Operation: Bright Tablet

The final day

Denver's pov
       I sat up after another frigid night shivering in the huddle, we quickly ate our MREs as I asked Raider "Who's harassing Gates right now?" He replied after a second of thought "Hunter's group, she's been picking off anyone that lifts their head up to try to return fire" I nodded and radioed "Hunter, were moving to the gorge. Give us 15 minutes to set up before beginning your leading movement back to us. Use egress route 4F" I got her reply of "Wilco" as I yelled "Alright, change of plans. Set up ambush points along route 4F! Move it! Let's go! I want it done in 15 mikes!" The unit scattered and began grabbing their gear before running for the preplanned routes. I grabbed my car and ran to my position at the end of our ambush positions, I asked on comms 10 minutes later after prepping my concealment "Everyone sitrep?" I got replies of ready from everyone as I radioed "Hunter, get their attention. Bring em our way" I got her reply of "On it" as I heard the sudden increase in gunfire from the east. I smirked, it was daylight, Gates would be exhausted from not sleeping, she's taken wounded and now she has what she'd assume is an over confident team overstepping.
      I heard Hunter "Be advised, they've taken the bait leading them through the gauntlet" I replied "Do not fire until I break squelch 3 times, check?" I got confirmation as Raider warned "Do not forget about Bear's team still being out here." I ordered "one person from each group set up mines to the rear of your positions" I patted oxide on the shoulder "you're my mine guy" he nodded and grabbed the paint mines and heading into the forest behind our spot. I waited and waited until I saw Hunter's group run along the path before they disappeared into the woods, a minute later I saw Gates and her leading element appear in my view. I broke squelch on the radio 3 times before lifting my rifle as the ambush popped off, I hit Gates with 3 rounds before I shifted my aim to Maverick. I fired a few more rounds as the massive force tried to mount a defense but wherever they went they had a gun on them. I did notice Dokkaebi, Ra and Mafia had managed to break out of the ambush on my side.
       I radioed "We've got a break out, west side. Continue the ambush, my section is tracking them down." I stood and backed away from the line with my group of three. We headed to where I watched the group disappear into and I slowly started tracking them, my group fell into a spaced line as we tracked down this group. I heard soft talking through the bushes infront of me and I turned behind me putting my finger across my lips before giving orders through hand signals. The other three moved around and my wrist mount lit green with confirmation lights causing me to burst through the bush firing into the 3 as they tried to make plans to save the rest of their division. I saw Dokkaebi fall back as my round hit her in the chest and then Raider and Oxide hit Ra and Mafia, I saw Dokkaebi cough as I stood over the trio with a victorious smirk "Next time, don't be so obvious. Good try tho" as I heard Hunter "Gates's division has been wiped out, it's just Bear's team now" I turned and heard Dokkaebi ask "how'd you know?" I looked back over my shoulder and replied "You underestimated just how versatile we are"
       I walked back to the team and saw all of Gates's people standing and heading towards camp we had set up for when a division is marked as dead during the exercise. I got everyone ordered up again before i looked around "everyone form groups and head out in every direction, get a mark on bears position." They all set off as I saw Gates stand tiredly, she looked at me as I walked over. I rested my hand on her shoulder "better luck next time" she shrugged my hand off her as I grabbed my group and started heading towards where I figured Bear would be, the mountain side overlooking the gorge. If he's trying to ambush us while we ambushed Gates then the Gorge is a no brainer, so I'd bet he's watching it waiting for us to make our move there. I looked at Hunter as she asked "Permission to join your war party sir?" I replied "permission granted" as I looked up at the mountain peak. Raider asked "think he's up there?" I replied "just a hunch, come on. let's stop slacking."
      I started walking before Oxide asked "hey boss, so why'd you join The 6-4?" I shrugged and replied "it was this or med school" oxide said "you never said you were gonna be a doctor, what were you going to specialize in?" I replied casually "abortion" he looked at me weirdly as I asked "did you know if you hold a body under water and put an industrial strength toaster in the water it won't leave any burn marks on the body?" He replied slowly as I joyfully said "You do now!" Before turning serious again. I heard Oxide ask Hunter "is he okay?" Raider replied used to my antics "give it 3 months you get used to his shit" I hummed a tune as we climbed through the thick forest before I noticed Thor, Bear's second in command, sitting on a rock. I lifted my car and fired a couple times hitting Thor in the chest "Contact 12 o'clock!". I looked at Hunter "anyone pokes their head over those rocks, drop em!" As we found cover and Bear's force began returning fire. I radioed "All units converge on the mountain, I repeat all units converge on the mountain!"
       I leaned around the tree trunk I fired a long burst as I noticed that bears team was amassing on the mountain, I felt my eyes widen as my mouth hung agape. They were gonna charge us. I yelled "They're gonna charge!" Just then 2 more of my teams made it to us and added into our amount of lead being thrown both ways. I looked at Raider "On me!" He looked at me "Are you crazy!?" I yelled back "I've got a plan!" He sighed as I radioed "All teams are under Hunter's command" as I patted his shoulder and we went down the mountain and into the dense forest again. We ran along the side of the mountain before I hit my mark and we started up it, I had noticed a run down the mountain while we fought which dropped enough that Bear's forces wouldn't be able to see us climbing our way to their altitude. Raider sighed "I hope your plan works out" I looked over my shoulder "I'm making a gamble here, it goes either way" he replied "I hope it goes our way" as we reached the rock and got set to engage.
      I looked at him as he nodded and we came over the rocks, I saw Athlete, Bear's third, notice our presence as we wiped out the line. I dropped off the rock only to get crashed into from the side, I felt myself impact the ground as Bear tried to get me with his pistol. I danced around his barrel pushing it away and trying to stab him with my plastic knife while I noticed Raider was trying to get a shot, I heard Hunter on comms "Advance! Push up the mountain!" The rest of bears group listened as he yelled "Deal with the rest I have these 2!" Bear lifted his pistol at Raider as I kicked his arm shifting his aim causing him to miss as Raider grabbed the pistol and hit the magazine release he grabbed Bear's plate carrier and pulled him off me as I found my mk22 and pulled it firing 6 rounds to Bear's chest as I sighed "just fucking die already" before I grabbed my car-15 and flipped magazines. I saw the rest of my division, almost full strength, come over the lip of the mountain and engage the quickly diminishing man power of Bear's unit in CQB.
I coughed as Raider pulled me up "Good plan" I chuckled at the comment as I lifted my car and we went through engaging the rest of Bear's team. One of the newest members was doing the best he could to hold us off as we pushed him hard, I lifted my car 15 and fired suppressing him as I radioed "Supporting from the left, Beaver go! Get him" I saw Beaver push forward before leaning around the corner with his AA-12 and blasting the new guy with 12 gauge sim rounds. I winced at the hit knowing it'd leave a bruise as I heard Harry "And Denver's Division has won the war game" I looked at Bear as he stood and looked at me "I almost had you" I replied cockily "don't think I didn't read you like a book" he laughed before speaking "if Gates did what I hoped and managed to actually cause pretty heavy casualties like I hoped she would my plan would've worked." I laughed and said "oh come on man, you had to know I would've figured out your new strategy" he laughed and replied "yeah, I figured you would."
I heard Hunter "why not attack us when we ambushed Gates?" Thor replied "A couple of us wanted to, Bear was hesitant to go on the offense" I nodded before speaking "even if you did we had defenses set up for you" I looked at Raider as he asked "So did you guys take out Basco's team?" The new guy, Skid, said "oh that was my group. Commander Bear sent us to scout and we came across them. We took their radio to try to eavesdrop but I guess you figured us out" I replied with a smug tone "oh the instant you spoke I knew something was up" skid sighed as I said "Alright guys, let's get to that camp and get some chow and take a load off. Its been a long exercise" we laughed and talked as our massive force moved to the main camp. I saw Gates and her 2nd and 3rd in command standing with Harry looking at some TVs. Basco stood and ran over "I'm sorry sir, we got caught out we weren't even thinking about Bear's force attacking again. It won't happen-" I cut him off "Basco, relax. We won."
He sighed in relief "oh thank god" he knew I was in a good mood now that I had retained my proud spot as leader of the best division as well as my bragging rights over Gates and Bear. He knew I'd be pissed if we lost, I'm very proud of my unit and our reputation and losing that reputation would be bad news for all of them. I walked over and stood next to Harry as Gates said "an excellent show like normal" I asked smugly "how was your night?" She looked at me tiredly "your teams made a great job of making sure we never got sleep" I patted her back "you were on our heels for a couple days there" she replied "by no doing of our own, I know you kept us there so we'd keep pushing thinking right around the corner would be your team resting" I asked "why'd you take the bait that brought you into that ambush?" She said "honestly?" I nodded and she said "I wanted to get all your guys in one place so my superior numbers could crush you all at once, I neglected to take into account shock factor, mental state, physical exhaustion, lack of sleep or your units ability to react nearly instantly. I paid for it."
I looked at Raider "get the unit settled, Basco make sure they eat good and have plenty of water, check?" The two nodded and set about their tasks as I walked over to where Maverick, Dokkaebi and Thatcher were sitting talking. I saw the trio look up at me as I asked "this seat open?" Thatcher looked less than pleased as Maverick answered "yeah" I sat on the log and said "You guys did good, better than I expected." Grace replied "I wish I could've taken atleast one of your soldiers with me, I mean seriously? You guys were too good at hiding" Mike said hesitantly "your skills in attacking and disappearing were impressive I'll give you that much." I looked at Erik and then said "don't worry, it's like that for a lot of people that have just started working with us. Hell, Bear's unit managed to drag us into an open gunfight and they still only caused light casualties. Don't beat yourself up over not taking out one of my players, I make sure my unit is tier 1 at every type of combat I can think of, for that very reason. The fact you guys even managed to survive the first Ambush is a testament to your abilities."
Mike commented "We was watching that body cam footage while ye guys attacked that Bear lad, I wasn't expecting the over the top style charge" I laughed "yeah, Hunter's a good NCO. She spotted her window and used it." Grace asked "do you care if I take part in your training sessions?" I shrugged "no, not really. Feel free to drop by, when we get back I'll have Basco pull up the training schedule and print you out a copy" Mike asked sourly "do you ever actually do any of your administrative work yourself?" I looked over "yes, I plan, organize squads, do briefs, double check paper work and write up reports to Gates. Just because I have my subordinates do a bunch of small tasks does not mean I neglect my responsibilities as a commander, don't mistake the two" he said "you lot are an interesting group" before he stood and sighed "I need a fag" I watched him stand and pull out a cigarette pack before I heard Oxide next to me "Hey boss, here's some chow." I took it and nodded "thanks Oxide, go take a load off." He saluted before walking off I chuckled and commented "good kid" as Erik said "The only thing that I hated about this exercise besides the cold nights was getting killed in an ambush before I could even react, so annoying" I looked at him and replied "that's what happens when you go up against a unit that is a heavily guerrilla tactic oriented unit, you die before you react."