Damon once said he would save his father and his whole family, that they would live in a better future where the chaos of politics did not haunt them, where one cousin did not have to fear the power of another. But with all of that, how much would he need to sacrifice? He was the Kwizats Hedrach, free from the restraints of Destiny, creating his path for the universe and humanity.
As he stood before his whole family, he closed his eyes, and in a fraction of a second, he saw the future, past, and present. Damon was different from all the Kwizats because they could all see the beginning of their genetic memories of the ancestors during the times of the newly created sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit, a time when they were not called the Bene Gesserit but a sisterhood.
In other words, they could see as far back as ten thousand years, But Damon could see the beginning of Humanity; he could see leaders such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar and mythical kings who were said not to exist.
In all of that, Damon had learned the need for sacrifice. He would save his father, but he would do it in a way that his brother would not understand, and it would need to be a secret until the end.
Opening his eyes, he was met with a frown on the Duke's face. " You say you knew I would come here...Elaborate for me," Duke Leto said.
" What is there to elaborate on? Despite communication being difficult here on Arrakis, we, too, get news of what occurs in the landsraad. I had made enough trouble to warrant a change of dukedom.
My enemy was the Harkonennens, and they were killing my people in large numbers. I needed something to even it out, so day after day, I killed their men, burned their spice, and stole their machines."
Duke Leto caressed his forehead as if in pain, " You think you have brought me good news, but you have set us up for failure and death, Damon. If word reaches the Baron that you are my son, he may very well take the news to the Landsraad, and then we would have many great houses against us.
And none of them will make allies of me nor your brother Paul. Do you see now, Damon? " Paul looked at his brother, showing no emotions to him. But he heard his father's words, and in his mind, he thought, tread carefully. Damon is our only ally in Arrakis he is the key to all the fremen,
Paul looked at his mother, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing. " If word gets to the Baron, if. " Damon said. " There will be no word leading to him. I have ensured that. I did not survive Arrakis on luck; I survived because my will was strong, and I was determined to win.
You may scold me like a father to a son, but don't, for one, forget who you speak to. " Feeling a threat towards their Duke, Gurney Halleck, and Duncan Idaho unsheathed their blades, ready for blood. You could see the tension on Gurney Halleck's scarred jaw.
Damon looked towards the Duke and smiled, "I am the second most powerful man on Arrakis. I may be your son, and I may be an Atreides, but I am Fremen. These are my people, and I will continue to fight for them. I will not leave my fate to the likes of those who are in government, to those who speak words and would kill millions on the flick of a wrist or touch of a button.
Duke Leto looked at Damon, and he saw the Atreide's qualities and value he wanted to have in him. Damon had said it: he was a Fremen before an Atreides; he would die saving the people of this planet, which was a quality to admire.
Damon was a self-made man from a boy in a sietch to one who grew in power and influence. It was safe to say he controlled Arrakis's biggest stumbling ring of spice. And with the Harkonennens not controlling Arrakis and selling their reserves. He truly was the most powerful man in Arrakis.
" Put your blades away, Gurney, and all of you. Please leave. I wish to speak to my son alone," Gurney Halleck protested. "M'lord," however, the duke would hear none of it. I would be by the door," Gurney Halleck said as he passed Damon, who remained in the middle of the hall with his arms held behind his back.
Jessica, Paul, and Thufir looked at him in surprise, but the Duke gave a look that said many things but one: "Don't question me." That is what they did. One by one, they all walled away and remained outside the room.
" Speak what you want to say," Duke Leto said as he walked from the table and strode to his son. They were close now, face to face. You will not survive this. The Harkonnen plan is foolproof. They have other ways of getting the shield down, more than one, but they do have a promising individual," Damon said.
" You spoke in my head. " Duke Leto said. " Jessica once told me what the bene Gessirt did, but I did not think it was to this extent. Can Paul learn this power? " His eyes had a sense of anticipation in them. "Not to the extent I do, but he will be fairly powerful."
" You have shown me what would happen, the vision. You have looked at every future, and all you see is death to me and everyone here, but the one where you do as you have planned, then Paul would survive, and your mother would also. " Duke Leto said.
" I tried to see if there was another way, but there is none," Damon said. " for now, you must die; how you do it is up to you, but I know in the end our family will be together, me, mother, Paul, his children, and my children.
" Do you want to know her name?" Damon asked his father. At the moment, they were not Duke and Bloodworm; they were father and son.
" Yes, tell me my daughter's name. I would like to know that." Duke Leto said. " Her name is Alia. She is a courageous girl, a strong woman, misunderstood but intelligent." Damon said.
"Damon," Duke Leto called out. " This is my end for now, but Promise me your mother, brother, and sister will be safe. Promise me this father to son. I know I was not there for you when you needed me, and I hate to ask this of you as it is not your duty. The eldest must do this, take care of his family when the father is not around." Duke Leto said.
" I swear to it by my water, may the SHAI-HULUD take me if I fail, but I promise you this: from what I have allowed you to see, it will come true. All I ask is you play your part in this.
A/N: If you did not understand what was occurring in that room. When Damon was talking to Duke Leto, he also spoke to him in a psychic sense. He showed the Duke a vision of what would happen if he did not die, and it was a grim future in which all of them died, and Damon was left alone.
But Damon shows him a better one: if he does as he planned, then everything will come out perfect, and they will reunite in the far distant future.
Guys, there will be more to come, so don't worry, don't think you understand the whole picture based on one chapter.