Last night there was a brilliant white flash in the eastern sky. Observatories around the world recorded this major astronomical event which took place in the region of the Magellan Galaxy. It is believed to be an explosion of cataclysmic proportions, but what was widely reported as the birth of a star was, in fact, the destruction of a world.

"It is the unanimous decision of this tribunal that you have all been found guilty of High Crimes against the Federation, and as such, are subject to sentencing under the Outcast Act. It is the ruling of this chamber that you and your families shall be banished for life from this world, and will be transported to Devil's Planet where you shall live until the end of your natural days. It is only the Life Decree, passed earlier this month by the Council, that prevents the Federation from doing to you what you have done to countless others. The savage barbarism you have displayed, and the heinous acts perpetrated against our people, cannot truly be balanced by any sentence that we may pass. But let it be known that the dark memory of your vile deeds shall far outlive all of you."

And with these words a dark chapter in the people's history drew to a close. Sixty-three men and women, enemies of the state, along with their families, were to be sent to a harsh, inhospitable new world, never to return. It had been a difficult decision, especially concerning the women and children, but one that had to be made. It would do no good for future generations to grow up hating the state and continuing this senseless round of violence. And so the Outcast Act was created, and all these people knew was that they were bound for some godforsaken world known only as . . . Devil's Planet



It was the year 2027. The war was over, and the radioactive dust had all but settled, but now the world was in the throes of a nuclear winter, the result of a brief but devastating encounter between the superpowers. It had taken all of forty minutes to wipe out 1/3 of the world's population, and now another third was in imminent danger of dying from starvation and disease. 
And it was against this backdrop of human misery that the trial was set.






"I am standing outside the World Federation Council in the Eastern Sector. It is another bitterly cold day here in the Decontaminated Zone. The winds have picked up again, and the sun, which made a rare appearance earlier in the day, is now completely obscured by a dark, heavy haze. For reasons of security there are no windows in the Federation's twin towers, and it is only the occasional rooftop arrival or departure of a jetcopter that gives any indication of activity within. Inside, lawyers are preparing their cases for the trial, set to begin next week. Sixty-three men and women, including senior government and military officials, are charged with High Crimes against the Federation, for having initiated the nuclear exchange. But unlike previous war tribunals, the sheer scope of these killings has no precedent in any court of law. No matter what the verdict, however, one thing is already certain. None of the accused will be executed. Yesterday, in a landmark decision, the Supreme Council struck down the death penalty forever. In its place they created the Outcast Act, which provides for the banishment of convicted war criminals from the planet. This all follows an emotional plea from the Chairman of the Federation in which he called on its members to find a permanent solution to the violence. Here is an excerpt from that speech:" 

"The world is passing through its darkest days. The horrors of war, the ravages of disease, and the human suffering we have all witnessed shall be indelibly marked in our minds. We must break this chain of violence that has brought us to the brink of extinction. The killing must stop. I call on all of you to search your souls, search deeply and try to find a little compassion."
The Life Decree, as that decision is known, went into effect today . .