First session of 2015 - happy New Year all ;)
* Flash back to two days previously, before the Cadre's Galliot leaves Ravenna. The Marquis De Havilland visits Sir Hemlock to ask for his help. He explains that he never intended to kill Arcadia (as Hemlock believed) but felt that *someone* would kill her (probably another Justinian) if she continued on her self destructive path. De Havilland has brought a guest with him too; Hemlock's father, Baron Tochiro Justinian. The baron berates Hemlock for his wasteful childish activities and for getting involved with Arcadia. In his opinion she was damaging to their House and a rebellious loose cannon. He has had to exert significant resources to keep Hemlocks' involvement away from the Town Cryer''s and Entertainment Guilds. Hemlock is his only remaining heir and needs to satrt acting it. They argue but De Havilland says that he has brought them together as he is concerned for the Austrum War and the impact on Justinian interests it will have (as Countess Cassandra is half Justinian and the establishment of Baron Christopher in Deepcore 104 may cause the local Justinians to withdraw their assistance in order to shore up their own defence against any further hawkwood encroachment). Hemlock tells his father that he clung to Arcadia as she remembered how things were (before the attack and fire that killed his sister and led to him being hidden off world) Baron Tochiro rebukes him by saying that of course he hasn't forgotten either, he still mourns the loss of his daughter (and his first son, years before). That seems to make the difference to Hemlock and he agrees to return to their estate and take his place there. De Havilland warns him to watch for Baron Christopher and says he will join him once he has visited the Austurm isles. Hemlock agrees but the Baron dismisses this saying that Christopher is a stalwart ally and friend. The Baron then states he provide Hemlock with official letters of introduction but will return to Court as that is where he believes he can best serve the House (alluding to the fact that he seeks to replace the leading Justinian, Earl Kiruda)
* The night (ship time) after the duel Hasimir is woken from sleep by a sudden drop of temperature in his room. He sits up to find a female figure sat at the foot of his bed. He addresses her and she turns, revealing her rotten, corpse features, he screams as the apparition charges through him and into the wall behind. Hasimir is shaken for sometime and his screams alert a crewman who brings him brandy. He tells no one of what happened but is eventually able to rest after touring the ship for a while.
* They arrive at the Retreat of St Deimos and find it to be ramshackle and in need of much repair. Hasimir and Igor go "ashore" with some marines to deliver the cargo and meet a few of the denizens of the station; Edward of the Glens (the station handyman), Weasel (the mad prophetess) and the Retreat's leader, Provost Pelagius. Weasel and the Provost both indicate that one of their crew (a Muster marine) is not what he seems. The Provost is very welcoming (considering what little they have to offer) and explains something of what they are doing here. He also (after a while) decides he can trust Hasimir and begs him to investigate their "neighbours" SOE/8807. He believes that they are up to no good and many visions and portents reinforce this. Hasimir agrees (albeit somewhat reluctantly).
* Back aboard the ship Igor and Hasimir tell Lawrence their suspicions about Dante and Lawrence does some investigating. It appears that Dante did not come from Ravenna and this is his first tour with the Muster. The other marines consider him likable but none of then had met him before. Lawrence constructs a chance to speak with Dante when Hasimir can read his mind, asking him about the inference from eth priests that he had something to hide so that the thoughts come to the surface. Hasimir succeeds and discovers that he is really Earl Dante Al Malik, a noble in disguise...
