Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Forty Two

On Caladan, Mildred's father often spoke about air and water power. It was some of their greatest defenses. When they arrived on Arrakis, he expressed an interest in desert power. At the time no one truly knew what that meant. Now, Mildred did. It came in the form of those native to the planet that lived in the cities. It came in the form of the Fremen who invented ingenious ways to adapt to the desert. They trained their children from small ages to fight.

Desert power would be what saved them all. It had been just over three weeks since her brother decided to drink the Water of Life. It had sent him into a coma like state and many people thought he was actually dead. When he woke up everything changed. He gathered the Fremen as quickly as he could to inform that this was their time. Just above Arrakis was filled with Guild ships as well as the Emperor himself, a truth sayer, five legions of Sardaukar, the Baron and other raiders from the Great Houses.

Soon, she would be able to go home to Caladan and leave the desolate planet. It had been two years since she had seen Arrakeen. It looked the same though. Paul had been reluctant to let her go with them, but he wouldn't say why. He just looked at her strangely. Stilgar, Paul, Gurney, and her sat high on the Shield Wall examining the ships that had landed. They made no attempt to conceal which tent the Emperor would be in.

"I count nine levels. Must be quite a few Sardaukar." Gurney said next to her while looking through his binoculars.

"Five legions." Paul informed him.

"It's getting light out. Your exposing yourself, Muad'Dib." Stilgar said through gritted teeth.

"I'm perfectly fine out here." Paul said.

"That ship mounts projectile weapons." Gurney also ignored Stilgar.

Mildred smirked. "They think we have shields. They can't identify us. Not this far away. A storm is coming though."

A storm was an understatement. If the predictions were right, this would be one of the biggest storms in the planet's history which would provide enough coverage for them to attack. They slid back inside the formation quietly where more Fremen were inside. She stood quietly, observing those around her who were about to potentially lay down their lives so that her family might rule Arrakis again. Memories of the night of the attack two years ago flooded her mind. She could still remember the screams of the soldiers. She still remembered what their bodies looked like as she ran past them. She swallowed the emotion back.

Her body was tired from the days of preparation. Everything had to be right. Nothing could go wrong. When Paul deemed it the right time, they would dispatch the Sardaukar they had captured weeks ago to relay the message that Atreides lived. The Emperor's reaction to that news would determine their next move. She could hear Gurney and Stilgar bantering near her. Something about Gurney always being in a sullen mood which made her crack a smile.

It wasn't just the Fremen sacrificing themselves that bothered her. Some of the people who lived in the cities had also volunteered to be first in line to attack the Sardaukar. It would be suicide, but Paul assured her that it would be less people for them to kill. The city people knew that they would mostly likely die. They believed in Paul. Not her. The forces should be standing behind her, waiting for her word. She was the Duchess, but no one listened to her. A decision would have to be made if they won this battle.

Someone touched her lower back causing her to jump. She fixated her eyes on the man in front of her, already knowing it was mostly likely Gurney.

"You're thinking." Gurney observed. "Maybe even overthinking."

"Mmm, I'm just going over the odds of us being successful." She admitted.

"You look tired." Gurney noted the bags under her eyes.

"I am tired."

"Have you eaten anything?" He asked.

"My stomach is in knots. I cannot eat."

Gurney reached out for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever is wrong, you can tell me."

"I know." She smiled up at him. "And I will. When this is all done."

suddenly that there was a commotion outside one of the tents indicating that the Sardaukar had arrived. Now they had to wait to see what flag would be placed on the pole outside. She didn't know if she would see the Atreides flag. Gurney doubted it. Paul was hopeful. Mildred watched through her binoculars as a flag with yellow, red and black was raised. CHOAM Company.

Her hands balled in fists next to her, but she tried her best to keep the anger from appearing on her face. The Emperor didn't care that the Atreides lived. They only cared about the spice.

"Start sending the men down. Tell the gunners to aim at the nose of their ships." Mildred instructed.

Paul approached Gurney from where he stood next to his sister. "The trigger that blasts the Shield Wall, I leave in your hands. Will you do it?"

"I will." Gurney took the trigger from him.

The noise from the incoming storm grew louder to the point where everyone had to shout. She listened closely to the voices, the communications all around her trying to anticipate move after move. Paul nodded at Gurney to go to the tunnel and initiate the blast. When Paul gave him the hand signal, he pressed the button and the floor beneath began to shake.

"The Shield Wall has been breached!" A watchman yelled. "Our gunners are firing."

Even beneath the surface she could feel the power of the storm and explosions all around them. There was no turning back now. Panic would set in soon from the Emperor once he realized he was stuck on Arrakis.

"I'm getting a message, Muad'Dib." The signalman spoke to Paul. "Much static! Raid...on Sietch Tabr...captives...Alia families of ___ dead...they___son of Muad'Dib."

Mildred froze. Every muscle in her body tensed. They had sent Sardaukar to the Sietch where her mother, sister, Chani, nephew and many other innocents to slaughter them. They had her sister captive. Her nephew was dead. Her sweet little nephew who she enjoyed rocking at times. He had just began to speak.

Her tearful eyes laid on her brother who stood just as motionless as she did. She could tell he was swallowing down any bit of grief. He did the same when their father died. She watched and watched for him to break down just as her mother and she had done, but he never did. She supposed on the inside he was mourning. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that Chani and him were feeling.

All she could do was give him a comforting shoulder squeeze and be on their way to the castle her family once occupied on Arrakeen.