2

LOCATION: Imperial Basin, main Imperial stronghold, Tsimpo_============__Everybody is tensioned in the imperial stronghold. The Supreme Bashar is trying to get his communication devices ready for a special transmission. Thanks to the smugglers, who provided working comm devices, such transmissions are now possible. The holo-screen flashes...__Incoming transmission...__GARRON: Your... highness..._PRINCESS IRULAN: Bashar, what is happening there? I heared my father is dead. And that the Landsraad has overrun you._GARRON: I must admin with shame. Everything you said is correct. Not only that, but we fear a possible invasion of Kaitain. Your highness, you might be in danger. We are getting ready to move to Kaitain as we speak._IRULAN: None of the three Houses on Dune will be foolish enough to attempt something like this. An invasion on Kaitain would destabilize the entire empire. The Landsraad council will vote against it, and neither the Atreides, nor the Harkonnen, nor the Ordos will be allowed to do it._GARRON: With all due respect, princess, the Landsraad council is extremely... ineffective lately. This is one of the main reason your father decided to make a deal with the Guild and join on Arrakis. He knew the Landsraad will not intervene._IRULAN: They didn't intervene because of fear. Fear of the Imperial Sardaukar. But the three rebel houses do not possess you and your men._GARRON: Landsraad's interests definitely do not go along ours. The Sardaukar army is weak now, if any of the three Houses attempts an invasion on Kaitain, they know we will have to move all our trainees from Salusa Secundus to Kaitain to defend. ALL our men. That would be a disaster for the Sardaukar, our entire army could be decimated._IRULAN: I know you have been my father's most trusted general, Bashar Garron. That is why I will trust your feeling. Are you able to get here safely?_GARRON: We are preparing to lift off soon. The smugglers have provided all the necessary infrastructure for it. Don't worry, princess, we are on our way._IRULAN: I am already doing the necessary work to gather up a meeting between the great powers of the empire. I want the Landsraad, the Guild, the CHOAM and the Golden Lion Throne to be all present to discuss a cease-fire and the future of the empire. This war must end. I received some news from Arrakis, that the three houses started to have... different opinions on different matters. I am sure their alliance is going to collapse soon._GARRON: Excuse my interruption, princess, but we are in a hurry. We must prepare and lift off as soon as possible. We can discuss politics when we return to Kaitain._IRULAN: Very well then, I'll be waiting you. Safe journey!__Transmission ended...__VARLAZ: She is... young. She doesn't understand what's at stake. She really believes the Landsraad is still following the rules, with the throne being so... weak._GARRON: She might be young, but she's beautiful and pretty experienced with politics. The imperial advisors made sure of that. Do not forget, she is Shaddam's daughter. The Corrino blood flows through her veins. And that very blood helped them keep this throne for more than ten thousand years. I'm sure she doesn't believe that the Landsraad is playing by the book... which is exactly why she wants this meeting. To put pressure on the Landsraad, to ammend their lack of intervention. And use this as an example to stop a future war. As I said, she is smart._VARLAZ: Very well said, sir.__The door opens, and Halvard enters to address the two generals:__HALVARD: There is a complication. Harkonnen and Atreides forces managed to find out that you are doing... something. My spies reported that they don't know for sure what your plan is, but they are paranoid, and have set up installations to strike you out. _VARLAZ: I am assuming they also did not like the decoy in Hagga Basin. Wish I could see Baron's face when he found out the Sardaukar generals were not in Hagga Basin._GARRON: If they are deploying here, it means they know we're here, Burseg. This is bad. They certainly deployed a considerable amount of troops._HALVARD: You can bet on that. I won't lie to you, the situation looks pretty bleak. Which is why I hope you will understand why I must retreat my men before the Landsraad attacks._GARRON: WE HAD A DEAL!_HALVARD: Don't worry. The deal stands. You will have the Starport and the frigates. Once your men finish preparations, you are free to lift off. The Heighliners are of Ixian technology, they do not require a guild navigator to set course to Kaitain._VARLAZ: Heighliners, able to navigate by themselves? That ... sounds like a thinking machine. Are the ixians violating the rules set by the Butlerian Jihad?_HALVARD: They ensured us that it's not a thinking machine. Anyway, don't you have some more important things to take care of now?_GARRON: Alright, smuggler. Nice to work with you, now leave. We have stuff to prepare.__A Sardaukar soldier enters the building.__SARDAUKAR: Sir, we bring news from the field. There is a Guild base nearby. It seems the Atreides and Harkonnen are fighting the Guild already.__Varlaz pales. Garron screams in anger:__GARRON: This cannot be! They are retaliating for our attacks. They want revenge._VARLAZ: At least, the Atreides and Harkonnen are fighting the Guild. This MIGHT be in our advantage, sir. It might buy us some time to take off the planet._GARRON: I really hope so. Let them fight each other for as much as possible. Our target is to leave Arrakis.__==========__Objective: Make sure the Smuggler Starport remains operational until it is ready to take us back to Kaitain. Intel reports the Harkonnen have their atomics deployed. Make sure you have no buildings close to the Starport, the Harkonnen do not know about our plan and will most likely not target the Starport, instead picking targets that are more stacked together. There are Guild forces in the region, but they are fighting everyone. Take advantage of this situation. Make sure the Smuggler Starport remains under Smuggler control, do not capture it. Tactical map available, press the button to view it.