- "It's a high-risk mission, but if we get this right we can wipe out those bastards and save the entire goddamn planet."
- —Col. Victor Hoffman briefing Team Scorpio.
The Hivebust of Sanctum was the first major operation during the Hivebuster Offensive.
Prelude[]
- "Look, I know your past. That you've all struggled and suffered, but you've still got that fight in you. That's why you're here. Best of the best."
- —Col. Victor Hoffman to Team Scorpio.
As the Swarm Invasion began to worsen on Sera, Colonel Victor Hoffman was inspired by the victory they achieved in Operation: Hollow Storm during the Locust War, by taking the fight straight into enemy territory rather than fighting on the defense. Scientist Doctor Hana Cole began studying the Swarm and their Hives, believing that each member of the Hive they originated from were all connected by a singular network, and destroying that network would kill all the Swarm connected. Hoffman enlisted her help in creating a program that could destroy entire Swarm Hives. Dr. Cole then created a toxin that would kill anything living using the deadly gas recovered from the New Hope Research Facility. A problem arose when First Minister Mina Jinn insisted on using DeeBees instead of Gears and forced Hoffman into retirement for disagreeing with her. Nevertheless, Hoffman proceeded with his plan as a rogue operation instead.
However, the challenge would be fighting through an entire Hive of the Swarm in order to deliver the toxic bomb to the heart of the Hive. Hoffman and Hana realized that it would be a suicide mission to send Gears into a Swarm Hive, plant a biological weapon, and escape before getting killed by either the Swarm or toxic gas. Hoffman reasoned that the task force would have to be compromised of individuals who were either desperate or accepting of death during the operation. When forming this suicide squad, with the help of Major Donneld Mathieson, Hoffman was able to conscript three potential candidates: Corporal Jeremiah Keegan of the Onyx Guard - who had spent the majority of the Locust War on Azura and regretted not fighting with his brothers-in-arms, Lieutenant Lahni Kaliso - who was part of the 81st "Brash" Brigade, but was discharged and imprisoned for getting her superior officer killed, and Leslie Macallister - an Outsider who lost his entire family when the Swarm attacked his village.
Hoffman pardoned Lahni Kaliso and had the COG deliver her, Jeremiah Keegan, and Leslie Macallister to Galangi to meet with Hoffman andHana. However, the Condor they were riding in on was struck by a Flock and crashlanded on the island of Pahanu. The three were able to parachute out before the crash and radio for pickup. Tak managed to rescue Keegan, Mac, and Kaliso and brought them to Hoffman on Galangi. Arriving at the Hoffman Estate, the squad met with Hoffman and Hana. The two revealed to be working on the Hivebuster solution, and that the first target would be Sanctum. Originally a fallout shelter built during the Locust War on Pahanu should Azura be overrun, Sanctum was abandoned due to the unstable volcanic lava. It instead became host to the crystallize Locust bodies following the activation of the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon on Victory Day. Like all other Locust burial sites, it had become an active Swarm Hive. Utilizing Corporal Keegan's access codes from Special Projects rather than get permission from the COG, Hoffman sent Scorpio to enter Sanctum, infiltrate the Hive, and plant Hana's gas bomb and destroy the Hive.[1]
Order of Battle[]
Infiltrating the Hive[]
As Team Scorpio was deployed into the Sanctum, Hana informed them that they needed to set off the bomb at the heart of the bunker. DeeBees had been sent to clean the Hive, but they had been destroyed by the Swarm. As Scorpio navigated their way through, they accidentally walked onto some loose foundations and crashed into a lower level, where a Carrier and several Juvies ambushed them. The team was able to prevail and continued further on.[1]
Deploying the Gas Bomb[]
Mac became irritated by the fact that they were going on a suicide mission and that their lives would be meant for nothing. Having had enough of the mission, he took the bomb from Keegan and threw it down the large hole. As the bomb had not been set properly, it exploded upon reaching the bottom, forcing Scorpio to make a quick extraction from the facility before the venom could kill them.[1]
Escaping Sanctum[]
The team faced little resistance as the bomb incapacitated the lesser Swarm forces. As the team reached the end of the facility, both a Warden and a Snatcher arrived to confront the team for destroying their Hive. Neither of them were affected by the gas, but the team was able to dodge the Warden and jumped onto the facility door which had since fell into the lava. The Snatcher attempted to jump onto the makeshift platform, but had miscalculated and was quickly pushed off into the lava.
The team then contacted Tak for extraction. A lone Carrier had been waiting outside on an elevated surface and nearly destroyed the platform when Tak arrived and killed it. At this point, the platform was about to teeter off a lava waterfall, so Tak deployed ropes and told the three to take a leap of faith. All three team members managed to grab the ropes as the platform fell off.[1]
Aftermath[]
Returning to Hoffman's estate, the team informed him and Hana that the bomb did not work against heavier Swarm units. When Mac sarcastically stated that several canisters of the "nightmare acid" would do the trick, Hana then realized that the acid, combined with the gas from New Hope, might have the punch they needed. As the group tried to figure out what the creature on the beach was, Lanhi recalled the stories that her grandmother told of her people facing a god on Pahanu and suggested they go visit her grandmother's people for more information believing that the god was the creature. Hoffman then deployed the group alongside Hana to Weilehi to make contact.[1]
References[]
| Battles of the Swarm Invasion | ||
|---|---|---|
| 42 A.E. | Rescue of Fort Umson (Ambush of Fort Umson · Assault on the Stroud Estate · Mission to Fort Reval · Battle of Osmium Mine Bravo · Mission to the Tollen Dam · Skirmish in Speyer · Assault on the Tollen Dam) · Skirmish in the Wilds · Ambush on South Village · Mission to Fort Umson · Mission to Orzabal Crater · Mission to South Village · Mission to Azura Research Facility · Evacuation of Settlement 2 · Ambush of Bravelle · Ambush of Croya · Ambush of Holdstead Croft · Ambush of Five Pines · Ambush of Pasco's Village · Mission to Great Seran Rend · Skirmish on the Jacinto Plateau · Ambush of Riftworm Village · Second Mission to New Hope · Incursions in Kadar Valley · Mission to Mount Kadar Laboratory · Mission to OZP-11 · Battle of Old Ephyra · Skirmish in Pahanu · Hivebuster Offensive (Hivebust of Sanctum · Mission to Weilehi · Mission to the Wakaatu Nest · Hivebust of Pahanu · Mission to Croya · Hivebust of Bravelle) | |