Self Destruct

  In an alley that was narrow enough that two men couldn't walk side by side comfortably.

  A Sardaukar soldier pressed his back against a recessed doorway, the sandstone wall still warm with the day's heat, pressing at his shoulders.

  The buildings on either side rose high, cutting the sky into a thin dark strip above. Somewhere further down the alley something was burning, casting an orange flicker across the sandstone walls visible through the purple tints of the gas released by Atreides soldiers.

  The noise of distant explosions battered his ears.

  Each thud echoing through the narrow stone corridor.

  He checked the seal on his mask.

  Pressed the edges.

  Once.

  Twice.

  "Secure" he muttered.

  Around him, the purple mist filled the air.

  Nearby a Harkonnen soldier was on his knees, fingers desperately grasping at his mask. His eyes were wide. Panicked and desperate.

  The Sardaukar watched him struggle for a moment.

  Then raised his weapon.

  He fired with a cold glint in his eyes.

  He did not even blink as the bullet punched through the man's forehead, the sound of the bullet drowned out by explosions and bullets raining down from the Atreides soldiers in the distance and the exchange of missiles.

  "You have been granted mercy," The Sardaukar soldier muttered.

  There was a moment of static before a clear message reached the Soldier.

  "Atreides soldiers have taken base within the building, gather into groups of 10, surround and raid." The order came through.

  "Yes Commander," the soldier replied before ducking low and moving to regroup with other Sardaukar soldiers.

  Inside the fgship, Cova snickered.

  "I am surprised the Honorable House Atreides would stoop to the level of using poison gas," he said.

  "My lord, our ground forces are reporting heavy casualties from the poison gas. Communication with several units has gone dark." Rabban said, his eyes scanning the battlefield reports.

  "The Atreides are using the cover of the gas to pick off our remaining soldiers" he continued, "We are losing ground rapidly."

  "Your Harkonnen troops are getting sughtered Baron," Cova ughed.

  Baron Harkonnen who had been ignoring Cova for the most part, gnced at him.

  "General Cova" The Baron said attracting Cova's attention.

  "You are standing on the fgship of the Harkonnens" Baron said.

  "So?" Cova said gncing at Baron with contempt.

  The Baron's finger moved.

  A small dart crossed the room faster than eyes could follow.

  Cova's hand moved to his neck. Confused more than pained.

  Cova frowned.

  Then he dropped.

  Cova's body fell to the ground with a thump as he hit the metal floor.

  A dark stain spreading beneath him.

  Baron looked away.

  "Clean my deck, Rabban."

  "And throw his body to the battlefield."

  "Let him die among the soldiers he mocked."

  "Yes my lord" Rabban calmly replied as he immediately stepped away from the command console and grabbed Cova's body, lifting him from the ground. Blood poured out staining the floor as Rabban carried Cova away.

  As Rabban walked away, suspender lifted the baron off his chair as he moved towards the command console.

  Personally looking at the carnage Atreides was causing, his eyes noticed a frigate flying past missiles approaching the fgship.

  Inside the frigate, Gurney stood behind the pilot as he watched the fgship fill his viewport.

  "Sire, I have left shield range," Gurney said through the communicator.

  "Affirmative," Leto's voice came through.

  "Activating Shields Sire," Gurney heard Thufir's voice.

  Slowly breathing out his focus shifted back to the fgship again.

  "One shot,"

  "Make it count." Gurney muttered to the pilot operating weaponry systems.

  The missile unched with a violent thud.

  Baron's eyes squinted for a moment as he saw the Shield around Arrakeen flicker back on.

  A ferocity fshed in his eyes.

  His eyes caught sight of a missile fired towards the fgship from the Frigate chasing after them.

  The Baron did not move.

  He simply watched.

  The missile grew rger in the viewport.

  A few moments passed and the expected interception did not occur.

  'Still no interception?' He thought to himself.

  The Baron's eyes narrowed.

  Barons' breathing sharpened as he watched the missile hit the Fgship.

  The ship lurched violently.

  A tremor rippled through the deck beneath the Baron's feet.

  The baron watched as a rge explosion took out a small chunk of the southern deck.

  "My lord what happened?!" Rabban shouted as he rushed into the command room.

  "The southern deck... has been hit" Baron muttered.

  "Why wasn't it stopped?" He asked Rabban with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

  Rabban froze seeing the sharp glint in Baron's eyes, his back filled with sweat, feeling the Baron's oppressiveness.

  "My lord... Our defence systems... they are overwhelmed," Rabban muttered.

  There was a moment of stillness as Baron sharply stared at Rabban.

  "What happened to the body?" Baron asked.

  "My lord, the body has been disposed" Rabban's voice reached Baron's ears.

  His gaze, sharp as a knife, stared at Rabban in silence.

  "This attack... is a failure," Baron announced.

  Rabban's eyes fell towards the shield surrounding Arrakeen that had been turned on again preventing any more forces from moving into or out of the city of Arrakeen.

  "My lord..." Rabban was frozen for a moment.

  He wanted to deny, but he couldn't bring himself to deny.

  "Soldiers hear me" Baron said through the communicators.

  "Fight until your st breath. Cause as much destruction as you can."

  "Then my Last command to you."

  "Self-destruct." The Baron coldly ordered

  Rabban stepped forward.

  "My lord, there are thousands of valuable Harkonnen troops!"

  "Yes thousands to cause enough destruction before allowing them a final mercy of not becoming prisoners of war" Baron said.

  "Retreat," Baron told Rabban.

  "..." Rabban was silent for a moment, "Yes my lord" Rabban said.

  Rabban stepped forward towards the command console and began operating the fgship.

  "All active fleets retreat" Rabban's command reverberated throughout all fleets fighting an aerial battle against the Ornithopters outside of the dome.

  "The fgship... it's retreating!" Jack said, relief fshing across his face.

  "It's not over yet" Duke Leto stated with seriousness.

  "The Harkonnen Fgship may be withdrawing, but the ground troops will attempt to cause as much damage as possible. We must quickly control them," Thufir stated.

  "Gurney, Status update" Duke Leto asked through the communicator.

  "Sire Attack nded on the Southern deck, damage rge enough to enter," Gurney said.

  "Stay cautious, they have begun retreating" Duke Leto informed.

  "Yes sire"

  "Thufir order for a ground sweep using Ornithopters, take out any active enemy soldiers."

  Jack gnced at the screens showing the purple mist still hanging over the eastern district.

  Hundreds of bodies lying in the alleys below passed out from the gas.

  'Baron thinks they're all dead.'

  'He has no idea.' Jack thought with a slight smirk.