“Hostages seems more apt,” Zechs noted, in tone much similar to Nita’s expression. Even if he was a little more unreadable.

Just a little, though. There’s not much point in hiding his cynicism here, after all.

“You think it’s acting of its own will, for some value of that word,” Zechs thought, “so would the Ministry assist us in freeing us from this captor?”