Chenli Star.
The planet's surface was covered in gravel, and it was named for the Chensha it produced in abundance.
It was an abandoned mining planet in the Galactic Alliance. After a century of extraction, most of its mineral deposits had been depleted, and the mining companies had all withdrawn.
Nowadays, only one Chensha mine was still operating on the planet. But its output was so low that transport ships came only once every few months to haul away the minerals and deliver supplies.
Wind and Sand Town stood in a barren wilderness of brown gravel.
It was the last mining town. It had once been prosperous, with more than ten thousand miners at its peak, but now the mines lay abandoned and the workers had left. Fewer than a hundred people lived in the run-down town.
It was early spring, but only a thin layer of moss covered the wilderness, and not a hint of life could be seen.
A gust of wind swept up sand and dust and drove it toward the town. It set the windmill atop the old brick-and-stone city wall spinning wildly, making it creak and squeak.
Inside the town stood an old-fashioned little courtyard.
It was small, with only five rooms, a gatehouse, and a woodshed. The courtyard itself was level, its ground paved with gravel.
A woman dressed in green was practicing her punches in the courtyard.
Her movements were not fast, but every punch set the air trembling and occasionally produced a muffled boom. Sweat ran down from her temples, yet she seemed not to notice, completely immersed in her boxing.
Even when the wind and sand blew in, she did not stop. A ring of Qi Force was clearly visible around her, keeping the wind and sand at bay.
Beneath an