Commander of Dune

Chapter 1

You don’t like the Rules of the Game.

Play it.
Win it.
Change it.

~ Emperor Dax Atreides
Commentaries on Power and Commerce Vol.1

It was late. It was hot.  It was humid.

This was Dune – Desert Planet – Sole provider of the Spice Melange; thus the center of the Universe.

A Reverend Mother in Commando Uniform walked into the compound, unchallenged.  She snorted in disgust, so much for security on a planet that housed House Corrino.

She headed for the desert exhibit and stared, it was a true attempt at reconstructing the desert of Arakkis.

She checked her pack and entered…

Dax Atreides sat up suddenly and looked around wildly.  As he settled his heart rate he realized that it had been a dream.  This one however was different.  It felt real.  Almost like déjà vu. Of late things around him were changing.  He corrected the thought.  No he was changing, which was why he had returned to the Sietch, he was searching for normalcy.  

Dax was a member of Mick’N Sietch, located near Arakkis City.  Of course “near” was a relative term.  It normally took a worm ride to get just to the edge of the city.  Dune was a desert planet and pulsated to the laws of nature, intensely hot days and extremely cold nights.

Of late that seemed to be changing – like him, like tonight.  It was hot and Dax couldn’t sleep and the dream now had him wide-awake.  He finally got off his sleeping mat and removed the soaking wet shirt that he had been wearing and replaced it with a dry one.  

With the remnants of the dream lingering in his mind he left his sleeping quarters.

Dax loved his people, his home world and desert life but he was also Atreides, descended from Paul Maud’Dib. Every now and then, though some radical would remind him that he was not native.  It was sad that after twenty-two thousand years of living, breathing, loving and breeding on Arakkis that some people still didn’t accept his family. It really didn’t matter.  He was Fremen and that was all Shai-Hulud had ordained.  

Unprotected by a still-suit, 'Dad would have a fit' he thought; he stepped outside.  It was silent as only the desert could be.  Everyone was asleep, but for the camouflaged security and the night creatures of the wilderness.   He walked through the Sietch, but for some concessions to technology like communicators, AVU and computers an Ancient One could have walked the compound and felt right at home.  The Sietch was a semi permanent sanctuary as the Fremen prided themselves on their ability to pick up, relocate and continue life as if nothing had interrupted their routine. 

Drawn to the desert and fascinated by the Giant Worms that lived there – as was any Fremen worth his water; he headed for a lookout just outside of the perimeter of the Sietch and climbed the highest peak in the area.  Offering a prayer, he sat and watched the handiwork of God.  

Suddenly a vision popped into his head -- Amasso his twin was in UNIFORM!!! Where in the name of Maud'Dib had that come from?  Amasso was no longer in the armed forces or so he claimed, but who knew with him? He was a bundle of energy with no outlet. At least none that Dax found constructive.  The two were identical in physical appearance only.  It would not be unlike Amasso to lie about his decommission or actually be decommissioned and be out on some black ops.