Commander of Dune

Chapter 19

War.
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing.
Standard Lecture to First Year Sword Master Students

FROM: PRINCE RAMMEN CORRINO

TO: TERRAN GROWTH INC

MESSAGE:

BOTH BUDGETS HAVE PROVED ACCEPTABLE.

COMMENCE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

HEAD
HOUSE CORRINO

~*~*~*~*~

The door swung open and Piter entered.  "Apologies Baron but I think you may want to see this." He strode over to the AVU, and switched it on.

Vlad was not Baron by mere inheritance he was an experienced soldier and crafty politician, but nothing he had done had prepared him for what he saw that morning on his AVU screen.

Had he been told that this would happen, he would have said that so early in the morning that the person had been drinking.  He himself was stone cold sober and yet he could not believe what he had witnessed.

Two Guild crafts had slammed into the Tower of Strength!

~*~*~*~*~

FROM: BARON VLADIMIR HARKONNEN II

TO: EMPRESS ARISTA ATREIDES V

MESSAGE:

LET ME INFORM YOU THAT VENDETTA -- AS IN ANCIENT TONGUE, THE ART OF KANLY -- IS STILL ALIVE. THIS WILL NOT GO UN-AVENGED.

HEAD
HOUSE HARKONNEN

Arista passed the communiqué to Duncan who read it as she said, “He blames us.”

I remember a lecture that I attended when I was training to become a Swords Master.  It said - War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing He returned to the panel that was feeding him reports.

“Amasso has gone to collect Mick’N and Dax is on his way.” She informed him. He nodded in acknowledgement.

~*~*~*~*~

The Reverend Mother Zelron's buzzer sounded.  "Yes!"

The Acolyte's voice came through "Reverend Mother I have the Mother Superior Sasha on the line."

"Put her though."

The Mother Superior's raspy voice came though.  "Zelron you've seen the horror on the AVU?"

"Yes and I have been in contact with various people and the picture looks grim indeed."  Zelron acknowledged.

"Your services will be required. As soon as you appoint someone to continue to monitor the exodus I want you to report to my office."

"Yes Sasha."  Zelron cut the communication and considered the candidates to replace her.

~*~*~*~*~

Ali Ben Knesset the Tleilaxu Governor of Caladan tightened the screw again.  He was tired of this constant appealing to the Atreides for assistance. He would break this resistance once and for all.

~*~*~*~*~

Arista read the communiqué for a third time - just to be sure.

In true Tleilaxu form it was simple and straight to the point – “All persons of Caladanian or Budislamic extract arriving on Caladan will be taken aside, questioned, have their image taken and will be fingerprinted.

The public howl had been instant:  A'khil El Vikram of The Budislamics Minority Rights Association stated that this latest action must be seen as a new form of racial discrimination and contrary to the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty.

Now Arista was receiving reports that even before the new regulations were in place, that some ten thousand had been detained for questioning.

The Atreides rulers, with the silent consent of the Landsraad had for one reason or another not only allowed but also had tolerated the situation on Caladan.  Maybe Amasso had been right - It was time that this generation dealt with the state of affairs on the Ancestral Home of House Atreides.  

Now the Tleilaxu no longer seemed content to rule but were now tightening the screws of oppression.  After analyzing the situation and weighing the advantages and disadvantages, Arista made her decision.  She now had to decide just how to achieve the decision.

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