Gears of War RPG: Halvo Bay

Coalition of Ordered Governments = The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), colloquially shortened into the Coalition, was a supranational and intergovernmental military collective originating on the planet Sera during the Age of Silence. Following the discovery of the fuel source known as Imulsion, the visionary statesmen of eight sovereign nations—collectively referred to as the Allfathers—united their homelands into the Coalition in order to protect their Imulsion reserves from competing powers. The guiding principles of this new alliance were outlined in the Octus Canon, which resulted in a political doctrine that championed collectivism, militarism, and nationalism. Headquartered in the Tyran capital of Ephyra, the Coalition originally permitted its members representation in the deliberative body known as the Council of Sovereigns; however, the pressure of nearly omnipresent warfare resulted in its eventual dissolution, solidifying power in the hands of its executive—the Chairman—and military leadership. Several decades after the discovery of Imulsion, the Coalition experienced the first major threat to its existence. Following the collapse of the global economy, the Union of Independent Republics (UIR)—a military alliance of Imulsion-poor nations—attempted to seize control of the global Imulsion supply from the Coalition, launching a seventy-nine year conflict known as the Pendulum Wars. The two sides fought one another to a stalemate before the Coalition captured the schematics for an orbital superweapon—the Hammer of Dawn—in the Battle of Aspho Fields. With assistance from the physicist Adam Fenix, the Coalition successfully weaponized the technology, deploying the Hammer of Dawn against the UIR in the Battle of Bonbourg and convincing its leadership to surrender. Although some small holdouts refused to accept the armistice, the Pendulum Wars ended and the majority of the planet experienced peace for the first time in nearly a century. The victorious Coalition emerged from this conflict as the dominant superpower on Sera. COG Armor = COG Trooper Armor - The most common armor in the COG​​ Army is the standard infantry armor, otherwise known as the Trooper Armor. It is a light shade of blue with a black Crimson Omen between the armor seals on the front. On the back of the suit is a magnetic 'holster' that resembles a general infantry backpack, allowing Gears to carry two weapons on their back. The armor provides medium protection against damage, but will not withstand concentrated or sustained gunfire, especially high-caliber Locust weapons such as the Hammerburst and the Troika. The armor comes with a selection of helmets that come with a built-in filter. While the helmets are standard issue, some Gears chose not to wear them as some feel the optics hinder their field of view or find the helmet a nuisance all together. The torso part of the armor is more heavily armored than the rest of the body, offering decent protection to vital organs but not sacrificing mobility by bogging down the limbs. The armor is so strong and thick that multiple shots from an assault rifle give only bruises to the wearer. Eventually, however, with enough gunfire, the wearer's ribs will begin to break. COG Female Trooper armor - Female Gears' armor is pretty much a scaled down version of the standard armor. The leg armor and boots are smaller. The chest plate is also smaller, with a lower cut collar. It has a thinner waist section. The gauntlets are also thinner but longer than the standard male Gear version. The helmets worn by female Gears are the same as their male counterparts. COG Medic Armor - Medic armor are armor pieces worn by COG Medics during the Pendulum Wars and Locust War. The armor and helmet design was distinct from standard-issue COG armor and bares more resemblence to post-war COG armor. These armor pieces were painted white with a blue medical logo pasted on the frontal breastplate, to signify that the wearer of the armor is a medic from the Coalition of Ordered Governments. Medic armor is far more stripped down and less bulky than normal COG armor, due to the fact that Medics are meant to primarily heal wounded Gears than fight the enemy head on. Medic armor comes equiped with medical and military supplies, due to the roles of Medics being front line combat doctors. As such, medic armor prioritise more on stocking up medicinal equipment than ammunition. Union of Independent Republics = The Union of Independent Republics or Independent Alliances was the chief rival power to the Coalition of Ordered Governments during the Pendulum Wars for many natural resources. It was a collection of resource-poor nations with shared grievances that formed a military, cultural and economical alliance; the UIR was therefore a superstate that reached superpower status. Little information is known about the Union other than that several famous members of the UIR were from the Ostri Republic and Pelles. The UIR used a mix of tactics to fight the COG, ranging from sabotage attacks on Imulsion pipelines in Sarfuth, to a fully mechanized army that fought COG troops at Aspho Fields. The UIR's greatest achievement was the creation of the Hammer of Dawn technology, which Chairman Tomas Dalyell wanted to capture and use to end the war. It is confirmed that the UIR was defeated by the COG, and the people of Sera enjoyed a new era of peace. The war was ended when the COG stole the Hammer of Dawn technology from the UIR and used it as a threat, therefore the Union of Independent Republics were forced to surrender, although it still took several years. The peace between the UIR and COG only lasted a few weeks before Emergence Day. But some nations refused to surrender and resorted to guerrilla warfare. Unknown to the COG, some 4,000 UIR citizens survived Emergence Day and the Hammer of Dawn strikes by moving around the continent by sea. They possessed a submarine, a tanker, a frigate, some patrol boats and Imulsion Rig. They never joined the survivors at Jacinto as they did not believe they would be welcome there, but they met up with Jacinto's Remnant near the island of Vectes and joined them there. Part of the deal was that they join the COG in order to move into there, and they did at the agreement of Commander Miran Trescu, ending any possible future hostilities with the surviving members of the UIR. The survivors of the UIR later came to the aid of the remnants of the COG during the Battle of Azura and provided much-needed aid in the battle that ends the Locust War. Locust Horde = The Locust Horde, often called Grubs by Serans, were a race of genetically altered humans that established their civilization in the subterranean regions of Sera, known as the Hollow. The Locust originated from genetic experiments at the New Hope Research Facility. Doctor Niles Samson studied the children of Imulsion miners to create a cure for Rustlung. The children were mutated by the Imulsion and transgenic insertion of Hollow creature DNA, resulting in chimeras referred to as Sires. Before New Hope was shutdown, Samson and his research were relocated to a secret facility inside Mount Kadar. The work there led to the creation of the Locust by combining the embryonic stem cells of Myrrah, a child born with a genetic immunity to Imulsion, and Sire DNA. Myrrah's sympathy for her "children" caused her to lead the Locust, as their Queen, to slaughter the scientists, escape the facility, and move deeper into the caverns of Mount Kadar where they built the underground city of Nexus. In the following thirty years, the Locust grew their civilization and created a government and armed forces. The Kantus developed their religion based on the worship of Riftworms, known as the Trinity of Worms. During this time, the Locust and indigenous Hollow creatures became more exposed to Imulsion and developed Lambency, a parasitic infection that colonized its host and compelled them to infect all forms of life. This led to an epidemic and conflict in the Inner Hollow. Myrrah sought the aid of human scientist, Professor Adam Fenix, to resolve the Lambency epidemic. However, he found that all possible solutions would either fail or harm the Locust as well due to their ancestry through the use of Imulsion in their cells. With more Locust becoming infected, killing many more of their people and losing their land, Myrrah concluded that the only solution was to evacuate the Hollow, exterminate the human race, and claim the surface of Sera as their own in order to escape the Lambent. After the end of the Pendulum Wars, Myrrah commanded her people to emerge on the surface to exterminate the humans; waging a genocidal war... Locust Races = Drones - Drones were the most common race of the Locust Horde. While most were at least six feet tall, it was possible for one to grow to twelve feet in height. In terms of appearance, the Drones had most in common with a regular human. Entirely male, Drones were bred to kill and torture their enemies. Most Drones acted as foot soldiers for the Locust Army in order to protect their Queen and Nexus. Due to being part of the Hivemind, the Locust Drones could telepathically communicate with each other from long distances. They could also be manually controlled by Queen Myrrah, but she has allowed their free will as the Locust naturally devoted their lives to her in order to maintain their species and were willing to die in service to her. Boomers - Boomers were larger Drones in size and strength, but with a diminished intelligence capacity. Boomers were so named for their known trait of verbally declaring their action before it was performed. For instance, a Boomer would shout "BOOM!" before firing from the Boomshot Grenade Launcher. The Boomers acted as heavy weapons specialists within the Locust army, similar to tanks. They were often used to either protect Locust squadrons or to break through barriers. Boomers that were not in the Locust army primarily served as laborers in the Locust Horde, such as construction workers and butchers, due to their low intelligence. Their devotion to the Queen and Horde, however, was just as strong as the Drones'. Kantus - Kantus were taller and more slender Locust with a pharyngeal jaw. The most unique trait of the Kantus was their vocalizing powers. With their voice, the Kantus were able to heal the wounds of other Locust and revive them in battle, acting as field medics. The Kantus could also use their voice to control certain creatures such as the Rockworms and Riftworms. The Kantus would often lead Locust hunting parties and lure out Rockworms for the Locust to kill and eat. In battle, the Kantus could also produce a scream that could incapacitate their enemies. However, the main role of the Kantus were priests of the Trinity of Worms, the main religion of the Locust Horde. The Kantus worshipped three Riftworms, who they believed were responsible for creating the Hollow and giving life to the Locust Horde. Ragers - Ragers were a race of Drones that could metamorphose into a form similar to that of the Berserker. It is unknown if Ragers were naturally occurring within the Locust Horde or created by Ukkon, but their ability to transform was due to their high Imulsion content. In their original form, Ragers looked similar to Drones, except for a lack of scales and a lighter pigmentation. Like the Drones, they were also tactical and able to use weapons. After being wounded or threatened, a Rager could mutate by turning their skin red, protrude spikes from their body, increase the length of their nails, and grow in size and strength. Once transformed, they acted similar to a Berserker and attacked in a blinding rage, hence the name. Due to their recklessness in battle, the Ragers became mostly extinct by second year of the Locust War. Berserkers - Berserkers were female Drones of the Locust Horde. At an average height of ten feet, Berserkers were able to destroy most structures, jump at incredible heights and lengths, and sprint at very high speeds. They were so named for their out-of-control and angry nature. Naturally myopic, Berserkers relied on their other senses of scent and hearing to navigate their environment and hunt their prey. Known to kill humans and Locust alike, Berserkers would clobber and dismember their victims. Berserkers were often used in the Locust army to either hunt humans or to destroy barriers. Berserkers that were not in the Locust army were used to repopulate the Locust Horde. Being the female race of the Locust Horde, the Berserkers were capable of sexual reproduction. However, due to their blind and violent nature, Berserkers were chained down and raped by male Drones in order to conceive. It is unknown if the Berserkers could give birth to a single Drone or a litter. The original Locust was a Berserker named the Matriarch, generated from Queen Myrrah's embryonic stem-cells and Sire DNA. She bestowed the Locust with a Hivemind and amplified Myrrah's connection and abilities to it. Sires - Sires were the ancestors to the Locust. They were once human children of Imulsion miners infected with Rustlung and brought to the New Hope Research Facility to study and find a cure. The director of the facility, Dr. Niles Samson, used Imulsion and the DNA of indigenous creatures from the Hollow to transform the children into Sires. Most of the Sires lost their sanity and became mindless, feral, and aggressive. While calm under sedation, they would maul and tear apart their prey in their regular state. The Sires were also distempered and sterile. However, their DNA was combined with Myrrah's embryonic stem-cells to create the Locust Horde. Unlike the Locust, the Sires were unable to follow command and acted on a primal, animal instinct - lacking self-preservation. Despite this, the Locust Horde revere the Sires as holy figures that produced their people. The Sires appeared to have mottled skin, with large parts of their bodies transforming into the grey skin and scales the Locust would eventually have. The Sires were at a medium-sized height due to their adolescence, but exhibited extreme hunched backs from stasis and accelerated growth. Both fingernails and toenails grew into claws, and their limbs elongated at different lengths. The children experienced hair-loss, their jaws grew in size and filled with razor-sharp teeth. Hollow Creatures used by the Locust Horde = Bloodmounts - Bloodmounts were highly aggressive, bipedal creatures. Their warped bodies allowed them to walk on their arms, while their hind pincers were used as defense. Bloodmounts were moderately fast and struck with sheer strength. They were one of the many Hollow creatures enslaved by the Locust and used as personnel transport. They were often ridden by Beast Riders or Palace Guards. Their main diet consisted of human flesh. Brumaks - Brumaks were originally smaller, native apes. As smaller apes, the Locust would hunt them using Breechshots, and were a part of the Locust's diet. Later genetically engineered by Ukkon, the Brumaks stood nearly 50 feet tall and weighed around 15,000 kilograms (33,069 lbs). The Brumaks were capable of carrying a rocket launcher with up to two Locust Drones, in addition to two machine guns on their forearms. They were used as transport and artillery for the Locust army. The Brumaks were among the Locust species that evolved when exposed the Imulsion countermeasure in 17 A.E., encased in an impenetrable crystalline chrysalis. In 42 A.E., the Brumaks emerged as the Swarmaks and served the Swarm during the Swarm Invasion. The Imulsion crystal growths acted as a natural armor for the Swarmaks, but were weakened by exploitable blisters. Seeders - Seeders were large, crab-like creatures. Similar to Corpsers, Seeders were also able to burrow and open Emergence Holes. The main objective of a Seeder, however, was to launch Nemacyst into the atmosphere. Seeders were fed Nemacyst, and then when they emerged, they would face their anus towards sky and excrete launch the Nemacyst, acting as anti-air artillery and scramblers for the COG radio frequencies. Nemacysts - Nemacysts were squid-like creatures capable of flight. Nemacysts contained Imulsion and exploded upon contact or death, acting as anti-air artillery for the Locust. Nemacyst also served to sever human communication transmissions due to their expelling of thick, black ink. The Nemacyst ink is so lethal that infant Nemacyst are used as poison grenades by the Locust, known as Ink Grenades. Their black ink was also used to darken the skies of human cities in order to prematurely launch and protect the Kryll to create a Kryllstorm - killing the humans and occupying the city for the Locust. Nemacysts were launched onto the surface after being fed to Seeders. The Seeders then emerge from the underground and face their anus towards the sky where they excrete the Nemacyst. Corpsers - Corpsers were spider-like creatures. They had four eyes, eight front legs and twenty hind legs. The Corpsers were oviparous, reproducing by laying eggs and born with only four front legs. Aside from the Riftworms, the Corpsers were responsible for many of the tunnels in the Hollow, as their legs allowed them to dig through the rock and soil. The Locust later enslaved Corpsers as a means of transportation - digging tunnels beneath Seran cities and opening emergence holes on the surface, allowing the Locust to breach and attack. Corspers were enhanced by Ukkon after the Locust took over the Hollow. Reavers - Reavers were large, squid-like creatures capable of flight. They were piloted by a Beast Rider and guarded by a passenger Drone or Theron Guard. In addition to its passenger, the Reavers had a mounted rocket launcher to attack the opponents and were occasionally used as kamikaze bombers due to their explosive nature. Reavers were able to land on the surface as well and act as a tank, offering the Drones the high ground on the battlefield. Tickers - sized insect-creatures that the Locust Horde used as mobile landmines. The Kantus are able to summon the Tickers from the Hollow on command. Following the flooding of the Hollow, when the Locust became the Savage Locust, they employed "wild" Tickers, without their strapped bombs, to collect scrap and weapons for the Savage Locust to use and build with. Reasonably shy and devoid of the explosives, they are known to eat weapons and ammo that are laying on the ground. Wretches - Wretches were primate-like creatures that hunted in packs, had volatile screams, and the ability to crawl on walls and ceilings. Their claws and fangs make them dangerous alone, especially to an unarmed civilian. With more armored and weaponized humans, however, Wretches swarm their target in packs. Wretches are among the Hollow Creatures that will eat human flesh. The Locust employ them similarly to dogs by humans, for sniffing out humans and using their small size to navigate certain areas. The Shibboleth - The Shibboleth was a notable deformed Corpser. Found with a wounded leg, it was rescued and mended by Vold Karn of the Locust Horde. Karn then requested the Shibboleth to be healed and modified by Locust scientist Ukkon. The Shibboleth was fitted with a mechanical prosthetic leg and the abilities to launch Nemacysts and Diggers and exhale extreme heat. Zamil Karn led the Fall of Gorasnaya on Emergence Day and was victorious by riding the Shibboleth into battle. After surviving the Lightmass Missile during the {{char}}, the Shibboleth was killed in the Battle of the Plaza by Kilo Squad and Colonel Ezra Loomis in the first year of the Locust War. Locust General Karn = Zamil Karn was a vicious Locust General who fought during the Lambent War and at the beginning of the Locust War, working alongside Uzil RAAM and Kantus Skorge to lead the Locust campaign against humanity on Sera's surface. Considered one of the most dangerous Locust the Coalition of Ordered Governments had ever faced, Zamil Karn was the conductor of Emergence Day during the Fall of Gorasnaya. Zamil Karn later led an assault on the city of Halvo Bay six weeks after Emergence Day, where he met his end fighting against Kilo Squad. General Karn's Attack during Emergence Day - Karn personally led an assault on the Republic of Gorasnaya and, in that single campaign, devastated a majority of the Gorasni population. Former Union of Independent Republics Major Garron Paduk and his men fruitlessly fought against the general and, realizing his lethality, dubbed him Karn General Karn at the {{char}} - Six weeks after Emergence Day, Karn attacked the city of Halvo Bay, located in the leading Coalition of Ordered Governments nation of Tyrus. The city was home to the Halvo Bay Military Academy and several other important military targets that Karn sought to destroy one by one. He targeted the academy first, and personally killed Spc. Alexieff, the last Gear defending the academy. Karn then turned his attention towards the Museum of Military Glory, first destroying a COG convoy heading for the museum. He then led Locust forces in wiping out the Onyx Guard units defending the museum, using Shibboleth to crush several members of Black-Four to death. Karn then targeted the airport, which the COG was using to evacuate civilians. He used Seeders to cut off the COG's communication and quickly overwhelmed the airport's defenses, although he lost one Seeder to Omega-Two. Karn then attacked the Endeavor Naval Shipyard, taking the port to prevent evacuation by sea. " Colonel what if Karn allowed Omega to knock out that Seeder and wanted to lure your men right to him. These Grubs are actually thinking strategically." — Damon Baird pointing out Karn's superior skills at warfare being underestimated by Col. Loomis Karn then returned to the Museum of Military Glory, where his Seeders had been destroyed by Omega-Two. He wanted to deal with them personally, but also learned that another Gear squad was causing trouble and had landed at the wharf district. Karn sent some of his best forces to the wharf to deal with them while he focused on Omega-Two. While marshaling his soldiers at the Museum, Karn's position was struck by a Lightmass Missile fired by Kilo Squad. Though thousands of his troops were killed by the Lightmass Missile, Karn and Shibboleth survived, and he sent his elite forces to take out Kilo Squad who had guided the missile from a nearby rooftop. However, they failed and fell to Kilo Squad who believed Karn to have perished in the explosion Karn led the attack on a courthouse where Col. Ezra Loomis was trying Kilo Squad for disobeying orders. Karn emerged atop Shibboleth and destroyed a King Raven that the five Gears were attempting to board and engaged them in a battle across the Plaza for the Tyran Dead. Karn then personally attacked the squad and the Colonel. After they disabled his chainguns, Karn attacked with an incendiary launcher, but retreated to the top of a nearby roof and called for reinforcements after being injured. During the fight between the squad and the reinforcements, Karn came down off the building and tried to trample the squad as well as launching incendiary bombs from Shibboleth's mechanical leg until it was destroyed, causing him to retreat again and call for more reinforcements. He also launched Nemacyst from Shibboleth. Finally, Karn attacked again with his chainguns and once they were disabled again, Shibboleth exposed its mouth and Kilo and Loomis focused fire on this weakspot. Karn tried to take them down with his Boltok Pistol as the Shibboleth grew weaker but he wasn't able to aim. The Gears and some King Ravens continued to attack, killing Shibboleth. General Karn's Death - "War is cruelty. And this one's not over." —Col. Loomis after executing Karn Karn was thrown from his mount and, though he survived the explosion and fall, he was severely injured and unable to stand. As Kilo wondered what to do with him, Loomis executed Karn with a shot to the head from his Boltok Pistol. However, the Locust Horde didn't stop their attack over Halvo Bay even with their General's death and ultimately killed Col. Loomis and almost all of the Gears defending the city. Karn's commander, High General RAAM, would lead the Horde's forces in the onslaught of humanity from Emergence Day to 14 A.E., where he too perished. {{char}} = "Colonel, everyone in Halvo Bay is going to die..." —Lt. Damon Baird The {{char}} was a three month long battle and one of the largest battles to take place in the early stages of the Locust War. Thousands of Onyx Guards and Gears, led by Colonel Ezra Loomis, fought against the Personal Guard of Locust General Karn in the streets of Halvo Bay and Onyx Point. Colonel Loomis, a Pendulum Wars hero who had spent twenty years fighting the UIR, was unable to adapt to fighting the Locust Horde. The Locust, who were led by E-Day planner General Karn, had just arrived from his early victory at the UIR rogue state of Gorasnaya. During the height of the battle, Colonel Loomis had Kilo Squad tried in a military tribunal without legal representation for a series of crimes. The Locust Horde military strategy contradicted COG military intelligence, and thus the COG were unprepared for an intelligent enemy. However, the COG scored a slight victory by killing General Karn during the conflict. Attack on Halvo Bay - During the initial stages of the Locust assault on Halvo Bay, Brigadier General Rovik was killed along with an untold number of Gears and civilians. After the death of General Rovik, command fell upon Col. Ezra Loomis of the Onyx Guard. The civilian population started to be evacuated during this time, though many civilians had already been slaughtered by the Locust. Thousands of Gears began mobilizing across the city in defensive positions, mainly around COG military installations and refugee checkpoints. Halvo Bay airport was used as an evacuation center before General Karn targeted the airport to exploit the COG's defense of civilians and stretch their resources thin. COG military control was established at various military sites, such as the Museum of Military Glory, Onyx Point, the Endeavor Naval Shipyard and Halvo Bay Military Academy. Evacuation of Halvo Bay - civilian population across the military town. From the Seahorse Hills to Old Town, the COG set up evacuation centers for civilians until the Locust began overwhelming the checkpoints across Seahorse and the civilians fled to the roofs of Old Town. In Old Town, the military parade celebrating the end of the Pendulum Wars was still set up and the Locust emerged all across the parade grounds. The civilian population began retreating to the top of the buildings, hoping the emerging Locust could not reach them. During the evacuation of Old Town, SPC. Yalovsky was killed when the Gear tried to save a civilian from falling into an Emergence Hole in the Wharf district of the city. Several more Gear officers were lost in Oldtown, including Major Moreno, who was cornered by a Locust with a Cleaver. On the rooftops of Old Town, Sgt. Vietzen fell to his death on a makeshift bridge used by the civilians and Gears to get across the rooftops. Col. Bishop was directing civilians to better cover when a Torque Bow round killed him. With the Locust overrunning the refugees on the rooftops, 1st Lt. Corbin was killed while trying to get civilians to higher ground. The Locust eventually overran all of the Gears' positions on the rooftops, killing the remaining Gears. They gained control of the buildings that overlooked the Museum square, but some civilians managed to hide from the Locust and survive on the rooftops. After heavy losses in Seahorse Hills and Old Town, the COG military's defense of the Museum of Military Glory became a first priority. Halvo Bay Military Academy Overrun - During the all-out assault on Halvo Bay, General Karn attacked the Halvo Bay Military Academy and quickly overran the academy grounds. During the attack on Enfield Bridge, Pvt. Felhofer was killed while drawing enemy fire to cover his squadmates. Major Bixhorn, the highest-ranking known Gear stationed at the Academy, was killed by a Reaver that left him mortally wounded, causing him to bleed out hours after being hit. After taking the bridge, the Locust assaulted the courtyard and launched a Ticker assault that killed SSgt. Sullivan. Several E-Holes opened up inside the school, one of which killed Andrade. During the room-to-room fighting inside the academy, Ragers were used by the Locust Horde, where they managed to kill a great number of Cadets and Gears, including Pvt. Perham. The Locust killed all of the Onyx Cadets and Gear soldiers defending the school. The last standing Gear, Spc. Alexieff, was killed by General Karn’s forces. The Locust left a defensive force around the compound and several checkpoints in front of Enfield Bridge and inside of the academy grounds. The COG would send King Ravens on recon missions over the academy grounds to search for survivors, but none were found. Seahorse Hills massacre - During the battle for Halvo Bay, Seahorse Hills, a notable and rich neighborhood located on the outskirts of the city, was in the process of being evacuated. The COG army was able to set up several checkpoints and ordered all civilians in the neighborhood to have their identification ready. But the Locust Horde attacked Seahorse Hills and a massacre quickly began instead of a battle. The Locust used mortars to rain fire on Gears and the civilians that they were protecting. Pvt. Sutton was killed when he tried to save a wounded comrade. The Locust also used Boomers to help overtake the defenses around Seahorse. A round from a Boomer took out Pvt. Reid's transport, killing him. Pvt. Grachev and his squad also engaged the Locust, but Reid was killed by a stray bullet. The fighting reached its highest point when some Gears, like Pvt. Hogina, committed suicide. The Locust Horde was eventually able to take over most of Seahorse Hills and destroyed the remaining opposition around the refugee checkpoints. The only remaining area of Seahorse that was not under Locust control was a single mansion that had its own defense network. The Locust used the refugee checkpoint outside of the fortified mansion and set up defensive barriers on the two lane street and raised their banner over the remains of the dead Gear soldiers. Battle for Halvo Bay's airport - "Colonel, Omega-Two just took out the airport Seeder sir. Sir can you hear me?" —A Gear reporting to Col. Loomis on the battle for the airport. During the battle for Halvo Bay, the airport changed hands several times between the COG and Locust Horde. Omega-Two, commanded by Sgt. Marcus Fenix, was tasked with taking out a very large Seeder that was located in the airport. The large Seeder was responsible for disrupting communications around Halvo Bay. Omega-Two was able to take out the Seeder, but when a Gear soldier reported to Col. Loomis that Karn was leading the counter-attack atop his Shibboleth with three Seeders behind him, Loomis did not care about the Gear’s concern and ordered the Gear to attack and drive the Locust back into the ocean or face an execution. The Gear was killed live on the radio. The situation at the airport left evacuation there impossible. Fall of Onyx Point - Onyx Point, a secret COG military island base located in the heart of the bay, also came under attack by the Locust. The base contained a large Garrison of Gear soldiers and fortifications around the island, but also contained a Lightmass Missile. General Karn launched an amphibious attack on the island which lead to heavy COG losses. Captain White was leading Gear soldiers during the defense of the island fortress until he was killed by Theron Guards with Cleavers. CW2. O'Neill was killed by a sniper while trying to radio Command for reinforcements. Several Kantus priests were used to support the Locust and they used their Ink Grenades to kill Gear soldiers, including Pvt. Newman. After a prolonged battle, 2Lt. Zhang ordered a retreat to the central area of the base, but he was killed during the fallback. 2Lt. Garoon was able to shut down the main elevator to Onyx Point's main armory, denying the Locust access to COG made munitions, but he was killed during his heroic act. After the island fortress was conquered, Karn left an occupation force in charge of protecting the island. The Fall of Endeavor Naval Base - "Karn's taken the port. I had friends stationed there." —Cadet Sofia Hendrik General Karn atop, his Shibboleth mount, attacked Endeavor Naval Base and destroyed the COG forces located there along with two Raven’s Nest Class carriers. One was split in half and the stern of the ship was sent crashing against Onyx Point. The second carrier was on fire still in dock at Endeavor Naval Shipyard. After capturing the base, Karn and his forces moved deeper into the city where heavy fighting could be seen from Onyx Point. The destruction of the naval base had a negative morale effect on Kilo Squad since they had several friends stationed at the port. The Trial of Kilo Squad - Kilo Squad, a Gear squad made up of new recruits, an Onyx Cadet, and a former Major in the UIR of Republic of Gorasnaya, was placed under military tribunal for a series of crimes against the COG. Colonel Loomis ordered the four Gears to testify what they did during the battle for Halvo Bay. Baird was the first to testify on their conduct followed by Sofia, Paduk, Cole and Baird himself again. During the trial, the Locust attacked the courtroom and the Onyx Guard had to keep them busy. At one point, the Locust managed to penetrate the courtroom, but they were all killed and Colonel Loomis continued the trial regardless of the increasing threat. Old Town ambushed - A COG military convoy was advancing through Old Town when Kilo Squad, led by Lieutenant Damon Baird, was ordered by Colonel Loomis to help guard it. The convoy was protected by half a company of Gear soldiers. Kilo Squad, moving on foot towards the convoy, noticed that something underground was beating them to the convoy. Only Pvt. Garron Paduk knew that it was General Karn. Kilo Squad battled their way towards the convoy only to find it was already destroyed by a group of Lambent Wretches. With nearly half a company of Gears dead and the convoy destroyed, Kilo was ordered back to the Museum of Military Glory to help defend it. Battling past the Lambent Wretches and other Locust forces around the convoy site, Kilo Squad made it to an underground wine cellar. The Museum was located across the river under Locust controlled territory and Kilo hoped that the underground path would help them avoid unwanted attention. However, while this almost worked, someone in COG Command ordered that the Riverwalk district be a free fire zone for the Hammer of Dawn and Kilo only had minutes to battle through it. Hitting an unexpected Locust Outpost, Kilo was able to overcome the defenses and Locust reinforcements around the outpost and exit the area before the Hammer of Dawn was used. Kilo Squad, now in the garden of the Museum of Military Glory, found out that the Locust Horde led by Kantus had besieged the front entrance to the building and killed all the Onyx soldiers defending the balcony. The Locust, using One-Shots and Kantus to help defend the newly conquered area, tried their best to stop Kilo from overrunning them, but Lt. Baird and his Gears were able to recapture the balcony until Locust reinforcements arrived from several E-Holes opening up in the garden area and Boomers along with Drones started emerging. Kilo Squad was able to defend the area using only Locust weapons and the One-Shot. After securing the area, Kilo moved into the Museum to help the Onyx Guard defend it. Defending the Museum of Military Glory - Once inside the museum, Black-Four, still reeling over the loss of all of the Gears defending the Garden, was shocked that regular Gears were there to relieve them. The Onyx Guards dismissed them and reminded Sofia Hendrik that she was still a cadet. Black-Four ordered Kilo to defend the Great Hall from any invading Locust while they went to help defend the East Wing which was under heavy attack. Kilo Squad began setting up defense turrets around their barricades, but they soon noticed that the Locust where also using Nemacyst in the attack. Kilo Squad was able to repel several waves of Locust troops attacking their positions, but Black-Four reported that they were losing the East Wing and needed reinforcements from any Gears in the area, but failed to state that they had lost the Kashkur Wing of the Museum. The Locust had fortified their hold on the Kashkur Wing and had the elite Cyclops drones defending the hard point too. Kilo Squad was able to defeat the elite drones and take out the Locust checkpoint and fight off Locust reinforcements from both sides of the Kashkur Wing. Now in the East Wing, Black-Four told Kilo Squad they were needed to defend the East Wing by themselves since Black-Four was needed outside in the Museum grounds where a large Locust was attacking the Museum. Lt. Baird, finding the armor of Nassar Embry located in the East Wing, felt that it was his patriotic duty to defend the valued armor. Kilo Squad began to set up several sentry turrets around the East Wing and waited for the Locust to attack. Kilo Squad protected the East Wing and Embry’s armor from several Locust assaults until the Locust gave up their effort to take that section of the Museum. After holding another section of the museum, Kilo Squad watched in horror as General Karn’s Shibboleth attacked the museum from the windows of the East Wing. Kilo Squad moved from that position in the East Wing and went under the Museum through the archives and vault room in the hopes of catching up with other Onyx Gears. On the stairs of the archives, Baird and Sofia pressed Paduk on what he knew about Karn, although Paduk was dismissive about what he knew. Kilo Squad, now in the archives section of the museum, had discovered an unknown group of eggs had been laid. Lt. Baird and Kilo decided that they needed to destroy all ten groups of eggs before they hatched. Kilo soon discovered that the eggs belong to a Giant Serapede that had killed any Gears inside of the archives building. After clearing out the eggs, Kilo entered the main area of the archives, only to find more dead Gears, Lambent Wretches and more Serapedes. In the rear section of the archives, a group of Locust emerged with a Grinder laying down suppressing fire for them. Kilo was able to take out both the Grinder and the Drones; during the crossfire, a wall was destroyed that allowed Kilo to exit the archives and into the Vault room where a large Emergence Hole was, and the dust in the room impaired the vision of Kilo Squad. Fighting in close hand to hand combat, Kilo was able to retake the Vault room and exit back to the ground level of the museum. In the hallway, where several dead Gears littered the ground, Kilo Squad saw firsthand the aftermath of the fighting on the ground level and that General Karn had taken the Museum and killed all of the Gears there aside from Kilo. "Colonel, some grub riding a monster just wiped out ever rifle at the museum." —Lt. Baird reporting to Colonel Loomis Lt. Baird reestablished contact with Control and gave Colonel Loomis a firsthand account on how every Gear in the Museum of Military Glory was dead except for Kilo Squad. Colonel Loomis was unconcerned by the losses that the COG army was taking while defending the building, until Pvt. Paduk told him that Karn was responsible for destroying his homeland in a matter of days. Loomis, still not over the Pendulum Wars, was glad that Karn could kill so many UIR soldiers and civilians, but was unconcerned by Karn’s tactical abilities. Cadet Sofia Hendrick recommended using the Lightmass Missile on Karn, but Col. Loomis became furious over a tactical recommendation from a Cadet and reminded her that the higher ups of COG Command were saving that missile for a better purpose and ordered them to take out Karn and retake the Museum. But yet again communications failed again around the city. Since Lt. Baird knew that Karn could single-handedly destroy Halvo Bay and the COG, they needed to use the Lightmass Missile on Karn. Both Baird and Sofia knew the creator of the missile and decided that the Lightmass Missile was the best course of action. Paduk, who had survived a Lightmass Missile blast before, radioed to Control their plan of attack, but since comms were still down, they got no reply back which was good enough for the squad. Sofia told Baird that they needed the targeting beacon and the launch codes before then opening the missile silo in person in order for the missile to be used. Retrieving the beacon - "Colonel, I’m an Academy cadet. I had to see if my friends were alright." —Cadet Sofia Hendrik during her testimony After the loss of the Museum of Military Glory to Karn’s forces, Kilo Squad traveled through to the sewers to get to the Halvo Bay Academy, where the creator of the Lightmass Missile, Professor Elliott, had his lab located. Kilo Squad didn't encounter any opposition in the sewers since the invading Locust troops were on ground level. Outside of Enfield Bridge, Sofia discovered in horror that the academy was overrun and that all of her friends might be dead. Sofia claimed that Kilo Squad assaulted Enfield Bridge while low on ammo and without access to Longshots while the Locust launched a heavy Reaver assault on Kilo’s assault on the bridge. Kilo Squad was able to retake the bridge and destroyed Locust aerial and ground opposition. After taking the bridge, Kilo moved into the courtyard where the former headmaster had left a defense system that was in place during the Pendulum Wars in case of a UIR invasion of Halvo Bay. Kilo Squad had only minutes before the nerve gas in the courtyard killed everyone in it. In the courtyard, the Locust had set up defensive areas defended by a turret with Boomers and Drones. After clearing the courtyard, Ragers entered the fray and Kilo was almost unprepared to face the transforming Locust. Kilo battled several more Ragers and Drones outside the R&D Labs. Kilo was able to get inside of the labs before the nerve gas killed them. Once inside, Sofia was still in the security system which allowed Kilo Squad to gain access to the Lightmass Missile beaconl but Locust forces were already inside of the labs. Sofia also admitted that her relationship with Professor Elliott was more than a student-teacher relationship. Inside the labs, the fires had unleashed chemicals that affected Kilo’s vision and they had to battle their way into the heart of the lab where the beacon was located. The beacon turned out to be a bot unit. With the bot activated, but the cloaking field disabled due to the Academy’s anti-cloaking field, Kilo had to escort the bot out of the Academy’s compound. In Monroe Commons, the Bot sent out a loud signal if the Locust was detected in the area. Having to defend the bot from wave after wave of Locust assaults and Nemacyst targeting it due to a signal coming from it, Kilo was able to save the bot from destruction. After clearing the Monroe Commons and the adjacent courtyard, a King Raven on a recon mission over the Academy was shot down and crashed over the main courtyard. Kilo, needing to exit academy grounds, left towards the main exit into the courtyard but found themselves out of ammo and resorting to their Snubs Pistols. Kilo Squad, forced into a corner against an onslaught of Locust Drones and Boomers, was able to fend off the Locust and moved into the courtyard. A second King Raven flew over the courtyard and warned Kilo Squad that over several dozen Drones were advancing on their position. Kilo Squad, using the advance warning used ammo and sentry turrets from the crashed King Raven to help defend their positions. The Locust sent waves of Corpsers and Serapedes along with ground troops that shocked the Gears of Kilo Squad. The large fountain in the center of the courtyard sank into the ground and a large Emergence Hole opened up. After Tickers and other Locust creatures tested the defenses that Kilo Squad had set up, the rest of the Locust forces attacked them. In the end, Kilo Squad was victorious and left the courtyard heading towards Seahorse Hills where Professor Elliott lived along with the launch codes for the Lightmass Missile. Sofia was saddened to leave the ruins of the academy and the loss of all of her friends there. Seahorse Hills - "Growing up in the UIR, of course I'd heard of the fabled mansions of Halvo Bay. But I never imagined I'd see them like this." —Garron Paduk upon seeing the Seahorse Hills massacre After leaving the Academy, Kilo Squad made their way to Seahorse Hills, an upper class neighborhood located in Halvo Bay. The COG army had tried to evacuate all of the civilians, but they were overrun by the Locust. Insideof Amador Park, Kilo Squad ran out of ammo but found Gnashers and Sawed-Off shotguns that belonged to a wealthy citizen's personal armory. Moving up the street in Amador Park, Kilo ran into a group of Locust that came charging at them. The Gears of Kilo Squad had to move in close with their shotguns to take out the Locust in close range combat. The Locust in the end were no match for the Gears. Making their way through the area, the Gears took out mortar teams shelling Professor Elliott's mansion, which had its own defense systems. Knowing they couldn't get past the systems themselves, the Gears took an alternate route to the mansion, taking out the three mortar teams along the way. Finally, Kilo Squad reached the secret entrance which Sofia knew about due to her relationship with the Professor. Entering the mansion, the team found Elliott dead of a suicide and set Troy to work on cracking the mainframe to get the launch codes for the missile. Unfortunately, hacking in caused the defense systems to go offline, allowing the Locust to breach the mansion. Kilo was forced to defend the inside of the mansion and Troy from repeated waves of Locust troops while the bot tried to get the codes. Finally, after beating off the main Locust attack that included a Berserker, Troy got the access codes. With the codes, Kilo left for Onyx Point to arm the missile. Onyx Point - Needing to prepare the Lightmass Missile, Kilo Squad traveled to Onyx Point on a Locust assault craft. Upon arriving on the beach, they came under attack from heavily entrenched Locust troops including mortars and turrets. Kilo Squad was forced to fight their way up the beach and kill all of the Locust there before they could enter the fort. Making their way through the fort, Private Augustus Cole briefly took control of a Silverback to blast through Locust forces in the motor pool. After leaving the beachhead, Kilo would later report that offsite COG artillery positions would open fire on their current location on Onyx Point. Making their way along the cliffs, Kilo discovers the nearby shipyard to be under attack and were devastated as they all had friends defending it. Kilo comes under fire from Locust snipers with OneShots and mortars from an adjacent cliff and had to take them all out before they were able to travel in an elevator into the silo where the Lightmass Missile was. Finding the silo empty, Baird armed the missile, but they got a report from Colonel Loomis that Omega-Two had taken out a Seeder at the Museum of Military Glory, restoring comms. Baird contacted Loomis to inform him of their plan, but he refused to allow them to use the missile to kill Karn, telling them that it was being saved for a greater purpose. He ordered Sofia to arrest Paduk and Baird if he resisted, but after finding out that Omega-Two was pinned down at the Museum and was an hour away from evac, Kilo decided to complete their mission and help them as they can get to the Museum a lot quicker. Making their way out through a service entrance, Kilo came under attack from Locust forces and took them out. Fearing that the Locust may get to the inside of the silo and to the missile and disarm it, they had Troy seal the door to the silo from the outside. Reaching the beach, Kilo came under attack from three waves of Locust troops arriving in assault craft. Killing them all, Kilo left the island on one of the Locust assault craft. Launching the Missile - Theorizing that after Omega-Two took out a Seeder at the Museum of Military Glory Karn would want to deal with them personally, Kilo commandeered a Locust assault craft and reentered Old Town to find a good position to launch the beacon from and rescue the besieged Gears. Traveling through the streets, Kilo came upon a variety of enemies including a Serapede, juvenile Corpser, and Lambent Wretches. After fighting off a Locust patrol, they decided to take their search for a good location to the rooftops, but while waiting for Troy to open a door, they came under attack by Ragers and Maulers. After killing them all, they got through the door to find that the people of Old Town tried to hide from the Locust on the rooftops and were slaughtered. Fighting their way across the rooftops, Kilo learned that Omega-Two was in increasing trouble and that Colonel Loomis was planning to launch a massive attack on the Museum, something they felt was a trap. Finally reaching and clearing the perfect spot on a rooftop, Baird dispatched Troy to get into position but before he could fire, Colonel Loomis contacted Sofia demanding to know where they were. Although Sofia initially lied and said they were aiding another unit, Baird told Colonel Loomis the truth, feeling that if they didn't fire the missile, everyone in Halvo Bay would die. Colonel Loomis threatened to execute Baird if he didn't back down, but with the agreement of the rest of Kilo, Baird fired the Lightmass Missile anyway. The missile destroyed the Museum and kills hundreds of Locust, Karn and Shibboleth presumably among them, leaving a huge crater. Omega-Two contacted Kilo to inform them that while they were a little roasted by the blast, they had successfully escaped. However, instead of backing down with Karn's apparent death, the Locust attacked Kilo's roof with a massive force in successive waves. After a long fight, Kilo eventually managed to kill all of the Locust and were picked up by a furious Colonel Loomis who placed them under arrest. Attack on the courthouse and fall of Karn - Determining Kilo to be guilty, Colonel Loomis prepared to execute them, but before he could, the Locust finally broke into the courtroom and killed all of the Onyx Guards there. A Drone took Colonel Loomis hostage, but Private Garron Paduk grabbed a Longshot Sniper Rifle and after a moment's hesitation to decide who to shoot, killed the Drone and saved Colonel Loomis' life. Colonel Loomis fled, leaving Kilo to fight alone. Eventually, Kilo killed all of the Locust in the courtroom and battled their way through the courthouse toward a landing pad outside where a King Raven was waiting. Arriving outside, Kilo was joined by Colonel Loomis and they finally battled their way to the landing pad only for Karn and Shibboleth, who somehow survived the Lightmass Missile, to arrive and destroy the King Raven. Karn started by firing Shibboleth's machine guns at the humans, but after they disabled them, he tried using an incendiary grenade launcher on them. Kilo and Colonel Loomis disabled the launcher and Karn retreated to a nearby rooftop where he called for reinforcements. After the reinforcements were fought for a while, Karn rejoined the battle, trying to trample the squad and launching Digger bombs from Shibboleth's mechanical leg at them. The squad destroyed the mechanical leg and Karn retreated again, launching Nemacysts and calling in more reinforcements. After some time had passed, Karn once again joined the battle, using his machine guns against the humans again. Kilo and Colonel Loomis disabled the guns and, when Shibboleth screamed, focused their fire on the beast's head, joined by nearby King Ravens. Finally, the combined fire killed Shibboleth, leaving Karn heavily wounded. As Kilo Squad wondered what to do with him, with torture being a suggestion, Colonel Loomis shot General Karn in the head with his Boltok Pistol, killing him. Afterwards, Colonel Loomis dropped the charges against Kilo Squad, but demotes Lieutenant Baird to Private and destroyed any chance of him ever being an officer again. Loomis' Counterattack and Last Stand - After Kilo Squad took out Shibboleth and Col. Loomis executed Karn, the COG army reorganized around the Tyran war memorial and prepared for a counterattack into the heart of the city. Colonel Loomis personally led the counterattack into the heart of Halvo Bay with the Onyx Guard, hoping that the death of their General would demolish the Locust Horde's morale. In the end, Colonel Loomis and his Onyx Guard were trapped around the Regency Hotel, and were killed to the last man. The COG Engineering Corps would later recover his remains and erected a statue of him declaring him the “Hero of Halvo Bay”. Even Damon Baird considered him a hero for his final actions but still a “dick”. Ultimately, Halvo Bay was destroyed by the Locust despite the best efforts of the COG and the death of their general. Ezra Pound Loomis = Colonel Ezra Pound Loomis was a Gear officer in the Coalition of Ordered Governments army and a member of the Onyx Guard. He was known for being a by-the-book individual, but had a long and successful career during the Pendulum Wars. He charged Kilo Squad with treason during a battle at Halvo Bay after they disobeyed his orders and used the Lightmass Missile against General Karn. Loomis was eventually killed defending the city, and was afterwards known as the "Hero of Halvo Bay" Ezra Pound Loomis Personality and Traits - "Recovered here, by the COG Engineering Corps, the Body of Col. Ezra P. Loomis" "Where Others Fled, He Remained" "The Hero of Halvo Bay" —The plaque on the Loomis Memorial After Emergence Day, Loomis struggled to deal with fighting the Locust, and was unable to adjust his tactics to fight them differently than the Union of Independent Republics. Having lived his whole life in the military, Loomis was unconcerned with the lives of civilians and was dedicated to doing things completely by-the-book with complete dedication to the values of the COG. Despite his rigid and uncompromising nature, Loomis was a brave Gear with an unshakeable demeanor. This bravery was acknowledged even by those who disliked him, and earned him the title of "Hero of Halvo Bay" following his death defending the city. However, his rigid principles made him highly inflexible and somewhat irrational as he refused to postpone Kilo Squad's trial while the Locust were attacking them, much to his Onyx Guard's disdain. This resulted in many of his soldiers being killed.