DUNE ALTERED DESTINY
by Gunman
Disclaimer: I do not own Frank Herberts Dune, or any of their characters.
Summary: Duke Leto Atreides and his house encounter a unique group of heroes and warriors who help them change what fate intends for them.
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(Prologue)
In the year 6041, before the reign of the Padishah Emperors, the Universe was ruled by the thinking machines with human minds. Computers and conscious robots.
The people deteriorated into a state of apathy.
Then they became victims and slaves of other men with machines.
Finally came The Great Revolt, the religious crusade against the machines.
After the Great Revolt, human beings were forced to develop their minds. Thus mental training schools were established. These schools would change the history of the universe.
Only two of these ancient mental training schools remain.
One is the Bene Gesserit school which was established primarily for female students. The function of the Bene Gesserit school is to carry on a selective breeding program among humans.
Now, the other existing school, The Spacing Guild, or The Guild, emphasizes pure mathematics.
The Guilds Space Navigators through the use of the orange spice drug, are able to fold space. That is, to guide spaceships without moving from one planet to another. It is through the Guild's monopolies on the economic life of the Universe that makes them so powerful.
Know then, that it is the year 10191. The Known Universe is ruled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. For many years, the Emperor Shaddam IV had ruled on planet Kaitain over all the great houses of the Landsraad.
The great houses of the Landsraad are members of the royal families who rule or govern over the major planets of the Universe, according to the ancient feudal system of government.
Two of the Great Houses of the Landsraad are The House of Atreides on planet Caladan ruled by Duke Leto Atreides and the House of Harkonnen on the planet Giedi Prime ruled by the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
In this time, the most previous substance in the Universe is the spice mélange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel.
CHOAM* Company controls the mining of the spice. The CHOAM Company is controlled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV and the great houses of the Landsraad, with The Guild and the Bene Gesserit as silent partners.
*(Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles)
This combine is the key to the wealth and political power of the Universe.
It is the Emperor Shaddam IV who dispenses CHOAM directorships and contracts to the various great houses of the Landsraad. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire Universe. A desolate, dry planet with vast deserts. The planet Dune, also known as Arrakis.
Up until this time, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has held a directorship from the Emperor Shaddam IV, giving him a contract to mine the spice on planet Arrakis. The Baron Vladimir, with his two nephews, the Count Rabban and Feyd Harkonnen, live on the planet Giedi Prime.
The planet Caladan is ruled by Duke Leto Atreides, cousin to the Emperor Shaddam IV. He resides in the ancient Castle Caladan with the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica, and their son, the ducal heir, Paul Atreides.
The Emperor, fearful of the Duke's increasing popularity among the great houses of the Landsraad has conspired with the Duke's mortal enemies, the Harkonnens, to destroy the House of Atreides.
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CHAPTER 1
A Warning
(The Royal Palace on Planet Kaitain)
The Emperor, Shaddam IV, sat on his golden throne as the mysterious man stood before him.
The man was dressed all in black, from head to toe. Under his black cloak, which looked like silk, he wore a black uniform, military boots and gloves. But they were not like any other uniform he had seen.
Behind the Emperor stood several of his military advisors and his daughter, Irulan.
"I have heard you have information for me." The Emperor said.
"I do. You have questions." the man said.
"Yes." the Emperor said.
"I will help you as best I can. What do you wish to know?"
"You know of my plans against the Atreides?"
"I do."
"The Guild wants Duke Leto's son, Paul Atreides, killed. Though they would not tell me why. The Reverend Mother, Helen Mohiam, knows something about this. But she would not tell me either. I want to know what it is. What makes Paul more of a threat than his own father Leto?" the Emperor asked.
"Ah well, let me explain. The Bene Gesserit sisterhood have been manipulating bloodlines for the last 90 generations in order to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. A super being. One who has power greater than their own, who can see into places they cannot. One who could manipulate space and time as easily as the Guild Space Navigators can."
The Emperor looked shocked as he heard that.
"And the Guild believes that Paul is this being?" the Emperor asked.
"He isn't there, yet. But they believe he could become this being. And if he does, spice production will cease."
"I see." the Emperor said, seeing the reason why the Guild was so concerned. Their navigators consume a great deal of spice, which has given them accelerated evolution for nearly 4000 years. Their power to fold space was in the spice, which gave them not only great status and importance amongst the Landsraad, but control as well. The spice was also responsible for the Bene Gesserit sisterhoods ability to read minds and to see beyond. "The Bene Gesserit have been trying to create this super being, this Kwisatz Haderach, but I cannot believe they would try to create something that is superior to themselves. That would be... foolish."
"One cannot control something that is superior. Yet they have been trying to do so. It is a concern to them."
"Who? The Guild, or the Bene Gesserit?"
"Both. Currently, Paul Atreides has no loyalty to either side. Nor does he have any loyalty to you. Only to his family. Duke Leto's bound concubine, The Lady Jessica, is a Bene Gesserit. She was ordered to produce only female heirs to the Atreides house. Because of her love for the Duke, she disobeyed and gave birth to a son. Paul."
"And this is a concern for the sisterhood."
"Yes. Paul may be The One, but the Bene Gesserit are worried he might not be theirs to control."
"They seek to control something this is superior to themselves, which means it is not superior. In which case, they would have failed."
"Power and control go hand in hand. If you cannot control power, it will destroy you. But without power, you have nothing to control."
"An interesting paradox." The Emperor said, musing on another possibility. He sighed deeply as he groused. "Do they know?"
"Who?"
"The Bene Gesserit have been trying to create this super being. But does The Guild know about their intentions?"
"They do."
"This Kwisatz Haderach would be a threat to the Guild. Why have they not put a stop to it?" the Emperor asked.
"Because for the last 4000 years the Bene Gesserit have been unsuccessful in their attempts. Jessica's actions have thrown their plans into even more turmoil." the man said.
"They kept this from me intentionally. Both of them. All of it. Perhaps they did not want me to know." the Emperor growled bitterly at what his two silent partners were up to. "There's something else, isn't there? You said that the Bene Gesserit were manipulating bloodlines to create this super being. Not just Paul. Who else does this involve?"
"Feyd Rautha of the House of Harkonnen." the man said, shocking everyone.
"Really?" The Emperor gasped in surprise.
"He too is the product of a centuries-long breeding program conceived by the Bene Gesserit. It was their intention to have a female Atreides daughter wed to a male Harkonnen heir, with the high probability of their union creating the Kwisatz Haderach."
The Emperor scoffed.
"Obviously that isn't going to happen."
"No. Because of Jessica's actions, they will lose both bloodlines now. Especially considering the rivalry between House Atreides and House Harkonnen. Of which you play a part in."
The Emperor groused.
"I am aware. But I have my own position to consider." the elder man said.
"I'm sure. But now there is the possibility that there could be a Kwisatz Haderach... in Paul Atreides. Yet, as I said... he is not there yet."
The Emperor looked at him curiously.
"But he could become this supreme being." The Emperor said.
"Yes. He could."
"How?"
"If he drinks the Water of Life."
"The Water of Life?"
"Made from the bile of the newborn worms of Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit use this water to enhance their own mental abilities as well as the orange Spice. Though... no man who has ever drank it, has lived."
"But Paul could, couldn't he?"
"Yes. He could. But as I said... he is not there yet. Were he to take the Water today, he would very well die."
"So it is a question of time."
"Amongst other influencing factors. Particularly those on Arrakis."
"The Spice." the Emperor realized. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"There are two possibilities that are soon to take place. The first: that your attack will be successful and through a strange series of events, Paul will eventually become the Kwisatz Haderach. Spice production will stop and you will lose all that you now hold. Save for your life."
"And the other?"
"That the attack will fail, and Paul will not become the Kwisatz Haderach, but the next Duke of Caladan. Spice production will continue, you will retain your throne and your house, but will lose half your power."
"Neither of those choices are very appealing to me, as there is much that could still happen to cause me great inconvenience." he groused again. 'Then again, the key to this whole matter is Paul. And now I know why.' he thought. "Does Leto or Paul or any of them, know of my plan?" The Emperor asked.
"They do not. They are suspicious, of course. However... when the attack happens, they will have help. Help from afar."
"Another world?" the Emperor wondered.
"No. Even farther than that." he said with some amusement.
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Authors Notes:
Dune is one of my favorite sci-fi movies, so naturally I've been wanting to do something in fan-fiction about this.
This is something I've been kicking around for a while. It is something that has been bugging me for a while.
While The Emperor rules the known universe, he is often bullied and manipulated into doing the bidding of others. Especially by the Guild. He could have prevented all of this from happening if he knew the truth. Yet, things would take a logical turn if he had known. Paul would be a threat to him, yet Paul only acted because the Emperor conspired to help destroy his father and his House.
This mysterious man in black was meant to be a self-insert, of me telling The Emperor the truth in this manner. I haven't given him a name yet.
Also, this will be a multi-crossover with about a dozen different fandoms and universes. Something that I enjoy doing. So, look forward to seeing who will be showing up and what roles they will have to play.