The Mission to Hanover was a mission that took place in 17 A.E., 18 months after the Sinking of Jacinto. The mission was carried out by Augustus Cole and his squadron made up of Damon Baird, Samantha Byrne, and Clayton Carmine in the search for supplies for the CNV Sovereign. The mission became more complicated with the arrival of the Lambent.
Order of Battle
Prelude
After the Sinking of Jacinto, the Coalition of Ordered Governments separated and dispersed across Sera, one of the groups establishing a home aboard the CNV Sovereign. Naturally, over time, a shortage of supplies began to arise. At some point 18 months after the Sinking of Jacinto, the CNV Sovereign passed by the town of Hanover. Being a player on Hanover's Thrashball team the Cougars, Cole suggested sending himself and a small team in to search for supplies and for a possible reuniting with the Cougars Stadium.
Arriving at Hanover
- " Ah, remind me why we thought Hanover was a good place to look for supplies.
Baby, you gotta trust the Cole Train to find the goods. This is my turf! Cougars Territory!
Yeah,'cause that's gonna count for a lot right now." - — Damon Baird and Augustus Cole discussing the idea of searching for supplies in Hanover.
Arriving aboard KR Seven-Zero, Cole, Damon Baird, Samantha Byrne, and Clayton Carmine arrive to find the town of Hanover occupied by dead Lambent Stalks. They proceed to find a Stranded camp unwilling to trade with the Gears unless they traded Sam, forcing Cole to lead the search for supplies elsewhere. Encountering some Lambent along the way, they eventually find an old grocery store where they "struck gold." A short time after a skirmish with the Lambent outside the market the supplies were lifted off by KR Seven-Zero.
The Second Stranded Camp and Cougars Stadium
Battle in the Stadium.
- "Yeah, your punk-ass messed up my sacred turf, BAD IDEA! I'm 'bout to cream some shit out these Motherfuckers!"
- —Cole fighting Lambent in the Stadium.
The Gears fend off a Lambent attack on a Stranded camp. Recognizing Augustus as the infamous Cole Train, the Stranded happily offer a large abundance of ammunition to the Gears. Still feeling lucky, Cole decides to try a third Stranded group living in the Cougars Stadium. The Stranded are amazed at the appearance of Cole Train, but their happiness is short lived as the Lambent overrun the stadium. During the defense of the stadium, Cole finds himself reliving his past as he crosses areas of the stadium in which he used to always be such as the locker room. Using some of his old offensive Thrashball strategies, Cole plants a bomb on a Lambent stalk and obliterates the majority of the Lambent threat. Unfortunately, the Lambent still manage to overrun the stadium and force the Gears to retreat from the stadium via cables that link them to the Centennial Bridge.
Aftermath
Battle on the Bridge.
The Gears reach the Centennial Bridge and hurry to rescue the CNV Sovereign from a Lambent Leviathan. On the bridge, they discover surviving Locust, now degenerated into the Savage Locust, confirming their survival.
Behind the Scenes
- The Mission to Hanover takes place from Act 1, Chapter 4 through Act 1, Chapter 6 in Gears of War 3.
- The battle marks the first time COG forces battled Drudges and Gunkers, it's also the first time in eighteen months that COG forces battle the Locust Horde.
References