Greetings, this coolmccool5, and I have once again come up with another bit of storytelling, as I needed to try and keep my mind going after I had much of my other stories and world building materials lost in a thumb drive crash a couple of years ago. As such, I still intend on salvaging my other stories. I am not dead as a writer.

Anyways, this is an unofficial novelization of ArmA III's Laws of War campaign. As such, there will be differences between the game's official campaign (written by both Scott Alsworth and Jay Crowe at Bohemia Interactive) and this novelization. Hope you enjoy the story.

Warning: This story contains graphic scenes, depictions of warfare, and heavy language. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the ArmA franchise; they belong to Bohemia Interactive. As previously stated, this is meant as an unofficial novelization; though one of my goals as a writer is to make an official novel for the franchise.

FOREWORD

What follows is a work of fiction, but it is based on the sufferings of those who live in war-torn countries throughout our world. It is also meant to be used as a message that we, as human beings, should use our technology to save the lives of people who are suffering from incidents like the one seen in this story.

As such, any resemblance to actual political states, geographic locations, persons -living or dead-, corporations, and organizations is purely coincidental. This work contains actual governments and militaries, but is not affiliated with and does not endorse, nor is a benefactor of, any associated corporations, organizations, political states, or persons. All trademarks and trade names are the property of their owners.

We don't live in a world without conflict. We're not here to stop it, but we do have responsibilities; war does have rules. That's why we're here:

Look, in a firefight, things aren't easy. You can't just stop and kindly ask if someone's going to blow your head off. You need to make split-second decisions, but there's a legal; a moral responsibility to I.D. your targets.

Rule 01: Only engage combatants

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On the battlefield, there's a lot of moving parts. Yes, technology's advanced greatly. Combined arms forces can communicate effectively. But the situation can change; sometimes unexpectedly.

Rule 02: Avoid civilian casualties

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Your enemy? They could have the upper hand. To defeat them, you may have to take calculated risks. Yet, even in a conflict -even when the situation is desperate-, some things remain under the protection of the Laws of War.

Rule 03: Respect protective symbols

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Opportunities in war can be few and far between. A High Value Target can appear and you may need to take direct action. But there is a balance, a calculation, a cost. Destruction must remain proportionate to what your mission requires.

Rule 04: Limit collateral damage

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Simple, right? Look, we know on the ground, the situation can be... complicated. We're not telling you to lay down your weapons. We just ask you to remember:

Actions. Have. Consequences.

PROLOGUE

17 August 2035 - 0550 Hours Local Time

"Hello? Nathan? Sorry to keep you waiting; my editor... where were we?" the voice of a woman on an online conversation asked. A gravelly male voice replied, "Hey, um, you were asking about the guy? The one that went back there; the guy that, um..." The female voice, realizing who the male voice on the other end; the one named Nathan; was talking about, continued with understanding, "Ah, that's right. And did you know him well?"

"No, not really. He worked maintenance on our trucks." Confused, the woman asked, "He was employed by IDAP?" to which Nathan replied in an effort to clear any misunderstanding, "No, no, nothing like that. I mean, he just helped us out a few times. Off-the-book stuff. The guy was a local mechanic. Family business type of thing, y'know?" Finally getting what Nathan was trying to say, the woman simply said, "I see." Nathan continued, "I remember... he had a place at the edge of town; not far from our setup. We'd chat from time to time. He was a nice guy. Friendly."

"And do you know where he was going that day?" the woman asked. Nathan simply replied, "To the church." Confused, the woman asked, "He was going to church?" Nathan soon corrected himself, "No, no. Don't get me wrong. I mean, that place had been abandoned for almost a year. He was looking for his brother." The woman, curious, asked, "At the church?" Nathan affirmed, "Yeah. There'd been reports of a, y'know, pretty brutal fire-fight up there. He heard his brother might have been caught up in it." Confused, the woman asked, "Sure, but... I'm not quite clear about this. Was his brother still alive?" Nathan replied, very unsure, "Honestly? I dunno. I don't think he knew either. Seemed like he was on his way to find out." Needing clarification, the woman continued asking, "So, his brother, he was in the army?" Nathan tried his best to clarify on this, "Um, yes and no. It's complicated. You gotta remember, it was pretty chaotic back then." Understanding what he meant, the woman replied, "Of course. Hm... Okay, let's back up a bit." Nathan simply said, "Sure."

Continuing, the woman asks, "What complicated the situation?" Nathan tried to explain, "Just... the history of it all. His brother had been a recruit in the Altis Armed Forces. Bootcamp; basic training; y'know? However, this was back when NATO was still 'keeping the peace'. But, after NATO's forces pulled out, apparently he deserted." The woman, curious, asked, "Do you know why?" Nathan answered, "No, just... I know they argued a lot about it."

The wireless phone connection between the two then suddenly dropped.

Flashback: Oreokastro, Republic of Altis and Stratis

15 August 2035 - 1335 Hours Local Time

Looking toward the ruined village of Oreokastro, the man that the wireless phone conversation was talking about began walking toward the village's church via the trail going from the nearby Thronos Castle. Approaching the church's graveyard from the northern side, the guy, who was no older than in his early-to-mid 20s, continued in through a gap in the stone wall, calling out the name of his brother, unaware of what he was walking into.

The next thing he knew, just when he was about to enter the church itself, there was a very audible click, followed by, a split-second later, an explosion. What he felt in his left leg immediately afterward was a piercing pain followed by... nothing. To his horror, he found that it had been completely blown off below the knee. Only one conclusion came to him regarding what did this:

He stepped on a landmine.

The poor guy tried calling out for help; but it was all in vain, as he was all alone in the northwestern portion of the island of Altis. His cries for help got weaker and weaker over time as he bled out and eventually died just outside Oreokastro's church; all alone. Only a few hours had passed before he had been reported missing by the Altis authorities, but by then, it was too late...