Greetings, this coolmccool5, and I have once again come up with another bit of storytelling. This time, it is a short story adaptation of the ArmA 3 Tac-Ops storyline "Beyond Hope". This might possibly be my last work due to events happening abroad that can easily affect me and everyone else in the world.
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 short story novelization; though one of my goals as a writer is to make an official novel for the franchise.
FOREWORD
The story and events depicted in this work are fiction. Any resemblance to actual political states, geographic locations, persons (living or dead), corporations, and organizations is purely coincidental. This work contains references to actual locations, 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 respective owners.
Altis, 2026
A military coup had toppled the government in Kavala.
Opposition groups were crushed and peaceful protests far too often ended in violence.
Support for the army waned as hundreds of soldiers disobeyed their orders and joined the people, sparking civil war.
Cities, towns, and villages were ravaged by the brutal fighting.
A six-day ceasefire had recently been agreed upon so humanitarian aid could reach those worst affected.
But neither side intended to honor the terms...
ARMA III
TAC-OPS
BEYOND HOPE
Short Story Adaptation by
Christopher Manson
Agios Dionysios, Republic of Altis and Stratis
11 May 2026 - 0435 Hours Local Time
"No, the ceasefire's over!" a thirty-two year old loyalist guerrilla named Loukas Thanos told his fellow patriots inside the ruins of what was once a two-story office building in the ruined Altian town of Agios Dionysios. Kael Mavros, the group's newest member, a twenty-seven-year-old former Altis Armed Forces soldier, affirmed, "He's got a point. Spartan should've checked in already." Thanos continued, "You heard those shots! Sounded like a fire-fight to me-" Rouvin Carras, a thirty-three-year-old loyalist, was doubtful of his fellow guerrillas' words, "How can you be sure, Thanos? I mean, Georgiou's been late before and the rebels... Maybe they're just showing the militia how to shoot straight." Sergeant Patrick James, a thirty-four-year-old British Special Boat Service operative, however, sided with both Thanos and Mavros, "In this fog? Not likely." Their commander, fifty-one year old Hektor Anastas, started the briefing, "Okay-" Carras, who didn't want to hear any of the British SBS operative's statements, interrupted him, "Nobody asked you, Sergeant! We're not your island any-" Anastas intervened to stop a potentially heated confrontation from escalating, "That's enough! Squad leaders, this is how it's going to go."
Anastas began the briefing by turning to the map of Altis on the table in front of them "Spartan group failed to report and there's been some gunfire, near here, at Point Lambda." pointing at a spot on the map, "Basically, this area. As you can see, it's right on their patrol route. Of course, we haven't seen shit for days. The weather has us blind and there's a strong chance that Akhanteros' rebels are taking advantage of that fact." Anastas then pointed toward a town on the map, "I would say they've made a play for Orino, effectively putting our forces on the back foot. The town's half-empty and could've fallen without anybody knowing about it." He then made a rather stark statement, "The truth is, we can't risk waiting. We must take the initiative!"
Turning to one of his subordinates, "Now... Mavros." before continuing with the briefing, "He's volunteered to lead our reconnaissance team, Chimera. They will locate our lost squad and I.D. enemy positions and armor before a full scale offensive... Yes, we're staging an attack. First, however, we must soften their defenses by calling in a rocket strike. Some of you may know British SBS operative Color Sergeant James. His group, callsign: 'Falcon', has a provider on stand-by. Their involvement will not be the subject of any discussion." He then continued, while marking out a route on the map, "Once everything's set, Hoplite and Centaur will advance on Orino from the south and west. Chimera will then swoop in from the northwest. As soon as we have captured the town, we may need to defend against quick reaction forces. Here... and, maybe here, from the north. So, be prepared. I will command this offensive from here under the callsign 'Olympos'." Anastas concluded by asking a question, "Any questions...?" There were none. "No? Then gear up. Let's get this done."
After a brief examination of the map, Anastas informed Mavros, "Mavros, your team is outside." He then gestured toward the upstairs armory, "It's slim pickings, but there's gear and weapons upstairs. So, go ahead and take what you need. But hurry it up, clock's ticking!" Mavros nodded, "Got it." and proceeded to ascend to the makeshift armory. When he arrived, he looked through the weapons available and, without hesitation, chose the FAL 50.63 7.62x51mm NATO caliber, carbine battle rifle, along with the appropriate number of ammunition magazines, along with grenades, an RPG-7 anti-tank rocket, and an ACP-C2 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Marvors finished his loadout and went downstairs to his team outside the ruined building. He overheard a conversation between Anastas, Thanos, Carras, and Sergeant James on his way out, "Thanos, how's that Gorgon working out for you?" Carras asked, to which Thanos replied, "Yeah. Finished the repairs. But those tires you shot out? It's not easy to replace them." Carras replied, "Huh, well. Tell you what. Next time you want a twenty-two ton killing machine, go and ask someone else." Anastas then asked, "Mister James?" which the Special Boat Service operative replied, "I don't think so. We got the first one for you. Comparatively intact, I may add." Mavros decided to pay no heed to the conversation and went outside, where his team was waiting.
When he met with his team, Markos said, "OK. Let's go find our brothers and sisters, Chimera." And with that, they left the camp for the location of the Spartan group's last report.
Near the town of Orino, Republic of Altis and Stratis
11 May 2026 - 0515 Hours Local Time
Mavros, his team, and Sergeant James' Falcon team arrived around where Spartan last reported in after a half-hour of covert maneuvering. Sergeant James informed Chimera team by saying, "Better make a move, people. It's gettin' light. If you come across Spartan, call it in; we'll organize extraction." Mavros replied, "Got it." He then informed their base, "Olympos, this is Chimera. The British are in position and we are proceeding on task. Over." Anastas replied on the radio, "Alright, Chimera. Identify defences and armor. All callsigns and artillery support are waiting on your mark." Mavros then replied, "Copy that, Olympos. See you on the other side. Out." before heading out into the hills of central Altis with Chimera team.
Mavros notified the rest of his team as they moved while crouched, "Okay. Keep it quiet. This fog gives us an advantage; but it won't help us much if we get into trouble." Lagos, one of his team members, replied in a hushed tone, "Copy that." They moved on across the hills, going via Spartan's patrol path. Due to a gut feeling about the lost squad, Mavros opted to pick up the pace a little. He then informed the rest of Chimera team, "Everyone, I need you all to hold fire until I say otherwise," he told the rest of the Chimera group. "I don't want us to give the Rebels our location before we have anyone from Spartan." Mylonaki, another member of his team, responded, "Got it. Holding fire."
As dawn approached, the fog began to lift. Mavros took out his military binoculars and noticed an A.A.F. patrol in the distance. Putting the binoculars away, he and his team continued on their way, passing a burning wreck of a Strider MRAP, the A.A.F.'s version of the Dutch-German Fennik armored reconnaissance vehicle. Earlier that morning, there was undoubtedly a firefight. A voice was heard in the distance less than five minutes later, "Over here!" When Mavros realized who it could be, he yelled back, "Spartan?! Fuck! Where are you?!" The survivor cried out, "By the light... the chemlight!" Mavros then pursued the survivor's cries for assistance. He discovered the only known survivor of the Spartan group from the firefight next to a green chem-light after about fifteen to twenty seconds. "Okay... This should help." Mavros said to the survivor as he began treating the man's wounds. The survivor said, in a rather weak voice, "The ceasefire... The rebels fired first!" Mavros then tried to reassure him, "Forget about it now. We need to get you out of here." Now it was the survivor's turn to reassure, "There's a hunter's lodge nearby. I... I can make it." and he began limping away in the direction of the lodge.
Checking the map, Mavros informed Sergeant James, "Falcon. This is Chimera. Spartan's been ambushed; we've got only one survivor. He's moving to, uh... a small house, on grid zero-niner-four one-seven-two. Over." The British SBS sergeant replied on the radio, "Good enough, Chimera. We'll rendezvous with your guy there. Out." After putting the map away, Mavros motioned for his team to assist in escorting the survivor to the ruined lodge. Once inside, the survivor turned to Mavros and said, rather weakly, "Listen. The... the others. Some of them were captured! They're alive!" Mavros inquired in a concerned tone, more concerned about the survivor's well-being than anything else at the moment. "You know where they are?" The survivor, regretfully, replied, "No... But I've heard some talk about a storage shed; it can't be far from here. They... they left on foot. You gotta find them..." Mavros then acknowledged, positively, "Okay. You don't worry about that now, though. Just stay focused and keep pressure on that wound. The Brits are on their way to help you. Me and my team will find yours." He then left the survivor inside the ruined lodge to find his group.
Moving to the treeline, the Chimera team remained silent in the hopes of catching their enemies off guard. Mavros took out his binoculars and spotted an A.A.F. machine gun nest, to which he thought out loud to himself, "Okay. I see you." before informing his fellow team members in a hushed tone, "Contact: static machine gunner, one hundred meters, front." In response, one of his teammates, a woman named Lia Karmantis, quietly stated, "Eyes on target." Mavros then gave the order, again in a hushed tone, "Open fire!" In less than three seconds, the team opened fire, killing the two A.A.F. soldiers. Mavros informed Anastas that the ambush had been executed. "Olympos, this is Chimera. One Rebel outpost is clear. Over." Anastas thus replied, rather sternly, "Great job, but you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. Over." Mavros, a little taken aback by the stern response, concluded the message, "Yeah, no problem. Out."
As they approached the now-silenced machine gun nest, the Chimera team kept their heads on a swivel in case any A.A.F. soldiers heard their shots and began vectoring in on their position. Mavros suspected that the distant A.A.F. soldiers in Orino must've suspected that the gunfire was one of their own. This possibility was not unexpected, given that both sides in this internal conflict used the same, or similar, rifles.
When Mavros arrived at the deserted outpost, he took up an overwatch position overlooking the surrounding landscape, while Lagos and Karmantis instructed the other members to form a defensive perimeter. Mavros surveyed the area with his binoculars. One of the first things he noticed was a makeshift A.A.F. stronghold on the outskirts of Orino, to which he mused to himself, "Gotcha." He noticed a lone AFV-4 Gorgon, the A.A.F.'s designation for the Austrian-built Pandur II wheeled armored personnel carrier, as he moved his field of view to the left. He called it in, "Chimera to Olympos. There's an enemy Gorgon in the outskirts of Orino. Could be a problem. Over." Anastas replied, "Roger that, Chimera. Mark it up. You know what to do. Out."
Sergeant James' voice gave Mavros a heads-up about a second later, "Chimera, this is Falcon. Update: We're with the survivor from Spartan. We've confirmed where his friends are. Check your map. Grid zero-niner-six dash one-seven-six. He says he saw what looked like a couple of medical evacuation trucks there unloading things. Try looking at that location. My guess is that they used those trucks to shift artillery into the area; right under our fucking noses!" Mavros agreed, "Confirmed, Falcon. I'm looking at that area right now; definitely a mortar position being set up. I'm informing Olympos now. Out." He then began informing his superior, "Olympos, we have a confirmed threat of mortars just outside Orino. Over." Anastas replied, "Acknowledged, Chimera. Mark them up for our fire support." Mavros then continued with a new find, "Also, we have eyes on a Mora near Point Sigma. Over." The vehicle in question being an FV-720 Mora, the A.A.F.'s designation for an upgraded version of the British-built FV510 Warrior tracked infantry fighting vehicle. Anastas acknowledged, "Good work. Make sure to deal with it ahead of our offensive. Out."
Mavros shifted his gaze to his right, spotting another makeshift stronghold and thinking to himself, "Hmm, another one." He returned to his left and noticed another Mora. He called Anastas and said, "Olympos, we've spotted another infantry fighting vehicle. Over." Recognizing that this could cause more problems for the offensive, Anastas responded, "Hmm, okay. Log the coordinates and take care of it when you're ready. Out." Mavros suddenly became aware of voices in the distance. When he realized an A.A.F. patrol was approaching, he told the rest of the Chimera team in a hushed tone, "Enemy patrol. Take cover and stay out of sight." Mavros ducked his head behind the rocks that formed the machine gun nest's edge. He could hear the A.A.F. soldiers conversing with one another because as they were so close. One of them saying, "I could swear I heard gunfire here." to which, one of his colleagues scoffed, "Yeah, right. If it was, then it was our guys killing those so-called Free Republic guerrillas." The patrol noticed that there was something out of place. "That's odd. Both Siderelis and Zenelis aren't here." The lead member of the patrol then stated, "Ah, don't worry about them. Those two couldn't even piss their way out of a paper bag even if they wanted to. Come on. Let's get back to the town. I'm hungry."
Before the A.A.F. patrol was far enough away, it felt like an eternity had passed. Mavros poked his head up and scanned the terrain once he was sure it was safe. Fortunately, the enemy patrol was out of sight. Mavros sighed and pulled out his map, noting a series of coordinates. He then stated over the radio, "Chimera to Falcon. I'm sending you a series of coordinates for your rockets." He turned to Karmantis, who began transmitting the data over a secure data link provided by the British SBS forces. The locations of the Gorgon, two Moras, and two strongholds were sent. Falcon responded, "Coordinates received, Chimera. Locking them in. You may order us to fire when we're ready. Out."
After about two minutes, Falcon reported back, "Coordinates locked in." Mavros then gave the order. "Falcon, fire at will. Over." Sergeant James then replied, "Relaying. Stand by." Three more seconds passed before James stated, "Shot. Enjoy the show, Chimera. Ordinance is on its way. Out."
After another fifteen seconds, the first rocket artillery struck its first target: one of the improvised fortifications. Anastas gave the order almost simultaneously, "Olympos to all units: Commence the assault!" The Free Republic guerrillas then radioed in, "Hoplite on the move." James even sounded off, "Chimera, confirmed kills on targets. Falcon out." Thanos then stated on the radio, "Centaur, rolling out.", to which Mavros then saw the Free Republic's two Gorgons on the move in the distance. Anastas then ordered, "All units, give them hell! For Altis and the Free Republic!"
The Free Republic forces ran into some unexpected trouble not even five minutes into the attack, "Olympos to Chimera, we've got incoming mortar fire! Find and eliminate those guns! Out!" When Mavros and his team saw the mortar flashes in the distance, they immediately began moving to the north.
After overcoming any A.A.F. infantry that stood in their way, the Chimera team arrived within a stone's throw of the mortar site. Mavros then gave the order, "Open fire!" The squad launched an attack on the A.A.F. mortar crews, who struggled in vain to fight back until being silenced in less than ten minutes. Carras was heard on the radio informing, "Olympos, this is Hoplite. We see a pair of flares over Orino." Anastas confirmed, "Copy. We can see it too. That'll be the signal for reinforcements. All teams, better get ready for them. Out." Mavros then informed Anastas, "Olympos, this is Chimera. We're in control of those mortars. Over." to which Anastas replied, "Pleased to hear that, Chimera. Though be advised: it's likely some quick reaction force is inbound. Destroy the artillery or hold the QRF off. Out." Noticing that the A.A.F. reinforcements were splitting up, with one headed in the direction of the Chimera team, Mavros and Lagos took control of the two mortars and began firing on the oncoming A.A.F. reinforcements; expelling ten rounds before running out. After the ammunition ran empty, Mavros ordered the rest of the Chimera crew to rejoin and follow him.
They ran to the side of the abandoned home where the mortar position was placed and watched as their mortar rounds crashed on the ruins of one of the fortifications. Mavros told Anasatas, as the team fired on what remained of the A.A.F.'s QRF, "Chimera to Olympos, come in." Anastas replied, "Send it." "Seems like we've got a foothold on Orino." Anastas then advised, "Okay, Chimera. Stand your ground! Support Hoplite and Centaur! It is imperative that the enemy does not retake the town! Crush their resolve and prevent any counterattack! Out."
Mavros made a decision after remembering the Spartan squad members who had been captured. "Alright. You heard Olympos. We're heading to the town. However, we are not abandoning our captured comrades. Stay sharp." They dropped a small group of A.A.F. infantrymen as they moved toward the enormous, white shed in the distance.
After walking for about a kilometer, they arrived at the shed, which, to their amazement, was devoid of A.A.F. personnel. One of the prisoners exclaimed, "Hey! Get us out of here!" to which Mavros and Karmantis began untying them, with Mavros saying, "Hold still." Lagos, however, heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and he informed, "Mavros, there's an enemy vehicle approaching." He turned to the source of the sound, remembering that he still had the RPG-7 on him. Naturally, an enemy Strider was closing in on them. He decided to take the opportunity, and waited until the car came to a stop before unleashing his RPG on it, easily destroying it.
He proceeded to liberate the remaining captives and resumed untying them. When he arrived at the final one, the hostage, a rebel named Nikas Manetta, said, "Mav', for a former rebel, you are alright." Mavros then replied, confidently, "Sure. Come on, let's go. We're supporting the push on the town."
The released Spartan team members teamed up with Chimera and began assisting with the assault. Manetta stated, "Contact: MRAP, three-hundred meters, south!" As they moved closer to the town, a single shot rang out: an enemy sniper was in their path. Mavros then told the rest of his squad, "Contact: sniper, two-hundred meters, front!" Mavros then directed his fire on a conspicuous A.A.F. sniper in the distance. After that, another shot. At this point, the party recognized they were being attacked by two snipers. Mylonaki was shot in the head and slumped to the ground, dead. The rest of the group retaliated with a vengeance, dropping the sniper after raining down 7.62mm NATO caliber bullets on the lone enemy.
Then there was... silence. Mavros felt confident in telling Anastas, "Chimera to Olympos. Orino is ours. Over." Anastas replied, certainly pleased, "Acknowledged. Well done, Chimera." before making the announcement to the rest of the Free Republic guerrillas, "All units. Chimera reports that Orino has been secured. Rearm and regroup; we must not lose momentum. Out."
Mavros' unit went to enter town in order to join the rest of the rebels. The battle for Orino was fierce, but the Free Republic triumphed over the defending A.A.F. forces. However, this was not the end of their day of combat; not by a long shot.
Orino, Republic of Altis and Stratis
11 May 2026 - 1346 Hours Local Time
In the ruined town of Orino, it was already well past noon and the guerrillas were gathering around Anastas, who was standing before a map of Altis. Anastas began informing them of what has happened during the past few hours, "Brothers, sisters. We've just got word." Pointing to a spot on the map behind him, he continued, "There has been an unexpected development, here, on the road from Syrta. A convoy moving humanitarian aid to Abdera was stopped at a rebel checkpoint. It seems that the town is being collectively punished for its support of our cause. Needless to say, we must respond. The Free Republic cannot stand idly by on this!"
Turning back to the map, he gave the following instructions to his subordinates, "So, our plan: First, we must reach the convoy." He pointed to a spot the south of the checkpoint, "Hoplite, located here, will advance and try to capture it." Anastas then pointed to a spot to the west of both Hoplite's starting position and the checkpoint, "Meanwhile, Falcon, here, will prepare an ambush on the road, stopping any reinforcements leaving Syrta. They will also harass the enemy and cover Hoplite by providing accurate sniper fire." He then pointed to a spot between Syrta and Falcon's start position, "Sparrowhawk, on this elevated position here, above the town, will be observing as spotters."
Now pointing to the road leading from the east of the checkpoint, "Obviously, armor from Athira is our main concern. Any unopposed attack from this direction will result in catastrophe." Pointing to another spot in the area of operations, he continued to inform, "Therefore, armored units, here, led by Centaur, will overrun this depot and set up a defensive line to cover our assault." Anastas then moved his attention to a spot to the north of the road, "To the north, Medusa will raid this forward operating base and take control of the mortars based there." Finally, he moved his attention to the town along the seized convoy's route, "Once done, Hoplite can continue and liberate Galati. Once the town is liberated, we will escort the convoy to Abdera." Turning back to his subordinates, he concluded, "Good luck, everyone. Let's get all this in motion. Dismissed."
Taking note of the objectives on the map, Mavros realized that Anastas was eyeing him with concern, "Mavros, switch off. That's an order; you haven't slept for days." He was right, as Mavros looked like hell. However, Mavros brushed aside his superior's concern, "Fuck you. I'll sleep when I'm dead." Still showing concern, Anastas advised, "Okay. Better see if anyone will let you tag along, then."
Mavros walked off toward where Centaur's Gorgons were located. Upon reaching them, Thanos got his attention, "Mav'. You coming?" Mavros replied, "Depends. You driving?" Thanos made a reply of his own, almost in a sarcastic tone, "No?" Mavros then ruled them out and concluded with his own sarcastic tone, "Then I'll think about it." He continued walking; this time, toward Hoplite. About a minute of walking later, as he approached Hoplite, its leader, Rouvin Carras, almost shouted to get Mavro's attention, "Hey! Mavros! We heard you rescued some of our brothers and sisters from Spartan. Mind joining up with us? We need to make up our numbers after Orino." Mavros replied without hesitation, "I'm in." Carras was relieved to hear that, "Glad to hear it. Go grab any weapons and/or equipment you might need, then jump onto the offroad behind me."
Turning to the weapons cache a couple of meters away, Mavros traded out his FAL for an Israeli-designed Tavor-21 5.56x45mm NATO caliber, bullpup assault rifle with an under-barrel fourty-millimeter grenade launcher, along with some additional hand grenades before turning to walk toward the offroad. Upon him and the rest of Hoplite boarding, they rode off, heading toward their starting point.
Near the road between Syrta and Galati, Republic of Altis and Stratis
11 May 2026 - 1500 Hours Local Time
At exactly fifteen-hundred hours, Sergeant James gave a situation report, "Olympos, this is Falcon. We're all good here. Go ahead and make some noise. Over." Anasatas concurred and gave the order, "Affirmative. All callsigns, immediate execute on your objectives!" This was followed up by James informing Cannas, Mavros, and the others in their team, "Falcon to Hoplite. Proceed. We have your back." Carras replied with noticeable relief in his voice, "Good to know. Just be sure to check your targets. Those paramilitary groups can look a lot like us. Out."
Crossing the ground between themselves and the convoy ahead, they began taking fire from their direct front. "Man! Two hundred meters! Front!" Mavros shouted as a hail of bullets came upon them. This was followed by forty millimeter grenades going less than a hundred meters in front of them. The next thing they noticed was an A.A.F. paramilitary offroad armed with a fifty caliber machine gun coming to a stop on the road, bringing even more accurate and heavy fire upon Hoplite team.
Mavros hit the dirt and provided some form of covering fire so his teammates could try and advance. "Hostile down!" a medic by the name of Georgios Karmanlis shouted as an A.A.F. platoon leader went down. The next thing Mavros knew, a female Free Republic sharpshooter by the name of Vicky Gabriade was felled by a stray round. Karmanlis shouted, "Gabriade's down!" "Rifleman! One hundred meters! Front!" another Free Republic guerrilla by the name of Prokopos Leventellis shouted just before he chucked a grenade in that direction. When the grenade went off, the A.A.F. soldier went down in a bloodied mess. The way was now cleared as Mavros, Karmanlis, and Leventellis advanced toward the convoy, and ultimately, to the town of Galati.
"Olympos, it's Hoplite! Do you read me? Over." Carras began informing Anasatas, who replied, "Five-by-five, Hoplite. What's your message? Over." Carras continued by stating, "We are at the convoy." Pleased with this, Anastas congratulated them, "Great job, Hoplite! Stand by, we'll converge on Galati shortly. Take this time to rearm and regroup. Siskos and some others are on their way to assist. Over." Carras was relieved, "Much appreciated, Olympos. Waiting on your signal. Out."
Climbing over the guardrails alongside the road, Mavros heard a guerrilla by the name of Georgios Isofidou ask him, "Mavros, can we go with you?" Mavros was a bit irritated by this, and replied, rather harshly, "Fuck off back to your group." Isofidou was adamant, "No way." Mavros relented, "God dammit... Do what I say when I say it, then." About a minute passed when Anastas gave the order, "Hoplite, move up! Storm Galati and finish this! Freedom or death! Out."
Heading up a hill along the north side of the road, Mavros heard on the radio, "Centaur to Hoplite." It was Thanos, the lead Gorgon commander, "I recon we can spare an APC. You interested? Over." Carras replied, "It's something for us to get behind, at least. Yeah." Thanos continued informing, "Centaur Two is diverting to assist. You're welcome. Out."
Running across near the top of the hill, Mavros spotted the Gorgon in question moving into the town to assist the rest of Hoplite team. He and the rest of his group continued to the east toward a small ruined house overlooking the town from the hilltop. Upon reaching the ruined building, Mavros and his group started raining accurate fire down at A.A.F. units in the town. He then started firing forty millimeter grenades down on A.A.F. units that grouped together. One grenade detonated squarely on the grouped units, leaving a mess of body parts on the ground. Suddenly, there was a small explosion to Mavros' left; an A.A.F. RPG had detonated just about fifty meters from him.
Taking this a reason to move, he and the rest of his group started descending upon the town. While doing so, a male Free Republic medic by the name of Christos Lias was hit in the right leg by an A.A.F. sniper. Thankfully, Karmanlis tended to Lias' wounds almost immediately. As they moved into the town, Carras asked, "Mavros, you still with us?" Mavros replied, "Yeah." Carras continued by informing, "Search the bodies for grenades and help clear out these buildings. Out." Mavros marked out a building at the north end of the town, next to a church, and motioned his group to follow him.
As he rounded a corner, he noticed a building with heavy fortifications in the form of sandbags. Realizing that this, and other similar buildings, were where the A.A.F. paramilitary were holed up, Mavros headed toward the first one, ready for anything and anyone laying in wait inside. Approaching the side with the sandbags, Lias almost took a round to the head. Karmanlis then proceeded to throw a grenade into the room, killing the irregular instantly. Entering the building itself, Mavros headed upstairs and noticed a lone A.A.F. soldier ready on the balcony outside. The only problem for that soldier was that he was facing northeast. Mavros got the drop on him and put a few rounds into the soldier.
As the north side of the building was cleared, Mavros headed out the back door and proceeded to head into a back door leading to the southern, ruined end of the building. Noticing the irregular that Karmanlis killed a very brief while ago, he rummaged through the now-deceased irregular and took some grenades off him; Mavros needed them. As he headed toward the open-aired part of the ruined building, Mavros noticed a sandbagged overlook on the second floor. Figuring that there was another A.A.F. irregular up there, he chucked a grenade up into the overlook. As the grenade went off, Mavros headed upstairs and chucked another grenade around a left corner; it exploded. As the dust cleared, Mavros rounded the corner and saw another irregular laying on the ground, dead.
After taking grenades off both the dead paramilitaries in the hallway and overlook, Mavros headed out the back. As he did so, a 7.62mm NATO round zipped right by him, to which other members of Hoplite team started firing back at the source of the gunfire. The next thing he heard was Karmanlis shouting, "Fuck! I'm hit!" before running across the street toward the sound of gunfire. Reaching a small 'T' intersection, Mavros found the source of the fire that hit Karmanlis: a lone A.A.F. soldier on another balcony across the intersection from him. He then proceeded to empty his Tavor's magazine into the enemy soldier.
Approaching a suspicious looking building in the center of the town, Mavros stopped at the doorway and tossed a grenade inside. His suspicions were justified, as an unfamiliar sound of someone's death resounded inside: an A.A.F. soldier was holed up at the end of the small hallway leading from the door. After this, Mavros stated, "Karmanlis, patch yourself up." to which the latter replied, "Yes sir." Heading inside the building via the doorway-slash-hallway, Mavros stopped just short of another left corner. He tossed another grenade into the next room. As the grenade exploded, he turned the corner and found an A.A.F. paramilitary sliding down to the floor, dead. He then informed Isofidou in a hushed tone, "Move up the stairs. I'll be right behind you." Isofidou replied, "Got it."
They slowly and quietly headed up the stairs, Isofidou ready to throw a grenade up at the second floor. Just as he threw the grenade, he was felled by a single 7.62mm bullet to the neck. His killer was felled almost immediately after. The building was now clear. Mavros turned to the body of Isofidou and closed said fallen comrade's eyes out of respect.
This was proving to be a very messy business. Clearing the buildings out one-by-one has often been resorting to close quarters, hand-to-hand combat. Leaving the building in the center of town, Mavors met up with the three remaining members of his group and headed across the street to another fortified building; this time, the ruined remains of what was once someone's home. As they arrived at the former home, they came under withering fire from the second floor. But before they could react, they came under fire from the bottom floor as well. Seeing as the ground floor was more important, Mavros chucked a grenade through a gap in the ruined wall. While this was happening, Lias threw a grenade into the top floor. Both their assailants were killed upon detonation. Entering the ruined home, Lias looked through the bottom floor while Mavros looked around the top floor. Thankfully, the bottom floor was cleared of enemies. Chucking a grenade into a room on the top floor, Mavros heard an A.A.F. paramilitary shout, "Grena-" before being cut off by the explosion. He took some more grenades off the two corpses on the top floor before continuing to the final house.
Approaching the last building, what used to be a school, Mavros and everyone else in his group, once again, came under withering fire. Noticing a civilian run right by, he tried to call out to him. However, the civilian was cut up by indiscriminate A.A.F. fire. Inching closer to the ruined school, Mavros emptied his magazine into the irregular who shot up the civilian. "Enemy down!" he shouted before throwing a grenade into the top floor of the two-story building. As it exploded, he went inside via a hole in the building's east wall. Noticing a small doorway leading to a now exposed hallway, he chucked another grenade through said doorway without hesitation. Upon exploding, Mavros continued, paying no heed to his fallen enemy.
Going up the stairs, he noticed a lone irregular who was facing to the southwest, chucking a grenade up to the top floor, Mavros awaited the explosion. Another one was downed with a detonation. The irregular was dead. Searching the rest of the top floor, he noticed a dead A.A.F. soldier on the floor. He made a safe assumption, "Hoplite, all buildings secure. I'll help you clean up any remaining resistance." Carras replied, "Understood, Mavros. Thank you for the support." before informing Anasatas, "Olympos, this is Hoplite. The convoy's safe and the town is ours! Over." Anasatas replied, very pleased, "Impressive work, Hoplite! All callsigns, primary objectives complete! Let's get those supplies to Abdera! Out."
The Battle of Galati was an early victory for the Free Republic.
Mavros' actions were instrumental for those supporting groups heroically assaulting the town.
The tide, however, gradually turned against loyalist forces.
The military might of the Altis Armed Forces prevailed against the rag-tag Free Republic forces.
Acts of repression followed.
Hundreds were executed. Hundreds more disappeared without a trace.
In 2030, hostilities ended with the signing of a ceasefire in Jerusalem.
But the peace did not last...
