Anomaly

[Davidu]

Introduction.

He was born on Earth, long before the Emperor's reign... at the dawn of the thinking machines.

His name - Clovis Carpath.

He was trained as a pilot of those crafts they used back then.

His story starts when, in a recon mission, he enters a storm to escape the enemy who has already tracked him. The controls of the aircraft go out of control, and when he is able to stabilise its craft he realises that on his radar the enemies are gone. Has he really lost them?

As he exits the storm clouds he realises that he is now in a different world: the sky is lit by two suns.

As the shock goes away, he is looking for a place to land. A few miles ahead there is some kind of a flat surface he can use as a runway. Slowly he engages in the landing procedures and brings the aircraft down. He stops the engines, checkes the radar one last time, and writes some words in his flight log:

"15-July-2010

Possible space-time continuum disruption. I'm in a parralel universe. Seems hospitable... green forests...

I'll try the atmosphere in a couple of minutes.

Good luck Clov!"

He puts on his air mask... and slowly opens the hatch.

Cool, humid forest air reaches his face... Optimistic he takes down his maks and hops out of the aicrafts cockpit. The grass is real, the trees over there seems real... those birds seem to be real. Clovis starts to analyse his situation and realises he has no food at all. Nothing.

As he contamplates the landscape the night seems to be aproaching, so he heads for the forest to look for some firewood. As the trees appear more clear in his sight the pilot recognises the old earth' oakes. Large, beautiful trees, with a powerful trunk that can resist the harshest storms.

"This is still Earth, or..."

His thoughts dissapeared into thin air as something moves close to the bushes at the edge of the forest. The man reaches for his gun at the hip, takes it out and takes the standard firing position, confident that he can at least scare the animal away... He expects a strange alien to appear from those bushes.

All of a suden an over-grown rabbit jumps out and stares at the man. As he has nothing to eat he wastes one bullet on the critter. The rabbit is huge in comparison with the Earth species. It is covered by short brown fur, and its ears are shorter than expected.

The pilot drags his prey near the aircraft and looks for a knife to cut the animal. Finnaly he uses his army knife to skin and take out the best parts. He coeveres the remains and heads for the forest to look for fire wood. Near the old oak he finds enough braches and sticks o make a decent camp fire.

As the night sets in the rabbit is fried and eaten. The surplus is carefully packed into plastic bags that holded some important paperwork.

"I can use this for making fire. I'll never be able to take it back to the commandement."

Clovis feels sad and lonely under this strange night sky... He can't find any similarities. He is lost.

In a desperate try to confort himself he take out the photo of his girl back home... but this last image of Earth brakes his last barrier of faith as he starts to cry with anger. All the shock he took that day is now jettisoned through the those tears of anger. Anger agaist destiny. Why him? Why now? All his hopes are gone, left behind. He feels deported, as a prisoner taken to a strange land, knowing that he'll never be able to return. He abandons himself to the all-forgetting, all-forgiving sleep.

"Maybe it's just a dream... Maybe I'll wake up back home, with Laura by my side. God can't be so cruel with me... I don't want to be alone, at least her, God!, at least her. She should be here with me, to encourage me as she always does. I need her... I don't want to be alone..."

His thoughts become vision and sound as a sweet dream of back home installs as fog over his tired mind.

As he sleeps the night sky rotates slowly towards day sky. This new day will be the first day of his new life.

[Davidu]

Some more will follow. Maybe, one per day.

[Vanguard3000]

Goos show, Davidu. One complaint I have is your introduction. It's effective, but it's not eye-catching. When I first started it, I thought I was reading a plot outline.

But I do like the rest of the story. May I ask why you chose the name Clovis? Are you alluding to Clovis, the first Frankish king (A.K.A. Clodwig)?

I look forward to seing the more-that-will-follow, but if I were you, I wouldn't set a daily deadline. I'd rather wait and read a good story, and have a rushed one right away. ;)

[Davidu]

Clovis is an ancient Celtic name, and I'm fond of the ancient world...

I'll try to make everithyng as attracting as I can - this is the first time I write something that has to look like e novel.

[Davidu]

1.First Contact

[Davidu]

Now all it remained was the hovering tank that had several devices attached. Clovis slowly emerges from the cover of the bush and carefully aproaches the tank. Something inside was alive; he could see an alien aproaching the galss-like wall. It looked like a mummy: a long thin body, fairly large head with huge black oval eyes; it had no nose, only two holes in the place where the nose should have been; a small mouth; the skin was almost grey, hard to tell because of all the orange gas inside. That being noticed him too and started to observe him. The beings' muscles reminded Clovis of a telephone wire he used to trip over back home: Laura hated mobile phones, so she had a standard one installed at home. There she was again! Still in his mind.

"Bad timing Laura! I was making the first contact over here... Never mind, I could use some pieces of advice, so back me up, would you?"

The image in his mind didn't answer. Clovis noticed that the alien changed his place inside the tank - he nearly forgot him.

- Hail! I am Clovis Carpath, lieutenant in the Air Force, registration id: 4.02.35.71. I request your identification.

- I am Merkab, Navigator, member of the Spacing Guild. You showed up earlier than expected. Merkab's voice had something metallic within, maybe because he could be heard from the two silver chromed metal spheres attached to the tank.

- Earlier than expected? What do you mean? And how come you speak my language so well? Clovis' questions kept running like a torent, but Merkab wated patiently in his tank. At least he seemed patient.

"Stop those questions you fool! You are annoying me! Curse the fact I can't kill you! I'll need you in the future. I saw that!". Merkab remembered the angry words of his teacher after he had commited a serious error: "You have no patience, you are much too impulsive. That's what will kill you, and, worse, that's what's going to kill innocent people too. I'll have you expelled!" But the teacher hadn't done that, and Merkab became a Navigator, maybe one of the errors in the infailible Guild system.

- So, you want answers, Clovis - Merkab started calmly - here you are: we are in the 72nd year of life of the Great Paddishah Emperor Shaddam IV, ruler of the million planets. The Empire's power I divided between the Emperor and the Landsraad, the council of the Great Houses that rule the planets in the Empire. We, the Spacing Guild provide transport in between the planets, we have TOTAL control of the transport as we are the monopole. By the way, human, this planet is called Kaitan, the residence of the Emperor. Satisfied?

Clovis stood astonished as he heard this flow of information. Another world... another universe. He realised that Merkab who had an almost imertinend way of speaking was human too, only his kind bread in space for thousands of generations and so their body structure was mutated creating their thin, long body.

- What about me? Clovis whispered like a man with no hope.

- I'll take care of you, I'll be your tutor.

In the mean time the other people aproached. They were all humans, with a strange insignia on their unform - probably the insignia of the Spacing Guild.

(end of chapter I)

[Davidu]

You are welcome to post your opinions about what I wrote...

I'd really like to see what you think about it.

[Vanguard3000]

I REALLY like where this is going (I think I have an idea of what will happen). It's damned good. It's a bit wierd that you switched to a point-form type structure in this last bit, though. ;)

Anyway, keep up the excellent work.

[Davidu]

It'll take a while to write Chapter 2, but it'll come nevertheless.

[Davidu]

2.MIA

[Davidu]

Chapter 3 in the making... He he 8)

[Aeris]

Hey, this is an awesome story. Can't wait to see more.

[Davidu]

Patience... lol, I'm not a machine ;D. I would write more, but I don't have enough time.

[Davidu]

I made a page for this novel on my site:

www.geocities.com/dunedavidu

Select Art and Writings and you'll be there.

[Davidu]

3. Forever Bonded

So, this was the capital... a huge city full of palaces, gardens, administrative buildings and garrisons for the Emperor's Sardaukar.

Clovis was now part of the Guild Delegation that was received by the Emperor; discussions regarding budget and some services' payment. He was permitted to assist these meetings... maybe Merkab had some specific role for him, but nothing really happened.

The Suns set for the fifth time over the city-palace, and Clovis watched this again and again. Another day, another sunset... This day had been especially exhausting for him: some routine meetings, some running around the city like a delivery-boy, and then hours and hours spent learning Guild documents, reading contracts "just to get accustomed" with the procedures.

Clovis laid on the bed and looked through the room. It was lavishly decorated. That held enough riches to grant him a life-time of pleasure back on Earth. So much gold, so many things exquisitely-crafted. The whole city was a jewel, a marvel of engineering, a marvel of architecture, a piece of art. His eyes shut as he remembered the beauties he saw that day, and he finally went to sleep.

In the sleep's dark void Clovis' mind awakens. He tries to move, but the body won't obey, and he starts to panic. He tries to speak but nothing moves. Clovis tries to focus all his power into shouting but only the mouth opens silent as a grave. He tries to open his eyes but again his muscles betray him... he manages to move his arm, as he gained partial control over some of the arm's muscles. His fingers remained still, unable to be contacted by the nervous flux the brain broadcasts through the body.

Using his hands as claws, Clovis tries to open his eyes, but all he sees is still the black void of the sleep, though he could feel on his skin the night's pale light.

He panics and desperately tries to do something, but his mind tries in vain as his body is still paralyzed.

All of a sudden he sees something. It is him inside him. He sees some kind of larva inside him from a bird's eye view. He also sees his chest cavity from inside - it is hollow. Ribs and muscles isolate the larva from the outside.

He cannot comprehend this... could it be a vision of some sort? But he cannot control himself any longer and panic takes over. Al went blank again and Clovis can hear hi self screaming, shouting. He then felt his body and he could identify a rocky surface beneath his feet.

Light appears.

He is now able to visualize a cold, grey granite surface forever stretching beneath a cold black sky... so where does the light come from? Maybe from him... who knows? This universe he now first experienced seems to shunt the laws of physics.

So there he was, dressed in his uniform, in the middle of nowhere. Though the space around him seemed infinite he started to feel another presence.

He slowly turns, thinking he would see an alien, an energetic being that had to invade the privacy of his mind. But it looked like photons gathered to a point behind him... faster and faster until a shape could be distinguished. It still was too bright for him to see what it was, but at least it seemed humanoid.

Slowly he could distinguish the being - it was human - a woman. As the image became clearer he could see a familiar face it was Laura, dressed in a very official grey suit. She seemed scared too when she opened her eyes, but at least his image comforted her a bit.

- At least I can dream you now I'm ill. She whispered. This surely is a hallucination.

- I think I'm hallucinating... I'm so far away, and so many strange things happened that I'm now ready to believe everything. He replied.

- Are you real?

- I know I am... but, on the other hand, we both could be as real as this place.

- What is this place anyway? It seems huge.

- I don't know... I fell asleep... I had some strange dreams and then I ended up here.

- It doesn't matter... now we're together.

- You're right, if we're both here nothing else matters.

They talked a little bit more, they shared love and cared for each other. After a while Clovis asks:

- You said you're ill?

- Here I feel fine... but I've got a cold, maybe a flu, I don't really know... I think I've been unconsciousness ever since. Maybe days have passed. I really don't know. But this doesn't matter! Do you think we'll be able to meet again here?

- I think your health is more important than our meetings in dreams.

- Maybe, but what's my health good for when you're nor by my side?

- Don't you talk like that! We'll meet again, I promise you that!

- Clovis, I think that is a promise that you won't be able to keep. You have been reported missing in action, you're dead to almost all who knew you... By the way, where are you now?

Clovis starts to tell hey the story from the dogfight onwards, he described Merkab, the Guild, Kaitan and the capital. A fascinating world was discovered by Laura through Clovis. How could she believe a dream? A hallucination caused by fever.

Hours passed as the couple talked and talked fearing this might be their last meeting. None of them could explain all that, but they were determined to exploit that opportunity to the maximum.

There they stood: two souls in infinite. Their minds were of no use in this parallel universe. Here all they could do was feel not to explain, to live the moment not to think. The saying "Carpe Diem" passed through their minds as they feared that the dream could and as strange and sudden as it started. They held on desperately to the moment as they felt that that dream was a boat in an ocean of cold sanity; a very pleasant and illogic think just like love.

Some steppes were heard by them, but no one came. The sound was distant and badly distorted, but even so Clovis could recognize the unique way of walking of the Sardaukar.

- Something is happening in the building I'm in... I must leave you now Laura, I can feel danger in the air.

- When will you be back?

- I really don't know... we'll meet again... I can assure you...

His body lost cohesion as he spoke and the photons that made his body spread around into the dark.

Laura now stood alone in that "alter-mundi".

- Laura! Laura wake up!

Laura slowly opened her heavy eyes. The light was too powerful.

- What? Who is it?

- It's Anna... you called me, remember?

Laura smiled and tried to lift herself off the couch but her powers were drained. Her head ached as well.

- How many days have passed, Anna?

- Days? I was in the bathroom when you called so I rushed over here... you called fifteen minutes ago.

- That can't be... I talked to Clovis for hours...

- Clovis is missing in action. Have you read this letter?

- Yeah. Oh! My head hurts so badly!

- You have fever... let me call a doctor. Poor girl she's hallucinating. Anna whispered to herself as she dialed the doctor's number.

"Was I dreaming? Was it all caused by the illness? Doesn't matter! I've found out that Clovis and I are bonded forever - it's written in the stars."

In the other universe Clovis was waking up in a dangerous situation.

[Davidu]

4. The Attempt

The outside sounds became more clear as Clovis was waking up, returning from his vision. The morning light gave the room on unique look: every piece of precious metal in the room was sparkling as a diamond.

Clovis went to the window to see military units out on the streets, strange aircrafts flying around, patrolling the perimeter.

In the distance alarms could be heard, easily jammed by the aircrafts' engines. These aircrafts... a combination between helicopters and airplanes. Their wings could flap thus resembling an insect. Clovis was eager to take one for a ride, but this wasn't the moment.

He quickly put on his uniform, arms himself with his gun and army knife and exits the room. On the corridor there were some soldiers. He knew some of them, so he asked what happened.

- There has been an assassination attempt against the Emperor. We're currently looking for the assassin. Probably a Tleilaxu Face-Dancer assassin. One of the soldiers answered.

"Even a computer could have used more words..." The Sardaukars gave Clovis the impression of organic robots: people that only obeyed orders without thinking - brainwashed.

- Well, I'll head towards the Guild quarters, I think I'll be safer there than alone in my room. Bye...

- SIR! the soldiers saluted .

The Imperial Guests' palace was huge and Clovis often got lost while walking its long hallways. Again the labyrinth got him. Unfortunately the labyrinth got another person...

While walking Clovis saw a dead Sardaukar on a side hallway. He stopped and analyzed the body: it wasn't dead for too long... the killer had to be around.

Light footsteps caught his attention. Someone a few meters away was trying to sneak his way out of the building. Clovis grabbed his gun and ran towards the position where he thought the killer might be.

As he entered a second side hallway he saw a person all dressed in black with lots of accessories attached. The killer heard Clovis as well and now he saw him he prepared for a fight. His right hand held a large knife and his left hand quickly pressed some buttons on his belt and all of a sudden a light-blue transparent force field surrounded him.

Clovis tried his luck and fired a bullet at the killer. The force field held and the bullet was rejected.

The killer charged with his knife and Clovis barely had time to draw his own. He tried a fast attack to the neck but his hand was deviated by the force field. On the other hand the assassin managed to wound Clovis in several places. These were not fatal wounds, but they were enough to disable him.

The fighters watched each other a few moments. Clovis was aware he wouldn't survive a second attack. His right arm was wounded and the left arm wasn't dexterous enough to fight the knife, so he grabbed his gun again. He was determined to penetrate that shield with the gun and fire from within.

The assassin charged. In the last moment Clovis ducked stretching his left arm and pressed the trigger when the gun's barrel was inside the shield. The gun's noise couldn't be well heard from within the shield, but nevertheless, the bullet did its job - went straight through the killer's liver thus disabling him...

The noise of the battle had attracted some soldiers. Their boots could be heard hitting the hard, brown, cold marble floor as they approached the place of the battle.

Clovis was caring his wounds when they arrived: there were five of them, one holding on of those expensive laser-guns Clovis heard about. They took the dieing assassin into custody for questioning and when they were preparing to disarm and arrest Clovis one of the soldiers recognized him as being part of the Guild delegation. Nevertheless he was disarmed, but the soldiers restricted their duties, so they only questioned him on the spot. After the interrogation took place he was taken to a clinic inside the Emperor's Palaces' Compound. He was to be received by the Emperor later...

As the evening descended over the besieged capital, the Guild quarters were ravaged by a rumor: "Merkab's prot

[Davidu]

I'll have some more time to write next weekend.

Feel free to say what you think, where I went wrong...

[Davidu]

Ascension

The group of men marched silently towards the gate of the palace. Four Sardaukar were guarding Clovis.

That was the first time Clovis saw the entrance of the palace. The whole building was huge, covered in expensive materials and beautiful sculptures.

The group reached the gates that stood twenty meters high. One of the soldiers called for the gates to open using a transmitter as Clovis was evaluating the size of the palace. He couldn't find any comparison for the size of this structure. The medieval castles he saw back home could easily fit inside hall-way that opened before his eyes: a large room with arches resting upon high columns; all covered with sculptures, all covered with colored marble. Even the floor had some lavish pattern.

In front of them Clovis saw another large gate, and it took them fifteen minutes of marching to reach it. Beyond this gate laid the throne room.

This time there were guards at the entrance and they opened the gate in a ceremonial way, slowly... The Sardaukar surrounding Clovis took up positions farther from him creating an elegant formation.

As the gates opened the throne room revealed itself to Clovis. It was even larger than the hall-way, with a big semi-spherical roof resting on arches that were also resting upon beautiful, highly ornamented columns. In the middle, on top of an elevation there was the Golden Lion throne, and the Emperor.

But even with all this opulence the palace gave the impression of being under siege: soldiers running back and forth, no servants but military personnel.

One of the high-ranking officers surrounding the Emperor, observing Clovis, bowed and whispered something. The Emperor raised his head from all those papers, plans and reports scattered all over a temporary table assembled in front of the throne. He descended and greeted Clovis.

- Welcome, you must be...Clovis, right?

- Yes, sir.

- Stop that military style of talking! I have enough of this around me now that assassin tried to kill me. Look at them - the Emperor pointed towards the officers arguing over something at the table - they seem care for my life more than I do.

Clovis smiled at this colloquial remark. He always thought the Emperor being a cold, block-headed conservationist, keen in respecting all the formalities.

- Come, let's walk... said the Emperor. Shame on me, I haven't introduced my self: Emperor Paddishah Shaddam IV. And the Emperor shaked Clovis' hand.

- Clovis Carpath, the first... he chuckled.

- That's great for you, the people, you don't have to wear these stupid numbers like cattle: I, II, III and so on.

- Maybe but we all wish that...

- You wish wealth, not the names.

- Personally I'm not very keen in gathering money, wealth.

- I meant generally speaking.

- Generally speaking you're right, but there are still people out there that can be happy without wealth.

- Those are rich people indeed. No politics, no wealth administration and certainly no assassin sent to kill you.

- Certainly not. But you have to stand the taxes, the laws and the arrogance of the rich.

- I know what you mean. A long time ago I ran away from home - I was 15 or 20, I don't remember. I was dressed up like a commoner... and in this city none of those people that bowed before my father and I didn't even dare to lay their eyes on me. That was the moment I understood they were loyal to my clothes, to my power, to my royal authority, not to me. They're all fake. Except the Sardaukar. They're loyal to their deaths to me. That comforts me a bit. But let's change the subject. I saw the weapon you used: that belongs in a museum.

- Oh! That's just a standard pistol from where I come from.

- My spies told me that you weren't born in the Empire.

- They're right I've just arrived. I'm with the Guild...

- No need to tell me that...I know it already, I saw you during those long bring negotiations.

- Long and boring indeed. Clovis agreed.

- And besides, the Guild excluded you. The Emperor added.

- They did WHAT?

- Those imbeciles thought you were brought here for trial not for being rewarded, so they just... dumped you. You might have been loyal to them but they weren't loyal to you.

Clovis burned with anger. Merkab just abandoned him, betrayed him!

- So, they've abandoned me! They got rid of me at the slightest sign of danger!

- You're not abandoned, boy, you saved the life of the Emperor. Besides, that tutor of yours, Mekal, I suppose...

- Merkab...

- Exactly, him, he doesn't seem to honest to me, just a manipulator, a thief.

- So I'll just have to find myself another job, don't I? Clovis whispered.

- A job? I will reward you. The Emperor laughed. You won't need to work for anyone after that.

- You're most kind, but I cannot accept any reward. It was just a duty to oppose myself to any outlaw.

- That was a hired assassin, they're not illegal, it's a very profitable job, by the way. But tell me how would you like to be repaid?

- Hmm, let's see... a planet maybe? Clovis joked.

- Sure, come with me to the map to choose one.

Clovis remained still. He couldn't believe his ears.

- That... was... just... a... joke... he managed to whisper.

- What did you say? Why have you stopped?

- That was a joke – I didn't mean it. Clovis replied.

- I rule over a million planets my boy, I can spare one. The Emperor laughed and dragged Clovis to the board that displayed the whole Empire. Now, what planet would you like?

- I can't say. I only saw Kaitan. SIR! I cannot accept this! Clovis stated in a very official and military way.

- You should. the Emperor replied without raising his head from the board. This is my gift, my way of showing my appreciation. And besides, you won't find me in such a good mood every day. Stop staring at me as if you were dreaming boy! Say something! the Emperor laughed.

- Well then, you're right, I shouldn't miss such an opportunity. All right then, first let me see all the planets with Latin-descendant population.

- Let me see, but I warn you that people might have disappeared after the Space Migrations and the Butlerian Jihad.

It was clear to Clovis that the Emperor enjoyed to see al his planets on that map, his huge domain. He introduced some data, touched some buttons. The machine quickly displayed a planet, fairly large, 50% water, 50% land. It has large amounts of ice at the poles.

- Here you are: planet Camparius of the Heneth system. It has a very large land mass, fragmented by numerous seas, lakes and rivers. It has five mountain barriers: Atlas, Sortium, Nagatius and Tibrum. The population is about 95% rural; around 10 billion people. The capital city is Brana with about 10 million citizens. The rest of the cities are mainly barter-towns. The landscape is covered by forests is the north and south and deserts at the equator. There are various climates on this planet: from the equatorial deserts to the arctic tundra.

Clovis learned the galach language quite easy along with its alphabet, so he could read the data himself, but he wouldn't bother the Emperor that had a real pleasure in exploring his vast Empire through that machine.

- Well, what do you think Clovis?

- I think I'll have a lot of work developing this planet.

- I just love to do that, to build, but I don't have enough time - too much politics.

- I understand...

- Listen, that's quite a savage world, most of the people don't even pay taxes, I represent no authority for them, so you might have problems there.

- I'll just have to manage those problems then. Clovis said.

- I like your confidence, but I'll send in some troops to aid you.

Clovis heard of the deeds of the Sardaukar in the Empire, and now he was afraid those soldiers wouldn't turn that population against him.

- NO! Sir, I can manage...

- They'll be under your control, don't worry, they won't devastate the land. I know they're fierce but they obey orders.

Clovis smiled not knowing if the Emperor was using him as Markab did.

- When can I go there? I'm eager to start my work. Clovis said.

- Just wait a minute. The Emperor was writing something at the console transferring the planet under Clovis' rule, rallying the troops, etc. The planet belongs to you now; you have 250.000 Sardaukar as your temporary body guards and a small account at the Guild bank to have something to start with.

"Small account? How small, or better said: how big?" Clovis thought.

- I think I'm dreaming... he said.

- No you're not. I like to reward every good deed whenever possible.

- Thank you.

- No, Clovis, thank you! You saved my life - in a way.

- Then let me return to the hotel and wake up with a cold shower, sir...

- Of course Lord Clovis.

- Lord?!

- I'm in a good mood today, the Emperor chuckled.

The walk back to the hotel was as unreal as the meeting with the Emperor.

"I'm a Lord?! I must be dreaming... Yesterday I was lousy Guild novice, last month I was a military pilot. And now, now - I'm an ARISTORAT?!" The soldiers accompanied Clovis until they reached the hotel entrance. Clovis mechanically climbed the stairs with his mind gone towards that world - HIS world.

Everything seemed larger in his mind, everything became distorted.

He was tired.

"For killing an enemy - one man - I received a planet, and back home for shooting down dozens of planes during my missions I only received an acknowledgement from the general. No medals, no money, no nothing."

He concluded that he liked this world better than his native world.

"I just have to bring Laura here and then I'll be truly happy."

Finally Clovis started to see his destiny.

"I must never leave myself corrupted by power - that's my biggest enemy." the spirit of the leader was

[Davidu]

6. Stranded

The afternoon sun shined over the space-port of Kaitan as the vehicle in which Clovis was approached. That was the first time he saw the frigates. Huge machines for transporting both passengers and cargo.

- There she is! The driver observed. The one with all those troops boarding.

- Yes, I see...

The Sardaukar were boarding the frigate in complete silence, complete discipline. Only a few orders were shouted now and then.

The vehicle stopped and Clovis got down. An old soldier in campaign uniform approached him.

- Sarrih Kharan at your disposal sir! Army Korps General.

- Clovis Carpath... hmm! Lord.

- I have heard of your deeds sir and I can say I am impressed. No civilian was ever able to take out a Tleilaxu assassin.

- Indeed, no civilian IS able to take out a tleilaxu assassin.

- Are you a soldier? The old general asked astonished.

- I was. Not a high-ranking, but a soldier nevertheless.

- Then sir, I am proud to serve under your command! Civilians fail to understand the depth of military strategies nor our duties of honor.

The discussion continued onboard the frigate, where Clovis and Sarrih talked about the landing on Camparius.

It was the first time that Sarrih met such an important person being so truthful, so honest.

"If he will talk to the people like that he will be a great ruler."

The old general was accustomed with the palace intrigues, with the fight for power inside the Sardaukar ranks, with the intrigues and lies. But he couldn't find any of these in Clovis. The newly-named aristocrat had the gift of speech, and through his own was of behaving he was bound to make many good friends and strong allies.

The highliner appeared in front of the frigate and now Clovis could see the huge machine. A huge stationary ship in which millions of passengers could enter and where billions of tons of cargo could be stored. He was amazed: so much metal, such a huge ship! He heard that the Emperor and the richest Houses had ships like that just for them, along with their own Navigators.

"Speaking of which... Where is that back-stabbing coward? Where is Merkab?"

Merkab fled the planet after his mistake he did and seeked refuge aboard the highliner in order to avoid further scandals. He was still mad, and his navigating skills were distorted by his thoughts.

After the last ship entered that miniature planet, Merkab started the process of folding space, using his mind and the narcotic spice as aid. But he couldn't focus and the transition was a total disaster as he missed Camparius and reached another planet not far away.

The planet was under siege by the Harkonnen forces. They were conducting a planetary bombardment with atomic weapons, both actions being forbidden by the Great Convention. At first the Harkonnen though that the newly arrived highliner was one of their reinforcements, so they didn't pay much attention.

The passengers could see the atomic blasts on the surface of the planet. After this Harkonnen troops were sent in to sweep the area of any enemies that might have survived.

Seeing that the new highliner does nothing, the Harkonnens hailed the ship, but when it answered, they realized they had to destroy the whole ship: too many witnesses.

Merkab tried again to fold the space, but he was exhausted, and the first lasers blasts that hit the ship made it so that he couldn't focus at all.

The frigates had to flee the dieing highliner, thus becoming easy targets for the Harkonnen pilots. Clovis' frigate was attacked as well, and Sarrih insisted that Clovis should abandon the ship in a space-pod - too small to be noticed by the Harkonnens.

After a while both the damaged frigate and the "unimportant" pod entered the atmosphere. The pod hit the ground near what used to be a city, now just a nuclear wasteland. After a fast area scan, the pod's console provided Clovis with useful data: only the "downtown" was severely radiated, the rest of the city had an acceptable amount of radiation. Clovis took whatever weapons and food he could carry and left the pod, knowing that the Harkonnens would see and destroy it. Indeed, after several hours the pod was blasted from a thopter.

The landscape was desolating... the air was full of dust and unnatural warmth radiated from the soil. The terrain became rough after the bombardment, only some walls or twisted metal reminded that once there was a settlement there. Clovis was moving from crater to crater in complete silence, not to attract any Harkonnen soldiers. The mask he wore protected him from the dust, but it couldn't protect him from the warmth.

When he stopped at the edge of yet another crater he took it off. The air was unbreatheable, but it was a little cooler that the one inside the mask. Clovis rested for a few moments.

At one moment he heard some movement near him. He quickly grabbed the laser and stood ready to fire if any Harkonnen soldier approached.

Instead if an enemy he saw some being...

After a few moments he realized that it was a survivor of the nuclear bombardment.

- Help me...

The voice was the one of a 10 year old girl, but nothing reminded of her human origin: the skin was partly scorched, partly melted, giving her a grotesque look. The arms were destroyed: only the left arm still had the hand, while the right arm was burned to the bone. The nose was inexistent, the skin on the cheeks was mostly destroyed so one could see her black burned teeth. The eyes were red and unclear, possibly due to the high temperature they have been exposed to.

Clovis was in shock. Not even in his worst nightmares he could imagine such an ordeal for a human. He put down his laser and advanced. Both his mind and his instincts told him to stay away from that freak in front of him, but the body kept walking. When he was near the child he hugged her, thus providing some spiritual comfort in her last moments of life as she died in a matter of minutes. Clovis buried her and swore to kill the ones responsible for this atrocity.

Again he walked in between the ruins, after he picked up his laser. At one moment he heard voices, so he rushed for a hole in a concrete wall and looked down. Five Harkonnens found a local family that escaped the bombardment. It must have been a wealthy family because Clovis could see a bunker - possibly their bunker.

The father: a middle aged man started to shout something. Clovis couldn't hear it. He started to crawl down from the safety of the wall towards the Harkonnens. He was sure he could take them out from point blank range. As he crawled he heard the lasers buzzing and when he looked up he saw that the Harkonnens killed almost al of the people.

They were told to take no prisoners. But for their enjoyment, they spared a teen age girl. Clovis knew what was going to happened, so he moved as fast as he could without giving away his position.

The Harkonnens put down their weapons and gear focusing on pushing the girl around, ripping her clothes off. When Clovis saw this he started running and in a matter of seconds he was behind them and opened fire. The girl fainted just before Clovis pulled the trigger so the beam missed her.

"Shit! I almost hit her! I need to be more careful with these things."

Clovis covered the girl with a Harkonnen coat; disposed of the bodies, and looted the weapons, food, and communication devices.

After a few hours the girl woke up. When she saw the Harkonnen coat on her she started screaming and threw it away: she stood naked an terrified in front of Clovis. He took his coat off:

- Here... take my coat. Don't worry, I won't hurt you - we're in the same situation.

The girl took the coat and covered herself remaining silent.

"It's better not to force her to talk, it might destroy whatever sanity is left inside her. Those brutes! They managed to scare her to insanity!"

Clovis started to search the frequencies with the Harkonnen device. At one point he heard the Sardaukar shouting orders of battle.

- Give me Sarrih! He shouted to the device.

After a few moments the voice of the old general could be heard.

- Sire! Activate your beacon! We'll come to pick you up. We can't be very far away.

- What are our losses?

- We lost nothing compared to them!

- I want you to send in some psychologists if you have – I've found a civilian.

- Yes sir! I understand! But you must understand that you life is the most important here!

- I am a soldier! The duty of the soldiers is to defend their people, ther way of life and their people's belongings. I don't want you to kill any of the civilians. We must rescue them!

- ... Acknowledged! Sarrih was confused... the way of thinking of the Lord was so old! Yet so honorable.

In a couple of hours some thopters approached the area, landed, and Sardaukar came down from them. Sarrih was the first to greet Clovis:

- Sire, we need to talk!