Asta

A fiercely inquisitive and energetic young girl. She is the Lead Researcher of the space station Herta.

Whether it is managing opinionated staff, or courteously but firmly responding to the Intelligentsia Guild's devious demands, Asta handles it all effortlessly.

After all... commanding a space station is much easier than taking over the family business!

Back when she was still a child but was already picking out her own telescopes, Asta would always hear the faint murmurings of elders praising her. She was quite proud of this, because she could discern the quality of a telescope's primary mirror and autoguider with a mere glance.

It wasn't until she drew within earshot one day that she learned they were actually tutting and tsking at her — how could such a little girl manage to pick out such expensive items?

Personal hobbies don't exist in the eyes of these people. All they chose to see is a pampered little princess.

"You like stars? Oh, I get it. You're a little girl. You all like sparkly things."

"Yes... I'm researching protostars at the moment. I hope to name the stars I discover after myself... Just like those famous astronomers of old."

"Is that all? Shall we name this planet after you for your next birthday? How about two planets? Those are actually quite cheap."

"Hey, where are you going, Asta? Asta!!!"

She knows that it doesn't matter whether she and her mother are reliable volunteers. People just want to see them here. That's all.

After apportioning the food, the people disperse one by one, leaving behind a little boy. His right hand is wounded, and his eyes are like that of a wolf as he stares at her in a way she doesn't like.

"Are you going to ask me to borrow money?"

"I don't want any money. I have to pay back the cost of this meal, but I don't have any money on me."

Occasionally, "friends" she never recognizes would come and ask if they could borrow money from Asta. However, it's the first time she actually heard someone offer to pay her back. Her eyes widen in surprise. Listening in, her mother can't help but laugh.

"You're still a kid. What kind of work can you do?"

"Fight."

"That's not a good job. How about this — I'll give you a job."

To this day, in Asta's heart, the bill for Arlan's meal was settled the moment he said that he'd pay her back.

"The stars follow their own orbits, but what about humans... Can we humans ever hope to control our own destiny?"

A wealthy family background grants Asta the power to explore the stars, but also become her personal shackles.

As she grows older, Asta's vow to become an astronomer was viewed as increasingly radical by her family. She begins to lose count of how many times she'd argue during family meetings about this very thing.

Until one day, after a family meeting, a puppet girl walks in, and one of the family members who were so domineering a moment ago suddenly changes into a yes-man.

"That's the girl."

"But she'd..."

"No buts. I didn't come all this way to listen to your garbage academic reports. I'd rather listen to this girl debate with you."

"I want to see her on the space station within three days."

And with that, the puppet girl walks straight out without looking back.

After becoming the Lead Researcher of the Herta space station, Asta's life is now busier than ever before. She has to manage the researchers and their differing opinions, reply to the numerous correspondence meant for Herta, constantly negotiate with the IPC, and procure equipment from various different sources... But at the same time, she's experiencing the greatest freedom she'd ever known...

"Deploy the Nyul Iman telescope in the second equipment bay. Set it to 100× astronomical units, and begin observation of the pre-nebula core in front of us."

"Pay close attention to particle density. If you discover any super-dense structures, commence recording of the protostar fragmentation process at once."

In her spare time, Asta would sometimes consider how Madam Herta never seems to come around anymore after Asta arrived at the space station. She even made inquiries, but was told, "If there's no interesting new stuff, I won't bother coming in."

"...I'd rather listen to this girl debate with you."

She thought back to the words Herta had casually told her family on that day long age.

The Herta of her memories seems to stand out amongst resplendent starlight, giving her the power to control the starry sky — and her own destiny.