Capítulo 58: Chapter 49-The Empress Roars!
Chapter 49
ALIA ATREIDES
The attack on Inzal had shaken all of Arrakis. It was the first great effective offensive by the rebellion, and was the kind of attack that had the ability to turn the very tides of this war. The war, which had been but a distant occurrence for most of the people on Arrakis had now come to their shores, and though the fighting was not as prevalent as one would think, the planet had indeed become a battleground, with the rebellion forces occupying the poles of the planet, location where the Fremen and Saradukar had trouble navigating to because of the bad terrain.
The major cities themselves were fine. Both Arrakeen and Carthag had shields of their own, which had been employed soon after the attack, and were safe from any major offensive. Yet the people were both enraged and anxious about the attack.
The anxiety could be felt in the throne room, as she stood by the massive throne as everyone mumbled and whispered around, nervously.
"Do they have so little faith in their armies?" her own Warmaster, who had just arrived alongside a small unit of legionnaires, added from the side as she shook her head.
"It's not their armies they doubt," she replied. For say what you will, as soon as their logistical issues were solved and a proper chain of command was established, there was little doubt in her mind that the Saraukar and the Ajniha would not decimate the enemy.
And yet, with Count Fendring dead, and now their very Emperor's disposition brought into question by an assassination attempt orchestrated by one of their own, there was no chain of command, and everyone here was suspicious of the other.
However, she doubted that this disorder would be allowed to last for much longer.
And as the door to the throne room opened, the whole room stilled as they saw just who had entered the Hall. The only person capable of replacing Inzal, the person who had stood by his side the longest and was his greatest ally and companion.
The Empress—Shishakli Tabr Corrino.
She dressed in the traditional dress of an empress and was flanked on the sides by both the Ajniha and the Sarakukar. As she entered the throne room, everyone bowed in respect as she walked past them all and towards the throne.
And yet, this time, she did not sit down on the Empress's throne. No, she sat down on Inzal's throne.
"Arise," she said, and the whisper spread all over the hall as everyone rose up.
"Your grace where is the Emperor?" questioned one of the visiting noble lords, and the whole room became quiet at the sheer disrespect.
"You dare question the Empress. Who are you to hector the Moon of the Empire?" rose a Fremen, this one she knew as Jamis, one of Inzal's chosen generals and a high-ranking leader of the Ajniha.
"I am Lord Thrus Gabineri of Itol, and we are leal lords of the Imperium," the man roared forth.
"We made our oaths to the Emperor Inzal Kazab Corrino, the man who gave you all your freedom, and yet your people betrayed him, stuck a knife through his back. I sore my oaths to him, to All Seer," the man roared as he pointed towards, and the allegations were brutal, yet true.
It was well known that only Fremen had been alongside Inzal in the final rights of the Hasimir Fenring when the great explosion rocked the city and the whole planet. Every person on the planet, young or old, had learned of the attack, for in the skies the shields protecting them were brought down for the first time in a decade.
"I see," Ducan added, seeing the divide and the distrust for himself.
"And now, as the Emperor remains vanished, this Fremen woman sits on his throne thinking she can command us all," the lord roared, and she saw the Fremen reach for his blade.
"You dare insult the Empre..."
"Jamis," Shishkali's soft voice rang throughout the hall, and the man in question stilled instantly.
"Let him speak," Inzal's lover continued as her eyes turned towards the older lord.
"Speak your mind, Lord Gabineri," she added. The man smirked at Jamis as he stepped forward, and she realized that he was not alone. The man represented a political bloc, one whom he led.
"As I was saying, we in the Imperium believe that we deserve some answers pertaining to the true nature of the man responsible for the attack on the Emperor," he asked, and the Empress raised a brow.
"We?" she asked, and the man nodded, his nervousness fading as he became more and more daring.
"Yes, we. We swore our oaths to the Emperor of the Imperium, not you. And we believe that in his absence we must decide what is best for the Imperium," and that was a bold move, one that angered many of the Fremen and the lords, and yet none spoke as the Empress's eyes remained focused on the old man.
"And may I ask what may that be?" she asked.
"Peace," he roared.
"We have come to know that the Emperor has taken heavy injuries from the attack, injuries that have left him helpless and at death's doors," the man roared. Everyone turned towards one another.
"Is this true?" Duncan asked her, and yet she did not reply, even though she did not know the whole truth.
"And in that regard, we believe that the Ixians are our best hope in making sure that the Emperor makes a full recovery. They are willing to surrender themselves, and treat the emperor if we just bring this nonsense war to an end," the man roared.
"You dare!" Jamis roared once more, but was stopped by the Emperess halted him with her hand.
"So, you wish to hand over your injured Emperor to the Ixians so that they may heal him?" she asked.
"Yes, yes, we do. And as his spouse, do you not wish to see him healed as well?" the man taunted before his eyes narrowed.
"Or is it that you desire the throne so much that you colluded with one of your own to set aside our Emperor so you could take his place," that insinuation was dangerous, and for the first time, she saw Shishakli's eyes narrow.
"Are there more of you who support this hubris?" she asked, and she saw many a lords step forward, as they began to raise their voices, and as their voices grew lourder she suddenly stilled as the Empress opened her mouth, and pointed her finger at the older man.
"Leave him," she began as her eyes turned towards Jamis.
"Kill the rest..." and the whole room became still at those words.
.
.
.
.
.
Only a few seconds later, the whole throne room was filled with dead bodies, as blood soaked the carpet as the Empress stood there with her heel pinning the old Lord Gabineri to the floor, looking all around the Hall.
"Let this be a lesson..." she began as she took out a blade and struck it into the man's body with all her might as his dying scream filled the Hall, as a show of blood covered the Empress's face, as she looked over at the people gathered with those blue eyes of her, and it was as if she was looking at Inzal himself.
"...unlike Inzal, who might allow you pests to live, I have no mercy. There will be no peace as long as I draw breath," she announced.
"WE ARE AT WARRR!"
"WARRRR!"
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SHISHAKLI
Shishakli found herself sitting in her solar. It had been quite some time since she had come to the throne room as she had today, for she was not much fond of ruling, yet she would do her part to lower Inzal's burden.
Plus, this had allowed them to pluck out a few of the opportunistic idiots scouring around, all the while protecting Inzal's interests.
"That was quite a spectacle," added the girl that Inzal considered his sister.
Alia Atreides had always had a special connection with Inzal given their shared experience, and was the only one apart from her somewhat aware of what was going behind the scenes.
"And pray tell, what was the purpose behind this display of savagery?" the girl asked her, and she raised a brow as SHishakli wiped away the blood from her face and threw the cloth to the side.
"He always said you were rather smart. So why don't you tell me yourself?" she asked the girl whose eyes narrowed, and it was somewhat troubling to her that the girl infront of her was much, much older than her, despite her looks.
"It was a message," the girl added, and she nodded.
"The mobilization of the Saraukar on the poles, which are considered to hold enemy bases, was a signal. But the Saradukar, despite their prowess, are not the most suitable force to fight on Arrakis," the girl continued, and she was connecting the dots.
"That would be your Ajniha, yet for some reason, you still did not deploy it," the girl added, and indeed, she had not.
"Why?" she asked the question, and those blue eyes glinted.
"Because they are already deployed," she guessed, and Shishakli smirked.
"Even though in the throne room I said that we are at war, the truth is something different," she added as she leaned back in her chair.
"This war is over already," she smirked.
"It's just that our enemies do not know it yet."
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And deep into the dunes of Arrakis a cloaked figure traversed through the sandy dunes, wading through a stony valley until she came upon a massive cavern.
She walked into the caves, her mind tired, her senses dulled, and yet as soon as she entered the confines of that cave, the change was discernible.
That presence, that all-seeing presence that she had felt following her ever since she had stepped foot on this planet, vanished, and as relief filled her, her legs buckled under her as she fell to the floor, and as her vision darkened, she looked up. She saw a cloaked figure with as crunched back looking down at her.
"You are here," the old voice croaked as she nodded.
"This is it. This is..."
"...Jacurutu!"
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Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder