And uprising takes place in Westerland, one of Braunschweig's territories. He decides to kill all the inhabitants by a nuclear strike. Reinhard hears about the plan and wants to send a fleet to stop it, but Oberstein thinks it's better to let it happen, record it and use this monstruous act as a propaganda tool against the high nobles. Reinhard is against it, but Oberstein's plan succeeds because he lied about the time of the strike. The images are nevertheless broadcasted in all the Empire: Reinhard becomes the hero of the commoners and, even in Geiesburg, many think its time to get rid of the high nobles. The Lippstadt Fleet makes a last sortie, but is defeated; baron Flegel is killed by his men when he wants to make a suicide attack, and his crew flees to Phezzan. Merkatz, too proud to surrender, decides to kill himself, but Bernhard von Schneider advises him to take refuge in Iserlohn.
