Factions 2

[Davidu]

Carth was quite annoyed because no one had any time to tell him what was going on.

His men still on the planet told him thet there were rumors of the Trebeis attacking kaitan. The Trebeis military was indeed mobilising.

Carth busted into Alexandr's office:

- My friend, we have to talk!

Alexandr looked quite surprised.

- I thought you were headed towards your new domain, my friend.

- With the attack against Kaitan? And the attack on Ix? You thinkin' I'll be missing out the party? Listen... I can muster 10000 men ready for battle with additional equipment. The laser tank I buyed, the ornies, the ships the Trebeis gave me , etc...

-  I have to talk to Atilian about this. So, we have information leaks?

Carth smiled:

- Only towards me, I hope. Look what I have in mind. When you'll attack Kaitan, I'm sure that Ekaterina will rush to help Hundro, acting as a surprise element. A shock to the Trebeis seeing their countrymen fighting against them. I might wait hidden and strike Athalon when the force is not hope. No one will see that coming. If I take out Ekaterina, the force she sends against us will probably rebel and join us.

- Take out Ekaterina? You will not hurt her!

- Hurt her? Meaning kill her? Carth laughed... No, i'm afraid not... You said it yourself I cannot form a House Minor because I am not a noble. If I capture Ekaterina I'll be able to force her to marry me, achieving nobility, creating Minor House Bindar. Also this will act as an eternal punishment towards her. She will be drivem mad with rage.

- If you'll do this you will be the subject of House Moritani. You wish this?

- If you take Hundro out, and assume the command, why not? Carth smiled towards Alexandr who looked dazed upon his old brother-in-arms.

[Davidu]

Seeing that Alexandr still weighed the implications of Carth's initiative:

- Well... until you make up your mind, I'll head towards Gehay. My men should have reached it by now, and they should be experiencing with the Trebeis vessels right now. Contact me when you need me, ok?

OOC: why is everyone so silent?

[Dante]

Lord how I hate doing this...

"That was a little too close." Aleksandr sighed, slumping in his chair.

"Carth doesn't know?" Aleron asked, clearly surprised.

"Of course he doesn't know. How could I tell him now?" Aleksandr replied. "I'll let this work itself out. In the meantime, how are the preparations progressing?"

"Atilian will be leaving in a matter of hours." Aleron judged, peering out of the window. "Will you be going with them?"

"I'd like to." Aleksandr shrugged. "But with Atilian away, someone has to watch Arrakis. Keep it running smoothly. All I can do is wait, and hope."

* * *

'In a few days, maybe sooner, it will be time.' Hundro Moritani thought calmly to himself, deftly parrying Orianna's slash at his wrist. 'Have I prepared everything? The Grizelda is shielding the palace from the worst of any assault, and I have the smaller craft spread out around her. Orianna and her ilk have their orders, and the Emperor should be more than capable of putting the sardaukar to use...' He stepped back to avoid a blow that would have taken out his eyes, and slipped forward to disarm his opponent with a flick of his rapier. 'The throne room is the most heavily defended part of the city. I'll inform the Emperor myself when the assault starts. We can co-ordinate our efforts from there.' He stood back, allowing Orianna to retrieve her crysknife.

Ranged around the room, the watching swordmasters nodded appreciatively at the skill of their leader. He had defeated every volunteer, even the fremen-trained Orianna. Only one face wasn't wearing an expression of calm acknowledgment. Valen was crouched by the door, looking thoroughly miserable.

'Soon. Not long now...' Hundro promised. 'As soon as this is over, we'll find our own space. A quiet place. Somewhere where nobody can touch us. Where House Moritani...' The thought trailed off. That would come later. When Kaitan was safe from further assault.

"Anyone else?" He asked casually, trying to ignore Valen's wince.

* * *

Moritani preparations for the assault on Kaitan are ready. ...Hint hint.

[Barbarossa]

The cold hard mass of the Destroyer settled into its berth within the Highline. Looking out the view port at the Mass of ships in the guild craft, Atillian was filled with pride. As far as the naked eye could see, were ships bearing the Trebesian Crest. Qapmoc appeared on the bridge of the recently acquired Flagship. Approaching the Duke, he made to tap Atillian on the shoulder, but paused. Sensing the Nokker's movement, Atillian turned "Do you have the reports?" Flanken shuffled some papers and said "Yes sir. The Defenses of Arrakis are still in place. As you know, we left enough men to defend the cities and other strategic locations. Also, Defense Contingency Plan B has been carried out. The men know what to do."

"Excellent. What is the condition of our forces?"

"Morale is extremely high. The men are looking forward to avenging some of the Emperor

[Davidu]

When Carth arrived at Gehay, some of his men already were flying the ships the Trebeis donated.

And in the huge cavity that was the outpost his infantry was trained by the Nokkars.

"And now I have a planet below that is DE FACTO unoccupied. A huge ammount of untapped resources. If the Emperor falls I may take this for free."

As he enetered the outopst he stared organising the men and the equipment for his planned landing on Athalon. He was anxious to get even with Ekaterina. And so were his men. They somehow found out of the plan. His guys were never good at keepeng secrets amoungst them.

MESSAGE TO DUKE ATILIAN:

[hide]We're ready to straike Athalon at any moment provided we have the transportation.

My men and I are extremely eager to get even with Ekaterina. I suppose you'll want to get your homeworld back too. I'm waiting for your word.[/hide]

OOC: Carth doesen't know... Hmm.. trachery??  :D

[Dante]

"The Trebesians have arrived." Valen said in a small voice. His whisper silenced all other noise in the room, as every Moritani specialist turned to look at him, and then at their leader. The Viscount looked at the floor for a moment, before looking up and sheathing his blade in the same motion.

"It is time then." He stated emotionlessly, stalking across the training room to the door. He patted Valen on the head as he opened the door, stepping out into the corridors of the Imperial Palace. "Come, I will need to co-ordinate our defences with the Emperor." He snapped his fingers at the two sardaukar assigned to his protection. "You two, run along to the throne room and let the Emperor know that I'm coming." Neither of the two soldiers replied, but one of them bowed his head into a mouthpiece and muttered something.

Hundro was already moving, his long strides carrying him down the corridor at such a pace that Valen had to skip to keep up. Behind them, the hundred specialists followed behind at their own pace.

In all shapes and sizes, all colours and creeds, the Moritani swordmasters moved without fuss or hurry. Calm and collected in their movements, some of them muttered or joked with each other, while others walked alone. Wordsworth took long, slow strides in the middle of the crowd, his plain grey robe swishing slightly as he walked. A few metres back, Orianna glared about herself suspiciously, her hand on her crysknife. All around them the vastly different weapon masters and fighters carried their Moritani insignia with pride. Black and burgundy.

"Lord, the Trebesians have arrived!" A messenger bowed quickly even as the Viscount strode past him.

"I know, I know..." The nobleman replied. Once again he was thankful for Valen. "Have they engaged the imperial defences yet?"

"Not yet, Lord. The Emperor has made no move yet either." The messenger reported, scampering behind the nobleman.

"Good." The Viscount smiled wolfishly as he entered the antechamber to the throne room. Ordinarily crammed with diplomats and delegates, today it was almost empty. A few sardaukar were ranged about the room, looking put out that they weren't in orbit to do battle. The four guards stood aside as the Viscount approached the doorway to the throne room. He passed through.

The imperial throne room was hardly recognisable. In place of opulent decoration and luxurious surroundings were grim-faced military advisors and tables covered in charts and notes. Sardaukar were arranged about the room, and the huge windows that normally cast their light on the throne had been covered with a plasteel barrier. The walls and pillars had been reinforced, the double doors prepared with huge bars, in case of emergency. The throne room was a mini fortress in its own right. The Emperor himself stood at a holographic display at the foot of his throne, listening to the advice of some general or other.

"My liege." The Viscount bowed low, without stopping. He looked up as he approached the table. "I assume you have heard the news?"

"Indeed I have, Viscount." The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "In fact, I heard it only two minutes ago. Not nearly enough time for my messenger to have reached you, let alone for you to have arrived here."

"I had my own sources watching the skies, Lord." The Viscount inclined his head with a smile. Behind him, Valen squealed as one of the more light-hearted swordmasters tickled him mercilessly. "I came as quickly as I could."

"Evidently." The Emperor said dryly, attempting to ignore the laughter. " So Viscount, what is your situation?" He indicated the display.

"Swordmasters, take positions complementary to the sardaukar." The Viscount ordered as he stepped around the table to join the Emperor and his generals. The men and women behind him immediately spread out around the room, taking up position alongside the sardaukar.

"Was that really necessary, Viscount?" The Emperor asked with a sigh. "How many do you have, anyway?"

"One hundred and six, majesty." The Viscount said calmly, examining the holograph. "You have two hundred sardaukar in here, I counted them. This brings the combined defences of our persons to three hundred and six experts in the field of combat. The number seems... right, somehow." He nodded. "I have positioned the Grizelda here." He pointed to a section above Kaitan. "There are- oh." He stopped as another figure appeared at his side. The woman nodded gracefully to the Viscount, before turning her attention to the display.

"Directly above our present location, is that not so Viscount?" She asked calmly.

"As you say, Princess Irulan." The Viscount smiled politely.

"Might I ask why?" The Princess continued, not taking her eyes from the display.

"My own ships are either exhausted from Ix or still on Salusa Secundus." The Emperor answered with a resigned shrug. "It makes sense that the freshest ship should be above the palace. Besides, intelligence reports that the Trebesians plan to land away from the city and then move in on foot, isn't that right Viscount? We'll slaughter those renegades."

"As you say, my liege." The Viscount grinned.

"Ah, I see." The princess stepped away. "Permit me, I shall stand back and observe."

"Now, Viscount..." The Emperor glared at the holograph, as the Trebesian fleet drifted into view. "Who shall make the first move?"

[Davidu]

The info was coming too slowly for Carth's apetite...

The Trebeis reached Kaitan. And now? Why wasn't Atilian or Alexandr contacting him? The word to take out Ekaterina.

His patiente and the patiente of his men eager for battle reached the climax.

- Contact the Smugglers' Guild! We need transportation for Athalon IV. NOW!

In about 1 hour the connections carth still had brought him a small highliner piloted by a renegade Guild Pilot. The Fleet boarded the vessel. The Trebeis ships remained behing as they had no order to attack Athalon IV.

- We'll be in range of Athalon when Ekaterina's forces will leave and then we'll rush in and take her out. The Smugglers' Highliner folded space for a location near Athalon IV.

[Barbarossa]

OOC: Oh dearest me. Davidu my friend, next time give me the time to get on and reply. :P

As the Imperial Defenses loomed into view, Atillian Inhaled sharply. "The fools!" He exlaimed. Qapmoc saw it as well. "Sir?" The Nokker Commander said. "Look at them. What is the point of their superior training when they can't keep the foolish zealots from striking out on their own?" And indeed, as the baffled Trebesian Fleet watched in stunned amusement, Various Sadukar craft set out from the rest of the Defensive fleet, appearantly hell-bent on crushing the "Renegades". Once the enemy craft came into range, they were destoyed by the combined fire of the Massive Armada of Trebesians. "It seems these men are not as well led as the Sadukar that we have faced in the past." Atillian said. "Captain, Sound the order. All craft form up. Destroyers and Cruisers forward, Assault Frigates Second and with the Mark 82 T-1 Fighters filling up the gaps." The man nodded and walked off. Moments later, the newly aqquired Cruiser, The Judicator Shuddered as the engines roared to life.

"Down to ninty percent!" The Captain of the Deviator, another Cruiser Reported. The Trebesians had launched their attack, and the Imperials had rushed to meet them. The situation unifortunatly, was not going as well as originally planned.

"Look at them" A Saudukar Busurg said. "Watch as their ships are destroyed." He continued to a staff member. The young Aid rolled his eyes. The man was appearantly ignoring the fact that equal if not more of his ships were going down.

[Mihail]

OOC: Who said I had kamikaze tactics?

IC: After several frigates had been destroyed by their charge, the Sardaukar changed tactics. Evening out in front of Kaitan, they started blasting. Lasers, railguns, autocannons, missiles, you name it. The Trebesian ships weren't using shields as they,too,were aware that one laser impacting a shielded ship would devestate the entire fleet. The battle raged on and on. Tiny Sardaukar fighter craft rained down bullet fire and small missiles on Trebesian ships while the bombers dropped their thousand-kilogram loads onto ships below them.

But the fact that the Sardaukar were sustaining dissapointing losses was not ignored. Reinforcements  had been called from Salusa Secondus, but they were not due for several hours, and something needed to be done fast. On Kaitan, the Emperor watched with a frown on his face, eyes barely flickerig when he witnessed the destruction of one of his ships. Finally, he would stand it no more. Motioning an aide over to him with a flick of his fingers, he leaned sideways and said quietly, "Tell my Mentats to bring out the Golden Panther. Hopefully it will go well."

The aide nodded and scampered off.

Leaning back on his throne with a sigh, Shaddam continued to watch the carnage. If the Mentats understodd, the tide of battle would inevitably turn in the favor of the Sardaukar.

The Golden Panther was a code-name, and those who knew what it meant also knew what strategy they had to use. It was to bring out a Golden Lion, the most feared ship in the Royal Navy. Only three of these existed, but they were several kilometers long and equipped with more weapons then an Imperial Battlefleet usually brough to battle. However, they had never been used, since the Guild feared that these ships could be used against them, and so they stayed on Kaitan, in a secret shipyard,the location of which was known to a very select few.

Now, one would be brought out. It was slow and unmaneuverable, but that wasn't the plan, because these things were made solely for planetary assault and defence of Kaitan.

Several minutes later, the Shipmaster received the order. One Golden Lion was to be launched. The other two would be brought in later, as shockers. After(Inevitably) sustaining heavy damage from the Golden Lion and the fleet, the Trebesian's morale would be crushed as they saw two more of the behemoths floating towards them. That, and the up-coming fleet from Salusa Secondus, would insure victory for the Emperor...And death to Trebeis...

OOC: To prevent calls of 'godmod' I ask people to take a look at the end of my last post. There it mentions the Golden Lions.

[Dante]

"Bringing out the big guns, hmm?" The Viscount murmured to himself. The Emperor, busy examining his charts and readings, did not notice. The Viscount shrugged to himself, and slipped on his headset. As the microphone slid over in front of his lips, he made a subtle gesture to Valen, who gave a small nod and scampered away behind the pillars.

"Captain, this is Viscount Moritani, what is your status?" The Viscount spoke into his mouthpiece, while tracing a finger down one of the Emperor's star charts.

"Positioned as ordered, Lord." The captain's voice crackled back. "The Grizelda awaits your order."

"Wonderful." The Viscount smiled. "And the Trebesians?"

"As planned, Lord."

"Good." The Viscount allowed his voice to sink to the barest of whispers. "Fire."

"Yessir."

Miles above the imperial capital, the Moritani flagship rotates her huge guns. The howitzers bear down on their target, the order is relayed...

"My liege, the Grizelda has fallen!" The Viscount tore the headset from his face, turning a stricken expression to the Emperor. "The Trebesians changed their plans!"

"Your intelligence was flawed, you mean!" The Emperor roared, slamming his fist on the table. Some of his generals glanced with confused expressions at their readouts. "What have they done?" He snatched the headset from the Viscount's unresisting grasp, holding one earpiece to the side of his head. Tinny screams and explosions could be heard through the muffled speaker.

"This is your Emperor! What is your status?" Shaddam shouted into the microphone. "What- Dropships? Listen to me man, y-" He stopped suddenly as the sound cut out.

"My Lord-" One of the Generals started.

"Dammit Moritani, you've failed!" The Emperor threw the headset to the ground. "Whe-" He was cut off suddenly by a series of explosions. A concussive blast rippled through the throne room, and the ground shook with the impact of several heavy objects.

"Dropships! Dropships in the palace!" Someone shouted.

"You men, get out there and defend the throne room!" The Emperor bellowed to his sardaukar. Those nearest the door hurried to obey. The Emperor stood up straight, and straightened his uniform. "I will not be taken down by an idiot." He hissed, glaring as the rest of his men made to barricade the door. The huge double doors crashed into place just as another set of explosions impacted overhead. Dust and fragments of stone rained down from the ceiling.

"My Lord, th-" Another General made to speak. He was cut off by the sound of the massive bolts being slid into place.

"Lets see them throw one of their vaunted De-meks at this." The Emperor smiled fiercely. He frowned as a scuffle broke out in the lines near the door. "What's going on there?" He stepped forward, but was brought to an abrupt halt by the touch of cold metal againt the back of his neck.

"Don't move, Emperor. The blade is poisoned." The Viscount said calmly. Around the room his swordmasters, having carefully positioned themselves behind the sardaukar, were quickly taking care of the guards.

"My Lord!" One of the Generals dashed forward, blade drawn.

"Funny how they never think that I might stab you reflexively." The Viscount commented, as the General was disembowled by a reach-around slash from Orianna's crysknife. As the man fell to the floor, she swiftly slit his throat and moved on to press her blade against Princess Irulan's neck.

"No, Orianna. Don't hurt her." The Viscount ordered quietly. He scanned the room, watching the swordmasters take care of those sardaukar who were not outside the doors. A slight frown crossed his face. They were proving to be tougher than he had anticipated. Fully a quarter of his specialists were dead or injured, inlcuding, he noticed, Alonya Rabban of his sister's guard. The woman had always been too dependent on her trained tigers. Wordsworth was slipping through the crowd, calmly smashing windpipes and nasal passages with his quarterstaff, while Aurelien darted back and forth, his two swords deflecting bullets and stabbing through crucial chinks in armour. And above them all, the massive bulk of Danaus Cassius. The huge man had siezed a corpse from the floor in each pudgy hand, and was swinging them in all directions, bellowing senselessly in bloodlust-induced rage. He was bleeding heavily all over his body, but that just seemed to make him angrier. Truly, Hundro reflected, brute force had something to be said for it.

"What are you doing, Viscount?" The Emperor hissed, his voice shaking with rage.

"I'm not betraying our alliance, if that's what you're thinking." Hundro answered, as the last man fell. "Check all of the bodies, I don't want any last-minute heroics! Make sure those doors stay locked! Quite ironic, isn't it?" He asked conversationally. "Those doors were designed to survive a direct atomic blast, to be completely impenetrable. And they really are."

"Once again Moritani, what are you doing?" The Emperor seethed through clenched teeth. His neck was beginning to itch.

"I'm taking your throne from you, Shaddam." The Viscount replied, using the Emperor's forename for the first time. "But this is by no means an act of war. Far from it, this is my proposal for an extremely close alliance."

"Alliance?" The Emperor spat, furious that he was unable to look the Moritani in the eye. "You murder my generals, kill my men, hold me at swordpoint and expect an alliance?!"

"Necessities, I'm afraid." The Viscount sighed. "You see, I want power. For myself, for my descendents, for my House. An alliance with the Emperor is a certain way to get power, but it is too dependent on the whims of another. Alliance with the Trebeis, a military power, might have been a useful bridge too. But then I might have an ally grow too powerful, and what of that? No, I had to aim higher." A loud slamming noise echoed through the room. "Ah, it seems that someone has discovered that there were no dropships."

"What?" The Emperor nearly spun around, but the point on his neck pressed more firmly.

"Your sardaukar are probably trying to force their way in. How ironic." The Viscount smiled.

"You see here Moritani." The Emperor growled. "Your position is untenable. You have about seventy men with you-"

"And women." The Viscount interrupted.

"Whatever!" The Emperor shouted. "You don't have a chance! You can't get out of here alive. Even if you kill me, my sardaukar will end you! You've trapped yourself in here!" He said triumphantly. "And the Trebeis are still up there. I doubt that they'll be too eager to let you go either!"

"Oh, they'll let me go." The Viscount smiled. "Duke Atilian has a bargain to maintain."

"A, whaa?" The Emperor seemed temporarily speechless. "You mean all this time..."

"I was serving the Trebeis? Hardly." The Viscount sneered. "I used the Trebeis to get here and to get to you. And I expect Atilian is getting impatient, so here is my proposal." Another reverberating crash. "You will order your sardaukar to stand down all over Kaitan, under the understanding that any who do not will be directly responsible for the death of their emperor. You will then abdicate in favour of myself, leaving Kaitan, the throne, and the sardaukar under my sole control." The Emperor said nothing, the only sound the hissing as air passed between his clenched teeth. "I will not lie to you Shaddam, your rule is over. But I will offer you one compromise." He gestured to Orianna, who brought forward Irulan. The Princess' calm but resigned expression indicated that she already knew what was about to be said. "I will marry Irulan, thus forming an unbreakable alliance between houses Moritani and Corrino. Our children will bear my name, but carry the royal blood. Shaddam has fallen, but Corrino will live on." He smiled. "I have no personal grudge against you, Shaddam. Please, I would prefer not to have to kill you."

"Honey from poisoned lips..." The Emperor muttered. "And what will you do if I refuse, mm? Kill me? The sardaukar will never let you out alive."

"I am quite sure that I can wait in here until someone rescues me." Hundro said happily. "The Trebeis are still out there, and even if they turn tail, my Grizelda is still very much functional. Incidentally," he added in a stage whisper, "if you die, I can claim the throne through right of conquest."

"There are far more sardaukar on Kaitan than you know, Viscount." The Emperor growled. "I kept many behind!"

"Be that as it may, you are still in this throne room, without any help." The Viscount replied. "Just because there are more outside does not change the situation."

The Emperor did not reply. The Viscount stood back, his arm still raised, the point of his rapier just touching the skin of the Emperor's neck. Neither man said anything, as another crash shook the room, but failed to so much as dent the doors. As the Emperor looked about, he noticed with a mild surprise that not all of his sardaukar had been killed. Of the eighty or so that had remained inside when he had given the order to protect the throne room, about twenty five were standing at the far end. They were surrounded by Moritani specialists, brandishing a bizarre assortment of weapons.

"I could have killed them." The Viscount said from behind. "I chose not to. Aurelien!" He called to the assassin who stood in the centre of the room, casually reading over the maps of the imperial planet's outer atmosphere. Aurelien looked up, and nodded at a signal from the Viscount.

Wiping his swords clean and sheathing them as he walked, the black-clad man made his way up to Shaddam. He nodded in respect, and carefully reached around to slide the Emperor's sword from its sheath.

"Good." The Viscount nodded, as Aurelien stepped away. "Now, here is the final summation of events.

"If you agree to my proposal, I will let you live and you may stay in the palace here under the title of Archduke Corrino. You will retain full control of family matters, but all imperial matters will be passed to House Moritani. House Moritani will become the imperial house, and take up residence in a new palace. You will retain control of Salusa Secundus, but the sardaukar will be answerable to me.

"If you refuse to agree..." The Viscount sighed. "I will kill you and the rest of your family, taking the throne by force. Do not doubt that I can do it. And even if I were to fail, you would be long dead.

And of course, if you agreed to the proposal and then turned on me..." The Viscount grinned. "Do not think that I have revealed every piece on the board, Shaddam. I have planned for every eventuality. Please, what do you say?"

* * *

"Eh?" Ekaterina looked up from her bloody work. "What did you say?"

"The ships bear the markings of a smuggler. The smuggler, as it were." Rachael went on. "They are just out of range of the fortresses, but any closer and they will be prime targets."

"Hmm..." Ekaterina pursed her lips, cruelty already springing to mind. "Are they within transmission distance?"

"Yes, M'lady." Rachael stated.

"Excellent..." Ekaterina grinned wickedly, rubbing her hands together.

"Hello Carth, sweetie!" The viewscreen Ekaterina waved with a grin. "How are things on dusty old Arrakis? Still hot and bothersome? Oh of course, you've been moving aside, haven't you? You naughty boy, running out of everyone's sight like that." She wagged her finger as one might to a child. "And now you've come to visit little me on Athalon? Why Carth, I'm touched." She placed a hand on her heart. "You left so quickly last time, I thought you didn't care about me. After the little gift I gave you, that was very hurtful." She grinned maliciously. "I hear the Ixians still can't cure it. Hope you're getting your refills on time, little boy." The sadistic grin disappeared, to be replaced with a expression of feigned surprise. "Oh! I almost forgot! Your friends arrived here ahead of you, they wanted to say hi. Say hello boys!" The viewing device panned across the room, where two barely-recognisable hunks of flesh lay on twin tables.

It was clear that both of them had been taken apart and then repaired on multiple occasions. The scars from many skin grafts covered their forms, where there was skin at all... Electrodes were wired into exposed nerve endings, jagged bones poked from gaping wounds. It was possible to see organs pumping and pulsing. Some of them several matres away from where they should have been. One of them impaled on a spike. Ekaterina's hand entered the view, and depressed a button. The sound of sparking electricity filled the room for a moment, with hoarse screams from torn voiceboxes behind it. Both bodies arched, as the current crackled along their spines. The view turned back to Ekaterina.

"As you can see, darling, I'm being sure to keep them from getting bored." She smiled sweetly. "And every day I remind them, 'if it weren't for Carth, you wouldn't be here.' They're so grateful." She smiled, rolling her eyes. "Oh yes, and one other thing! You'll love this Carth, have a look in here..." The view pulled back as Ekaterina stepped away and opened a door to her right. The view moved toward her, and then past her into another room...

A much larger room. A room that was filled, from end to end as far as the image lasted, with the exact same image. A few screams and moans came through, but in total, it was surprisingly quiet.

"Aren't they just adorable?" Ekaterina cooed, pinching the cheek of the person nearest to her. It came off in her hand, and she dropped it to the floor with a smile of fake embarassment. "Oops! Clumsy me!" She made her way through, to another table. "You'll probably have guessed, Maverik and Sven are special guests of mine. But they aren't the only ones!" She waved her hands. "Every day's a party in here! And I invite everyone! From traitors, supporters of the old regime, 'freedom fighters,' people who speak ill of me, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time..." She counted out on her fingers. "And people who tried to kill me of course. And you know what, Carth? None of them succeeded." She smiled evilly. "So go ahead. Try to take me down with your paltry little flotilla. I'll have you in here again just like I did last time. And then maybe I can finish what I started." She smirked. "See you soon, darling."

OOC: Yes, I know that first bit was a bit rushed. But seriously, there is no other way to go about such a manoeuvre without leaving oneself wide open for impossible retaliation. And you notice I gave plenty of oppertunity to have the specialists evicted from the throne room, or the palace. I tried to give more than enough oppertunity to spot a trap. Short of ruining my own plot, what could I do?

[Barbarossa]

"What the hell is THAT!" Atillian exclaimed, allowing the pen he was chewing on to fall from his mouth. "That, sir. Would be the Imperial's De-Mek of space." Qapmoc replied non-chalantly.

"Well how the hell do we destroy it?" Atillian asked.

"Is that sir, permission for me to dispay my moe creative side?" The Nokker said, smiling.

The Duke nodded in agreement. Turning to another Nokker, Qapmoc said "Deliver the special cargo. Lets see what the Emperor thinks of this."

"Continue on course Captain." The Sadukar said. The Golden Lion shook from a glancing blow, delivered by a Trebesian Torpedo. "Wait, what in the name of god is that?" The Sadukar exclaimed, watching in horror as a massive missile flew directly towards his ship. He did not have the time to react in any other way. The Trebesain Missile armed with an Atomic warhead collided into the Imperial Juggernought. The Ship evaporated into a cloud of white-hot debris. (Thanks again Arrakis Factions).

The Sadukar thourghly demoralized by the sight of the defeat of their most prized weapon, they were losing ground. Fast. The Trebesian Fighters were also having great success. It was at this time that the Sadukar were indeed showig that although they were a superior force on the ground... They were at best average in space. It was a good match. The two sides continued duking it out. With the occasional use of Atomics by the resourceful Trebesians.

ONE HOUR LATER Due to a sudden ceasation in contact with their leaders on planet, the Imperials had become disorganized. They were quickly over-run by the Trebesians. And finally, the ground forces began to disembark.

90,000 Trebesian Troops. Over 4,000 Ducial Guardsman, 40 De-Meks, thousands of Artillery and Rocket Launchers and roughly 2,000 Ornithopters quickly took posession of the area surrounding the Imperial Palace.

OOC: Rushed, I know And for that, I'm sorry. Hoever, I'm sick again so I have not been in the long-posting mode. Sorry again.  :-

[Mihail]

OOC: Congratulations on your victory, Dante. I saw the plot unfolding, but have only myself to blame for not doing anything.

Shaddam took a deep,shuddering sigh. He was famous for his temper, but less known for his analytical  skills. He knew when he was defeated, and bowed his head own for a moment, and then staring into Hundro's eyes.

"Hundro, I accept your proposal. Of course, I resent you now, but maybe this is for the best. If this plot was brewing right in front of me and I couldn't detect it,well, I have only myself to blame. I know when I am defeated, and am a soldier, and soldiers are men of honor. The throne is yours."

The Viscount just stared at him, and after a few moments, offered Shaddam a COM system. The deposed Emperor took it, eyes flickering from Irulan, who was being held at knife-point, to Hundro, who was looking emotionlessly at him. Slowly flicking the 'Broadcast' button, Shaddam swallowed and spoke in a clear, loud voice.

"Sardaukar, my greatest soldiers!" He boomed. "I have grown old and complacent, always under the belief that I was safe from any attack or coups. I regret to say that I have been deposed by Viscount Hundro Moritani, and that he is now the Emperor. But perhaps it is for the best; I cannot surely say. But if a politician - " At this Shaddam chuckled sadly. "Could have overthrown me with me having the barest ideas of what his plans were, then I am no longer fit to be your Emperor. I will still reside on Kaitan, but Viscount - Excuse me,Emperor - Hundro Moritani  is now your leader. Fight the Trebeis pigs well, my soldiers. For with the guidance of this uncannily Mentat-like man, you will probably rise higher than ever before!" Clicking off the COM system, he whispered to himself, "And now I must enjoy my retirement..."

Turning back to Hundro, Shaddam said slowly, with an even face,

"You've won, Moritani. Do what you will with me, but be a good leader and destroy those Trebesian pigs.

And then, in a mocking whisper to himself "Unless, of course, you've got an alliance-strengthening plan for them,too..."

[Dante]

"A good politician knows when he needs to keep a deal." The Emperor Moritani sighed sadly, sheathing his rapier. Walked over to a table, he picked up another headset and set a broad channel. With an indication to Orianna to release the princess, he spoke into the headset.

"Imperial Sardaukar, this is your Emperor. Stand down and allow the Trebeis to pass. Do not hand over your weapons. Do not surrender. Atilian, I know you can hear this. You may land at the palace, I have our contract written out. The sardaukar will allow you to pass. Moritani soldiers, land about the palace also. Captain Deeki', keep the Grizelda in her current position until further notice.

Palace guard, cease your attempts to enter the throne room. Moritani out."

"So you aren't planning any coups in their direction, then?" The deposed Shaddam asked ruefully.

"Not at the moment." Hundro shrugged, removing the headset. "They have served their purpose well, and are unlikely to pose a threat in the future. I may have use for them later. In fact I know I will." He added thoughtfully. "All that remains is for Atilian and I to formalise our alliance. I am loathe to commit myself to something, but in this case the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

"Those being?" Shaddam muttered.

"The loss of Athalon." Hundro replied. "But there is more than one promise, Archduke. My own plans have worked out almost perfectly, but there is still an epilogue to deal with." He picked up the headset again. "Oh, and Atilian. Don't enter the palace itself. I'll meet you outside."

[Davidu]

Carth was boiling with fury in his small flagship, he named the Imperator.

"Why isn't her fleet mobilising to go and aid Hundro? Why aren't Atilian or Alexandr contacting me? What the hell is going on?"

After a while he received a video message from Ekaterina. She knew he was there. And she tempted him to attack. Or at least she tortured his soul with the images of tortured humans. tortured beyond recognision.

After that came the news from Kaitan. Hundro and Atilian were allies. Hundro bethroned the Emperor. Hundro was emperor. Carth was taken for a fool. NO! They couldn't have told him about that. The smugglers were never good at keeping secrets. But the fact that he stood at Ekaterina's door step without being able to take her out was too much. Too many things went wrong.

Video Message to Ekaterina:

" Well, I see ou are still having fun BITCH with the lives of all those people. Does that give you a sense of power? Sure it does... But if you're alone, no longer helped from Grumman or Giedi Prime, will they still be loyal to you? Ask yourself that. My day will come, and then, well... you'll wish you would have taken another course of action. I'll see you soon, I swear. You'll be at gunpoint then."

Carth's ships used the Smuggler's Highliner to fold space back to Gehay.

"This also costed me a lot... money, and the morale of my men."

Message to House Trebeis:

[hide]Well, even if I see the political reason of this manouver, I cannot help to feel as enranged as my men, as betrayed as my men. You joined forces with the man who took your planet and handed it to Ekaterina. And you know she turned it into a hell hole. I really hope it's worth it, for my trust has been seriously shaken. I think there is nothing more to say... [/hide]

Message to IX:

[hide]I wish to purchase a sattelite for planetary cartography, survey and metheorological prediction.[/hide]

[Barbarossa]

Alright, I've had some more time for a proper post. So here it is.

The Men of the Trebesian Expiditionary Force had all made camp around the Imperial Palace on Kaitan.Thousands upon Thousands of men stood at attention or were hurrying around. Artillery was lined up everywhere and early two thousand Ornithopters were either on make-shift landing pads or in the air. Above orbit hovered the Trebesian Fleet, all 2,500 ships. Still encircling the handful of remaining Sadukar ships.

The air was dreadfully still when the massive doors of the Palace finally opened. Out stepped the newly bethroned Emperor and a handful of Sword Masters and Sadukar. The heat had become rediculously stifeling and Hundro Morataini and his entorage was sweating profusely. Obviously the controls to the weather modifying sattalites had been abandoned during the invasion. Dispite the opressive heat, the Trebesians remained unmoved. They were used to the weather of Arrakis and this, in comparison was near bliss. The Men were enjoying it quite a bit.

Standing amongst a thousand Ducial Guadsman, stood the grinning Duke Atillian Trebeis and the stoney-faced giant that was Qapmoc. Atillian took a step forward. "Ah Hundro, it seems to of been so long since our last encounter!"

Message from aboard the Trebesian Flagship, The Judicator. To Carth Bindar.

[hide]I am sincerly sorry for the minor deception that I had to maintain. You understand that I trust you wholley. However, this cannot be said about the rest of your men. I understand you intent to make a landing on Athalon. I must insist however, that next time you await our movement. Also, I just now have recieved your various messages. You must understand that for most of this time, I've been aboard a Guild High-Liner or in battle. The reception of your communication were thereby rather dreadfully delayed. Also, I feel it is neccisary to explain something else. It was the Imperials that wrested tohe controll of Athalon away from my family. The planet was then Fiefed to House Harkonnen. Whn the Wars on Arrakis were ended. The Emperor took the fief away from House Harkonnen and gave it to the Moritaini. My Feud and the blame for the Atrocities befalling Athalon are because of the Corrino and Ekaterina. Not Hundro Moritaini. Emperor Moritaini as it is. And indeed, in return for my assistance in his attaining the throne, he has promised to discontinue all hostilities with myself and Allies including you and the Ixians and has agreed to return Athalon to House Trebeis and to Oust Ekaterina. I hope you now understand.

Now, I expect that you will return to Gehey to Continue the Training of your men under the Troopers and Nokker Guardsman I sent. Correct? Well, I will send a message to you when we are ready to begin the Assault on Athalon. Look forward to it mate as it will come soon!

-Duke Atillian Trebeis of Arrakis and Athalon IV.[/hide]

[Dante]

"You missed me then." The Emperor smirked as he made his way down the first flight of stairs to Atilian, on the fourth landing. "I'm touched."

"Who wouldn't miss the witty conversation we share?" Atilian replied swiftly as the Emperor reached his level.

"Mm, indeed." The Emperor rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers, and Valen slipped out from behind him, carrying two scrolls. Two of the palace staff hurried down the steps, hauling a large table between them. "We have one more formality to observe, Duke Trebeis. After this I imagine that we will both be very busy." The table was laid down before him, and the twin scrolls spread out. The Emperor flicked his wrists, somehow embedding two thin daggers into the table as he did so. Pulling one of them out, he turned it around and signed his name with a flourish at the bottom of one of the scrolls. Indicating the other dagger pen, he stepped back with a smile.

* * *

Going back in time a little...

* * *

The Viscount stepped carefully into the small room, a bored expression on his face. The ten Nokkar guards assigned to his person were stifling him. He walked through them to the large oaken table in the centre, where three figures sat. A fourth chair remained empty, and he placed his hands on the back as he surveyed the other attendees. He raised an eyebrow at the presence of Aleksandr and Noitpo, the Trebesian mentat. He dismissed them, and focussed on the third person.

"Greetings, Duke Atillian." He nodded in a way that was neight respectful nor overtly disrespectful. "I was under the impression that this meetiung was to be carried out without observers."

"I would perfer the presnece of my brother and mentat" Atilian replied stonily.

"This meeting is to be top secret." The Viscount frowned ever so slightly. "I have no doubt of the loyalties of my dear ex-sibling, but the mentat and the guards are unnecessary. I gave my word not to cause harm, did I not?" He smiled slyly. "Or are you afraid that I will kill you, Duke?"

"Not so much that... " The Duke replied, fingering the hilt of the Trebisian Family Sword. "I'm sorry if I in any way appear blunt to you, my father was the true Politician. Anyway, The Guards will leave" He nodded to the men, who reluctantly departed. "However, I would like my Mentat and brother to remain. They will keep secret this meeting."

"...Very well." The Viscount stated as he sat down. "To business. I am here because I will to discuss the prospect of an alliance between Houses Moritani and Trebeis. Don't make that expression. You have no quarrel with me. Your argument is with my sister. And my sister is harming not only your people, but my house." He steepled his fingers. "Here is the prospect, basically. I wish to make a secret alliance with you. I will then send a fleet of ships to Kaitan under pretence of protecting the Emperor. His losses on Ix will mean that he is weakened. Together, you and I take him out. House Moritani takes the throne, with myself as Emperor. You know that I have no qualms with you. Once this is done, I will give you what I believe you desire more than anything else. A chance to regain Athalon. A chance to kill my sister. There is of course more to this offer, but that is the basic theory." He folded his arms on the table. Noitpo was staring into the middle distance, while Atilian, having overcome his shock remarkably quickly, stroking his chin as he thought to himself. Aleksandr said nothing, but watched his brother by blood carefully.

"Hmmm." Atilian said. "This could indeed mean great things for both of us. However, I want not just Athalon." Aleksandr leaned forward to add something, Atilian cut him off. "I would also want to maitain permanant control of Arrakis. I also want you, once in control of the Sardaukar, to aid me in an invasion and take-over of the Harkonnen home-world. You must also sign a document guaranteeing no hostilities between anyone of your bloodline, family, house, employees or allies. This will apply to my allies as well. With these agreed upon, you wll gain the assistance of my forces including my 3,000+ ship navy. All else I will need is time to finish training my forces."

"Careful, Atilian." Aleksandr said quietly as he sat back in the shadows.

"Shush, Aleks, I'm being perfectly honest." The Viscount sneered. "Once I am Emperor, then we can formalise our alliance, Duke Trebeis. A non-aggression pact. Of course, having it apply to all of my kin would be impossible, as we both know that my sister would never accept such terms. If you wish to keep Arrakis, then you may. As long as you continue to supply the Imperium well, then you may hold the fief for longer than Harkonnen. Ahh, Harkonnen." He tapped his chin, a small smile spreading. "You do realise that the Harkonnen had very little to do with your past troubles? Ekaterina may have used their resources, but as soon as she was no longer of use, they discarded her. And don't you think that your forces will be quite tired enough after taking back your homeworld? House Harkonnen is valuable to the Imperium. I would prefer to leave it be. Especially as the Baron will not outlive either of us."

"Well, the agreement would apply to all family except that prat." Atilian scowled. "However, the rest must apply." He sighed. "You are right about the Harkonnen. Arrakis and Athalon IV will suffice. This alliance seems agreeable. Oh, there is a one, Wordsworth in detention at the moment. He claims that he has transport in orbit. Do you know anything of this?

"That would be my frigate." The Viscount raised an eyebrow. "Moritani vessels give out a unique frequency, unless we shut it off. This is to enable us to recognise each other and locate personell. Now, I want to make this clear between us." He leaned forward, resting one hand in front of him. "I will leave this place under pretence of being deeply insulted. You will ready a large force and head to Kaitan. I have already weakened the Emperor for you. In response to this, I shall send a large force of my own to the planet. We shall meet in orbit and take Kaitan. The Emperor will be surrounded, possibly killed. I rise to the throne. At this point we may formalise our alliance, which I suppose includes the Ixians as well. They must remove their embargo at this point. This is very important. After that, I will remove everything I require from Athalon and leave it to you. Ekaterina will not leave willingly, but I suspect that's how you want it." He added with distaste.

"Weakened? In what manner did you weaken him?" Shifting his weight, the Duke continued "At the expense of many lives, we destroyed a large fleet of his above Ix. What have you done?" He asked curiously.

"The Emperor would never have attacked Ix had it not been for my influence." The Viscount shrugged. "The Ixians with their embargo were too strong. The Emperor would make a workable ally if I had wished to defeat you in battle, but I did not believe him strong enough to defeat combined Ixian and Trebesian forces, especially if the Atreides decided to interfere. And so the Emperor became an obstacle. Thus I engineered a situation where my two greatest threats fought and weakened each other, with no need to put myself at risk." He sat back, smiling. "You have suffered losses, the Ixians have suffered losses, the Emperor has suffered losses. And yet House Moritani, despite being cut off from most of the economy of the Imperium, remains unharmed." He grinned.

"You would be surprised to learn that I did not loose too much." Duke Atilian said pointedly. "Indeed, I lost a portion of my ships... However, this was displaced by the capture of some 40 Corrino Warships. I also still have over 2,500 ships ready to be used and insofar, have remained untouched by any enemy. I believe you saw quite a few of them as you entered orbit. Anyway, this would not have weakened him significantly. Sure, he lost nearly 200 ships of his navy, he still has tens of thousands. Not to mention millions of Sardaukar. The only advantage we hold over his numbers is the fact that they are spread over a million worlds. How long would it take for him to bring all of this to bear on us?" Adopting a grin of his own, Atillian asked "Why do you profess to wish an alliance, when you just pulled the strings neccessary to cause the emperor to attack a possible, vital ally of your own? Not to mention the possibilty that my forces could have been lost? You are a schemer and I find myself wondering whether or not to truely trust you. How do I know that my forces would not arrive at Kaitan to find no sign of your forces and in lieu of Moritani ships, the imperial fleet, in it's entirety already tipped off by you?"

"You'll just have to trust me." The Viscount's smile widened. "I have a reputation for honesty, you know. When I say a thing, I mean it. Aleks can vouch for that. And I have so much to gain here." He waved a hand. "If I betray the Emperor, I gain the throne. If I betray you, I remain in servitude to it. Granted I would probably get Arrakis, but I have bigger plans than that. The Emperor will not expect a betrayal, and I will encourage him to send his forces against Ix once more. The Ixians, with their lack of a sizable military, make for far better distraction than allies in battle." He frowned. "Once I am Emperor, I expect you to support me when I request that they remove the embargo. It is very important to me that trade with Ix is reopened."

"Will you promise to reverse the military expeditions to Ix once you are in place in the throne?" The Duke asked sharply. "Or, if the Ixians have already lost, Return the planet to Relvev and Eemins and recompensate them for ALL losses and damages?"

"They will not lose." The Viscount dismissed the issue. "And yes, once I am on the throne there will be no need for further military action against Ix."

"Excellant, as for recompensation for losses to the Ixians? They will be hard pressed to hold off the Imperials and will have taken much damage. They will need to be recompensated. Do you have anything to add, Aleksander?"

"Only to be cautious, which you already know." Aleksandr sighed. "I would prefer it if Ekaterina were to be kept under house arrest, if at all possible. I am fully aware of the monster she is, but that does not justify her murder."

"I will compensate the Ixians with trade, is that acceptable?" The Viscount asked. "Once they remove the embargo, the trade links are sure to be profitable both to Ix and to myself. That should be enough."

"Indeed it will." With this, the Duke produced his hand "Shall we shake on it than?" The Viscount appeared momentarily confused. An expression of understanding dawned.

"Ah." He smirked, reaching out to shake hands with the Duke. "An ancient custom, first created to show that neither man carried a weapon. Rather apt, I feel." The two men shook. "Excellent. I shall see you on Kaitan, Duke Trebeis."

"As for timing..... When shall this take place?" The Duke asked. "I need time to finish the training of my newer recruits. Not to mention that I will need to mobilise all of my forces."

"As soon as possible. Wait for the Emperor to launch a second attack, and then move in on Kaitan. If he cancels this attack at the last minute, I will send you a false message with the word 'indigo' in it. This will be your sign to attack, as leaving it any later would allow the Emperor to build his strength."

"Indigo is the codeword to attack? Simple enough." The Duke nodded. "I will start preperations imediately. I will be able to contribute roughly 90,000 Troops and around 3,000 Nokker Guardsman, Over 9,000 Rocket and Artillery pieces, 30 or so of my rather well known De-Meks, over 2,000 Ornithopters and around 2,100 Warships. What will you be contributing?"

"Enough." The Viscount responded flatly. "I reiterate that this plan, these details, must not be spoken of outside this room. We must, for all intents and purposes, appear to have failed in our discussions. I do not want the Emperor growing the slightest bit suspicious."

"Indeed, I agree completely." The Duke nodded impatiently. "However, I would still be more comfortable knowing what you will be sending. This will also aid my Commanders plan the invasion. Please, inform us of roughly what you will be sending. I promise upon the ashes of my father that this information will not be used to harm you."

Again, the Viscount raised an eyebrow. "That is... interesting." He nodded. "Very well. I will be sending a single large gunship, and appromimately one thousand armed landing frigates. Thirty seven thousand ordinary troops, and a core group of one hundred Moritani swordmasters. I have yet to decide the number of shuttles. There will also be some... surprises. I do not believe that I will require large numbers of ground troops, as I believe that if I manipulate the situation correctly, I may be able to force the Emperor into surrender without too much bloodshed. ...For either of us." He added with a wink.

"Excellent." The Duke beamed. "Now, what is to become of this Wordsworth? He claims your ship is his transport out of the system."

"And so it shall be. There is little point in wasting a perfectly good assassin." The Viscount said casually. "I plan to re-hire all of my sister's toys. Those that do not get in your way, that is."

"Alright. Wordsworth will be placed aboard your shuttle with you, if you so wish. We'll make sure to keep him nice and well restrained until then." The Duke said with a wink of his own. "Watch that one. My Best man, Qapmoc says that Wordsworth is one to not be taken lightly, or trusted. Apparantly he has quite a reputation that betrays his appearance." With this, the Duke stood and gestured for his Mentat and Aleksandr to do likewise. Unfolding from his seat, the Viscount nodded.

"I have studied each of the Elites. After all, there is the constant possibility that they may be sent after me." He shrugged. "But of course, we Moritani rarely look as dangerous as we are." He smiled. "I thank you for your time, Duke. I am glad that we can work together." He bowed, formally this time.

"Indeed, appearances can in many ways be decieving." The Duke said with a smile, and a bow. "It has indeed been a pleasure. See you in Kaitan." He nodded at Noitpo, who proceeded to head for the door. "Wordsworth will be remain bound in shiga-wire. He will be escourted to your ship in such condition. Once he is aboard, you may do what you wish with him."

* * *

Back to the present...

* * *

The Duke signed his own name at the bottom of the second scroll, completing the treaty. Some of the surrounding guardsmen clapped, a few cheered. One or two looked uneasily at each other. The Moritani specialists just smiled to themselves.

As a final gesture, the Duke and the Emperor shook hands once more.

"Well done, Duke Trebeis. You've pulled your house from the ashes." Hundro said quietly, looking directly at the Duke's eyes.

"I haven't finished yet." The Duke replied, meeting the gaze without flinching. He paused. "What did you do with the Em- ah, Corrino?"

"The Archduke is inside." The Emperor smiled, as the two released hands. "He is looking forward to his retirement, I hear." He reached over and took one of the scrolls from a palace aide. "It bears both signitures. Here is your copy." He handed the document to the Duke. "Farewell, Atilian. And if we should not meet again, thank you."

* * *

The contract betwwen Moritani and Trebeis can be summarised as such:

Warfare and Armaments) Neither Recognised House (henceforth 'House') will bear arms or allow arms to be borne against the other.

1a) When one House is threatened, the other is obliged to intervene and lend aid to their ally.

1b) No retainers, third parties, relations or employees of either house shall bear arms or allow arms to be bared against the other.*

1c)* The exception to (1b) is the Lady Ekaterina Moritani, who has autonomy over most of her own affairs.

The Throne) House Trebeis shall assist House Moritani in the subjugation of the planet Kaitan and Imperial House Corrino.

2a) In this event, The Viscount Moritani shall assume the mantle of Emperor and all following authorities.

Athalon IV) House Trebeis will be authorised a single attempt to gain the planet Athalon IV through any means desired.

3a) No outside parties may aid House Trebeis in this effort.**

3b)** The exceptions to (3a) are recognised allies of House Trebeis. At this time these are the Kondor Cartel, and Ix.

3c) The Emperor shall not interfere in any way with the takeover of the planet Athalon IV in this circumstance.

3d) House Trebeis has no imperial sanction for any more than a single attempt. Should they fail, they must petition the Emperor or seek other methods of gaining Athalon IV.

3e) House Trebeis agrees that if circumstances allow, Lady Ekaterina Moritani will be captured alive and passed into the custody of Carth Bindar, of the Kondor Cartel. This is not mandetory.

3f) House Trebeis, if successful, will retain the fief of Athalon IV as their rightful home.

Arrakis) House Trebeis will retain the fief of Arrakis for a period not less than fifty standard years from the signing of this document.

4a) House Trebeis agrees to abide by all previously drafted legislation regarding the planet Arrakis.

4b) If ordered by the Emperor at any time after this minimum period of fifty standard years, House Trebeis will be obliged to vacate the planet Arrakis.

4c) House Trebeis will reconstruct the city Arsunt on Arrakis.

4d) As Imperial House, House Moritani will not interfere with the governing of Arrakis.

4e) Should House Trebeis prove incapable or unwilling to meet the full demands and responsibility that are inherent to maintaining control of Arrakis, they may be obliged to leave before the minimum period of fifty years. This issue shall be decided by the Landsraad council, and not the Emperor.

Ix) House Trebeis agrees to fully endorse any trade measures, offers or requests made by House Moritani to the Ixian council.

5a) The Ixian council, not being a party of this document, is not legally obliged to accept all or any Moritani terms.

Destruction) Should either party of this document break the terms detailed above, then this contract is null and void.

We, the undersigned...

[Mihail]

Shaddam stalked his bedchamber and study, taking in the city of Kaitan as he stopped for several seconds to gaze out of the large windows. There, on the streets far below him, Shaddam saw the Trebesians. The thousands of troops, the De-Meks, the ornithopters. Sighing, he continued pacing and formulating a plan. Wealth, for now, was no problem. House Corrino was up there with the richest. For now, they would survive. He would have to move back to Salusa Secundus,there being what few servants and soldiers were under the direct jurisdiction of House Corrino, not the Imperial House. Of course, those were few in number, but it would be a start. Then he would train more men, his population would grow...

But he would never be as mighty as before. Sighing, Shaddam shook his head and turned his thoughts towards his "retirement". If he took control of his House, he wouldn't have much peace and quiet. On the other hand, if he didn't he would be looked upon as weak and frail. Shaddam summoned a messenger, and told him to bring a letter to the Viscount.Shaddam was aware that Hundro was in some meeting or other, and hoped that this wouldn't intrude too much. After all, you don't want the ill will of the Emperor of the Known Universe. The messenger left, and Shaddam was alone once again. Taking out his data-pad, Shaddam looked over,once again, the names and profiles of the men he had hired to be his bodyguard,and the names of other people he would be taking with him. Among it were several Sardaukar-trained bodyguards that belonged to the House Corrino and were loyal to him, so Shaddam felt safe. Also, there was his Mentat and entourage of servants. The Heighliner departed in several days. The Archduke sat back, content.

<hr>

The letter to Emperor Moritani:

'Hundro, my friend and...opponent.

I am leaving Kaitan for Salusa Secundus, to take the reins of my House there, as it is my fief and home. I am taking with myself my Mentat, several servants and 5 Sardaukar-trained bodyguards who officially belong to the House Corrino. The Heighliner departs tomorrow, and I will be on it. If you do not object, that is. My stay on Salusa may not be permanent. That is all I can tell you for now, because I myself do not have planned out all of the specifics. May I request that I have one of the Golden Lions, to deter any...eh, Ixians or the sort attacking me? I await a response from you.

Shaddam Corrino.'

<hr>

[Davidu]

Back on Gehay, Varth started to map out the planet below, Ratah II.

His scouts reported a planet with around 60% land - 40% oceans. The land is covered with thick forests. Lots of mountains and canyons. Usually pine trees, or plants adapted to a chilly and wet climate. Ice caps at the poles. NO DESERTS.

No contacts have been made so far as the scouts were told to keep off the settlements. Several towns have been sighted. Some may house shuttles of some sort.

On Gehay the training went well, and Carth's men were getting good at handling the space ships.

Also, the CHOAM advertising paid off, as ships started to come by and trade, or stop and refuel on their way. And money started to come in.

Message to House Trebeis:

[hide] We await the attack on Athalon. Just give us the word.[/hide]

[Dante]

Message to Ix:

In light of the recent rearrangement of power in the Imperium, I would like to extent the first invitation from the new imperial family to the Ixians, and express a sincere hope that relations between our two factions can be re-established. The infomation that I would wish to discuss is highly sensitive at this time, and so it is my honour to invite Chancellor Relnev to be my guest on Kaitan. The Chancellor may bring any number of staff or personal guards, but is assured that his life is my primary concern during his stay here.

With respect, Padishah Emperor Hundro Moritani of the known universe.

Message to Carth Bindar:

It has come to my attention that the Kondor Cartel is operating outside of the legal territories of the Imperium. Both CHOAM and the Spacing Guild have already expressed their concerns to my predecessor, and I am forced to concur with them. In order to resolve this situation, CHOAM auditors will be installed in your facilities. They will monitor your transactions and activities, as they do all over the Imperium, and report directly to the Landsraad Council. This is no special measure, merely bringing you to an equal footing with the rest of the Imperium. Your territory will be charted by the Guild of course, and I have no doubt that various factions will wish to establish embassies. Good luck.

Padishah Emperor Hundro Moritani of the known universe.

Reply to Archduke Corrino:

You are welcome to remain in this palace if you so choose, but if you wish to return to Salusa Secundus then I bid you farewell. You may take with you one of the Golden Lions, as a gift. Goodbye, Shaddam.

With respect, Hundro Moritani.

The Emperor sat back, and gestured for the last message to be taken away. Ah, busy busy busy... But not for much longer. He smiled, as he began to compose a formal address to the Landsraad.

[Davidu]

Message to the Emperor Hundro Moritani:

[hide] It is quite strange for me to oprate outside the Empire when I purchased the current location from the Imperial domain via CHOAM. The outpost on Gehay was an Imperial one.

Anyway, if it's the Emperor's desire to send agents to supervise my moves over here and to chart the system, they're more than welcome, as they will do this for us.[/hide]

"Hmm... So, Hundro wants to keep an eye on us... I hate when we're under the spotlight, and it's not our initiative. Damn!"

- Sir, we've located what seems to be one of the largest cities on Ratah. Shall we establish the contact?

- Not yet... Fist I want to chart the entire planet. I still expect an answer from IX about that sattelite.

[Dragoon Knight]

The news of Viscount Moritani's ascent to the Imperial throne was delayed in reaching Ix, who remained unaware of any happenings outside of their own planet.  Relnev's primary concern had been the fortification of the machine planet, should the Corrino attack again.  It came as a surprise, then, when the new Emperor's message to Ix came on the same day as the announcement of the new regime, and a solitary message from the Kondor Cartel.

"Most alarming," Relnev said while re-reading the announcement of Moritani rule.  Putting the scroll down, he picked up the invitation from the new Emperor.  "Worrying play on words, that."

"Indeed, Chancellor," said another member of the Ixian Council, who sat assembled around Relnev's meeting room.  A small man, with blond hair but remarkably dark skin for this underworld environment, he continued, "the Moritani are somewhat like the Harkonnen, in that their history is full of trachery and other such blemishes."

"Your point being?" asked an older female council member, wizened and grey with age.

"My point being that our new Emperor seems to be the exception to the rule."

"How so?" Relnev asked.  He knew little enough about the Emperor; he just seemed to appear on the scene without much forewarning.

"He maintains all the ruthlessness and amorality of previous generations, but whether due to some sadistic twist or scrap of goodness, Hundro Moritani maintains some shred of 'honour'" replied the tanned man, emphasising the quotes.

"In that he always keeps his word," Relnev answered the question no-one had yet asked.  "Correct?"

"Correct, sir."

---

Message to Carth Bindar:

[hide]We are currently dispatching two high-resolution satellites from Outpost 9 on Arrakis.  They shall arrive by Heighliner just outside of Gehay's orbit in two standard days.  The satellites had originally been intended for use on Arrakis itself, to obtain accurate topographical data; though I think you may be able to put them to better use.  They come free of charge.

Chancellor Relnev of the Ixian Council.[/hide]

---

"You intend on going to Kaitain?" Eemins said, slightly surprised.

"The Emperor has guaranteed my safety, Eemins." Relnev replied, striding through the glassy corridors that comprised of the Council building.

"That's debatable," Eemins said sternly, "I do not think this is wise, sir."

"I value your opinion, but I feel it neccessary to emphasise Ix's morals in this matter." Relnev said.  "Our issues are with Ekaterina, and what she did to Arrakis."

"We have grown beyond Arrakis, Chancellor," Eemins reasoned.  "Our neutrality was compromised when-"

"We compromised nothing." Relnev interrupted, not angry, but firm.  "There is no neutrality in this universe, my friend; when all pretences are stripped away, one looks out for himself and his own."

Eemins saw the truth in Relnev's words, as Relnev saw the valid warning in Eemins'.  The wording of the Emperor was flimsy at best, but the Chancellor was counting on the Emperor cherishing an unblemished history of keeping to his word.  Should any harm befall him during his visit to Ix, the Landsraad would blame the Emperor, and no amount of semantics would stop that.

Boarding a lighter with an honour guard of four expertly trained Ixian Defenders - suboids specially bred, nurtured and trained to be excellent fighters, just as normal suboids are to work - Relnev departed, heading towards the massive bulk of the heighliner in orbit of Ix.  Relnev had left Eemins in charge while he was gone, though he doubted his friend and advisor's ability to keep the rest of the council in check.  Soon, he would arrive on Kaitain, the guest of the Emperor.  Despite himself, Relnev hoped that this was not the last time he would see his home planet.

---

Message to Emperor Moritani:

Thank you for your kind invitation.  I shall be arriving on Kaitain within a few days.  I assure you that relations between the Imperial House and Ix shall be friendly and bountiful, pending certain matters that are due for discussion, as you say.

Chancellor Relnev of the Ixian Council.

[Mihail]

OOC: If it is alright with everyone, I would appreciate Shaddam to not be assaulted,kidnapped and/or killed on his trip to Salusa Secundus.

The Golden Lion took up much space in the Heighliner. Nestled safely in the bridge, Shaddam and his entourage felt safe. Plus the fact that most blast doors were shut and locked, and that they were 3 meters thick, strengthened their feeling of well-being. When they would reach Salusa Secundus, several House Corrino frigates would meet them and escort them to safety. Besides, the trip was only a few hours, the Gamma Waiping system being the 6th stop. Turning to one of his bodyguards, Shaddam announced quietly, "I'm going to take a rest. Give me some sleeping drugs." The bodyguard complied quietly and with a nod (Which looked unreal, since the man had an almost nonexistant neck.), handing over a few white pills. Gulping them down, Shaddam was rewarded with an immediate feeling of warmth and laziness. Tramping over to a specially made divan, he lay down on the soft pillows, sinking into them. In a few minutes, he was asleep.

<hr>

Six hours later, the Heighliner drops out of Foldspace, over the garish orange-red planet that is Salusa Secundus...

It was a few moments of light shaking before Shaddam's eyes snapped open. He looked up at the bodyguard who was stooping over him. The man understood. "Yes, we are here, my Lord." Sitting up, Shaddam rubbed his eyes for a moment, orientated, and then stood. He saw Salusa. He smiled.

Ah, Salusa. Finally, I am back...

Fast forward an hour...

The Heighliner slipped back into Foldspace, and the Golden Lion hung still in space, flankd by the three frigates meeting it.

The leading captain hailed the Golden Lion.

"Welcome back, my Lord! Stick with us, and ye shall be safe. We don't need some damned Ixians ambushing you!"

The Golden Lion complied, and the four ships turned up their thrust and sped towards Salusa Secundus...

[Dante]

"Mm, excellent." The Emperor looked out of a palace window, watching the Ixian frigate descend gently from the upper atmosphere. It circled the palace, awaiting entry to the personal starport of the imperial family. "Valen, is the Chancellor on board?"

"Yes Lord." Valen said distractedly, following a spider up a pillar.

"Ah, so the good Relnev wishes to talk. This is a good sign." The Emperor thought out loud, as the frigate passed out of sight. If he ran, the Emperor realised that he would probably reach the starport in time to personally welcome the Ixian Chancellor. He mulled over the issue for a few moments, before discarding it. It would make him appear over-eager and perhaps desperate. No, better to wait. He turned away from the window, and tried not to roll his eyes when the two sardaukar snapped to attention. There were going to be some changes around here... He brought a mouthpiece down from behind his ear.

"Have the Chancellor directed to his quarters, make sure he is comfortable." He ordered. He could never stand being surrounded by sycophantic aides. "He is allowed to keep his staff with him and is to be provided with anything he wishes. Don't restrict his movements, but keep him monitered at all times."

"Yes Lord." The voice on the other end said. The Emperor changed the channel.

"The Chancellor and his staff will be having evening meal in their own quarters tonight." He stated. "But deliver to him an invitation for late drinks in the library."

"Yes Lord." Came the reply. The Emperor cut the connection, folding the microphone back behind his ear. A very useful device, this. Ixian in fact. It hummed quietly, indicating an incoming connection.

"Yes?" The Emperor asked.

"Chancellor Relnev and his entourage have arrived and are being directed to their quarters in the guest wing." A tinny voice reported.

"Very good." The Emperor nodded. The connection broke.

"The CHOAM auditors left for Gehey this morning." Valen's voice floated down from the ceiling.

"And Shaddam?" The Emperor asked.

"Arrived on Salusa Secundus a few minutes ago."

"Good." The Emperor smiled. 'Things are working out nicely. All I have to deal with now is the epilogue.'

"I'm hungry." Valen said from the ceiling.

"You want pie? I feel like having pie." The Emperor responded. As he left the room, it was an effort of will to stop himself from skipping.

[Barbarossa]

Message for the Padishah Emperor Hundro Moritani.

[hide]Hello my leige. I have been rather confused about the situation involving my troops currently on Kaitan. I understand that you wish help in defending your new home, however I need you to define for me rather or not you wish a force to be left here, or simply an agreement to rush aid to you if in need of such. Please reply with all due haste as I will soon have to charter transport back to Arrakis. Also, as a last sign of goodwill. I have included with this message a package of Melange Beer. It's the most potent currently brewed on Arrakis.

-Duke Atillian Trebeis of Arrakis and Athalon IV.[/hide]

[Davidu]

The Ixian sattelites , the CHOAM auditors, and the last news all came on Gehay quite at the same.

Carth was moving to the docks while issuing commands:

- Get the sattelites on one of our ships and install them in orbit! Send a message to IX and thank them for the gift they offered! Find some space for the CHOAM auditors... some rooms to take them in! GOD DAMN! DO THEY ALL HAVE TO COME WITH THE SAME HIGH-LINER!?

The outpost on Gehay was crowded as the men, their families, the ornies, quads and trikes, the Trebeis troops, the laser-tanks, the equipment, docks, the ships were all under the same roof.

"I'll have to scan the planet fast. I need spae to deploy all these things. It's idiotic to keep ground and air vehicles on a atmosphereless world."

As Carth reached the docks the CHOAM auditors were just entering the main compound.

- Welcome to Gehay, gentlemen.

- Yes... Shouldn't we be getting to buissness? And where are we going to be accomodated? We have some equipment... Where is our headquarters?

- Well... first... YOU CAME HERE IN VERY SHORT NOTICE! We didn't have enough time to prepare. Second... I would apreciate it if you would be a little more undemanding. I hate people asking me to do to their biding! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sattelites to set up in space.