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

Having scored the drugs requested by Baronet Chi-Fu, Belvoir cuts the Selchakah he bought with sugar, then looks to sneak back through the city to the ship. En route he avoids a mob of church enforcers but while hiding spots a series of gallows in a market square.  One of the victims hanging there appears to be the Ur-Ukar, Kibri va Teban. He checks his fellow troupe member and discovers to his surprise that he is still alive.  He frees him and injects him with the potion he stole from the cyber-surgeon on Bawaabat Samawia.

It is gone dawn when Belvoir returns to the Blessed Saint Horace, carrying the unconscious Kibri, and he rouses some of his colleagues. Alexi(u)s gets to work diagnosing Kibri’s injuries. As well as signs of strangulation, it appears that the Ukar has been subject to repeated beatings and physical abuse.  The Canon is quite unfamiliar with alien physiology and so convinces Belvoir to part with some of his elixir and administers it. They move the semi-conscious Kibri to his bunk and Zillah watches over him while Belvoir delivers some of the acquired dope to the Baronet. He only parts with a single dose, keeping the rest and convincing Chi-Fu that it was all he could get, due to the Church’s current crackdown on illegal activity. The Baronet is disappointed but seems satisfied for now.

Over breakfast Kibri tells his tale.  Like Zillah he was denied entry to the basilica but remained in the courtyard with the freeman and plebians. He was able to see the attacks first hand and witnessed that the assault was conducted by individuals who were hidden within the crowd. From his first hand account he confirms that they were not the rabble that they were led to believe but were well trained and experienced, probably mercenary, soldiers.  One stood out to Kibri as the “officer” coordinating the others. He appears to have been the only one who evaded the Hawkwood reinforcements but Kibri gave chase.  He gave the Ukar a thorough run around the city.  Everything Kibri tried he had a counter for.  Eventually he led the Ur-Ukar into a trap where he was cornered by a Church mob. It was then he lost him and fell into the hands of the zealots.

While they discuss all they have learned so far, Zillah asks Ulrich to decode the note they received from the Colonel. Bas has also received word from the Muster.

Alexi(u)s does not want a repeat of their earlier experience with trying to treat Kibri, and so heads into the city to acquire some of their own medical supplies.

Baronet Chi-Fu receives word that his attempts to meet with Baron Tochiro Justinian have failed because the noble and his entourage left Suryada the day after the attack. Sir Ulrich’s seemingly encyclopedic knowledge advises them that the Baron’s fief is in the Justinian controlled Deep Core city “104” on the continent of Follari South. It’s therefore likely that the Baron has a long journey home (south by land to a port, then by sea to Follari, then across country to Deep Core 104).  The troupe believe that they can continue enquiries here then use the Blessed Saint Horace to fly over to the Justinian city.  Ulrich also advises that House Decados do not hold any official fiefs on the planet but that Countess Chastity’s father did own a mansion close to the Follari capital of Celdor.

After further consultation with the Baronet and Sir Ulrich, the troupe head into the city to try to meet with representatives of the Hawkwood authorities.

Meeting up with Alexi(u)s, the group visit Sir Robert Burnside Hawkwood, the captain of the guard with jurisdiction for the area that includes Saint Symeon’s Basilica.

The guard tower is like a scene from a busy 21st century Police precinct but with men-at-arms replacing police officers and serfs instead of citizens. The knight in command is a hardened veteran and little more than a thug in heraldic livery. He very openly suggests that he is willing to take bribes for information (or other aid). Alexi(u)s’ patience quickly expires and he strikes Sir Robert with the Sting of Conscience; Zillah’s Vis Sight sees power descending from on high, and then being channelled through the priest and striking the Hawkwood knight. The guard captain crumbles under the weight of his own guilt and explains that he has permitted the Church’s recent “excesses” and mob violence for fear of the power and authority of the Urth Orthodoxy. He says that the accepted Hawkwood view is that Scravers were responsible for the theft in the Church, while the Muster were responsible for the attacks outside.  The Nobles and Church have begun proceedings to seek compensation from the Guilds.

Bas is hailed via squawker; the Blessed Saint Horace has received an update from the flotilla, and Ulrich has word on his progress in deciphering the code.  The troupe catch the next brute-drawn trolleybus back to the spaceport.

Upon arrival, Bas sends word to the Tiger of Tashrak and speaks with the first officer, Sir Hanzo Li Halan. It transpires that after the troupe provided the suspect shuttlecraft’s flight plan, the Tiger was able to use it’s sensor logs for the same period to identify the possible route of the Wagon of Paulus after it entered Ravennan orbit.  The Rain of Vengeance and Flavius’ Reign were then dispatched to follow it’s course and have subsequently reported the discovery of a wrecked shuttle matching the suspect vessel’s description.  It appears that the ship has been riddled with light laser cannon fire and there is no trace of the relic aboard.  Sir Hanzo confirms that there were no survivors. The working theory is that the shuttle rendezvoused with another ship, off loaded it’s cargo, and was subsequently destroyed.

Ulrich hands Zillah the translated note.  It appears to be a list of individuals who are part of the quest to retrieve Saint Diana’s Skull with some names crossed out. Bas’ name, on the other hand, is highlighted...

 

The translated note