The arma serios consist of several storylines or "campaigns" of different levels of canonicity sharing the same universe, told in anachronic order. Here is displayed a recap of the events in the story as shown by the different campaigns on the game.
PROLOGUE
We start in the Altian countryside, with Staff Sergeant Adams and Sgt. Conway getting ready for a class on a group of AAF infantrymen on the basics and advanced aspects of infantry combat and traveling through terrain, almost like a video game tutorial of some sort. During the lecture, Adams is attention is requested through the radio by a random AAF trooper who is promptly ignored. This is repeated several times with Adams commenting that despite his normal easygoing attitude (which triggers a disbelieving look from Conway) the greenback's incompetence starting to get on his nerves. Finally allowed to speak, the AAF patrol reports there's been an... incident. However, when pressed on his location, he admits he can't give a grid report since they have no map or GPS available (for reference, this is such a basic equipment piece in-game that every single soldier has one. This man may as well had left the base without his pants on). Adams and Conway, disappointed though not surprised, take advantage of this to teach the AAF some basic map navigating skills, manage to locate the missing patrol and go in their search.On their way, some light tremors are felt through the island (which Martinez blames on CSAT, for the record). Reaching the patrol's location, Adams is dismayed at the scene and Conway just openly fuming. the full AAF fire team is just there sitting on their asses while several unarmed civilians are scattered around the farm. All dead.Adams chews out the incompetent section leader as he gives his side of the story. They were on patrol and these "guerrillas" attacked them. Conway is openly and angrily mocking them, making no secret of his disbelief at the story, with Adams, just as angry and annoyed but trying to avoid escalating the situation. Adams notices one of the bodies is still moving, and keeps chewing out the Greenback who is getting less sheepish and more snotty on the American's attitude. Did they cleared the area? no. Did they establish a perimeter? no. Did they examined all the buildings in the farm? no. What did you do about that gunned down civie who is clearly in need of medical attention? nothing. Conway is sent to clear the remaining buildings before he starts a gunfight with the AAF allies while he orders the rest of the team to secure the perimeter and the greenback to get a goddamn MedEvac on the site already. Conway does find a stash of weapons and explosives in one of the buildings, which the greenback seems to thin exonerates him, but that doesn't change nor explain the fact that there are several dead, unarmed, civilians.As reinforcements arrive, the situation relatively under control, Adams is somber, in what will become a theme through the campaign, thing seem to have gotten worse, and they've been called back to HQ, the survivor didn't make it. Both Conway and Adams agree that the FIA is not going to react too kindly to this.
They reach Kavala, the seat of the Altian Goverment and have a talk with BROADWAY, the Colonel in charge of the peacekeeping efforts, called Task Force Aegis who briefs them in. The guerrilla leadership agreed to a sit down with the military government of the AAF to put a definitive end to the hostilities. However, the incidents of the previous days and a now missing AAF convoy have deteriorated the situation significantly: everyone has gone dark. Neither the AAF nor the FIA are on the mood to talk to each other nor NATO. Adams and Conway are tasked to find the convoy and solve that situation while BROADWAY tries to get the AAF and the FIA to resume the peace talks, although everyone involved seem to realize that the peacekeeping efforts are pointless and things are fubar. The convoy is found, disabled near the checkpoint with a lot of dead AAF soldiers around, and a FIA patrol who opens fire on them despite Adams attempts to talk to them. Upon securing the site and being reinforced, Conway and Adams are called back to the capital city. As you can probably imagine, it got worse, SIGNIFICANTLY so.
They reach the city and board a vehicle driven by Cpl. Ben Kerry, who takes them through the city to the Ministry of Defense, where the sit down was taking place. Adams asks what exactly is expected from them and BROADWAY explain the situation, according to the AAF (which, as it has been established, are not exactly to be taken on their word) the guerrilla forces just massively threw themselves against the government forces forcing the AAF to fight back. Mixed reports are propping up all over the place, so BROADWAY wants his two best men on the ground, finding out exactly what the hell happened and what is going on.
One the ride through town, the spectacle is truly horrifying. The AAF seems to have the situation under controlled after heavy fighting across the whole city, several men taken prisoner and corpses all over the place. Some of them can be identified as guerrilla soldiers, most of them not, though. When reaching the MoD, an AAF officer is seen commanding his men to capture what appear to be several guerrillas (maybe, they're all unarmed as far as we can see) brutalizing them and lining them up to be executed on the spot. CSAT troops are standing nearby, apparently supervising the whole ordeal . Conway and Kerry move in to stop what are blatant war crimes and human right abuses, but clash with the nearby officer who pulls rank and orders them away. Conway is willing to press it further and refuses to back down but BROADWAY chimes in: they are to stand down and leave immediately. Kerry and Conway meet with Adams nearby as the firing squad is heard in the distance. They're both in a "start shooting" mood but Adams calms them down and explain what just happened: The officer that Conway clashed horns with was none other than Colonel Akantherous, the military dictator of the Altis and Stratis, and those were his CSAT advisors. It seems obvious that the Altian civil war will soon be reigniting and NATO is not welcomed in this party. The prologue concludes with NATO seeing its presence on Altis and Stratis reduced. The AAF entering the CSAT sphere of influence and the incoming drawdown of the taskforce, setting the stage for the main campaign in the near future.
SURVIVE
Our story begins a very early morning of a greek summer in 2035 on the island of Stratis, part of the Republic of Altis and Stratis, with the protagonist Ben Kerry joining Sgt. Adams and Cpl. Lacey on a helicopter ride from LZ Connor northbound, to Camp Rogain. While commuting, we're brought up to speed on the current state of affairs that bogs down our deployment in this barren rock. After a long and somewhat still ongoing civil war with a guerrilla force, NATO intervention helped secure a precarious cease fire between the dictatorial goverment of the AAF (Altis Armed Forces) and the open rebellion of the FIA (Freedom and Independence Army).
Following a collapse of western economy, NATO has decided to withdraw from Altis and Stratis (an important strategical position in the mediterranean between the western and eastern bloc) and is proceeding to dismantle all the remaining equipment and facilities, leaving only a skeleton crew doing the grunt work, focusing their war efforts in other theaters of a cold war, particulary the pacific, against CSAT, a strong and very powerful alliance several countries led by Iran, China and Russia.
The troops (most of them draftees) are displeased since not only the work is unimportant and monotonous but the AAF (Greenbacks as the grunts call them) not content with brutalizing their own population, are also prone to temper tantrums and just generally making everyday life difficult, such as closing roads and trying to prevent any dismatling of equipement being done. Bottomline is: bring a book, because you're not going anywhere anytime soon.
On the helicopter ride, something get's Adam's attention: Camp Maxwell, a large, already decommisioned camp in the forest is spotted being occupied by a squad, in a NATO helicopter, but soon we arrive at our destination, Camp Rogain where things are slow and the mood is tense. The commander orders you and Adams to get to Kamino, further north, to help Col. McKinnon on the site. McKinnon is already travelling from Rogain to Kamino by car, and so Adams, Lacey and Kerry follow suit in different trucks willing to lend a hand. Another thing that gets Adams' attention (and gets on his nerves) his that AAF checkpoint seem really on edge today going over the vehicles and the drivers in detail before letting them through. Moving on, Adams and Kerry come across an idling AAF patrol. Going down the mountain road, Kamino comes into view, and not too soon after, the wreck of a NATO vehicle and dead body of McKinnon lying beside it. Adams rushes to provide aid to his CO and call for help, as the first explosions are heard across the island. The gunfire echoes from Kamino, without exactly knowing who's shooting at whom. All we can establish for certain is that the commanding officer of the task force is KIA and someone is attacking someone.
Adams is ordered to return to Camp Rogain as the AAF turns on NATO and Kamino is being overrun. HE objects objects leaving Kamino to their fates, but HQ is inflexible. Told to haul ass back to Rogain, it seems shit has really hit the fan like it rarely ever does and every man counts right now. So begins, the long journey home.
- HQ: ALL NATO FORCES ON STRATIS: CODE FOXTROT, AAF are attacking the airbase GREEN ON BLUE, GREEN ON BLUE!
Apparently the locals are displeased with NATO presence on the island and are not so subtly letting NATO know that they have overstayed their welcome for too long. Adams and Kerry, backtrack on foot through the forest alone and make it to the top of the mountain encountering an AAF patrol who promptly opens fire on them althought they are easily dealt with. But things look dire from the top, Rogain is also overrun, quite brutally so in fact, and the radio just inform you that the AAF is overtaking the airbase, NATO's main strongohold in both islands, while issuing a last order to evade and escape in any way possible. It seems the situation has gone considerably worse.
Abandoning the idea of Rogain, Adams decides to go back south to a nearby NATO AA battery , Point ZULU, and link up with them, but arrives only to a greenback fireteam having already stormed the place. Adams and Kerry continue south toward whats left of LZ Baldy, a former outpost although slowly realizing that the greenbacks are everywhere and NATO is being overrun in every single strongpoint they occupied. For all their incompetence, the AAF really thought this one through today. A random transport helicopter broadcast an evac point over the net: he will wait in LZ baldy for some time for any stragglers that can still make it to the LZ. Kerry and Adams, as thankful as you can possibly imagine, let them know they're on their way, but an AAF jet flies over the LZ and comes back again, having spotted the NATO aircraft. Despite their warning, Kerry and Adams are helpless to watch as their last hope is shot down by enemy aircraft. Completely out of options, both of them run like rabbits into a nearby forest to try and catch their breath.
Not long after, an AAF helicopter flies by, obviously on the look for any random american soldier still left on the island. Adams and Kerry keep walking mosly out of need to stay on the move. Suddenly they are hailed by someone on the radio. Sgt Lacey is still alive, having linked up with some survivors from Zulu and Rogain and spent the last hour holed up in an abandoned building somewhere in the wilderness. Adams wastes no time in heading up to them, however, some days are just not your day, and an explosion is heard. Adams is suddenly no more, and Kerry realizes the horror of the situation: Adams is dead, and worse still, he himself is standing in the middle of a minefield. Lacey, having heard the explosion, contacts Kerry again, instructing him how to leave the minefield and find his way the rest of the survivors, but is suddenly interrupted by the best possible news a soldier in their situation can hope: a Commanding Officer chastising them for their poor radio ettiquete (DON'T BROADCAST OVER THE WHOLE NET, SOLDIER!) and telling them in a thick british accent that survivors of the flashpoint are now regrouping in Camp Maxwell, inviting them to join them. Needless to say, the men are ecstatic about this new chance of survival but the oddicer (identifying himself as CTRG Cpt. Scott Miller, United Kingdom Special Forces) soon cools them down: There's an ocean of AAF forces between them and Maxwell, so a new RV point is established where his own men will rendezvous with the survivors and take them the rest of the way.
Kerry links up with Lacey and the others survivors and takes the long way to the RV where several fire teams try to stop them, their position having obviously being compromised. They make it through regardless, reaching the RV only to find an armored patrol disabled near the site and LOTS of AAF dead bodies. Lacey calls it in, not knowing if the UKSF men are near, or even still alive, only to be interrupted by several heavily armed brits that have surrounded the survivors. A man introduces himself as Lt. James, and leads the way to Camp Maxwell. it appears Kerry is not gonna die yet, but the relief is short lived.
- Lacey: how many groups have you helped like us?James: You're the only one so far.
CAMP MAXWELL (pain, you can't get enough!)
Lt. James gives you the tour of the camp, which is brimming with activity and defnitely feels safer and vibrant compared to the death and desolation you just left behind, but a keen eye will notice is not exactly encouraging. Cpt. Miller (callsigng FALCON) is the only ranking officer left on the island and preparing a briefing, everyone else is just grunts and support personnel with little to no combat experience, and no equipment beyond what everyone was wearing when shit hit the fan. A not-quite-an-armory is set up taking stock of whatever equipment is available (spoiler alert: not much).Kerry is left to find a familiar face while the shooting and explosions continue in the distance, and he runs into Sgt. Conway . Together they report for the briefing with the rest of the survivors as Falcon (and his accent) paint's what is definitely not a pretty picture: McKinnon is confirmed KIA, the AAF is hostile (you don't say) and contact with NATO Mediterranean Command (or anyone else, really) is impossible, most of the high tech equipment has been shipped out long ago and what little was left is either lost, half scrapped or destroyed entirely. Falcon is not despairing though and sets a plan with the objective of taking back the initiative, and getting our shit together. Four teams are designated: ALPHA, under the command of Conway, with the most experienced soldiers (kerry included) will lead most of the combat operations during the day, BRAVO providing reconnasaince to ALPHA , and CHARLIE consisting mostly of any non combat personnel and walking wounded, providing support as needed. DELTA, comprised exclusively of Miller's men, under the command of Lt. James will be doing.... something, deep in enemy territory, and no, you won't be told what, DO NOT ASK.
The day is very long with the Task Force Aegis survivors as they're known by now, engaging the enemy in a variety of situations although none of them really work as planned entirely. The highest raking Greenback officer is spotted in the village of Girna, not far from Maxwell so ALPHA is sent underwater to strike from one side while BRAVO strike from the forest. While succesful, the HVI is definitely a high ranking officer though not the intended target, so it may have been all for nothing. An attempt is made to contact NATO MEDCOM by taking Air Station Mike-26, a huge radar facility and the most high tech building on the island. The place is well defended and the attack is a huge risk, but the survivors' balls of steel and some mortar rounds that CHARLIE found between the couch cushions do the trick. The daring attack is a success and while ALPHA and BRAVO repel any reinforcements, DELTA shows up to commandeer the station. Bad news tho: the station is fried and nothing inside is usable (the survivors have a hard time believing this but they're busy repelling the counter offensive) and James decides to blow the station sky high to prevent the AAF from using it. Both Lacey and Conway protest to this, but FALCON commands them to stand down and return to Maxwell as the charges are set. Later in the day, a rescue operation is launched somewhat succesfully to rescue BRAVO who are stuck behind enemy lines.
Night falls and the situation is not looking any better than early morning: everyone is tired from the long day of non stop fighting, ammo and supplies are running short, the dead greenbacks keep piling up and yet the survivors are just as stuck in Stratis as they were when it all began. NATO MedCom may as well be on the far side of the moon and the survivors could have been throwing rocks at tank division, for all the difference the day has made. FALCON doesn't even hesitates and comes up with a new plan: remember the FIA?. He manage to get in contact with one of the resistance cells in the island, and some of the officers in their supply network (a dude named Nikos) who has agreed to share some of their nearby stash.
Both the news that FALCON knows and works with the resistance, combined with some of the choices of words in his briefings, not to mention DELTA's secrecy and the whole shadiness of their general activities is putting off most of the survivors, despite the guy's obvious skill and competence, but they have no choice but to go along with him and they do need those supplies, even if the man "sharing" them was oficially an enemy until literally yesterday.The RV is near LZ Connor, the place where Kerry firs boarded the helo with Lacey and Adams (was it this morning or ten years ago?) and everything goes smooth untill contact is made. The AAF has hit LZ connor in force, and occupied the nearby settlements. Nikos is missing, the FIA have been massacred and the supplies destroyed. FALCON is majorly pissed at this and by this point, so is everyone else in NATO . The gloves come off, Miller orders the survivors to clean up Connor and the nearby towns of any AAF forces unlucky enough to be there. Conway is only too happy to oblige and proceeds to make sure no greenback is left alive in the region. So now the survivors are even shorter on ammo but at least a good time was had by all (except the AAF) and start the journey to maxwell when they are stopped dead in their tracks , the night is lit up by mortar explosions in the distance, on top of a mountain.... right where Camp Maxwell is located. Miller warns everyone to lay low and hide untill thing settle down, as he tries to defend the camp and the survivors in it but Conway is not having any of that and moves in to assist.ALPHA arrives to the site as the attack is dying down and kerry is welcomed by James. The AAF has backed down for now, but the camp is completely destroyed, a lot of survivor s are dead or dying, those who aren't are basically just walking wounded, and the night suddenly got a lot darker.
The next morning Falcon calls for a briefing. If there was a brutal battle last night and the survivors have spent a day and a night with shit up to their necks, you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at this guy. He shares the news, good ones for once: DELTA has made contact with NATO MedCom and the cavalry is coming!. FALCON can't simply just wait for them to show up so he's done with the subtleties, he manages to rally the remaninig survivors and shares a plant to capture the airbase and the largest city of Stratis, Agia Marina, kicking what remains of the AAF to the sea, and hole up in there, to wait for the cavalry. CHARLIE will halt any reinforcements from Camp Rogain while ALPHA and BRAVO go all in and hit the military range, then the city, and finally the airbase. It's difficult, risky and daring, but definitely doable. What remains of Task Force Aegis decides to go for it. The next day, it's do or die time, the survivors say goodbye to each other, hopefully for a little while, and to Camp Maxwell for the last time, win or lose, no one is coming back here.
The attack begins, CHARLIE exchanging fire with the greenbacks in Rogain, and hold their ground. FALCON and DELTA are stationed north of the city, providing recon, while ALPHA and BRAVO on the other hand, assault the military range where most of the heavy vehicles and ordinance are stored and the bulk of the greenbacks are stationed, but it doesn't matter. The survivors are far too angry to be stopped. What little remains of the greenbacks turn tails and run for the airbase, a sight that would have made Adams very happy. The distant sound of helicopters and planes are gettign closer, looks like we miight be going home soon. But the happiness is short lived. Those aren't NATO aircraft, nor AAF for that matter. CHARLIE reports being overrun by multiple unknown contacts and comms go dark. Looks like CSAT has finally had enough of TF Aegis shenanigans, and has come to deal with them personally. FALCON manages to get in touch, his demeanor has changed considerably: these guys mean business, disengage and haul ass north, he has secured some transport boats and is waiting on an evac point 1km north of the city. Looks like we're leaving and in a hurry.
Another helo drops what seems to be a QRF (Quick Response Force) on the hill. Right on your escape route, harassing what remains of ALPHA and BRAVO who fight and run as best they can. To make it even more interesting paratroopers are seen dropped in the next hilltop, cutting your escape and let's not forget the mortars that are now falling on the whole valley. This is not a retreat no more, its run for your life situation, its an escape. The survivors just run for it now, a few of them, Kerry included, barely reaching the boats that Miller promised. And leave Stratis behiind along with the graves of many teammates and friends. Kerry and Conway are angry and barely try to hide it. Task Force Aegis can be counted with the fingers of both hands if a grenade blew up in one of them. Yet Miller and his special forces men are undisturbed. Kerry demands answers but neither Miller nor James indulge his insubordination, they do share where they are going tho: Altis. the largest of the island where they are to regroup and link up with the main force of the FIA and continue the fight. Kerry is not amused, as they are heading straight for a hornet nest, an enemy nation in a genocidal war with his own population, on their own. Miller is unfazed, obviously, as being deep in shit is basically his job description and admits that there are none better options (it's unclear if he would have it any other way though). And if you thought this day cannot get any worse, well just look up: Fast movers are spotted and heading straight towards the boats in an attack pattern. Everyone shoots back but its pointless. The sound of the minigun is the last thing Kerry hears before the boat is blown off the water, and he blacks out as he's taken by davey jones' locker.
