The guards hesitated, their authority suddenly feeling inadequate in the presence of such palpable strength and unity. The SEAL continued, “This is a fellow service member. His son is graduating today, and he deserves to watch it from the seat he was assigned.”

The tension diffused as the guards, outmatched both in numbers and moral high ground, nodded curtly and stepped back. Solomon exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, the weight of potential conflict lifting from his shoulders.