Chapter 1: Footfalls (Act III) -- Part 1

The story starts at Chapter 1: Act I.

The thick oak doors swung open smoothly, but heavy, coming to rest with a resounding thud on either side of the doorway. The bright sunlight invaded the dark wooden sanctuary, chasing away every shadow except the three silhouettes that stumbled through.

Two of the forms were broad and tall, while the third was slight and struggling. With a grunted heave, the slight form was thrown to the polished floor, skidding until coming to a rest against the back of a wooden pew. A stream of curses from the young man echoed unfamiliar in the rafters. It was silenced and replaced with the hum of an Alliance pistol being charged and pointed at him.

"How DARE you enter this house of God with that weapon," a voiced thundered from the back of the hall. "Is a 14 year old boy such a threat to you?"

The church doors closed, revealing the broad form of an Alliance officer carrying a silver case. He walked past the second man armed with the pistol and stepped over the boy. "Not normally, but a 14 year old armed with a rifle of this caliber requires... special attention." The officer lay the case one one of the benches, snapped it open, and pulled out the barrel of the rifle.

"It looks like an XJ-9000 sniper rifle. Very rare, quite deadly, and completely illegal in Alliance colonies." The officer peered down the barrel of the rifle with an expert eye. "I haven't seen one of these since the war with the confederates, so I wonder what a preacher like yourself is doing with such a piece of deadly equipment. Will I find confederate outlaws hiding in your confessionals?"

Before the preacher could respond, bitter, choked laughter filled the room. The Alliance officer could see a panicked look in the preacher's eyes; he turned on his heel and headed back to the man holding the pistol. A new pair of eyes peered at him from behind the pew as the young man struggled to his feet.

"I guess just about anyone can be an Alliance officer nowadays," the young man spat. "Who did you kill to get your badges? It couldn't have been because of your eye for weaponry; people as ugly as you should be digging trenches, not commanding troops."

"Quiet boy," hissed the preacher, who tried to reach past the officer. "You'll get us both killed this day." The officer snatched the holy man's arm, yanked him off-balance, and shoved him back into the pews. The boy flinched, but he never took his eyes off the Alliance officer moving towards him.

*more to come*