Restaurant in Hemmingen, close to Hannover, 6 weeks after Seeadler Raid

The big meeting room of the restaurant was full of small tables and small groups which were chatting amicably away. Missing was the cigarette smoke that would have "graced" such a meeting 5 years ago. Not only had Germany finally restricted smoking in restaurants in 2008, but decent tobacco was still very hard to get, so smoking was becoming less and less these days.

Claus Tolles was making the rounds in the room, taking here, commenting there and generally sounding out the members of the strange group that had assembled and whose common interest was Jasla.
He quickly heard who`s only interest was fetish, who was of the strange left wing crowd that wanted to free her on general principles-and who wanted something …..more.

Remarkably many people in this room were dissatisfied with Germany's role in this new world which they saw as timid and too peace-loving. Many also had useful talents and some hinted at strange needs.
A chemist who was clearly a sadist, a bored-out-of-his skull sniper, a security professional with a crew whom nobody wanted to hire…
This was going to be great. He had given cards to those he thought interesting and hinted that a new, more excusive meeting needed to take place.

Ambassade de Bretonia
Républic Fédérale d'Allemagne

Très secret défense!
Seulement pour la vue de la majesté

Berlin, le 4.4. 2521 IC

It has been three months that I am ambassador in Germany. Three months, in which I was totally surprised. I served Your Majesty in many countries for 34 years, but even the most exotic countries I got to know like the kingdoms of Ind are not as "exotic" as this Germany. Yes, in Germany they have more the climate of her allies, the Empire, they speak a very similar dialect and have some similar traits, but they are on the other hand completely different.

At first they are on a technological level far too advanced. Not only their military, what we had to learn the hard way, but also their civilian technology as well. I am living here in a palace, which is a lot smaller than your majesty's, but is indeed much more luxurious. We have water and light all day without using dwells or torches or lamps. Everything looks magical, but here very few things are magical indeed. Magic is nearly only existing since the Weltensprung, and only because of the help from the Empire. The Germans seem to have adopted the Empire's magical solution generally, with magicians following only one school. But it is not as strict here. One can learn other school spells as well, going above the level such is done in the imperial academies. Indeed basic spells of each school are taught at first before being specialiced on one school.

However, this is still done in infancy steps. Everything, which looks so magical is indeed, as said, of technological advantage. Horseless cars, communication between distant areas and their weapons are only the most obvious examples. There are many more. New sewing techniques, new medicine and some things called hygiene are other examples. Indeed there are so many examples no one can tell within a letter. In any case the Germans could outproduce the whole world if they wished. And the quality of their products is remarkable. Even the dwarves don't have the abilities to produce so good items. And the dwarves openly admit that!

However, this is also the Achilles' heel of the Germans. They have no magic. This is a problem as they are in danger of Chaos intrusions as well as in battle. Several potent magicians might equalize the Germans technology. However, the time limit therefore is closing, as Germany already has hired magicians, mainly from the Empire and is working on that problem. I guess in some years this problem is solved for them.
The problem for us is, we simply can't use that. We don't have so many potent magicians as we would need facing all their forces. The more I consider the situation, the more I am the opinion it was a grieveous mistake to go to war with them. Your Majesty´s instinct was right on that. The result is the same. The Germans took the area by force and we got bloody defeats, from the Battle of Isle de Tannenberg to the Second Battle of the Reik. Against the Germans we were defeated. The Nipponese splinter, which is in the process of becoming part of Germany recently, would have been no match for us in the long run, but the German assistance made any attack of us in vain, especially after the Nipponese decided to use German weapons. So we got nothing more than the Germans had proposed at the very beginning and we don't get the help the Germans offered us. If we see, what they are doing in the Empire we lost more.

The question is, why the Germans did not demand more- much more. One answer is, that they had apparantly lost two major wars in their homeworld within the last century. But this is not meaning that Germany was a pushover, as some of the "advisors", which are responsible for the Wasteland disaster, might imagine reading this. The forces needed to defeat Germany were massive. After the latter war, they were departed. Also they had lost great parts of their country. And it seems they have committed great crimes to parts of their population and that of others. And I am not talking about the ususal actions, but an industrialized murdering. That guilt is still determing the German actions by the politicians. Otherwise we would have had no chances against this Germany.

However, this is also the reason for the real danger to our country. I was able to read German and French literature. The French are our counterparts in this other world. Rousseau, Voltaire, Descartes, but also the Germans Luther, Kant, Hegel and many others have dangerous ideas. This tradition, backed up by the guilt feelings of the politicians, mean they have a much different view on the rights of Men (and Elves, Dwarves and so on), as we have. These ideas will shake our fundamental positions. It is not only we need to reform our military. Knights against MG positions or even tanks and airplanes are no longer working. They are only targets for gunnery training without massive magical help.
But we have to be aware that these new ideas can lead to more dramatic consequences for our way of life than their army. The Germans will not fight if they do not have to. Many would say the biggest danger is the German way of life with so much sex and the lack of respect. But that's not true. The real danger are the ideas of human rights. That is the real danger.

The question is no longer, if we need to reform, but how far and how fast. If we don't, a time will come and then we will suffer the same fate either like Hag Graef or this French king Louis XVI. The destruction of Hag Graef was very impressing. Our whole army would have needed months to do the same damage the Germans did within a few hours. And we would have suffered many casualities.
The Germans did that in a few hours with few losses. They could have even destroyed the whole city, perhaps even more easy than just capturing. But due to the German point of view the slaves had to be liberated. And now we should see our own towns and castles. Few of them are so well defended like Hag Graef was. We don't have better ships than the Druchii, who also lost a complete fleet as well not only at Hag Graef but also one on the way home of the German fleet. And no German ship was damaged at all!

It is obvious we need to get a stronger and much better equipped army and navy to cope with the German threat. Even if the threat of a military attack by Germany is far lower than we generally estimated. While I think that over time the Germans will begin to loose some restraints due to the local circumstances and gobble up some bits and pieces of opportunity, I doubt they will attack first often. (Chaos or other deadly menaces excepted)
Especially since for them our world in truly vast. From what I gather, the other world is quite smaller than ours and much more heavily populated. From the Germans view, here is so much open and free land you can take, incorporate and develop, if you wish, that wars for land are totally unnecessary.
But if we anger them, we will need an army capable to take them on. Therefore we need a much stronger economy. But that would mean reforms. The knights are no longer useable in fights with Germans in the traditional way. But they still rely on their old way of life, even the serfs do in a way. Our nobles will still be the most important force in a new army, but we will only have a chance in the future if we imitate some of the german ways. We can buy time by regelmenting the contact with Germany and Germans. But that doesn't solve anything. One village already fled to Germany because of several society-related reasons. Others may do that as well. That some will flee is in no way so dramatic. Much more dramatic will be the people, who will stay and fight for their imagined rights.
The question is, in how far can we change and how far we should? As said, an attack by Germany without provocation against us is highly unlikely and while they will take in some of our displeased, they will not let in all. So we have time, but we need to use it more wisely than the first contact with Germany.

The biggest danger of the appearance of Germany are not their weapons but their ideas.

Sincères salutations,

Marqui de la Roque,
ambassador of Bretonia in the Federal Republic of Germany

Premiere of the docu-movie "Die Tannenberginsel", Berlin, Germany

More than a year after the actual events, a documentational movie had been made about an important battle during the war with Bretonnia.

The island of Tannenberg is one of the greatest river islands in the Reik river with about 20 km legth but only up to 4 km width and about 80 km². It was named this way as the biggest hill is full with fir trees. This hill is about 500 m high, higher than any other hill in the region, mostly more than twice as high. Long before the virgin lands east of the Reik got the name Westpreußen, the island was named, indeed a few weeks after the Ereignis by a german scouting team.

Another week later the representants of the Nipponese, Germans and Bretonians had met on the banks of the Reik. It had ended in a turmoil after a good start. And although the Germans had made a last try to prevent a war, King Lioncoeur said, it was too late. And indeed it was. Since Morgiana le Fay had appeared the Knights of the Grail had become more and more annoying. But against such a powerful group even the king did not dare to oppose. However, it might had been also a good possibility...

Soon after, King Lioncoeur gave the order to Morgiana herself to create a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Reik in the northern area of operations. She got 8.000 men to do so. Another group of 20.000 men should make an invasion in the south to get rid of that pesky slant-eyes there. The king would stay in the north, as officially the attack in the south was a feint attack.

Morgiana chose to use Tannenberg island as base for the offensive. She had asked for the Grail Knights as avantgarde and that was granted.

In the early morning light a few days later she led her troops beyond the water. She was able to take the island with ease, as the Germans seemed to retreat without a fight. Soon she established a base for the invasion to come the very next day.

Once again rafts and boats were landing in calm waters under the cover of dense fog. Half of her forces were already on the eastern bank when the enemy was spotted. Several dozen Steam Tanks of unknown type, which looked much more advanced than the usual tanks of the Empire, appeared. Morgiana was warned again not to invade but to retreat. She did laugh to the young German officer, who gave her the warning.
"Do you know, who I am?" she asked him.

"Yes, madame." was the answer.

"And yet you have the courage to tell me to retreat?"

"Yes, madame. You don't know us. If you don't retreat, you will lose. At least your army." the lieutenant replied. Angrily she terminated the talks and the German officer retreated as well. "They don't know me. Now they will learn about my wrath." she thought. She gave the order to attack.

250 grail knights on their horses made the famous attack on the German tanks. In the fire of the 120 mm shells and MGs nearly everyone died. Only 6 could evade and retreat.

Morgiana was furious and she was surprised as well. However, she tried to make a flame storm on the Germans, when suddenly rockets and artillery shells from distant artillery positions detonated within her lines. Indeed the Germans fired only with a battery of MLRS and reactivated M109 howitzers on the Bretonians. But it was sufficient.

To find and destroy the enemy artillery she ordered her Pegasi knights to attack them. But soon she was shocked to see them dying. One by one was killed by rockets, artillery or by strange flying machines in the air. And before she could order her damsels to initiate a strike, her position was an inferno. Several Mk. 82 bombs had exploded there. Some Tornado bombers had made strafing runs on the surviving magicians as well. One of the 27 mm shells hit Morgiana's unicorn and she fell into the dirt. She was screaming. Although she wanted to make a fire storm she realized it was too late for that as her own forces were under attack of the Germans. And they were starting to retreat. So instead of attacking the Germans she made a protective shield, which was able to block the German shells.

The remaining forces were retreating to Tannenberg island. Here she felt save and wanted to consider her next steps. But suddenly the German artillery fire commenced again. She had to put up the shield again, but soon after she heard explosions and screams.

Indeed the Germans had used the fog as well and sent soldiers of the KSK to the island. These 100 soldiers were now attacking. And one of them, a sniper, found her. She and her pretty dress were no way to overlook. It might had been a fatal shot, if she did not spot him in the last second. But it was too late. She was hit into the arm and not the chest. She fell and her spell ended. Soon after also artillery shells exploded. Her army fell in panic and retreated to the western bank of the river. As she was unconscious she could give no other order and was rescued by some of her damsels and knights. The Germans did

not follow the Bretonnians, who had lost about 3.500 men, most of them dead.

The battle was over, nearly at least.

Marquis Jean-Luc du Saint-Lac had been ordered to be part of the rear forces of Morgiana le Fay's army. He did not understand why he was selected, but the reason was, that he was ordered to do so only because the king wanted to show he did not want to get rid off the grail knights fighting there.
That someone else might die in the process was the price to pay for. And Jean-Luc was expendable. But even before he could go to Tannenberg Island, the battle was over. He was now in panic, as he was part of the army of Morgiana and soon it would be detected, that he had his entire, if small, realm with him, a fact he had tried to keep hidden. And with that the whole reason behind this. Jean-Luc was a patriot, but falling on the battlefield with his wife highly pregnant, did not sit well with him. So knowing what would be the fate of a noble-less fief, he did something he regretted as a true son of Bretonnia, but as one of the bretonnian nobles who took his duties to all under his rule very seriously, Saint-Lac had no choice. He had to flee his homeland.

In this moment his wife kept the calm. She convinced him to act. And indeed he acted. He ordered to man the incoming rafts and transport everyone to the other side. When asked, what he did there by a damsel, he answered he would try to rescue as many as possible from the other side. "The Lady will bless you!" was the answer.

He needed four runs to transport his people to the island using five rafts. After the third run it became strange, that many people were going out but only few would return. A surviving Grail Knight called Hubert de Lionville went to la Fay's tent. There the surviving damsels tried to heal her, so he was not allowed to enter the tent.

He wanted to leave again, when another damsel appeared and said to another, that Isabelle de Lyonnesse had not been reported and was missing. And that she was missing for some days. On the question, from where she was, it was answered, she was from the realm of the Marquis du Saint-Lac.

Lionville was stunned. At once he suspected treachery and ran back to the makeshift harbour. There he could see the Marquis just taking off the last time. It took some moments until he got a crew for another raft. He wanted to catch at least the Marquis.

On Tannenberg Island the group of the Marquis was surrounded by German soldiers. Marie de Saint-Lac was going to explain the situation, when the labour pains started. Stunned the Germans, who were commanded to send all Breton survivors back, ordered a medic at once.

In the meantime it had become a race between the Marquis and Lionville. However, Lionville was going to catch him as he had more and better men to drive the raft. It was hardly 500 m to the beach, but it was clear, that Lionville would arrive before him.

In this moment a big steam ship appeared with a single gun on the front part. "This is the German Schnellboot S 73 Hermelin. We have granted asylum to the Marquis du Saint-Lac. You have entered German territorial waters. Retreat or you will be fired upon!".

For Lionville it was a shock. But he retreated although he was furious. The Marquis and his people were in safety.

On the Bretonian bank of the Reik river Morgiana la Fay awoke. She knew she had lost. She was furious with these Germans, who killed her unicorn. And who attacked her directly. The wound would heal soon. But the psychological wound not so. And all attempts to convince the king to give her more men were negated. He saw better opportunities in the south. "We will capture these Nipponese land and then go further to Berlin." he said. For Morgiana it was not convincing. Was it possible he did not want to win?

In Westpreußen a few weeks later the plannings for the foundation of a new village were made. The name was Nouveau Trois Fontaines or Dreiquellen in German, letting the "new" fall away.

After the movie ended, it was discussed intensively by the audience. Nobody in the big cinema recognized 3 persons who were more than met the eye. The bretonnian ambassador, still a relative unknown face, a reman spy and Morgana le Fay. The sorceress was actually pleased with the events. Neither Bretonnia, the Empire or Germany knew about her long fight with the elven Imposter Morgiana. Everything what weakened Morgiana was good in Morgana´s book. It seemed Germany could become a blind asset for her. Maybe it was time for the old sorceress to learn more about Germany. But the attention of Morgana was always a double-edged sword.

Office in Stuttgart, University, Stuttgart

Reinhard Meier was looking at a long, exacting query that had been filled to the last page with in-detail data about Druchii thought, about their phobias, their sexuality and their thoughts about religion.

He was livid with rage. He had set that ungrateful cow up to fail so she would crawl back to him in disgrace and be more malleable. He had been told by reliable friends that the Dark Elves would not talk if it had no direct bearing on their well-being and now she had brought such a wealth of information.
A good friend of his from his study days was at Stammheim and had agreed (actually remarkably easily) to give Petra full access to Jasla without supervision. A second interviewer would either have warned the student off - or would be part of the failure, which would have strengthened Petras position - not good.
So his "old friends network" had come into play.
But this - this was unacceptable. If that woman was going on like this she might gain fame and recognition without him or only when he cooperated closely. He would have to make sure how to call her off.

He tried to reach his friend in Stammheim, only to be told that he was not available. This made him even more frustrated, a very bad thing.
He had a high blood pressure for a very long time now and that had led to an aneurism in the big arterial which supplied his lower body with blood. The aneurism was a bulge in the wall of the arterial like a bad inner tube of a bicycle tire about to burst.

So far it had never done but today it became so big it restricted the blood flow to his right kidney. Here a small organ close to the kidney registered the lower blood pressure-and promptly emitted blood-pressure increasing chemicals-which in turn enlarged the aneurism-which decreased blood flow to the arterial.
This vicious circle raised the blood pressure from it`s normal (for Reinhard)170/100 mm Hg to 310/150 within few minutes. The Aneurism burst then and blood flowed into the body like from a garden hose.
Reinhard was dead within 15 seconds and never had a chance to recall anything, not even the police arriving at that exact moment with an arrest warrant.
His oxygen-starved brain made him hear a sound like the flapping of mountain sized wings-a hallucination surely...

Bückeburg, Army Aviation Training Center, 6 Weeks after the battle of Papenburg
The landing approach of the "Storch" could have been better to put it mildly-the aircraft wandered about somewhat, the descent angle was adjusted several times and the change in the engine drone spoke of several changes in the power settings.

Still the aircraft set down well within the limits and the potent shock absorbers easily managed the forces imposed upon them. Nathan Alpers stumbled from the plane into the arms of his instructor-and was congratulated mightily. "Well done Nathan, you are no longer a virgin. First solo flight!"
Of course somebody was there to shower him with beer and carry him around on their shoulders. Nathan could not remember when he was this proud about anything.

Army aviation had decided that the new "Storch" was so easy to fly and cheap at it that they could use it for initial training as well, saving time and money for transitional training.
Nathan was walking on clouds for that day, the only fly in the ointment was when he phoned his parents about it and their reaction was colder then he wished for, they had never understood beyond a intellectual level why he felt the need to join the armed forces.
They always thought he was "better" than that, but he had seen that this was a new world and different answers were needed.

Train to Altdorf, 1st class Coach, 6 weeks after Seeadler Raid

"Please show your tickets, Ladies and Gentleman". The passengers in the 6 place compartment did indeed produce their tickets and nobody commented on a conductor wearing body armor and a strange looking rifle-they probably felt better for it.
The train to Altdorf was currently passing through one of the Empires great forests and these woods indeed might contain monsters. This was his first trip on this train after he had concluded the training for working on the train while keeping watch at the same time, so he still marveled at the passengers and the interior.

The passengers showed a wide mixture of clothing styles, from German business clothing and outdoor wear to the colorful robes of wealthy imperial merchants and the partitial armor worn by imperial officers.
The interior or the train was an odd mixture as well. For political reasons it was important that at least some imperial manufactories profited from making the trains. Their tech level was far too low to do anything substantial for the locomotives or the mechanical parts of the carriages, but nothing prevented them from contributing to the internal fittings.
This meant that LED bulbs were inside glass and brass lamps, wooden sliding doors with etched glass windows ran on German bearings and leather upholstery with horsehair filling comforted the back sides of the passengers.
The walls showed beautifully polished and inlayed wooden panels and the window frames were showed polished brass.

Additionally to helping the imperial industry it created an ambience which was looking modern to the imperial customers but not as overwhelming and Spartan as they viewed the interior of a German ICE train. The aesthetics even appealed to a lot of Germans, even if many thought it to be a little too dark and too detailed.

Making his way along the train Joakim Vos contacted the various members of his squad while at the same time checking tickets and answering passengers questions as well as he could.
To his astonishment the train started to slow down in the middle of nowhere. Going to the next intercom he took of the handle and contacted the railroad engineer about the reasons.

"Ah, hallo Joakim, same thing again. Center has a sensor reading that something blocks the rails ahead" The railway always ran a little current through the rails which showed clearly if the rails were broken at some point. It also indicated by cross current if something lay over the rails.

"We halt at the next siding, then the repair train can pass. Nothing to it, just like the last 4 times. Some assholes like to block the railway with trees-we will get them sooner or later." "Martin, are you telling me that we have halted here already 4 times in the last weeks-don`t you think that is not setting us up for ambushes"" Hm, for a new guy you are quite paranoid" "Even paranoids have enemies-we will keep an eye out" "You do that"

Putting the receiver back into the cradle Joakim choose a different station. "Manfred-Joakim here. I do not like to stop at the same place all the time-go man your turret" "Are you sure,that could upset the passengers" "Just do it" "Yessir" A second call made sure that both turrets were manned and alert.
In wagons on both ends of the train Landwehr soldiers climbed into turrets that would not have looked out of place on top of a B-17 of old. Holding 2 Machine guns each they had electric drive and elevation but could be moved by hand if necessary. Mechanically simple and electronically dead they were simple enough that imperial soldiers would learn to handle them and perform the minimal service required between depot overhauls. Turning the turrets to make sure that everything worked they looked through the reflex visors the Landwehr soldiers asked themselves what they had done to deserve the hardass Feldwebel who had paranoid tendencies.

Meanwhile Joakim had moved back into the train, rustling up other Landwehr members and asking himself if he had already lost it when the train came to a halt with barely a lurch.
His two squadmembers were looking at him expectedly and he was thinking about what to say when the sound of breaking glass and the screams of passengers made all excuses moot. Pumping shells into the chambers of their shotguns they ran towards the fighting.

The stoker in the locomotive was swearing all the time while he put his pistol through the ball-and-socket-mount provided for this purpose in the armored walls of his cab. While it was hard to aim well that way at the short distance it was nearly impossible to miss the robed figures that tried to storm the Locomotive. Through his window he could see that besides the comparatively few assailants that had so suddenly emerged from camouflaged holes directly besides the railroad many more emerged from the treeline which was about 50 meters away.
He emptied his magazine quickly by shooting a couple of robed figures which tried to force his door, while the engineer applied reverse power as quickly as he could without hopelessly spinning the driving wheels.

While the train slowly begun to speed in the different direction some assailants managed to climb the tender and the roof of the train. As nobody tried the door to the cab any more the stoker called the Landwehr and a stream of tracer from the forward turret swept the uninvited guests from the train while the aft turret continued to fire on the advancing cultists which emerged from the woods. The twin guns ripped through them, killing enough so that the survivors saw the wisdom in taking cover.

The only remaining problems were the would-be train robbers which already had boarded the wagons behind the cab. This was a problem for others, so the stoker used the wireless set to appraise his dispatcher of the assault.

Joakim Vos stopped at the door to the next wagon, gesturing for one of his soldiers to open the door from the side. In the next wagon some cultists and a huge armored figure attacked the passengers. Most of the attackers wore bulky robes which hid their faces and were armed with long wicked looking daggers they applied to the unarmed passengers with glee all the while screaming phrases nobody understood. They seemed to shy away from the armed passengers.

Their supposed leader was of a different caliber. So huge that his spiky helmet touched the ceiling and muscled like an overblown body builder he wielded an axe that would have been difficult to lift for most men as if it were a hatchet. Two imperial soldiers and a civilian had tried to defend with sword and dagger, but the ferocity of the attackers and numbers told. One soldier was clutching the ruin of his right hand and the civilian was bleeding profusely from a wound in his side.

Joakim stepped forward to get an unobstructed line of fire and rapidly shot his opponents. He was good enough that by the time his first ejected shell hit the ground his third shot connected with it`s intended target.
The Warrior with the axe was the priority target. He was so close to Joakim that the balls of the shot had not dispersed much and hit like a solid mass. The charge contained 9 balls, all with roughly the same energy than a 7,65mm pistol round. The first hit practically ripped the right arms off at the Bizeps, sending the axe flying to the side. The second converted the proud chest of the aspiring Champion into an ugly anatomy lesson, his henchmen needed even less persuasion to die.

One of the Cultists managed to flee to the next compartment and before the Landwehr caught up with him had grabbed a female passenger. Holding her with one arm and putting his dagger against her neck with the other he used her as a shied. His screaming was still shrill but more discernible now. "Come any closer and I kill her-I swear I will. You have to let me go or will kill her. You have to believe me, I will cut off her head."

The Landwehr Feldwebel said nothing while he thumbed another round from his vest into the shotgun while never losing sight of his quarry, even when he ratcheted the last round into the chamber . "What are you doing, you have to move back or I will cut her, you have to believe me…" The shot cut off the tirade effectively, the cultist, obviously not experienced with modern firearms, had exposed his head too much. Joakim had aimed for the Medulla oblongata inside the cultists head.
This apricot-sized part of the brain conveys all conscious efforts from brain to body and controls highly important autochonic reflexes, so its destruction meant that the assailant was dead before his knees bend.

Joakim needed not be that careful with the shot placement. He had loaded a solid "Brennecke" round into his shotgun. While normally not very accurate compared to a rifle round it was more than sufficient at 3 meters. The 19.5 mm solid lead slug dumped so much energy into the targets head that it splattered everybody with bone, blood and brains.
The shot in a closed room made everybody's ears in the room ring, but the two Landwehr men would swear for years that they heard Joakim "I believe you asshole, I truly do"
The Feldwebel would always deny it.