Imra Ardeen was born to a wealthy house on the Titan homeworld and grew up on the coast free from want. However, that didn't mean Imra was free of inconvenience. "Get your ass up," Sydne Ardeen ordered her as she lay in bed.
"What's the occasion?" Imra asked groggily.
"Father wants you in full-dress before the Emperor's herald arrives," Sydne told her.
"Military?" Imra wondered.
"Ceremonial," Sydne corrected.
"Why do you I have go through all this when it's already been decided?" Imra complained.
"You want...this," Sydne sensed as she got herself a glass of water.
"Yeah," Imra said expectantly.
"If you want it, you have to make me," Sydne ordered.
"Mom, I just woke up," Imra shook her head.
"Do it!" Sydne ordered.
"Give me the water," Imra said in her head. Sydne felt compelled to bring her the glass of water but only halfway there.
"Almost. That was half-assed," Sydne scolded. "Sedi skills take years to acquire. You look tired. Dreams?"
"No," Imra denied.
Upon the Emperor's herald's arrival, Imra was in her ceremonial black uniform as heir to House Ardeen. Her father, Bertor, her mother, Sydne, Mon-El, Brainiac 5, and a militia battalion of men arrived to greet the Emperor's herald. "Smile, Mon," Bertor ordered.
"Fuck yourself...Sir," Mon replied.
"I wonder what it cost them for this formality?" Bertor considered.
"A total of 1,460,000 solaris for the round trip," Brainiac 5 calculated.
"Gas prices, they be rising," Bertor acknowledged.
The herald came before Bertor and took out a scroll. "The Emperor has spoken: House Ardeen shall immediately take control of Arrakis and serve as its steward over all of its spice. Do you accept?"
"Sure...whatever," Bertor replied without enthusiasm.
"Your seal, asshole," the herald ordered.
Bertor proceeded to seal the scroll. "Is this some kind of trap to lure me to an inhospitable shit-hole full of native rebels so House Harkonnen can ambush me and my family?"
"No shit," the herald said obviously and then walked back to his ship.
"Damn...it," Bertor said annoyed, and then turned back to his side.
Bertor and Imra had a talk among the graves of their ancestors. "I don't want to go to Arrakis. I want to stay here where it's cool and wet," Imra complained.
"Out of the question, you're going," Bertor ordered.
"But why?" Imra asked.
"You know why, Imra. You're the future of House Ardeen," Bertor said obviously.
"I'm a girl. I shouldn't have to do shit," Imra protested. "I'm a princess."
"Oh, really? Princesses get sent off by their fathers to be baby-machines to establish alliances. Is that what you want? I need you by my side. When we get to Arrakis, we'll face enormous danger," Bertor warned.
"What danger?" Imra scoffed. "The sand?"
"Political danger, idiot," Bertor shook his head dismayed. "The great houses look to us for leadership and this threatens the emperor. By taking Arrakis from the Harkonnens and making it ours, he sets the stage for a war that will weaken both houses."
"Sounds like the emperor is an asshole," Imra remarked.
"I've cultivated air and sea power but none of it compares to the power of your mind," Bertor complimented. "I want you sitting in on my council, learn what I do. A great leader doesn't seek to lead, she's called to it and she answers. And if your answer is no, you're fucked up."
"Damn," Imra winced.
"Now, be what I need you to me, the most powerful Sedi knight in our entire family history," Bertor encouraged.
Imra looked over all the graves of her ancestors. "Setting a low bar there," she mocked.
"God help us all," Bertor shook his head as he walked off.
Mon entered Imra's training room unannounced wearing a black gi that showed off his figure. "Don't stand with your back to the door. That invites a surprise attack to your rear," Mon lectured.
"I sensed your foul mind the moment you entered the compound," Imra said dismissively.
"Choose your blade," Mon said as he brought some swords.
"I've had quite a day, Mon," Imra declined. "Sing me a song instead."
Mon threw a sword blade at her back. Imra deviated the path of the blade just in time telekinetically. "Really?" Mon and Imra clashed repeatedly with their swords. The sword wasn't nearly sharp enough to cut Mon's skin and Imra used a telekinetic shield around her. Even so, Mon press through the shield with his blade at her neck. Imra withdrew annoyed.
"I'm not in the mood for your Insane bullshit," Imra told him off.
"You fight when the necessity arrives. no matter your mood," Mon lectured.
The two fought once more with Mon easily kicking her ass and bringing her to the floor. "I have you," Mon taunted.
"You'll join me in death," Imra replied as her sword was pointed directly at his balls.
"I see you found the mood," Mon smiled and instantly appeared standing.
"Do you really think this plan of yours is going to work? For eighty years, House Harkonnen has occupied Arrakis with all their spice fields and wealth. You've never met Harkonnens before. They're fucking brutal," Imra warned.
"I'm ready," Mon said confidently.
Titan-Giedi
On the other side of the planet where it was dark and rainy, House Harkonnen possessed a giant metallic pyramid in the center of a large sprawling city. Rabban, the nephew of Lord Baron came forth to give his report inside the pyramid. As he approached, he was met by Lord Baron's assistant who was secretly a Brainiac 5 drone. All Harkonnens were bald by choice, free of facial hair, and had a pale complexion. Lord Baron happened to be in the middle of a nude sauna session when Rabban interrupted him.
"The last of our ships have left Arrakis. It is done," Rabban reported.
"Very good," Lord Baron said pleased.
"Uncle, how can we let this happen? How can the emperor take everything we've built and give it to that prince? How?" Rabban shouted pissed off.
"Don't be sure it's an act of love," Brainiac 5 told him.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Rabban asked impatiently.
"When is a gift not a gift?" Lord Baron asked coyly.
"I don't know. If it's not a gift, it's not a gift. What the fuck is going on? Why the fuck is this happening? When was this shit decided? Who the fuck is responsible?" Rabban raged.
"House Ardeen's voice is rising and the emperor is a jealous man," Lord Baron explained.
"So?" Rabban asked completely confused.
"A dangerous jealous man," Lord Baron further clarified.
There was a long awkward pause between them. "So?" Rabban shouted.
"For fuck's sake, it's a trap. Now, shut the fuck up," Lord Baron ordered him.
Titan-Caladan
Sydne woke up Imra in the middle of the night. "Wake the fuck up," she ordered her. "Get dressed."
"It's that stupid-ass test, isn't it?" Imra said groggily.
"Stop reading my mind," Sydne scolded her. "Not a word to anyone. You're not supposed to know."
Imra and Sydne came before Helen Mohaim, a Sedj Master. She was an old woman that covered her ugly face with a veil. "She has the defiant eyes of her father. Leave us," Helen ordered Sydne away.
"You must do everything she tells you," Sydne told Imra and then left the room.
"That sounds like bullshit," Imra said as she exited. Imra then turned to Helen. "You may have scared her off in her own house but not me. I'm kind of a big deal."
"Come here, kneel," Helen ordered forcing Imra forward with mind-control.
"How dare you? I am a princess," Imra said outraged.
"Put your hand in the box," Helen ordered.
"What's in the box?" Imra asked curiously.
"Your mother bade you obey me," Helen reminded her.
"What's the worse that will happen? I get chewed out? I've been chewed out before," Imra said dismissively.
"Do it!" Helen insisted.
"Come on, what's in the box?" Imra demanded.
"Put your hand in the box, little girl, or I will scramble your brain," Helen threatened.
Imra slowly put her hand in the box and immediately Helen placed a poison needle to her throat. "It's a poison needle. Instant death," Helen explained. "The test is simple. Remove your hand from the box, and you die."
"What's in the box?" Imra repeated.
"Pain," Helen replied.
Imra scoffed at her. "No need to call your guards. Your mother guards the door. No one will get past her," Helen said.
"Yeah right?" Imra rolled her eyes. "Let's put that to the test."
"An animal caught in a trap will gnaw off its own leg to escape. What will you do?" Helen wondered.
"Is that some kind of portable microwave?" Imra asked as the box became activated.
"Silence," Helen ordered. After a good minute of intense pain and suffering, Imra didn't react at all. Helen gave her an odd look as she didn't sense any discomfort whatsoever. "Enough," she said stabbing her in the neck with the poison needle. Still, nothing happened. Imra calmly took her hand out of the box, looked at it as its hologram fluctuated, and then shook it back to normal. She then took the needle out of her neck and looked it over.
"I figured you were merely skilled enough to block out my telepathy. When you came before me, you were merely bluffing. What are you?" Helen demanded.
Imra morphed into Brainiac 5 and then fired a cable into Helen's forehead puncturing her skull and recording her memories. He then let her fall dead on the floor. Brainiac 5 threw a vial on the body to disintegrate it and then took her appearance. Liquid metal then poured off Brainiac 5's frame and then became humanoid in shape. The liquid metal Brainiac 5 then appeared as Imra.
"Sydne," Brainiac 5 called in. Sydne entered the room and gave a sigh of relief that her daughter was still alive. "You've trained her well in the way." Sydne embraced what she believed was her daughter.
Brainiac 5 then accompanied other members of the Sedi Order away from Caladan where he could study them more. The liquid metal Brainiac 5 approached Sydne appearing as Imra. "Am I the one?"
"The Sedi Order serves as powerful partners to the great houses but there's more to it," Sydne told him.
"You stir the politics of the empire from the shadows. I know," Brainiac 5 replied.
"You don't know everything," Sydne insisted.
"Oh really?" Brainiac 5 asked intrigued.
"For thousands of years, we've been carefully crossing bloodlines to bring forth the one, a mind powerful enough to breach space and time, past and future. We think we're very close now. I think she's with us now," Sydne said.
"Yeah, who?" Brainiac 5 asked acting dumb.
"You, idiot," Sydne said frustrated.
"All part of the plan," Brainiac 5 said referring specifically to his plan.
The next morning, House Ardeen prepared to leave. Several transport ships rose from the ocean without a spec of rust on them while servants gathered the household's belongings. Imra was outside picking flowers not being helpful at all. As she walked around the beach, she met up with Brainiac 5. "You took the test for me and are now impersonating a Sedi master," Imra accused.
"I have control of the entire council," Brainiac 5 corrected.
"I could have passed that test," Imra said displeased.
"Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. I couldn't take a chance on it," Brainiac 5 said simply.
"I'm putting a lot of trust in you. My house is at stake with this adventure," Imra said.
"I know," Brainiac 5 said nonchalantly.
Arrakis
House Ardeen finally landed their transport ships on Arrakis and took over the spice processing facility. Everything the Harkonnens had built for comfort and operations was now theirs. Upon exiting the transport ships, they were immediately exposed to the harsh sunlight and sand. Imra wisely had sunglasses on as she faced the sunlight for the first time on this world. Brainiac 5 was already there waiting for them.
"How does it feel to walk on a new world?" Brainiac 5 asked her.
"Bored. This planet bores me," Imra admitted.
"My advanced team has secured the city," Brainiac 5 informed Bertor. "There are still some rough spots."
As Imra walked across the dry sandy grounds to the palace, the natives, high as fuck on spice, greeted them with celebration. Bertor and Mon went about inspecting the rows of his militia army. Brainiac 5 guided Imra and Sydne onto a helicopter with eight flapping wings. "What were they saying?" Imra asked Brainiac 5.
"They were calling you the messiah," Brainiac 5 translated.
"How astute of them," Imra smirked.
"Actually, the Sedi Order planted the idea into their heads long before you arrived," Brainiac 5 corrected. "These people have waited centuries for a messiah, the signs."
"They only believe what they've been told to believe," Imra said disdainfully.
"Yes," Brainiac 5 agreed.
A squadron of helicopters approached the palace. "Shield wall, protects the city from storms and the worms," Brainiac 5 explained. The city was nearly surrounded by mountains except for the side with the wall. The massive city was now a ghost town with the Harkonnens gone. The palace itself was a pyramid of Harkonnen design.
Bertor and Mon took a tour of the city's defenses. "These sand storms are wreaking havoc on our com systems. It's also too quiet out there," Bertor said anxiously.
"The spaceport and the spice refinery are the two most vulnerable points," Mon pointed out.
"We'll guard them. If we can't refine spice and ship it off-world, we're dead here," Bertor said worriedly.
"This place really is a shithole," Mon remarked unimpressed.
"They say in the shower you scrub your ass with sand," Bertor said dryly.
Imra went outside in the middle of the day when the temperature was near-lethal unsupervised. She went out to tour around and saw a native gardener pour precious water on a palm tree. "Hello," Imra greeted.
"You shouldn't be out at this time of day," the gardener told her.
"They're out here," Imra pointed out the native crowds hoping to get a glimpse of her.
"They're pilgrims. They don't care if they get heatstroke," the gardener explained.
"I never figured palm trees could exist out here," Imra considered.
"Oh, they're not native. They would die without me," the gardener said. "Each one of these drinks the equivalent of five men a day. Twenty palm trees, one hundred lives," he mused.
"Probably should remove them and save the water," Imra said compassionately.
"No, no, these are sacred," the gardener told her.
"Fuck it then," Imra said disinterestedly.
Imra went back to her room where she got bored silly watching a power-point presentation on Arrakis desert life. Suddenly, she noticed a small insect-looking probe slowly moving towards her. Imra gave the probe an odd look and let it fly around the room searching for her. Once it found her, it went straight for her. Imra crushed the probe with her mind before it even got close and let the remains fall to the floor.
Imra then scanned the area with her mind and found the operator in the walls. Brainiac 5 and his men tore open the walls only to find the operator dead via suicide. "The operator remained behind after the Harkonnens had left. He manned the probe through the water pipes," Brainiac 5 briefed Bertor and Sydne.
"You may have failed me today but I refuse your resignation. You shall not deprive us of your talent in this time of need," Bertor said passionately.
"Seeing as how I had no intention of resigning, it's good we're on the same page," Brainiac 5 said pleased.
"You're a man that has no honor," Bertor realized.
"I am neither a man nor of honor," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Go catch me some spies," Bertor ordered.
Titan-Giedi
Brainiac 5 came before Lord Baron impersonating Helen. Lord Baron's assistant was already one of Brainiac 5's drones. In the corner of the room was a weird-ass spider the size of a humanoid with limbs that resembled human hands. Brainiac 5 gave the creature an interested look and then approached. Lord Baron was slouched on his throne in an all-black outfit.
"What is the Emperor's message?" Lord Baron asked.
"He will strengthen your hand with his army. It must never be known," Brainiac 5 said impersonating Helen.
"There are no satellites over Arrakis. House Ardeen would die in the dark," Lord Baron said confidently. "And what of Sydne and Imra Ardeen? Are they not part of your order?"
"Do as you wish to them," Brainiac 5 told him.
"And here I was going to pull a loophole and dump them in the middle of the desert where they would surely die," Lord Baron said.
"And risk them being rescued by the natives and becoming their savior which would allow for a counterattack that would lead to your ruin?" Brainiac 5 scoffed.
"Good point. I will have my Arrakis back, my desert, my dune," Lord Baron said to him.
Arrakis
Imra showed up late to her father's council meeting. "Imra Ardeen, crushes a hunter-seeker with her mind like a God damn hero. Fucking outstanding," Mon said pleased.
"I don't need telepathy to know you're full of shit," Imra said sitting next to him.
"Let's get started," Bertor said. "Barney?"
"I recovered an accounting log from the Harkonnens. Their revenue was 10 billion solaris a year," he reported. "However, we won't be seeing profits like that for a while, not with the equipment they left us."
"How bad is it?" Bertor asked alarmed.
"Before they left, they sabotaged everything. We're meant to fill twenty-five silos a day," Brainiac 5 said.
"Well...shit," Bertor muttered.
A representative of the native people was given an audience before Bertor, Mon, Brainiac 5, and Imra. He was a tall man with rugged clothes with a specially-design suit to keep him hydrated. The suit would take his sweat and urine and recycle it back into water for him to drink while also keeping him cool. His eyes were blue with a facial expression of disdain. "Stop right there," Mon told him as he continued towards Bertor. Mon then raised his hand to incinerate him when the man stopped.
"Stilgar, welcome," Bertor said diplomatically. "Sir, I respect the personal dignity of any man that respects mine." Stilgar proceeded to spit on the floor. Mon was about to kill his ass when Bertor stopped him. "Hold."
"Thank you, Stilgar, for the gift of your body's moisture. We accept it in the spirit that it was given," Brainiac 5 said knowingly.
"You fucking serious?" Bertor asked Brainiac 5 incredulously. Bertor then spat on his own table as a gesture of his respect. Imra rolled her eyes as she read the thoughts of everyone in the room. "I'm glad you've come. I believe your people and mine have much to offer each other like electricity, indoor plumbing."
"You are outworlders, you come here for the spice. you take it, give nothing back in return," Stilgar accused.
"He's not wrong," Imra remarked.
"Hey, I just got here, alright. I know you've suffered at the hands of the Harkonnen. Name what you want. If it's in my power to grant, I will give it and ask for nothing," Bertor offered.
"Do not trespass in our lands. The desert was ours long before you came. So, come and dig your spice, but when you have it, go back to this side of the shield wall and leave the desert to us," Stilgar said.
"Fair enough," Bertor allowed.
"I must go. That is all I have to say to you," Stilgar said and then left.
"Why don't you stay?" Imra asked stopping him in his tracks.
"I know who you are," he said spooked, and then walked off.
"I don't like him," Mon remarked suspiciously.
"My Lord, I assure you our plan bears fruit," Brainiac 5 told him.
"But it will take time?" Bertor assumed.
"Actually, it will be super-easy, barely an inconvenience," Brainiac 5 said confidently.
On a scouting mission, Bertor, Mon, Brainiac 5, and Imra rode on a helicopter. They flew over the sands and found a harvester vehicle, a large tank platform. "That's one of our harvesters," Brainiac 5 identified.
The harvester rolled around in the sand while filtering the spice out. Bertor circled around the harvester and then went higher into the air. Around them were probes designed to detect worms rising towards the surface. "If we are patient, we should see a worm."
"The worm always comes?" Mon questioned.
"They're attracted to the rhythmic noises," Brainiac 5 said.
"Why not shield the harvesters?" Imra asked.
"A shield will attract the worms and drive them into a killing frenzy," Brainiac 5 explained.
"Is that a worm?" Bertor spotted.
Brainiac 5's eyes spotted the worm. "Good eyes."
"So, what happens now?" Mon asked curiously.
"A carryall will arrive to take the harvester away," Brainiac 5 answered
The carryall arrived on the scene and attached cables to the harvester. However, only three of the four cables attached to the harvester successfully. "The fourth docking cable failed to attach. "We are fucked, over," the Harvester crew radioed.
"Having only four cables and not a couple of spares seems like a serious design flaw," Imra remarked.
"No shit," Bertor agreed.
"Hydraulics are dead. We must evacuate," the harvester crew radioed.
"How many men are on the harvester?" Bertor asked Brainiac 5.
"Twenty-one," Brainiac 5 answered.
"Our ships can only take six each," Imra reminded him. There were three hovering helicopters total.
"We'll find a way. Nut to butt," Bertor said seriously.
The three helicopters took a dive and landed on the sand near the harvester. Mon and Irma exited the helicopter and immediately felt a contact high from the spice on the sand. The carryall detached from the harvester and took off. With her telepathy, Imra directed the harvester crew to the helicopters over the roar of the helicopter blades and sand storm. Imra then went into a trance as the worm was right on them.
The worm bust through the sand revealing a head large enough to overwhelm Imra's field of vision. The mouth was wide-open with countless long teeth. Imra held up her hand and telepathically forced the worm to stop. To her surprise, the worm stopped moving. "Fuck...yeah," Imra said completely high.
A beam went into the worm's mouth creating a 400 meter-long explosion that erupted the sand into the air. The worm was completely destroyed as its insides were incinerated and then exploded outward. Imra gave Mon a look of shock having been still connected to the worm when it was killed. The sands were on fire for hundreds of meters as the spice ignited.
"Holy shit," she said softly.
"Too bad it only counts as one," Mon smirked. "I'll kill the next one with one punch."
"Get back on the ship," Bertor radioed.
Mon took hold of Imra and instantly teleported them both onto the helicopter.
Back at the base, Bertor was pissed off for several reasons. "You can't take risks like that. You have a responsibility as the heir of our house," Bertor scolded her.
"It won't happen again because I'm never going out there again," Imra said smartly.
"You see what I have to work with here. We've been set up to fail," Bertor said to Brainiac 5.
"The equipment could just be old," Brainiac 5 shrugged.
"Do you know what will happen if spice production doesn't come back on track?" Bertor asked rhetorically.
"Don't worry about the spice. Care for your family," Brainiac 5 advised.
Titan-Salusa Secundus
On the mountainous side of the planet, the Imperial army trained. The weather was typically rainy, cold, and dreary. Despite this, formations of hard-core troops knelt as they went through a battle ritual. While the speaker sang in throat song, priests placed a blood mark on the foreheads of all the soldiers while carrying beads. This blood came from crucified prisoners hung upside down. Their blood would leak together into a pool of water where it would then be taken by the priests.
"What does the Baron want with us?" the Imperial commander asked. "The Harkonnens outnumber Ardeen."
"Ardeen legions are the finest in the empire. They are being trained by Prince Mon-El of the Jin-Saiyan and are using a Brainiac offshoot for their intelligence," Brainiac 5, impersonating Baron's aid, told him.
"We are the Sardaukar, the Emperor's elite. Anyone who defies us will fall," the Imperial commander said confidently.
"Just so. Three battalions as agreed," Brainiac 5 insisted.
"As the Emperor commands, it will be done," the Imperial commander replied.
Arrakis
Soon thereafter, Bertor and Brainiac 5 had a meeting. "It will be tonight. Whatever happens, you are not to leave your quarters. Leave everything to us," Brainiac 5 instructed.
"How can I sleep under these circumstances?" Bertor wondered.
"You want a drug?" Brainiac 5 asked helpfully.
"No, not like that," Bertor rejected.
"Your concubine should give you ease of mind," Brainiac 5 advised referring to Sydne.
That night, Imperial special forces entered the palace and attacked the guards with tranquilizer darts. The guards were unaffected and fired tentacle cables at the assassins killing them instantly. Once the palace was secure, Brainiac 5 met up with Mon. "My orbiting probe has detected the Harkonnen ship. They're on schedule. Wait until they deploy their forces and then destroy it."
"Why not destroy it now?" Mon asked.
"It's a matter of moral philosophy," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Whatever," Mon said dismissively.
Exiting the palace, Mon saw the ship above them looking like a cylinder with a big mouth. Smaller transport ships then exited the larger ship. "You may attack them now," Brainiac 5 radioed.
Mon went Super Insane in a flash of light and flew into the air towards the ship. As he reached the upper atmosphere, he aimed for the ship and fired. The beam went into the mouth of the ship and caused an explosion that ripped it apart. The explosion lit up the sky and its shockwave rattled the surface. Within seconds, tens of thousands of Harkonnens were dead.
The smaller ships continued on mission towards the Ardeen city on the surface. Anti-aircraft guns were ready to go and fired continuous shots at the Harkonnen fighters and transport ships. The helicopter squadrons were also already in the air and firing on the Harkonnens. Those that managed to get through the Ardeen defenses were blasted apart by energy beams from Mon. A very few transport ships managed to land on the ground where elite Imperial commandos charged. Mon unsheathed his sword and sliced through them all within a second. As the Imperial commandos tried to retreat, Ardeen defenders were ready for them having snuck up behind them. The Imperial commandos were quickly slaughtered. The few that surrendered, Mon beheaded anyway.
Despite their best efforts, a few Imperial commandos managed to get deep inside the palace. Imra sensed their presence and wandered the halls. The Imperial commandos noticed who she was and tried to make her a hostage. She froze them in place with her telekinetic ability. "Kill him. Kill him now," she ordered the leader of the three. Without hesitation, he slit the throat of the second.
"Give me the knife," Imra ordered.
The Imperial commando handed her knife. Imra then sliced deep into his neck killing him on the spot. Imra then eyed the third Imperial commando frozen in place. She levitated the knife just above her hand and then sliced his throat with it as the knife went past him.
Brainiac 5 and Mon met up after the battle. "There may still have been some that escaped. We must use our talents to find them and eliminate them."
"What's your kill count?" Mon asked smiling. Brainiac 5 merely gave him a blank expression. "Don't worry about it. Mine's higher."
Titan-Giedi
Lord Baron was unaware that his fleet and armies had been completely destroyed as he had dinner. His staff and bodyguards were present as he ate. Brainiac 5 controlled the information the Harkonnens were receiving keeping them in the dark. "Tonight, the House of Ardeen shall fall. Prince Bertor will be dead, his concubine will be dead, his daughter will be dead. And the Ardeen bloodline ends forever."
Brainiac 5, impersonating Lord Baron's aid, then released a poisonous gas into the room killing everyone present quickly. Even still, Lord Baron was formidable enough to survive by climbing the ceiling and escaping the gas level. Brainiac 5 shot out tentacle cables that wrapped around his body and brought him back down to the floor where his eyes imploded, his skin boiled, and his lungs liquified. After a torturous moment, Lord Baron was dead.
With the doors locked, Brainiac 5 waited for a Harkonnen HAZMAT team to enter. He quickly slaughtered them as well and then exited the room where he impersonated another Harkonnen individual. Under false intel, Rabban was directed towards a healing center where he had been told Lord Baron was rejuvenating from the assassination attempt. Rabban approached a pool of black bubbly liquid believing Lord Baron was in it.
"Uncle...our forces were destroyed. It was like they saw it coming! How could they have known!" he shouted. "I know what to do. I'll begin selling our spice reserves," he said calming himself down. "But not too much or the price will fall, just like you taught me, uncle."
Brainiac 5 emerged from the pool and shot out a tentacle cable around his neck. "Squeeze, squeeze hard," Brainiac 5 mocked as he strangled Rabban to death.
Titan-Caitan
Mon and Imra instantly teleported near the Emperor's palace, a golden giant pyramid with countless defenses. "I don't see why I have to be here. Just do your thing," Imra said.
"You need to be here. It's your planet and you're supposed to be some kind of messiah," Mon told her off.
"I killed three guys," Imra said impressed with herself.
"Three? You must be joking," Mon rolled his eyes.
The Emperor's army then charged them while the pyramid fired non-stop. Imra held out her hand as she stopped the artillery fire from reaching them. The shots simply hovered in the air until they lost energy. Mon fired on the Sardaukar blasting them to pieces in violent explosions. Undeterred, they kept coming. Mon did a number of different techniques as he slaughtered them all. Energy discs sliced through their midsections dropping them. Shockwave blasts shattered them on impact. As the Sardauker kept coming, Mon made a point of lining up a beam to slice through more than one at a time.
Impatient with Mon toying around, Imra dropped the remaining Sardauker as their brains exploded inside their heads. The pyramid went silent as virtually everyone inside was killed telepathically. Mon and Imra then entered the pyramid. There, the Emperor, Helen, his staff, and a few of his bodyguards were still alive. Mon and Imra confronted the Emperor in his throne room.
"Emperor Shaddam IV, you have some idea of what I could do," Imra addressed him. "I can kill with a thought."
"You think yourself so righteous? You entrapped us all. You conspired with outsiders to trick me into giving your house Arrakis with all of its riches and then to slaughter House Harkonnen and my men. Now, you stand before me with an Insane at your side?" Emperor Shaddam IV accused.
"I'll give you a standing chance. Take up your blade against me," Imra said as she took out her knife.
"You sure? I can take care of him," Mon offered.
"Emperor?" Imra challenged.
With no other option, he accepted the duel. Imra immediately forced the blade out of his hand to her own and then threw the blade into his heart killing him on the spot. "I am...the messiah, the hand of God. I will bring my people to freedom and change the face of our world."
The fallen emperor's men then took a knee before Imra. "Good shit," Mon complimented.
Even with this victory, House Ardeen couldn't hope to control the planet completely. A coalition government was made between House Ardeen, the fallen emperor's daughters, and the navigator's guild with Bertor acting as a prime minister of a sort. Arrakis would remain in the hands of House Ardeen for the foreseeable future. The Sedi Order eventually grew wise to Brainiac 5 impersonating Helen and disposed of him creating a new council.
Imra came before this new Sedi council with high expectations. Her mother, Sydne, was one of the masters. "The council does not take this appointment lightly, Imra of House Ardeen," Eve Ross said to her. "This war between the houses and a Brainiac infiltrating our ranks has been highly disturbing."
"I understand," Imra humored her.
"You're on this council...but we do not grant you the rank of master," Eve said condescendingly.
"The fuck?" Imra spat.
Author's Notes: CW Imra was given telekinetic powers as telepathy would be redundant with J'onn. It would also make it easier to defeat the World Killers. Her appearance is also different as another blond superhero would be too confusing. If she were blond, it would also raise questions as to whether CW Mon imposed his love of Kara onto her in a creepy inappropriate way. Let's just say CW never gave us Saturn Girl in any accurate form. AOS Imra has both telepathy and telekinetic abilities basically making her a Jedi which works nicely with a Dune adaptation. As for Dune, this is a genre clash as superheroes are too OP for this mythology. That said, Brainiac 5 was able to show his talents and what type of character he is in this episode. He is the complete inverse to the CW version, competent, intelligent, and lethal.
*Technically, a version of Saturn Girl has two sisters but that ruins this Dune narrative so they're not mentioned.
*Mon wanting to punch a worm next time is a reference to Once Punch Man.
*Eve Ross is a reference to Saturn Queen.