The stable group appears to have shrunk semi-permanently, but everyone left shows up: Tim (Sir Brindal Karth), Chris (Peter Sangaree), Nick (Brother Xavier) and April (Sister Joann).
The rules don't clearly specify how much the first point of a new skill costs. It is decreed that the first point of a new skill costs three points, and demands that the character have some plausible reason (training, field experience, etc.) for acquiring the skill.
The characters regroup in the aerodrome at Prince Cassius Field, outside Sonnbourg. They have not been back for more than an hour, after a ride from the wreckage of their plane in a Flyers' Association helicopter.
The characters, accompanied by their new companion (and former pirate) Bob Lungflook, debate the wisdom of trying to hunt down the surviving air pirates. They determine that a Gassler Wren (the type of aircraft the pirates were using) is worth about 8000 FB, before being modified to carry missiles and guns. Bob Lungflook also points out that he can guide the characters to the pirates' main base. Peter Sangaree suggests that a better idea might be to go and look for airplane crash sites, as both of the pirates' craft were damaged when they retreated. If the characters are lucky, one of them might not have made it back to base.
However, after some discussion, the characters forego the chance to search for crashed pirate aircraft. They go back to Del Tarrant's runt Remora and fly back for Lenbow.
Along the way, Peter Sangaree lays claim to one of the remaining suits of leather armor taken from the pirates. Sister Joann sets aside a cutlass and a medium autopistol from the same source to give back to Bob Lungflook.
On the characters' return to Lenbow, they find a message from Director Yie asking that they stop by the MachtArbeiterBank at their convenience to discuss the results of their trip. They follow the summons, and are quickly shown into the Director's office, where Cuthbert Lantern brings drinks and pastries. Peter Sangaree very characteristically eats as if he hasn't even seen food for months.
When Director Yie steps into the salon a few minutes later, he finds Peter hunched over the pastry tray. He greets the characters then asks "Peter! Are you getting enough to eat?" Peter, his mouth stuffed with pastry, mumbles, "Nmph…" Director Yie calls Cuthbert to bring in some more filling fare: bread and meat pies. Out of politeness, Peter refrains from using his "second stomach" (as he has come to call the bundle of nano-mimetic food preservation bags he carries).
With food out of the way, Director Yie is pleased to hear that Sir Brindal Karth has obtained title to the Fennen Marsh. He agrees with their plan to make a reconnaissance trip to Gwynneth, and visit the planetary survey office. Cuthbert Lantern is sent to check with the Travel Office and the local Charioteer liaison to determine the next available transport to Gwynneth, and current rates. He returns in a few minutes to report that one-way passage costs 40 FB per person, 60 FB for nicer quarters. Further, the Majestic Falcon, a Charioteer liner, leaves Aerie Station in four days. The characters have Cuthbert Lantern make round-trip reservations for all five of them (four characters plus Bob Lungflook) to head to Gwynneth aboard the Majestic Falcon, paying the cost of the transportation out of the 100,000 FB line of credit Director Yie has extended them (a total cost of 400 FB, leaving 99,600 FB left).
Several characters make some preparations prior to their departure. The Majestic Falcon is expected to take almost 30 days to reach Gwynneth, so having something to do on board is fairly important.
Sir Brindal Karth leads off by spending a substantial chunk of the MachtArbeiterBank's money. He spends 700 FB buying a dueling shield (5/10, 15 hits) from the Charioteer merchant in the Lenbow marketplace. He also spends 400 FB to purchase a (relatively) concealable synthsilk bodysuit for himself and 300 FB for a much cruder synthsilk suit for Brother Xavier. All told, his purchases come to 1400 FB, leaving 98,200 FB.
As a final purchase, Brindal Karth locates a copy of Ahan Gallish al-Malik's A Beginners' Guide to Rhetoric and Bureaucracy. He intends to bring it along on the journey, along with all the documents relating to his new fief. He hopes to actually understand some of them by the time he returns to Delphi.
Peter Sangaree spends his free time before departure in the Wickingham Number Eight fusion furnace Parts Room, where he locates components for the flamethrower he wishes to build. He makes a Tech+Artisan (Weaponsmith) roll, gaining two victory points, ensuring that he will not be stymied by a lack of parts later on.
Unique among the characters, Sister Joann spends her time dealing with her social obligations. She gains an audience with the Bishop of the St. Anatasius Cathedral, where she offers a tithe of 10% of her earnings to him (totaling a mighty 2 FB). She also explains that she would like a leave of absence from the Cathedral, so she can travel to Gwynneth. The Bishop then informs her that her request comes at an unfortunately appropriate time, as the finances of the Cathedral have become somewhat questionable, forcing him to suspend her duties for lack of money. He also comments that he is forced to take the same action towards Brother Xavier, whom he knows is a sometime associate of Sister Joann, and would appreciate it if she could pass the word along to him.
Sister Joann leaves the Bishop's chambers convinced that the interview could have gone better.
The characters make their way to Prince Cassius field at Sonnbourg by commercial aircraft. From there, they speak to the Majestic Falcon's factor at the starport to arrange shuttle passage up to the ship.
The trip up to Aerie Station and thence onto the Majestic Falcon is fairly uneventful. The ship itself proves to be a onetime luxury liner that was used as a troop carrier at some point in the recent past. It's crew is capable and efficient, and makes certain to distribute "refreshments" to all the passengers as they board and are led to their cabins. The "refreshments" turn out to be cups of a thick, sweet liquid with both tranquilizing and anti-nausea properties. Soon after the characters board, the ship enters burn to head for the Delphi jumpgate. The characters enjoy eight hours at 2G's before the ship returns to normal acceleration.
The remaining journey is characterized by nothing more than unending boredom. The crew are efficient, but restrict their passengers only to a fairly small area of the ship. There is little to do and less to see. Brindal Karth spends his time in his room, poring over the endless documents he brought with him. Peter Sangaree creates a certain amount of consternation with the crew by working upon his flamethrower, which he insists is merely a device to spray herbicides. Brother Xavier, ever intent upon improving his spiritual purity, flagellates. By the end of the journey, the walls of his compartment are flecked with his own blood and hair. Sister Joann, with a more pragmatic view of purification than the Avestite, simply exercises and practices her battle rituals.
After the Majestic Falcon's second jumpgate transition and another interminable period of high-G, the ship's Purser announces to the passengers that the WardenCo Station has been placed under military quarantine and is not expected to be available for offloading for at least twenty days. However, he reports that the ship has arranged for direct shuttle offload. He then provides a shuttle schedule, informing each passenger when they are to report for transportation downworld.
The characters are near to the beginning of the list, and quickly discover that "direct shuttle offload" means crawling from the Majestic Falcon's lock through a narrow access tube to the waiting shuttle. To their greater consternation, part of the access tube is transparent, giving the passengers a dizzying view of the world of Gwynneth on the one side and a massive Hawkwood frigate on the other. Most of the characters manage to make it through the tube okay, either because they have orbital experience or simply a strong constitution. Peter Sangaree, however, finds that his stomach disagrees with the idea of being hundreds of kilometers above solid ground. It expresses it's troubles by sending back it's contents. The shuttle pilot, who had been trying to encourage Peter to crawl through the tube, recoils in horror when he sees what's headed his way.
After that, the rest of the shuttle trip down to Llanfyrth is something of a letdown.
The characters step onto the streets of Llanfyrth around midmorning. The capital of Gwynneth is a Victorian city, filled with lots of two-story frame-and-plaster buildings. There is also a distinct lack of human scum on the streets. The characters ask the Charioteer steward at the debarkation ramp about the Gwynneth Center for Mineralogical Survey Services (GyCeMiSS). He has never heard of the place, but suggests the Cathedral's Documentarium. He does, however, recommend the Red River Inn in the city.
The characters are easily able to figure out how to get to the Cathedral from the debarkation ramp, as it towers over the city. From the narrow, winding streets, however, it proves to be a bit more of a challenge. After a bit of walking, the characters stop by a commons house to buy a meal. Five wings buys the group a meal including pseudo-eel and stew. Sir Brindal Karth also rents two rooms at 2 FB/night for five nights. He picks up the tab, assuming that he gets one bed and one for everyone else. Peter Sangaree gives Bob Lungflook a cutlass and a suit of leather armor, and suggests that he not be too inquisitive about his shield. He promises him that he'll be getting a shield again soon enough.
Peter Sangaree stays behind to work on his flamethrower while everyone else (including Bob) heads off to the Cathedral. As everyone else heads out, Peter advises a certain caution, as there must be press gangs active in the night, hence the lack of scum on the streets.
With two priests leading the way, it is easy for the characters to get into the Cathedral Documentarium. They ask the well-preserved librarian about GyCeMiSS. He looks quite surprised at the request, and isn't able to remember the place for a few minutes. However, he is eventually able to recall that it was converted into a monastery. The place is located in Surreveil Valley, and is really pretty isolated. He tells them that they can get transportation there at Linus Link's, a Scraver operation on Curve Street.
Linus Link proves to be an old feller, constantly chewing on greenish slug-things he draws from a round bowl and pulls into his mouth. He explains to the characters that he's got an exclusive contract to run provisions to the monastery. He sends a plane out every thirty days. Unfortunately, the last trip was only ten days ago. However, he is willing to dispatch another plane out there for 100 FB, getting the characters there by nightfall the next day.
Brindal Karth spends some time haggling with Linus, eventually reducing his price to only 80 FB. He says that he's willing to stay in Surreveil Valley until the next provisioning flight arrives in twenty days, which doesn't seem to make much difference to Linus (as he's going to need to make an extra return trip anyway). Linus tells the characters to show up at his airstrip sometime the next morning, along with anything they want to bring along that'll fit into a Morgen Luftking-2 (a plane very similar to a DC-3).
At the end of the session, the characters are preparing to head to the Surreveil Valley, where they hope to find the old GyCeMiSS records. Each character earned three experience points.