Commander of Dune

Chapter 13

Exodus!  Movement of Jah people.
Send us another Brother Moses!
~ Robert Marley – Fremen Minstrel

D

ax had resigned himself to a crucifixion by his mother. It was just a matter of who got to him first the Tech or the Empress.  He sat on the floor, pulled out the data crystal and decided to review the agenda for the meeting.

As he pulled out the crystal an item fell out.  He looked at it.  How did that get in there? It was a holo-image carrier an image had popped up of a christening at Mike’N Steitch that the Royal House Hold had attended. The image showed his mother holding the baby of the hour.  At the four second mark the image changed, this time it was an image of Amasso and himself... then the image changed and this time it was Alexi, the latest Bene Gesserit to arrive on Arakkis.  For some reason his mother had allowed her to stay. He didn't remember her at the christening though.

He hit the pause button and studied the image. He turned it left then right.  There was something familiar about her; he just couldn't put his finger on it.  "... and why should you?"

Dax's head whipped round. Still sitting he completed a circle.  He confirmed - he was alone.  "...are you?" The voice said again.

He groaned now his visions were eroding his sanity.  "Please, Dax control yourself." The voice snorted.  "You are as sane as any man. Now focus."

"On what?" He asked. 'I'm speaking to images.'

"The image before you." Came the reply.

Instantly he looked at Alexi.  The image waved at him.  "Oh God!" He shut his eyes and rubbed them.  When he reopened them a woman sat before him.

"Fear not." The apparition comforted.  "I am not here to harm you... Do you not recognize me?"

He gulped and stared hard.  Slowly a thought germinated in his mind. "The Lady Jessica?"  'There he'd said it; now take me to Golden Hope - the mad house now!' He thought.

"You are not mad, Dax." She assured him. "Just... gifted. Yes I am the Lady Jessica.  It seems that Lady Alexi has more of me than the physical."

He frowned.  "Why..."

"... am I here?" he nodded. She got serious.  "House Atreides is heading full tilt towards an abyss. The members - your ancestors can feel it.  We needed to warn you."

He got alert. "What abyss!"

"We cannot see. We do not know." She confessed.  "We do know this; you are part of the puzzle.  The House will fall and you must ensure that like the Phoenix we rise again."

"But I am the younger of two... why me?"

"By a mere minute." She reminded him.  "One's fate is set before one is even born.  Amasso's destiny lies elsewhere.  Yours is to ensure the survival of this Great House."

He got curious. "... and Lady Alexi?"

"She too will have her rôle... but not yet. As you will be father to the epoch to come - so she will be mother."

He absorbed the information, "You are telling me that she..."

"... is to be your wife."

"WIFE!" he squealed.

"Wife... life partner... bound concubine... label it what you will." Jessica replied.  "But know this... your fate and hers are intertwined."  Dax just looked at her, "The Bene Gesserit is a society dedicated to the preservation of the genetics that will continue the human race.  The irony being that every now and then a human is expended to achieve the goal.  You are right to be suspicious of the order."