Phoenix Feathers, Part I

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Joss is boss, I just borrow his brilliance and try it on for a little while. It's fuzzy and warm.

***

“Please.”

The word was barely audible, and might have been imagined by the listener. But then, a second later, it was repeated.

“Please…”

It took a few moments for the room’s other occupant to realize that he had spoken. His unseeing eyes stared blankly at the walls, at his interrogator, at nothing at all. Gradually, the room came into focus.

It was sparsely furnished, with two chairs situated on opposite sides of a metal table. Harshly lit and spotlessly clean, the room was the epitome of an Alliance medical facility. Indeed, if it were not for the way the speaker’s hands were handcuffed to the arms of his chair and for the bolts on the bottom of his chair, the room might have passed for part of one. Which it was, in a manner of speaking.

***

The Union of Allied Planets had been born from high ideals, and was committed to bettering humanity and improving society. The Inner Planets, such as Sihnon and Londinium, were the first to be assimilated, and were shining examples of the technological and social advancements brought by the Alliance’s benevolent guidance. On the fringes of the planetary system, however, life was chaotic and unfriendly.

When the Alliance sought to bring order and stability to those backwater planets, it was forcefully opposed by those who called themselves Browncoats. Though little more than a ragtag militia, the Browncoats put up a surprisingly strong resistance, killing many of the Alliance’s peacekeepers. The stubborn defiance of the Browncoats caused a raging interplanetary conflict that threatened to destabilize the Alliance and caused damage that ultimately could prove to be irreparable.

The Alliance, though victorious, was changed by the war. Its governing body, the Parliament, had a new doctrine: to enforce peace amongst the stars by any means necessary. This led to a very visible military