Mari Akutsu and her twin sister, Alani, were raised in a well off family. Their parents were immigrants but have struggled hard to live a middle class lifestyle. Their father, Haruki, always dreamed about opening up a traditional Asian restaurant. He believed in a more traditional lifestyle and tried his best to teach Japanese culture to his daughters. Alani took to it easily enough but Mari rebelled against it. Usually, the girls’ mother would try her best to mediate but as she put it, 'Mari-Chan inherited Haruki-san's persistence.' Even though their mother took on a neutral role, Mari was convinced that she was always on Haruki's side. The only person Mari trusted was Alani. She often told her sister that one day; they would escape from their old-fashioned father and head into space. They would find another planet and be able to do whatever they wanted. Alani didn't share Mari's dream but she remained supportive.
As the two girls grew older, the differences between them became more evident. Alani was the good girl whom attended school, spoke softly, and was always respectful. Mari was the black sheep who got into fights, smoked cigarettes, spoke her mind, dyed her hair and hated everything her father held sacred. The situation only worsened when their mother passed away. Alani tried her best to subtly guide Mari away from detrimental influences such as illegal drugs and sex. Alani also tried to get her involved in the community. Although Mari didn't always enjoy being led around, she put up with it for her sister's sake. One such example was when Alani tried to convince Mari to put all of her energy into music. Mari agreed to it and took up the electric guitar much to Haruki's dismay. After several months of hard rock ballads and sleepless nights, Haruki finally snapped and threw out the instrument along with anything associated with it.
The final straw happened when Mari and Alani turned 21. Alani had become the manager of the family restaurant. Haruki was retiring and he felt at ease knowing Alani was in charge. However, Mari stumbled upon the deed for the restaurant and realized that it was shared between both Mari and Alani. Mari wasn't sure if their mother or Alani insisted on it but she was going to take advantage of it. Mari confronted Alani and tried to convince her sister to sell the restaurant. Mari felt she could use the money to buy a ship. Alani didn't want to sell but she pretended to consider the offer. This might as well have been a confirmation for Mari. She found a buyer on her own and tried to get Alani to signing the paperwork.
Naturally, Alani was unsure of how to handle this situation. She wanted to support Mari but couldn't bring herself to sell the restaurant. Eventually, Alani decided to tell Haruki about the situation. When he found out, he lost what little patience he had left. Haruki struck Mari across her face. Mari returned the favor by punching her father. The two traded blows and curses while a teary eyed Alani begged them to stop. However, Haruki managed to toss her out of their house with what little possessions she had. He said that she was no longer a part of the family. When Mari learned that Alani didn't want to sell and worse went to their father, she felt betrayed. Alani tried to apologize for the way things turned out but Mari refused to listen.
Mari managed to find a homeless shelter to stay at. She stuck out like a sore thumb so it was easy for Alani to find her the next day. Alani once again tried to reconcile with her sister. However, Mari ignored her. In a final attempt to make amends, she presented Mari with a check. It was revenue from the restaurant. Alani was saving it for major renovations and expansions. It wasn't enough to buy a ship, but was more than enough to live off of for awhile. Mari took the check before commenting, "...it'll be some time before I can call you my sister again...but...I don't hate you." Alani wanted to continue their discussion, but Mari left before she had a chance.
Despite her sister's kindness, Mari refused to use her funds to get off the planet. Instead, she used them to pay for flying lessons. Although she learned a great deal about flying, she was expelled for trying to summersault through an open hanger. Although she performed the move successfully, she wound up breaking the landing system on her craft forcing it to crash on the runway. Since then, Mari has proclaimed herself as a freelance pilot and gotten work wherever possible. Despite her reckless behavior, she has a knack for staying focused in dangerous situations and surviving against all odds. Although there are likely better pilots then Mari, but there are few with her sense of adventure and skills...whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
Mari Akutsu and her twin sister, Alani, were raised in a well off family. Their parents were immigrants but have struggled hard to live a middle class lifestyle. Their father, Haruki, always dreamed about opening up a traditional Asian restaurant. He believed in a more traditional lifestyle and tried his best to teach Japanese culture to his daughters. Alani took to it easily enough but Mari rebelled against it. Usually, the girls’ mother would try her best to mediate but as she put it, 'Mari-Chan inherited Haruki-san's persistence.' Even though their mother took on a neutral role, Mari was convinced that she was always on Haruki's side. The only person Mari trusted was Alani. She often told her sister that one day; they would escape from their old-fashioned father and head into space. They would find another planet and be able to do whatever they wanted. Alani didn't share Mari's dream but she remained supportive. 
