Chapter 43
SHISHAKLI
The Shields going down was the first to her that the battle had begun. Though many were surprised at the suddenness of the event, she was not and only stood there praying in her heart for Inzal's victory.
This information was known to only a select few because, in their enemy's hands, it could be valuable intelligence, allowing them to plan a quick excursion into the planet and take a worm, and so this had been kept under wraps, and so many began to panic at the suddenness of the shield's collapse and yet she assured them that this was normal, that the battle had begun.
The air in the castle was tense, as everyone waited with baited breaths, their eyes trained on the castle doors, as they waited for the victor to walk in. She had been a bit shocked when Inzal had not chosen her as her second, and yet he had explained that in the worst-case scenario, she must lead the Fremen in his place, lead them so that they may never be enslaved like before.
Minutes passed, while she simply stood there with eyes of hundred of Fremen warriors rooted to her back, for she was their leader, their Naib. Inzal's successor and the burden felt heavier than ever.
She was always well known as Inzal's second in command, his stand-in whenever he was not available, and yet it had always been him leading them, him taking the bold step, him putting his own life in jeopardy for their sake, and now it was her turn. Her burden to carry, and though she had held it for only a few days, it was not something she liked.
And then it happened. She felt it, the flick of power and energy, as she saw the characteristic blue envelop the skies once more, and her heart rose in delight as she saw the shield once more envelop the skies of Arrakis.
"YEAHH! "FREEEDOM!" "INZAAAAAL"
"KAZAAAB!"
The Saradukar joined in the cheer as well, as the Atreides guard lowered their faces in shame and guilt, for they were supposed to be a part of this victory, and yet their heir, their beloved Paul, had lost.
Shishakli herself nearly collapsed to the ground as she gasped and held her face, tears dripping down her eyes. She looked towards the throne room's gates, which were suddenly flung open.
BOOOM!
And the people parted, making way for the victor, for their Emperor, for Kazab, and yet as she saw his face, she stilled, and so did everyone in the throne room as a shush spread across the room.
For there he stood, the victor, the Emperor, the Kazab caked in blood from head-to-toe, his face devoid of any emotion as he looked forward, while in his arms lay the bloodied form of one Chani Kynes.
"Chani," she gasped as she saw her friend's unconscious form, the bandages covering her face as Inzal stepped into the room, walking towards the throne, the sound of his steps echoed through the Hall, while Lady Jessica and Princess Irulan followed behind him, the former sobbing lightly yet held her head high while, the Princess, white Dress was covered in blood as well.
Something had happened during the kanli.
They walked past them, and the people continued to kneel as the Emperor moved past them. She stood at the edge of the column of people, and Inzal strode past him as he rose the steps and walked towards his throne.
"The dispute stands resolved," Lady Jessica announced as she took her position as the truth sayer, and she could scarcely imagine what was going through her head standing there announcing the death of her own son.
"House Corrino stands victorious. All Hail Emperor Inzal Kazab Corrino," and yet none clapped, and all continued to kneel as he stood there, his blue eyes glistening as he looked at them all.
"Paul Atreides stood against me as an honorable opponent. He faced me with vigor and bravery as he looked me in the eye, and yet there are those who can no claim to his honor. Those who bask and thrive in treachery and wish to control the Imperium through the shadows," Inzal began as whispers began to thrum in the throne room.
"And as I stood victorious, they attacked me. Treachery and dishonor as their weapon, they attacked me in doves, thinking themselves better than me, for they knew, unlike my own father, they could not control me, and through me, the rest of the Imperium," Inzal began.
"And in that ambush, we suffered a loss," his voice grew softened at that as he looked at Chani.
"Despite the loss she had suffered, she stood by me and faced these aggressors and lost her own eyes in that battle," and she gasped as the implications of that dawned on her.
"And through her sacrifice, we managed to beat these aggressors, and now they shall face our wrath!" the Fremen roared with him, and so did the Saradukar as Inzal raised his fist.
"And now I name those traitors. The ones who have no honor, who attack in the dark and wish to replace me with a puppet of their own. I name the Ixians and the Bene Teilaxu as those traitors and declare war against them..." and there was a cheer as she saw his eyes shift towards the Bene Gesserit.
"...and all those who support them."
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INZAL KAZAB CORRINO
The declaration of war had galvanized the people. The Saradukar and the Fremen answered his call, and so did many other Houses as they learned of the treachery of the Face Dancers and Ixians, who were now facing the wrath of nearly all of the Imperium.
The Guild could do little to help them, for if they denied him, he would stop Spice shipments from destroying them while his own engineers worked on an alternative for Guild Navigators, not that they were helpless at the moment.
For a while the guild had navigators, he had himself and could do the task of a hundred or so navigators by himself, breaking their monopoly on Space Travel. The Bene Gesserit were flummoxed, their order's leading figure now dead and believed to be involved in a conspiracy to maim and murder the Emperor.
The order was trying to distance themselves from Gaius Helen Mohaim, trying to latch onto the coattails of Lady Jessica, as they sought survival even though he knew that they had no desire to see him on the throne. But they will fail, all of them.
The Ixians and the Bene Tleilaxu would be first though, already the Saradukar had begun their campaign, with Count Hasimir Fenring himself leading the attacks, the man wished to prove his loyalty to him, and there was no better opportunity than now.
And yet Inzal was not sitting in a war council, or resting for that matter. He was part-taking in a sacred Fremen ceremony, one where they entrusted their blind to the desert, damning them to death. It was cruel, and yet it was a tradition that he could not interfere with, not so easily.
And it was upto him and Shishakli to lead the blind man to the edge of the desert so that they may return to the very place where it had all begun.
"I am sorry," he said to Chani as he held her hand, and the girl smiled.
"Don't be. It is my choice, and I am content with it," she said as Shishakli sniffled beside her, unable to stop her tears as she saw her friend for the last time.
"Goodbye, Chani," Shishakli said and the girl nodded as she turned away from them, covering her head with the hood as she began to walk away, his gait strong and steady even without her eyes.
"Was this really necessary?" Shishakli asked him as they both stood there and watched Chani vanish into the covers of the sand, vanishing from their sight, yet she remained visible to him.
"It was her choice," he said as he wrapped his arm around her as he turned around.
"Let us go. We have a war to fight," and with that, they began to make their way back to the city, while he watched Chani vanish into the desert, alone at first only to be later joined by another figure, and his lips turned up as he entered the city, for he had an other war to fight, and a galaxy to conquer.
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And as Shishakli walked through the sand dunes of Arrakis, she felt it strange; the vision she had so relied on was now gone, and yet there was no sadness in her heart at her loss. None at all.
And as she traversed through the sand dunes, she began to feel more, more than she ever had before, she felt the direction of the wind through her hood, and the way the sand hit her face. She felt slops through the effort it took to take the next step, and yet even without her vision, there was no fear or trepidation in her gait as she walked.
And soon enough, she felt it, another presence beside her as fingers brushed past her hand at first before they joined her own, and she felt whole again.
"You are as beautiful as they day I first met you, my precious Sihaya," she heard that familiar voice.
"How can you tell," she joked as her lips quirked up.
"After all..." she said, turning towards the side. The action was instinctive, yet darkness greeted her as it would be for him.
"...you are just as blind as me, my little Muadib."
And so, the desert took what it birthed, and the galaxy was plunged into a war.
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