Red Dust was an Interplanetary Strategic Alliance nuclear
weapon, developed by Evelyn Batton on Vekta. When the Helghast
invaded Vekta, General Metrac captured the weapon. During the
retreat of the Helghast from Vekta, the weapon was taken back
with them to Helghan. However, the Helghast were not able to
secure the codes needed to detonate the device. During the ISA
invasion of Helghan, Batton mentioned that the capture of the
weapon was important. Colonel Mael Radec attempted to extract
the code from Batton following her capture in the wastes, but
was unable to do so. An attack on the ISA cruisers hovering over
Pyrrhus followed, where Radec was able to secure the codes
during the assault on the New Sun. Shortly afterwards, the
weapon was detonated in the city destroying all of the ISA and
Helghast forces fighting there. Interestingly, while the weapon
does, in fact, generate radioactive fallout (as demonstrated by
the existence of the irradiated Petrusite) none of the ISA
troops fighting in and around the ru