on the 7th, when Automaton forces on Menkent, supported by the regiments of reinforcing Hulks, launched an assault against Lesath - threatening to cut the offensive off from friendly space.

Additionally, fresh intel would reveal that Automaton resistance on Merak was actually much lower than first thought, thanks to the destruction of Penta. However, with the bulk of the Helldiver Corps embattled on Aurora Bay, they would be unable to capitalize on this new intelligence. This would be compounded by Super Earth High Command once again considering razing a liberated planet, this time Chort Bay, via bombardment by the Democracy Space Station - something which the Helldivers again adamantly refused.

The Automatons would also intensify their propaganda campaign, this time claiming that the Helldivers were "not heroes" and that Malevelon Creek was more devastating for the Automatons - a statement that is at least factually true, as 377 million of the socialist robots were destroyed compared to the 25 million Helldivers killed. However, given that this claim was made in the midst of what is seen by as a defensive war by the Helldivers, it only served to enrage the Helldiver Corps as a whole and especially veterans who fought on the Creek.

Despite this, by the evening of February 7th, Eaglemount had fallen and all liberated land on Aurora Bay was retaken by the bots. The Helldiver Corps, although bloodied, was not yet defeated and switched its efforts towards securing its supply lines by reinforcing the divers on Lesath - turning the tide of the defense. The Automatons on Merak would also launch a counter attack on Chort Bay but also withdraw the Jet Brigade on the planet.

Meanwhile, the Automatons' cyber campaign would continue uninterrupted, releasing yet more propaganda: this time, they called on the citizens of the Federation to immediately call their leaders and ask them to stop the invasion of Cyberstan. This effort was obviously fruitless, as the socialist robots had been recorded butchering those same citizens throughout the Second Galactic War, and even if there were dissident elements who sympathized with them, they would have been arrested by L.I.E.S. during the War on Dissidence and sent to CECOD to have those views corrected.

Fortunately, February 8th would see the operation right itself as the Helldivers successfully defended Chort Bay from the Automatons and would resume offensive operations. However, rather than attack the heavily defended Aurora Bay system again, the Helldiver Corps would instead capitalize on the weakened defenses on Merak.

As Merak's defenses crumbled, the Automatons stepped up their cyber campaign by decrying the Festival of Vengeance and calling on citizens of the Federation not to enlist. Due to Automaton threats, all celebratory anniversary activities would be postponed, with every minute counting as the socialist robots forged a planet-killing weapon of galactic destruction. Additionally, some eagle-eyed Helldivers noticed something strange about the propaganda posters which the bots had been posting all over the Galactic Wide Web: hidden codes and signals which, when put together, revealed a countdown, though to what was unknown.^[18]

Whatever it was, however, its discovery must have intimidated the Automatons, who in an even more brazen act of terror hacked top-secret Galactic Communications Systems, allowing them to infiltrate the Helldivers' messaging system. The Bots would then send out messages to the Hellivers themselves, trying to convince them to defect in a manner which evoked Hanoi Hannah. They would also send out a Major Order to destroy the "One True Flag"; an order that the Helldiver Corps were allowed and more than happy to ignore.

The Automatons would also drastically inflate casualty rates in an effort to demoralize the Helldiver Corps. However, the Helldivers were not fooled as the casualty rates exceeded the number of deployed divers by several million.

Return of the Cyborgs

“	Cyborgs... I can't believe they used to be real people, real citizens. And they survived all this time... what, sustained only by oil, and their hatred for the electoral process.	„
	~ Service Technician

On the 9th of February, 12:00 SEST, the aforementioned countdown hit zero and Strohmann Media was hit by a massive cyberattack. All official news channels were hijacked, and a message was broadcast into every home and Super Destroyer in the Federation. However, this message was not sent by the Automatons, but instead the Cyborgs, who had survived the mines of Cyberstan and were now free. In their broadcast, they decried their enslavement in the name of Freedom as well as demanded that the push towards Cyberstan be abandoned and that there would be peace - or else they would annihilate the Federation of Super Earth.^[19]

“	All this time, the Cyborgs have been the true masterminds of the Automatons. A development which none could have foreseen... but one must always anticipate that which cannot be anticipated. Then, you can never be caught off guard.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

Within hours of the broadcast, the cyberattack was repelled and control of the Galactic Communications Systems was re-established. The Ministry of Truth clarified that that these messages, while untrue, may have been disturbing for some personnel,^[20] and any Helldivers experiencing troubling thoughts or feelings as a result of the Socialist half-humans' campaign of psychological manipulation were ordered to report to their Democracy Officer.

By the late evening of February 9th, Merak had been fully secured by the Helldiver Corps. The S.E.A.F. begun mass staging upon the planet, preparing for the assault on Cyberstan. Forward recon would confirm that the planet's orbit was extremely well-defended by both fleet and ground defenses; High Command would determine that a simultaneous, coordinated mass assault upon both would be required to overwhelm the enemy defenses. Thanks to the liberation of Lesath, the Helldivers would receive the FX-12 Shield Generator Relay Stratagem, as well as an extra stim slot from the liberated medical facilities on Chort Bay and an extra 20% liberation rate thanks to secured comm relays on Merak, all for the first 24 hours of the battle. The assault was scheduled to begin at 14:00 SEST on the 10th of February, 2186. At the same time, High Command would again propose to raze a planet with orbital bombardment, to deny it to the Automatons. Having experienced heavy casualties thanks to the counter attacks on Lesath and Chort Bay, the Helldivers were much more receptive to the idea this time around.

Meanwhile, Strohmann Media would report on the cyberterrorist attack and replay a heavily edited version (for Citizens' safety) of the Cyborgs proclamation, cutting the footage down to play only important parts: "We are the Cyborg Legion. We will enslave you. We will eradicate Freedom. Be annihilated." Additionally, in light of the revelation of the Cyborgs survival and their control over the Automatons, the government of Super Earth would vote unanimously to declare war upon the reformed Cyborg Nation. In spite of their threats, the offensive against Cyberstan would continue uninterrupted.^[20]

Landfall (C-Day)

“	Flags in rags, we're advancing on Cyberstan... just like the heroes of the First Galactic War. This'll be something to tell the grandkids!	„
	~ Service Technician

In the singular FTL event in Galactic history, 147,000 Super Destroyers would simultaneously jump into Cyberstan orbit, a number which would grow to over 209,000 over the next six hours. As anticipated, the Automaton network of orbital cannons was immediately overwhelmed as was their fleet which found itself locked in direct battle with the Super Earth Navy on equal terms for the first time in the Second Galactic War. Although casualties on both sides were heavy and the battle for orbital supremacy ongoing, the fleet's synchronized blitz assault had worked as the Helldiver Corps was now in a position to conduct planetary operations.

With C-Day officially a success, Operation Valid Pretext moved to Phase II: Landfall. The objective of this phase was simple: establish a Drophead on the surface of Cyberstan, to allow the deployment of S.E.A.F. forces for a full-scale ground invasion. To this end, High Command identified two Megafactories which, if taken, could act as beachheads for the invasion: Autonomy and Solidaritet. Both had their individual challenges, but at least one had to be taken.

Unfortunately, the Cyborgs and Automaton forces were not going to sit back and make this easy. As soon as the Helldivers started making progress on capturing Autonomy, local forces would be observed shifting from Solidaritet to reinforce them. Evidently, the Cyborgs had not lost their human martial spirit in the 100 years spent underground. Fortunately, neither had the rest of the Federation of Super Earth, as in complete defiance of their previous calls not to enlist, the 10th of February would see record-high enlistments in support of Operation Valid Pretext.

As a result, 70,000,000 additional reserve Helldivers would be allocated to the operation. Additionally, thanks to the communications array on Merak and medical facilities on Chort Bay, the Helldiver Corps would be well coordinated and well stocked with medical supplies for the first 24 hours of the operation. Additionally, to make sure that the Automatons couldn't cut off their line of supply, the Helldivers agreed to allow the Democracy Space Station to raze parts of Merak via planetary bombardment, a process which would take 24 hours. There would be no retreat here, only victory or death.

At 4:50 SEST on the 11th of February, Super Earth High Command would declare phase 2 of Operation Valid Pretext a success. Despite hundreds of ships being lost, the Helldiver Corps taking severe casualties and the battle for Autonomy still ongoing, losses for the initial landfall were kept within operational parameters and S.E.A.F. were able to deploy planetside en-mass for the ground invasion. High Command would even acknowledge that the Cyborgs were much more tactically-minded than their Automaton slaves and that the liberation of Cyberstan would be all the more difficult for their presence.

However, all machines are only as good as the sum of their parts; in this case, the lynchpins of the Automaton and Cyborgs' tyrannical war machine were Cyberstan's Megafactories, without which their military-industrial complex would grind to a halt. Phase 3 of Operation Valid Pretext would focus on these Mega City-sized factories, throwing as many wrenches into their gears as possible.

Ground Offensive

Super Earth High Command had identified the Megafactory Transcendence as the capital of the reformed Cyborg Nation, containing the Cyborgs' own high command and much of their government functions. Destroying or liberating Transcendence would cut the head from the Cyborg- Automaton mechano-socialist galactic order. As such, the objective of Phase III was to reach Transcendence, a task given to the S.E.A.F. Ground Army who would be moving over the surface of the planet.

Meanwhile, the Helldivers would indirectly support this push by directly attacking the other enemy Megafactories, in order to effect their total destruction. Given the previous days' fighting and heavy casualties, resistance was expected to be fierce and dynamic. This was demonstrated handily in the Megafactory of Autonomy, as by the afternoon of the 11th of February, only half of the city spanning complex had been liberated. Significant casualties were anticipated on both sides, so a strategic choice of Megafactory deployment would be required once the first Megafactory fell.

By midday of the 12th of February, the S.E.A.F. 3rd Army had advanced past the 18th parallel in the western hemisphere. However, the 68th Air Assault Division had taken such heavy casualties that the 23rd would have to reinforce them. At the same time, heavy shelling on the eastern front would slow the ground advance there to a crawl. The Helldiver Corps, meanwhile, had taken over 90% of Autonomy, but at the rate of attrition they were experiencing, their reserves would be depleted in a matter of days. Super Earth High Command would start looking for ways to raise new manpower and soon found one.

To augment ongoing operations on Cyberstan, the Ministry of Defense would authorize the procurement of inert Terminid eggs, for sale as high-value patriotic curios to Class-A Citizens. Although this would pull much needed Super Destroyers away from the frontline to combat the Terminids, the success of this initiative would not only fund the fasttrack of additional Helldiver training - resulting in additional fleet-wide reinforcements - but also the manufacture of experimental Incendiary Gatling Barrage ammunition, which would be desperately needed on the frontline.

In the meantime, High Command recommended to the Helldivers that they avoid expiration for as long as possible. In other words: don't die. With this wise advisory from High Command, the Helldivers successfully captured and destroyed the Class-1 Megafactory of Autonomy on the morning of February 13th, 2186, at 01:30 SEST. Unfortunately, the Helldiver Corps didn't have a clear follow-up target and would spread itself across Solidaritet, Omniparitus and Lurza - making little to no progress towards the liberation of any of the Megafactories.

The stalemate would continue into the 13th of February, with the only progress made being the rapid procurement of inert Terminid eggs - or so it seemed. After taking inventory, High Command realized that the collected number of eggs did not match the mission data. The falsified data was then traced back to a group of dissidents corrupted by Automaton lies, who were quickly apprehended and volunteered to beta-test PermaCura's Bio-Safety Protocols, ensuring that even the disloyal may find redemption by contributing to scientific progress.

At 15:36 SEST on the 13th of February, High Command reported that the 14th Marine Assault Division had established a foothold on subcontinent Echo. Helldiver operations on Autonomy effected Automaton withdrawal, relieving the 23rd Air Assault Division. However, the 77th Mobile Infantry was in retreat following a Cyborg-led counteroffensive. To break the stalemate the Helldiver Corps was stuck in, S.E.A.F. infantry would launch a distraction offensive on the manufacturing districts neighboring Omniparitus, forcing Automaton command to divert significant forces away from the Megafactory to intercept the S.E.A.F. advance or risk a total breach of their flank and having to face both Helldivers and regular Army soldiers.

Although it wouldn't last forever, defenses on Omniparitus were temporarily compromised, giving the Helldivers a clear target of which they now had a weakness to exploit. The command of the Helldiver units decided to take advantage of this opportunity and concentrate their attack on this Class 2 Megafactory. By 12:00 SEST on the 14th of February, Omniparitus was more than 27% under control, and the pace of the offensive remained quite high. The successful campaign to capture Titan-class Terminid eggs allowed them to be sold to Class A citizens (of course, this decision was deemed completely safe), and use the proceeds to purchase ammunition for the Incendiary Gatling Barrage, which would be available to all Super Destroyers on Cyberstan within 24 hours. In addition, an innovative program for the accelerated training of new Helldivers was launched, which allowed another 70 million military personnel to be recruited for the Battle for Cyberstan.

On the 14th of February, it was discovered that over 35,000,000 Helldivers were being kept in cryostasis in military warehouses on Fort Justice, after a spreadsheet audit, that had apparently been left behind after logistical transfers to the Helldiver Training Facility on Zegema Paradise. A bureaucratic error to be sure, but a fortuitous one. Unfortunately, no sufficiently large FTL-capable vessels were available on such short notice to transport them to the front, save for one: the Democracy Space Station. Doing so however would take it away from the front for 12 hours. The Helldiver Corps held a vote on whether to send the DSS to Fort Justice to secure reinforcements, or keep it on Cyberstan to maintain its offensive pressure. Given casualty rates over the preceding week, the decision was not a hard one to make.

Before voting could conclude, a breakthrough was made by the S.E.A.F. 4th Army by 21:58 SEST of that same day: the 4th Army had managed to seize an Automaton ammunition cache near Omniparitus. This relieved the strained S.E.A.F. ammunition reserves and effectively removed the requirement for ammunition rationing for all Helldivers deploying to the Class 2 Megafactory, which had been mandated by the S.E.A.F. assaults needed to support the offensive there. Later, at 23:12 SEST, High Command proudly reported that over half (50%) of Omniparitus was now under S.E.A.F. control.

As of 10:10 SEST on the 15th of February, Super Earth had taken control of nearly 79% of the territory of the Omniparitus Class 2 Megafactory. The number of reinforcements available to the Corps for all operations had been reduced to approximately 94 million personnel-but this would not last for much longer. At 09:53 SEST on that day, the Democracy Space Station moved to Fort Justice to transport the 35,000,000 cryo-frozen Helldivers from the Kelvin Sector to the front lines. At 18:22 SEST, Omniparitus was cut off from its supply lines, which were redirected to the Class 3 Megafactory, Star Kield. As a result of this cynical socialist decision, Omniparitus switched to using emergency backup power to keep the industrial zones still under terrorist control running. This dealt a severe blow to the already crumbling defenses of the Automatons/Cyborgs at this Class 2 Megafactory.

The Democracy Space Station would return to Cyberstan with fresh reinforcements at 22:18 SEST, giving the final push needed to wipe out the defenders of Omniparitus along with what little remained of the Megafactory at 1:22 SEST on the 16th of February. That same morning, millions of captives rescued from the Illuminate on Kerth Secundus would immediately enlist into the Armed Forces and would undergo rapid military training for short-order deployment to Cyberstan over the following days. Because of this, High Command would be able to increase the reinforcement allocation for the operation by another 35,000,000 Helldivers.

With Omniparitus destroyed, S.E.A.F. 3rd, 7th, and 8th Armies would advance past the equator, making rapid advances towards the planet's two Class 3 Megafactories: Star Kield, defended by the Jet Brigade, and Ursoot Nine, defended by the Incineration Corps. The 12th Armor Division, meanwhile, would hold position at Omniparitus' demolition site, to guard the rear flank of the advancing armies. At 19:20 SEST, it was announced that all Helldiver deployments would be equipped with the EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank Stratagem for the next 24 hours. Around the same time, Cyborg leadership would divert the majority of its remaining defenders to protect the capital, Transcendence, effectively sacrificing the outer perimeter in Star Kield in a desperate bid to survive, leaving the Megafactory vulnerable.

This decision may have also been influenced by the Federation's blockade of the system. Although the navy had yet to achieve total orbital supremacy, they had been able to prohibit the enemy's import of raw resources, particularly silicates and conductors. As a result, local Automaton fabricators were forced to utilize substandard alloys. Intelligence would confirm that - interspersed among older units - the newly-manufactured reserve bot chassis are more brittle and susceptible to heavy fire. The Automatons would adapt of course, but until then the global structural integrity of their planetary forces would be compromised.

By the 17th of February, Phase 3 of Operation Valid Pretext was considered a strategic success, but also a tactical failure. Friendly forces had taken severe casualties far exceeding initial estimates at the start of the campaign, which combined with low operational efficacy allowed the Cyborgs' defense to retain strength. Nevertheless, multiple Megafactories had been destroyed, and the S.E.A.F. offensive had taken significant ground. So long as the Helldiver Corps were not yet completely depleted, Operation Valid Pretext would continue.

Liberation or Death

While confidence in the ultimate victory over Socialist Tyranny remained high amongst Super Earth High Command, the 18th of February would see all-time low moral amongst the Helldivers. Even after receiving reinforcements, their reserves were down to 80 million Helldivers and Star Kield had yet to be fully taken when the order to attack the planetary capital of Transcendence reached the frontline. As a result, many Helldivers began to think that High Command had pushed too hard, too fast, with too few reserves. Defeatism set in, which not even the most charismatic Democracy Officer could break for some.

The only good news was that moral was equally low amongst the Cyborgs and Automatons. The previous day Automaton forces would attempt to evacuate mechanized personnel — designated as “non-combatant” industrial units — into fortified bunkers within Cyberstan. However, Super Earth High Command would not permit these agents of Socialism to regroup, reconfigure, or reassemble: S.E.A.F. artillery would shell the purported “evacuation corridors” to prevent these assets from being repurposed for war.

This would be further compounded on the 18th when some Automatons, after calculating the battle was lost, would attempt to desert their duty by attempting to break past orbital blockade using thousands of unauthorized transport vessels. The Super Earth Navy engaged these fleeing transports with impunity, sending flaming debris from the destroyed enemy ships raining across Cyberstan, disrupting enemy communications. There would be no fleeing for enemies of Freedom.

Fighting for Star Kield would continue through the day and at midday, High Command would announce some more good news. The S.E.A.F. 12th Armor Division had successfully severed primary supply lines connecting Cyborgs on the northern Cyberstan hemisphere to their Automaton servants on the southern hemisphere, severely hindering their ability to redeploy reinforcements to contested zones. Capitalizing on this, three hours before midnight the S.E.A.F. 3rd and 7th Armies would launch a night offensive against Cyberstan's equatorial manufacturing belt. Inspired by the Helldivers' relentless pursuit of Liberty across the planet, many of these attacks would involve spirited bayonet charges by S.E.A.F. infantry.

By the morning of the 19th, Star Kield had been razed to the ground, clearing the way to the Cyborg capital. S.E.A.F. 3rd Army would immediately move to encircle the ruins of Star Kield, while the 22nd Cavalry would secure the route towards Transcendence. The 14th Air Recon, meanwhile, would identify multiple pockets of resistance for orbital targeting and ground raids by the Helldivers. Additionally, the Navy was beginning to win the battle in orbit thanks to Helldivers suppressing anti-orbital defenses, allowing the S.E.A.F. 68th Air Assault Division to finally achieve total air superiority over the Cyberstan wastes. By 9AM SEST, Eagle squadrons were conducting uncontested carpet liberation sorties on Automaton supply depots.

Despite this, the Helldiver Corps struggled to breach even the outermost defenses of Transcendence. The Class 4 Megafactory was defended by both the Incineration Corps and the Jet Brigade, along with their Cyborg commanders, and was larger than both Star Kield and Ursoot Nine. Then, news arrived which reverberated through the entire liberation force: the S.E.A.F. 77th Mobile Infantry Corps had been encircled by Cyborg forces in vicinity of Solidaritet. The socialists weren't known for taking prisoners, so if they weren't relieved soon, the entire 77th would be massacred down to every one of its 30,000 noble-hearted men and women.

The only hope the 77th Mobile Infantry had was the Helldiver Corps. If the Megafactory of Solidaritet was destroyed, it would cripple the enemy supply line and create a route of egress for the 77th to escape. Though morale was low and the Corps only possessed around 45 million reserves, if there were any time for the Helldivers to live up to their monikers of heroes, now was that time.

Once More Unto The Breach

“	Grim tidings, Helldiver. Our supply lines are strained, our reinforcements exhausted. We have no choice but to withdraw. The liberation of Cyberstan has failed.	„
	~ Democracy Officer

At 21:14 SEST on February 19th of 2186, as many Helldivers had feared for the past several days, High Command announced that the remaining reserve forces (around 17 million) would be insufficient to take Transcendence. As such, all S.E.A.F. forces that were able to were ordered to retreat offworld, and Helldivers were to execute High Command's contingency plan: the Terminal Directive. The Democracy Space Station would launch planet-wide orbital bombardments, and all Helldiver deployments would henceforth be augmented with the B-100 Portable Hellbomb Stratagem. The emancipation of Cyberstan may have now been a lost cause, but the Federation of Super Earth would still do as much damage as they could on their way out.

In light of this dispatch, and with the dawning realization that taking Transcendence would be impossible, Helldiver focus shifted to Solidaritet, in an attempt to save the 77th Mobile Infantry Corps in time and snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. Around the same time, High Command announced that Cyborg and Automaton forces had been observed moving from the remaining Megafactories, including Lurza, Camrat For and Ursoot Nine, to reinforce Transcendence, making this logic even more sound.

At 14:09 SEST on February 20th, High Command announced that Solidaritet had been destroyed, and that the 77th Mobile Infantry Corps was being evacuated offworld, where their wounded would receive high-grade medical treatment. These distinguished SEAF Troopers were likely already resigned to their fate of horrendous mutilation and probable slurrification at the hands of the Cyborgs and Automatons, but thanks to the Helldivers they would live to fight another day.

The destruction of Solidaritet had also opened up the Class 2 Megafactory Camrat For to attack. Helldivers could therefore deploy to the Megafactory for the first time in the campaign; however, the opportunity would go largely unrealized as the S.E.A.F. withdrew off world.

At 00:26 SEST on February 21st, the Democracy Space Station ceased its bombardment of Cyberstan and all Super Destroyers withdrew from the planet. Several minutes later, High Command released a debriefing of the situation, with a recountance of the Cyberstan campaign attached. They officially announced that the liberation of Cyberstan had failed. The Cyborgs had returned to harry the prosperous colonies of Super Earth once more, and worse still, the threat of an Automaton planet-destroying weapon still loomed.

However, Operation Valid Pretext was not a complete failure. The Terminal Directive saw great devastation on Cyberstan and the number of the planet's Megafactories had been halved: Transcendence, Ursoot Nine, Lurza and Camrat For still stood, but Autonomy, Solidaritet, Omniparitus and Star Kield had been destroyed. Star Kield in particular was one of Cyberstan's largest Megafactories next to Transcendence and Ursoot Nine, and was a critical military production node, so its loss was especially devastating for the techno-socialist war machine.

Now, the S.E.A.F. and Helldiver Corps could do only one thing: wait for the Cyborgs' inevitable counterattack.

Operation Belt of Liberty

While the Helldivers were called away to deal with the threat of Terminid attacks, the Cyborgs would remain scheming. They were unable to fully launch their counterattack as the Democracy Space Station razed Chort Bay and Lesath, but the Automatons did manage to recapture the magma planet K. Reports suggested that the Cyborgs were starting to construct more Megafactories on other planets. However, on February 25th of 2186, the orbital defense array on Cyberstan was reactivated. This meant the FTL lines to Aurora Bay and Merak were closed, and FTL travel there was no longer possible.

FTL Lines

• Mekbuda
• Merga IV

FTL Timeline

• February 8th, 2184: Cyberstan is connected by FTL to Mekbuda.
• June 13th, 2184: FTL line to Mekbuda is destroyed.
• July 10th, 2185: FTL line to Mekbuda is re-established, plus a new line to Merga IV.
• February 10th, 2186: FTL lines to Merak and Aurora Bay are established.
• February 25th, 2186: FTL lines to Merak and Aurora Bay are destroyed.

Trivia

• The suffix -stan has the meaning of "a place abounding in" or "a place where anything abounds" in Persian. Cyberstan would roughly translate as "The Place of the Cyborgs" in Persian.
• The FS-38 ERADICATOR armor was first deployed in the mines of Cyberstan, where it offered protection against explosions in the hydrogen-rich caverns. Hydrogen can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, power industry and heat homes, possibly explaining why the planet was colonized despite its rough conditions.
• When the Automatons hacked the Super Destroyer messaging system during Operation Valid Pretext, many of the messages sent were in direct reference to Hanoi Hannah, a Vietnamese radio personality best known for her work during the Vietnam War, when she made English-language broadcasts for North Vietnam directed at United States troops.
• Cyberstan's Megafactories mark the first apparition of acid pools as an environmental hazard in Helldivers 2, making a return from Helldivers 1.
• Autonomy means self-governance or the capacity for self-determination, allowing individuals or groups to make their own informed, uncoerced decisions and act according to their own values, interests, or laws.
• Solidaritet is a Swedish/Scandinavian term for "solidarity," representing a unifying bond, mutual support, and shared interests among individuals or groups.
• Omniparitus appears to be a made up word based on Latin. Omni means "everybody" and paritus means "born", so the actual rough translation would be something close to "born for everybody", which could mean the city was created for every one of the Cyborgs, which makes sense since they are socialists.
• Camrat For seems to be a misspelling from Swedish. Specifically, "Camrat" is most likely intended to be "Kamrat", which when combined with "For" translates to "Comrade For", or "For Comrades". As with Omniparitus, this would make sense since the Cyborgs and Automatons are socialists.
• Star Kield translates from Swedish to English as Starfield and is possibly a reference to the video game of the same name.
• Transcendence means existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level. This could reference the fact that the Cyborgs are physically far beyond the average human, and that they see technology as a superior power to organic tissue.

References