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

Following on from the previous session’s battle, Belvoir helps Alexis by dosing her with elixir to deal with her wounds and the troupe finish searching the ambushers’ bodies, taking a pair of whisper pins. Listening in on them they hear a self assured voice who seems to know who they are and why they have come. They don’t engage with the voice but it suggests that they hurry up and come to meet him, as he knows they will. The troupe search for any cameras or surveillance devices but find none.

Guided by Zillah’s psychic senses, and the near constant narration from the voice on the squawker pin, the troupe slowly and cautiously make their way through the facility. They note how it seems to be a very utilitarian, industrial structure, all metal and emergency strip lighting. Zillah notes that it is an old station and seems to have been constructed and then expanded many times over the years, showing many different styles of fabrication and design. There currently seems to be no occupants other than the attackers they already defeated and the owner of the voice on the whisper pins.

They eventually find a well lit room ahead and discover an Ur-Obun, Genin Vena La’Konen sat in what appears to be a meditation room, the centre piece of which is the Skull of Saint Diana.

After they make themselves known La’Konen seems genuinely pleased that they have finally found their way to him.  He freely admits that he arranged the theft of the relic, at the request of a client but that once he had it in his possession he found that he does not want to part with it and has reneged on his original contract in doing so. Ultimately he is a businessman and he offers them all a deal; name their price and let him keep the skull. His ship is currently engaging their vessels and he feels sure that it will disable both ships, leaving them with no way off this satellite. If they would simply forget the whole matter he can offer them transport to anywhere they wish and they can name their price (in terms of firebirds). Alexis tries to get information from him but the Guilder is cagey and avoids giving more details, he does however confirm that he knows Charlie Crocker as the Scraver works for him, and has thus heard of Belvoir. He seems to imply that he thinks the yeoman is sure to agree to a deal. He also lets them know that he set up the ambush, knowing that the troupe were coming, and that the ambush would fail, as he thought that they would feel cheated if there was no resistance at all. It’s clear that with the loss of lives in the basilica attack and the fact that Vena sent the ambushers to their deaths, knowing they would fail, this is a very callous and amoral individual.

Zillah finally snaps and moves to shoot the Obun. Vena’s psychic senses are obviously keener than the Thana’s though, and he manages to get the drop on the knight, drawing an automatic pistol and shooting them first.

Combat ensues with Zillah and Bevoir attempting to shoot their would-be host. Belvoir’s shot triggers Vena’s assault shield and the round drops ineffectually to the floor.

Kibri and Alexis approach the Ur-Obun from either side and the psychic felon uses his sensory powers to overwhelm Kibri’s own senses, leaving him effectively deaf, dumb and blind.

Zillah keeps up the covering fire with their sonic pistol; Vena’s energy shield offering no resistance to the screamer’s blasts. Meanwhile Belvoir leans into his natural gifts of knavery and his gift of the gab, completely confusing the logical Ur-Oban and leaving him open to the other’s attacks.

Following his near death experience, Kibri’s increasing faith has made him far more resilient than he once was and he quickly shakes off the psychic stupor. He regains his senses enough to stab the Genin, slipping his Kraxi blade deftly under the shield.

Canon Alexis, brandishing her flame gun and reciting the Torchbearer’s Liturgy, bathes the heretic psychic in superheated Ka oil. The flames leak through Vena’s assault shield, setting him ablaze.

With a further blast from Zillah’s sonic weapon, and the accumulated noxious flames, the Obun is overwhelmed and passes out. Kibri extinguishes the flames in a creative manner, using his “personal fluids” to demonstrate his hatred for his Ur-Obun cousins. Belvoir then uses Alexis’ medikit to stabilize Vena’s wounds.

Reverently, the Canon takes possession of the relic and they start to head back out of the station, the unconscious Ur-Obun in tow.

On the way out, Zillah takes a moment to stare into Saint Diana’s Skull and as they lose themselves, focusing at the strange crystal and what appears to be a scrap of screwed up paper suspended within, they manage to trigger a communion with the Empyrean. It is unlike any example of occult power they have ever experienced or used, and it is as if the Thana knight has truly touched the divine. They see a vision showing how the Rain of Vengeance was grappled by Vena’s ship, The Herald of Unbridled Enterprise, and was in danger of being boarded when Bass and Sir Ulrich arrived in the Blessed Saint Horace.  Bass commands the ship to secure grapples on the Herald, locking all three ships together.  Tangled in this embrace, they fire broadside upon broadside into the Merchant escort, receiving a dizzying amount of fire in return but splitting their opponent’s fire and stymieing the assault on the Rain of Vengeance in the process. While the Li Halan ships are putting up a strong fight Ulrich feels that they may be outclassed but salvation appears in the form of Sir Bedevere and the Hawkwood frigate, the Debt of Honour.  The Admiral’s ruse that had allowed them to slip away from Ravennan orbit had not lasted long and the Hawkwood’s had followed the ships to the gas giant’s orbit.  Seeing the conflict in situe, Bass and Ulrich are able to convince the Hawkwood knight to lend his aid and enforce his House’s laws, tipping the balance of the battle in their favour. It is not long before the merchant crew strike their colours and surrender to the authority of the Hawkwoods.

Zillah feels reassured by what they have seen but is struck with wonder at what the Skull seems to be capable of.

From the flight control room the troupe are able to contact their ships and learn that Zillah’s visions were correct. The Blessed Saint Horace limps back to collect them.

With Vena in custody, they board their spacecraft to be greeted by Bishop Arcellius Li Halan. The cleric is overjoyed to see that they have succeeded in recovering the skull and gives rapturous praise to the Pancreator. He thanks them all and announces that any doubts or misgivings he may have had about their capability or good character are now in the past

Canon Alexis assists the Bishop as they install the relic in pride of place in the ship’s chapel, then they set off to return to Ravenna...