Her name was Princess Paeosfu, daughter of the Fourth Ruler of Tayavon and one of the current charges of the Third. Practically immortal, she had witnessed the same battle one too many times and wished for change. She had joined the rebel forces as the informant of the government's operations. Trust was hard to receive in the heart of the rebels, but she managed to gain a few allies and convinced them she was all for their cause.

 

Explaining the current predicament would prove harder than she liked. The princess, now lying on the ground outside the facility torn inside out, breathed heavy breaths. Her bike was nowhere in sight, and she assumed it had been buried along with the other rebels. She cursed quietly in her head. Dragging herself to base was a long journey. 

 

Paeosfu rolled onto her back and stared up at the Milky Moon. 

At least they saved the civilians. If she were to be recovered by the Tayan rebels, she could walk back to the rebel camp and could declare their main objective had been completed with no civilian casualties. 

 

She smiled easily with the thought on her mind. Anguished screams jerked her from the bliss. Many rebels remained helplessly trapped on the uprooted construction project. She couldn’t possibly leave them be.

 

The rebel princess dug through the rubble, crawled around, and dug again for the yēoño, a staff whose powers grew in strength based on the wielder’s mental capacity. This version of the weapon warped and collapsed the pipes upon the soldiers. She had seen many discarded when the rebels fought the Fifth kingdom’s soldiers. 

If she could find one, then even with her legs—Paeosfu’s small fingers scraped against a pale purple surface that was cool to the touch. With a smile growing on her bleeding mouth, she flattened her lower half to null the physical pain as she focused her energy in unearthing the yēoñogou—a yēoño with four dial orbs.  As if the device could suddenly fall apart if she lifted it too aggressively, Paeosfu wrapped her fingers around the device and allowed it to slowly roll into the palm of her dirtied hands. Grasping it with renewed determination, she dragged herself toward the pipes.

 

"Here. Let me do it," a familiar voice offered, causing the princess to flinch from surprise. She shifted to lay on her side and looked up to see Roskavna holding out her green hand. The Tayan too had deep purple eyes, but her skin varied from a light green to a rich brown. Her blonde hair, ending just above her knees, was tied back in a ponytail. Used to seeing it shimmering in the Milky Moon’s light, Paeosfu noticed it was dirtied from battle. Her towering height wasn’t the only thing that set her apart from many Tayans. Her right ear had undergone a cybernetic enhancement. Whether her ear was originally damaged or Roskavna simply opted for an upgrade was left a mystery.

 

Roskavna grabbed the yēoñogou from Paeosfu's hands and limped ahead. The Tayan uttered, "By the time you get there, they'd be dead."

 

Roskavna was the first rebel officer to accept Princess Paeosfu within their ranks. She used to work in the gardens inspecting the imports and exports and helping to ensure their planet brought in no incompatible species. The work was brutal and often rewarded unjustly. When the opportunity to join the rebels arose, she didn't hesitate.