The Combine War

The Combine War is a fictional conflict fought in the 2004 First person shooter game Half Life 2. The war takes place an unspecified amount of time after the Black Mesa Incident and is fought between the forces of the oppressive and sinister Combine Empire against the forces of the Earth Resistance aided by collective and intelligent bands of Vortigaunts.

Prelude to the War

During the Black Mesa Incident, the ramifications caused by the Resonance Cascade were unknown. The Cascade tore a rift in space, which allowed the creatures from the Xen borderworld to invade. Though the invasion was thwarted by Gordon Freeman destroying the Nihilanth, the rift also allowed the Combine to invade Earth through the use of the Portal Storms, large electromagnetic storms caused in the wake of the rift. The Combine invasion took Earth by surprise, and they managed to defeat Earth's forces in just seven hours. This event became known as the Seven Hour War. The Combine quickly took over all of Earth, and gathered all of Earth's population into large, tightly policed urban centers known by numerical designation, i.e. City 17 or City 14. The Combine's original intentions was most likely to annihilate Earth's populace, then drain it of any resources it might have, but a peace treaty was brokered by former Black Mesa administrator Wallace Breen. Though the deal saved the human race from extinction, it forced the populace to become subject to constant oppression by the Combine.

As time went on, more and more restrictions were placed upon the city populace, and resentment began to build against Dr. Breen. The Combine systematically destroyed humanity's freedoms, removing the right to gather, procreate, or even grow their own food. The Combine distribute food through the use of dispensers, and throughout Half Life 2 it is evident the citizens dislike it. The Combine placed large Citadels in each city, which were created for the sole purpose of a ruling government building and as a base of operations for the Combine occupational armies. It is believed that the largest of The Citadels is in City 17 and that it serves as the central hub. As a result City 17 became an area for high resistance activity, as evidenced by the Combine arresting and beating many citizens in the area and raiding houses.

It is evident throughout Half Life 2 that a rebellion was staged long ago but was easily thwarted by the superior Combine forces. One of these areas is Ravenholm, a town just a few miles from City 17. Rebel bodies are scattered through this area, which the Combine shelled heavily with headcrab bombs, turning all but one of the populace into zombies. Still the resistance continued to operate, which began to become organized into an effective military machine. Barney Calhoun and Alyx Vance became the militaristic leaders of the resistance, while ex-Black Mesa scientists served as the head of the rebels and the head of the science division. Despite the resistance being outclassed by the Combine, the rebels had far more advanced teleportation technology; the Combine portals had to tunnel through to other worlds while the rebels used a slingshot technique around Xen and back, allowing for teleportation on the same planet. Wallace Breen managed to lure in Judith Mossman as a Combine agent to gather technology from the resistance for a teleporter that would allow the Combine to teleport in the same world.

This attempt was thwarted when Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance teleported back to Isaac Kleiner's lab, and the teleporter exploded, destroying Nova Prospekt. The rebels took this as a signal to begin the uprising and they launched an all-out war against the Combine. The battle reached a stalemate, and when Alyx and Gordon did not return, many of the resistance gave them up for lost. However they were simply stuck in a slow teleport, which neither Gordon nor Alyx recognized. Isaac Kleiner then gave them the word that the war had begun.

The War

The war was officially ignited when Gordon Freeman destroyed Nova Prospekt. City 17 citizens sought this as a signal to begin resisting. Rebels launched an all-out guerilla style attack on Combine forces in City 17. Wallace Breen continued the idea that it was a senseless struggle for the rebels and that the superior forces of the Combine would easily defeat them. However due to determination, numerical superiority, the return of Gordon Freeman, and the Combine's failure to respond quickly, the rebels managed to get the edge over the Civil Protection forces. After a week, the Rebels slowly began to defeat the Civil Protection forces and began to push them back. Soon, the Combine began sending in the stronger, more powerful Overwatch Soldiers. It was too late however, after a week of non-stop fighting, many rebels became skilled battle hardened fighters. After the return of Gordon Freeman, the rebels captured the Overwatch Nexus, a Combine stronghold made out of an old civil establishment.

The Combine then turned the streets over to the Striders, massive destructive synths, but they did not defeat the determination of the freedom fighters. Gordon Freeman, with the assistance of Alyx's robot, Dog, managed to INFILTRATE the Citadel and Delivered himself up to Doctor Breen's office. After Mossman betrayed Breen and set Gordon Freeman free along with Alyx Vance and her father, Eli Vance, Freeman and Alyx managed to catch up with Breen and overload the Citadel's Dark Energy Reactor.

The reactor suddenly exploded, but Vortigaunts managed to get the two (Gordon and Alyx) out of harm's way. Wallace Breen was, however, missing from the explosion which obliterated the entire upper section. The Citadel switched to emergency power, and as a result all of the City's defences went down, allowing creatures from outside City 17 to enter. The rebels immediately began an evacuation, having taken over the broadcast systems. A side-effect of the Citadel's explosion was that the Combine units on Earth were effectively disorganised and isolated from the main Combine empire.

Freeman and Alyx managed to stabilize the rapidly degrading Dark Energy Core, but the Combine were planning something else. While the Combine Advisors were being loaded into escape pods, they ordered the Combine troops to send a message to another Combine planet calling for reinforcements. However, the consequence for this was it would cause the Citadel to explode. Thousands of citizens and rebel troops were evacuated on the trains which headed out to the countryside, while the transmission was sent and the citadel blew up. The Advisors were ejected just prior, and the explosion took most, if not all of City 17 With It.

Battles of the War

The Seven Hour War - A Combine invasion force used the Portal Storms created in the wake of the Resonance Cascade to invade Earth and defeat all of Earth's armed forces in just seven hours. It was a decisive Combine victory.

Ravenholm - Refugee's fleeing from City 17 often travel to Ravenholm, a mining settlement a few miles from City 17. However, upon being discovered, the Combine bombarded the town with headcrab canisters, badly damaging the town and turning most of the refugees into zombies.

Black Mesa East - Combine forces raid Black Mesa East after having established its position via Judith Mossman. The Combine forces are kept at bay for some time by the rebels and Vortigaunts in the base, but are eventually overrun. Most either flee or are killed. Eli Vance is taken prisoner.

Nova Prospekt - While not strictly a battle, Freeman and Alyx infiltrated the prison and managed to free Eli Vance. Before entering, Freeman disables many defenses, allowing antlions to attack in massive numbers. Along the way hundreds of Combine troops were killed, and the facility was destroyed when the Combine teleporter exploded. This was taken as a sign to begin the uprising by the citizens of City 17.

City 17 - The first major battle of the occupation, thousands of rebels and Combine troops fought it out for over a week, with no decisive success. However, Freeman rallied the troops, captured the Overwatch Nexus, and eventually destroyed the Citadel's Dark Energy Reactor. Combine forces in City 17 were heavily damaged, and the rebels evacuated the city as the Citadel exploded.

White Forest - The first Combine-Rebel engagement was fought at a secret Rebel base. It was a major surprise to the rebel forces and many rebels lost their lives in the first few minutes. The Combine planned to sabotage the rocket which was to be used to neutralize the portal at the Citadel. Gordon Freeman and the rebels soon made ProgresS and eventually the Combine surprise attack was foiled. After the battle, the Combine Forces transported a handful of Striders to destroy the rocket and Hunters to escort the Striders to their objective. Outposts were built by the rebels to supply ammunition, medications, and Magnusson Devices. The rebels used a tactic which was to kill off the Hunters, then launch the Magnusson Devices onto the Striders and shooting the device itself, thus destroying them. Once the Attack was thwarted, the rebels launched the rocket and the portal was soon neutralized.

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