11:15, February 23, 2295

  Training Yard 40, Rooftop, Stardust Command, 1901 Patriot Way, Evanston, IL 60201, Terra Alliance territory

  Xin's grip on the black training-purpose 10mm Magnum remained tight as the arctic bite clawed at his exposed skin. High above the world, he stood atop the skyscraper, where the snow turned to icy needles that lashed out with every gust of wind.

  "Damn it," Xin muttered under his breath, his green hoodie drawn tight with a yellow jacket on top, a futile shield against the cold. Each pull of the trigger sent another bullet dancing off-course, mocking his efforts. His fingers, numb and disobedient, refused to steady the gun.

  "Try again," Lorna stood beside him, watching his every move with sapphire eyes sharp enough to cut through the swirling blizzard. Unlike Xin, she seemed immune to the cold in just a blue turtleneck, her golden hair whipping around her face.

  "If I may ask," he called out over the howl of the wind, "why outside?"

  "The air's cleaner out here." Lorna's lips curved into a wry smile. "Manny tells me you might be Void-attuned. Interesting."

  "He says it was just a joke," Xin replied, frustration painting his tone as another shot missed wildly.

  "Maybe. Maybe not." She stepped closer, her eyes tracking the flight path of his latest bullet. "See that flag over there? It's telling you everything you need to know."

  Xin squinted toward a small Alliance flag, its fabric snapping violently in the crosswind. "The wind?"

  "Exactly. Watch how it moves." She pointed to the distant targets – human-shaped silhouettes lined up against the backdrop of Chicago's skyline. "Wind's blowing left to right across our front, about fifteen miles per hour. At this distance, you need to aim about four inches into the wind."

  "You mean to the left of the target?"

  "Yeah. Bullet gets pushed by the wind as it travels. The further away, the more it drifts." She demonstrated the offset with her hands. "At double this distance, you'd need twice the adjustment."

  Xin tried to absorb this new information, fighting against the numbing cold. "But how do you know how much to adjust?"

  "Experience. Watch your misses, then correct." Lorna stepped behind him. "Get a feel for it. Most shooters overthink."

  Xin nodded, raised the pistol again, and focused on the flag's movement. He aimed slightly left of the center target and squeezed the trigger.

  The bullet struck the target's shoulder – not center mass, but closer than his previous attempts.

  "Better!" Lorna's approval warmed him more than any jacket could. "Now, there's your breathing too. You're fighting it. When you exhale, there's a natural pause before your next breath. That's your window."

  "I'm supposed to shoot between breaths?"

  "Half-exhale, pause, squeeze." Her voice lowered. "Slow down. This isn't a race."

  Xin tried again, forcing himself to focus on his breathing pattern. Inhale... exhale halfway... hold... squeeze. The shot punched through the target's chest.

  "See? You've got it." Lorna's smile was brief but genuine. "Now the hard part. Moving targets."

  With a tap on her Quantum Watch, the targets began sliding laterally across the range at varying speeds.

  "Buddha," Xin muttered.

  "Remember what I said about the wind? Same principle applies to movement." Lorna pointed to a target moving right to left. "Lead them. If they're moving across your front, aim ahead of them in the direction they're coming from. They'll walk right into your shot."

  "How far ahead?"

  "Depends on speed and distance. At a hundred meters with a target moving like that one—" she indicated a moderate-speed target, "—aim about one body-width ahead of them."

  Xin's first shot at the moving target missed entirely.

  "Too far ahead," Lorna commented. "And you tensed up. Relax your shoulders."

  Three more attempts yielded a single hit on the target's arm. Xin's frustration mounted as the cold penetrated deeper into his bones.

  "I noticed that you're not wearing your trench coat today," Xin grumbled, glancing at her with bewilderment. "Aren't you cold?"

  Lorna merely raised an eyebrow. "My coat's for protection on missions. I grew up in Osl —" she paused, correcting herself. "— on Osram. This is like spring break compared to lunar winters."

  "You don't seem like someone who grew up on Osram, though." Xin muttered, trying to imagine the harsh, desolate landscape of the Moon. "It seems rare that the Moon could produce someone so — outgoing?"

  "Moved to Earth when I was eleven. Long story," Lorna replied as she gazed off at the distant targets.

  "Right. That explains things," Xin lined up another shot, the target swaying mockingly in the distance. His finger tightened on the trigger — another miss.

  The frustration coiled within him. His hands were growing numb despite the thin tactical gloves he wore. The cold had seeped into his muscles, making precise movements increasingly difficult.

  "Are you tired? Need some pointers?" Lorna offered, taking a step closer.

  "No, it's fine," His response was swift, tinged with stubborn pride. "Got to get this on my own—"

  Lorna strode toward him, her movements purposeful. Her hands, paradoxically warm and firm, grasped the edges of his hood and drew it back with a confident tug. Exposed now, he felt the frigid air lash against his face, but Lorna's touch on his cheeks kept him tethered to the moment.

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  "Here's the deal," she began, her melodic mezzo-soprano voice carrying through the air. Her deep blue eyes held his gaze amidst the falling snowflakes, each one clinging to her golden hair like tiny crystals. "Do well today, and I'll take you out for drinks later. And afterwards," she paused, a corner of her mouth lifting in a half-smirk, "something hot."

  Xin's heart pounded, racing along with his thoughts. His imagination conjured images as heated as the promise in her voice.

  Then, her hands left his cheeks, but the fire they had kindled remained.

  "Let's go over it again," She moved behind him, her fingers ghosting over his arms to adjust his stance. "Elbow tighter to your body," she instructed, her touch igniting trails of warmth down his spine. "Breathe in sync with your aim, let it out slowly when you squeeze the trigger."

  Those were the same words that Lorna had spoken earlier, but now they carried new weight. It wasn't a lack of understanding that had hampered him, but a lack of motivation. Xin knew he wasn't a saint. He had freed Ume for her benefit, yes, but also for his own. He craved acceptance, and Ume's rejection had planted doubts that perhaps he was only valuable when certain conditions were met.

  "Hey, are you still listening?" Lorna asked, snapping him back to reality. "The cold hasn't frozen your ears, has it?" She tilted her head slightly to look at him better.

  "Yeah. I am," Xin replied, pulled back to reality. His cheeks flushed with heat despite the cold wind. He could feel the curves of her figure through their layers of clothing – a tempting map pressed against his back.

  "Now, keep it steady," Lorna murmured, her breath a silky caress against his ear. "Imagine the target is the only thing in your world. When it moves left to right, follow it smoothly, not in jerks."

  She guided his arms through the proper tracking motion. "Squeeze during the follow-through, not before or after."

  "Alright," Xin replied, voice steadier than he felt. With her guidance, the gun felt less like a foreign object and more like an extension of his own will.

  "Good," she breathed, satisfaction lacing her tone. "Now show me what you've got."

  Xin exhaled slowly, the world shrinking to the pinprick of a target in the distance. His finger found the curve of the trigger, a dance of delicate pressure. And this time, when he fired, he knew even before the sound echoed off the towering skyscrapers — he had hit his mark.

  "Yes! You're getting it now," Lorna cheered. "Keep it coming."

  And once more, with each precise squeeze of the trigger, Xin's shots tore through the frigid air, finding their mark. The cold no longer bit at his skin; his blood coursed with a fervor kindled by the proximate flame of Lorna's presence.

  In the distance, a figure draped in a white winter coat approached. The elderly man stood there, with age lining his pale face, but each wrinkle seemed etched with purpose.

  "Shooting with precision despite the frozen fingers," the elder remarked, his voice calm. "Impressive display."

  Lorna's stance softened ever so slightly. "Director Otis. Didn't expect you before noon."

  "Concern leads us to odd hours, doesn't it?" Otis quipped, his attention fixed on Lorna, the furrow of his brow belying the levity of his tone. "You should be resting today, Lorna. That scar on your face has yet to heal."

  "Extended day-offs don't suit me," she retorted, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Besides, there's work to be done."

  "Very well, but remember to take breaks," Otis now looked at Xin. "The data you've brought to us is appreciated, Mr. Wu. But there are jobs with better pay and less danger in Alliance lands."

  "Sir. SIMU is where I want to be. Just signed a lease for an apartment south of Chicago, too," Xin replied, his breath forming a cloud before him.

  "Is it now?" Otis's hand, cold and firm, found its place on Xin's shoulder in a gesture that belied the solemnity of the moment. "This will only take a moment."

  "Psionic scrying, I bet. The Director likes to do that," Lorna said casually as she placed one hand on her waist.

  "Vacuus, aspectus Infinitatis," With a voice low and resonant, Otis recited an incantation, his fingers tracing patterns of verdant psionic energy that seemed to draw heat from Xin's skin. "Futurum revela."

  Xin felt each syllable vibrate through his bones. As the final word lingered, a shiver raced down his spine. Otis's eyes, deep silver gray wells, widened. Yet, his posture remained stoic.

  "Seeing anything in there, sir?" Xin ventured, curiosity gnawing at him.

  "Some truths are too weighty for young shoulders," Otis intoned cryptically, releasing Xin from his grasp. "But in a way, you will be fine."

  "Xin's different from the other Imperials; I'll give him that," Lorna smirked as she tilted her head.

  Otis's gaze shifted between them. He nodded once, slowly. "Continue his training, Lorna."

  "You bet I will," she replied, nodding with confidence.

  "You have one month — a probationary period, if you will — to prove your mettle." Otis turned to him now, his voice carrying gravity. "Diego has decoded the Moondust Crystal's data and stored it on his StarWhale. Join the team as they chart a course for Osram."

  "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best," Xin said, the words hardly enough to encapsulate the swell of pride within him. He extended his hand, but Otis merely nodded, leaving the gesture hanging.

  "We will speak again." With those parting words, Otis turned, his figure retreating into the swirling snow, leaving Xin puzzled as he lowered his hand.

  "Don't worry about Director Otis. He's like that with everyone," Lorna said, stepping closer. Her presence was a warmth against the icy chill.

  "Well, guess it's time to practice some more—" Xin began, his eyes fixed on Lorna's ivory countenance, her form looming near as she walked.

  Then suddenly, warmth enveloped him — an unexpected cocoon in this tundra atop the world.

  Lorna's arms wrapped around him, and her hair, a golden cascade, brushed against his cheeks, filling his senses with the essence of sunlight captured in her strands. She looked away, eyes on the horizon, exuding strength and vulnerability in equal measure.

  "You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Lorna's voice vibrated against his ear, her breath warm, a contrast to the chill that had seeped into his bones. "Coming from a world where people can't speak their minds. Always on edge."

  Xin's pulse quickened, each beat a drumline echoing through the hollows of his chest. Her closeness was intoxicating, and he found himself melting into her embrace, their bodies pressed together like interlocking puzzle pieces. The scent of lavender emanated from her, etching this moment into his memory .

  "I guess...yeah," Xin admitted in a hushed voice, barely audible over the whistling wind but still heard by Lorna. He noticed that the 10mm Magnum he had been holding was now gone, but he couldn't remember where or how it had disappeared. Hesitantly, he explored Lorna's waist with his palms, feeling her strong yet gentle body.

  For a moment, the world stood still, the only movement being the dance of snowflakes around them. Time seemed to stretch infinitely as Xin savored the tranquility that settled over him.

  "Feels good, doesn't it?" Lorna mused, her lilt weaving through the words as she leaned back just enough to study him, her sapphire eyes reflecting a sky kissed with noon sun, the radiance of her ivory countenance undiminished by the scar on her left cheek. "Like for once, all the noise just shuts the hell up."

  "Yes," Xin breathed, holding Lorna close and looking up at her. "It feels so...wow." His hands rested on her back, afraid to let go and break this moment.

  Lorna let out a soft giggle, her gentle breath warming Xin's ear as her fingertips grazed the cool metal of his Quantum Watch. The green interface sparked to life under her deft movements, holographic keys beaming into existence with each tap.

  "So, this is where me and my besties go for drinks and — fun," she murmured, her touch making his pulse quicken. The text 'The Quantum Pour, 1820 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201' shimmered into view on the verdant holographic display. "See you there at 9pm?"

  "Yeah, sure thing!" Excited, his gaze locked onto hers one more time, her azure eyes piercing the veil of snowflakes that fluttered between them like ash from a long-forgotten fire. With a playful wink, she stepped back, relinquishing her hold on him.

  "We'll see who can handle their liquor," she teased with a sly smile before turning away and pacing towards the stairs on the other side of the rooftop.

  Xin stood motionless, watching Lorna's figure diminish. Each step she took imprinted itself upon the pristine blanket of white. The wind tousled her golden strands, now unrestrained, casting them about her in a halo of mischievous beauty.

  "If Buddha's a lady, is that what she'd look like?" Xin whispered into the wind, the words carried away before they could reach any ears but his own. A tempest raced within the cage of his ribs, spurred on by the promise of what was to come.

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