Overview of Nivel 43
Nivel 43 is one of the four planets within the Mirin Sector, notable for its ash-covered landscape, persistent gray fog, and sparse plant life. Due to its remote location and lack of strategic importance, the planet has frequently fallen under the tyrannical grip of the Terminids with minimal Super Earth intervention.
Topography
Nivel 43 is a bleak, desolate world, its surface blanketed in ash and rocky terrain. The planet’s plant life is scarce, consisting mostly of sparse, gray grass and the occasional purple-flowered plant. The entire landscape is shrouded in an ever-present, eerie gray fog, reducing visibility and giving the planet an almost spectral appearance.
Despite its hostile environment, the Terminids have maintained a stronghold on Nivel 43, using it as a base for interstellar spore attacks and invasions into neighboring systems.
History
Nivel 43’s remote position within the Mirin Sector meant that it was rarely a priority for Super Earth forces, leaving it to fall under Terminid control repeatedly. After the unexpected failure of the Terminid Control System (TCS) on the Barrier Planets, Nivel 43—along with the entire Mirin Sector—was swiftly overrun by the insectoid menace.
Following the destruction of the Meridia Supercolony on May 30, 2184, the SEAF gained an opportunity to reclaim lost ground in Terminid-occupied territory.
In June 2184, as part of Operation Hive Breaker, Super Earth forces targeted five key planets for liberation, including Estanu, Crimsica, Fori Prime, Hellmire, and Nivel 43. Due to its isolated location, Nivel 43 was the last to be liberated, with Helldiver forces finally reclaiming it on June 21, 2184, crushing the Terminid hives that had infested its ashen landscape.
However, victory was short-lived. On June 25, 2184, while the Helldivers were engaged in securing the Xzar Sector, Nivel 43 fell once again to a Terminid counterattack. This triggered a standoff, as the Helldivers turned their attention toward the Falstaff and Jin Xi Sectors, leaving Nivel 43 in a prolonged deadlock.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the Terminid hives on Nivel 43 remained largely intact, using the planet as a launch point for spore barrages that reignited conflicts on Hellmire, Esker, and Estanu. These tactical infestations successfully locked the planet away from Helldiver intervention—for the time being.
In August 2184, the Terminids at Nivel 43 played a pivotal role in an escalating galactic crisis. As part of Operation Benevolent Sanitation, the bugs at Esker launched a massive invasion of Socorro III on August 6th, drawing Helldiver attention away from other potential threats. Seizing this opportunity, Terminid forces from Nivel 43 established a new FTL supply line to Erson Sands on August 7th, forcing Super Earth forces to abandon the planet in order to defend Socorro.
With Erson Sands captured, the Terminids executed their final maneuver. A mysterious interstellar cloud—later identified as The Gloom—began expanding from Enuliale, engulfing Terminid-controlled planets in the L’estrade Sector before spreading to Nivel 43 and Erson Sands.
As of August 2184, all SEAF surveillance satellites lost contact with Nivel 43, and all attempts to monitor the planet have failed. Its current status remains unknown, its fate obscured within the ever-expanding Gloom.