Char Li's Angels: The Skull of Saint Diana - Part III

(We were down a few players this week so the focus was on our Avestite confessor and Thana dervish...)

During the week's transit to the Midian Jumpgate Alexi(u)s and Zillah have a very open conversation, in which Zillah's preconceptions of the Avestite were confounded, as Alexi(us) shows themselves to be friendly, approachable and very open-minded, for a member of Temple Avesti.

Zillah's psychic powers dtected an oddity in the Vis flow within the chapel and the troupe decided to investigate. Interrupting the captain and Master Smmey on the bridge (who appeared to hide what they were monitoring on one of the ship's screens), Alexi(u)s was able to question the captan who explained that Expiator ships have a secret control-panel in the chapel by which the ship can be controlled if the bridge is lost.

The flotilla arrived at the jumpgate and entered the queue, albeit with priority granted by the fact that they are on a mission for Duke Augustus. With just over a day to wait the Lord Admiral summons the troupe, and the commanding officers of the various vessels in the flotilla, to his table for a final dinner of celebration before they embark on the quest proper.

Minging with the various guests Zillah is snubbed by Sir Aldous Redwood, the Justinian knight they met at the previous ducal banquet.  However they did:

• Meet Father Cadog, the ship's doctor on the Tiger of Tashrak, the Lord Admiral's flagship.  The Father is an Urth Orthodox healer, but seems very pragmatic, happy to use technological methods as well as the traditional and spiritual to provide healing.
• The flagship's Captain of the guard (and de facto Marine commander for the entire mission) was insulted that Count Char Li Halan's agents are to take custody of the Skull of Saint Diana rather than it being the duty of the Li Halan military.
• Zillah recalled some details of the Lord Admiral Baron Chan Li Halan's career, having studied his tacticas and actions during their military studies. The Lord Admiral retired about fifteen years ago and seems to have been drawn out of retirement to lend his specific skill and experience to the mission. During the Emperor War he commanded the Zealous Swan, leading the bombardment of the planet of Rampart, which allowed the Li Halan to capture the system from the Merchant League and earned him the nickname "Machine Slayer".  After the war he spent 8-9 years leading a Li Halan fleet dedicated to recovering assets lost during the Emperor War, especially from the Decados, which looked to Zillah a lot like continuing the war after it had finished...
• Alexi(u)s really impressed the Church's main representative on the mission, Bishop Arcellius Li Halan, which was no small feat. They may find that the lasting impression they left becomes very useful in future...