“I used to play with instruments when I was still blind as a child. It gave me comfort in the dark.”

Rebecca Krauthammer was born blind in Aberdeen, Idaho, where she found solace in music, mastering guitar and piano from an early age. Thanks to her family’s savings and charity grants, she received synthetic eyes as a teenager, opening her world to sight for the first time.

As her hometown grew more industrial and divided, Rebecca stood with marginalized communities against rising prejudice — an early sign of her empathy and moral courage. Despite talent, her musical career faltered, leaving her with itinerant jobs and only a handful of lasting friendships.

By chance, she found work at a spacecraft mechanic shop, which eventually led her to Nova Zion, a satellite nation known for safety and opportunity. There, her musical gifts unexpectedly set her apart: Nova Zion sought pilots with artistic sensibilities, recruiting her into its elite cadre of “Campaigners” — symphony fighter pilots who blend music and combat.