Alpha Centauri

Alpha Centauri is a Binary star system, the nearest star system from Sol at 4.37 light years from Earth. The system holds two habitable planets, Helghan and Vekta, with the former orbiting Alpha Centauri A and the latter orbiting Alpha Centauri B. Humans and Helghast can be found here.

This system is declared to be the official Home System for the Helghast.

Discovery and colonization plans
The Alpha Centuari System was first surveyed in 2111 by exploration ships launched 10 years prior. Two planets were discovered, one being almost earth-like, while the other being barren. It was selected for colonization and to serve as a 'hub' system as a starting point for future colonization attempts.

The system was originally going to be colonized directly by the United Colonial Nations, but following the presumed destruction of six UCN colony ships in 2116 in the "Omen" incident, the UCN opened up colonization rights to bidding by private companies in return for 10% of profits to make up for financial losses. The Helghan Corporation won the bidding easily due to it securing a generous credit from the Interplanetary Banking Guild. Some accused the corporation of bribery and rigging the vote, due to the speed of the victory and the presence of an almost-completed colonization fleet; these accusations were not proved.

Helghan Corporation colonizes Alpha Centauri
The Helghan Corporation's fleet launched in 2118, entering Alpha Centauri in 2128. Errors cause 2% of the Colonists to die en route. The first planet encountered by the fleet was the barren planet, and was christened "Helghan" after the corporation. Further studies by scientists on the fleet show Helghan was rich with resources, but was uninhabitable due to its lack of light and oxygen, barren terrain, and dangerous storms. Scientists and volunteers quickly set up a prefabricated space station to manage automated factories on the planet. The rest of the colonization fleet moved on to the more Earth-like planet, which they named 'Vekta' after the Helghan CEO Philip Vekta.

During the years of 2129-2130, 12 colonies were established on Vekta. Thanks to the planet's abundance, Vekta was able to feed itself. Another wave of colonial fleets passes through the system in 2133, en route to the nearby Altair System. The same year, the ISA branch in Alpha Centauri was established.

By 2135, the colonies on Vekta stabilized and the Helghan Corporation begins to reap profits by charging ships which refueled at its station orbiting Helghan. Profits from mining on Helghan is rolling in and the quality of life for the colonists was high. On 2138, the Helghan Protectorate was established and provides a government under ISA authority to maintain Vekta and operations on Helghan. An independent militia was also formed, though the ISA puts limitations on it.

Helghan became very profitable once factories and infrastructure was completed in 2149, allowing for the Helghan Corporation to sell more energy to ships which stopped at the Helghan space station. Most of the Helghan Corporation relocated to Vekta to better administrate their businesses. They reorganize into the civil Helghan Administration on 2152, taking over the duties of the Helghan Protectorate from the ISA. On 2155, the Helghan Administration managed to buy the Alpha Centauri system from the UCN.

First Extrasolar War
During 2156-2190, the Helghan Administration became very powerful from their control of Alpha Centauri. The necessity of ships to pass through the system provided a guaranteed income for the government, and the mining of Helghan proved to be very lucrative. The shipyard became the largest outside of Earth, and many shipbuilders relocate from Sol to Alpha Centauri. The Helghan Administration's control over space travel leads to tensions between the UCN and the Helghan Administration builds up. This culminates to the secession of the system from the UCN in 2199. The Helghan Administration moved against the ISA forces in the early 2200, prompting a response from the UCA. The First Extrasolar War began in earnest, and while the Helghan were victorious at first these victories fall short of quelling the ISA who began waging guerrilla warfare against their foe, bleeding Helghast troops slowly for 2 years. When the UCA fleet arrives Helghast forces were destroyed by the superiority of the UCA. By 2202, the Helghan Administration was defeated, and many of the senior officials arrested. Much of the stations orbiting Helghan were destroyed or heavily damaged. The ISA took authority of Vekta and asserted control over the system's economy and forcibly disarmed the Helghast.

Interwar
During 2204-2210, Helghan loyalists on Vekta relocated to colonies on Helghan to escape from ISA occupation. Settlements were created on Helghan by 2220, and industries were rebuilt to give Helghan a source of income. Once the third generation of humans on Helghan were born on 2305 and shaped by the environment of the planet, the Helghast become a unique group.

The ISA fleet in Alpha Centauri was reduced during this time, and by 2304 it is mostly replaced by orbital space defense platforms around Vekta.

2335-2350 saw a depression on Helghan as more of their profits were taken by Vektan administrators, leading to more animosity in the system. The charismatic Scolar Visari rose to power on Helghan, seizing power in 2347. Visari proclaimed the Helghast to be a unique race, shaped Helghan into a power, and overcome the trade sanctions placed on Helghan. A second defense platform program around Vekta was launched in 2356.

Second Extrasolar War
On 2357, Visari acts against the ISA in Alpha Centauri, swiftly seizing Vekta. By the end of 2358, however, the ISA were eventually pushed off of most of their worlds around the Alpha Centauri system, within the exception of most of its border planets, where Scolar Visari that same year launched Operation Vengeance.

Despite launching several Blitz attacks on 4 of the 5 Border Planets, with an overwhelming sizable force, the Helghast were only able to succeed at Euripides, while failing everywhere else, including Zeronus, which would destroy an entire Helghast army, despite these defeats, the Helghast later launched a full blown offensive against the ISA Fortress colony world Junekara, in hopes of establishing 2 beachheads on the border sector, but were defeated 6 times, from 2358 to 2361, where it was eventually declared that Runekara was too impregnable to conquer forcing Visari and the Helghast fleet, to focus its fire power on the Viari Sector of space, going into UCN territory, in order to encircle the Solar System and hit it from the North.

The ISA following the victory at Runekara was able to succeed in launching a full scale counter offensive against Mogustus eventually recapturing the planet by September 14th, 2361, further allowing the ISA along with reinforcements from the UCA to further maintain control of the border worlds in the Alpha Centauri Sector, finally and expanding their perimeter further allowing the ISA to maintain a better guard on the border worlds through an expanded defense.

Following the defeat in the Border Worlds that would last from 2361 up to 2362, where the Helghast focused most of its fire power in the Invasion of the Viari Sector, leaving most of the worlds in the Helghast held section of the Alpha Centauri sector vulnerable, for an ISA counterattack.

On October 12th, 2361, the ISA joined together with UCA Naval forces, launched an full attack against the planet Nygra, seizing it from the Helghast, in order to use it as a main lookout point for a future Invasion of Helghan. By November the ISA then attacked and reclaimed the UCN colony world of Aliosho, before eventually reclaiming the planet Yarzan, by January 15th, 2362.

With at least 3 planets reclaimed, the ISA then began a full scale Invasion of Helghan in a strong way in hopes of forcing the Helghast to abandon their future Invasion of the Solar System, while at the same time removing them out of the Viari System, led by a now colonel Templar, while being supported by Colonel Gregor Hakha, and Rico Velasquez, the ISA despite taking heavy losses from Helghan's ARC Tower weaponry was able to successfully land forces on the ground in hopes of arresting Scholar Visari. At one point the ISA was able to claim cities outside of Pyrrhus, and even claim about 35 percent of the city of Thylious, in the Wasteland section of Helghan.

Realizing that their homeworld was under heavy ISA Invasion, Scholar Visari, who was off world at the time, due to him being on one of the Helghast capital ships in the Viari Sector, ordered General Lente, (Who was still in the Alpha Centauri system at the time along with the Army of the Third Army) to hold Helghan until Col Mael Radec could arrive to assist him.

By July 18th, 2362, the Third Army was able to successfully launch a successful counterattack against the ISA forces in Thylious, eventually reclaiming most of the city, while at the same time holding it from constant counter attacks conducted by the ISA, After reclaiming Thylious, the Helghan Third Army then launched a counter attack against the nearby refineries and resource facilities in an attempt to reclaim them from the ISA, though Lente succeeded in eliminating the ISA presence from the wasteland section of Helghan, a new fleet of ISA forces now with the support of the UCA, eventually arrived over Pyrrhus City and launched a heavy orbital bombardment which result in the destruction of the Helghan capital.

General Lente was able to hold his ground on the city, until Radec's fleet eventually arrived, in order to repel the ISA and UCA invaders in space. Upon knowing that their invasion was a failure, the ISA surviving forces abandoned Helghan and retreated back to Junekara.

Following the failed Helghan Invasion, Scolar Visari returned to Helghan in order to address the Helghast People using the Invasion as a perfect tool of propaganda in order to gather more support, in order to fuel the Helghast Imperial Invasion of the Solar System and Earth.

After the failed Invasion of Helghan, the war in the Alpha Centauri Sector eventually reached a stalemate, to the point that the ISA an UCA force began to concentrate on the defence of the Viari System, that would last from 2362 up to 2364.

Trivia

 * Alpha Centuari is featured in numerous Sci-Fi works, and is often the first system Humans reach.