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The cold war on Vekta is an ongoing proxy conflict between Vekta and New Helghan after the end of the Second Extrasolar War.
Background[]
The Second Extrasolar War ended in the devastation of Helghan known as the Terracide, caused by the destruction of Jorhan Stahl's fleet by ISA forces in preventing their invasion of Earth that inadvertently unleashed irradiated Petrusite warheads upon the surface of Helghan. The planet and its military and industries was left in ruins, and over a billion Helghast were killed.[1] What remains of Helghan's space fleet were able to evacuate some of the survivors. The remnants of the Helghan government entered negotiations with the Vektan government in which an uneasy truce was established to formally bring peace between Vekta and the Helghast. Under the terms of the truce, the Vektan government made the tentative decision to allow the Terracide survivors refuge on Vekta.[1][2] The survivors were granted residency status on Vekta and claimed one half of the planet, establishing New Helghan.
Following the resettlement, and despite diplomatic attempts to improve relations, the Helghast and Vektans were unable to seek peaceful coexistence as both sides harbored strong resentment for each other for their roles in the Second Extrasolar War. The Helghast in particular held the ISA responsible for the destruction of their world and refused to assimilate into "human" culture and desired to maintain their independence, which they began isolating themselves. In 2364, as a result, Vekta was partitioned and a massive wall was constructed to divide the planet into half, separating two civilizations from each other. Soon tensions rapidly escalated, with ISA cruisers patrolling their skies of Vekta City and monitoring the Helghast side, who likewise have counterparts patrolling their own airspace.
The cold war officially began some time after the wall was built. Both the Vektans and Helghast routinely perform covert operations against each other. The Vektan Security Agency was created as a result, and Shadow Marshals were inserted into Helghast territory, collecting information and engaging in full scale fire fights with Helghast Security Forces. The Vektan Council and Earth uphold trade embargoes and economic sanctions against the Helghast. Helghast terrorist groups, such as the Black Hand, were formed and conducted attacks on Vektans in defiance of the New Helghan government's compromises with the Vektan government. In public however, both sides acted as though nothing had occurred to prevent civil unrest.
Unknown to the ISA and the public, Jorhan Stahl survived the Terracide and had rallied Helghast survivors that were left behind on Helghan, and secretly plotted with Chancellor Hera Visari to rebuild their military might and reignite their war against the Vektans for the next several decades.
ISC Cassandra[]
The VSA established a secret bio-tech weapons program specifically designed to eliminate the Helghast. The research ship ISC Cassandra was used for this program, in which abducted Helghast migrant workers were taken to the ship to be used as living test subjects.
On June 22, 2390, the leading scientist of the project, Dr. Hillary Massar, planned to defect to the Helghast after realizing the VSA would eliminate her as a "loose end" upon the completion of her bioweapon. Massar released classified data to the New Helghan government before killing the Cassandra's crew by exposing them to her virus. The VSA were soon alerted to Massar's treachery and sent Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan to scuttle the ship into a nearby sun in order to destroy all evidence of Massar's bioweapon. However, the VSA were unable to prevent Massar from defecting to the Helghast, as she intended on helping them to develop her weapon that is re-purposed to target humans and Helghast half-breeds.[3]
Black Hand attack on Vekta City[]
VSA Headquarters is bombed by the Black Hand.
On June 29, 2390, the Black Hand under their leader Vladko Tyran launched a surprise, brazen attack on Vekta City. Multiple locations including VSA Headquarters and the Eden District were bombed and killing hundreds.[4] The Black Hand later commandeered three FlyRail trains and planned to use them as makeshift missiles to bomb the city's central station, but were prevented by the VSA. The VSA soon discovered Tyran's location in a high rise in West Vekta and attempted to apprehend him. After the VSA rescued hostages held by Black Hand terrorists, they were unable to capture Tyran, who escaped on a hijacked dropship to New Helghan.[5] After Vektan authorities closed its borders and its airspace cleared, the death toll was in the thousands.[4][6]
As a result of the terrorist attack, the Vektan government began deporting Helghast and half-breed citizens residing on the Vektan side to New Helghan, and increasing ISA forces along the Wall.[7][8] The New Helghan government was quick to deny involvement in the Black Hand's attacks, in which Chancellor Visari publicly condemned the Black Hand and claimed of willing to provide cooperation with Vektan security forces to stop the terrorists.[4][8]
ISA assault on Helghan[]
The VSA dispatched a covert attempt to eliminate Vladko Tyran in New Helghan. The operation led to the discovery of Jorhan Stahl's survival and the Helghast's plans to use Dr. Massar's weapon against Vekta along with amassing an invasion fleet from planet Helghan.[7] On July 7, 2390, VSA Director Thomas Sinclair led an ISA fleet to assault Stahl's base over the ruins of Pyrrhus and dispatched Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan to recover Massar and her weapon.[9] Kellan, however, did not followed Sinclair's orders and allowed Massar to be executed by Helghast rogue agent "Echo" to prevent her research from being use by both Helghast and Vektans.[9] Furthermore, Massar's bioweapon was being prepared to be use against the ISA; in which Kellan tried to warn Sinclair to call off the assault, but Sinclair deliberately did not heed his warning after he deemed the Shadow Marshal a traitor. Consequently, as the ISA began their attack on Stahl's base, Stahl deployed the weapon in which it destroyed all the ISA ships.[10]
Despite the horrendous losses the ISA had suffered, Stahl was killed by Sinclair, who then claimed Massar's weapon with intentions of using it to eradicate the Helghast.[10] Vekta was saved from a devastating attack, but at a terrible cost of lives. The ISA covered up the cause for the heavy ISA casualties by claiming that they were mainly caused by "friendly fire than was sustained by the enemy."[11]
The public disclosure of Stahl's thwarted attack nearly led to the end of the cold war and reopening a new conflict between the Vektans and Helghast as both sides accused each other of initiating the hostilities.[12] Diplomatic efforts to avert potential war ultimately failed after Vektan officials accused the New Helghan government of collaborating with Jorhan Stahl's planned invasion of Vekta in which the Helghast strongly denied.[12] Thomas Sinclair became one of the most prominent war hawks in Vekta who called for war against the Helghast. However, Sinclair would never live to see his war to come into fruition when he was assassinated while making a pro-war public speech on August 5.[13]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Similar to the setting of the Killzone trilogy that parallels World War II, the cold war between New Helghan and Vekta is analogous to the real-life Cold War between the Western and Eastern Blocs.[14] The division of Vekta City and the planet itself represent the division of Germany, Europe and Earth into West and East, and The Wall is a reference to the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Killzone Shadow Fall intro
- ↑ Evacuation!
- ↑ Killzone Shadow Fall, campaign level The Doctor
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Vekta: Day of Death!
- ↑ Killzone Shadow Fall, campaign level The Patriot
- ↑ Tyran is Toast!
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Killzone Shadow Fall, campaign level The Helghast
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vekta Continues to Threaten New Helghan
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Killzone Shadow Fall, campinaign level The Handler
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Killzone Shadow Fall, campaign level The Destroyer
- ↑ Our Heroes Return Home
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Prepare for War!
- ↑ Killzone Shadow Fall, campaign level The Savior
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (24 October 2013). "Why Killzone: Shadow Fall will feel like Berlin during the Cold War". VentureBeat.