Chapter 1 - Dune/RWBY (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 can have the most devastating and far-reaching 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 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.

***

"Discovery of the new continent after the end of the Great War was the source of great shock and joy for most of the Remnant that was recovering from the Great War. Immediately after the discovery of the new continent, Kingdoms were eager to begin the exploration of the new continent and use its resources to recover their torn-up economy using the resources from there.

Unfortunately for the Kingdoms, the new continent, named Terra, was one giant death trap. The entire continent consisted almost exclusively of dry dune deserts, hence the continent's alternative name, 'Dune', because of the Arrakis Desert, which made up the majority of the continent's landmass.

Various weathered mountain ranges stretched across the continent, breaking up the deserts and sheltering the limited native lifeforms. Rock outcroppings also littered the continent's surface.

Nobody knows how huge the continent was or even is right now because Terra, especially the Dunes of Arrakis, were almost impossible to travel through... the violent sandstorms that tore apart even the most advanced Airships of the Atlas prevented anyone from flying through the continent straight away.

Due to the electromagnetic disturbances caused by the mountain ranges that enveloped the entire continent like a set of walls, it was almost impossible to even properly enter the continent, which was the reason why the continent was so isolated from everything else.

But the real dangers of the continent came from the fauna that inhabited the continent...

Aside from the great number of Grimm that lived on Arrakis, including several Titans and Ancients, the dunes were home to the humongous species of Sandworms that could grow large enough to eat entire Airships or even castles in one bite.

The small parts of the continent that were not deserts were ruled by the Imperial House of Corrino, which claimed dominion over the entire Arrakis. The first meetings between the Atlesian Expeditionary Fleet and the Imperial Army of the Corrino Empire after the Great War didn't really go that well.

5 Years After the Great War, an event known as the Battle of Caladan took place when the Astlesian Expeditionary Fleet, bolstered by the Mistrali Army and several hundred Huntsmen, attempted to break through the isolationism of the Corrino Empire and obtain access to their rich reserves of Dust and other natural resources, including the Spice Melange.

A mystical substance that was said to prolong life, strengthen the Aura, and maintain a person's health for many years. It was even rumored that a special concoction of the Spice was able to strengthen and evolve the Semblance of a person.

Many now wonder why the Atlas decided to go with this invasion, but historians attribute it to the perception of the Corrino Empire as inferior to the Atlas, mainly due to the lack of any advanced technology. 

Yet... the reality could be as much as cruel as it could get when the Sardaukar entered the battlefield and slaughtered everyone in their path. In the end, the entire Expeditionary Fleet was destroyed, with thousands dead on the borders of Arrakis.

To this day, 72 Years after the end of the Great War, contact with the Arrakis is sparse, and trade is almost non-existent, aside from a few shipments of the Dust that the Corrino Empire trades away for some necessities.

The Trade of the Spice Melagne is forbidden entirely and outright, because of its strategic importance to the Imperium, as only a few bits of Spice Melagne are being smuggled outside of the Imperial borders to the four kingdoms.

For most outsiders, the supercontinent of Terra is one enormous mystery, and the Imperials themselves were very distrustful toward the outsiders of any and all kinds due to the invasion initiated by the Atlas.

Only a few of the Great Houses, aside from the Imperial House, are opening their ports to that of the four kingdoms, but generally, things that are being traded there are worthless if one doesn't count on some sparse information and rumors."

***

"Recently, we got reports from a few people who managed to travel to the Kaitan that a storm is brewing in the Empire. Apparently, in the deserts of Arrakis, a new figure rose among the Fremen. Some religious Prophet called Muad'Dib is wreaking havoc in the desert and disturbing the Dust and Spice production."

A man who was on a holographic projection finished his report. He was a tall and muscular middle-aged man who wore a white overcoat, with a gray undercoat, a black sweater, a red necktie, and a white glove on his right hand. His suit pants shared the same color as his overcoat and were tucked into silver boots accented in gray.

"Are there any signs that it could have something to do with 'Her'?"

Another man asked, a middle-aged man with tousled silver hair and thin brown eyes. He has a light complexion and sharp facial features. Interestingly, he had black eyebrows, suggesting that he may have had black hair when he was younger.

"None, but as you are aware, getting any information from even the Imperium is extremely hard... getting it from the desert? Impossible unless you find a Fremen... but I guess that they would cut you down before you can speak... their hatred and disdain for the outsiders is even greater than for the nobility of the Imperium."

The older man answered because he knew that most people of the Imperium didn't like dealing with the outsiders and the Fremen who inhabited most of the continent, much less so.

The four kingdoms had nobility, but with the aftermath of the Great War and Color Revolution, most of the noble houses and lineages went extinct, and those who remained already lost their old power and were now just hollow shells of what they once were.

While in the Imperium, it was the Great Houses that ruled the Imperium together with the Imperial House, as all power was congregated within the Landsraad, where the power was divided between the Imperial House, Great Houses, and Lesser Houses.

"Do you think that this would be a good change, Ozpin or not? Religious revolutions don't end well... some in the Atlas are begging to grow concerned about the state of things."

General James Ironwood, the Headmaster of the Atlas Academy and Commander General of the Atlesian Military, was technically speaking one of the most powerful men in the Atlas due to the fact that he held two seats on the Council and led the Military.

"Maybe... most people of the Imperium are heavily isolationist and don't want to have anything to do with the outside world. Though to a large extent that is understandable, not only do the Arrakis houses some of the most powerful Grimm, but at the same time the local fauna is even more threatening..."

Ozpin reminisced that during his very long life, he had visited Terra once or twice, but those were rare occasions because it was very hard to get to the continent. He even went to the deserts, but his searches for the Fremen were rather futile, because Magic attracted worms even faster than Aura.

"They want me to send there some of my operatives to scout the situation... Most importantly, there are some disturbing reports that some entities within the Atlas are engaging in secret deals with the Harkonnens and are selling them with weapons and gear."

The Headmaster of the Beacon Academy raised his brows at that because he knew that this was rather a bad idea. Though, he knew that anyone who was dealing with the Harkonnens... they were the worst kind.

Compared to them, even the slavers across the continent who were secretly selling faunus as slaves seemed to be amiable people. Even within the Imperium itself, the Harkonnens had a terrible reputation, really, really terrible.

Dealing with the Harkonnens was dangerous, not to mention that the House Harkonnen was notorious for being backstabbing and untrustworthy as it could get. 

"I wouldn't really recommend doing that, James... sending Huntsmen to Arrakis is a death sentence; none of them would be able to survive there even a few days because of their overreliance on the Aura, and Aura attracts sandworms..."

Hearing that, General Ironwood grimaced because that was one of the reasons why the Atlesian Expeditionary Army lost the short war with the Imperium, something around sixty years ago.

They gathered several hundreds of Huntsmen for the fight, but they fought in the desert... at first, everyone thought that the people of the Imperium didn't have Aura when they were not using it in combat, but they soon realized that there was a different reason for it.

Apparently, if one was using Aura in the desert, it tended to attract worms... giant worms that were bigger than the entire fleet of airships.

Ozpin knew that the nobility of the Imperium didn't really venture into the desert if it wasn't needed, and this was true for the other parts of the population. Only Fremen lived in the desert, and they were functioning without Aura in the desert; using Aura was a death sentence in the desert because that would summon worms faster than one could think.

"The Council is really set in stone to send someone to investigate the situation and not only the one of the Atlas, but also the Council in Mistral if they are not fighting among each other."

Ironwood knew that many were concerned about the developments on Arrakis for various reasons. He knew that someone from the Atlas was selling Harkonnens some really advanced weapons and crystal-based technology, which was a very serious problem.

During his tenure as a General in the Atlesian Army, he had some contact with the Imperium, as it could be, and the Imperium partially participated in the operation against the White Fang, with extreme prejudice at that. 

The Imperial hated everyone who attacked their own, and the White Fang tended to attack their convoy and kill Imperial Citizens. He knew firsthand how strong the Imperial Military of the Imperium was and how well-trained their soldiers were.

And that was not counting the Sardaukar.

"Mining Companies and people greedy for the Spice Melange... they would die by Fremen hands faster than they could take a sip..."

Ozpin knew that many people in the Kingdoms wanted to get their hands on the Spice... who wouldn't want to live longer and have a more powerful Aura? But the Corrino Empire, even though it was weaker on the side of traditional technology, its advancements in genetic engineering were unmatched, and its warriors...

Sardaukar was still a name that was whispered with a mixture of fear, dread, and respect from the soldiers and huntsmen alike. Though he knew what the case was with the Breeding Programs of the Imperium and the Bene Gesserit.

Eugenics played an enormous role in the Imperium, and its subjects were carefully bred for excellence and power.

Mentats that were capable of doing most advanced mathematical calculations that were eclipsing even some of the most advanced Atlesian artificial intelligences or Bene Gesserit with their mystical powers of Voice and gods know what other.

The entire Imperium thrived on Genetic Engineering, Spice Melange, and Eugenics. For that reason, when it came to the Aura Masters, Imperium had actually five times more of the upper ranks than all of the other four kingdoms combined.

The usage of these aspects, especially that of Genetic Engineering and Eugenics, was so deeply rooted in the Imperial Society that even the ordinary people with awakened Aura were considering their marriages carefully so they could give birth to stronger progeny and strengthen the next generation.

Much less is said about the Imperial Nobiltiy, especially the Great Houses of the Landsraad, who literally lived and breathed for these things.

"I can help you get one of your operatives there, but it would be best if you could provide them with very comprehensive training on survival and let them acclimatize to fighting without Aura if they cannot do that..."

Nowadays, it was unthinkable for the Huntsmen to fight without Aura, but in the Imperium, it was the norm, especially in the desert.

Approximately 80% of Terra's landscape consists of the desert named Arrakis, 10% of mountain ranges and mountains, and the remaining 10% is characterized by a rather dry climate, although it is not as extreme as the desert.

Ironically, though, only 5% of the territory was mostly inhabited, according to public knowledge, in a few cities that stood on the continent, while the desert was inhabited only by the Fremen; nobody knew their exact numbers.

The Fremen numbers were a mystery even to Ozpin because only one or two of his reincarnations were born in the Imperium and always as ordinary people in one of the big cities, as if something in the DNA of the Noble Houses prevented him from being reincarnated as one of them.

"Did you ever meet Baron Harkonnen Ozpin?"

Ironwood was rather curious because, from the Kingdoms, it was Vale and Atlas that had a certain degree of contact with the Imperium.

"Once... a dangerous man that would work with Salem if it meant power, though I have my suspicion that he is also secretly working against the Emperor."

Ozpin knew Emperor Shaddam IV Corrino because, during his youth, when the man was still a Crown Prince, due to several disputes with his father, he lived for a long time in the Kingdom of Vale as the guest of the King of Vale.

His previous reincarnation.

However, it was not like Shaddam was better than Vladimir Harkonnen.

Both of them... were men beyond the cruelty.

Still, Ozpin knew that James's mission in the desert was doomed to fail, or overall, any endeavors in the Terra were doomed to fail.

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

"Thou shalt not disfigure the soul."

The Imperium was aware that Atlas was dabbling in the research of the Artificial Intelligences, or how the Imperials called them, "Thinking Machines".

This was the greatest taboo in the Imperial society and culture, and it was also the supreme commandment of the Orange Catholic Bible.

Ozpin knew that very well, as one of his reincarnations that appeared in Terra was many thousands of years ago, during the event known as the Butlerian Jihad, where the entirety of Terra was enslaved by the Thinking Machines.

Since then, after the end of the Jihad, when the Butlerians emerged victorious, they destroyed all technology and decided to embrace the path of Genetic Engineering and Aura Development fully.

The existence of Virtual Intelligences and Artificial Intelligences was something that went against thousands of years of tradition and religion in the Empire.

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

The Imperium was aware that Atlas was toying with the Thinking Machines.

That alone was more than enough for the Imperium to kill any Atlesian on sight.

For them, they are the greatest heretics who are bringing the darkest past back to the light from history.

***

Three Months Later

"The sands of Arrakis are so beautiful when the sun is low."

The man was standing on one of the hills of sand. 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.

"We need to go; the Harkonnen soldiers will be here soon."

The man was disturbed by the voice of one of the Fremen that was standing next to him as they were going through the looting part of their latest raid on the Harkonnen Spice Harvesters; they were taking everything from the ammunition, Dust, refined Spice, and most importantly...

Water.

"Jamis, come here... those ones are not of the Imperial origin."

He called a black-skinned Fremen who had called out to him previously. He didn't even know what happened, and here he was... 

In the middle of the desert.

Dune.

Arrakis.

Not a planet.

Continent of Arrakis.

Planet Remnant.

His head hurt a lot.

He was Kwisatz Haderach... the future Kwisatz Haderach.

He was born with extraordinary powers of Prescience. 

When he woke up, the memories were all blurry, countless of them... some his own, some his ancestors, and some of outside of time and space. There were many of them, but Desmond felt that it was incomplete...

He could see the past, at least essential parts of the past. But he couldn't see the future; he could see only a fog, a mist that was covering the future, though sometimes, there would be small, narrow pathways.

Nevertheless, despite this, he continued since his memories started awakening one by one, or in bunches. He didn't know what had triggered it; perhaps it was the death of his father at the hands of the Harkonnens? 

The destruction of the House Atreides at Arrakeen?

He and his mother managed to escape to the desert from the Harkonnens, where they found Fremen. They were living with the desert dwellers for a week or so as they were on the way to their Sietch.

The underground city was apparently home to them.

"Atlesian... dammed Harkonnens, colluding with the outsiders."

If there was one thing that the Fremen hated more than the Harkonnens and the Imperium that exploited the desert for the Dust and Spice, especially the Spice, were the outsiders.

Desmond understood that the isolationism of their continent was both a blessing and a curse at the same time.

On the one hand, they were cut off from everything that was happening around the world, and their technologies were developing in an entirely different direction compared to the standard, but on the other hand, they were protected from most of the problems of the outside world.

Yeah, there was plenty of Grimm in the Arrakis, but... 

Desmond knew that there was no way that the Grimm Pools that were spamming Grimm would be able to create a horde that had unrestrained access to their continent.

In fact, nobody from the Imperium liked outsiders; it was almost a cultural thing already, and there were also many other different reasons that were tied to the history of the continent and the Imperium.

"It seems that Baron is colluding with the outsiders... a serious crime against the Imperial House."

After the Battle of Caladan, where the Emperor's Sardaukar and Atreides Armies destroyed the Atlesian-Mistral expeditionary army bolstered by Huntsmen and regiments from Vale and Vacuo and a shitton of mercenaries, the Imperium has changed.

The first thing was that the Imperium managed to capture a lot of Atlesian tech, like really, really a lot, and also a lot of their huntsmen... at least those who were not torn apart by Sardaukar and Ginaz Swordmasters.

Some of the foreigners, though, managed to reach the desert... mainly the elite Huntmen and Atlesian Space Ops. They were there to gather the Spice Melange and some Starlight Dust, but their fate was no better.

Many died because they were stupid and used Aura and Semblances in the desert.

Even small Fremen children knew that using Aura in the desert was a big no-no, because that attracted worms. Using Semblance was even worse because, theoretically, one could use Aura for a few milliseconds a few times in the deserts, which was mainly used to block the most lethal attacks.

The Fremen were fighting in the desert like that, or practically anyone in the Imperium was fighting like that, as they knew that using the Aura only for a few milliseconds wasn't enough to send out the signals to the worms.

But Semblance?

That was a guaranteed worm visit.

Many of them who managed it to the desert were eaten by worms, and those who were not were killed by the Fremen. Not even the most advanced Airships of the Imperium were strong enough to defend properly against the worm attack.

"Harkonnens would work even with Grimm if it meant more power, but I guess that Emperor is no different from them at all."

The man muttered as he observed how the rest of the Fedaykin took everything valuable from the Harkonnen Spice Harvester. 

"We are leaving for the Sietch."

He looked in the distance, revealing a small smile as he turned in a specific direction.

The direction of the Imperial City of Kaitan.

"Jamis."

Soon enough, his right-handed lieutenant appeared next to him.

"Send a message to the Kaitan and Primary Cities... spread the rumors that someone is doing business with the outsiders and selling out our technologies... let the Imperial House have some trouble..."

Through the Prescience, he saw the many possible outcomes... none ended well or for the House Corrino, because Shaddam IV was a paranoid man. A very, very paranoid man who would remove anyone for even the slightest suspicion of treason.

"I will be done Muad'dib."

Turning the nobility of the Imperium against the Imperial House would be pretty easily done with this, especially because the Emperor's paranoia was getting worse by every single day.

For Desmond, the best-case scenario would be if the two factions destroyed each other, because he didn't hold any fond feelings even toward the rest of the Imperial Nobiltiy, as most of them wouldn't lift a finger even if they knew that House Atreides was being destroyed.

They would attack... but only if they received information that Sardaukar were helping the Harkonnens in the attacks against the House Atreides.

***

???

"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 already a relatively common occurrence, and it was nice to have someone on the same level of intellignece to talk with.

"Well, I don't have a really wide selection of people with whom I can speak freely..."

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? Everything we do will still lead to the same end."

He could hear almost a sadness-like emotion in 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.

His name was Desmond. 

Desmond Atreides.

The Kwisatz Haderak.

Though the House Atreides was just a past.

Most of it was already destroyed...

"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. They will be destroyed, as will be the Grimm and everyone else that stands in the way of the Golden Path."

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. 

"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 Order."

Desmond 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 would burn The Guild, The Bene Tleilax, The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, and even, to a large extent, the House Corrino would be burned away in the Holy Jihad. 

And they would do the domestic threats, then the foreign ones would be on the list to be dealt with, and the remaining remnants would be unified under one banner and one Dynasty.

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 already been decided, and it is written in 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 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.

***

Several Days Later, Deserts of Arrakins, Unknown Location

Atlas Specialists, or the Special Operative Unit, was a military unit formed of Huntsmen and Huntresses from the Kingdom of Atlas. Members of the unit were given the title "Special Operative", which could be shortened to either "Operative", or "Specialist".

The Atlesian Military was known to recruit graduate Huntsmen and Huntresses from Atlas Academy, especially to join the unit.

They were the best of the best among the Atlesian Military, and they were the strongest that the Atlas had on their hand.

That was also the reason why they were being deployed to Arrakis for reconnaissance and to discover who among the Atlas was working together with the House Harkonnen.

There were already some pointers that someone from the HighCom was working with the Harkonnens, and there were some leads that were leading directly to the Schnee Dust Company.

It was rather ironic, then, that General Ironwood deployed Special Operative Winter Schnee on the investigation, as she was his best Operative.

Even though she would always carry out the orders assigned to her even though she wasn't exactly pleased by the fact that she needed to head to the Arrakis. She knew very well that this place was a deathtrap and probably the second most dangerous place, straight away after the Grimmlands.

Right now, she was heading towards one of the points of interest in the desert that was obtained from the databases of the Schnee Dust Company. Apparently, one of the Schnee Airships crashed there due to the sandstorms.

"Land down."

The Atlesians were using the Ornithoper of their own manufacturing. Even though it was inferior to what the Imperium was manufacturing, it was still enough for the short distances and traveling for a short time through the desert.

Ornithopters, also commonly referred to as 'thopters, were the most common small transport vessels in the Imperium. These aircraft were capable of carrying 6 passengers, 9 if the back seats were removed.

As she issued the orders to land near the mountains, suddenly the entire Ornithoper shook as it was hit by the large-caliber laser gun. Before anyone could realize what was happening, the Ornithoper that the Atlesians were using was crashing down.

"Send out the emergency call! Prepare for the crash!!!"

As the commander of the specialists, she issued orders, but before anything could even be carried out, the Ornithoper crashed down on the ground. And it didn't take even a second, as several tens of men in black armor were surrounding the crashed vehicle, holding swords in their hands.

After the crash, the only person who was still conscious was the commander of the entire operation, Special Operative Winter Schnee, as the pilots were killed during the crash, and the other two Special Operatives were severely injured.

And when she looked through the windows of the Ornithoper, she saw that this ambush was carried out by soldiers of the House Harkonnen.

And this could only seem like two things.

Either this was a really heavenly accident where a far higher power was involved.

Or... someone of their own leaked the information to the Harkonnens, who then carried out an ambush. And they carried it out perfectly, because the ship was ambushed around the area with mountains, which meant that they were protected from the worms.

And there were too many of the Harkonnens, so they would be able to overpower the Atlesians through sheer numbers. Winter knew that the Harkonnens were shitty fighters, and they depended primarily on sheer numbers.

Within the Imperium, they apparently had the largest army. 

But the quality of their troops was subpar.

'There are too many of them... with my injury hindering the full usage of my Semblace... fighting is not an option. Escape is not an option either, lack of terrain knowledge and everything around... would make me just an easy target.'

Just as she was pondering over her next tactics, she suddenly heard that the Harkonnen men started screaming and shouting something in panic, and it seemed that they were being attacked by someone.

Even though she didn't understand the language as compared to the rest of the kingdoms, the Imeprium had several languages, and the language that was being spoken in Vale, Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo wasn't used here.

But she understood one word.

Fremen.

As she heard that, she wasn't sure whether it was good news or bad news.

But she was injured and her injuries were getting worse.

Being captive by the Fremen also wasn't the most ideal scenario.

Especially as Atlesian and Schnee at that.

***

Desmond dashed between the Harkonnen troops, holding two shortswords as he cut them down like vegetables. With his superior physique and combat experience, the Harkonnen troops were no different from common thugs compared to the training elite Fedaykin.

"Ya Hya Chouhada!"

Several Fremen shouted as they killed the Harkonnen men, and soon enough, the entire place was littered with the corpses of the Harkonnen troops.

"Lisan al-Gaib! Survivor!"

Desmond cleared the swrods from the blood of killed Harkonnen soldiers as he then went to the crashed Ornithopter, as several Fedaykin dragged out corpses of soldiers, all wearing modified Atlesian uniforms.

Four dead, one living.

Albeit the one who was living was unconscious and had more serious injuries than they seemed at first glance. Well, this at least solved some of their problems of what to do with the survivors, because they were foreigners, and no Fremen would take one to the Sietch under any circumstances.

"What shall we do with her?"

None of the Fremen held anything but disdain for the foreigners... especially if the said foreigners were from the Atlas due to the invasion of the desert. The Fremen were a peculiar bunch...

They hated Imperium, but even they, in front of the common enemy, allied with the Imperium during the invasion of the continent by Atlesians and Mistrali. Desmond knew that many here wanted to throw her to the group of corpses that would be eaten by the worms.

"Take her with us... call the worms."

Desmond stated that when he looked at the woman, he knew that she could be useful in the long run.

"Take the water and supplies... we are returning back to the sietch Tabr."

As soon as the orders were issued, everyone started doing their assigned tasks, and soon enough, the entire place was cleared out entirely. 

Not even five minutes later, the entire area started shaking like an incoming earthquake when hundreds of sharp teeth appeared from the sands, and everything disappeared into the darkness.

***

Office of Headmaster of Beacon Academy

"We have a serious problem, Ozpin... the scouting mission was lost in the desert."

From the tone of the Ironwood's voice, Ozpin knew that the situation was grave, because General put some of his best Special Operatives, and they were ambushed by the Harkonnen troops the moment they entered the Arrakian Mountains.

"This means that you have a leak on your side, James."

The General's expression hardened hearing that, but he knew that it was the truth. 

"We are already working on it. There were only a few people who were aware of the mission, and we are already investigating all people who were aware of the mission to Arrakis. But that isn't solving the problem on hand... the topic of the survivors, if there are any, and of their status."

There were two possibilities, and Ironwoon didn't like either of them.

Either they were captured by the Harkonnen, or by the Fremen, or they ended up in the hands of the Imperial House Corrino. 

Nevertheless, all of them were far from ideal.

"What do you want me to do, James? Getting into the Arrakis is far above my current capabilities... And if the recent intrusion of the Imperium is known to the Imperial House, then getting into the continent is impossible. With the recent happenings with Fremen, the House Corrino is more paranoid than ever, and even the rest of the Landsraad is extremely tense. The destruction of the House Atreides and their legions at the Arakeen is suspicious, and many of the Great Houses are paranoid that the Emperor helped the Harkonnens do it."

Even though the reports from the Imperium were scarce and those from the desert were even scarcer... anyone with half a functioning brain could see that the Harkonnens were far from being capable of destroying the Atreides Legions.

This was specifically true to General Ironwood, because he knew firsthand how powerful the Atreides Legions were and how well they were trained. The Marshall Gurney Halleck and Swordmaster Duncan Idaho personally trained them.

Some even said that they were on the same level as the Sardaukar.

"So you are basically saying that the Imperium is on the verge of an enormous civil war that is bound to happen because the Emperor used Sardaukar in the Kanly between the House Atreides and House Harkonnen... and coupled with those religious fanatics attacking everything going to the Arrakis is..."

Ozipin didn't say anything as he just nodded.

"The Imperium and its might is one of the main reasons why She didn't launch a full-scale invasion of the kingdoms. Despite everything, in the face of Grimm, even Imperium would send their Fleets and Legions to help against the Grimm just so they won't need to face it alone."

So basically, there wasn't much that they could do about the current situation.

"We can only hope for the best-case scenario."

***

Arrakis, Sietch Tabr

Sietch.

A sietch was typically located within the mountains or rock outcrops that were scattered throughout the deserts of Arrakis, hidden from the harsh sun of Canopus. It was located within either a man-made or a naturally carved cave system, or occasionally a combination of both.

The actual size of the mountains and rock outcrops had to be quite large, as was the network of tunnels and caves.

It had to be capable of not only housing the hundreds or even thousands of Fremen families, but also large enough to house all the internal economies and industries, basically a small city and all the civic necessities that would be needed even for a minimalist society like the Fremen community.

Stillsuit manufacturing, processing spice and converting it into fibrous form, small-scale farming, food processing, as well as the tribe's water storage, water reclamation facilities, and power supply, seem to be common to most, if not all, sietch communities.

The Sietch Tabr was home for Desmond since the House Atreides was destroyed by the House Harkonnen and House Corrino.

"How is the guest?"

He asked as he used the word "guest" with a certain lightness because the guest wasn't really the guest. Foreigners were usually a not a guests to the Fremen sietches, but their guest also wasn't a prisoner either.

Something in between.

"Healing... her aura saved her life, but her internal injuries would take time to heal."

The healer said to him with utmost respect and devotion.

For the people here, he was the Mahdi.

Their Prophet.

Their messiah.

"Assign more Fedaykin to her chambers. The best. Once she awakes, notify me."

In the end, their guest was more valuable alive than dead.

As he said that, Desmond left the place as he headed toward the place within the Sietch that served as his personal quarters.

***

Arrakeen

It was located near the northern pole of the continent, and sat largely on a mass of bedrock. This, in conjunction with the protection afforded by the Shield Wall, prevented any incursions from sandworms.

Aside from providing the governing influence with a base of operations, the chief activities in Arrakeen were trade with off-world groups and individuals, and as a gathering point for some Fremen who preferred a more 'cultured' or exotic life.

The Arrakeen governor's palace, also known colloquially as the Arrakeen Residency, was a central landmark in Arrakeen. The Arrakeen was the provincial capital of the desert since the establishment of the Corrino Empire and was the largest building in the city.

The Residency was built to withstand the harsh conditions of Arrakis, even those of the milder area surrounded by the Shield Wall mountains, encircling the city of Arrakeen and the Plains of Arrakeen outside the city.

During House Harkonnen's governance of Arrakis, the Harkonnens preferred to administer the planet from the more modern, prefab-built capital of Carthag. Though after the destruction of the House Atreides, the House Harkonnen's administration moved from the Carthag to the Arrakeen.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen had a spider-black eyes beneath enfolded eyelids, cheeks like cherubic mounds, bobbing jowls around protruding lips, and large hands that glittered with rings, the Baron's most notable feature was his immensely corpulent frame.

Most probably the result of his unchecked gluttony and family genetics. Unable or unwilling to walk on his own, all this weight required numerous suspensors harnessed to his flesh, and he could only recline in levitating suspensor thrones.

Being a large man covered in bulbous devices, he always wore dark, loose-fitting robes, along with lavish capes for special occasions.

"Rabban..."

The Baron's voice was deep and hoarse, but everyone who heard him speak shuddered in fear due to his cruel tendencies and almost zero tolerance for failure.

"I heard that the mission was a failure."

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was sitting behind the long table, which was filled with food, all prepared for the Baron's enjoyment. 

"Uncle..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Baron stopped eating as he hit the table, which left only the deafening sound in the room.

"You had one mission."

The Baron looked at his nephew with a piercing gaze that bore nothing but contempt and rage.

"You were supposed to kill all of the Atlesians entering the desert. Personally. Confirm their death and clean up... instead..."

He made a slight pause as he tapped on the chair with his huge fingers.

"Your men were massacred by Fremen, and we don't know the state of the target. We are under the eyes of many in the Landsraad after the destruction of the House Atreides, and in the Landsraad, many are already waiting for the time to pounce."

When he spoke that, he meant every word.

The Great Houses sensed folly.

They knew that House Harkonnen didn't have the power to break the Atreides Legions, but much to the fortune of the Harkonnens, there was no proof between the collusion of House Harkonnen and Imperial House and the involvement of Sardaukar.

Yet, many sensed that something wasn't right, and many looked at the House Harkonnen with even greater suspicion. If they were not careful, then everything could be exposed, and that would be their downfall and even that of the Emperor.

Even the Emperor couldn't bear the collective might of the Landsraad.

House Harkonnen had dealings with the Atlesians and Mistrali for a very long time. 

They were smuggling out Spice and Starlight Dust in exchange for rare metals, minerals, technologies, and many other things.

Which was another very serious crime in the Imperium.

"The last change, Raban. Destroy the Fremen and this so-called Prophet and get the Spice Production under control. Star mining operations on the Starlight Dust. This is your last chance, nephew."

Even Glossu "Beast" Rabban shuddered under the look of his uncle.

"Don't fail me again..."

Baron's voice was deathly low, and anyone could see the clear threat behind those words.

Even among their family members, the Harkonnens didn't know the meaning of the word "mercy".

***

Sietch Tabr, Three Days Later

As she slowly opened her eyes, the first thing Winter Schnee realized was that she wasn't in the custody of the Harkonnens... or Imperium... or dead. 

This left the room only for one possible explanation.

It seemed that Fremene ambushed the Harkonnens and brought her here.

"You are awake."

Suddenly, she heard a voice as she turned her head and saw a man sitting in the corner of the room.

He was a thin man with darkly veined hands, a thin nose, a full-lipped mouth, and a glistening black beard. Like all Fremen, his eyes were stained blue from his rich spice diet.

"Don't move. You are still injured."

The man waved his right hand as she sensed that she still had several broken bones, but whatever the Fremen gave her was working very well, and she was healing several times faster than under the ordinary influence of Aura.

"Where am I?"

As she had just woken up, she was still disoriented and felt pretty tired. His accent on the Remnantian was bad, and it was clear that he could barely speak the common. The Arrakis had its own distinctive culture and language compared to the four kingdoms.

The continent had been developing independently and in isolation from the wider world for an unknown time, despite its landmass being far larger than that of all other continents combined.

"Fremen Sietch."

Hearing that made her cringe a bit because it meant that she was captured by the Fremen, which meant that there was almost zero level of negotiation with the Fremen. As a good student, Winter actually studied a lot about the Imperium and the Arrakis Continent.

And she knew that Fremen didn't negotiate with the people whom they captured... most ended dead either way. Winter knew that the Fremen hated outsiders even more than they hated the Imperium.

She only knew bits of Galach, and when it came to the other languages that were being used on the continent, she basically knew zero. Which wasn't anything surprising, because most of the people who had their own language in this place were very reclusive, like the Fremen.

Still, she considered it good that she wasn't killed outright, as it was rather usual, like in the other cases during the past decades, when someone from the kingdoms tried to infiltrate the desert.

Which was actually a lot of people.

The Spice was a huge motivator for many.

In Atlas, people would sell Spice at a staggering amount of Lien... a one gram of Spice was sold for something around twenty to thirty million Lien, which was absolutely unreal. Everything was due to that, because the Imperium basically forbade the export of the Spice, and the only Spice that got out from Arrakis was through the smugglers, but...

The number of people who could actually get into the continent through the Arrakian Lighting Mountains, enter the desert, evade the Fremen and Worms, harvest the Spice, and leave by repeating the process could be counted on one hand.

Even her father was able to obtain a few grams of Spice per year at an even higher price, as most smugglers actually preferred to sell it directly to the Atlesian Military for other added benefits aside from money.

Winter was a peculiar case because she was directly given two vials of Spice to strengthen her Aura, physique, and enhance her Semblance directly by General Ironwood two months ago.

Yet it was incomparable to the Fremen who casually used the Spice in their food.

"Who are you?"

She asked as she looked at the Fremen man sitting in the corner of the room, but he was silent. She looked at the man warily, because the Fremen were unknown and people tended to fear the unknown.

"..."

The man just looked at her before he said something in his language.

"Al-lubb ay ma yawi ma yadi."

Obviously, she didn't understand even a bit of what he said.

"You are aware that I don't understand you?"

The man nodded as he stood and went to the door.

"Wolves do not cause harm in their dens."

With that being said, he left the room, leaving her alone to recuperate from her injuries.

***

"The prisoner has woken up Lisan al-Gaib."

The Voice from the Outer World.

Certainly, the work of the Bene Gesserit and their Missionaria Protectiva.

Kwisatz Haderach.

The form of Ultimate Power.

Works of Bene Gesserit for many millenia, many millenia.

No...

Desmond didn't really believe that he was some sort of Prophet or Savior to the Fremen, decided by destiny.

He was just the pinnacle of a ten-thousand-year-long scheming plan to create a being.

A being that would be a Living God.

Yet, he was also incomplete.

Because he was the last thing standing in his Path to awaken as Kwisatz Haderach fully.

The Water of Life.

The last step toward the ultimate ascension.

"Good... have the plan started?"

Desmond just nodded as they walked through the corridors of the underground Sietch, where people went about their business or bowed and knelt when they saw their Mahdi walking among them.

The worship and utmost devotion were clear in the eyes of people when they bowed.

"The smugglers have already left the desert and should arrive at the major cities in other regions in a few days."

Desmond nodded and didn't say anything.

The rumors about the House Harkonnen working with the foreigners, the rumors about the House Harkonnen using the Forbidden Technologies, and many other things. Right now, Desmond wanted to create as much chaos as possible within the Imperium.

The more the better for them in the long run.

He knew that with the destruction of the House Atreides, many of the Great Houses were already suspicious of the Imperial House. It was understandable, because everyone knew that while the House Harkonnen possessed enormous legions even by the Imperial standards, their quality was...

Left with a lot of room to improve.

A lot.

"This should tie a lot of Harkonnen's power to put down to the rumors. Once they are near the end, release the second wave."

Desmond already foresaw that Baron would do everything in his power to squish the rumors about the cooperation of House Harkonnen and Atlesians, and in many possibilities that he saw, the Imperial House would help them.

Even though Baron committed a grave crime against the Imperium... The Corrinos couldn't really afford to have a complete fallout with the House Harkonnen because Vladimir Harkonnen had one last trump card in his sleeve.

Proof of cooperation between Harkonnens and Sardaukar in the destruction of the Atreides.

Desmond was sure that if it came to that, Baron would release the evidence just to take Shaddam down with him. 

The Great Houses wouldn't tolerate an Emperor who was using his Sardaukar to destroy them.

"We need to lure the greater Harkonnen hosts to the deserts..."

This was his plan from the start.

Why fight Harkonnens in their turf when they could lure them to the deserts of Arrakis, where they would be defenseless and slaughtered. Soon, everything would start falling together, like pieces of a puzzle, where everything would make sense when everything was in place.

"The number of patrols they sent has been increased several times, but they don't go to the depths of the desert."

Hearing what Stilgar said made Desmond stop for several seconds.

The continent of Terra was enormous. 

The overall size was estimated to be around 75 million square kilometers, and from that, around 80% was Arrakis. The deeper into the desert one went, the more dangerous it was to the point, where in the Western Arrakis only Fremen lived.

The entire Arrakis was separated into two parts.

The Northern Arrakis and Southern Arrakis.

Separated by enormous sandstorms and mountain ranges.

The last time someone from the Imperium reached the south was many, many centuries ago, and even that was by sheer accident that the Airship managed to pass through rather "mild" standstorm before crashing at the outskirts of the Southern Arrakis, where it was found by the fundamentalists.

Actually, most of the Fremen lived in the deep south, which was a domain only for the Worms and Fremen.

"Warn the other Naibs to be careful... it won't take long for Baron to realize from where the flames are being fanned from."

Naib was a Zensunni and later Fremen term, used to denote the leader of a Sietch. A Naib was typically male. In the language of the Fremen, Naib meant, "one who has sworn never to be taken alive by the enemy". To become a Naib, one usually had to fight and kill the previous Naib.

"It shall be done, Lisan al-Gaib."

With that, Stilgar bowed as he left Desmond standing before the doors of a certain room that belonged to the Reverend Mother. He entered the room, as he was greeted by the smell of inscene and Spice Melange in the air and little light in the room.

"You are playing a very dangerous game, my son."

His mother, Lady Jessice, was the concubine of his father, Duke Leto Atreides.

Shre was a tall, slim woman with bronze-colored hair often tied with a black ribbon at the crown. She had an oval face with wide-set green eyes, a small nose, and a wide and generous mouth. 

Since she became Reverend Mother, her entire face was covered by symbols from the Fremen religion and other things that even Desmond wasn't entirely aware of their origin.

"Everything we do now is dangerous, mother. None less than the schemes that the Sisterhood was plotting in the dark for millennia."

He retorted to her statement as he explained that everything they were doing was dangerous. 

Well...

Or rather, one could call it a fight for survival.

She knew very well why the Harkonnens were emboldened to annihilate the House Atreides, and much of it stemmed from the fact that she bore a son. 

A son who was, by all accounts, or would be Kwisatz Haderach.

Basically...

By that single choice, she destroyed the efforts of the Sisterhood for the past ten thousand years.

Yet, Leto wanted to have a son... a heir to the Throne of Atreides, and she loved him too much to deny him that.

And by that...

The plan of Sisterhood was null and void.

"I am talking about your plot with the Corrino Princess... how can you be sure that she won't betray you?"

As his mother, she knew her son the best, and she was informed that he was, from time to time, communicating with the Corrino Princess, and by her intuition, the two were plotting something together.

"Because she wants something that she couldn't obtain otherwise, no matter the efforts, power, or luck."

He sat down across from his mother as he answered the question.

"And that is?"

She herself was curious, albeit her curiosity was just a pretense to confirm what she already knew.

"Freedom."

Seeing his mother nod her head, he knew that she had already predicted that.

Well...

She wasn't Reverend Mother for nothing.

A Reverend Mother refers to a Bene Gesserit initiate (or other woman) who, by converting an awareness spectrum narcotic within their body, unlocks their genetic memory.

After completing many years of intellectual, physical, and emotional training within Bene Gesserit Schools, sisters deemed qualified by Proctors would be allowed to make the attempt to become Reverend Mothers. This potentially deadly ritual, known as the Spice Agony, involved the ingestion of the Water of Life.

The Water of Life entered the sister's body as a poison; it was her task to consciously convert this poison into a substance benign to her. If the sister successfully completed this process, she unlocked the genetic memory of all her female ancestors, resulting in a sudden and immense accumulation of knowledge and abilities.

Despite this, the new Reverend Mother did not have access to the memories of her male ancestors.

A few weeks ago, his mother became Reverend Mother of the Sietch Tabr after the previous Reverend Mother died from old age.

"In the end, neither the Imperial House could escape from the claws of destiny."

She muttered quietly.

"Through such union, you could consider obtaining the allegiance of the Sarduakar."

Hearing that, Desmond seriously considered her words, as it was already something that he was thinking about. 

"Many think, even among the Greater Houses, that the Sardaukar are loyal to the person sitting on the Golden Lion Throne."

He said those words with a certain degree of mockery because he knew very well how the Sarduakar functioned and where their loyalty truly lay.

"People forgot or like to forget things... many don't remember that the Sarduakar are loyal to the House Corrino and the Corrino Lineage more precisely, not to the person who bears the title of Padishah Emperor and sits on the Golden Lion Throne."

Lady Jessica, as Desmond knew, that the loyalty toward the Sarduakar was, is, and would be toward the House Corrino. She also knew that if conflict arose within the House Corrino, which could be termed as an internal crisis, then she was sure with 99,99% certainty that the Sarduakar would remain neutral.

In the end, they don't care who the head of the House Corrino was or who among the Corrinos sat on the Golden Lion Throne. 

"If the conflict arose between Irulan and the Emperor, what do you think the result would be?"

Desmond asked as he knew that his mother was more experienced with this, and his access to the genetic memories was...

Incomplete.

"If the Sisterhood doesn't intervene in some way which I cannot predict, then they would remain neutral. If she has a good cause, then it is highly possible that the Sardaukar would actually support her if she has a reason that Shaddam IV could cause the destruction of the House Corrino."

His mother said after some thought as his eyes suddenly gleamed with realization.

"Destruction of the House Atreides... If Shaddam's doesn't kill me and perhaps even Baron and prevents the information leakage, then the House Corrino is done for. And then, there are still your former compatriots, Mother."

Now it seemed that no matter what would happen, the House Corrino's fall would be destined.

Either by his hand, either by the hands of Great Houses, either by the machinations of Vladimir Harkonnen or those of the Bene Gesserit Order.

"Conspirating with Harkonnens and Mother Superior has its consequences... but..."

Suddenly, she stopped as her expression became heavy once again because the next thought that she wanted to say was something related to the core secrets of the Order.

"I think... that this wasn't aimed just at the House Atreides, but at the House Corrino as well. As I know Mother Superior, she would certainly do something like that, and by involving the Corrinos in our extermination, she also created conditions where the Imperial House would be destroyed one way or another."

As he thought over it, it seemed more and more viable that this plot was also aimed at the Imperial House.

And the reason?

"They want to create a new Imperial House that would be under their total control and to cut the loose ends..."

His mother just nodded at the sentence.

"Well, this could make some things easier... Irulan already told me that she has some bad feelings about the Mother Superior Mohiam and her intentions toward the House Corrino."

Perhaps this could be used to adjust some of the plans.