On the day of departure for Ix, the Atreides troops went to their ships with an air of euphoria. But the reality of war would soon set in.

Swordmaster Duncan Idaho and the Mentat Thufir Hawat accompanied Leto as he stood atop a speaking tower that overlooked the spaceport field. Caladan had not witnessed such a gathering since the fateful skyclipper procession. Row upon row of military vessels glinted in the morning sun. Uniformed, fiercely loyal Atreides soldiers stood in ranks, a sea of men ready to mount the transports, destroyers, monitors, and battle cruisers.

For over two decades, the Tleilaxu usurpers and their Sardaukar allies had entrenched themselves on Ix. Many spies had died trying to get inside that world— and if Rhombur and Gurney had been captured and tortured, the Atreides assault force might have lost their element of surprise. Leto knew he could forfeit everything with this gamble, but he did not consider calling off the attack. Not for a moment.

Under Hawat’s separate command, eighteen supply ships were ready to depart with a small armed escort. The Mentat’s bold move would be the obvious one, but a diversion. His relief fleet would appear between Beakkal and the Sansin transfer station, where they would broadcast Leto’s humanitarian offer. Presumably, the Sardaukar officers in the blockade would send messages to the Emperor, and in turn Shaddam would focus his attention on the quarantined world. The Imperial military would be drawn there. Meanwhile, no doubt, Landsraad delegates in the Hall of Oratory would extol the generosity of Duke Atreides.

At about that time, Duncan Idaho’s assault would strike Ix like a hammer.

Crowds on the landing field pressed against the ribbons strung along the perimeter, colorful strands that fluttered in a light wind. People cheered and waved black-and-green pennants bearing the heraldic hawk crest, the ancient sigil of House Atreides.

Sweethearts, wives, and mothers called out to the soldiers assembled on the field, encouraging them. In a flurry of activity, many of the young men rushed back to the barricades for goodbye kisses. Often, it didn’t even matter if they knew the pretty women seeing them off; it was simply a reassurance that someone cared about their safety and wished them well.

Duke Leto could not help but think of Jessica, separated from him for months, living in luxury in the Imperial Palace. Very soon now, she would bear his child, and he longed to be with her. That was the best advantage of his going to Kaitain….

Leto had taken great care to dress himself in a scarlet matador’s uniform similar to the one his father had so proudly worn for bullfights. It was a significant symbol, one easily recognized by the citizens of Caladan. When Leto wore red, the crowd saw not an echo of bloodshed (from which the Atreides Red Dukes had drawn their appellation long ago) but of pageantry and glory.

The boarding ramps opened, and subcommanders shouted their men into ranks. One troop broke into a familiar Atreides battle song. As they shouted off-key into the hubbub, other soldiers took up the refrain, and soon all the uniformed men had joined in the chorus, a resounding celebration of defiance, determination, and love for their Duke.

The song concluded, and just before the first ranks began to board the warships, Leto stepped to the edge of the tower. The troops fell silent, waiting for his send-off speech.

“In the Ecazi Revolt many years ago, Duke Paulus Atreides fought side by side with Earl Dominic Vernius. These great men were war heroes and fast friends. Much time has passed since then, and many tragedies have occurred, but we must never forget one thing: House Atreides does not abandon its friends.”

A surge of cheering swept through the crowd. Under other circumstances, the general populace might not have cared about the renegade family. For the common folk of Caladan, Ix was a distant world they would never visit, but they had taken Prince Rhombur into their hearts.

“Our soldiers will retake the ancestral home of House Vernius. My friend Prince Rhombur will rescue the Ixian people and restore their freedom.”

On Caladan and many other Imperial planets, the people had learned to hate the Tleilaxu. Ix was undoubtedly the most heinous example of their misbehavior, but there were numerous other instances. For centuries the gnomish men had gotten away with too much, and now it was time to administer Atreides justice.

Leto continued, “We do not pick and choose when to be moral, when to follow the correct path and assist others who need us. And that is why I have sent my Mentat Thufir Hawat on a mission of his own.”

He surveyed the crowd. “Not long ago, we had to take stern action against the Prime Magistrate of Beakkal— but now that Beakkal’s people are suffering from a terrible plague that is devastating their world, should we simply ignore them because I had a quarrel with their government?” He raised a fist in the air. “I say no!”

The people cheered again, though a bit less enthusiastically this time.

“Other Great Houses are content to watch the Beakkali population die, but House Atreides will challenge the Imperial blockade and deliver much-needed relief supplies, just as we did for Richese.” He lowered his voice. “We would want others to do the same for us, would we not?”

Leto was confident they understood the principle and the choice. After gaining stature in the Landsraad with his aggressive response to the original Beakkali insult, he had shown a more compassionate side by assisting the victims on Richese. Now he would prove the strength of his heart. He remembered a quote from the Orange Catholic Bible: “It is easy to love a friend, hard to love an enemy.”

“I will travel directly to Kaitain alone, where I will talk with my cousin the Emperor and deliver a formal speech to the Landsraad.” He paused, and felt emotion well up inside. “I will also see my beloved Lady Jessica, who is about to give birth to our first child.”

Whoops and whistles erupted; Atreides pennants waved. The people had long perceived their Duke and his activities at Castle Caladan as myth and legend. The commoners needed such images.

Finally, he raised a hand in benediction, and the roar of the crowd and soldiers nearly deafened him. Beside him on the observation tower, Duncan and Thufir watched as the soldiers boarded their assigned ships, marching in perfect ranks. Such a military display would have impressed even Emperor Shaddam himself.

Leto felt an inner warmth as waves of confidence and good expectations from his people washed over him. He vowed not to disappoint them.

The face of the Imperium was about to shift.