Part 16: Killzone Lore Recap

Time for a quick history review, because it's important to recognize who the aggressors are in the Killzone universe lore.

Starting more or less at the beginning:



Humanity needs to take to the stars. Fortunately, all of Earth's governments have watched the Alien franchise and are eager to prevent private corporations from effectively taking over. Governments themselves plan to do the heavy lifting, working together as the United Colonial Nations (UCN). Private companies are allowed aid in the space colonization effort, but may do so only under strict rules and regulations. After all, we don't want the ruling bodies of Earth to be organizations beholden to profit and corporate shareholders, no? Regardless, the Helghan Corporation decides to get in on the action.

This image elaborates on how difficult a time the UCN, a new organization, is having managing all of it's brand new colonies:



Eventually, two planets are found in Alpha Centauri, a lush Eden-like garden planet and a storm-torn rocky planet, that are both possibilities for colonization. The Earth governments reserve rights to these planets for itself, not opening up colonization to competitive bidding for private corporations.

You have to hand it to the UCN. They are a brand new organization trying to micromanage to most elaborate colonization effort in the history of humankind, and they still take the time to root out corruption when it becomes unmanageable:



Unfortunately, bad luck strikes the UCN and they lose the entire fleet of colony ships sent to Alpha Centauri:



In desperation, they turn to private companies. Helghan Corp wins the bidding amid a scandal, giving us the first sign that the CEOs of the company are perhaps not the most ethical of people. You have to wonder if the loss of the UCN's ships was deliberate. Considering how convenient it was for Helghan Corp to have a fleet ready to go in case of emergency, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility to consider that sabotage might have played a role.

Anyways, Helghan Corp makes it to Alpha Centauri and names the planets after itself:



As the colonies develop, the UCN becomes concerned with growing inefficiencies with communication and management. They create the ISA to combat this:



(As a side-note: when I went over these in the Killzone 1 thread, I made a joke about how Gyre would never be mentioned in the Killzone universe ever again. Well, I was totally wrong! As it turns out, Visari sends his daughter (yes, he has a daughter) to Gyre for the duration of the war. I mean, he knows the ISA are coming for him, it makes sense to get his kin to safety. It's also mentioned during Killzone: Shadow Fall. You can overhear some politics mentioning how the Gyre Senate has a majority of Helghast members in it, and that Gyre itself is in negotiations for contract work from the Helghast Labour Union. Neat-o!)

So far, everything has been just peachy. However, the way the colonization efforts work out, it sets it up so that the Helghan Corporation will inevitably conflict with the UCN:



At this point, space travel is near-light speed. FTL travel is a thing of the modern Killzone games, but we aren't there yet. A private corporation now has control of the required space pit stop in the Alpha Centauri system. Want to get to any other system beyond Alpha Centauri? Sorry, you're gonna have to stop at the Helghan Corp Space Station orbiting planet Helghan. We already know the leaders of Helghan Corp are shady, so do you wanna take a guess at what they decide to do with this power?

Well, to start, they manage to get their own militia officially sanctioned, much to the chagrin of ISA leaders:



They also make mad bank seeing as they have a space monopoly on being the "last chance" space gas station:



AND THEN they set themselves up as a civil administration, taking away governing duties from the ISA:



Remember, the ISA is a ultimate a political body. It's beholden to its citizens. And if you go far enough up its ranks, you'll find it reporting back to the UCN on Earth. The Helghan Administration ends with the Helghan Corporation CEOs. Also, the UCN find themselves in between a rock and a hard place and basically have to accept the Helghan Administration's offer to buy out the Alpha Centauri system even though it goes against everything the UCN stands for: letting private companies rule worlds.

Oh, the woes of space economics.

The Helghan Administration quickly moves to make the most of this situation by taking advantage of its "last chance space gas station" to charge increasingly large and thinly disguised travel tariffs over several decades. Of course, Helghan-based ships are exempt from the charge:



Of course, this bullshit tax pisses of the Earth government immensely. See? You see what happens when you let a private corporation take part in an effort to save humanity from extinction? They try to turn a profit:



Now the UCN military arm, the UCA, has a navy to be reckoned with, ready to smash the Alpha Centauri ISA who are, in all likelihood, more loyal to their Helghan and Vektan leaders than Earth at this point in history. Now, if you find yourself thinking, "but Blind Sally, the EarthGov sold those rights to the Helghan Corporation! They're allowed to charge tariffs, even if they are exorbitant and cruel! The EarthGov are being greedy by trying to reign in the powers that they originally gave Helghan Corp! Who cares if EarthGov were in dire straights (that may or may not have been originally caused by Helghan Corp meddling) and had to sell just to ensure their colonies survived? Who cares? This is an infringement of Helghan's rights!", then you're probably a Helghast. Just sayin'.

Note, though, that the wealthy elite of Vekta, WHO OWN COMPANIES OF THEIR OWN IN THE ALPHA CENTAURI SYSTEM, are encouraging the corporate government of the Helghast Administration to keep up the pressure against EarthGov.

EarthGov gets desperate, demands compliance, and the Helghan Administration claims it's seceding from the UCN. EarthGov goes, "oh holy shit, we cannot have a private company ruling the stranglehold between Earth and its colonies, this is seriously fucked up", and send in the big guns:



In preparation for EarthGov's arrival, the Helghan Militia tries to co-opt and then expel the Alpha Centauri ISA. Which is hilarious! The UCN built its Heavy Cruisers with the expectation that they'd be facing opposition from ISA loyalists. Honestly, they probably would've fought for the Helghan Administration. Instead, the CEOs start panicking and try a hostile takeover of the ISA, which goes about as poorly as you can expect:



The ISA are then grateful to join up with the UCA Navy when is arrives. The following conflict is a massacre, as the UCN's Heavy Cruisers decimate the Helghan Admin's fleet. Of interest, is the confusing around the destruction of the Helghan Administration's space station:



Both sides point fingers. We will never know what really happened to the space station. Was the UCA Navy being too aggressive? Was the Helghan Administration trying to salt the Earth to make their enemies look bad? Were the disgruntled ISA contingents exacting revenge upon the people they felt betrayed them? Doesn't matter. It happened. Though I will point out that this is not the first suspicion of sabotage that has been laid at the feet of the Helghan Corporation/Administration. If it was indeed self-sabotage, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Helghan leadership, under a different name, would try a similar tactic in the Second Interstellar War (Visari and the Red Dust nuke).

Afterwards, it's basically mop-up duties, since the poorly trained Helghan forces are nothing against the combined ISA and UNA Navy forces:



Now it's true, the Helghan Administration has evolved into something more than just a private corporation by this point. Yes, it is more of a government. It's still one that is beholden to private interests--remember that the wealthy leaders of Vektan companies were the ones who pushed the Administration to oppose Earth rule. You can sympathize with the individuals on Helghan and Vekta, but I'd really hesitate before you start sympathizing with its leaders or the organization itself. That'd be like watching an Alien movie where Earth mustered up the military to put Weyland-Yutani in its place, and then feeling sorry for Weyland-Yutani and its leadership.

No, fuck Weyland-Yutani. Fuck the Helghan Administration. I know we don't know a whole lot about how EarthGov is run, but I'm going to give the UCN the benefit of the doubt since they represent the planet itself, have made a concerted effort to save humankind, and have a track record of stamping out corruption when it becomes too rampant (see: the dissolution of the UCN Defense Force). I, for one, am glad that the UCN took power away from the Helghan Administration in order to protect Earth and the rest of its colonies.

Now, most Helghan citizens simply want to live their life out in peace and don't care much for space tariffs and space taxes. Unfortunately, there are some Helghan extremists who are really loyal to their company and basically ruin things for everyone:



Naturally, terrorist attacks result in more restrictions:



And get this: THE WEALTHY FAMILIES OF HELGHAN POOL THEIR RESOURCES TO BUY SOME SHIPS TO SETTLE HELGHAN. They weren't sent there by EarthGov. They weren't forced to live on that shitty, shitty rock. They chose to go there. Best of all, they chose to go there because they were sick of restrictions that were being placed upon them because of terrorist events that they were probably funding. Terrorist attacks that were being funded because they were upset that they had been occupied by a force that they instigated a fight with, a fight which they couldn't win because they vastly underestimated the strength of the sleeping giant they were prodding. EarthGov at this point, baffled beyond belief, I'm sure, decides to say "fuck it" and even recognizes the Helghan Administration as a sovereign nation--which is pretty much what their goal was this whole time.

I love it. I love it so much. EarthGov is tired of these corporate crazies and says "you know what? Fine, you win. You win. Here, take the planet. You want to go live there so bad? You can have it. Fine, whatever. If this makes the terrorist attacks stop, then go. Go live there. I just--I don't even care anymore. Go. You can even be a sovereign nation. That's what you wanted, right? Whatever. I don't even care anymore."

Again, if you're thinking "but Blind Sally, the Helghan Administration's rights! ", then you're probably a Helghast.

Another note: this is the "Great Exodus" that Visari was blathering on about in the opening credits of Killzone 1. Seriously, now that you know the true history of this conflict, listen to how Visari spins it.

Years afterwards, the Helghan settlers remain paranoid FYGM-types who refuse any sort of help from the outside:



Over time, the Vektan ISA get complacent and dismantle most of their fleet, opting instead to build space defense laser to hide behind:



Over the next few years, the third generation of Helghans are born. They are more physically suited to life on Helghan, and health problems begin to disappear. Scolar Visari is born around now, just in time to live through the Great Helghan Depression:



Yup. This is the fault of the Vektan ISA, not the UCN (though you could blame the UCN for leaving the ISA in charge). Still, a narrative is beginning to emerge: it doesn't matter if you're from Helghan or Vekta, if you're an Alpha Centarurian, chances are you're an asshole.

It's this period of economic downturn and strife where people like Visari are able to rise to prominence. His oratory skills quickly get him noticed, and he more or less cements his power when he creates the identity of the "Helghast":



United under Visari's vision, the Helghast are able to thrive despite ISA sanctions:



The ISA are so complacent at this point, that even if they wanted to, they can't do anything about Helghast trade. Okay, so the ISA Governor decides to build more, newer space defense platforms, but hey, we've seen Killzone 1, we know how well that goes when Visari decides it's time to invade:



At which point we get the events of Killzone 1 and Killzone: Liberation:




I'm going to point out relevant details. Throughout their history, the Helghan/Helghast have been assholes. They're smart assholes, though. Visari knows that even if he can dismantle the ISA, he'll have to deal with the UCN. Please take a close look at points 8 and 9 of this Nine Point Plan For Vekta's Invasion:

• 8. Blockade the Earth and strangle the UCN into submission.
  
• 9. Capture the UCN Navy shipyards and orbital defenses. Leave Earth's population to starve to death. Build an enormous fleet and establish Helghast hegemony over all colonies.
  

I mean, I can understand point 6 and 7. Get enough power to defend yourself from EarthGov's fleets, and re-establish your coveted space tariffs. Sure. Whatever. I get it. But those last two? Damn! It's clear that Visari blames the UCN for not doing anything about the Vektan ISA's sanctions that lead to mass starvation on Helghan. I get that. I really do. I'm not okay with the whole "eye for an eye" thing Visari has going on, especially since it ultimately isn't about retribution or restitution. For Visari, it's just another stepping stone on his way to becoming the Emperor Palpatine of the Killzone universe.

Now, obviously Visari's plans are horrible. Remember, though, the narrative that has emerged is that, Vektan or Helghan, if you're from Alpha Centauri, you're probably an asshole.

I want to clarify the whole Rayhoven nukes thing. The Vektan ISA already have a nuclear program, yeah, but the Red Dust nuke is set on a fast-track development in response to the Helghast invasion. The northern invasion fleet is pushed back easily enough, due to the efforts of Templar and co. combined with General Lente's and General Adams' surprising incompetence. However, General Metrac proves to much more formidable and entrenches the Helghast forces in southern Vekta. The ISA's plan is to develop a tactical nuke that they can use to burn out the Helghast forces. Enter: Red Dust. High explosive, low radiation. Vektans nuking Vektan cities, to purge the Helghast--don't worry, the radiation quickly disperses, so they can resettle. The nukes weren't originally planned for deployment on Helghan, at least from the ISA perspective. Now considering General Stratson led the development of the nukes and he was a double-agent, I can't say what Visari's original plans for the nukes were, but I find the whole situation oddly ironic. The USA ISA develop a nuke to drop on themselves to stop aggressive invaders, but before they can do that, the Helghast steal the nuke and drop it on themselves to stop aggressive invaders.

Have I ever pointed out that it's interesting how close to USA the acronym ISA is? Huh.

Anyways, my favourite moment of "the ISA and Helghast deserve each other" in in Killzone: Mercenary. Spoilers, I guess, but this is Killzone so spoilers don't matter here, but the ISA develop a deadly virus that basically just shuts down all internal organs, killing anyone it comes in contact with. It has limited dispersal, so it's not super effective as a bioweapon. The Helghast steal it during the Vektan invasion, and refine its toxicity before the ISA invade Helghan. Now the virus's longevity is so potent that it is capable of triggering extinction events if proper deployed. The Helghast biologists realize, "holy fuck, what have we done" and try to destroy it. Unfortunately/fortunately (depending on who you side with), the ISA get it back. Unfortunately/fortunately, A rogue ISA leader decides, "you know what? Fuck the Helghast. The universe would be better off without them" and acts unilaterally to deploy it on Helghan. It's only due to the intervention of a money-motivated mercenary from Earth and a greedy black arms dealer that the virus is captured and destroyed, preventing the extinction of either the Helghast or Vektan populaces.

So remember, if you ever feel yourself starting to sympathize with either the ISA or Helghast, stop and pinch yourself. Remind yourself: you're from Earth. Earth isn't so bad compared to those crazy Alpha Centaurians. Earth is trying to save the human race. Earth tried to stamp out corruption. Earth tried to stop a private company from dominating space trade and exploration. Earth tried to stop the ISA from perpetuating a pointless and costly war by issuing a decree that they not retaliate against the Helghast until they could send an independent third-party to peacefully set up a resolution between Helghan and Vekta. Also, a dude from Earth, a greedy dude who makes a living off of killing people, prevented genocide on either of those planets. So in the war between the ISA and the Helghast, support the UCN.

Yay, Earth!