25 meters from Home, Kelk Hive, Joule IV, another universe

The Skavvie had taken more than an hour to crawl the last 20 meters of the way. The small dwelling before him was surrounded by improvised alarms and a fence. It would slow his people down and alerted prey was difficult prey. Better to take it slow, especially after finding the Ratnose gang. What could have taken them out so quickly and quietly?
And then he got a glimpse of the answer. Something huge in the shape of an armored man sat on the ground, being at rest and served as a crib for two children. A huge Bolter was close by, as was a sword of some kind. The Skavvie was well camouflaged, far away and in darkness, the giant obviously asleep. He should not be alarmed in any way, but his breath came harder than before.

All of a sudden, the would-be predator started to slide back far faster than he had come forward, with stealth a lesser priority. The giant had opened one eye and winked. Even worse, he had smiled.
A smile full of teeth. And even as a low-rung predator the Skavvie knew his kind, even one so far removed from his as this one. He would be hungry tonight and maybe be beaten for his cowardice. He knew he had been exceedingly lucky.

Altdorf

The being that had been Martin von Carstein a moment before was crumbling on the snowy pavement. The process mimicked the decay that the body should have undergone during the last several hundred years in very fast forward. By the time the girl's feet were on the ground they were resting among moldy bones, frayed fabric and a thin layer of ash. The feet were firmly planted and the girl's back was as straight and her gaze at Ulrich was challenging.

"And who might you two losers be?"
"Allow me to introduce Ulrika Mandragova to you, I am Ulrich Stoiber at your service. And you are?"
"She reeks of the ones who made me this...and you are of the Old Wolf?"
"Right on both counts madam. So?"
"I am Silvia. Not of Carstein or anything like that, I won't share anything with these monsters. Never, never never...So, what are you two doing here?"

"We were looking for one Martin von Carstein, he needed to be removed from polite society. It seems that you did that already. Still, it would be a good thing if we could all wait for the Reiksguard to show up in a civilized manner. These are the new and improved times, we cannot just go around and slay people without a damn good reason."
"Oh I had the best reasons there could be. I won't wait around for you though….."

The girl's last words were becoming quieter, slowing and slurring at the end before she slumped to the ground.

"Let us take care of her please. We have failed in this task, we will not do so again, that I can promise."

Ulrich Stoiber turned to the voice that came from their backs. The shadows in the small alley hid most details from even his enhanced eyes. They showed the long teeth and the cold steel well enough.

"Who the fuck are you people…..."

Kepler Station, Warhammer World orbit

Keppler's observation lounge was nothing short of spectacular. Found at the spoke of the wheel that was the space station it was currently oriented on the world below. One of the walls was a huge window. Divided by very few slender struts it displayed the Warhammer World in all its nighttime glory. An hour ago, it had allowed the well-paying guests to watch the traditional fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate from here. It had been a bit like a colorful lighting storm and the high point of the most exclusive New Year's Eve party ever. DLR's guests had paid nearly a hundred million Marks together to be in orbit at this time. Some might have found the experience worth it, the others were satisfied with the opportunities for networking and the ultimate status symbol.

While the observation lounge offered a breathtaking view it lacked the simulated gravity that existed in the rotating parts of the station. The guests had retreated there as soon as it was polite to do so. It had left the host of the party by himself, well nearly so.

Nathan Alpers had spent Christmas groundside with his family, New Years Eve was out then. Now he had his wife with him, at least in the shape of a two-way video connection which allowed him to share view and thoughts.

Together they watched the world turn below them, currently Cathay was coming up. And while the sun was still on the other side of the world from Kepler Station it was easy to see where the kingdom's major cities were. There were lots of lights, at least by the standards of this world. Solar panels, gigacaps and LED lights allowed artificial lighting even in areas where no grid existed as of now. The crowded Cathayan cities took full advantage of them.

"So very beautiful, so many islands of light in the darkness."
"Yes, Nathan yes."
"This used to look different not so long ago."
"You said so Nathan. So do you now believe we will make it?"
"Sorry my Ermine, I do not get it."

"Oh lover, don't tell me you forgot about the night when you were back from your first space flight? The one where you told me of the island of light in the darkness that was Germany? And how you were concerned that this island of light would be darkened there would be no one to pick up the torch? Well, from the looks of it, it seems we did not drop the torch, but managed to light the way."

"Nathan?"
"Looks like you are right Ermine. We managed that here, didn't we?"
"Yes, we did. For our children and theirs."
"For us and the children then."

Both watched in amicable silence as Nippon came up next. There were even more lights there, hardly surprising given the kingdom's close association with Germany.

25 meters from Home, Kelk Hive, Joule IV, another universe

The priest watched the giant hammer something into the ground. He had been called by one of the members of his flock whom he had not seen at his services for quite some time. Nothing unusual down here, the tale she spun was. He had not been sure what to make of it, but he could hardly ignore her.

By the looks of it she had not over-promised, quite to the contrary. The giant was indeed huge and while he was obviously capable of violence, he seemed to threaten no one at present. Instead he planted stakes into the ground which were crowned by bits of board. They contained a crude carving.

Something tugged at his mind, the giant seemed familiar somehow. The tome he had inherited from his predecessor had shown the Emperor's Angels. The giant looked a bit like them, but so did some of the drawings depicting the Fallen. So, what was this one?

"You might as well come here priest, I am nearly done here."

The sentence was barely understandable to the priest. His predecessors had done their level best to teach High Gothic to him. And while the priest had attended important ceremonies thousands of meters above this place it had hardly been enough to make his language confirm to the standard.

Still, the giant was understandable enough and disobeying was clearly not an option. When he came close he could finally make the signs on the boards. They were crude depictions of a wolf with long fangs.

"I am Pater Wilfram good Sir. May I ask you who you are and what your intentions might be?"
"Well met Pater Wilfram. I am Leman Rus of the Space Wolves and I need a way from this place up so I might rejoin my brethren. Show me the way or open communications so I can summon transport, it makes no difference to me."
"I have to ask: Are you one of his angels?"
"If you mean if I am a Space Marine and fight for the Emperor: Yes, you might say so. That bloody avalanche has brought me here, I have to rejoin the fighting, the sooner the better."

"I have heard there is a war in the heavens."
"In the upper hive and some of the manufactory sectors, yes."
"We rarely see any of that."
"Be happy about it. This is a nasty thing up there and no mistake. Do see to your flock, make sure they do their jobs and we will take care of the rest."
"As the Emperor wills. I have to ask Sir, why did you place these signs there?"
"I have to leave, might scare some of the Skavvies off."
"The Emperor protects."
"This bunch did not know father well enough not to rob and kill his subjects. Their survivors know me."

It was then that the name Leman Rus clicked in the priest's head, and he realized that he might be talking to somebody who had met the Emperor in the flesh. His knees hit the ground seconds later.

"There are none as useless as those who search for the truth with their eyes closed and their knees on the ground. Father needs you doing things, and that starts by getting me out of here. I will make sure you get some supplies, including a few decent water purifiers. Make sure they reach your flock, my father would want it that way."

Altdorf

This was not a simple room, it was a boudoir. Its ceiling was high, the wall covered in red cloth with gold applications and the chairs were bedecked in the same. They were distributed in a seemingly random fashion and Ulrich Stoiber still suspected that they were signs of status. He and Ulrika were sitting across from a lady that looked a well-kept 40 and that was probably ten times that. There were ladies in waiting that tried to look disinterested and bodyguards who tried to intimidate.

"Long before the pacts were sworn with the Reiksbund there were laws that bound all Children of the Night, and still do. One of them, one of the most sacred in fact, is that we do not create children when they are too young. This goes double if it is during great trauma. The results of such creations are mindless and fierce in their bloodlust, totally unrestrained and a danger to all. We can not allow such to exist and to create them is anathema"
"Silvia was of a very strong will, but she saw her second father kill her grandmother before he sired her. It was simply too much for her mind and it fractured into several parts which do not know of each other. One of them is a small, meek child who does not accept that she is undead now. Another is very much aware of what she is and her only motivation is revenge. She does not accept our guidance and wisdom at all and rebels against what we want to teach her. A third Silvia is on her way to becoming Lahmia, the only way we can show her. We have kept her here and looked after her out of pity with her state.
Somehow we did not see that she had switched between her personalities and she made her escape.
Ulrika, you would know of these laws if you would not have abandoned your sisters, first into the service of von Carstein and now the Reiksbund."

"I am fulfilling my duties to the Reiksbund Paladins with Manfred von Carstein's blessing Dame Luisa. It is my path, one in tune with this new world. The one your sisters tried to push me into would not fit me at all. "
"So I have heard."
"So I am to believe you kept Silvia here out of the goodness of your hearts?"
"Yes Ulrich Stoiber, you may."
"Bollocks."
"Ulrich Stoiber, you presume….."
"I presume? Dame Luisa, I may not be hundreds of years old, but Mama Stoiber raised no fool. You kept Silvia as she was a disgrace to Martin von Carstein, something that you could blackmail him or tarnish the reputation of his clan with."

Several swords were pulled fractionally from their scabbards around the tanker before a small gesture by Dame Luisa brought them back.

"An interesting perspective you have on our charity Herr Stoiber."
"Do I? Then I suggest that I visit Silvia from time to time and see that you indeed care for her now that her usefulness has diminished so much. If she does not disappear or has a sudden desire to watch some sunrise, I might be convinced that I am wrong. Even more so if you actually try to mend her mind."
"And why should I allow such a hostile intrusion into my household?"
"You deal in influence, in networks and peddle favors and intelligence. You need friends, allies and people who offer news. Do you need the enmity of the Advanced Weapons Testing Group or the Reiksbund Paladins?"
"Do you think you have such sway with them?"