Chapter 2
"An eye for an eye will make us all blind."
Mohandas Gandhi – Ancient Peacemaker
Personal Journal: Arista Atreides, Empress of the known world.
[Caladan is the ancestral home of House Atreides, as Earth is the ancestral home of the human race. Yet our water has mingled with that of Fremen. Does this make me Fremen? Or a hybrid? Is Caladan even home? Is Caladan part of the Atreides jurisdiction by virtue of the fact that it is of our House? Or is the planet mine because I rule.
One may doubt that I am Atreides. Though I am; if not by birth, then certainly by the genetic manipulation of The Tyrant.
With a sign the most powerful female in the known universe shut the image ring and looked out the window. Dune – Desert Planet – Home.]
Her thoughts wandered.
[Now this! Yet another appeal.
When the migration had begun one thousand years after the death of the God Emperor not one thought it was possible. Zensunni and Zenshite live on the same planet? The Universe held it's collective breath.
Amazingly peace had been the result.
First, because the then Emperor had let the ancestral home be annexed by the religious fanatics.
Second, because the Buddislamics had split the planet down the middle and for the first time since the human race had left Earth there was not a single planetary rule, but a primitive sharing of that power. Left to their own devices they had thrived.]
She turned before her aide could politely cough. Some things had become genetic and the ability to foretell aspects of the future was now ingrained into the DNA of the Atreides bloodlines.
"Yes, Annan." Arista prompted, knowing full well the reason for the interruption but wanting the aide to vocalize it.
"Highness. The Ambassador is here."
"Which one?"
"Both, Highness."
[Of course both.] she thought. Stifling a sigh Arista swept past the young woman and headed for the Hall where she held Court.
~*~*~*~*~
The Reverend Mother assigned to the Court of Arista Atreides watched as the brown skinned woman entered the Throne Room.
Even as the Atreides had brought Dune from Desert Planet to Tropical Paradise and back to Desert Planet; the Planet itself had affected the family too. No longer were they blue in blue eyed blond and Arian but with the effects of both the Fremen gene pool and the hot desert sun the Atreides now were as brown skinned as any native.
The change had only served to enhance their mystic, beauty and power.
Arista was true to all three qualities.
The Reverend Mother listened bored by the latest appeal of the joint petition of the Ambassadors of the Planet Caladan. As they had done for the last five visits they appealed for assistance from the Throne to fight the strangle hold the Tleilaxu had on them.
Once again they presented their case: "For over twenty thousand years, Highness we have not only co-existed with each other but did so in peace. We are a threat to no one. We did not deserve this."
The riddle that the Reverend Mother was focusing on was – why was the Throne entertaining the submissions? Like clockwork on every centennial anniversary of the invasion and subsequent occupation, the latest Ambassador would submit to the latest ruler and the result was the same;
We are in negotiations.
It was obvious that House Atreides had cut the historic ties to the planet and its people, but if they had why the charade? It was a minor mystery, but one that entertained.
~*~*~*~*~
As with any Royal protégé worth their weight in water, Ammaso and Dax Atreides had observed the proceedings. Tall dark and handsome the twins were the most eligible bachelors not only on Dune, but through out the Empire. Though it was tradition that the elder become heir to the throne – many suspected that the younger Atreides would ascend.
Ammaso was the hot head of the two and today was no exception. "This is ridiculous!" He raged back in their quarters.
Dax watched. He was used to his brother's ranting.
"The Tleilaxu cannot be allowed to continue to squat on Caladan!" He raged. "I can't understand mother's reluctance to intervene. After all it is our ancestral home."
"And as the Prince of Caladan you cannot allow this to happen." Dax teased. "What is your stake in this Amasso? I thought that you had stopped going there."
His brother mumbled a response.
"Amasso." Dax drawled. "Come on cough up."
"I maintain a residence there."
Dax was confused. "Residence?"
"A summer home." Amasso snapped.
"… and that's enough for you to go off like this?" He snorted. "For God's sake. We have been Fremen longer that Caladanian."
Amasso sighed. "Focus, Dax! It's the principal of the matter. Caladan is the Ancestral Home of House Atreides. That alone should have been enough at the time of the invasion to get involved!"
"I never thought I'd hear about 'the principal of the matter' from you." Dax got more comfortable in the chair. "Next you'll be proposing that you should go over there and do something about it." He teased.
Ammaso stopped pacing. "Now there little brother is an idea!" Older by one minute he usually teased his brother about being the younger.
Dax sat up straight at the comment. "Ammaso, don't."
"We'll see." The elder did not commit and poured himself a spice wine.
Dax in turn walked out.
~*~*~*~*~
The younger Atreides found himself outside. He tightened the abacus around himself, adjusted the still suit that he wore and headed out. He didn't like it when Amasso got into this moods.
Reverend Mother Mo'Hadin had been at the window thinking when Dax crossed her line of vision. She watched him adjust his clothing and head out.
An inner perception told her to watch the young man, and her inner voices concurred. There was no reason to. He was a young man like any other, true he was royalty second in line to the throne but covered up this way he was winding his way and no one had noticed him – yet.
Using the network of CCAVUs she watched the young man. The palace was located on the edge of the metropolis and it did not take a long walk for one to find ones self on the edge of the desert.
Every step he took brought him closer to the desert and further away from the city. He was expecting something and there it was – worm sign.
[Why was it every time I approach the wilderness that the Guardian of the Desert appears?] He wondered. [Do they not want me there?] He changed his direction. The worm sign matched him. The colossus did not break the sand line but there was no mistaking its bulk below the surface.
Dax finally gave up and returned to the palace.
[Did the worms of Arakkis have a unique link to this youth?] Mo'Hadin contemplated what she had just witnessed. [It had been the aim and claim of the Tyrant that there would be a gem of his consciousness in each worm – had he achieved this?] The woman's mind raced. [She had been hearing murmurs that one of the Twins seemed to be manifesting powers with the worms, was it Dax? This bore investigation.]
"An eye for an eye will make us all blind."
Mohandas Gandhi – Ancient Peacemaker
Personal Journal: Arista Atreides, Empress of the known world.
[Caladan is the ancestral home of House Atreides, as Earth is the ancestral home of the human race. Yet our water has mingled with that of Fremen. Does this make me Fremen? Or a hybrid? Is Caladan even home? Is Caladan part of the Atreides jurisdiction by virtue of the fact that it is of our House? Or is the planet mine because I rule.
One may doubt that I am Atreides. Though I am; if not by birth, then certainly by the genetic manipulation of The Tyrant.
With a sign the most powerful female in the known universe shut the image ring and looked out the window. Dune – Desert Planet – Home.]
Her thoughts wandered.
[Now this! Yet another appeal.
When the migration had begun one thousand years after the death of the God Emperor not one thought it was possible. Zensunni and Zenshite live on the same planet? The Universe held it's collective breath.
Amazingly peace had been the result.
First, because the then Emperor had let the ancestral home be annexed by the religious fanatics.
Second, because the Buddislamics had split the planet down the middle and for the first time since the human race had left Earth there was not a single planetary rule, but a primitive sharing of that power. Left to their own devices they had thrived.]
She turned before her aide could politely cough. Some things had become genetic and the ability to foretell aspects of the future was now ingrained into the DNA of the Atreides bloodlines.
"Yes, Annan." Arista prompted, knowing full well the reason for the interruption but wanting the aide to vocalize it.
"Highness. The Ambassador is here."
"Which one?"
"Both, Highness."
[Of course both.] she thought. Stifling a sigh Arista swept past the young woman and headed for the Hall where she held Court.
~*~*~*~*~
The Reverend Mother assigned to the Court of Arista Atreides watched as the brown skinned woman entered the Throne Room.
Even as the Atreides had brought Dune from Desert Planet to Tropical Paradise and back to Desert Planet; the Planet itself had affected the family too. No longer were they blue in blue eyed blond and Arian but with the effects of both the Fremen gene pool and the hot desert sun the Atreides now were as brown skinned as any native.
The change had only served to enhance their mystic, beauty and power.
Arista was true to all three qualities.
The Reverend Mother listened bored by the latest appeal of the joint petition of the Ambassadors of the Planet Caladan. As they had done for the last five visits they appealed for assistance from the Throne to fight the strangle hold the Tleilaxu had on them.
Once again they presented their case: "For over twenty thousand years, Highness we have not only co-existed with each other but did so in peace. We are a threat to no one. We did not deserve this."
The riddle that the Reverend Mother was focusing on was – why was the Throne entertaining the submissions? Like clockwork on every centennial anniversary of the invasion and subsequent occupation, the latest Ambassador would submit to the latest ruler and the result was the same;
We are in negotiations.
It was obvious that House Atreides had cut the historic ties to the planet and its people, but if they had why the charade? It was a minor mystery, but one that entertained.
~*~*~*~*~
As with any Royal protégé worth their weight in water, Ammaso and Dax Atreides had observed the proceedings. Tall dark and handsome the twins were the most eligible bachelors not only on Dune, but through out the Empire. Though it was tradition that the elder become heir to the throne – many suspected that the younger Atreides would ascend.
Ammaso was the hot head of the two and today was no exception. "This is ridiculous!" He raged back in their quarters.
Dax watched. He was used to his brother's ranting.
"The Tleilaxu cannot be allowed to continue to squat on Caladan!" He raged. "I can't understand mother's reluctance to intervene. After all it is our ancestral home."
"And as the Prince of Caladan you cannot allow this to happen." Dax teased. "What is your stake in this Amasso? I thought that you had stopped going there."
His brother mumbled a response.
"Amasso." Dax drawled. "Come on cough up."
"I maintain a residence there."
Dax was confused. "Residence?"
"A summer home." Amasso snapped.
"… and that's enough for you to go off like this?" He snorted. "For God's sake. We have been Fremen longer that Caladanian."
Amasso sighed. "Focus, Dax! It's the principal of the matter. Caladan is the Ancestral Home of House Atreides. That alone should have been enough at the time of the invasion to get involved!"
"I never thought I'd hear about 'the principal of the matter' from you." Dax got more comfortable in the chair. "Next you'll be proposing that you should go over there and do something about it." He teased.
Ammaso stopped pacing. "Now there little brother is an idea!" Older by one minute he usually teased his brother about being the younger.
Dax sat up straight at the comment. "Ammaso, don't."
"We'll see." The elder did not commit and poured himself a spice wine.
Dax in turn walked out.
~*~*~*~*~
The younger Atreides found himself outside. He tightened the abacus around himself, adjusted the still suit that he wore and headed out. He didn't like it when Amasso got into this moods.
Reverend Mother Mo'Hadin had been at the window thinking when Dax crossed her line of vision. She watched him adjust his clothing and head out.
An inner perception told her to watch the young man, and her inner voices concurred. There was no reason to. He was a young man like any other, true he was royalty second in line to the throne but covered up this way he was winding his way and no one had noticed him – yet.
Using the network of CCAVUs she watched the young man. The palace was located on the edge of the metropolis and it did not take a long walk for one to find ones self on the edge of the desert.
Every step he took brought him closer to the desert and further away from the city. He was expecting something and there it was – worm sign.
[Why was it every time I approach the wilderness that the Guardian of the Desert appears?] He wondered. [Do they not want me there?] He changed his direction. The worm sign matched him. The colossus did not break the sand line but there was no mistaking its bulk below the surface.
Dax finally gave up and returned to the palace.
[Did the worms of Arakkis have a unique link to this youth?] Mo'Hadin contemplated what she had just witnessed. [It had been the aim and claim of the Tyrant that there would be a gem of his consciousness in each worm – had he achieved this?] The woman's mind raced. [She had been hearing murmurs that one of the Twins seemed to be manifesting powers with the worms, was it Dax? This bore investigation.]
