That evening, Chor Tempest learns that Sibylla Dominūra has found the choir a new ship to fly from while Arcus Prima is in drydock. Dominūra, it turns out, had secretly attended the hearing as well, and had met with a secret faction of officials opposed to Halconf's administration. Dominūra's faction was able to bring the old converted freight airship Messis out of retirement and refit her in the fashion of a World War II escort carrier. Conditions aboard the Messis are considerably more spartan than on the converted luxury liner Arcus Prima, much to the displeasure of the Sibyllae.