Zouichi stalked through the halls, his customary weapons (plus one recent acquisition) all present and accounted for. His thoughts were whirling, refusing to settle on anything save the last recording of Punishment that he'd watched. If they were going to try and inflict that on Howard just for trying to leave and make a new home for themselves --

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded of the Daligig gathered in the chamber. It didn't matter which one of them answered him so long as he got an answer. He and Howard had said their goodbyes. Howard wasn't supposed to be back here. He was supposed to be free from this. Free to start a new life, or what passed for one now that almost everyone in his reality was dead and gone.

"You're going to vivisect a couple of teenagers for not wanting to take part in your damn war? What happened to the truce terms? How many laws did you break to yank them off that planet? What the hell does it matter to you if two kids from out in the middle of nowhere tag along on your little crusade? They're not soldiers! They're not even trained combatants!"

[Chances are they'll pretty much have to severely injure Z to get him to watch the Punishment.]