"Finally, change is in the air!"
―Unnamed Rebel
The Resistance is a powerful covert network of humans and Vortigaunts with the shared goal of defeating the Combine and removing Wallace Breen from power.
The Resistance has no central command structure, however, there are central figures. Eli Vance, Barney Calhoun, Arne Magnusson, Alyx Vance and Gordon Freeman are examples of Resistance leaders. The Resistance is divided into two areas: Combat and Research. Scientists such as Eli Vance command the science division, whereas leaders such as Barney Calhoun and Gordon Freeman tend to command the combat section. Gordon Freeman is a man of very high regard among Resistance members, something of a personal hero to them, due to the fact that he was able to not only survive the Black Mesa Incident (which only half a dozen people are confirmed to have survived, and even fewer confirmed to have survived the Seven Hour War), but actually put an end to it.
The core Resistance army is divided into four sections: regular resistance troops, who are fully fledged resistance members, equipped with body armor and supplies (some are trained medics as well); the civilian militia forces, who are citizens who have just gained weapons; the refugees, who are tasked with aiding the escape of civilians and fighting the Civil Protection; and the Vortigaunts, a very intelligent Xen species, who are adept at combat, and are able to use the Vortessence to spy on Combine activities. The Resistance is also aided by citizens, who help the troops and refugees by leaving behind caches full of food, weapons, ammo, and medical supplies.
In the Combine-occupied world, humanity readily utilizes stolen Combine technology. Aside to weapons and armor, the Resistance has been seen to utilize the Hopper Mine, the Turret, the Thumper, the Rollermine, and Dr. Breen's Public address system, among others. Humanity also uses its existing technology well, scavenging and repairing radios, transmitters, receivers, T.V. Screens, cameras, computers, etc. Cars, watercraft, and structures are built by hand. Despite the Combine rule, the Resistance science teams have created weapons like the Magnusson Device and the Gravity Gun, and a teleporter smaller and more advanced then the Combine's teleporter at Nova Prospekt. Perhaps the greatest asset to the Resistance are the Vortigaunts. The Vortigaunts, as stated above, are very wise and very well versed at combat, and are able to communicate with all Vortigaunts instantly. Their history with the Antlions could prove handy in the future.
The Resistance was an underground movement in City 17, where most actions were covert. Spies like Barney Calhoun infiltrated the Civil Protection, in order to keep attention away from Dr. Kleiner's lab, and assist civilians in escaping City 17. Outside of the city, however, the Resistance is able to make frequent offenses against the Combine, and provide itself with sufficient defense. The Resistance had taken over a vast portion of the Coast, taking major bases such as Lighthouse Point and New Little Odessa. The Resistance's lack of numbers in this area however meant that they were frequently under attack by Combine raiding parties, and they struggled to hold onto their gains.
The Resistance generally operates as a shadow movement similar to many terrorists or rebel organizations in the modern world; unable to take on the Combine Empire directly, the Resistance seeks to undermine it by strategic moves. The Resistance held several strong points in and around City 17, such as Kleiner's Lab and Black Mesa East, before both were destroyed by the Combine. Ravenholm was also a major Resistance stronghold, before a Headcrab Shell bombardment killed the entire population of the town, with only one known survivor.
Citizens of City 17 who choose to escape to Black Mesa East, a very large resistance base, have a very hard time getting there. The only known path is through City 17's canal system, which is subject to frequent raids by Civil Protection officers, hoping to capture or kill any unfortunate refugees, as well as Xen wildlife such as Barnacles, headcrabs, and zombies. This is how the Resistance Underground Railroad was formed.
Resistance members created the Underground, a series of safehouses that help Resistance soldiers and Citizens escape to Black Mesa East, using coordinated safehouses and radios, and an Airboat to lend to refugees. Unfortunately, while Gordon Freeman was moving through the Underground Railroad, most of the stations were tracked down and destroyed by the Combine Civil Protection. Members of the Underground Railroad include Joe and Matt.
