Chapter 32
Good artists copy, great artists steal
Pablo Picasso
Life went on and as her world crumbled around her, Arista continued with her duties.
She wiped the tears from her eyes struggled to regain some decorum or Royal control, even managed for a moment to breath normally UNTIL she read the invitation again and lost complete control AGAIN.
It read…
Tula Belch, a missionary from Planet Rhianon, will be speaking tonight at Monticello Sietch. Come hear Tula Belch all the way from Rhianon.
It least things were not so bleak that she had lost her sense of humour.
~*~*~*~*~
It had taken time, but finally – finally Amasso had tracked down the author of the Report. Last seen entering Palace Harkonnen, he hadn't been seen again. Rumors abounded, however that he was enjoying the 'hospitality' of the Baron's dungeons.
Now Amasso stood at the Paxtang Grave Yard, looking at the tombstone of the known forger. He didn't know what disgusted him more the waste of the time, the fact that the man was dead or that he had failed to get any closer to proving the fraud.
It had been difficult tracing the man without being caught himself. With the forger dead the quiet, frightened faces who had talked before would all snap shut now. Frustrated he left and headed for the nearest spaceport. He'd return home, regroup and start again.
~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Thalmas Sanchez emerged from the Command and Control room and ran into Amasso who had just returned – not a soul knew the Atreides was back. Thalmas was surprised to see him in fact he seemed uncomfortable.
Amasso's senses sharpened from months of sobriety picked up on the man's discomfort. But his guard remained down this was the Doctor to the Empress he had top security clearance – there was no danger. "Thalmas, what's wrong?"
"Wrong?" The older man squeaked and began to sweat.
The younger spotted the bead of moisture and then realized where the other had emerged. Seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place for Amasso, Thalmas suddenly pulled out a hand weapon.
The para-bindu reflexes kicked in and Amasso dodged the shot. Thalmas held the trigger down and just kept shooting. The inevitable finally happened and he shot the Atreides. He stepped over the body and said "Sorry, you're Bene Gesserit trained – I can't afford for you to use the Voice on me."
He could hear running footsteps as the encounter brought security to the spot. They would soon find Amasso's lifeless body and the others in C and C. Having wasted time with the encounter, Sanchez's window of opportunity was getting too narrow for comfort. He set off running as the explosive devise he'd set detonated.
~*~*~*~*~
A ripple of energy woke Dax. As he contemplated the emptiness that he suddenly felt; the explosion threw him from his bed, and the warning that the house shields were down sent him running. His route to his mother's private chambers took him past C and C; there he came across the body of his Twin.
The emptiness now explained Dax knelt to hug the corpse. The moment the two hearts touched the vision of what happened coursed through his psyche like an electric bolt.
Reaching for Amasso's communicator Dax barked, "All stations this Lord Dax – you are to stop Dr. Thalmas Sanchez at all costs, if he resists shoot to kill. He is not to leave the Palace or the planet!"
He gently laid his brother down, kissed his brow, took one last look and set off running heading for his original destination.
~*~*~*~*~
The Fedaykin heard the command and needed no second urging. "STOP! Dr. Sanchez or I will shoot!" The officer called.
Thalmas stopped in his tracks and put his hands up in surrender. He turned and said, "Tell your masters to address me by my proper name – that of Lord Thalmas Harkonnen." He bit on the cyanide tooth and collapsed dead.
~*~*~*~*~
Dax entered his mother's chambers at a dead run. "Amasso is dead! The bastard killed my brother!" he skidded to a halt.
"You are sure, Fedaykin?" Duncan said ignoring Dax for the moment.
Arista had been standing next to Duncan listening to the one sided conversation. Upon Dax's unceremonious announcement her legs gave way and she sat abruptly on the near by bench.
Duncan turned to report to her. "Sanchez is dead. Announced that he was Harkonnen before he bit on the poison capsule."
"He killed Amasso!" Dax pronounced.
Duncan's demeanor hardened and he resolved that Arista would mourn her loss later. He shook her. "Arista! We need to get you out of here." He looked at Dax. "Take what clothes you need here and get dressed we need to get your mother out of here."
"But Amasso is off-planet!" She resisted.
Dax assured her. "I saw him myself, Mum... He's dead." He watched her keenly. His heart broke. His twin was dead and he Dax was in a struggle to avoid the same fate.
Duncan wavered then rallied. "ARISTA!!! We need to get you out of here!" He ordered his Empress. "Dax! Did I not tell you to get dressed?! The shields are down – now MOVE!"
~*~*~*~*~
A Sardaukar Colonel reported, "General, The Palace shields are down."
Rammen heard. "Deploy you troops, General. Take back that planet and give me back my throne."
The General nodded and the invasion by one million Sardaukar began.
~*~*~*~*~
Duncan went in search of the body of his son while he still had the time. He took a long lingering look then incinerated the body with his weapon. "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, sand to sand and water to water return in peace." Duncan chanted and added "Rest assured that though you can get not ceremony now, no Harkonnen will have you."
On that note Duncan went in search of battle and revenge.
~*~*~*~*~
Chaz, the Mentat to House Smyrna emerged from his contemplation. "Sire."
"Your conclusions."
"Nothing less than House Smyrna's access to the spice is at stake. House Harkonnen is the means by which we procure the product. Compared to other markets our purchases are small, yet vital to us, as such we procure through the Harkonnens. Support the request and the market is secured. Deny the request and access to the spice will be cut. Abstain and the result will be the same - lack of spice. The planetary reserves available are for two million persons for one month. Woefully inadequate if House Smyrna is to face a Melange Embargo." The Mentat fell silent.
Faced with the facts of the matter the Vicount knew what had to be done. House Smyrna would endorse the request.
~*~*~*~*~
The Bene Gesserit Mother Superior was in conference with the Upper Six - a collection of her closest advisors. They gathered when the Mother Superior needed to discuss matters of policy. With the Mother Superior making the final decision after exhaustive debate.
Today there was only one agenda item: The request of Houses Harkonnen and Corrino for immunity from the ICJ. They had discussed the request till they got to the point of repetition...
"They will suspend support of the Bene Gesserit "
"They never cooperated voluntary; always under duress."
"What is at stake is not just an ICJ but the fundamental principles of interplanetary law with Landsraad relations being in jeopardy!"
"The concerns of the two Houses are based in their similar laws on the Military Service Members Protection Act (MSPA), which requires the Head of the Royal House Hold to issue a waiver in order for their citizens to be prosecuted for war crimes."
"This is not the first Royal House to protect its citizens. Look at the arrangements that were required before took control was taken of, for example, the ISAF on Planet Kabul by House Ra'af."
Mother Superior Sasha had heard enough. She raised her hand and silence descended. "As the situation stands, there can be no advantage in this for the Bene Gesserit. We shall abstain." With the decision made all debate on the topic ceased.
"Mother..." A sister called her attention "... may I suggest contingency plans?"
"What did you have in mind?" Sasha inquired.
"That we consolidate our position and guarantee spice flow with our own Sand Worm." Came the suggestion.
Out of the heated discussions that ensued; three themes emerged.
- Remember Salusa Secundus with Princess Wensicia Corrino all those years ago?!
- Look at what happened on Salusa Secundus just recently!
- The Fremen are busy right now and will not notice the kidnapping of a worm.
Again the final decision fell to the Mother Superior. The decision was made - the Bene Gesserit would make the attempt to host two worms on the desert of Wallach IX. That meant that two worms had to be secured. One extra... just in case.
With the decision taken all energies now focused on the task before them.
Good artists copy, great artists steal
Pablo Picasso
Life went on and as her world crumbled around her, Arista continued with her duties.
She wiped the tears from her eyes struggled to regain some decorum or Royal control, even managed for a moment to breath normally UNTIL she read the invitation again and lost complete control AGAIN.
It read…
Tula Belch, a missionary from Planet Rhianon, will be speaking tonight at Monticello Sietch. Come hear Tula Belch all the way from Rhianon.
It least things were not so bleak that she had lost her sense of humour.
~*~*~*~*~
It had taken time, but finally – finally Amasso had tracked down the author of the Report. Last seen entering Palace Harkonnen, he hadn't been seen again. Rumors abounded, however that he was enjoying the 'hospitality' of the Baron's dungeons.
Now Amasso stood at the Paxtang Grave Yard, looking at the tombstone of the known forger. He didn't know what disgusted him more the waste of the time, the fact that the man was dead or that he had failed to get any closer to proving the fraud.
It had been difficult tracing the man without being caught himself. With the forger dead the quiet, frightened faces who had talked before would all snap shut now. Frustrated he left and headed for the nearest spaceport. He'd return home, regroup and start again.
~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Thalmas Sanchez emerged from the Command and Control room and ran into Amasso who had just returned – not a soul knew the Atreides was back. Thalmas was surprised to see him in fact he seemed uncomfortable.
Amasso's senses sharpened from months of sobriety picked up on the man's discomfort. But his guard remained down this was the Doctor to the Empress he had top security clearance – there was no danger. "Thalmas, what's wrong?"
"Wrong?" The older man squeaked and began to sweat.
The younger spotted the bead of moisture and then realized where the other had emerged. Seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place for Amasso, Thalmas suddenly pulled out a hand weapon.
The para-bindu reflexes kicked in and Amasso dodged the shot. Thalmas held the trigger down and just kept shooting. The inevitable finally happened and he shot the Atreides. He stepped over the body and said "Sorry, you're Bene Gesserit trained – I can't afford for you to use the Voice on me."
He could hear running footsteps as the encounter brought security to the spot. They would soon find Amasso's lifeless body and the others in C and C. Having wasted time with the encounter, Sanchez's window of opportunity was getting too narrow for comfort. He set off running as the explosive devise he'd set detonated.
~*~*~*~*~
A ripple of energy woke Dax. As he contemplated the emptiness that he suddenly felt; the explosion threw him from his bed, and the warning that the house shields were down sent him running. His route to his mother's private chambers took him past C and C; there he came across the body of his Twin.
The emptiness now explained Dax knelt to hug the corpse. The moment the two hearts touched the vision of what happened coursed through his psyche like an electric bolt.
Reaching for Amasso's communicator Dax barked, "All stations this Lord Dax – you are to stop Dr. Thalmas Sanchez at all costs, if he resists shoot to kill. He is not to leave the Palace or the planet!"
He gently laid his brother down, kissed his brow, took one last look and set off running heading for his original destination.
~*~*~*~*~
The Fedaykin heard the command and needed no second urging. "STOP! Dr. Sanchez or I will shoot!" The officer called.
Thalmas stopped in his tracks and put his hands up in surrender. He turned and said, "Tell your masters to address me by my proper name – that of Lord Thalmas Harkonnen." He bit on the cyanide tooth and collapsed dead.
~*~*~*~*~
Dax entered his mother's chambers at a dead run. "Amasso is dead! The bastard killed my brother!" he skidded to a halt.
"You are sure, Fedaykin?" Duncan said ignoring Dax for the moment.
Arista had been standing next to Duncan listening to the one sided conversation. Upon Dax's unceremonious announcement her legs gave way and she sat abruptly on the near by bench.
Duncan turned to report to her. "Sanchez is dead. Announced that he was Harkonnen before he bit on the poison capsule."
"He killed Amasso!" Dax pronounced.
Duncan's demeanor hardened and he resolved that Arista would mourn her loss later. He shook her. "Arista! We need to get you out of here." He looked at Dax. "Take what clothes you need here and get dressed we need to get your mother out of here."
"But Amasso is off-planet!" She resisted.
Dax assured her. "I saw him myself, Mum... He's dead." He watched her keenly. His heart broke. His twin was dead and he Dax was in a struggle to avoid the same fate.
Duncan wavered then rallied. "ARISTA!!! We need to get you out of here!" He ordered his Empress. "Dax! Did I not tell you to get dressed?! The shields are down – now MOVE!"
~*~*~*~*~
A Sardaukar Colonel reported, "General, The Palace shields are down."
Rammen heard. "Deploy you troops, General. Take back that planet and give me back my throne."
The General nodded and the invasion by one million Sardaukar began.
~*~*~*~*~
Duncan went in search of the body of his son while he still had the time. He took a long lingering look then incinerated the body with his weapon. "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, sand to sand and water to water return in peace." Duncan chanted and added "Rest assured that though you can get not ceremony now, no Harkonnen will have you."
On that note Duncan went in search of battle and revenge.
~*~*~*~*~
Chaz, the Mentat to House Smyrna emerged from his contemplation. "Sire."
"Your conclusions."
"Nothing less than House Smyrna's access to the spice is at stake. House Harkonnen is the means by which we procure the product. Compared to other markets our purchases are small, yet vital to us, as such we procure through the Harkonnens. Support the request and the market is secured. Deny the request and access to the spice will be cut. Abstain and the result will be the same - lack of spice. The planetary reserves available are for two million persons for one month. Woefully inadequate if House Smyrna is to face a Melange Embargo." The Mentat fell silent.
Faced with the facts of the matter the Vicount knew what had to be done. House Smyrna would endorse the request.
~*~*~*~*~
The Bene Gesserit Mother Superior was in conference with the Upper Six - a collection of her closest advisors. They gathered when the Mother Superior needed to discuss matters of policy. With the Mother Superior making the final decision after exhaustive debate.
Today there was only one agenda item: The request of Houses Harkonnen and Corrino for immunity from the ICJ. They had discussed the request till they got to the point of repetition...
"They will suspend support of the Bene Gesserit "
"They never cooperated voluntary; always under duress."
"What is at stake is not just an ICJ but the fundamental principles of interplanetary law with Landsraad relations being in jeopardy!"
"The concerns of the two Houses are based in their similar laws on the Military Service Members Protection Act (MSPA), which requires the Head of the Royal House Hold to issue a waiver in order for their citizens to be prosecuted for war crimes."
"This is not the first Royal House to protect its citizens. Look at the arrangements that were required before took control was taken of, for example, the ISAF on Planet Kabul by House Ra'af."
Mother Superior Sasha had heard enough. She raised her hand and silence descended. "As the situation stands, there can be no advantage in this for the Bene Gesserit. We shall abstain." With the decision made all debate on the topic ceased.
"Mother..." A sister called her attention "... may I suggest contingency plans?"
"What did you have in mind?" Sasha inquired.
"That we consolidate our position and guarantee spice flow with our own Sand Worm." Came the suggestion.
Out of the heated discussions that ensued; three themes emerged.
- Remember Salusa Secundus with Princess Wensicia Corrino all those years ago?!
- Look at what happened on Salusa Secundus just recently!
- The Fremen are busy right now and will not notice the kidnapping of a worm.
Again the final decision fell to the Mother Superior. The decision was made - the Bene Gesserit would make the attempt to host two worms on the desert of Wallach IX. That meant that two worms had to be secured. One extra... just in case.
With the decision taken all energies now focused on the task before them.
