Loyalty

Nickless demonstrates how the strong ties of loyalty — whether it be loyalty to family, the Marine Corps, or a role model — is often used to determine the choices a person makes. Parnell bases her decision to save Rhodes on her lessons from the Marine Corp to never leave a fallen soldier behind. Nik kills his own niece in order to protect a closer family member. Parnell is haunted by memories of what happened in Habbaniyah and the things that she did out of loyalty to her commanding officer.

Parnell is most loyal to her Marine Corps training and her belief that she should never leave a fallen soldier behind. Parnell faces a huge decision when she remembers that Rhodes had a role in Habbaniyah and realizes that the life she imagined for herself will never come to be if the details of Habbaniyah were to be...