Beachview, Seyshel Beach

Beachview is renowned for its breathtaking views of the purple jungles of Seyshel Beach. Although it is the smallest region on the planet, it attracts the most tourists and is one of its two highest-earning regions. What many people don't know is that hidden behind its peaceful appearance is a history of immense military and strategic importance.

Beachview is the most recent region to have been built on Seyshel Beach, having been established during the 2130s. While New Alexandria adopts a far more historical name, Beachview is pretty self-explanatory. From practically anywhere in the settlement, its citizens typically have an amazing view of the sun during the day and a beautiful view of the moon by night. Along the outskirts of the settlement and its beaches, amazing sunrises and sunsets can be seen, hence the name Beachview.

Seyshel Beach was often recognized for being a planet that was useful in almost every category; military, economics, and more, but its beauty was rarely brought up. Because of this, Governor Rax decided to strategically build Beachview in the most beautiful part of the planet. Arnold Rax grew up as an orphan on Accountant Graeber, Seyshel Beach. Due to Federation military propaganda often being displayed across orphanages, he naturally grew up fascinated by the military. Unfortunately for him, it was the early 2100s, and the war had already been over for decades. Regardless, he spent his childhood studying battle reports submitted by both the best and worst soldiers, developing an excellent strategic eye over time. Eventually, however, it was time for him to choose his own path. Luckily, he was able to meet a veteran of the First Galactic War, Commander Avery Halach.

Halach was so highly regarded that the Federation granted him the role of mayor of Accountant Graeber. Rax and Halach quickly bonded over discussions of war and strategy, and Halach eventually became his mentor. Rax assisted with municipal duties for years, learning from Halach until his eventual passing. At that point, a new mayor had to be elected. The problem was that Rax was not charismatic at all, and another candidate was eventually sworn in instead. The rejection wore him down for months, but the Governor of Seyshel Beach had seen all the work Rax had accomplished alongside Halach. The Governor was old, preparing to retire, and needed to find the perfect leader for Seyshel Beach. He observed Rax for months, watching his decisions and leadership abilities. Before retiring, the Governor approached Rax and explained what would soon happen. Rax understood, and not long afterward, he found himself becoming the new Governor of Seyshel Beach.

He carefully chose the location of almost every building to make sure it always had a magnificent view. In fact, it was thanks to Governor Rax that the job of View Inspector was created. To this day, several View Inspectors work across Seyshel Beach, making sure that no buildings take away from the planet's natural beauty. Rax often frustrated architects by constantly modifying their blueprints, and sometimes even forcing them to abandon them entirely.

There was also one important detail that Rax included, although no one understood it for the longest time. He made sure there were plenty of alleyways and routes that allowed people to flank fortified positions, but were specifically designed so that humans could move through them more easily than the enemy. At the time, nearly everybody disagreed with the strange feature since the Illuminate had long been thought extinct. However, Rax was very well-versed in the history of Seyshel Beach and the southern sectors of the galaxy. He believed that if the Illuminate ever returned, the settlement's layout would become one of Beachview's hidden strengths, making it much easier for humans to conduct urban and guerrilla warfare.

Several times throughout his career, Rax was reported for thought crimes. Believing that the Illuminate still existed was considered dangerous, as it could worry populations and cause mental harm to millions. However, Rax was able to escape punishment every time. No one knew how he managed to avoid consequences, but in his later years, Rax claimed that during his time as Governor, he could swear there was a guardian angel on Super Earth. Someone who recognized his potential and understood what his actions would eventually lead to. Someone with great power, but who used it wisely. Rax passed away as a relatively unpopular individual, but on the day of his funeral, his wife reported seeing an unknown and cryptic figure standing deep behind the crowd. Shortly afterward, all ongoing investigations into Rax were dropped, and his family was able to live the rest of their lives peacefully.

Beachview is located in the far southeastern part of the planet. It measures approximately 300,000 km², making it slightly larger than the modern-day United Kingdom. The settlement itself is shaped like a diagonal funnel, with the wider end pointing toward the northwest and the narrower end pointing toward the southeast. It is the warmest region on Seyshel Beach and has the highest concentration of tropical flora. Governor Rax hired several Restoration Biologists to preserve as many native plants and trees as possible, with the goal of creating one of the best urban and environmental balances in the Milky Way. There were unfortunately several accidents involving the rare Spike Plants, all of which were carefully extracted or removed due to safety concerns. Across the region, countless beautiful parks with carefully placed trees and plants can be found. Damaging the local flora in any way is considered a municipal first-degree offense.

On the outskirts of Beachview, the beaches are among the few on the planet that rarely have large rocks scattered across the shoreline. Instead, pale white sand stretches alongside the crystal-blue ocean as four-winged birds fly overhead in large groups. The beautiful scenery, combined with the water's natural ability to improve the skin of both tourists and residents, has made the Beachview Coast one of the most popular destinations in the southern section of the galaxy. At night, during the winter season, light green and purple waves of aurora borealis can be seen dancing across the star-lit sky. This is one of the most cherished aspects of Beachview, and because of this, light pollution is considered a very serious crime in order to preserve the beauty of the Southern Lights.

The municipal government of Beachview is heavily influenced by its residents. Its administration is elected and made up of the most popular candidates, all of whom must live within the settlement. The decisions they make generally stay away from military matters and instead focus on the settlement's appearance, public spaces, and overall quality of life. The government has also done its best, and has largely succeeded, in influencing the regional government on laws regarding immigration.

The settlement is very open to tourists and receives a large portion of its budget from tourism. This has allowed the administration to maintain a strong influence on planetary decisions, despite Beachview being recognized as the smallest region on Seyshel Beach. While welcoming to visitors, the settlement is far more restrictive when it comes to accepting new permanent residents. The administration works hard to keep Beachview a peaceful settlement, and through the various laws it has introduced, has been able to maintain a firm grip on crime and violence.

Beachview is one of the two highest-earning regions on Seyshel Beach, with millions upon millions of tourists visiting its hotels, restaurants, parks, entertainment venues, and coastal businesses every year. The settlement has also created a large number of jobs in the environmental sector, attracting thousands of the galaxy's best environmentalists to live and work there. It is also thanks to its citizens, who often rent out their apartments and houses to the many tourists who visit the settlement.

Over time, the cost of visiting Beachview has steadily increased due to growing demand. Tourism dropped sharply following the liberation of Seyshel Beach, but has since reached new heights as visitors travel to see the reconstructed settlement and the remaining scars of the Illuminate invasion. While the economy is still far from where it stood before the invasion, it continues to recover rapidly as public confidence in the Federation's ability to repel future Illuminate offensives continues to grow.

Beachview is the region with the least military presence on Seyshel Beach. Although recruiters are stationed throughout the settlement and military service is heavily encouraged, as it is across the galaxy, there is only one military base within the region. Officially designated Garden Base, Governor Rax specifically chose to build it on the eastern side of Beachview, where the land is at its narrowest. This created a highly effective and deadly corridor when under Federation control, but one that could become extremely costly if captured by an enemy.

The term “Beach Diver” actually originated in Beachview. It began as an insult used by some residents to describe tourists who came only to relax on the beaches and dive in the ocean. During the Illuminate invasion, however, the meaning changed completely. As Helldivers descended onto the beaches to repel incoming Overseers, the nickname became a term of respect and admiration, and has remained that way ever since.

The citizens of Beachview are very protective of their settlement. During the Illuminate invasion, many chose to remain behind and formed local militias to help defend the region. Although they were kept away from Helldiver operations, they were instead assigned to support SEAF Army offensives. Fighting alongside frontline soldiers throughout the campaign, the militias proved to be a valuable asset during the defense of the settlement.

Most of Beachview’s permanent residents are older and belong to the upper or upper-middle class, contributing a significant portion of their income toward maintaining the settlement. As a result, while the region welcomes countless young tourists every year, many come to realize that Beachview is better suited for those looking to settle down or retire. That said, the settlement is by no means restricted to older residents, and many younger citizens live there peacefully. The real challenge has always been earning the opportunity to call Beachview home.

From December of 2184 to August of 2185, the southern regions were repeatedly assaulted by the Illuminate. Tens of millions of human citizens were abducted and turned into Voteless. The Squ'ith were ruthless. Early on, they conducted quick and efficient strikes against planets with the goal of abducting as many citizens as possible. Their families and relatives were left behind, still in control of their planets, but at an enormous cost. People watched as their closest friends and family members disappeared one by one. Then, Super Earth itself was attacked, and the Illuminate went as far as scouring four Inner Worlds. After that, the Squ'ith continued despite their failure. They began colonizing the southern planets, forcing citizens to flee their homes while watching the brutal alien species pillage and burn their worlds. Millions of young citizens were prepared to immediately sign up, but the Federation had something else in mind.

They held them back for months, allowing their anger and determination to continue building. All Helldivers are required to complete SEAF training beforehand, but for these new recruits, the training was exceptionally efficient while still being extremely demanding. The Ministry of Defense wanted them to be in the best condition possible for when they were finally needed.

Eventually, the galaxy entered total war. All three enemy factions were launching massive offensives toward Super Earth, and the MoD knew the time had finally come.

On August 26, 2185, the Illuminate launched their invasion of Seyshel Beach. Their true objective was Fort Sanctuary, home to one of the three maximum-security cities in the galaxy. The Squ'ith had launched several invasions beforehand, all meeting little resistance, but on August 26, the new reinforcements were unleashed.

The invasion of Seyshel Beach became a gruesome battle. Although the Illuminate ultimately captured the planet, the SEAF inflicted such heavy losses that the attackers were never able to attempt an invasion of Fort Sanctuary.

During the initial invasion, the settlement of Beachview became the bloodiest frontline. Militia, the Super Earth Army, and the new Helldiver reinforcements fought endlessly to hold the settlement. Garden Base proved absolutely critical. The Illuminate quickly swept through the surrounding regions, believing Beachview had fallen, but the militia secretly held Garden Base and coordinated a surprise counterattack with the SEAF. For hours, brutal fighting turned the narrow corridor into a nightmare for the Illuminate. Beachview was briefly retaken before eventually falling once again. Recognizing its strategic importance, the Illuminate concentrated their occupation around Beachview and Garden Base.

After six weeks of relentless fighting, the SEAF finally reached the center of the occupation at Beachview. By then, the other three regions had already been liberated, leaving the settlement as the final obstacle. Expecting another assault, the Squ'ith prepared to make their stand at Garden Base. Thanks to the narrow alleyways originally constructed by Governor Rax, the SEAF were able to fortify themselves in these aisles, unable to be attacked from the Squ'ith who couldn't fit inside, and so the SEAF efficiently pushed forward toward Garden Base. The battle claimed millions of lives, but after three days of continuous combat, the SEAF broke through, recaptured Garden Base, and liberated Beachview. Shortly afterward, Seyshel Beach was finally liberated, its citizens returned home, and the new reinforcements were either Killed In Action, Missing In Action, or sent to other Illuminate-controlled planets.