The decisions you make and how you react to other characters in STALKER 2 impact the larger story and how events play out when you reach the end of the mission, along with future opportunities. As you advance into the Sphere, you’ll face off against Solder and have a choice.
Solder and you have a brief fight in his headquarters as you enter the Sphere looking for him. The two of you talk during the encounter, and Solder tries to reason with you by saying that while he sold out people in the past, he didn’t do that to you. It looks like he wants to kill your character, but you eventually overpower him, and take the pistol away. You are then left with a critical opportunity in your STALKER 2 playthrough, where you choose to knock out or kill Solder. The choice is yours, but it impacts future events.