章 59: Chapter 50-And So It Ends!
Chapter 50
LADY MARGOT FENRING
The network of caves in Jacurutu was much more expansive than she had realsied, and it had housed the major portion of the rebellion's most elite strikeforce.
Right now, on the surface, they had stationed a large garrison on the poles to distract the Imperium's forces, hoping to bait the enemy into attacking those settlements only for them to strike at the main enemy camp at Arrakeen.
It was a solid plan, one that would not be made possible without the protection of the so-called preacher or the sacrifice of one of the 'pillars' of the rebellion.
For the first time since its inception, the rebellion council gathered in person. Their number, one short for the leader of the Bene Tleilaxu, had sacrificed himself, using the cover he had spent years making, as a Nabi by the name of Korba.
But the rest were now here, in her presence, facing one another as they holed up in these expansive caves planning their next move.
The four Pillars had now become the three pillars, with 'Eric' representing the guild, a masked Ixian by the name of Darya, and the successor of Gaius Helen Mohaim 'Lady Thrius' representing the sisterhood. Each of them had led their respective faction for years, operating against the Emperor known to the galaxy as the All Seer, their identities a highly guarded secret known to but a few.
"We must not let our comrade's sacrifice go in vain," added the Reverend Mother, as small nods joined in as the Guild leader Eric began from his tank in his fish-like tone.
"Indeed, with the Emperor now injured and bed-ridden it is time for us to strike at his palace before he makes a full recovery, or we shall have wasted perhaps the only opportunity to end this treacherous reign of Inzal Kazab Corrino," and at those words the Ixian became unsettled.
"Do not take his name so lightly," came what was a rather feminine voice from behind the mask, shrill and filled with worry and intelligence.
"There are rumors that his name carries a taboo," and the Reverend Mother smirked.
"I thought your kind was smarter than this," Lady Thrius taunted, she was in a way older even than Gaius Helen Mohaim, both physically and in mind given that she had all of her own teacher's memories to rely on.
"There is no taboo, it is but a rumor propagated by the man to hide the true nature of his prowess," she added and the Ixian shrugged.
"You must know it, of course, if only you had done your duty and gotten rid of that monster on the day he was born," the Ixian taunted, and the Reverend Mother's face flushed in rage, and yet she gave no indication of it.
"You da..."
"Ahm!" she cut in before things could devolve any further.
"I believe if we begin fighting amongst ourselves, we are only going to aid the enemy. Every second we waste we give the Emperor time to recover," and it was only through much effort that they had been able to confirm the Emperor's injuries, and how the Empress now sat in his throne.
"We have made efforts to unsettle the Empress, Houses in whom we had some influence in tried to force her away from the Emperor's throne, but the girl has proven herself to be just as savage as her husband and slaughtered all of them for their revolt," Lady Thrius added, and the ploy had been a good one.
But they had underestimated Shishakli Tabr Corrino. The girl had been Inzal's right hand for the last two decades. She had learned at the master's heel and had considerable support among the Fremen.
She was not an enemy to underestimate.
"What else should we have expected out of those savages," the guild leader added smartingly, and the rest nodded.
"The plan was somewhat successful; other houses have begun to have reservations about her rule, but none have the courage to rise against her. And it seems that she was affected by it as well and has deployed the Saradukar to attack our bases at the poles," Lady Thrius added.
"The Saradukar, not the 'Ajniha'," the Ixian leader Darya asked, and Lady Thrius nodded.
"Not the Ajniha," and the point was clear. The Saradukar were more loyal to the Emperor, the Ajniha, though, it seems, were more loyal to him, and this little rebellion of theirs had given them a small opening, for despite the nature of their forces taking on both the Ajniha and the Saradukar at the same time was little more than suicide.
"This is it," Eric, the fish-faced Guild navigator, cut in.
"This is the moment to strike," agreed Lady Thrius.
"So, it is a consensus," Darya, the Ixian, added as they all nodded at each other.
"We must strike at Arrakis, as one with all our might and bring the evil of Inzal Kazab Corrino to its end..." came the unified announcement, and as both the Secret Keeper and the official recorder of the histories, she knew that this moment was of paramount importance.
When the history books record these times, this is the moment when the histories shift, and all this was made possible by the sacrifice of two men—two men that the history books would probably forget, even though she would not—or at least not one of them.
And in her heart, she apologized to that man—the one whose very sacrifice had kept her alive, the one who had loved her in a way, and yet she was helpless to avenge.
'Forgive me Hasimir...."
And then the shift was instant. A shiver ran down her spine, and as those around the table perked up as well, she realised that this was not just her. She felt her whole body still, the muscles screaming in rebellion, in fear, as a voice cut through the silence.
"I am afraid there is a little problem with your plan," and her head slowly turned towards the source of the voice. She looked up and found a person standing there above them all, looking down at them with those jewel-like blue orbs of his.
And immediately, fear gripped her heart as she saw him dressed as he was said to be when going to war. Gone was his ceremonial garb, and the ostentatious jewels and garbs and he now wore his battle suit, a reinforced still suit with those unique suspenders behind alongside two cartridges filled with blades tied around his thighs.
And at that moment, she felt the fear, the dread that was associated with Inzal Kazab Corrino, felt the very thing that had made even the bravest of Harkonnen men give up on any idea of revenge, for in that moment, it was as if the man above them was seeing her not as a person but as a piece of meat to kill.
There were rumors that he had slaughtered nearly half of the Harkonnen men with his own hands while being clad in that suit. There were other stories as well, stories that had made it so that there was a rumor about the Emperor's battle suit, a special name given to it by the people who had faced him.
'The Reaper's garbs,' for once you say it, death had come for you.
"Because you see, all of you may not know it yet, but the truth is..." and with that, she saw him reach for his mask, and he pushed it up, covering the lower half of his face before she saw his feet life off the ground.
"...you are all already dead!"
0000
LADY JESSICA ATREIDES
The Duchess of Arrakis sat in her garden at Summerhall, joined by the love of her life as she enjoyed a longing sunset while her lord husband worried about the affairs of the Imperium.
He seemed disturbed, and a bit curious for he knew that she was working for the Emperor, that she had allied the Atreides clan with the Emperor Inzal Kazab Corrino, and that amongst the whole of the Imperium she was perhaps the only woman apart from his own lady wife and sister who knew of his true intentions.
"Have you heard about the upheaval at Arrakis?" Leto finally opened his mouth and asked the question, and she nodded.
"I have," she answered as his eyes narrowed.
"The planet is at war. The rebellion has turned the desert planet into a battlefield, and yet you have sent our daughter and heir to it with minimal force," he continued, and she turned towards him.
"That was not a question," she asked, and he looked into her eyes. And he hesitated for a second before he asked again.
"Is this part of the plan?" he asked, and she glanced towards the Sun, estimating the time, and realized that it must be underway, that the promise sealing her lips was done with.
"Yes," so she answered truthfully, and he was a Duke himself once, was still one, though he had handed off most of the responsibilities to Alia now to rest, and she saw his mind race as he saw through the plan Inzal had hatched.
"Then the reason that despite being steadfast allies, you did not mobilise the legions is because..."
"There was no need," she added. The order had been given, and there was movement of the troops, but they were not going to be deployed on Arrakis. No, they would be joining the other front to join up with the Saradukar and the Ajniha pushing there to land the final blow against the retreating enemy.
"Because what the enemy thought was their sanctuary was nothing more than their graves..."
"So that preacher, who is he?" he asked, and that was a point for her. It was a secret known to only five people in the whole galaxy.
"Our son," she answered as his eyes widened for to the world it was known that Paul Atreides was dead, but the truth was much more complicated.
"...Paul?" and she nodded.
"He is alive," he gasped as his hands shook.
"Yes, he is. And is a father as well," and that just added to his shock, and yet in the decade leading upto this, Jessica Atredies had never felt so light, as the burden of the secrets she carried was lifted off of her.
"...to a little girl named Ghanima."
0000
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