 This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!
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 The title of this article is conjectural.
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| Although this article is based on official information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture. |
The Raid on Black Mesa East was a significant development whose flames had been fanned shortly after the reappearance of Gordon Freeman in City 17.
Acting upon the intelligence of Combine double-agent Judith Mossman, the Civil Protection and Airwatch arms of Sector 17 Overwatch launched a surprise raid on the rebel outpost of Black Mesa East. Though the primary objective[11] of the raid was to capture Gordon Freeman, the raid succeeded in destroying the base and resulted in the capture of Eli Vance, one of the main leaders of the Resistance, along with all of his research on local teleportation technology. The raid failed to capture Freeman, who managed to escape through Ravenholm.
Prelude[]
Long before Freeman's reappearance, Black Mesa East had been used as a safehouse for refugees fleeing the Combine's control of City 17. While some remained at the base, many others were ferried into the comparative freedom of the Coast, the Outlands, and White Forest, making it a crucial crossroads in the Underground Railroad.
The base's primary purpose was to discreetly research teleportation technology, in concert with Isaac Kleiner's lab hidden in City 17. Combine teleporters were string-based tunnelling entanglement devices, enormous machines which could only tunnel from one universe to another and required an exorbitant amount of energy. Because of this, the Combine were reliant on local transportation once they had teleported to their destination. By contrast, Resistance teleporters used Xen as an unexpressed axis, essentially a dimensional slingshot, allowing them to teleport within the same universe. The acquisition of local teleport technology would give the Combine an enormous tactical advantage over the Resistance.
Judith Mossman, a close confidant of Vance and Combine double-agent, had been discreetly supplying Wallace Breen with information on this technology, who used the research to construct a crude facsimile teleporter at the Depot in Nova Prospekt. At Mossman's urging, Breen reluctantly withheld raids on the rebel outpost, so the research could continue unabated. Mossman believed Eli could be persuaded to renege on his commitment to the Resistance and join the Combine, something Breen vehemently disagreed with. Breen began to grow impatient and suspicious of Mossman's reticence to provide a green-light for a raid.[12] His patience having expired, Breen authorized a raid on the outpost, against Mossman's advice, shortly after Freeman's arrival.
Raid[]
As dusk fell, Civil Protection teams inserted by Airwatch Dropships and supported by a pair of Hunter-Choppers launched a surprise raid on the facility, preceded by a perimeter bombardment of Headcrab shells. Unprepared for the attack, the stronghold's defences were quickly overrun, and Eli Vance was captured. At least one Vortigaunt was killed during the breach of the main lab.
The Combine were unable to capture Alyx Vance, who managed to escape the facility and track the Dropship which carried her father, Eli, and Mossman to Nova Prospekt. During the raid, the bombardment caused a tunnel to collapse, forcing Freeman to escape the compound through Ravenholm. Unaware of Freeman's location, the Combine were unable to pursue.
Aftermath[]
Though they failed in their primary objective of capturing Freeman, the raid was an unambiguous success for the Combine. Through surprise and with minimal losses, they had neutralized a major Resistance base, causing catastrophic disruption to the Underground Railroad network. Eli Vance, one of the Resistance's key figures, had been taken prisoner, along with all of his research into local teleportation technology, a significant blow to Resistance morale.
Eli's daughter, Alyx Vance, tracked his route to Nova Prospekt. She later smuggled herself onto the Razor Train network to infiltrate the prison, intending to rescue her father and, hitherto unaware of her betrayal, Mossman. Freeman, meanwhile, was forced to navigate through Ravenholm, where both the Combine and Resistance forces lost contact with him.
Though satisfied with the gains made in the raid, Breen expressed discontent that Freeman had yet again eluded them. Mossman blamed Breen's rashness, believing Freeman would have been captured had Breen exercised more patience, and protested the raid, citing earlier assurances from Breen that Eli would not be taken captive. Breen blamed the "overzealous" attitude of the Combine troops, but defended his decision to launch the raid, implying that Mossman's reticence was due to her feelings for Eli. In misinformation broadcasts, Breen used the fact that the Combine could have captured Eli at any time, and was only taken captive after he harbored Freeman, to warn citizens away from giving aid or comfort to Freeman.
After Freeman's reappearance along the Coast, he resolved to rendezvous with Alyx at Nova Prospekt to launch a rescue attempt, an event which would trigger all-out uprising against the Combine.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Episode One: The story so far on Half-Life 2's official website (Archived)
- ↑ Double-agent
- ↑ Double-agent
- ↑ Counting all humans and Vortigaunts inside Black Mesa East the player can see, including main characters. Also includes Dog
- ↑ One chopper is visible, while another, not modelled, can be seen firing missiles from out of sight over a hill into the large vent shafts
- ↑ Alyx later mentions she tracked a ship which made off with Eli and Judith
- ↑ Using noclip, at least 1 Vortigaunt has been killed after the attack
- ↑ Eli Vance
- ↑ All other humans and Vortigaunts at the base. Does not include Eli Vance, Mossman, Alyx, Dog, or Gordon. The fate of these are unknown but it is likely they were killed or captured
- ↑ Using noclip following Alyx, 3 Civil Protection bodies are already in the main lab. More will spawn indefinitely until the player moves on, as a result, only the first 3 are counted here
- ↑ In Nova Prospekt, Dr Breen states to Mossman that Eli Vance was "too tempting [to let go] in the absence of Gordon Freeman". This implies that the raid's primary objective was to capture Freeman. Mossman then replies that Breen would have had Freeman had he waited for her signal.
- ↑ As overheard in Nova Prospekt when Alyx and Gordon eavesdrop on their conversation.
 Combine Occupation of Earth
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