Giedi Prime, 10191
"Come with us."
Khala followed the guards cautiously, still remembering the stinging pain of the whip from two nights ago. Of course, the guards that were in front of her were not her tormenters–no, those guards had long since met their ends at the end of Feyd's wrath.
"Where are we going?"
They didn't answer.
She was led through winding hallways, and eventually they stopped in front of a dark door she didn't recognize. It seemed to be new, out of place in the shadowy palace with it's silver adornings.
The guard pushed open the door, revealing a sliver of a barely furnished room, "Leonara has arrived."
"Bring her in."
She recognized the voice of the Reverend Mother. Their daily training sessions had been stopped since her outburst, and Khala was fearful of what the Reverend Mother had prepared for this class.
Was it punishment? She had already been punished plenty, though the Bene Gesserit always had different ideas of torture.
Khala stepped in tentatively, her heart hammering in her chest.
She didn't have to obey the Reverend Mother's orders, of course, but she would have to, for now. As long as it didn't harm anyone, Khala would have to endure it during her wait for Paul–she would bide her time.
The Baron also sat on a chair, his fat oozing off of the metal confinements, providing her with a sense of unease.
What was he doing here? She thought worriedly. His face was twisted in a cruel expression of satisfaction, filling her with further foreboding.
A quick sweep over the bedroom provided her with the curiosity towards a chair sitting in the middle of the room. There were cuffs on the chair, a large machine hanging from the ceiling, and she froze at the sight of them.
Glancing up, she saw the malicious smile on the Baron's face.
Not good.
Is it too late to run?
"Sit."
Khala walked and nestled onto the chair with a sinking feeling in her gut.
Before she could shake the influence of the voice off, the cuffs immediately snapped shut around her wrists and Khala was sent into another frenzy of panic.
"Our newest development–you're the first to experience it's wonders."
Khala's heart pumped faster. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to find out what exactly was going to happen to her, what she could do to avoid it.
"What are you going to do to me?" Her voice was steady despite her fear, her eyes gazing straight into his beady black ones.
"For a Bene Gesserit, your questions are quite unstrategic. Your observancy skills are mediocre at best"
Khala stayed silent, not taking his bait. Her mind raced in ways to escape–but they all lead to dead ends. The collar nestled on her neck restricted her voice, and she was in the presence of a Reverend Mother, adept at using the voice and multiple guards, weaponless.
"That is why me and Gaius have come to the conclusion of giving you... another use."
The Baron's smile widened, his eyes gleaming gleefully, "we are here to unleash you to your full potential. We want Leonara back–but we want Khala's symbolism, Khala the fighter. We want your abilities."
Khala's eyes flashed with fury at his suggestion.
"you will never redeem me. I am a freedom fighter. I am fedaykin." She spat.
Gaius stood up, her silence breaking. "The Fremen never wanted you. They let you wander away. They watched you leave. They don't care... Don't you remember?"
"That's not true." Khala said passionately.
They would never do that. Liar.
Though in her faintest memories, a faint observation she recalled from many nights ago. She didn't remember hearing the snoring of Chani as she stood up; she remembered a rustling behind her as she left the tent.
The Bene Gesserit ways had trained that of her–to remember everything. Your heartbeats, your breaths...
Khala blanched, "that's not true." She repeated, though her voice was oddly weak.
"You know it is." Gaius said with a predatory smile, noticing her doubt, "they wanted you for your abilities. And when they got bored of you, they left you to die." Her chillingly calm tone scared Khala.
Khala shook her head fervently, "I don't care! They love me and I love them, and I will never kill innocent people for you. I never even wished to kill in the first place!" Khala argued desperately, "I'm not a killer!"
The Baron's eyes darkened, his words interrupting her plea, "do not lie to yourself, Leonara." he said sharply, "that is who you are. You are a killer. You were born to kill. Why is that a bad thing? Use it. The Fremen never wanted you. We do."
"No!" Her anger erupted, and she thrashed against the chains binding her, "LET ME GO!!" She yelled, though her collar was still restraining her ability to use her voice.
A screen slowly lowered itself in front of her, and Khala was forced to watch herself in the arena almost six years ago, a sadistic grin on her face as she ordered a dozen people to kil themselves. Her eyes were dark then, almost devoid of emotion. Her brutality reflected that of the Harkonnen shoulders, she saw it in the guards eyes as they tortured her relentlessly.
Every kill inflcted doubt on Khala's morals.
Am I... a killer?
"Stop," she protested weakly. The Baron chuckled, "still not convinced?"
The screen darkened, leaving Khala shaken.
"Be who you truly are. Let go. Let go of what the Fremen manipulated you to believe," the Baron urged.
The Fremen never... they would never... they...
Her bottom lip quivered as more and more unwanted observations came flooding back. She remembered footsteps behind her, soft enough to be unheard by the worms, but enough to be functional. The footsteps she recognized as Chani's. Chani had followed her out, Chani had not warned Khala, had not done anything to help.
Despair consumed Khala, along with realization that she didn't mean anything to the fremen.
Right?
It was preposterous even thinking about joining the Baron, but the harsh reality of the Fremen's betrayal left Khala reeling.
Feyd, Khala thought.
Feyd. There was still hope. Still glimmers of emotions in the depths of his electric blue eyes.
Khala's thoughts turned to him, to the glimmers of emotion she had seen in his eyes. There was still hope, she believed, hope that she could pull him back from the brink of darkness.
If Khala succumbed to the Baron, Feyd would never become who he used to be.
She clenched her jaw.
For him.
"I will not join you." She said firmly. The Baron tutted, "I thought you would say that."
The Baron circled around Khala on his floating chair, "hence why you sit on such a throne at this moment. You are weak, Leonara. Your love and compassion blinds you for who you truly are. And I intend to remove every weak point about you possible." The Baron paused, "say goodbye to your family."
Khala's heart sank, realizing what was to come. She entered a new frenzy, thrashing in her chair. The cuffs that bound her did not budge.
"No!" Khala yelled, tugging on the cuffs restraining her. The metal did not move. A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Please!"
The Machine above her lowered and started faintly buzzing. Gaius stepped forward.
"You don't remember the Fremen. You are loyal to the Harkonnens."
She recognized her mother's techniques. She did not full on use the voice–the voice was not powerful enough, but used little intonations to keep suggesting, planting false thoughts in her mind.
"No! You monsters!" Khala cracked with anguish at her predicament and turned to her mother.
A mother is one who looks out for the best interests of her child. Sometimes that means loving them unconditionally. How could she do this? Her mother was cruel, yes. But not... evil.
Khala refused to believe it.
"How could you do this to me? To your own daughter?"
Gaius did not move. Her face reflected no emotion.
Her mother was simply not there.
No
The machine lowered over her head, and darkness consumed her.
"Preparing the mind wipe." A voice called.
Don't let me forget Feyd–at least let me keep my memories of him. Of the old him. Please.
As the machine's whirring consumed her, deafening and loud, Khala's eyes closed, falling into a strange mix of feeling despair and a desire for revenge.
She knew she would never beat her cunning mother, nor the evil Baron. But a faint flicker of hope stayed alight.
But perhaps, one day, her time for revenge would come.
With Feyd's smile lingering in her mind, a memory of better times, Khala whispered her farewell.
Goodbye, world.
AN: Thats the last of this act, I know there were less chapters, but they def were longer. I remember the first few chapters of act i had like 500 words, and many of the chapters in this act have like 2500. Anyways um I took inspo from the winter soldier!! haha hes so fine.
Anwyasy ily all, tysm for 20k!!! WOWWWWW!! I never would've thought I would ever hit that high. I'm so grateful, I love you all so much mwah!! <3