Dune Chapter 1 - The Time of Reckoning Is Near (Patreon)

"Beware the seeds you sow and the crops you reap. Do not curse God for the punishment you inflict upon yourself."

Sometimes, even the slightest changes and things could have the most devastating and far-fetched consequences for the future.

Like a butterfly that flapped its wings, and the echoes would be seen in the centuries, if not millennia, to come.

Something like that happened...

Many times in fact. 

Across the human history. 

And now... it seems to happen once again.

But...

On a much more destructive scale...

The events of the future cannot be stopped.

Some things were indeed set in stone, and one could say they were punishments for the sins committed by the ancestors.

And this time... 

It won't be different. 

The Holy Jihad was always inevitable like the Golden Path envisioned for humanity. 

But...

This time the tapestry of fate, had something different prepared for the actors of the great game... 

Something that would shape the face of the Known Universe for millennia to come.

***"The fires of destruction, the blaze of an inferno sweeping from planet to planet across the galaxy. Jihad! Jihad! The entire known universe was swept by the fanatical zealots loyal to the Padishah Emperor; Great Houses bled as the Sardaukar cut them apart, and entire planets fell to the Fedaykin and the Fremen Legions of the Jihad! Everything is destroyed; everyone will be killed who is the enemy! And per his holy decree, the Sardaukar and Fremen would never let anyone live... all of those who were the main players were to be purged in the Holy Flames of the Jihad. The Guild was broken apart, the IX were purged for their heresy, and their technologies were either destroyed or taken by the new Imperium; Bene Tleilax ceased to exist, and the Bene Gesserit? They were hunted down till the last one, and a new Order was created in their place by the very bloodline that they hated and detested so much, by the man who brought their Reckoning."

- Records from the Muad'Dib Sadus Jihad

***

"We are meeting again..."

A beautiful woman with short blonde hair and green eyes stated calmly as she looked at the man who appeared to be in front of her. She had the air of nobility radiating around her, as she stared at the man.

"This is already the fifth time this month. It seems that your abilities are getting stronger and stronger with each passing month."

For several months, they have been meeting together on a rather regular basis. Always for a short time, but for both of them, it was some kind of escape from the cages. From the realities that they inhabited, albeit both of them were vastly different from each other.

"The dreams are the only time when I can talk to someone..."

The man who was standing in front of her, in an environment that reminded her of the terraces and gardens of the Imperial Palace on Kaitain, said. He was rather tall, with short, dirty blonde hair, a small beard, and steel-grey eyes. 

He also had several scars over his face, clearly from the combat, because some of them were really deep and could have been lethal if he had not dodged in time.

Certainly, despite his rugged image and everything, there was no denying that he was a handsome man, and she also found his appearance very pleasing, especially considering the fact that he was a powerful and skilled swordsman and warrior.

"Our meetings are already becoming quite more frequent, don't you think, Princess?"

She just started him for a moment before she shook her head.

"What do you think you can achieve with this? Either way, there is no escape from the Salusa Secundus and from fate itself. Everything we do will still lead to the same end."

He could hear almost sadness-like emotion from her voice as she said that.

"You know, if you agree to this, the Bene Gesserit will end as they are today and even the House Corrino will be heavily influenced by this."

The man stated with unnatural hatred in his voice that the world around him almost trembled when he mentioned the Bene Gesserit. He hated their order and their very own existence with a burning passion that could tear down the entire world.

Just the mere mention of the Bene Gesserit Order was enough for him to experience an unnatural amount of emotion, of a raw hate towards their order and everything that their order represents,

"The House Atreides will probably be shocked about your lineage, Kronos... and if you reunite, it will destroy any possible relationship with my House for the next several centuries."

The woman said with sight while Kronos could sense her emotional turmoil very clearly.

His name was Kronos... 

Just a Kronos. 

No surname, nothing.

At least officially.

Unofficially, something that only he knew was the name Hart. 

Hart...

From Desmond Hart, a descendant of both House Harkonnen and House Atreides, and now, even from the House Corrino, though that relation was far, far in the past. Still, it was unquestionable that he was the direct bearer of some of the most prestigious Lineages in the Known Universe. 

One from the Faykan Butler, later Corrino the First Emperor of the Corrino Empire or the Serana Butler, the one who started the Butlerian Jihad. Or the legendary Vorian Atreides...

Vorian Jeron Egan Atreides, the legendary founder of the House Atreides during the Butlerian Jihad, more than ten thousand years ago. The one who commanded the Army of the Jihad and crushed the armies of the Thinking Machines across the known universe.

Certainly, he even looked a bit like Vorian Atreides, but only in his eyes. Appearance-wise, he was more reminiscent of Desmond Hart... a name that the Bene Gesseirt Order erased from the annals of history and did everything in power that it never resurfaced.

But they also let the one single bloodline split by.

Something that they were not counting with.

Something that nobody knew about and remained as an utmost secret that it would once in the future destroy the Bene Gesserit Order. 

A child born between Desmond Hart and Empress Natalya Arat Corrino, who also bore some Bloodline of the House Butler / House Corrino in her veins. Nobody knew if it was just due to the situation that was in the Empire, or the decision of fate, or whatever, but the Bene Gesserit missed the last remaining Bloodline of the Desmond Hart that soon enough became lost in the annals of time and space.

And right now, that would prove to be the greatest mistake, and he would finish what his ancestors had started.

"You are aware very well, as I am Irulan, that you are their pawn, as I am and as everyone else is... their Breeding Program of careful lineage creation in the vision of the Kwizatz Haderach... while the Imperator sits on the Golden Lion Throne, the Bene Gesserit rule from the shadows, the shadows not even you can escape from, on the contrary, you are an even better pawn for them. Their vision for a better humanity that could be guided only by their hand, their schemes and tricks... I will use their very own foundations against them, the Reckoning is here."

She is the Princess of the House Corrino, the Imperial House of the Imperium that ruled the Imperium for the past ten thousand years; she knew the power that the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood possessed.

In fact, they also taught her, albeit for nothing more than just for the sole fact that she was the Emperor's eldest daughter. Nothing more and nothing less, but at the same time, it also gave her the opportunity to learn a lot about the Sisterhood.

But Irulan also knew that for the Sisterhood, she was nothing but a tool, like everyone else who was a tool for their ambition and power. 

"You shall be the death of me... very well, I will have a small ship prepared for you at the designated location when the Imperial Censor will come to the Salusa Secundus for the inspection in two months. It will be authorized to use the Heighliner and take you to the Caladan."

She sighs, standing up across Kronos. She knows she is risking a lot, and they will definitely find out about this. The moment the Bene Gesserit realizes that their one "failed projects" actually managed to fool all of them, it will be too late.

What was worse, when they realized that he was a descendant of Desmond Hart, the man who almost brought the time of Reckoning to the Order and destroyed it. It would be even more ironic for the Bene Gesserit to be destroyed by their very own schemes that they had been creating for many millennia.

However, he was curious if they still remembered those times because the Bene Gesserit were aware of a great deal of secrets. But at the same time, they were even more apt at keeping those secrets... well, secret and hidden from anyone else.

But that didn't matter in the great scheme of all things, because they would fall. 

And after them, The Spacing Guild and The Bene Tleilax would follow, together with the Ixians and their abominable researching to the Thinking Machines and Forbidden Technology.

The Path for Humanity lay in Evolution and Genetic Engineering... the Golden Path of Humanity lay in the Spice itself and the secrets that it contains.

"Be careful... I think that my father is plotting something against the House Atreides, albeit I don't know what exactly. Certainly, it won't be anything good if he is constantly closed in his study with Count Hasimir Fenrig."

With soft sight, as his eyes opened slightly.

"I see it... just the fragments of the possible future, but the future is still the same. The end has begun; the wheels have already started turning and working; the Holy War is inevitable as the new Universal Order."

Kronos stated as he looked at the distance of the dream, with the whisper-like tone of his voice, of what his limited ability allowed him to see. In a certain way, indeed, he was an incomplete, failed project, but at the same time, he knew exactly what was missing for him to become one.

And then, when that happened, the Holy War will burn The Guild, The Bene Tleilax, The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, and even, to a large extent, the House Corrino will be burned away in the Holy Jihad. 

He saw it...

The end.

"You shouldn't depend on the vision that is not even the most accurate."

Princess Irulan stated calmly as she gently hugged him from behind, enjoying the feeling like it was real. Kronos knew that she was far more ambitious than she let on the outside and in him, or through him, she saw the possibility of greater heights and power.

"No... it has been already decided, and it is written at the tapestry of Fate itself... by the will of God, the visions would be fulfilled, and the destiny would be manifested in the real world. The Golden Path was misunderstood from the start by their paltry visions and skills. Only the Kwisatz Haderach can realize the Golden Path and save the humanity and lead it to its ultimate fate."

Kronos was... very devout to the teachings of the Orange Catholic Bible, and perhaps due to the genetic memories of the Butlerian Jihad and rule of the Thinking Machines, he abhorred them. 

For him, the path of the humanity laid in the different direction, in the direction that was dictated by the Orange Catholic Bible.

She didn't say anything else; she just enjoyed the feeling as if it were real before she kissed him across the lips, after which the entire dream shattered into thousands of pieces.

***

Salusa Secundus was a nightmare, a hellish world in which to live.

A harsh place with many wild beasts, extreme temperatures, and difficult terrain. It was the birthplace of the House Corrino, which was still known as the House Butler and the place from which the Sardau Empire originated.

Right now, the planet is an atomic wasteland; most of it was destroyed in the past, and currently, it was used only for the sole purpose of training the Sardaukar for the Imperial House of Corrino, which allowed the House Corrino to rule as the undisputed rulers of the Known Universe for the past ten thousand years.

Atomic catastrophe destroyed the ecology of Salusa Secundus, and Emperor Hassik Corrino III moved the Imperial Throne to Kaitain. 

Due to the harshness of Salusa Secundus, it became the Corrino prison planet.

Those who were deemed criminals of the Corrino Empire were imprisoned on the planet, and from the prisoners, they were pitted against each other until they were trained enough and loyal enough to be inducted into the Sardaukar.

This lovely place was also the place where Kronos spent the last decade or so when he was dropped in this place by the Bene Gesserit when he was deemed to be a failed product, but still able enough to become a loyal Sardaukar. 

The ridiculousness of this situation was indeed beyond reason, because he would never really think that something like this was possible. Maybe it was just their own arrogance, or they were never really seriously aware of his lineage. 

Or was it a combination of both?

Perhaps, it was well off the universe itself.

Members of the Sardaukar were raised from a young age in an unforgiving natural environment that saw almost half die before the age of 11. Intense training gave them formidable swordsmanship and espionage abilities and instilled in them a religious fervor that added to their mystique and served to make them even more loyal to the Imperial House.

The same could be said about the prisoners who were exiled to the Salusa Secundus and were forced to fight to the death. Kronos underwent the treatment that the Sardau Tribe gave to their young ones during the age of the Old Imperium.

During the years Kronos was here, he managed to somehow escape into the wilderness of the Salusa Secundus and live within the constant warfare. Ten years of non-stop fighting and killing made him one of the most formidable warriors on the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus. 

Drawing from the genetic memories of his ancestors, he quickly mastered various ways of combat, becoming the perfect killing machine. And the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus gave him the best life experiences.

Still, it was rather sad to see the planet look like this because he remembered the vibrant places of the Imperial Palace from the genetic memories when the Salusa Secundus was still the capital of the Imperium.

"I should move... arriving at the destination would take some time."

He muttered as he prepared to leave his hiding place in the mountains; he knew that Irulan would arrange for one of the smaller aircraft to take him from the Salusa Secundus under the pretext of the Imperial House.

That way, no one would dare even to scan his ship when it would leave the orbit. 

"Meow."

Gyrinx, also known as Grynix, are strange, feline-like Xenos creatures that thrive on the most dangerous planets in the known Universe. Nobody knows if they are a native species of the Salusa Secundus, but they thrive there. They were probably as dangerous as everything else on the Salusa Secundus.

A Gyrinx resembles a large Terran domestic cat.

It has very thick and fluffy ginger or orange fur and bright blue eyes. Gyrinx can grow up to a meter in length. Although they are not truly sentient, they have an astounding ability to empathize with other creatures and form a mental bond with their owner that is comparable to true friendship.

This mental empathy is of great benefit to the creature's owner, whose own speed of thought and action are actually improved while the Gyrinx is in close proximity. Isha was his sole companion for the past eleven years since he was on the Salusa Secundus and living in the Wastelands.

Only thanks to her did he manage to avoid the surveillance of the Sardaukar Troops and hide from their sight, moving only in the wastelands, battlefields, or areas ruled by the local fauna, which was sometimes even more dangerous than the humans.

Not to mention, Isha was his sole companion in the place, because... well, there wasn't anyone to talk with.

If one didn't count the prisoners that were dropped here across the Imperium, there were only animals and other dangerous creatures that were native to the Salusa Secundus, and they were not the best companions to pass the time.

"I know Isha... we should be leaving this planet rather soon... Finally, at last, I was begging to think that I would die in this dammed place, but it seems by the will of God that I will not die here."

He said to the Grynix as he scratched her behind her ear, just exactly how she liked it. She was a rather spoiled cat, especially after she did a good piece of work, but that was almost every day, because... well, the dangers of the Salusa Secundus never slept.

They were constantly awake and present, waiting to strike at the nothing-aware opponent to bring him low so another nameless corpse would be rotting in the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus.

****

Kronos was armed with the basic Sardaukar Armor that he had taken from the dead Sardaukars that he had personally slain.

Within the wastelands and battlefields of the Salusa Secundus, there were several types of people.

Probably the most notable ones were the prisoners who were sentenced to the Salusa Secundus, who fought in the enormous continent-sized wastelands of the Salusa Secundus for what little resources remained. 

The whole population of the Salusa Secundus was something around 5 million plus minus some tens of thousands.

In truth, nobody knew the actual number of the Sardaukar Troops aside from the Emperor and a few selected members of the Imperial Court and commanders of the Sardaukar. For the rest, the real strength of the Sardaukar and their numbers was total mystery, as the Emperor and the Emperors of the past, preferred to keep it that way. 

In the end, the Sardaukar were the power of the Imperial House because, without their presence, the Great Houses would have long ago most probably overthrown the Emperor. 

When it came to the prisoners who were slaughtering each other, they posed no real threat to Kronos. For him, with his skills, they were not different from just numbers; the real threat came from the different areas.

The real threat were the geniue Sardaukar troopers that often patrolled the areas where the prisoners were killing each other. When he encountered them, they always gave him a hell of a fight, entirely living up to their reputation as the best fighters in the whole Imperium. 

Another reason why Kronos needed to get out of this place as soon as possible was the increasing rate of the Sardaukar troopers venturing into the wilderness because he had a hunch that they were searching for him. 

He knew that the frequent disappearances of the Sardaukar Patrol Teams would soon enough arouse suspicion that somebody was doing something nefarious here. Unforutnly, he needed to hunt off the patrols, because, well, they were always carrying out the best equipment and supplies. 

"Hundred and thirty meters, you say?"

Because Isha was bonded to him in some sort of psychic fashion, he was perfectly able to understand her. Even now, she was trying to relay to him that several tens of meters away; there were several people searching their way through the narrow ways of these mountains.

"Meow, meow... meow."

With each meowing sound that Isha made, he understood more and found out that they were prisoners... fortunately. 

Dealing with the incarnated prisoners was rather easy; dealing with the full-fledged Sardaukar was another way entirely. Especially against the veterans and senior members of the Sardaukar, those were one hell of fighters.

But at the same time, Kronos knew their fighting style; he knew all of their skills, not only due to living on the Salusa Secundus for the past eleven years and learning everything that he could on this god-forsaken planet but also from his genetic memories.

It wasn't for nothing that the Sardaukar were known to be the best fighters in the known universe because they were just really too powerful. Their physical attributes were top-notch, and their skills with swords were unmatched, as only the most experienced swordsmen of the Ginaz School could match the Sardaukar in direct combat.

It was no wonder that the House Corrino managed to maintain their throne for more than ten thousand years and every single rebellion was brutally destroyed by the Sardaukar to the point, where just mere mention of theiír name created fear among anyone who heard it.

The people who were sentenced to the Salusa Secundus were the worst of the worst; the worst criminals formerly sentenced to death were taken and transported into the Salusa Secundus, where they were shaped according to the wishes of the House Corrino.

He understood that training Sardaukar was only thanks to the harshness and the conditions of the Salusa Secundus; only a hell planet like this could give birth to peerless warriors like them. 

However, even the Sardaukar had the parts of the planet that were a beautiful green paradise that was reserved only for the senior members of the Sardaukar or the descendants of the Sardau Tribe.

"Then, if they carry some useful supplies, we should kill them..."

Vorian knew that supplies such as various pieces of technology, food, or anything that helped to survive in this hellish environment were precious.

Especially among the prisoners that were still carrying out their sentences.

He then exited his hiding place and followed Isha through the narrow passages of the mountains until he had a clear view of the people who were treading these paths. There were four of them; all of them looked like seasoned warriors.

'Left, right, right, right.'

At a single glance, he noticed their dominant hand, which was crucial information during sword fights. He was very skilled at that already due to the training and the constant fights at the Salusa Secundus, yet at the same time, another significant part of it was attributed to his more peculiar abilities. 

And having access to the genetic memories of some of the greatest fighters and swordsmen that the known universe has ever seen was certainly a perk that nobody else had.

'We can start...'

Silently brandishing his short sword, he appeared behind the last of the men who were not as cautious about his surroundings as the other ones, and with a single slash, he slit his throat while holding his mouth so he couldn't scream.

Only three remained as he dashed at the other one, stabbing him from the back, though this was already noticed by the remaining two of their companions, who instantly attacked them with lightning speed. 

The one that was nearest slashed at him; fortunately enough, the paths where they were fighting were narrow enough, so the moment when he dodged the enemy's blade, he fell onto the hard rock. 

Drawing out the sword from the dying man, he stabbed the attacker in his throat while at the same time, he kicked the last one in his stomach, sending him crashing against the walls, before he took out a small knife, throwing it out, directly penetrating his throat.

"Ts... newcomers."

Kronos knew that these people were on the Salusa Secundus for a very short time, perhaps something around a few months. Or else, they wouldn't make such a crucial mistake as not covering their rears and being extra vigilant for every second. 

On the Salusa Secundus, one could die everywhere and every time...

Being alert was the sole way to avoid being killed in some stupid ambush. Aside from the most evident threats in this place, which were other prisoners, one could be killed in a split second by some predator, a random animal that was passing by and felt threatened, or even some of the local flora. 

Salusa Secundus didn't have a lack of extremely poisonous floor or meat-eating plants that could swallow an entire human in one gulp like an afternoon snack.

Now that he killed them, he started collecting the things they had on their bodies. Scavenging was probably the only good way to survive in the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus.

"Swords, some water and instant rations... compass and daggers..."

The Sardaukar Troops controlled what the prisoners could take into the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus with extreme prejudice, so finding there even a single piece of technology was nigh impossible.

The entire area of the planet was no different from the most primitive planets where people worshipped fire. He only took another sword because the one was a bit different from the others he already had and better suited for him. 

Food and water were obviously taken as they were worth more than anything else in this place, together with the compass because his last one already broke. And he couldn't really repair it without the spare parts...

After he took everything that he deemed useful, he continued the journey further to the south; he knew that the plains that were approximately a few hundred kilometers away it was the sole place where one could hide spacecraft.

During his journey, he prayed to whatever God was up there that he would avoid the patrols of the Sardaukar Troopers, who were patrolling the entire planet more frequently than ever. He estimated that sooner or later, they would catch him or kill him... 

Perhaps death in that case would be better than returning back to the machinations of the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and Bene Tleilax.

"Be on guard... we are going to pass through the center battlefield... the things are really ugly there... last time they started releasing some really nasty gene-engineered creatures..."

After the Revolt of the Thinking Machines, after the Era of the Synchronized Empire and Butlerian Jihad, the technology of the Mankind started changing and evolving more on the side of the Gene-Engineering and Evolution.

Forsaking the concept of the machinery altogether.

Humanity embarked on a different path of technological progress, more towards Genetic Engineering, Evolution, and Genetic alternatives. Constantly pushing the boundaries of what it meant to be still human. 

And for sure, the humans of the Imperium were far, far more different from humanity when it was still confined to its cradle... Terra.

"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."

Kronos repeated the quote from the Orange Catholic Bible as he scanned through parts of his Genetic Memories. They were incomplete but most connected to the founder of his ancestor, Desmond Hart.

He was a very religious man...

Both of them were, both... Kronos and his ancestor.

Kronos knew the entire Orange Catholic Bible in his mind and could recite every single Psalm.

***

Several days later, it was heavily raining, to the point where Kronos was forced to find a temporary hiding place. During the past five days that he was talking, he encountered only two tiny groups of people, whom all fell to his blade.

Such was the life on the Salusa Secundus; it was all about killing or being killed. People were killing each other en masse, without any mercy, and each day, new prisoners were being transported to the Salusa Secundus.

Creating the infinite cycle of slaughter on the prison planet. Statistically, only one in a thousand would become a full-fledged Sardaukar after several years of brutal and harsh training. 

Right now, he was roasting some pieces of meat over the fire, which was a rare occasion; finding something to eat, aside from the issued rations that could fill someone's stomach for days, was rare. 

Not many lifeforms could survive on the post-atomic wastelands of the Salusa Secundus. However, this time, he was rather lucky as he managed to find a Bristlebakc, which was a native Salusian Boar.

Fortunately enough, he would finally have his fill of food, which he finally managed to have a good feast after a long time. He didn't know what those madmen of the Bene Tleilax did to him, but his physique was more advanced than that of an ordinary human...

Or perhaps it was the case for all of humanity? 

As someone who had access or at least partial access to the genetic memories of his ancestors, he could tell that humanity has evolved tremendously during the past ten thousand years since humanity has chosen to walk on a different path.

Right now, when it came to the Genetic Memories, he had mostly access to the Genetic Memories of Desmond Hart and a few other people, mainly for the purpose of training the fighting techniques and sword skills. 

Unfortunately, his access to the Genetic Memories was incomplete, and he couldn't access them freely, and even his other abilities were rather limited. He knew that something was missing, but in the near future, it was impossible to make himself complete.

But he was a patient man.

He would wait for the opportunity that would for sure come.

"Meow, meow... meooow."

Isha the Grynix started loudly meowing as she stared at the roasting...

Surprisingly, the creature didn't want to eat raw meat; she was rather picky. Grynixes were reminiscing about the old Terran cats, though they were fiercer and even more dangerous...

Despite her small stature, her claws could tear through armors as well as her teeth, and Grynixes had peculiar psychic abilities, sometimes very similar to the Voice of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. 

"It will be soon enough... just wait..."

Kronos stared into the fire, thinking about the future... only a few months and he would be able to leave this hellhole.