It stormed the next morning, leaving a muggy gray blanket of clouds.

Lily and Daddy ate a hastened breakfast, served by domestic robots. A squadron of troopers and drivers arrived soon after, and accompanied them to Polneitenzal.

The tiled entrance corridor stretched on forever. Daddy's footsteps matched time with her own against the barren marble floor.

Her breath quickened. It was time to face the worst.

The hearing chamber consumed all warmth in its vastness. The council, the chairman, and the remote attendees watched her with morose anticipation.

Hir Thulsbek loomed in his flowing black trench coat, resting one imperious hand upon the desk.

A young man and a boy waited in restraints at the end of the row—Clarence and Ben.

Fru Haeveka was nowhere to be seen, though Daddy's warden slouched nearby.

The harsh strike of the chairman's gavel echoed. "The session resumes now."

Hir Thulsbek took charge. "Esteemed Chairman, ladies and gentlemen of the council, we've captured two more of the offenders. Some of their comrades have eluded us, but the search continues."

"Very good," said the chairman. "You may begin the interrogation."

They called Ben first.

He still wore his medic uniform, though he was missing the mask and cap. His tousled hair suggested he'd been through a struggle, or a strong wind. Regardless, his aquiline profile was proud.

"Civilian, state your full name and age," Hir Thulsbek said.

"Benjamin Edmund Keene. Twenty-eight years old."

"And your profession?"

"Medic." Ben's words were terse, bordering on insolence.

"I've been told that you're Pruessian. Are you not Venyamin Schnegiryov, born in Knultenstad province?"

"Yes, sir."

The room was silent.

"Your parents were killed in an accident, twenty years ago," Hir Thulsbek said. "Is this correct?"

"It wasn't an accident."

Hir Thulsbek gasped, in mock surprise. "It wasn't, and I believe you know why."

"My family was defecting to the space colonies, and our shuttle was shot down by our own countrymen. It was an assassination, ordered by Hir Kaezer himself, then reported as an accident to the public."

Hir Thulsbek clucked his tongue, and shook his head. "What a shameful lie. A pity you've only been told what those swine in the colonies want you to hear."

Ben clenched his fists, but remained silent.

"Your parents, specifically your mother, were known dissidents. Your mother was a talented artist, who designed many popular images for the great leader. I always wondered why she turned against us, as she had much potential. She published a series of treasonous media. When ordered to appear before the council, she fled to the colonies instead. At least, she tried. You know the laws and punishments as well as any of us, Hir Schnegiryov."

"Please address me as Mr. Keene, my proper name," Ben said. "My birth parents raised me with true Pruessian values. Not the slavery of the Kaezer, nor the prejudices of those who rule the colonies. It's all madness, and it's time to end it."

"You confess so easily? Such a cooperative personality may help you, when you face the great leader. He'll decide your fate, not I." Hir Thulsbek ended the interrogation with a flick of his fingers.

The drivers pulled Ben away.

"Sprestok Fairpoole," the chairman said.

Clarence shuffled forward, staring at the floor.

"State your full name and age," said Hir Thulsbek, yawning as he checked his pocket watch.

"Clarence August Fairpoole. Ten years old." He peered over his shoulder at Lily.

She winked, and blew him a kiss.

He looked a lot like Daddy at that moment, tall for his age, and with the same charming, exuberant smile.

The chairman pounded his gavel, and scolded them for violating the rules.

"Sprestok, you're under suspicion of treason," said Hir Thulsbek. "Do you know what this means?"

"Yes, sir," Clarence said. "It means I believe in freedom for everyone on Earth, and the people in the colonies, too."

Hir Thulsbek chuckled. "Ah, the words of a child. So pure and fearless, yet still they can be misguided. I've often wondered why the resistance continues. Let's hear it now, from the perspective of innocence. Why do your people fight us?"

Clarence met Hir Thulsbek's gaze with conviction. "It's just how things are. I like the way my mother explained it. She said that we're all a family, the family of Earth. Sometimes, families fight. But everyone's connected to each other, no matter what."

"You already have a family. Hir Kaezer is your father. And you may think of me as, say, your uncle. You're an honest boy, I see this. So, tell me the truth. Do you believe as these radical traitors do, in the overthrow of your new family, and an alliance with the colonies?"

Clarence's voice was clear and unashamed. "I do."

It was enough. A confession was easily obtained from each of them. There was no reason to hide anymore.

Barely an hour was needed for the verdict. Everyone was found guilty, on all counts. The case had been appealed to Pruessia, by several officers, and they were to leave for Moskloberg immediately. A congress with Hir Kaezer awaited them there.

Only the most severe offenses were sent to the homeland. Lily remembered the live boxing matches, the great leader breaking the jaws and ribs of his detractors, and wondered how far this would go.

An armed squadron locked them into the hold of a transport van.

"I wish this was a better introduction to my homeland," Ben said, with a sarcastic edge. "Pruessia is beautiful in the spring, though terribly misled in most other ways."

Daddy chuckled. "I'm sure it's a lovely place, filled with happy, smiling civilians like me."

Ben watched the robots on guard. They didn't respond to the laughter.

A moment later, he leaned toward Lily. "Listen. We have a plan, and you can help. Are you in?"

She nodded.

"I stole a few things from the infirmary before my arrest," he whispered. "Look down, in my hand."

He opened his palm slightly, revealing a glimpse of a small, red pill.

"It'll make you sick for about thirty minutes, and provide a distraction for us. Swallow it. If you choose not to, I understand."

She dreaded the idea of being sick, but she wanted to help. Pretending to sneeze, she doubled over, and took it from him.

The robots observed her for a few minutes.

When they weren't interested anymore, she covered a yawn with both restrained hands, and swallowed the mysterious capsule.

She was fine, for the rest of the ride.

When the van stopped, and the door opened, her stomach churned.

"Move out, please," the trooper shouted.

After three steps, the ground seemed to pitch. She fell to her knees and vomited.

Her mouth and nose stung, eyes watering.

The drivers pulled her to her feet, and held her by the arms.

She was able to walk, though her knees shook.

The airstrip buzzed with activity. She heard the distant hum of rotorcraft through the damp air, and two zeppelins drifted overhead. Dizziness welled in her, and she forced herself to look at the ground.

She stumbled up the boarding ramp of an enormous aircraft, the robots dragging her most of the way.

They pushed her into the dim, sparse cabin.

Daddy caught her, cradling her in his arms.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Clarence's voice seemed to echo.

She groaned, clutching her tortured belly, and threw up again.

The two troopers on guard swore, gesturing their disgust.

Ben stood. 'I'm a medic. I can help her."

The younger trooper looked at his older companion.

"I don't care." The older man shrugged. "Just be quick about it. And order the robots to clean up that mess." He ducked into the cockpit, to converse with the pilots.

The younger trooper remained on guard, with two drivers nearby. He released Ben's hands, and returned to his position at the front of the cabin.

Engines droned, warming for take-off. The cabin door closed, sealing them within.

Ben helped Lily to lay on the floor. He pressed his wrist to her forehead, as if taking her temperature. At the same time, he muttered next to her ear. "Be ready."

She was feeling better, but she played along.

Daddy whispered something to Clarence, who nodded.

Clarence crawled under his seat, luring the drivers' attention.

At that moment, Ben reached into his pocket, and withdrew a thin, glassy object. In one dash, he uncapped a syringe, and plunged it into the unsuspecting trooper's neck. The ambiguous drug took effect in seconds, rendering the man unconscious.

Daddy tackled the nearest driver, levering the steel of his restraint against its vulnerable neck joint. He wrestled it to face away, the tasers striking the wall like angry insects. With Ben's help, he found the activation switch, and they shut the robot down.

The second driver beeped, but didn't react.

Stumbling and curses hurtled out of the cockpit, with the sounds of a furious scuffle. The older trooper returned, with one of the pilots in a firm hold, a pistol cocked and ready.

Ben grinned, and placed a hand on the trooper's shoulder. "Well done, Osreid. I wasn't certain where you were positioned in all of this. But you impress, as always."

"I was able to re-program one of the drivers before we left," Osreid said, pressing his gun more firmly against the captive pilot's head. "Too bad we can't do the same thing to humans."

The second pilot emerged from the cockpit. He laughed, and embraced Ben, with much masculine back-slapping. Then he removed his glove, and showed his fist. The tattooed star was boldly visible.

Ben displayed his own, and Osreid joined them in a patriotic shout.

"Seigh til Pruessia!"

The assimilated driver removed everyone's restraints, and clamped them onto the two hostages.

Lily sat up slowly. The illness seemed to have passed, as Ben promised.

Daddy gave her a handkerchief to clean up with.

Minutes later, a distinct and familiar ringtone chimed from her inner pocket.

All eyes turned as she answered the wristcom.

"Hello, Lily," Delia said. "Are you ready to come home?"