From head to toe, the Nightshade commandos were covered in tactical gear. Embroidered on their shoulders were dragon wing emblems. Their leader, Tempa, stood at the forefront. She was a short, confident woman in her late 20s with a golden brown tone and had her long purple streaked hair tied up in a ponytail.

Tempa confidently said, "You have ten seconds to drop your sword, or we will open fire! Eight seconds now."

Jyn had a sword in one hand, Gabriel's shoulder strap in the other. She wasn't about to give up her prisoner without a fight. When Jyn visualized her plan, she imagined quickly closing the gap on the three soldiers to her right and then using their firearms to ward off the remaining 14. A crazy plan, but she liked the odds.

Solomon interrupted, "Enough!"

Tempa signaled for her team to lower their weapons. Odom and Asha escorted Solomon through the small crowd. Eyes stalked their every move.

As two of the commandos got in the way, Odom said, "We got a problem?"

Solomon held out a hand. It was as if he could sense Odom reaching for his rifle. "It's quite all right," he said before meeting Tempa alone.

Tempa said, "Solomon Winter! Didn't think you missed being in the field."

Solomon responded, "I requested assistance in apprehending a terrorist, not drawing weapons on my team. We will prepare the prisoner for transport. You should secure the island. There may be other enemies."

The Nightshade commandos immediately scrambled.

Tempa said, "It is good seeing you again. I've always wanted to thank you for your words of wisdom. I wouldn't be running the Nightshade Corp without your advice."

Solomon replied, "Oh, I don't deserve any credit. You were always ambitious. You would've been doing something impressive regardless."

Just a little over a decade ago, Tempa was aimless, scrounging up leftovers tossed in dumpsters. She took pride in fighting off other homeless people. They were just competition to her, and she delighted in collecting more scraps.

 

*****E V*****

 

In the Impulse's bomb bay, Jyn had set the unconscious Gabriel in a bed and hooked him up to an EKG machine. "So...the Nightshade Corp?"

Solomon responded, "Only reinforcements I could secure. Their leader, Tempa, and I have history."

Jyn said, "Well, the next time her lackeys point a gun at me, they'll be going home without some limbs."

Solomon wasn't completely comfortable. His team was outnumbered and stranded on an island. Even if he trusted Tempa, he always believed that people changed at one point or another.

Solomon said, "We may need to secure other means of transportation. Take Asha with you to their landing zone. Maintain your position and keep radio silence until you hear from me."

 

*****E V*****

 

The rhythmic beeping of the EKG machine awakened Gabriel. An IV was in his arm, his opposite hand cuffed to the bed's side rail.

Solomon said, "Welcome back." He was the only one around. "I bet you've never been in a fight that long. I'm Solomon Winter. What's your name?"

Gabriel replied, "You can't keep me here." He looked at the handcuffs, insulted. The young Eon Viant tried to break free yet couldn't. Distressed, he violently tugged but was unable to break the links. "What did you do to me?!"

Solomon said, "The IV is pumping an experimental suppressant into your bloodstream. I was told it would dramatically decrease your strength and ability to interface. So, yes, I can keep you here. Now, what's your name?"

Solomon had acquired only a small amount of the suppressant through his connections. Apparently, it was tested out in the last interplanetary war. Gabriel being unconscious gave the suppressant all of the time needed to take effect.

It had been a while since a human was so confident around Gabriel. He revealed his name to Solomon.

Solomon said, "Gabriel, you've been a busy, young man. Destroying property, murdering soldiers, civilians. What could the world have done to deserve your wrath?"

Gabriel told him about the last day in a dump of a city no one gave a second thought to--Grid 0047. When returning home, bombs rained down without warning, without reasoning. Everyone he knew evaporated within seconds.

Solomon said, "And you've been murdering ever since."

Gabriel replied, "You don't have any right to judge me."

Solomon responded, "I'm not judging you at all. If I lost my mother--no, if she was taken from me--I'd want her killer to pay, and I'd want to do it with my own hands."

Gabriel was surprised. Never before did he expect someone, especially a human, to understand him.

Solomon continued, "But, that's what I would feel. If I let my actions lead me that far, terrorizing innocent people, murdering them, I'd become worse than a monster."

Gabriel said, "I'm not randomly attacking people. Oliath shows me to the military bases where Cortez's soldiers hide."

Solomon asked, "This Oliath, is he an Eon Viant, too?"

Gabriel answered, "Yeah. He said revenge wouldn't bring my mother back, but I'd get closure."

Solomon held Gabriel's watch in his hands. The frame still cold.

Gabriel said, "That's not yours! Give it back!"

Solomon responded, "This watch belonged to an operative of mine who went missing around the start of your terrorism."

As Solomon removed a square component with a red light from the watch's interior, he said, "This is the tracking device used in locating missing operatives. For some reason, we could never pick up its signal...until today."

Gabriel responded, "I don't believe you."

It didn't make sense to Gabriel. Why would Oliath give him the watch of the enemy? It was clear to him that Solomon was trying to sow distrust, get him to turn against Oliath.

Solomon said, "I also have one more bit of information. Kirby Cortez was not responsible for the bombing of Grid 0047. The real people responsible were apprehended months before your first attack."

Gabriel reasoned to himself that, if it were true, then he really was the monster living up to the tarnished reputation of Eon Viants. That's something a human like Solomon would want him to think, he figured.

 

*****E V*****

 

While running a diagnostic and inspecting the Impulse, Odom wore a mask to try to filter the stench from the piles of carcasses. He caught sight of Jyn and Asha as they were leaving.

Odom said, "You knew going in that Winter wanted to spare the Eon Viant. And here I thought he recruited the biggest dog in the yard for her skillset."

Turning to Jyn, Asha asked, "Is...that a compliment?"

Odom continued, "Do you know how much trouble we can get in for this? Winter's going to be fine, he's a Chief Principal. The three of us are going straight to the unemployment line."

Jyn asked, "Can we talk about this after we're airborne and far away from here?"

 

*****E V*****

 

Jyn and Asha hid within the elevated grassland, spying on the few Nightshade commandos guarding three helicopters.

Asha said, "I was expecting a little more resistance."

Jyn responded, "Let's hope it stays this way."

Asha couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer. "I can't help thinking about what Odom said. What if we get in trouble for disobeying the principals? It may not seem like it, but I like my job."

Jyn confidently said, "I wouldn't worry about it. Solomon will vouch for us."

Asha asked, "You really trust him, don't you?"

Jyn's allegiance was to the House of Knights, without question. For the longest time, whatever the mission, Jyn completed it. A lot of operatives were like that; just good little soldiers, following orders from their leaders, even the corrupt ones.

Jyn said, "Solomon's different from the other principals. He's not focused on self-interest. He just wants to do what's right. And I'm his means of doing that."

 

*****E V*****

 

Diagnostics showed the Impulse's extensive damage. Even the radio had been destroyed. The House of Knights weren't flying anytime soon. While a handful of Nightshade commandos stayed by the Impulse, Tempa had brought Solomon to an open area to update him. Her team didn't find anyone else on the island. "Just a freak show animal kingdom," as she put it.

Tempa said, "Your aircraft looks terrible. No way she can still fly, can she? We can give you a ride unless one is already on the way from Knarrow's Island."

Solomon said, "Let's discard the charade, Tempa. You've been monitoring radio communication."

Tempa said, "True. Look, when you requested reinforcements, I thought you needed help quelling a civil war, not fighting an Eon Viant. I've just secured a deal to turn him over to another client. Surrender him, and I'll spare your operatives."

Multiple gunshots scared birds into flight. Tempa had presumed that her team had executed Odom. It felt strange turning on someone she considered a friend, a mentor even. But she learned ruthlessness was the key to getting what she wanted. "You probably have two more operatives alive."

To Tempa's surprise, Odom was the only who walked down the Impulse's ramp, uninjured. As he got closer, he kept his rifle trained on her.

Tempa believed Jyn and Asha were still in the Impulse until Solomon said, "Jyn, go ahead and secure transportation." His words were communicated through his radio earpiece.

Solomon was every bit the strategist Tempa remembered. In-between a chuckle, she said, "Taking one of my helicopters, that's smart. Truth is, I had hoped you would divide your team. Three of you would've put me at a disadvantage."

Odom grinned and said, "Lady, this isn't going to be much of a fight. I got the big gun."

Solomon's ears had detected something incoming, and it worried him. When a stealth aircraft had arrived, Tempa easily disassembled the barrel from Odom's rifle before incapacitating him.

Under the stealth aircraft's belly were two large cylinders, which deployed a pair of harpoons into the body of the Impulse, lifting it off the island. Simultaneously, Odom pursued Tempa to the top of the Impulse. His technique was more brawler than martial artist, and Tempa was able to endure his strikes.

When Odom missed a crossover, he was suddenly struck across his jaw. Dazed, he stumbled back towards the edge. With the push of a finger, Tempa sent him falling into the ocean. And the Impulse disappeared into the horizon.