Chapter Thirty-Nine: Laws of Physics

1346 Hours, March 1, 2552. Phase One, City of Cote D'Azur. "The Fight-or-Flight Response," Planet Sigma Octanus IV. Day Fourteen of the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV

Why can't I cry anymore?

The thought had been going through my mind lately. Or, really, it had been in my head since I'd seen Lieutenant Tracey Graham's lifeless corpse two days ago. Her death had been a rather gruesome one, messier than getting killed by plasma or even needles; Second Lieutenant Casey Frederick had told me that a camouflaged Elite had gutted her. That certainly explained why there'd been a huge pool of blood and entrails beneath the ranking officer. I suspected the alien's plasma sword must have severed her aorta to cause her to bleed out so fast.

I hadn't been much of a teary-eyed girl post-Ethan. Life's big events could get me going, just like anyone else; I'd certainly bawled my eyes out at my older sister Jenna's funeral two years ago, when she'd been killed in action. And tears of joy definitely streamed down my face when my son was born. For the most part, however, I'd toughened up after Ethan. Getting wounded wasn't enough to make me do it, and neither was witnessing most of the blood-and-guts of war. But I hadn't shed even one tear since before my deployment to Heath, and so much had happened since then. I knew something would eventually cause my emotional dam to break, but so far nothing came.

I wasn't entirely sure if that was good or bad.

Graham, the psychology major, might have known. But she was dead now.

These days, I also found myself grappling with the fact that I was the new leader of Bravo Company. The lives of over one hundred Marines were now dependent on my decisions. If I messed up, it could mean the death of all of us.

The only thing I could do was my best, and hope that that was enough to see us through.

Presently, I had my platoon---no, my company, I reminded myself---keeping watch on the Lumiar River and surrounding streets. Although we'd taken the river two days ago, Covenant forces had managed to halt our advance. Ever since then, there had only been an empty silence on the frontlines.

I knew what that meant. Soon, the Covies would mount a counterattack; when they came, we had to be prepared. Erring on the side of caution for my first test as company commander, I'd set up the platoons in a defensive formation. Third platoon patrolled the streets, while first platoon kept watch on the Lumiar River. Second platoon, which had received the most casualties so far, was placed in reserve on our six. If the Covenant decided to attack, we'd have a platoon covering any eventuality.

Or, at least, that's how it was supposed to work in theory.

Besides changing up Bravo Company's positions, I'd spent hours the past couple of days attempting to hail anyone and everyone who might be left alive on Sigma Octanus IV. It was a long shot, I knew, based on both the media reports and what we'd witnessed up to this point. Still, as long as the frontlines were this quiet, there was nothing wrong with trying. So far, however, I hadn't succeeded.

Until now, that is.

"Attention UNSC forces," I said, broadcasting my voice on the general military channel. "This is Lieutenant Natalie M. Cooper, commanding Bravo Company of the 603rd, UNSC Marines. If any UNSC forces copy, please respond."

All I heard at first was the familiar crackle of static. Sighing, I was about to cut the connection when I thought I heard a broken message. I swear, if my hearing is playing tricks on me, I'm going to be really pissed off, I thought to myself as I strained to listen.

"Lieu…(static)…this is…(static)…" the voice seemed to be saying.

"Oh, for crying out loud, you little piece of shit," I said, taking off my helmet and giving it a hard smack with my hand. "Work, you damn---"

"Lieutenant…(static)…Cooper, this is Major Dustin Andreas, answering your transmission."

I couldn't believe my own ears. I quickly put my helmet back on, thinking this must be too good to be true. "Major Andreas, this is Lieutenant Cooper. Confirm receipt of message, sir."

"Read you loud and clear now, Lieutenant. God, it's good to finally hear some friendlies out there."

I couldn't help but grin. "Likewise, sir."

"What's your location, Lieutenant?" the major asked.

"My company and I are in the city of Cote D'Azur, sir," I answered.

"What happened to your captain?"

"Wounded, sir, and our executive officer was killed. I was next in line, so now I'm commanding."

"Jesus." There was a pause, and for a moment I was afraid our connection had been lost. Then, he said, "All right. Give me a sitrep, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir. We're holding out ok for now, but we're cut off from our base. I'm also assuming that we're surrounded. We need reinforcements, sir, badly. There's easily a regiment of Covenant around here, and we're only one company that's not up to full strength, Major."

"I see." I heard static fill the channel, and I waited. Finally, the major's voice returned. "Well, I've got good news and bad news for you, Lieutenant Cooper. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Let's have the good news, sir."

"I can have my battalion mobilize to come help you out. We're nearby, just some miles south on the far side of the Lumiar River."

If I hadn't already been sitting down, I would have collapsed with relief. We just might make it out of this alive, I thought to myself with sudden glee. "That's great news, Major. My Marines will be---"

"Now, hold it, kid," Major Andreas said. "You need to let me finish before you get too excited. There's still the matter of the bad news."

"Yes, sir. I'm listening," I said, eagerly awaiting his next words.

"I'm afraid that we won't be able to send reinforcements for at least three weeks, Lieutenant. My battalion is fighting off a steel wall of Covenant infantry and armor."

My blood ran cold.

"I'm sorry, sir, but could you repeat your message? I'm absolutely positive I didn't hear right."

"You heard correctly, Lieutenant," the major said in a somber tone. "You'll be receiving back-up, kid. You just have to hold out for a while without us."

"Hold out for a while?" I repeated, incredulous. "All due respect, sir, but if you don't come to our aid in a timely fashion, you're effectively assuring our deaths. You're not even that far from us!"

"Again, I apologize, Lieutenant Cooper. This is simply the best we can do, under the circumstances. Surely you understand?"

"Do I understand?" I asked, anger lacing my words. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Now, there's no need to---"

"Three weeks?!" Finally fed up, I really lost it now. "In three weeks, we'll be a pile of corpses! Do you understand that, Major Andreas?"

"Lieutenant Cooper, you are being extremely insubordinate! I suggest you pull a one-eighty on your attitude right away, Lieutenant, or I'll be court-martialing you!"

"Court-martial my dead body, sir."

I switched the COM channel off and removed my helmet before the major could reply. We were one understrength company fighting an enemy force many times our size, with no reinforcements. Major Andreas, on the other hand, had a whole battalion at his disposal, was facing a smaller force, and was relatively close by. And he couldn't make it here to save us in less than three damn weeks?

Under any other circumstance, I would have kept quiet; it was never worth the trouble to take on a superior officer in a shouting match. Such disagreements were also disrespectful, and that just wasn't my style. After I'd seen what an idiot officer could do when I'd been in the Heathan forest, however, I decided speaking my mind---and in doing so keeping my men alive---was more important than following useless orders. With our chances of survival so slim, I didn't have to worry about getting time in the brig for my actions.

I took a deep breath and ran a hand over my hair, trying to calm down. I've tried every way I can think of to get outside help, I thought to myself. Now it's up to me to find a way to save Bravo Company.

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The Covenant counterattack came a few hours later, and it began in a rather subtle manner. At first, third platoon reported a sniper who would occasionally take potshots at them. Then, in a matter of minutes, one enemy sharpshooter had turned into a full-fledged assault. I could hear gunfire and blasts from Covenant Wraith tanks on the open channel with Third.

"Natalie, we need First here immediately. I'm getting my arse shot at as we speak. Oh, bloody hell!"

"Dean?" Silence. "Dean! Respond, dammit!" I cried into the COM channel, my adrenaline spiking. The last thing we needed was to lose another officer.

"I'm all right, Cooper. Just had a rather close encounter with a plasma grenade, is all," the lieutenant replied.

"Hold 'em off for a sec, Lewis. I'm sending first platoon your way. ETA is two minutes," I said, picking up my battle rifle and starting to run towards my platoon.

"You'd better hurry, Lieutenant."

"Copy that."

Reaching first platoon seconds later, I pulled them from the river and had them begin their march towards third platoon. I opened the channel to Lewis a second time.

"Dean, first platoon is moving into position on your left flank. Make sure you check your FOF tags before you fire."

"I understand, Natalie."

"Frederick?" I asked on a separate channel to second platoon.

"Yes, ma'am?" Second Lieutenant Casey Frederick responded quickly, though I could hear the sleepiness in his voice. Bravo Company was working with stims once again, and we'd all gone far too many hours without sleep.

"Move one of your squads to the river. If attacking third platoon is part of a diversion to get past us through the Lumiar, I don't want to give the Covies that option."

"Understood, Lieutenant."

"And if your recon squad hears so much as a twig break, I want to be notified immediately."

"Of course, ma'am."

"Cooper out."

By now, first platoon and I had moved into position to reinforce third platoon. And the only thing I could think when I arrived was this: Wow. I had no idea so many Covenant vehicles could fit in a couple of streets.

A smoking Wraith tank and two Ghosts lay in pieces by the side of the road. Nearby, the bodies of three Marines lay disfigured in pools of blood. Eleven, I thought to myself bitterly. Eleven Marines dead out of the whole company since this shit started. And these are the first three who've died since I took command of Bravo.

"We used our last rockets on those vehicles," Lieutenant Lewis said, breaking into my thoughts. "We've no more ordnance, Lieutenant."

I didn't have time to reply. Four Brute Choppers rolled around the corner at just the same moment, and the words stuck in my throat.

"Hostiles coming in, northwest!" Lieutenant Lewis bellowed.

"I see 'em," I said, wondering how I made my voice sound so calm. "Listen carefully, Dean."

"Yes," the other officer said in a rush, a hint of panic lining his voice.

"Take two squads of third platoon and try to maneuver them around the building across the street. Circle that block and come behind the vehicles. First platoon will take care of the Choppers, and then you can deal with the Brutes. Quick and easy, Lieutenant."

"Y-yes."

"And Lewis? I want the other two squads of Third to engage the Covenant infantry. They'll be backed by my platoon."

"Acknowledged."

Picking off aliens with my battle rifle as I spoke, I looked down the weapon's sights and aimed at a group of Covenant up the street. A Jackal chose the wrong time to poke its head out from under its shield, and three bullets split its ugly head in a spray of violet blood.

"First platoon, get your ass in gear and advance!" I yelled into the COM. "Heavy weapons, I want you up here five minutes ago!"

I ducked out from my cover and sprinted for the other side of the street. The lead Brute Chopper took note of my movement and started strafing with its cannons. I kept running, half-crouched and holding onto my helmet with one hand---my other was hanging onto my rifle.

Now was when I was so grateful I'd taken track in high school and at the Academy.

I jumped over the pockmarks the Brute Chopper made around me, and I'd almost reached cover when a round exploded right in front my feet. And suddenly, unable to stop mid-stride, there was a hole with cracked asphalt right where I planted my boot. Despite years of training and my own attempts to keep my balance, I felt myself start to fall.

I landed hard on what would have been my face, if I hadn't had my helmet to protect me. The impact vibrated through my armor plates, but thankfully nothing cracked. My only real concern was getting back up fast to avoid getting killed in a second pass.

Too late. I heard the Chopper's weapons already firing, and puffs from tiny craters began popping up around me. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I was suddenly too scared to move. Somewhere in my rational brain, I knew if I stayed immobile, the rounds would surely hit me. But I also knew that if I moved, I risked going into the line of fire.

I shut my eyes tight and waited for the end.

Then, a wave of heat and bouncing metal parts washed over me.

"Lieutenant? We've taken out the first Chopper, ma'am!" Lance Corporal Gardner said over the radio.

Opening my eyes, I lifted my head and looked around. The former alien vehicle was now a pile of burning wreckage not twenty yards from where I lay. It surprised me that I hadn't even registered the explosion that most certainly occurred moments ago. Fear was definitely a powerful emotion.

Glad to find I was still alive, I quickly pushed myself up from the ground and made it to the cover I'd been trying to get to earlier. I pressed my back against a slab of broken concrete and reloaded my battle rifle. With my weapon ready for more action, I lifted my battle rifle over the slab and looked down the sights.

An abnormally large and grinning alien face greeted me.

"Whoa!" I cried in surprise, involuntarily throwing myself backwards.

The Brute leaned over the slab of concrete that was my cover and continued grinning at me. It was an ugly, deranged smile.

Lying on my back on the sidewalk, I fumbled with the rifle in my hands. Just as I was situating the gun to fire at the Brute, its massive fist came at me. I closed my eyes out of reflex and braced myself for the pain, but I only felt a sting in my hands. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that the Brute had slapped my rifle away.

And now the alien bounded over the large concrete slab and grabbed me by my battledress jacket. Sweating bullets, I could feel my heart beating so hard I thought my chest would burst. This is it, my last day, my last breath, I thought. The Brute looked me in the eyes, widened its grin, and threw me.

I heard and felt a sharp clang as my back armor plates hit against a light post---a light post that was at least ten feet from where the Brute had first grabbed me.

My ears were still ringing from the blow when I fell back onto the ground. I landed on my side and felt myself beginning to choke on something. Vision blurred and body screaming in pain, I rolled onto my stomach and tried to clear my throat.

I tasted copper in my mouth.

Disoriented and coughing up blood inside my helmet, I couldn't defend myself against the Brute. I heard the large alien stomp towards me, and then I felt a hard pressure against my helmet. What's happening? I thought in a panic. It didn't immediately occur to me that the alien was trying to bust my skull open.

The Brute's leg came down harder and harder on my helmet.

"Ahhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrgggggggghhhh!" I screamed as I felt my head getting crushed.

It was a raw and desperate animal scream.