Nathan Axtin
A cover name used by a brother of the founder of TES. Around 25 at the time of the interludes, he personally led the armed pursuit of Jake Fynt following TES's collapse — despite not having been known as an enforcer beforehand.
Identity
- Full name: Nathan Axtin. Uses "Screen" as a cover name; becomes visibly uncomfortable when Jake uses it, suggesting it is not widely known.
- Species / origin: Human; Lukyr Prime.
- Affiliation: The Empowering Star (TES), through family. As a brother of TES's founder, he occupies a position of informal leadership within what remains of the organisation after the collapse.
- Role / occupation: Not known as an enforcer prior to the events of Interlude 1. Appeared in the field personally for the Jake Fynt operation, commanding armed gunmen and coordinating the pursuit.
Physical Appearance
Young — approximately 25 at the time of Interlude 1. Wears a tailored suit. During the office courtyard confrontation he had two armored guards flanking him and was surrounded by a larger force of gunmen. Drives a car with blackened windows. No further physical description established.
Personality
Pragmatic under pressure: when Jake fired at a building to summon police, Screen immediately broke off the interrogation and fled rather than escalate into a public confrontation. He is capable of rapid tactical pivots — having come to extract information, he redirected his brown-car fleet to eliminate Jake once the interrogation opportunity was lost. He appears to be a capable field commander despite not being known as an enforcer, and displays personal composure during the standoff: he rolled his eyes at Jake's drawn gun and returned to a neutral expression after one raised eyebrow. He is unsettled by Jake knowing his cover name, suggesting he values anonymity.
Background
Brother of the TES founder, whose name is not established. Screen had "barely interacted with" Jake before Interlude 1, and was not known within TES as an enforcer — making his personal involvement in the post-collapse hunt unexpected. His prior role within TES is unknown. His appearance in the field suggests that the data leak that destroyed TES was treated as a matter requiring direct family involvement, not merely operational cleanup.
Relationships
- Jake Fynt — Target. Screen led the armed ambush intended to extract intelligence on how TES's data reached the military police, then shifted to elimination when police intervened. Jake protected Zet's identity throughout, giving Screen nothing.
- TES founder (unnamed) — Sibling. The nature and closeness of their relationship is not established beyond the family tie.
Story Arc
Interlude 1 — The Courtyard Confrontation: Screen coordinated a covert ambush in an abandoned office courtyard where Jake was hiding. His forces surrounded the car with armored gunmen and portable lights without Jake noticing. Screen questioned Jake directly about the intelligence leak — specifically how TES's data reached the military police — threatening to disable Jake's energy shield remotely. Jake assessed this as a bluff and remained silent to protect Zet. When Jake fired at a nearby building to summon police, Screen immediately retreated to his car and drove off, leaving gunmen behind. After Jake escaped in self-driving mode, Screen redirected his brown-car fleet to ram and disable Jake's vehicle — a shift from intelligence-gathering to elimination.
Interlude 2 — The Izon Pursuit: Screen's forces followed Jake into the underground city of Izon, blowing open the main entrance door to bring their vehicles inside. TES soldiers pursued Jake through the residential hallways and ultimately breached the control room in numbers. Jake escaped via the control room's emergency elevator before they could stop him. Whether Screen personally entered Izon or coordinated from outside is not established. His fate after the failed pursuit is unknown.
Open Questions
- What is the TES founder's name — Nathan's sibling?
- Did Screen survive the TES dismantlement, or was he arrested?
- Does Screen appear in any later chapters?
- What was Screen's role within TES before the collapse?