| « | Cole: And who, in your view, gave them that push? Kerry: Isn't that supposed to be your job to find out? Cole: Oh, believe me, Sergeant Kerry, I'm trying... Mark Cole questions Sergeant Ben Kerry
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Mark Cole is a minor character in several of ArmA 3's campaigns.
Background[]
A journalist and field reporter/foreign correspondent working for AAN News, Cole has been actively involved with reporting on the situation in the Republic of Altis and Stratis.[1][2]
Beginning in 2026 with the outbreak of full-scale civil war between Loyalist government troops and coup forces led by Georgious Akhanteros[3], Cole followed the overall war situation until the official declaration of a ceasefire in 2030.[1]
He later reported on the rise of the Freedom and Independence Army (FIA) rebel group that had formed in the aftermath of the civil war, as well as the bloody years-long insurgency that followed in the wake of its formation.[1]
Apex Protocol (2035)[]
| « | I've been based in Georgetown, Tanoa, for a number of days now. Although this remote province avoided the type of destruction seen elsewhere in the region, there has been an almost complete breakdown in the rule of law. Terrorised by a criminal gang known colloquially as 'Syndikat', the Horizon Islands' under-equipped Gendarmerie have long been at breaking point. Driven by a hardened 'inner circle' of paramilitary rebels, Syndikat have seized upon the chaos to expand their separatist agenda with brute force. Cole reports on the on-going situation in the Horizon Islands
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After the South Pacific Disaster devastated large portions the island nation[3], Cole was temporarily reassigned to the Horizon Islands. Here, he began reporting on the aftermath of the crisis, as well as on the activities of the growing anti-government Syndikat insurgency.[4]
Days later, Cole and the AAN team on Tanoa were escorted by U.S.-led Pacific NATO troops to Sosovu Island.[3] They were told of the existence of "black sites" being used by CSAT black ops. As one of the first foreign journalists to arrive at the scene, Cole was amongst the many other media crews that scoured the sites for evidence. Their search leads to the uncovering of the "Apex Protocol Papers", a series of thoroughly-detailed strategic, globally-run CSAT operations aimed at destabilising countries with friendly relations to the West.[5]
| « | Evidence of a deliberate, sustained, high-level effort to incite death and chaos, has brought into question the continued viability of the Canton Protocol Strategic Alliance itself. Leaders from across the world have united in a call for action, seeking to bring those responsible to justice swiftly. CSAT member states are due to convene for an emergency session in the coming days, exposing fault-lines within the alliance itself, and calling into question a decade of CSAT's soft power expansionism across Eurasia, Africa, and the Pacific region. Cole's revelations of CSAT's so-called "Apex Protocol"
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Cole reports on the shocking revelations in a breaking news report that sparks outrage in the international community. The exposition leads to the launch of an inquiry by the United Nations into CSAT's unchecked expansionism over the past decade.[3][5]
Post-Apex Protocol[]
Six weeks later[6], Cole travelled back to the Republic of Altis and Stratis where he intended to interview the favoured presidential candidate, Nikos Panagopoulos, as the latter formally announced the start of his political campaign tour.[7][8]
Cole was greeted and escorted to the town of Athira by a U.S. Army Sergeant named Ben Kerry.[9] On the way there, Cole repeatedly tries to glean information out of the American soldier;[2] specifically, regarding the true cause of the Stratis Incident and the loss of NATO's Task Force Aegis.[10][11]
| « | Cole: Just one last question then, Sergeant. Kerry: Shoot. Cole: Did British forces play any part in this incident? Kerry: ...what do you mean? They shipped out long before the flashpoint started. Cole: Yeah, that's what the UK government keeps saying - hell, they almost seem to believe it. Kerry: ...I'm not sure I follow here. Cole: Tell me, Sergeant, have you ever met Kostas Stavrou? Kerry: Yeah. Cole: Then why don't you ask him? Cole questions Kerry during the drive to Athira
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He also brings up the name of the guerilla organisation's leader, as well as the possible involvement of British special operations. Nonetheless, SGT Kerry mostly refused to comment on the matter for security reasons.[10][11]
As they neared the interview site, Cole gave SGT Kerry his phone number and told the soldier that if he wanted to discuss further details about the Stratis Incident, Cole would be more than happy to oblige.[12] He then disembarked from the vehicle and began his planned interview with Nikos.[13]
Personality and Appearance[]
A Caucasian male with short, neatly trimmed brown hair, Cole's attire consisted of a dark poloshirt with short sleeves, cream-coloured pants, a set of black shades and a black Press cap. When travelling to war zones, Cole always donned a high-visibility blue ballistic vest to signify his status as a non-combatant.
| « | Dutton: Who's the journalist? Miller: Mark Cole. Dutton: He asks a lot of questions. Miller: Yes, he does... |
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As part of his job, Cole was naturally inquisitive, and constantly bombarded his interviewees with questions (much to the annoyance of people like Kerry).[14] More often than not, Cole would throw out keywords or "hints" in an attempt to fish out "off-the-record" statements and other slips of the tongue from his interviewees.[2][10]
Trivia[]
- It is possibly implied that Cole may have met Kostas Stavrou in the past either at some point during or prior to the outbreak of fighting between the AAF and the FIA, as he knows of the latter's name and potential ties to the British government.[11]
- Cole also appears to write reviews for novels and non-fiction works. He is referred to directly by name as one of the reviewers of Howard Drake's Checkmate: The Untold Story Of Operation Arrowhead, a critically-acclaimed book that was produced into motion picture format.[15]
Gallery[]
References[]
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