The Resistance

Members of the Resistance movement, on the war-torn streets of City 17

The Resistance, also known as the Lambda Resistance for use of the Lambda Symbol that can be seen sprayed across City 17, as mark of the Resistance and probably originates from the symbol on Dr. Gordon Freeman's Hazardous Environment Suit, as they later refer to him as 'The One Free Man' as he continously defies the Combine, killing many in the process, becoming a major role model. The Resistance are the group of rebels that oppose the occupation of the Combine Empire imposed upon Earth. Before Freeman arrived it is believed the Resistance are led by Dr. Eli Vance and within City 17 with Dr. Issac Kleiner as a close aid.

Prelude to Freeman and the Uprising

The Resistance's origins are not explained in Half-Life 2, however it can be presumed that it came about not long after the Seven Hour War and the subsequent Combine subjugating human beings of their freedom and the natural resources on Earth. Whether it was Eli Vance who set up the movement is also unknown, but at the time before the events of Half-Life 2, he seems to be running the resistance from Black Mesa East.

The Resistance in City 17 and its surrounding area, seems to be divided into two sections, the Resistance Army and the Civilian Miltia. One operates on open warfare whilst others work covertly within the city to usurp the Combine. The Miltia has been able to inflitrate the Civil Protection Unit of the Combine Overwatch as proved through Barney Calhoun, whilst other members of the Miltia are seen to be helping refugees along what they call The Underground Railroad, which extends through the sewers out into the City 17 Canals. Whilst it seems the Miltia are successful in running their covert operations, it is clear they have little control in City 17. Civil Protection constantly run raids on civilian homes in the hope to rout out resistance members. The Resistance Army takes its position and power along the coastal areas, having many bases along the coastline and with little Combine interference, save perhaps air-raids. Travel between areas are possible, but is extremely dangerous due to Antlion infestation, and Resistance bases along the coast are all protected from infestation using stolen Combine 'Thumpers'.

Other than Black Mesa East, which seems to be the main base of Resistance operations outside City 17, Ravenholm seems to have once been a safe haven for members of the Resistance and refugees from the city. However before Dr. Freeman arrives, the town was shelled by head-crab missiles and was subsequently unusable due to head-crab infestation. There were no known survivors of the incident still within the city (save Father Grigori) and the passage between Black Mesa East and Ravenholm was sealed off to prevent further infestation.

Other allies to the Resistance are the Vortigaunts who Eli Vance made the first connection with, after Freeman's defeat of the Nihilanth in Black Mesa, the Vortigaunts were freed and agreed to help aid the Resistance against the Combine oppression.

The One Free Man

Dr. Gordon Freeman arrived unexpectedly in City 17 and was almost captured by Combine forces, but was saved thankfully by Alyx Vance, daughter to Dr. Vance and a member of the Resistance operating in City 17. Dr. Freeman was to be transported with Alyx to Black Mesa East in Dr. Kleiner's teleporter but due to a mishap, caused the teleporter to malfunction and was unable to be transported to the base. After being temporarily being transported inside the Citadel and alerting Dr. Wallace Breen to his presence, the entire Combine Overwatch were placed on alert to capture or kill Dr. Freeman.

The Resistance were posed a huge problem in getting Dr. Freeman safely to Black Mesa East; a problem that subsequently destroyed the Underground Railroad. As Freeman went to make his escape along the canals and through the Railroad, Civil Protection stormed the railroad and its outposts, flooding all entry points with Manhacks, leaving the Civil Miltia devastated. Some members were able to survive and fortunately Dr. Freeman was able to escape City 17 and was able to reach Black Mesa East.

However Dr. Freeman posed another great problem for the Resistance, his journey across the Canals had led the Combine to Black Mesa East (coupled with the betrayal of Dr. Judith Mossman) and the Combine forces stormed the base. Resistance soldiers and Vortigaunts attempted to fight off the invasion but were defeated and Eli Vance was captured. Fortunately both Alyx Vance and Dr. Freeman were able to escape; Alyx making her way towards the coast and Freeman through Ravenholm, also making for the Coast.

When he finally reached what was known as Highway 17, Dr. Freeman aided the Resistance in several battles at many of their bases; including an air-raid at New Little Odessa (named after its commander Odessa Cubbage) and at 'Lighthouse Point' where a small-scale raid was defeated by Freeman and the Resistance. Dr. Freeman was able to finally reach Nova Prospekt, and commanding a horde of Antlions was able to break into the prison complex. Due to Dr. Freeman and Alyx using the Combine Teleporter, Nova Proskept was ripped apart and destroyed in an insuing explosion which signalled the uprising of the civilians of City 17 and the Resistance.

The Uprising

The Uprising, also dubbed The Lost Week and The Street War, began in the destruction of Nova Prospekt; a symbol of the Combine Oppression on Earth and invoked the citizens of City 17 to uprise against the Combine Overwatch and join the Resistance forces. Barney Calhoun, in light of the capture of Dr. Vance and the disappearance of Dr. Freeman and Alyx, led the uprising and turned the city into a warzone. The exact details of the uprising and the war in City 17 are unknown and not recounted to Dr. Freeman and Alyx on their return but it can be presumed that the intial strike of the citizens was successful enough to loosen control of the Combine's hold on City 17. Gradually being overwhelmed as more and more civilians took up arms for the cause.

Dr. Freeman and Alyx returned a week after the Uprising began in Dr. Kleiner's lab. At that time, Barney had been moving for an assault on the Combine Citadel in order to rescue Dr. Vance. With Freeman's aid and appearance, the Resistance forced forward through the Overwatch forces and were able to successfully assault and destroy the Overwatch Nexus, a victorious blow against the Combine oppression. The Civil Protection officers and the Overwatch Soldiers were being overwhealmed before Freeman arrived and so the streets had been turned over to the Combine Striders, who cleared the areas of the Resistance with surprising ease. However with Freeman leading the Resistance, they were able to push to the walls of the Citadel and Freeman was able to enter covertly. Yet despite this great victory, many citizens were killed and Alyx Vance was captured. Also after Freeman had entered the Citadel; Striders decimated the areas surrounding the Citadel to dust.

Within the Citadel, Dr. Freeman and Alyx were able to save Dr. Vance and destroy the Dark Energy Reactor at the summit of the Citadel which destroyed the top of the structure. The uprising came to an end here, with debatable Resistance victory, as Combine forces scrambled to keep control with this crushing blow.

Fleeing from City 17

With the destruction of the Dark Energy Reactor, the Citadel became dangerously unstable and so the Resistance decided to move out of City 17 and evacuate the citizens. The reactor's destruction had knocked out all communication with the Combine Empire and every other Citadel on Earth, and thus the Combine forces were in disarray and had other agendas than preventing the mass exodus of citizens. The immediate areas surrounding the Citadel had long been decimated by the Striders and the evacuation turned to fleeing through the transportation into City 17. Unbeknownst to the Resistance (save Eli Vance and Issac Kleiner), Dr. Freeman and Alyx had survived the destruction at the summit of the Citadel, but were forced to re-enter it to temporarily stop a meltdown in its core so to insure their escape and also to give more time for the evacuation of any remaining civilians in City 17. Barney Calhoun had remained within the City to ensure the evacuation was completed and led a last deseperate run to the station, joined by Freeman and Alyx and the last set of Resistance members and evacuees fleed the City. The Citadel subsequently collapsed and exploded, leaving City 17 (at least the centre of the City) to nothing more than a smoldering crater.

White Forest

As seen in Episode One, the destruction of the Citadel and its surrounding areas, led the Resistance into the outland areas of City 17. It is revealed to Dr. Freeman and Alyx, in Episode Two, that the Resistance has set up a Rocket Facility Base called White Forest and that their aims are to close the super-portal created by the destruction of the Citadel and the subsequent Portal Storms in Episode Two.

The Resistance is revealed to be scrambled across the forest outlands of City 17, running and hiding from the Combine forces that have retreated from City 17 and hope to destroy the Rocket that Dr. Kleiner and Dr. Arne Magnusson, another survivor from Black Mesa, have created to close the super-portal. However, with the aid of the Vortigaunts, they are able to repel Combine invasion and Antlion infestation alike which is spreading through the Forest. At several points Dr. Freeman and Alyx meet up with Resistance soldiers and aid them fighting off the Hunters and Combine troops in order to make their way to White Forest.

When Freeman and Alyx finally reach White Forest, it is soon clear that they will soon be under attack from Combine Strider forces and Freeman, aided by the Resistance and Magnusson's new 'device' (a weapon able to destroy Striders with ease). Freeman and his allies are able to defeat the Strider forces, and Dr. Kleiner and Magnusson launch the Rocket and close the super-portal. This is another clear victory for the human Resistance, the destruction of Nova Prospekt, the Combine regime in City 17 and closing the super-portal to prevent further Combine reinforcements from reaching the planet. However, at the conclusion of the Episode Dr. Eli Vance is killed by Combine Advisors and so throws the Resistance into disarray on who will lead their forces on.

It is also revealed in the Episode, that Dr. Mossman discovered the location of what she called 'The Project'. It is revealed that this is the Borealis; a ship that belongs to Black Mesa's rival company Aperture Science. Dr. Vance intimated, before his death, that the ship contained deadly technology and should be destroyed at all costs. It is assumed in Episode Three that Dr. Freeman and Alyx will travel on to find Dr. Mossman and destroy the Borealis.

The Resistance fighters and Barney Calhoun,who escaped at the end of Episode One, are not seen or mentioned. Their fate is unknown at this point.

Structure

As has been said before, the Resistance Army and the Civilian Miltia seem to be two sections of the Resistance movement. The Resistance Army clearly distinguished in 'put-together' military attire and handling more dangerous weapons and operating in open battle (such as the Street War), whilst the Miltia wear normal citizen attire and carry little or no weapons, working covertly against the Combine. Judging on Barney's successful inflitration of the Civil Protection Unit, it can be presumed that other members of the Resistance have also done so (though no other 'friendly' CPU officers are encountered within the game).

The heirarchy of the Resistance seems to run through Eli Vance, however this is unclear. It seems that different areas of City 17 have a leader who runs everything there, for example Commander Leon at the Shoreline, and Odessa Cubbage at New Little Odessa. Dr. Kleiner, Barney and Alyx seem to be key players amogst its entire structure, however with the early actions of Gordon Freeman (who is seen as an urban legend amongst the common Resistance members until his return) attires him as a major role model for the entire force.

Vortigaunts are widely accepted as allies to the Resistance, and though few are seen within City 17 (with freedom) they are useful and powerful allies for providing information. The Resistance itself seems to have wide knowledge of information on the Combine, using Vortigaunt telepathy or perhaps through inflitration of the Combine's computer network. It is debatable whether this has gone unnoticed by the Combine, seeing as the Resistance has been inflitrated by Judith Mossman (though her alliegeances later on change to the Resistance).

Trivia

Resistance Propaganda.

• Throughout City 17, Freeman encounters numerous posters and graffiti done by the Resistance, the more common being a poster of what looks to be Dr.Breen with the word 'RESIST' beneath.