Marcus & Paul enter a conference room dominated by Leto's staff officers, including Hawat, and Gurney Halleck. Gurney grins as they enter.
Gurney: Your first strategy meeting. Paul Atreides, who catches hunter-seekers in his bare hands like a hero of old.
The staff officers along with Gurney and Marcus chuckle at the remark made by Gurney
Paul: Thanks for the humiliation, old man.
Marcus: Ah, leave it. He's just keeping an eye on you.
Gurney nods at Marcus
Paul and Marcus occupy the seats next to their father's.
Leto enters with the weight of leadership clearly visible on his shoulders. He gives his staff officers a nod and looks them in the eyes takes a seat at the head of the table.
Leto: Let's get started. Thufir. Operations.
Hawat: I secured a copy of the Harkonnens' account books. The Harkonnens took ten billion Solaris out of here every year.
Gurney: "For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas and the treasure hid in the sand."
Hawat: We won't see profits like that for a while. Not with the equipment they left us.
Leto: How bad is it?
Hawat leads Leto, Marcus Paul, Gurney, and the other staff officers up to a Spice Freighter in a secured hangar.
The ship's cavernous cargo hold yawns open.
Hawat: These are spice silos. We're meant to fill every crate
Paul: All of them?
Hawat: Every 25 standard days. Harkonnen sabotage slows us down.
Paul: But who's meant to arbitrate? Isn't there a Judge of the Change to oversee the transition?
Marcus: I believe there is, and if I recall correctly, the Emperor did appoint someone to that task.
Gurney: Who did the Emperor appoint?
Hawat: Dr. Liet Kynes. Imperial Ecologist. Been here 20 years. Eccentric, from what I'm told
Leto: I want to see these harvesting fields myself.
Hawat: I wouldn't recommend it, my lord.
Leto: Have this Judge of the Change accompany us. A meeting's long overdue. And we'll get a bit of Imperial protection.
Gurney: A hostage. I love it.
Marcus, Paul & Leto smirk at Gurney's comment. Hawat touches his transceiver.
Hawat: Hmm, my lord, he's here.
They look up when the Ornithopter's wings thump. Three ornithopters fly quickly in their direction.
Marcus smiles as he knows who has arrived.
The lead ornithopter comes in fast and low, flares its wings and touches down lightly. Hawat's security personnel rush to check the aircraft and Duncan Idaho appears as if he is transformed, he appears to be wearing a Fremen stillsuit and robes, with a long sword with a two-handed cruciform hilt, as he exits the ornithopter.
His ornithopter departs three Fremen. The security force of Hawat approaches. The Fremen keep a wary eye on them. Idaho comforts them in their native tongue
Duncan: (in Chakobsa) Go with them in peace.
He casually welcomes Hawat's troops when they arrive.
Duncan: Take care of them. They are friends.
Paul: Duncan!
Duncan turns to see Paul running towards him, whilst Marcus is walking next to Gurney, with a smile on his face.
Duncan: Ahh, my boys!
The Fremen agree to be led away by Hawat's security squad. Squads of Fremen exit the other two ornithopters as they touch down behind Idaho and spread out cautiously over the runway. They are quiet, proud, and thin desert warriors, men and women alike. Duncan approaches Paul and the others while grinning like a victorious hero. They embrace as Paul races to meet him.
Duncan: I swear you are getting taller.
Paul: Well, you smell much worse.
Duncan laughs at Paul's comment before turning his head towards Marcus and giving him a big bro hug.
Duncan: And I swear you just keep getting stronger.
Marcus: I had a wonderful teacher.
Then Gurney and Duncan clasp arms.
To hear Duncan's story, Duke Leto and his subordinates assemble around the table. Leto sits, as others stand or lean against cases in the casual setting. They speak quickly and excitedly.
Duncan: For four weeks I lived with the Fremen, hidden in the desert, in a community called a sietch. Stilgar, the leader of that sietch, has come with me to meet you, Sire.
Leto: This sietch, how was it hidden?
Duncan: It's underground. Arrakis is filled with caverns.
Paul: How big was the place?
Duncan: I'd say ten thousand people. And there are hundreds of sietches.
Leto: Millions of Fremen. You were right.
Hawat: The Harkonnen estimate was fifty thousand on the whole planet!
Duncan: The Fremen watched me search for them for days. I never saw them. Finally, they sent a warrior out to kill me. And I gotta tell you, I've never come so close to dying. There are no finer fighters in the Imperium. They fight like demons.
Marcus: Sounds like a pretty accurate description of the Fremen, from what I've read about them.
Duncan: What you've read isn't even close to what they are like in real life. I have never seen any other kind of fighters even close to their level.
Leto: Desert power. Duncan, well done.
Duncan: Thank you, my lord.
Officer: Sire!
The leader of the Fremen, Stilgar is brought in by one of Hawat's experts. He has a proud, serious posture. He is holding a sheathed Crysknife in his hands.
Officer: The leader has a knife he won't surrender, Sire.
Duncan: It's a crysknife. It's sacred to his people.
Leto: Let him pass
Stilgar walks in. Marcus and Paul are equally astounded by the presence of the Fremen leader and warrior. Paul, the son of the Bene Gesserit, also known as the Lisan al-Gaib, also catches Stilgar's attention. Marcus, who is capable of using the Force, also draws his attention.
Officer: Stop there.
Stilgar ignores and continues walking
Officer: Stop There!
Leto signals to the officer to let him know it's ok. Stilgar stops in front of the table that separates him from the Duke, his officers, Duncan, Gurney, Marcus and Paul.
Leto: Stilgar. Welcome. Sir, I respect the personal dignity of any man who respects mine.
Stilgar spits on the table while leaning over. Gurney springs to his feet while gripping his blade angrily.
Duncan: Hold! (to Stilgar) Thank you, Stilgar, for the gift of your body's moisture. We accept it in the spirit in which it is given.
In his turn, Duncan spits on the table. Duke Leto casts an ironic glance at Stilgar and Duncan before spitting on the table.
Leto: I'm glad you've come. I believe your people and mine have much to offer one another.
Stilgar: No, no. You are Outworlders, you come for the spice. You take it, giving nothing in return.
Paul: It's true.
Leto: I know you've suffered at the hands of the Harkonnens. Name what you want. If it is in my power to grant, I will give it and ask for nothing.
Stilgar: I ask for this. Do not seek our sietches, 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. Leave the desert to the Fremen.
Gurney: You will address the Duke as "Sire" or "My Lord..."
Leto: Gurney. Just... Just a moment. (to Stilgar) The Emperor has given me Arrakis as my fief, to rule and protect. I cannot promise not to travel into the desert if duty compels me, but your sietches will be yours forever, and you will never be hunted while I govern here.
Stilgar: That is honourable.
Stilgar bows his head to the Duke
Stilgar: I must go. That is all I have to say to you.
Paul: Won't you stay? We would honour you.
Marcus: It's true, we would. You'd be more than welcome to stay, that goes as well to your other two friends.
Marcus and Paul are noticed by Stilgar. They receive a tiny nod of respect from him.
Stilgar: Honor requires that I be elsewhere. (in Chakobsa, to Paul) I recognise you. (in Chakobsa, to Marcus) May the Force be with you.
Paul scowls, not comprehending what is being said. Marcus, who has, somehow, become fluent in the language of Chakobsa, raised an eyebrow in response to what Stilgar said to him. Recalling them in his mind. Without more ceremony, Stilgar turns and walks back to his ornithopter while being followed by his Fremen guards.
Gurney: I don't like him.
Hawat: Our plan bears fruit...
Leto: But it will take time.
Hawat: Yes, it will take time.
TIME SKIP
Marcus, Paul, Gurney, and Duncan are seated in a barracks for soldiers. Friend reunions with interesting stories. consuming wine.
Duncan: (to Paul) Here, this is for you.
Paul receives an enduring instrument from Duncan.
Duncan: A paracompass. The moons here have magnetic fields, so a simple compass needle won't point north. It takes a clever piece of clockwork to sort it out.
Paul: The Fremen make these?
Duncan: And stillsuits, and sand compactors and all kinds of ingenious things.
Gurney: What the hell is a sand compactor?
Duncan grinned and handed them a short, pistol-shaped object that he had taken from his belt.
Duncan: That's a sand compactor.
Gurney: My god, man, you've gone native.
Paul: You admire them
Duncan: I do. They're fierce, but loyal. Attuned to the desert. Part of it. It's part of them. Wait 'til you see it. It's beautiful out there.
Duncan then looks at Marcus
Duncan: Oh and I almost forgot.
Duncan reaches into his bag and hands Marcus a mixture of small and medium-sized pieces of metal, that he found in the desert and with the Fremen. Marcus inspects them.
Marcus: These are perfect Duncan, I can't thank you enough.
Paul: What are those for?
Marcus: Do you want to explain my rule to my brother and to Gurney?
Duncan nods
Duncan: Marcus asked me for certain types of materials while I was out in the desert. He then convinced me that I didn't need to ask him what they were for because if I'm asked by anyone, at least this way, I won't have to lie when I am asked because I don't know why Marcus wants them.
Marcus: I'll tell you what. Because you managed to provide me with some quality type materials here, once I have completed what I am currently working on, I shall tell you.
Duncan: That seems more than fair.
Marcus chuckles and nods at what Duncan said.
TIME SKIP
Duke Leto, Marcus, Paul and Gurney emerge from the Residency wearing stillsuits and desert gear. They approach an ornithopter where Dr. Liet Kynes, a tall, lean woman in her forties, stands. Atreides troops stand by with drawn swords and live shields. Dr. Kynes has blue eyes of spice saturation and is dressed in a stillsuit and desert robes.
Gurney: The Judge of the Change, Sire. Dr. Liet Kynes.
Liet: My Lord Duke. Welcome to Arrakis.
Paul: You're the Imperial Ecologist. Thank you for the stillsuits.
Liet: They are of Fremen make. The best. With your permission, Sire, I must check the integrity of your suits.
She doesn't wait for a response before approaching Leto. Gurney instinctively whips his blade out of its sheath as the guards charge forward, but Leto raises a hand instead.
Leto: It's all right. Dr. Kynes, we are in your hands
He lowers his guard and extends his arms to invite Kynes in. Sufficient distance to murder or kiss. She quickly and thoroughly inspects his stillsuit, making several small adjustments.
Liet: A stillsuit is a high-efficiency filtration system. Even this early in the morning, you wouldn't survive two hours without one of these. It cools the body and recycles the water lost to sweat. Your body's movements provide the power. Inside the mask, you'll find a tube to allow you to drink the recycled water. In good working order, your suit won't lose more than a thimbleful of water a day.
Leto: Most impressive.
Liet: (to both Marcus and Paul) Let's have a look at you, lads.
She rapidly looks over Paul and Marcus' suits, her confusion mounting. Not a strap is out of place on either of their outfits, which are both flawless.
Liet: Have either of you ever worn a stillsuit before?
Marcus: No, this is the first time for both of us.
Liet: Both of your desert boots are fitted slip-fashion at the ankles. Who taught you to do that?
Paul: We just said that it seemed the right way.
Liet: (in Chakobsa) He shall know your ways as though born to them.
Paul looks at Liet curiously, whilst Marcus nods at what she said, having understood the language of Chakobsa.
Paul: Are you Fremen?
Liet: I am accepted in both sietch and village. Now. Come and see the spice sands on which your livelihood depends.
TIME SKIP
Over a sea of limitless dunes that is curved, Leto's ornithopter glides. Both Marcus and Paul just look.
Paul: What would you do if your ornithopter went down out here?
Liet: You wouldn't want to go down out there. It's worm territory.
Gurney: Dust cloud!
Leto: I see it.
Liet: That's one of your harvesters.
Leto glides towards a crawling caterpillar-like spice crawler that is slithering across a spice bed and sending a cloud of yellow sand into the air.
Liet: You can see the spice scattered over the surface. A rich spice bed, by the colour. If you get a little higher you'll have a better view.
Leto does a graceful U-turn to raise the aircraft's height.
Liet: You see the spotter aircraft, looking for wormsign.
Leto: Wormsign?
Liet: A sand wave moving toward the crawler. Worms travel deep but get closer to the surface when they attack. If you are patient, we should see one.
Marcus: Worms often appear?
Liet: Always. They're drawn by rhythmic noises.
Paul: Why don't we just shield the crawlers?
Liet: A shield's a death sentence in the desert. It attracts the worms and drives them into a killing frenzy.
The spacecraft lengthens its wings and transforms into a complete "thopter" as the Duke applies the jet brakes. The ship banks, keeping the wings at a gentle beat and aiming to the east.
Marcus: Is that a worm?
A straight line cuts through the dunes as they curve away towards the horizon, signalling the arrival of a wave crest that disturbs the sand.
Liet: A big one. You have good eyes.
Liet then reports the location of the worm to the workers on the spice harvester, nobody of the workers sounds alarmed or unnerved by the news.
Gurney: They seem pretty calm about it.
Marcus: Indeed, they do
Gurney: So, what happens now?
Liet: They'll call the carryall to lift the crawler. They'll harvest right up to the last minute.
The carryall raises its anchors while hovering over the harvester. One of the four anchors, however, is still lodged.
Liet: Shit
They no longer sound so casual. Gurney is seated straight. The shattered anchor is immovable. The worm sign never stops.
Leto: How many men are on that crawler?
Liet: Crew of twenty-one.
Marcus: Our ships can take six each.
Paul: That's still three short.
Leto: We'll find a way.
He presses the ornithopter's directives with brutality. The ornithopter dives quickly towards the direction of the crawler. Leto seizes the microphone.
Leto: This is Duke Leto Atreides. We are coming down to extract the crew off Delta Ajax niner's. We'll set down on the west.
Marcus: Our shield generators weigh a hundred kilos each.
Leto: Yes! Gurney, have our escorts throw out their shield generators.
Gurney: Yes, Sire
Leto: Marcus, Paul stay behind and help the workers to get in!
Marcus: Yes Sire
Paul: Yes Sire
Gurney unlocks the door and rushes to the escorts while climbing out into the wind. The strong odour in the air shocks Marcus and Paul equally. Both brothers jump onto the sand.
Underfoot, the spice bed is cinnamon-red. Paul's feet dig deeply into it since it doesn't sound like sand. The sand is felt by him. It emits orange spice particles that sparkle. Marcus observes the sand that is picked up by Paul. He begins to feel a bit lightheaded but brushes it off due to the extreme situation that is currently taking place.
?: Paul... Marcus
Leto: Delta Ajax niner! Put seven men each in my ships!
Worker: We got a full load of spice! We can't just leave it!
Leto: Damn the spice! I want every man off that crawler. Now!
The labourers fumbling through the dust for spices are yelled at by Marcus and Paul. The Carryall takes off gradually.
Marcus: OVER HERE! THIS WAY!
Paul: THIS WAY! Seven there! Seven in here!
Marcus and Paul's faces and bodies are then covered in a cloud of fine melange dust when a gust of wind slices through the spice bed.
Paul gasps for air. His eyes enlarge. His chest tightens. Paul knelt on the ground. Paul hears something. He feels fear.
They were temporarily lost in the whirling spice fog as they gasped for oxygen while coughing. As if something concealed within Marcus had been awoken by the spice itself, Marcus felt a strange sensation running through him. With each second that passed, his connection to the Force grew stronger.
Spice workers squat on the deck and scurry inside. Gurney enters the ship. Then upon noticing that Marcus and Paul are gone. He turns.
Gurney: Paul! Marcus!
Marcus is attempting to control the new, unexpected capacity he has just been given while on his knees. Nearly hidden by the caterpillar treads of the spice crawler is Paul, who is likewise on his knees. They are practically surrounded by the worm. The additional ornithopters are taking flight. Just as despair threatened to take hold, a strong hand reached out, grasping onto Marcus's arm. It was Gurney, a beacon of strength in the chaos.
Paul: I recognise your footsteps, old man
He is forced to stand up by Gurney and Marcus after being startled by the images.
Gurney: We have to run Paul! Now!
Gurney, Marcus and Paul begin to run as fast as they can towards the last remaining ornithopter. They are then tripped to the sandy ground when the sandworm creates an energy wave strong enough to knock the three men to the ground. Suddenly something inside of Marcus' new abilities kicks in. Time begins to slow down but for him, it still appears normal. He uses this to help up Gurney and his brother up to their feet and helps them get closer to the ramp of the ornithopter.
Leto lifts off with the ramp down, driving the ornithopter to its limits. The sand wave subsides and the worm dives under the crawler. Leto slides the ornithopter sideways with consummate skill. Marcus, Paul and Gurney run out of the dust and leap onto the ramp. Marcus grabs a rail with one hand and Paul with the other while Marcus is holding onto a rail also.
Gurney: Go! Go! Go!
Leto's ornithopter is overloaded and the worm erupts, swallowing the entire spice crawler in a gulp. Paul stares down into the mouth in a semi-trance and Marcus observes the size of the sandworm, almost admiring it. The worm sinks back into the sand, swallowing all their treasure.
Liet: Bless the Maker and His Water. Bless the coming and going of Him. May His passage cleanse the world and keep the world for His people.