Six months passed peacefully before we started receiving reports of raiders attacking Nagara targets. There was a fire in a food store, and sabotage of power generator components at auxiliary power plant.
Three agents were sent to investigate but they went missing:
Geeta Nagara, one of Jiro's cousins.
Talaval Wear, and investigator for the house guard.
Soram Viano, a technician who helped maintain the machinery.
We were then contacted by steward Farun. There was an emergency alert, the east side medical facility was under attack and there was an out of control fire.
A witness saw three or four people wearing stillsuits run up to the building and throw something through the doors which caused the fire. Another witness said one attacker who had only 1 eye and was wearing a hood was their leader. He was seen headed towards the south suburb. Seven people were saved, but three died when the structure collapsed.
I spoke to Maria. She said deep desert stillsuits worn by fremen were superior and might be distinguishable, but I got differing accounts and no one could describe the stillsuits worn by the attackers well enough. I then went with Zafir to the power station while the others returned to the residency.
We determined from the damage that the saboteurs had knowledge of the power generation tech. We then went to the south suburb and found a water dealer that had found something of interest. He showed us a dagger which had belonged to Talaval. He said he had found it in a street on the edge of the city two days ago. We found footprints of three or four individuals and a crude impact detonator in same street the dagger was found. The detonator was designed to be attached to pyre bottles.
We the returned to the residency and took some petitions with the others. Adina Rain owned a restaurant and entertainment venue called rain, which had been devastated by a sandstorm. We agreed to help fund the rebuild as it would be good for morale. Teklar Darr was representing a group asking about starving people as a result of the loss of food in the recent attack. We agreed to have food flown in. Igna Dolba was a technician who claimed his neighbour Hoiota Urgan was a Harkonnen spy. He said she was a dancer and was always watching him, and had been following him since he visited her for a private dance. He admitted he had not paid her yet. She was sent for, and she said he had been following her and pestering her as she would not sleep with him. She did not really want the money, just to be left alone. We determined the accusation was malicious and fined him 100 solari.
We then received news an envoy had arrived from the Harkonnen. Her name was Essada Ulaco and she was dressed in a maroon jumpsuit. She informed us the Harkonnen's were holding a member of house Nagara they had rescued from the ruins of a Fremen Seich. It was Geeta and she was recovering in the Harkonnen residency in Carthag. Essada Invited us to dinner and said they would return Geeta if she was fit to travel.
The meal was hosted by Piter de Vries, the barons personal mentat. Geeta was there being cared for by and a Suk doctor called Gatley. Geeta seemed a little out of it and did not eat much. She had investigated the power plant and reported that Soram had said it was beyond the desert dwellers, but could not remember much afterwards. We requested the coordinates where she was found from Piter. The Harkonnen's asked for a gift in return for her care and we offered to cover their costs. Geeta was able to return with us.
In the morning we went to the coordinates of the ruined siech. It was in a rocky fissure. We landed and entered the fissure which lead to a large cavern. There were no signs of combat or any fire, and the siech did not look to have been occupied for months. Natalia sensed we were being watched. Geeta remembered being in a fight with fremen but not here. She did not think she had been here before. Natalia waved and three fremen appeared and approached. They said where was no attack but Harkonnens were seen dumping two bodies on the sand nearby.
As we left Geeta said she was remembering something and asked to go to the power plant. There she said she remembered following fremen into the south suburb. She led us to a tunnel hidden under a large rubbish container. We entered the tunnel which lead about 30 metres to a room with people dressed in still suits seated round a table. The still suits did not appear to be the same as those worn by the fremen, and their leader had one eye.
As we tried surrounding them, Varis made a noise and alerted them. One drew a knife (not a fremen kris blade) and went to attack Varis. We fought. Jiro shot one and I knocked one out. Varis was injured as Jiro killed one with his sword. Orsini, one of the Nagara soldiers was killed, and I was injured before Natalia killed one eye with her mauler pistol. I healed my wound and Varis with my Bene Gesserit abilities. A note was found on one eye which said "Continue the campaign, make the 4th target the merchant quarter. If you can double the casualties I will double your pay - H". The room also contained a crate of explosives, fuel and contact detonators marked as from Geidi Prime.
The prisoner was interrogated then tortured by Natalia. He admitted working for the Harkonnen's, performing sabotage and blaming it on the fremen. He said they wanted their fiefdom back.
Another round of spice production vas very successful and provided profits we could reinvest.
Farun informed us an envoy called Tamara Pilrun had arrived from house Vernius. She carried a message from her masters on Ix and gifts of garments and information. She said the countesses death was an act by house Harkonnen itself and not a rogue agent, and house Vernius had an agent on Geidi Prime who could testify to this. We would need to go to Geidi Prime to talk to them and obtain the evidence directly. House Vernius would act as mediators to get us to Geidi Prime ostensibly to normalise relations but in reality to interrogate their witness. The gifts of clothes were scanned and found to be clean.
We took up the offer and travelled to Geidi Prime where the Baron Harkonnen met us. He gave a speech which was a thinly concealed contempt. I could not find any espionage devices in our suites.
Gladiatorial contests had been arranged, and we were taken to the barons viewing box in the arena where we were introduced to Brind Lucer, a minor noble. Zafir accepted a challenge of a duel from Feyd Rautha, and there were lots of political discussions. We sat through an eight course banquet then the games began with mass combat, mostly skirmishes but few fatalities. They were followed by single combats to the death for several hours.
Zafir fought his duel with Feyd. Jiro and Natalia placed bets on Zafir winning. Zafir lost the first two bouts but won the last and Feyd conceded the fight.
We then watched the final of the gladiatorial fights. The winner was called Vactam, but in their speech they dedicated their win to the overthrow of the Harkonnen, then detonated a bomb hidden in their pauldron. The explosion killed many of the barons guards. We were quickly lead away by two Harkonnen soldiers who suddenly dropped to the ground having been shot by hooded assailants. One fired a mauler pistol at me but my shield blocked it and I quickly knocked him unconscious. Two of the assailants in total were knocked unconscious and another two killed. The final two turned and fled. They appeared to be off world mercenaries. Zafir tried interrogating one of the assailants who retained consciousness but they had a suicide tooth and committed suicide.
We dragged the last unconscious assailant away from the attack site and I found and removed his poison tooth before I brought him back to consciousness. He said he could not reveal who sent him as he had given his word, and he asked us to end his life quickly. He was interrogated for a while but gave us nothing so Zafir slit his throat.
We then returned to the palace. As we approached we saw someone make hand gestures that they were the Vernius contact. He gave us directions to where we should meet in front of the fourth forge ward gates at the end of shift 2 - the afternoon shift - the following day. We arranged to visit various factories and other facilities as an excuse to make contact, and slipped away from the guards as we neared the gate.
We identified the contact and followed them to a basement in a tenement building then into a dingy storage room. A woman was sitting on a crate, and as we entered another woman with a mauler pistol crept in and started firing. There was a fight and she was incapacitated. Our contact was called Selm. She wanted safe passage off Geidi Prime, and would give us the information when she was on a guild highliner. I removed the assassins poison tooth. The assassin offered to provide information about where she would meet her handler if her family was paid. Zafir made arrangements to get the assassin of world with some underworld contacts then we returned to the ornithopter with Selm. The Harkonnen raised some objections over us taking one of their indentured workers but we ignored them. Jiro arranged to return to Arakkis for some emergency and to hide Selm in his entourage.
Zafir went to the meeting place of the assassins handler, and snuck up behind him, putting his sword to the handlers throat. The handler said his name was Hasim, and was just a go between that arranged the hits, claiming he was contacted anonymously. He finally admitted real name was Talth and he was an agent of House Vernius. We had been lied to and other houses would benefit if Nagara and Harkonnen went to war. Zafir then killed him. We endured another few days of the barons games before returning to Arakkis.
Spice harvesting continued to provide a good profit and allowed us to continue to invest.
We were not back on Arakkis long when House Nagara was summoned to Kaitain to report to the emperor on the progress of spice production. We arranged for a guild highliner to take us there. Other houses were also present, including Ecaz, Sutt, Obada, Hagal, Thorvald, Vernius, Harkonnen and some other minor houses.
Our shuttle descended to Corinth city and the Princess Irulan Corrino greeted us when we landed. We were shown to our apartments where I searched and found electronic spy eyes in the living room, kitchen and hallway.
The Emperor had invited us to and opera then a party in the evening. The following say would be brunch then a parade before a ryal ball in the evening, and we were to give our report the day after.
Lady Kae left her purse on our seats at opera. Zafir returned it after the opera and she suggested he meet her at tomb of Fondle III. When he went it was the princess who met him. She said her father was distrustful of anyone who might take power from him and warned he was not our friends. She said we should look at the official lineage of Fondle III as she had found it shocking. The Reverand Mother Monte Magna found them together and the princess left with her. After they left, Zafir was attacked by three assailants which he killed, though he did suffer a stab wound and returned to our chambers to clean himself.
At the party I spoke with the Rev Mother Monte Magna, who had trained the princess. She said we should expect a visit from Count Fenring, probably tomorrow. She gave no specifics, but said it would involve a favour for the emperor. She also suggested it was time for Jiro to get married and produce heirs.
The next day I went to the brunch with Jiro while Zafir and Natalia went to the archives to find out more about Fondle III. They found the countess was related to Fondle III and the record had been accessed by Count Fenring a few weeks ago. It would give Jiro the right to claim shares in the Laansrad, though doing so would be likely to upset the emperor. I took the opportunity to introduce Jiro to some of the more suitable ladies of the court during the brunch.
Zafir and Natalia rejoined us at the brunch, and soon after Count Fenring approached us and the ladies made their excuses. Fenring had a stutter though Natalia thought it was an act. He talked of illegal stockpiling of spice and wanted the Laansrad to vote to audit the houses. He wanted us to secure votes to ensure the vote passed. There were five swing votes so three needed to be secured. He provided some information on the people he thought could be persuaded:
Captain Phillipa Del Rio of House Ecaz. A Great House, Ecaz mass produces unique substances and narcotics, including Sapho juice, elacca, semuta, and verite. Ruled by Archduke Armand Ecaz, the Ecaz won their War of Assassins against House Moritani 25 years ago. But Ecaz hasn’t recovered economically from the conflict, and the aging Archduke is without an heir. They are no friend to the Harkonnen's, but neither are they steadfast allies of the Emperor. Captain Del Rio served in the war against the Moritani and is a humourless, stern figure, immune to bribery or flattery.
Lady Behati, Viscountess of House Soot. A woman of means and excess, Lady Behati gestures boldly, wears colourful gowns, and has a scintillating laugh that can slice through a crowded room. Her House specializes in textile construction, and rumours suggest the stylists in her employ also function as spies, gathering intelligence from the lords and ladies they dress. Though technically a Minor House under the auspice of House Harkonnen, their loyalty is purchasable. They are currently in direct competition with House Obada and are petitioning for an exclusive contract on Arrakis to manufacture stillsuits.
Minister Rahm of House Obada. A large, cheerful figure, Minister Rahm officially represents the interests of House Obada on Kaitain. Unofficially, he is in the Imperial Capital to secure a loan from CHOAM. House Obada specializes in stillsuit construction, complicated by the substantial debt they owe House Harkonnen and the years of conflict with their chief competitor, House Soot. Procuring a loan or an exclusive stillsuit manufacturing contract on Arrakis might solve their problem.
Ambassador Marion Trau of House Hagal. Though technically a Great House, House Hagal is in decline. Once rich in precious jewels, soostones, and fire opals, their home world has been stripped bare by excessive mining, and relocating has proved to be a logistical nightmare. Intrigue assets, or those with access to courtly rumour and gossip, can add information about Ambassador Trau’s task of keeping an eye on Edwin Hagal, heir to his House. The young noble is a troublemaker, and after refusing the hand of Fabrizi Thorvald, has been challenged to a duel by Master Koji. Espionage assets, or those with criminal contacts, note Edwin’s addiction to semuta.
Master Vercing Koji of House Thorvald. Hailing from the planet Ipyr, Earl Memnon Thorvald rules the House. The Earl has grown bitter in recent years, ever since his sister, Firenza Thorvald, became the fifth wife to Shaddam IV and died after only six months of wedlock. Those in the courtly know or with access to political contacts reveal the Earl’s recent attempt to wed his niece, Fabrizi Thorvald, to Edwin Hagal. Unfortunately, the heir to House Hagal refused. The enraged Earl has instructed his envoy on Kaitain, Master Koji, to kill the young Edwin. Master Koji, a Ginaz Sword master, has a reputation as an excellent duelist.
We decided that the risks of making more enemies in the Laansrad were too great and we could not help the emperor, though I thought it would have been a good opportunity to damage the Harkonnens. Historical records recorded the emperor introducing spice stockpiling laws in the past and going to war on several houses, before being stopped by the space guild who threatened to strand his army on Arakkas, and we did not want history to repeat.
We went to the parade then dressed for the ball which would be held at the needle. Zafir volunteered to fight the duel as the champion for Edwin Hagal against Master Koji. Zafir thought it would be an unfair fight otherwise. The fight was short as Zafir quickly defeated and killed Koji.
The following day we attended the meeting to discuss spice production. Jiro got grilled and Fenrig was annoyed that his proposal was not raised. After the meeting we were summoned to the emperors presence. A Sardakur demonstrated a new lasgun design, firing at dummies with Naraga emblems. They appeared to be trying to intimidate us. The emperor said we should resolve our dispute with the Harkonnen and improve the spice production. He also said we were replaceable.
Jiro then made the claim for Shares from Choam. It would need to be voted on by the Laansrad and the emperor could dispute it. Jiro asked for the hand of marriage of Lady Jocasta, one of the ladies I had introduced him to and good breeding stock from house Chula.
We finally returned to Arakkis where spice harvest continued. We continued to exceeded targets and started to stockpile spice.
I received communique from Rev Mother Qadira Lariel Narilan who wanted to have a private meeting. She had a favour to ask. She said a senior house keeper called Ayeana worked for the Bene Gesserit. She needed me to seek her out regarding possible spice smuggling.
Before I had the opportunity to do so, a representative of water trapment guild reported a series of infrastructure failures and there had been problems with distribution pumps and pipes. We inspected the damaged equipment and determined it was a result of sabotage. At one site, parts had been replaced with faulty versions and had failed. On the way to another site, Natalia spotted a section of panelling in the basement that was not flush, and we found a crawl space behind. I went with Zafir to investigate. We dropped into a room, in the centre of which a crate was being used as a table. On the crate was an unlit lantern and wrappers from food rations. Zafir lit the lantern and it emitted a toxic gas. We left quickly. The setup appeared to have been a booby trap for anyone who discovered the hideout. The question being who was hiding there, and what their intentions were. We were to find out soon enough.
At the second sabotage site we found a regulator which had been programmed to fail. The parts had subtle changes, and had been professionally modified to fail. The sabotage had been done in the last 24 hours. The water trapment guild representative looked into work records and identified a Rakilian Noam who had worked on both affected sites. He had an address in the city so I went with Zafir to visit him. The door was locked but I was able to open it. We entered and started looking round when my shield was suddenly hit by a hunter seeker. I grabbed it and smashed it before it could tunnel through. We moved towards the workshop in the rear and someone attacked us. Zafir quickly subdued him, but he pulled out a tube with a button and said we should back off or we would all be dead. Zafir reacted quickly and cut his thumb off. He refused to talk then broke a poisoned tooth.
We examined the workshop and found it had been set up to manufacture powders which appeared to be a dual explosive that would explode when mixed and an electric current passed through it. We found a blade, lockpicks and a piece of paper on his body. We also found some hunter seekers in a case in the bedroom. We left quickly when a light in the ceiling suddenly started blinking. The residence was incinerated seconds after we left.
While we were dealing with Raklian, a device was discovered in one of the residences guest rooms. The residence was evacuated but the device detonated while some of the guards were attempting to disarm it. I entered with Zafir and Major Varis. Varis managed to extinguish the fire while Zafir and myself followed a figure I saw in the smoke. We overtook her and Zafir knocked her out. She was wearing a Cibus hood, an active camouflage device. A metal cylinder with a flashing red light rolled from her hand. Zafir quickly threw it down the stairs but was knocked unconscious by the explosion, and the saboteur was killed.
There was an intense fire in the basement and we left to get more help. There was a big argument when Jiro suggested the entourage of Lady Jocasta should be detained and interrogated over the incident. Zafir saw one of the hand maidens appeared amused and tried to arrest her. I had to have some words and get Jiro to apologise to Lady Jocasta, then I questioned the hand maiden. She turned out to be a bodyguard for Lady Jocasta placed by her father to protect her.
While trying to deal with what was occurring at the residence, there was an attack at the central shield wall, and a defence battery was destroyed in an explosion, and another section of the shield wall defence destroyed in another explosion, killing one of our guard units. Zafir disarmed a bomb in another shield wall section with Natalia's help. I searched a food production facility with another guard unit and found a saboteur. He was killed, and the bomb disarmed with help from Natalia. However another defence battery destroyed nearby by another explosion.
We then received reports of incoming Harkonnen forces. Natalia suggested we set the two diffused bombs in the breach and trigger them when the Harkonnen's arrived. I went with her to do so. When they were set off, we killed 3/4 of the Harkonnen forces along with one of their air support units. However Jiro then overheard a Harkonnen transmission calling in four reserve units of commandos. The Harkonnen ground troops were defeated by Nagara house guards, and one of the commando units were taken out by ornithopters. We lost an air defence battery to Harkonnen ornithopters which then attacked the residency. Lady Jocasta was killed in the barrage of missiles. The Nagara ornithopters eliminated two more commando units but we lost the ornithopters that were attacking them. Zafir lead an attack to destroy the last commando unit but was killed by Harkonnen ornithopters before they were shot down by the remaining Nagara air defence.
This open attack on House Nagara by House Harkonnen allowed us to put in a formal complaint to the Laansrad. Their actions had put spice production at risk and the Laansrad were quick to sanction House Harkonnen. They were forced to pay House Nagara restitution and withdraw completely from Arakkis, giving House Nagara the money and time needed to fully cement control over spice production.