Tales of the Sand

[TMA_1]

damn them!

Captain Fodherson repeated to himself in an amusingly soft snarl. It wasent amusing to him though, as he lost three good men, corpses now.

looking past the blur of heat waves, Fodherson could see three grey clad suspensor bound sardaukar comb the area. They wouldnt dare stay out too long, as they didnt wear the filthy stil-suits that the fremen so proudly donned.

They continued searching for tracks though, tracks that would never be found.

He continued to watch the suspensor troops in the distance. He thought of ways to torture those who killed his men. What he would do to fremen if he ever found those who did this.

It occured to him though that the fremen would never be found.

"Damn them!" Fodherson said once more, realizing the horrible truth that there would be no justice. And the real insult was the fact that they ran home to their still undescovered caves, ran home!

It was a shame that this had been happening far too often. They got away, not even needing the help of a fast ornithopter. There was no doubt that these fremen were good fighters. Maybe a few thousand years ago, the nobility of the sardaukar would shine upon the fremen. There might have been respect, even an unrequited friendship for the match of matches in fighing superiority. Not now though, Fodherson knew how the sardaukar worked. "We wish for results, nothing more. Dont be a hero, just flush the vermin out."

It sickened Fodherson to think that his own brotherhood was sinking to new lows.

All he could do was look out at the quiet setting of the sun, watching the glass glazed sand sparkle from the sun, missed las-gun shots made by the depressingly deficiant (now dead) sardaukar.

"damn those fremen bastards!" Fodherson said in an elevated tone. He knew though that cursing about the situation would do no help. It was futile, all of it.

A noise came from behind him, quiet and stealthy. It could be nobody other than his aid, Anders.

"Sir, There have been no tracks found. They couldnt have gotten too far. I request a small force to loiter over this area. I'd say they we would only need to comb a square area of about a hundred kilometers."

Fodherson laughed quietly at the solder's request, then spoke.

"You wont find them lad, they can hide, they can avoid the sun, they can live in the desert for days on end without food. They can do things that the gods of old couldnt have done themselves. There is even rumor that they ride the Worm. I say, that would be a sight to see.

He thought it over though, and liked the boy's attitude.

Just the same Anders, that is a good idea. Take twelve of my men, and comb the area. Make sure they are wise in the ways of Arrakis. I dont want any more deaths. Any more and I could lose my position. I am counting on you, my boy."

"As you command Captain".

Later that day, Fodherson heard the reports, Anders was dead along with the others that accompanied him. It was a shocking blow to Fodherson. Suprisingly it wasent because of his own position, which was now in question. It was more, he really liked the boy.

To Be Continued.

[Scrinlord]

I like.  I like how you show that the Sardukar still want to have honor, most people dont seem to remember that the Sardukar are supposed to be honorable warriors.

[TMA_1]

thanks man:)  yeah I know what you mean. Many lose sight that the sardaukar were slowly tainted, and the dying blow suprisingly came from both shaddam and paul.

[Scrinlord]

Yeah.  The Sardukar actually reminded me a lot of teh Japanese Samurai: Great warriors with a remarkable code of honor, who were finally defeated as much from corruption of their host government as from any military action.  I dont know if Herbert made that connection intentionally or not, but there it is.  (Although a Sardukar weilding a Katana would be a hell of a lot cooler that a kindjal! ;D )

[TMA_1]

yes there is some similarity, but I see more of a similarity with the spartans.

Also, like all groups, the samauri were largely upper class lords, many of whom were currupt. Anyone with power will become currupted.

[Scrinlord]

Yeah, I definatly see some similarity between them and the Spartans as well, but I dont know nearly as much of the Spartans as I would like to, while I know a bit more on the Samurai, so that is the best parallel I know of.

Actually, the Spartans battle at Thermopolyae(sp?) does reminde me quite a bit of Sardukar.

[Vanguard3000]

Interesting story, TMA.  In addition to what the others said, I noticed also that Fodherson himself is vulnerable to the decay of Sardaukar honour.  He thinks of torturing his victims, rather than honouring them as fellow warriors.  Perhaps you didn't intend it this way, but I see that as his own passions acting over his Sardaukar conditioning.

I am interested to see more of this.  Even from a relatively small bit of information, I can tell Fodherson is an interesting character.  Perhaps he is an older officer, who remembers the "good old days" before Shaddam?

[TMA_1]

yeah, see I have this idea that many seasoned veterans are kept back in ranks to add a good amount of training and knowledge to troops. One man might stay a certain rank his whole life in the service, and (during the sardaukar's prime) the lowest ranking man might have been higher ranking than a bashar. TO me, when they were pure, it was all about the solders, and even the caids and bashars were "solders", not paper pushers.

[Scrinlord]

Exactly.  They were all soldiers, and all honorable men.  But since the corruption of the Sardukar, they no longer have that honor.

[TMA_1]

Vellum looked at Fodherson, who was not in the best of moods. He sat in a rather uncomfortable chair, and was obviously pondering his fate and the fate of all his kind. The warrior kind.

"You are indeed an able warrior Vellum, but you would not understand my sorrow. You came from the prisons of Salusa, the secret of secrets among the empire. You were not born into our ranks. You were brainwashed by your commanders, tested by the elements of Salusa until you were fit to join our ranks. I though, I was born into the ranks. I was a distant cousin of the emperor himself. Nobility runs in my veins. I was trained by great Masters, who tended me and trained me harshly in the ways of combat. What good men they were.

Now I sit here and see that our kindred is falling apart. the Gods who live forever, and the emperor himself are not honored. No longer are the rituals practiced and even the tribunal which oversaw the case of my demotion did not follow the rites that the first emperor established! They simply let me go with a slap of the wrist. All they want now is numbers, and desire all the veterans they can get. I would rather be demoted, or killed than be pushed aside as I was. I thought of the ritual of suicide, that has been past down from one warrior cast to another. It is no good now though."

Vellum was overwhelmed by what his captain was saying. Though he was only a newly established aid, he felt he had to say something.

"But m'lord! We are Sardaukar! We have a history as all warrior castes of old had. Beginning in Old Terra, with the Immortals of the 3rd Empire, to the Knights of Malta during the ages of darkness. The tradition continued on into space with the Brotherhood of the Trifoil Cross, and then the Gunners of Ceres. We are a noble breed that shouldnt doubt, as you do now. I cannot just stand back and let you say these things m'lord!"

Vellum had second doubts about the things said after he said them, but Fodherson was compassionate.

"Let me give you a little wisdom my lad, what you say is true, and the clans of the past all began as noble enterprises. They had their golden ages, but they also fell. Like all living organisms all things must run their course. This is why I am saddened. What strikes an even harsher blow is that we Sardaukar arent declining because of any outside influence, but because of politics. It has destroyed our religion, our faith, and our nobility.

All we are now is just -- just a damn beurocracy!"

"Say not so m'lord!"

Fodherson stood up, which scared poor Vellum, but he smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

You are a good lad, and have high hopes. If only we had more of you in this time of drought. You will make a good aid. Listen to me well though, now that the Gods who live forever have given me this second chance, I must use it with all my ability, and all my strength. I have had a plan brewing in my mind for the past few days. I am going to go to my superiors and ask permission to enable a new course of action. We have finally found one of these fremen rat holes, sietches they call them. Finally we have a chance to strike back where they live, like foxhounds to rabbits! Yes my boy we might finally deal a heavy blow to these fremen scum. I need you to organize my papers and other deskwork. Make sure you contact all the political ties of whom I have listed in a paper among my things, and try to urge them in helping this endevor. They will be all too happy to lend their support to the Bashars in their area. We need unilateral support in this, we need the best we can possibly get. Yes lad, this is one thing that might heighten my spirits.

Vellum smiled, and began to grow happy with this new plan, as well as his inclusion with it. Soon he did all the work Fodherson asked of him.

All there was left to do was wait and see if Fodherson's request was granted, with his ingenius plan along with the political ties organized by Vellum.

[TMA_1]

there was no scouting mission. No in flight pictographs. This had to be one shot and had to be complete. There could be absolutely no risk of the fremen being found out, they had to be completely comfortable.

The problem that Fodherson saw was this. The fremen were never comfortable, plain and simple. They never acted the fool, and never left their guard down.

five hundred sardaukar waited for thier commissions. This was undoubtedly a large number and Captain Fodherson had to thank Vellum for his excellence in dealing with the military and political ties. He had been bred more for the domestic stuff, wasent really a fighter.

"yes" Fodherson said. "Corperal Stevens, indulge me".

Immediately corperal stevens came by Fodherson.

"You see those five Sardaukar over there? All five of them have records. Whenever attacks are committed they rape and pillage, and if women arent around, they blasphamusly rape the men! When we take prisoners and breed them into warriors, we dont leave their ugly traits with them...  Now I could kill you where you stand now, but I am too forgiving for that. No, you have given me a spectacular example of "the modern sardaukar". Emancipated from all code of combat. You see? Your solders act more like mercinary killers, and that upsets me. If I see it again then you will die where your very feet are planted. Do you understand me corperal?"

The Corperal went white in his face, said nothing and left without a word.

"hmm, no manners either I see." Fodherson whispered to himself.

Fodherson began pondering these things, also about the oncoming fremen attack. fourteen transport ornithopters were coming at this moment, and soon everything would be put in place. Fodherson thought of the Corperal, and the troops he had under his command.

he was always a pimp, using us to achieve his own ends, letting his troops fuck any man, woman, child or animal. Steal anything they desire without any proper ceremony or rite.

This is why hades was established by the gods who live forever, and why the emperor speaks through those gods as mouthpiece.

Later in the day he decided to sacrifice the Corperal and all of his men, they could do with fourhundred. It tacked onto his schedual though, he would have to go to tribunal, and call of extra ornithopters. To look into the Corperals eyes though during the ceremony was worth all of it...