Aboard his orbiting flagship, Emperor Shaddam Corrino had no intention of returning to Kaitain while the audit of Harkonnen spice operations on Arrakis continued. And once CHOAM declared the Baron guilty, he had something else in mind. Something drastic. This was his window of opportunity and he could not ignore it.

From his private cabin, Shaddam watched events unfold exactly as he had hoped. Though he wore a military uniform, his opulent Imperial quarters were filled with amenities unfamiliar to the austere Sardaukar.

Sealed behind the opaque cabin doors, he summoned the Supreme Bashar to join him for a gourmet meal— ostensibly to discuss strategy, but in truth the Emperor just liked to hear war stories about the old soldier’s military campaigns. In Zum Garon’s early years, he had been a training-prisoner on Salusa Secundus, a slave picked up during a raid on a distant planet. Though poorly armed and untrained, Garon had shown so much bravery and fighting skill that the Sardaukar had drafted him into their ranks. The man was quite a success story, and his son Cando seemed to be following in the old veteran’s footsteps, commanding the secret legions stationed on Ix.

Relaxing for a moment after the meal, Shaddam looked across the table at Garon’s craggy face. The Supreme Bashar had eaten only sparingly of the exotic dishes and had been a disappointing dinner companion. Garon seemed preoccupied with the siege of Arrakis.

The cluster of Guild ships continued to lock down all activity on the deserts below, and Shaddam waited with the eagerness of a malicious gossip to learn what embarrassing errors and cover-ups the inspectors had found.

In this matter, CHOAM and the Spacing Guild were convinced they were the Emperor’s allies, integral parts of a crackdown on House Harkonnen. The Emperor could only hope he’d be able to eradicate the only natural source of melange before they suspected the truth. Then they would have to come to him for amal.

When a shuttle bearing the Guild Legate and the CHOAM Mentat-Auditor arrived from Carthag, Sardaukar escorts brought the two visitors to Shaddam’s opulent cabin. Both men reeked of melange.

“We are finished, Sire.”

Shaddam poured himself a glass of honey-sweet Caladan wine. Across the table, Zum Garon sat with rigid military posture, as if he were about to be interrogated. The Guild Legate and Mentat-Auditor remained silent until the cabin door was sealed shut.

The Mentat stepped forward first, holding out a scribing pad onto which he had transferred the mental summary of his results. “Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has committed a profusion of transgressions. He has allowed numerous purported ‘mistakes’ to remain uncorrected. We have proof of his missteps, as well as details that show he attempted to conceal his manipulations from us.”

“As I suspected.” Shaddam listened while the auditor gave him a synopsis of the illegal activities.

Garon allowed his anger to show. “The Emperor has already established that he is willing to enact severe punishment for such misdeeds. Does the Baron not know of Zanovar, or Korona?”

Shaddam took the summary pad from the Mentat-Auditor and scanned the text and numbers. None of it would mean much to him unless he sat for hours with an interpreter— something he had no intention of doing. He had been convinced of the Baron’s guilt from the outset.

“We have clear evidence of crimes against the Imperium,” the Legate said, sounding oddly uneasy. “Unfortunately, Sire… we did not find what we sought.”

Shaddam held up the scribing pad. “What do you mean? Does this not show how House Harkonnen broke Imperial law? Does he not deserve to be punished?”

“It is true that the Baron stockpiled spice, doctored production numbers, and avoided Imperial taxes. But we have tested sample after sample of the spice in Harkonnen shipments and cargo facilities. Every scrap of melange is pure, with no evidence of tainting.” The albino Legate hesitated. Shaddam looked impatient.

“This is not what we expected, Sire. We know from our analysis that the Navigators in our lost Heighliners died from contaminated spice gas. We also know that samples taken from the liquidated Beakkal stockpile of melange were chemically corrupt. Therefore, we had expected to discover impurities here on Arrakis, inert substances used by the Baron to extend the quantity of melange while diluting its quality— thereby introducing the subtle poisons that resulted in several disasters.”

“But we found nothing of that nature,” the Mentat concluded.

The Supreme Bashar leaned forward, his hands locked in a double fist. “Nevertheless, we still have enough evidence to remove House Harkonnen.”

The Guild Legate inhaled deeply, bowing his nose close to the diffuser collar. “Quite so, but that will not answer our questions.”

Shaddam formed his lips into what he hoped was a concerned frown. He wished Fenring could be here to watch this, but even now his Spice Minister should be preparing the initial shipments of amal. Pieces were fitting into place nicely.

“I see. Well, nevertheless, the Bashar and I will determine a suitable response,” he said. Within a few days, the matter would be moot. He stared down at the Mentat’s scribing pad. “We must study this information. Perhaps my personal advisors can offer a theory to explain the altered spice.”

Knowing his Emperor’s moods, and sensing that the two guests were dismissed, Zum Garon rose from the table and began to usher them out.

After the door sealed again, Shaddam turned to his Supreme Bashar. “As soon as the shuttle has returned to its Heighliner, I want you to sound battle stations throughout the fleet. Dispatch my warships and take up positions within direct firing range of Carthag, Arrakeen, Arsunt, and every other population center on the planet.”

Garon received this bombshell with a stony expression. “Just like on Zanovar, Sire?”

“Precisely.”

Issuing no warning, the Sardaukar armada descended from the Heighliners until they scraped the atmosphere of Arrakis. Their weapons ports opened and glowed with a readiness to strike. Shaddam sat on the command bridge, issuing orders and making pronouncements into a holorecorder, more for his memoirs and posterity than for anything else.

“Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has been found guilty of high crimes against the Empire. Independent CHOAM auditors and Guild inspectors have uncovered incontrovertible evidence to support this judgment. As I demonstrated on Zanovar and Korona, my law is the law of the Imperium. Corrino justice is swift and complete.”

The Guild would undoubtedly assume he was bluffing at first, but they were in for a rude surprise. With his forces already dispersed, once the rain of destruction began, it would take his Sardaukar little time to blacken the desert world, and obliterate all melange.

Guild Navigators required huge quantities of spice. The Bene Gesserit were steady customers as well, consuming increasing amounts each year as their numbers grew. Most of the Landsraad was addicted. The Imperium could never do without the substance.

I am their Emperor, and they will do as I say.

Even without the advice of Count Fenring, he had thought this over carefully, considering all possibilities. Once he destroyed Arrakis, what could the Guild do? Leave in their ships and strand him here? They wouldn’t dare. Then they would never receive a single gram of synthetic spice.

He signed off and began the countdown to full bombardment.

Things will be different in the Imperium after this.