Chapter Six: Rank and Command Come With a Price

1949 Hours, August 5, 2552. Europa Base, City of Cote D'Azur. "The Active Discourse," Planet Sigma Octanus IV. Prologue to the Invasion of Earth

In some ways, briefings could probably be equated to pushing papers in an office: both happened behind closed doors, both tended to point out the obvious to anyone with half a brain, and both were agonizingly boring. The only difference in the case of the briefings was that, at the very least, you were surrounded by other people while you made feeble attempts to stay awake.

"Captain Cooper? Anything you'd like to add?"

I snapped out of whatever world my mind had traveled off to and stared at Major Phillips. From the look he gave me, I gathered that I was supposed to say something pertaining to the discussion. Except what in God's name had they been rambling about? Shit, I thought.

"Uh, no, sir. Nothing to add," I replied. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get away with that answer, but maybe this would force him to repeat the question.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he regained composure. "Cooper, you've been training the replacements for three days now. Give me a progress report on your company status, Captain."

Ah, success. "Yes, sir. The newb---the replacements are doing very well, Major. We've gone through PT, obstacle courses, orienteering, marksmanship, weapons and tactics, and war games so far. The majority of the replacements have fared exceptionally well, sir, and those that haven't are getting the hang of it now."

The battalion commander nodded. "Anyone worthy of mentioning for any particular task, Captain Cooper?"

I took a moment to think before answering. "Yes, sir. Private First Class Kenyon Roys, sir. He's amazing at demolitions. Knows his explosives inside and out, Major."

"Sounds like a young kid. How old is he?"

"I've been looking over the new roster, sir, trying to get to know all the replacements. Roys is nineteen years old, sir, from Michigan, on Earth. He's a good kid, doesn't cause trouble or complain, and he's prompt when it comes to following orders."

Major Phillips nodded again. He looked over his datapad for several seconds before turning to face me once more. "I see here on your company training sheet that you have another war game scheduled for 0100 hours tonight." He chuckled. "I suppose I should say early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir, Bravo is having another war game. Can't ever be too prepared, Major."

The three other company commanders in the room barely managed to stifle their snickers. I hated it when they did that; it always made me feel stupid, and that was something I just plain wasn't. I resisted the urge to glare at the men sitting around the conference table. They were pretty nice guys, after all, and their only collective vice was that they liked to remind me of my youth far too often.

Captain Nicholas Forger was Alpha Company's commander, and he was easily a decade older than me. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and for some reason he was really obsessed with sidearms. He also had the biggest collection of pistols I'd ever seen, including a couple of museum relics that had been passed down in his family for generations: a Nazi Germany Luger and a United States Colt .45. The two pistols were probably the coolest ancient weapons I'd ever laid eyes on.

Captain Oliver Hayden led Charlie Company of the 102nd, and he was normally a pretty funny guy. He was a real hard-ass when it came to training, though, so I guess I'd learned my own methods from him. Hayden was also the youngest of the other three captains, and that was most likely the reason why I found I related better to him than the others. He was thirty years old, married with three kids, and a complete nut. Not surprisingly, he got along really well with Dean Lewis when the three of us were off-duty. He wasn't quite our third muskateer, but he was damn near close.

The third and oldest captain in the battalion was Joseph Malone, and he was the one I had the most trouble figuring out. Delta Company's commander was a dark-haired, dark-eyed Marine with an all-around gloomy disposition. Still, despite being morose a good chunk of the time, he was a fierce fighter who never gave up. I think that's why I admired him, even if he didn't fit the usual definition of a respectable military officer.

My mind suddenly returned to the present again when I heard Major Benjamin Phillips sigh. "Well, that's all I've got for now. It's good to hear that everything seems to be going well for once, and I'm proud of the job each and every one of you is doing. Captain Cooper?"

"Sir?"

"Keep me posted on the replacements' status. I expect them to be fully integrated into Bravo by tomorrow evening."

"Consider it done, Major."

The major nodded, then turned to face the other captains once more. "Are there any final pressing issues? Any of you?"

When the other officers shook their heads, I took that as my cue. "Sir? Permission to speak, sir?"

"Of course, Captain. Go ahead."

"Just one last item, Major," I said as I looked over my datapad. "I've made some changes to my company roster, sir, to fill in the gaps left from our previous campaigns. There was some shuffling around of personnel, and I'm planning on promoting Lieutenants Samson and Frederick, sir."

"That's fine, Cooper. Be sure to send me the details on my datapad."

"Yes, sir."

The major glanced at the rest of the company commanders, but they remained silent. "All right then, Captains. Next briefing will be in four days' time at 0800 hours. Dismissed."

"Sir!" The other three captains and I saluted before making our exit, and I braced myself for the ribbing as soon as I walked out the door.

I wasn't disappointed.

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A few minutes later, I found myself standing in the mess hall as I passed the time before my company's war game tonight. It had been a long day as usual, full of intense training in the morning and sleep-inducing paperwork in the afternoon. Add the evening briefing to all that, and I ended up being pretty beat. So, I'd come to the mess in search of some good, strong coffee to keep me going for the rest of the night. Bravo and I were officially off-duty until the war game started, anyway.

I was on my second cup when Lieutenant Lewis came in. Spotting me almost immediately, he grinned and all but bounded towards me. Even for sometimes crazy Dean, this was out of the ordinary. I stood leaning against the wall of the mess and watched him as I sipped my drink.

My best friend was breathless by the time he reached me.

"Natalie, I have absolutely wonderful news," he said, his grin getting even wider.

"Yeah, what's that? Is the war finally over? 'Cause that would be the only event that would justify the scene you're making right now," I replied, grinning back. Sometimes I could swear his smile was contagious.

The lieutenant shook his head. "No, Cooper, it's not quite that, but it's still fucking brilliant."

"Well? Spit it out already, Dean."

"Got a letchip from my wife today, Cooper. She's pregnant. Natalie, I'm going to have another child! Isn't that amazing?"

"Oh my God, Dean, that's great," I said. "Congratulations, buddy." Though I didn't mean for it to happen, the response came out sounding hollow---even to my own ears.

Meanwhile, my friend continued talking at a speed that was hard to follow. "She's just found out, Claire said, and she's about a month along. I can't believe---" He suddenly stopped speaking and looked at me. "Natalie, you look rather pale. Are you all right?"

I turned my gaze down to my boots. "Crap, I'm really sorry, Dean. I'm happy for you, I really am, because you're my best friend and I love you like a brother and---"

"Uh, Natalie…"

"I'm being a selfish bitch, I know. Christ, buddy, I'm sorry." I was starting to feel sick.

Lewis put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me, a faint smile on his lips. "Natalie, I hope you're aware that you're rambling. And what's this rubbish you're talking? Don't be so hard on yourself, first of all, and second, tell me what's going on."

It took me a minute to muster the guts to glance up at him. "Wanna sit down for a sec?"

"Of course," Lewis answered.

We sat at the nearest table, thankfully clear of other military personnel. I took a deep breath before I began.

"I feel horrible for stealing your moment, Dean, really I---"

"Cooper." Lieutenant Lewis gave me a stern look. "Get on with it."

"Right. It's just…" I sighed, then continued, "Will and I really want to have another baby, too, Dean. And I'm fucking everything up."

"Oh? And why is that? Having a bit of a quarrel, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, it's not that. I just have a bad case of divided loyalties, I guess."

When my friend glanced at me with a curious expression on his face, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't look at me like that. I meant that if we were to have another kid, I'd get pulled from the lines. I can't do that to Bravo, Dean. We lost everybody at the top during the battle, and the last thing they need is another two-minute commander."

Lieutenant Lewis was silent a moment before he offered me a small grin. "Devotion to duty. I don't think I've ever seen it expressed so wholly. Are you sure that arseface Smythe was talking about you when he said you'd abandoned your lads?"

I laughed a little. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, I have some selfish reasons, too. I'm not quite the saint you make me out to be."

"Yes? And what are those so-called 'selfish' reasons?"

I shrugged. "Really, I just don't want to be out of the fighting right now. I think after Cote D'Azur, I realized that we could be on the brink of a pivotal moment. I can feel it, Dean. And I want to be there for my Marines, to lead them…and I wouldn't want to miss out for myself, either." I attempted a grin, but my heart wasn't really in it. "You've got it good, buddy. You get the kid and the fight. I've gotta choose."

"I'm sorry, Natalie. I truly am. You deserve your fight just as much as you deserve the second child you long for."

"Thanks, Dean." Damn, how did he always know the right thing to say? Before I could wrap my head around that question, Lewis was speaking again.

"What does your husband think about all this?"

I took a long drink from my cup of coffee before I answered. "He wants another kid as bad as I do. But he understands my precarious position, and he told me he was willing to wait, at least for a while. So we made a deal." I suddenly looked up at my friend and gave him a full-fledged grin. "I've got one year to end this war, buddy. Then it's back to barefoot and pregnant for us womenfolk."

Lieutenant Lewis burst out laughing. "You're always very eloquent with your words, Cooper."

A silence came between us then, and it lingered for several long seconds. Finally, I said, "I meant what I said earlier, Dean, even if it lacked the enthusiasm it should've had. I'm really happy for you, buddy."

Lewis grinned at me. "Thank you, Natalie. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl. I wouldn't mind a little son now that we already have a beautiful girl, but two daughters would be delightful as well." He reached across the table and patted my shoulder. "And just think, Cooper: at this very moment next year, we'll both be parents for the second time."

I finished the last of my coffee and threw it in the trash before I faced Dean. "Yeah. Good times, huh?"

By the time we stood from the table and went our separate ways, we were both grinning. It was only as I was walking back to my quarters that a sudden thought occurred to me.

What if we didn't live to see another year?