Kyungwon's stories of the moon were wild and free. Her mother looked on in pride, and her father looked on in fear. The fact that their eldest daughter was on her way to leaving them possibly forever was rapidly becoming clear to them, and that dialed the entire household’s emotions up.

 

Yebin wasn’t jealous of the attention. She never felt overshadowed by her older sister. They were close, and always supported each other whenever possible. Whenever Yebin would get in a sticky situation, Kyungwon would help her out of it; whenever Kyungwon doubted herself, Yebin gave her boost she needed.

 

Space exploration was something Yebin couldn't help in, and it became increasingly apparent as Kyungwon's training went on.

 

When Kyungwon started to distance herself, Yebin couldn't find it in herself to do anything. She didn’t push — it wasn’t her personality, and really, what would she say? The distance grew and before they both knew it, Kyungwon was flashing her single ticket for the colony. Kyungwon was on a one-way trip, and didn't want Yebin to follow her.

 

That was reason enough for Yebin to try and sneak into the colony.

 

*

 

The airport is familiar and easy enough to maneuver through, having dropped Kyungwon off on training exercises often.  Without a ticket to get in the proper way, she makes her way to the luggage area.

 

The shuttle roars to life, and Yebin jumps from the shock. She hits the bin behind her and it wheels away, a few of the luggages on top spilling out. She can only watch as they hit the ground and the guards take note.

 

“Hey you!”

 

Yebin scrambles to her feet, not giving them a chance to finish. She looks back briefly; two guards on her trail, one with a walkie in hand. Knowing more would be on her soon, she slips into a moving containment crate as it passes.  Quickly opening up one of the luggages, she gives its owner a silent apology before removing its contents and sliding in. She sits in darkness, feeling the other bags shift around her as the crate moves. When it stops, her heart hammers against her chest and she holds her breath, praying her journey wouldn’t end so soon.

 

Thankfully, the crate tips over, and Yebin tumbles into an unknown space with the rest of the baggage. From inside, she can hear the shuttle engines roar to life, blocking out all other sound. With a wave of tremors Yebin feels as if she weighs ten tons, until suddenly she feels completely weightless. With a careful eye, she maneuvers out of the baggage compartment and into the main area. She makes a beeline for the closest empty seat, and sighs in relief when no one comes to take it.

 

The colony's airport is sleek and high tech, something she could only attempt to imagine from Kyungwon's stories. Thankfully, signs still serve their purpose, and she navigates through the building with ease. She makes it out of baggage claim before security begins to pop out of every corner, in which she begins to move more stealthily. Slipping through groups of people, she looks everywhere but ahead and ends up colliding with someone.

 

With a yelp, she stumbles backwards, saved from a fall only by the hands circling her waist. Instinctively she holds on to the person, taking the time to look at them.  A young woman around her age stares back at her, clad in what looks like combat gear. The alliance insignia is embroidered on her front, peeking out from under a protective vest and catching Yebin's eye. She wasn't in cuffs yet, so they either aren't security or aren't aware of the situation. Either way, a breather for her.

 

“Hey,” Yebin says cooly.

 

The stranger looks at her cautiously before pulling her upright. To her left is another person, also in uniform, but considerably less guarded by the curious smile on her face. “Hey!” that one chirps at the same time the serious one asks “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m good now.” Yebin grins, but spots the security guards rounding the corner. "But I should be going. Nice meeting you!"

 

Yebin runs off, leaving the pair. The guards soon reach them. “Have you seen an individual come through here? Female, approximately five feet tall and wearing a red hoodie?”

 

"What did she do?" the serious one asks.

 

"She's a stowaway."

 

A moment passes before the serious one shakes her head, and the guards move on.

 

"You didn't say anything?" the curious one asks.

 

"Because you didn't," she responds. "I hope that was the right decision."

 

The curious one hums. "Me too."

 

Yebin slips into another storage container — she thanks the powers that be for the sheer luck — plucking a uniform out of a bag and slipping it on. The fit's a bit loose, but she manages. As she zips past security guards without issue, hope builds within her. The exit's in her sights when this hope is torn from her, a sharp call breaking her focus.

 

"You there."

 

Only then does Yebin notice the people marching in the other direction, wearing the same uniform as her. Gulping, she turns back to face whoever called her.

 

Someone in the same gear as the earlier pair stares back at her. She looks at Yebin with a disapproving frown. "Get back in line, cadet."

 

"Yes ma'am," is all Yebin can say, meekly squeezing herself into the march to throw off the attention she was receiving. The exit shrinks with the distance as the line provided no blind spots to the other cadets for her to break free.

 

Cadets. Yebin's stomach drops. Kyungwon graduated from the cadet program not long ago.

 

"Where are we going?" she whispers to the person behind her.

 

"The moon," they reply with a hint of impatience.

 

"The moon?! I just got here!"

 

The other person doesn't respond, and it dawns on her that her cover could've been blown right there. She's almost thankful.

 

She's lead to a transport chopper and handed the same vest she saw the pair in earlier. Once seated, weapons get handed out among the group. A gun is placed in her hands and she struggles not to show her nerves as they liftoff.

 

The same person who calls her out begins to give a speech to everyone. An officer, she figures. Yebin tunes her out as she looks around at the others. They look about her age, but there wasn't a hint of fear in their expressions. In fact, some of them looked excited to be there. It reminds her of Kyungwon, something that both reassures and frightens her.

 

The hatch opens and the lack of light pouring in worries her, but she follows the cadets out.

 

Kyungwon's stories of the moon didn't prepare Yebin for a barren landscape. Her gut tells her to hold her breath, to stand firmly lest she drift off from low gravity; her mind (and the officer continuing to bark out orders just fine) tells her that isn't needed.

 

A speech later and everyone's running off into different formations. An explosion happens in the distance and she grips her weapon tightly. Her mind screams for her to run for cover but her body remains rigid. Cadets rush by her and she's about to faint when something tugs at her sleeve, dragging her out of the fray and into a quieter area.

 

When she collects herself, the two she bumped into earlier are standing before her. The curious one looks her over for injuries, while the serious one has her back to them, watching their surroundings diligently. "Stowaway," she acknowledges, not sparing her a glance.

 

"I have a name," Yebin bites back, not out of ill will but fear.

 

"Me too! I'm Eunwoo." The curious one smiles and points back to her companion. "That's Jieqiong."

 

"Yebin."

 

Jieqiong's eye shoots towards her with an alarmed look, and she immediately focuses her attention to Eunwoo, who's smiling gently. "Nice to meet you Yebin. You probably don't know how to fight, so just stick with us. I don't recommend doing this again, by the way!"

 

"Y-Yeah," is all she can mumble, sticking to the pair as they maneuver the field.

 

Eunwoo scouts ahead and Jieqiong gives her a stern look. "You look like her."

 

Before anything else can happen, something ahead goes off. Without sparing her another glance Jieqiong runs off to find her partner, and Yebin follows suit.

 

Eunwoo's okay, but the person at her side sends Yebin's nerves over the edge. She adjusts her helmet lower and jogs behind Jieqiong.

 

Kyungwon's relief at no serious injury is clear, but her brows are furrowed when she turns to them. "Why isn't your team moving as a unit?"

 

Jieqiong deflates instantly, a far cry from the person Yebin was with just moments ago. "It was my fault. I sent her ahead to case the environment."

 

"I volunteered," Eunwoo pipes, but gets ignored by the both of them.

 

"You should have been watching her. This is unlike you, Jieqiong." Kyungwon rounds the cadet and Yebin ducks her head downwards. "And you."

 

"Wait!" Eunwoo shouts. "It was really me! I ran ahead without waiting for them."

 

Jieqiong blocks Kyungwon from moving forward. "You're right. I should have been watching. It's on me."

 

"I don't appreciate the two of you covering for a slacker. I'm going to think about whether Nayoung will hear about this." Without waiting for a response, Kyungwon makes it to Yebin. Yebin doesn't need to see to know the look on her face upon recognition; the words that are about to come.  Kyungwon freezes and the world stops for a moment.

 

"Take this cadet back to transport."

 

Yebin, panicking, shoots her head up. "Kyungwon-"

 

The look in her sister's eyes is indiscernible. "Now."

 

Eunwoo gives her an apologetic look, and Jieqiong guides them along a safe path back to the choppers.

 

Jieqiong is the one to break the silence. "I'm sorry."

 

Yebin shakes her head. "You didn't even have to, but you did and you did your best. Thank you."

 

"It was nice seeing you again, really." Eunwoo takes her hand. "I hope we see you again soon."

 

They secure her in the chopper before going off to continue the training, and she's left to her own thoughts.

 

It's not long till the exercise ends, and transport takes them back to the colony. This time, her chopper is occupied by her teammates and her sister, all watching her intently.

 

"Can I ask why?" Yebin starts, looking up at Kyungwon.

 

"Why what?" Kyungwon challenges, edging her on.

 

Like they both expect, Yebin doesn't take the bait, and the rest of the trip is in silence.

 

When they reach the colony dock, the cadets march back to their stations. Yebin doesn't bother slipping away with them, knowing she wouldn't be able to escape her sister.

 

It's just the two of them when Kyungwon programs a pod for Earth. "Can I ask why?"

 

Her question is obvious, and Yebin isn't one to beat the bush like the her. "Why can't I come with you?"

 

"Someone needs to watch over Mom and Dad."

 

"They'd be fine," Yebin pleads. "Why don't you want me with you?"

 

Kyungwon looks away and inputs their town's station on the screen. She prods Yebin into the pod and smiles wistfully. "Say hi to them for me."

 

The thing about the Kang sisters is that they've never really fought before, so they're really bad at it. The thing about Yebin is that she knows this, so she watches Kyungwon while she's distracted by her lackluster confrontation. The other thing about Yebin is that she's kind of a genius.

 

As soon as the colony ejects her pod, she pries open a hatch below the screen. Wires stare back at her but she ignores them, sticking her hand into the crevice and feeling for a button, switch, or anything of the sort. Her fingers graze against something protruding out of the wall; it gives when she wiggles it so she yanks it as hard as she can.

 

An automated voice speaks. "Coordinate override. Input destination."

 

"Oh." She hadn't thought that far. The colony wouldn't have coordinates since it's in motion. "Last destination?"

 

The screen flashes and gives her a hologram keypad. "Input destination."

 

The pod begins to slow down. Yebin plants her palm on the keypad. "Anywhere! Somewhere!"

 

"Input destination."

 

"The moon!"

 

"Destination, EARTH SATELLITE 1."

 

The engine sputters back to life, and Yebin cries out in relief.

 

"Warning, no receptor station detected. Crash landing initiated."

 

Of course.

 

Yebin faintly remembers the officer in the chopper going over emergency situations. She also remembers Kyungwon complaining about safety drills all the time. "Computer person, deploy oxygen mask!" The screen flickers and plays a safety video. A woman helps a young girl put a mask on. "I know how this works, thanks!"

 

The mask pops out of the wall and hits her in the face. It's similar to the one in the video and the ones on airplanes, but the minute she puts it around , it attaches to her helmet and covers the open part with glass. A small tank then pops out of the wall, and graphics flash along the inside of her helmet and indicate the amount of oxygen remaining.

 

"Oh, cool," Yebin blurts out, only partially aware those could be her last words as she hurtles toward the moon.

 

The pod has wheels. This is what Yebin infers when she hits a surface and rolls in one direction for a bit before toppling over. She curls herself up and tries to lean onto the wall, cradling the tank between her legs and shielding her head at the same time.

 

She feels the beginnings of aches all over her body when she stumbles out, but thankfully doesn’t fall over. The low gravity she’s heard of in her youth was now in effect so she hovers long enough that she can maneuver herself back upright.

 

“Computer lady?” The pod screeches and then goes silent. Yebin touches it solemnly. “You were a good friend.”

 

Making her way around was much easier now that a hop became a leap. The training exercise must have disabled it somehow to test the cadets.

 

Yebin grimaces. Without the colony or a working pod, she was stranded.

 

“Is this how my story ends?” she wonders aloud, hopping aimlessly. “Am I doomed to spend the rest of my days like this?"

 

Halfway through a triple somersault is when she drifts into the shot of someone taking a selfie.

 

"Uh?"

 

"Uh??"

 

Yebin floats back to the surface as the stranger puts down her selfie stick.

 

"I'll delete it if you want…"

 

"No, it's cool…but no offense, why are you here?"

 

The stranger shrugs lamely. "Why are you?"

 

"I got kicked out of the colony." Not officially, but it sounded better than being plunged into space by your sister. She eyes the stranger suspiciously, looking for any logos or insignias. "You're not part of the alliance, are you?"

 

"Nah, I'm just me. Bae Sungyeon." The two stand there gawking at each other before she adds, "Do you need a lift?"

 

"Yes please. I'm Yebin, by the way." Sungyeon leads them to her ship and just as Yebin begins to think her day's starting to get better, she comes face to face with the megaship she was sure was a museum exhibit back on their planet. "Uh???"

 

"I kind of borrowed it? Please don't tell."

 

"So where should I drop you off?" Sungyeon asks, opening up an input window for coordinates. "Earth?"

 

"What's your story?" Yebin asks instead, trying not to focus on the fact that she was in a stolen spacecraft with someone who didn't look like she was a trained pilot. She leans on the control panel, careful not to press anything.

 

Sungyeon stares at her quizzically, well within her rights. There was no reason for Yebin to be nosy, in fact she's probably coming off rude in light of this complete stranger helping her out, but she stands her ground. Thankfully, Sungyeon relents slightly. "It's silly."

 

"Hey, I followed my sister and crash landed on the moon. No judgement here." Seeing no outward look of disgust, she elaborates. "She's an alliance officer and she kicked me out because I wasn't supposed to be on the colony."

 

"You didn't have to, but thanks for telling me." Sungyeon lowers her arms from the screen, looking away shyly. “My best friend. I want to show her how much I care.”

 

Sungyeon presses a button on the panel and the input window closes, replaced immediately by a collage of photos. Some are from the moon just now, but others are from other places in the solar system. In each, she's making a face at the camera. In some, she points to the ground of whatever she's on where messages are etched into it.

 

"By leaving her notes everywhere? Ye…won?" Yebin tries to both decipher the name and not read to respect her privacy. Sungyeon nods, and Yebin tries to remember if she knows anyone by that name. No one comes to mind. “Cute.”

 

“Thanks, I guess. So where to?”

 

"I'll help you with your thing if you help me with mine." Sungyeon stops to look at her again, and her brain scrambles for the proper execution of words. "You stick close to the colony while you do your bff thing, and I'll work tech on the ship."

 

"You're a mechanic?"

 

"No, but I reprogrammed my pod to stop it's course to Earth." To instead crash on the moon, but still. "All I ask for is food, shelter and transportation."

 

*

 

The ship is quiet as they move out of Earth's orbit and trail behind the colony. A good thing, considering they're supposed to go undetected and no news is better than bad news. An incredibly awkward thing, considering the fact that they're on a giant spaceship that used to be a war machine and the silence is still stifling.

 

Yebin excuses herself for a tour of the thing, since Sungyeon hasn't figured out the autopilot just yet. Kyungwon's taken her on official, legal tours in the past, but she never had the chance to touch things. The signs and informational pamphlets are still strewn about; it looks like Sungyeon didn't exactly prep before taking off.

 

The megaship was rumored to have been the base of operations of a team dedicated to saving Earth from intergalactic evils. Yebin's never been alive to witness said evils, but that's probably a good thing. The universe is bigger than anyone can even fathom, and she knows without a doubt that they're just specks of life in the grand picture. If anything, other planets might assume the colony's the one that's an intergalactic evil. They prepped well for that though, having diplomatic and military branches of the alliance on board.

 

Kyungwon's part of the new team, but she's the new mechanic of the ship. Life works in funny ways.

 

"Computer lady?" Yebin calls out in the hallway a few days later.

 

Sungyeon's head pops out of the main door. "Excuse me?"

 

"Not you, the AI."

 

"Oh… I turned it off when I took it so it wouldn't send a distress signal."

 

Yebin pouts. "Aw. Can we reboot it?"

 

"If you can figure out how."

 

Yebin's got half of her torso in some other crevice when she tries to break the ice.  "So you and this Yewon a thing?" Even from under the control panel, she can see Sungyeon stumble despite not moving. She bites back a laugh.

 

"No… she's just my favorite person."

 

"That's sweet," Yebin croons. "My favorite person is my sister, and that's kind of sad."

 

There were friends and there were more than friends, but they came and went; Kyungwon was always her constant. The idea that that was no longer the case settles in the back of her head, tormenting her whenever she gives it the chance.

 

Sungyeon makes a contemplative noise. "I think that's fine. If she means enough for you to get stranded on the moon for, she must be great."

 

"She is. Yewon sounds great too." She's rearranging the wiring when a thought occurs to her. "Why didn't you just bring her along? Instead of going alone and taking pictures."

 

Sungyeon doesn't respond and Yebin peeks out. The pilot stares out the window blankly. "That would've been a great idea…"

 

This time Yebin can't hold back a snort, and Sungyeon huffs. Yebin holds her hands up defensively. "Hey, at least you didn't make her a fugitive too!"

 

"Fair…but that doesn't make me feel better."

 

"You got to meet me?"

 

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

 

"It should. I'm a catch."

 

Sungyeon laughs, and Yebin considers her job done. She successfully resets the AI and renames it 2-WON in honor of their favorite people, and Yebin considers her actual job done as well.

 

*

 

A week later, and the megaship rumbles more than usual. They start to lag farther behind, worrying Yebin. She wheels her seat over to the control panel and checks their speed. "Does this thing need to be refueled?"

 

"You're the mechanic," Sungyeon remarks, looking through her photos absentmindedly. "I'm just the pilot."

 

Frowning, Yebin heads over to the engine room. "Everything seems fine? 2-WON, run diagnostics."

 

The AI crackles to life. "All processes are functioning normally."

 

She paces back to the main room, mumbling to herself.

 

The colony changed trajectory, something Yebin doesn't realize until the next day. What she realizes right after is that they haven't adjusted to it. "Sungyeon?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Why aren't we turning?"

 

Sungyeon points to a nearby planet. "We're stopping here next. We planned this before the change, remember?"

 

"Ah," Yebin notices, staring at the map with unfocused eyes. She mumbles something again, but nods.

 

Sungyeon returns after her picture to find the mechanic sitting glumly in the corner of the control room, hugging her knees against her chest and tucking her face behind them. "Are you… okay?"

 

"I'd just like to get back to the mission, thanks."

 

Yebin knows what she's doing. It's the reason Kyungwon's her only constant.

 

It's not that she means to be abrasive. Her family's always been good to her, Kyungwon especially, so she's always been around patient people. Whenever she was feeling ignored or moody, they would take the time to talk her through it. Others couldn't match up to them, and that was totally understandable, but she felt the sharpness in her voice come anyhow.

 

"It's two missions, Yebin. Yours and mine."

 

"Right." Yebin says, with a nod too vigorous. "My bad."

 

Most stop at this point. Friend and lover alike found her too much when she got like this, and always gave up. Yebin braces herself for it — the swift rejection, the swift ejection via pod as well, probably.

 

Instead, Sungyeon kneels before her. "Did I do something weird? I'm not good at the whole friends thing…"

 

The pilot looks at her earnestly, with a smile only marred by her brows turned upwards. Yebin blinks. "No…not really."

 

"Is it you then?" Sungyeon replays the words in her head. "I mean, it's okay if it's a you thing. But do you want to talk about it?"

 

Yebin lifts her head slowly. "You'll listen?"

 

Sungyeon smiles. "We're the only two people here and I've got ears, don't I?"

 

That night, Yebin thinks to herself, "I think I like where this is going."

 

*

 

When they catch up, the colony's docked at a nearby planet. "Should we try to dock? Is there a cloaking device or something?"

 

"Not that I've heard, but maybe you can find one in the market. I'm gonna…" Sungyeon trails off, motioning to her selfie stick. "Yeah."

 

They park farther away and while Sungyeon does her business, Yebin makes her way to the colony's jet.

 

Around it lay ships of all builds. This is a planet already well-versed in space travel, clearly, which means there has to be a parts shop somewhere. She watches the hatch to the jet open and ducks behind a stall. Thankfully Kyungwon doesn't come out of it, but rather the officer that sent her onto the moon in the first place. She's accompanied by another person in the same uniform. This one is smaller but no less formidable, with a steely gaze and a tight lip.

 

She follows them to the local market. The taller one picks up what looks like supplies; she speaks to local vendors and goes back and forth to the jet with large boxes. The shorter one on the other hand slips into an alley. Yebin follows the latter.

 

But Yebin's a stowaway civilian, while this stranger's a trained alliance soldier. The mechanic finds herself pressed against the wall as soon as she makes the turn, a fist balling up the collar of her shirt and keeping her in place.

 

"Why are you wearing an alliance uniform?"

 

There wasn't really an option what with being shot out right after training, but she doesn't think of it. "What's it to you?"

 

"Are you another deserter? Are you affiliated with Kyungwon?"

 

"What?" Yebin's eyes widen. "My sister left the colony?"

 

"You're Yebin?"

 

Someone clears their throat, interrupting the both of them. A figure in a long coat appears at the end of the alley, hidden by the shadows. "XY."

 

"Jigglypuff," the soldier replies, nodding. She turns to Yebin. "Turn around for a bit. And stay put."

 

Despite things, Yebin obeys, curious as to her sisters whereabouts. The soldier returns from what Yebin assumes to be a shady transaction with a folder in hand. "Well that was a waste of money. This is Yebin."

 

"Uh?"

 

Yebin hears a mumble behind her and jumps, staggering back. The soldier's companion looks through the folder with disdain before throwing it away. "It's okay. Hello again, Yebin. I'm Kyungwon's squadron leader, Nayoung. This is my right hand, Siyeon."

 

"Hi… Wait! Who are you and where is my sister?"

 

Siyeon retorts, "We're trying to find that out. That folder was all the information out on her."

 

"And it's a waste because of me?" The situation dawns on her. "Do I have a choice in this?"

 

"No," Siyeon hisses, but Nayoung covers .

 

"The choice is whether you want to find out where she is. I don't think it's a question."

 

As she leads the officers down the hallways of the megaship, Sungyeon's voice rings through the air. "Find that cloaking device?"

 

She looks back to Nayoung and Siyeon, grins, and motions for them to wait. "No, but I found something better!"

 

*

 

"We could have you both arrested for so many things," Siyeon muses casually.

 

"We won't," Nayoung assures them. "Your assistance waives your crimes and gives you passage on the colony."

 

Yebin and Sungyeon share a glance before the former goes into a different room to get interviewed.

 

"Name?"

 

"Kang Yebin."

 

"Age?"

 

"Twenty-one."

 

"Occupation?"

 

"Technically unemployed, but I'm the mechanic of this bad boy." She taps the walls appreciatively. "Isn't that right, 2-WON?" The speakers come to life, but remain silent. She prods again, "2-WON?"

 

The mechanical voice whirrs. "Override initiated. New designation, SWAGGY BAGGY."

 

"Excuse me?!"

 

"New operator, Queen God Emperor Majesty Genius—"

 

Nayoung sighs. "For goodness sake…"

 

"Any significant relationships?"

 

"Besides family, it wasn't my business."

 

"Not even friendships?"

 

"Yeah we kinda stuck to ourselves…pathetic, now that I think about it."

 

"Why did your sister join the alliance?"

 

"To explore the universe. To help mankind. To find out exactly what her purpose in life is, and if she's really as small as she thinks when she looks at the stars." Yebin smiles a little. "That's exactly how she puts it."

 

"Interesting. That's how she put it during her cadet interview as well."

 

"Yeah, she's weird."

 

"Weird, or rehearsed?" The two jump at the sound of Siyeon's voice over comms. "Yebin, you kind of at programming."

 

While Nayoung berates her partner once more, Yebin stops to think about it. "I don't think she rehearsed that. She only started acting strange after becoming a cadet. Did you guys do any special training exercises?"

 

"Most were on the moon… but we did have one diplomatic visit to planet FX-E a few years back."

 

"What kind of name is that…" Sungyeon says to herself, but they all hear her through the speakers.

 

"A good name!!" Siyeon yells back, causing the system to crackle.

 

FX-E is a planet not far from Earth's sun, inhabited by humananoid beings. They backed the building of the colony in exchange for peaceful relations.

 

The megaship docking would probably not do well in the name of peaceful relations.

 

"How are we supposed to get down there undetected?"

 

"Why not use the jet powered boards on the ship?" All eyes turn to Siyeon, who shrinks under the attention. "There's a deploy sequence in the code…do you not know what's onboard?"

 

"I just know what's on the museum pamphlets, buddy."

 

The four of them deploy on the boards, leaving the megaship at a safe enough distance to not be a threat. Nayoung and Siyeon ride their own, while Yebin and Sungyeon ride one together.

 

The mechanic, donned in the alliance uniform once again, keeps her hands out to stay balanced. The pilot has her arms around her, eyes shut out of fear. As they enter orbit, a surge of heat passes through them, sending tremors through their boards.

 

Sungyeon stumbles backwards and clings to Yebin even harder, nearly knocking them both off their feet. "Are we going to die?!"

 

"Hey." Carefully, Yebin turns around to face the other girl. She gives her a hand on the shoulder and the most confident smile she can muster. "I thought I was going to die not long ago too, do you know what happened?"

 

Sungyeon doesn't respond verbally, instead putting her arms over Yebin's for stability.

 

Yebin continues. "I met a girl who saved me. And I'll be damned if I don't return the favor."

 

They all crash land, but Sungyeon has less injuries than Yebin. Once again, job done.

 

*

 

FX-E is strikingly similar to Earth. Rather than relying on a sun as its main source, its warmth primarily comes from its core. The sky is just a few shades lighter than the nothingness they traveled through, speckled with the blinking dots of distant stars.

 

Nayoung and Siyeon dive into the crowds, slipping casual interrogation seamlessly within small talk.

 

Yebin keeps an eye out for her sister herself, and Sungyeon keeps her company. The pilot keeps an eye of her own out for any potential picture spots for Yewon.

 

They pass by the royal castle. Nayoung's orders were strict: do not approach the castle at any cost.

 

"That just means one thing though." Sungyeon stands with her back to the castle, walks forward a good distance and takes a shot with her phone. A bright light emits from the device, causing both of them to blink. "Oh shoot."

 

Looking back on this moment later, neither of them remembers which came first: the greenery around them disintegrating, or the sound of sirens and royal guards approaching them.

 

"Two Earth humans, huh?" The guard shakes her head and she makes sure the locks are secure before walking off. "My wife would never do this."

 

Nayoung looks at them through the bars with worry just slightly laced with disappointment. Siyeon outright glares at them.

 

"How was I supposed to know the plants here were ultra sensitive to light?

 

"I wish you listened to me. But it can't be helped." Nayoung straightens herself up, while Siyeon practically folds over herself. "Time to meet with the royal family."

 

"I thought the alliance promised peace? What is the meaning of this?"

 

The queen's shrill voice attacks their ears, while the king's deep set eyes bore into them.

 

"This is a peaceful visit," Nayoung stresses. "We are not here on alliance business."

 

"I mean, we kind of are," Yebin whispers, eliciting a smile from Sungyeon.

 

"And you two!" The queen points a finger at them. "You wear the insignia but you were not present during the summit. And neither of you have proper license and document from Earth or the colony."

 

Yebin looks to Siyeon, who keeps shut, and Nayoung, who's mouth opens and closes like a fish. "I just want to find my sister, Kang Kyungwon."

 

"Oh?"

 

The princess and the guard who brought them in speak at the same time, and the attention shifts to them.

 

"It's nice to see you again," the princess says softly, a hand on both of the alliance soldiers. Nayoung returns the smile, while Siyeon nods dumbly.

 

"Thanks for pardoning my friends, Your Highness. I promise that won't happen again."

 

"A friend of a friend is a friend of mine. I should have pardoned them as soon as you walked in, really, so I'm sorry for that." The two of them begin to protest, but she holds a hand out, silencing them. "And I told you. Just call me Kyla."

 

Meanwhile, the guard quickly undoes Yebin and Sungyeon's restraints. Apologies spill from but Yebin tunes her out after her first sentence:

 

"What a way to meet your sister-in-law, huh?"

 

*

 

The guard — Minkyung — takes Yebin to her home, while the rest are entertained by the royal family. Sungyeon tags along for moral support.

 

Minkyung is greeted at the door with a kiss, something that blindsides the lot of them. The guard returns the gesture as much as acceptable before pulling away and awkwardly clearing . "We have guests, dear."

 

"Oh?" Kyungwon beams, and her voice has never sounded so clear. Her eyes fall on her sister and it's almost amusing to Yebin how quickly the brightness shrivels up.

 

"Oh," Yebin deadpans.

 

Minkyung puts down two cups of tea and gives them the room, squeaking a final apology to Yebin for the arrest. Yebin picks up the cup closer to her and gives it a sip. "Earl grey with vanilla creamer. You told her what I like?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Of course," Yebin parrots. "She's an of course."

 

"Yebin…"

 

"Please, just help me understand." Yebin puts down the cup and scoots closer to her sister. She tries to make eye contact but Kyungwon avoids, and it breaks her heart. "Is it Mom and Dad? They would understand!"

 

"It's not them."

 

Another moment between them that lasts ages. The dots connect but Yebin can't fathom what the full picture could mean.

 

"…Me?" Yebin croaks. "Why?"

 

Kyungwon keeps her head down, shielding her eyes with her bangs. "I don't care what Mom and Dad think," she admits, "You were so proud of me for being a cadet. You told everyone your big sister was going to save everyone and become a legend. How could I let you down by giving it all up for a single person?"

 

"Oh," Yebin moans, pulling her sister into a hug. "I'm sorry I made you feel like that. I will always be proud of my big sister. Always." Lifting Kyungwon's chin up, she gives her a faux stern look. "Does this single person make you happy?"

 

Kyungwon nods, glossy eyes shimmering as she flashes a gummy smile back at her sister. "I hope you can feel the way I do when I look at her. She's home, Yebin."

 

"Then I'm glad." Yebin laughs, pinching Kyungwon's cheeks despite her own tears threatening to fall. "Glad you made it home."

 

*

 

Sungyeon has her own cup of tea, sitting in the kitchen with Minkyung. Discreetly, she leans over and peeks at the two sisters. "They're hugging it out," she gushes, only to be interrupted by loud wailing from the two of them.

 

"My wife's really intense sometimes," Minkyung comments. "Guess it runs in the family. Cute, isn't it?"

 

"It is." The admission comes easy to her, and it brings a calmness over her.

 

"You know," Minkyung continues, "I was training to be a singer when I was younger. My parents are scholars and they hated it, but I fought for it as hard as I could."

 

"Singer and royal guard are two very different things," Sungyeon points out. "How exactly…?"

 

"That big baby over there," she says, the words bubbling out of her lips like laughter. "Shows up marching into the castle for a peace summit and happens to walk by where I perform. One look at her and I knew I wanted to get to know her."

 

Sungyeon glances at the sisters once again. "Can't relate, but cute."

 

Minkyung lets out a hearty laugh. "I like you. The point is…sometimes there's a point your gut tells you to let go of everything you know because it stops making sense. Listen to your gut."

 

*

 

Sungyeon's waiting outside when Yebin returns.

 

"Where to now?"

 

Yebin's mission was as good as done. With Kyungwon a phone call or a trip away, there was no reason for her to explore. She could go to the colony, or go back to Earth, whatever she wanted.

 

But she looks at her pilot, who looks at her with a trust she's somehow earned and a warmth she's found comfort in, and can't think of a place she'd rather be. "Where else?"

 

After a quick trip to the med bay, Sungyeon poses in front of the castle — with the flash off, of course. She takes five identical shots before calling Yebin over and taking their first picture together.

 

"Second, if you count when we met."

 

"Oh quiet, you."

 

That night, Sungyeon thinks to herself, "I think I like where this is going."