Title: Tombo's Battle
Author: atreidesrule
Disclaimer: Don't own dune but I own the characters I made up
Timeline: Set during the events of the suboid revolt on Ix in Dune: House Atreides
Summary: This is from an Ixian soldiers point of view about the revolt. Mild spoilers
***
It's just a normal day on Ix. Lieutenant Tombo Greezax thought to himself. Tombo found himself and his fifteen-man squad on their way to the Spacing Guild embassy to escort the Ixian ambassador's son C'tair Pilru to the rail car station to be returned to his home.
"This is a weird mission" Sergeant Hudson stated. "I mean the kid is the ambassador's son but a squad to escort him to the rail car station? Nothing ever happens here he could walk back on his own."
"I know Hudson but there have been rumors of suboid unrest, and not just from the visiting guest of house Atreides. Our own spies in the suboid workforce have seen it too. We are a precaution in case anything goes awry." Tombo replied grimly.
" I know sir, but suboids can't organize their not that smart. Even if they did riot we could put them down quickly enough thanks to our new rapid pulse lasguns, and not many of them can riot at one time, because like I said they aren't smart enough." Hudson spoke as though he were trying to convince himself.
"Well someone is getting them all riled up, and if they can do that. Then they can organize a revolt." This was from Corporal Reeves.
They walked along in silence all of them on guard. Even though the royal family did not believe a revolt would take place, but to their loyal soldiers it was a very real fear.
"There is the kid" Corporal Reeves said pointing to a rather sullen looking boy sitting on the steps of the Spacing guild embassy.
Compared to the artificial sky mimicking a sunny blue-sky topside,
C'tair was truly a depressing sight.
Tombo walked up to the young man and said: "Sir we are here to escort you to the railcar station where a transport is waiting to take you back to your home." Tombo spoke formally to the ambassador's son but was unable to keep his concern for the young man out of his voice.
Unaware of the troopers' presence C'tair looked up in surprise and said: "Oh of course, but might I ask who asked you to escort me?" C'tair was very polite to the troopers.
Tombo answered "Your mother asked the subterranean operations commander to send a squad to escort you."
"Oh, well why I could walk by myself."
"Well there are to reasons one there are rumors of suboid unrest and two you have been sitting here for three hours moping." Tombo couldn't help but add the last one.
To down on his luck to reply C'tair just got up and started moving towards the railcar station. Anxious to be rid of him Tombo's squad followed.
This kid is a magnet for depression. Tombo thought has he looked around for any signs of danger. I know I shouldn't but I am gonna ask him why he is so despondent. "If you don't mind my asking sir. Why are you so depressed?"
"My brother and I got tested to be guild navigators. He passed and I failed. Now I will never see him again and I never got a chance to say goodbye." C'tair got even more depressed relating his story if that was humanly possible.
" I lost my brother too. He also got to try out to be a guild navigator only he had an allergic reaction to the spice gas and died. I never got to say goodbye either I was enlisting in the house military." Tombo looked at C'tair for a second then continued to speak. "I got over it though. You can't let it keep you down take solace in the fact that he is still alive."
"Your right I just need to figure out what I want to do and then work toward it." C'tair sounded much happier than he did before. He was sad now but not depressed.
Before they could talk further they arrived at the railcar station and C'tair was whisked away to his home.
Nice kid Tombo thought. "Aright let's get back to s.o.c using the abbreviation for the subterranean operations center." The squad was anxious to get back to the s.o.c because the storm of rebellion was growing perilously close.