"It's so chilly today," Jack murmured as he walked through a large hallway. The lights were dim like usual, walls were smooth yet dark in paint, and the open space, yet emptiness, perpetuated the morning chill.

  Turning a corner, he nearly walked straight into Thufir Hawat.

  The old Mentat stopped exactly one step before collision.

  Sharp and Precise.

  Thufir held a thin file beneath his arm. He gave Jack a brief nod, stepped aside, and continued walking without a word.

  Jack turned around to look at Thufir walking away.

  His pace was quick, but not rushed.

  'He found something, didn't he' Jack thought to himself.

  ...

  Knock. Knock.

  "Duke Leto, it is Thufir. May I enter?"

  "Enter," Leto's voice came from inside.

  The doors opened and Thufir Hawat stepped in without ceremony.

  He did not bow immediately.

  That alone was enough to tell Leto this was not routine.

  Duke Leto pushed aside the current file he was looking at and put his full concentration on Thufir.

  "It's been a week Thufir. I assume you have found something."

  "Yes, my Duke."

  Thufir stepped closer to the desk and placed the thin file on the desk and flipped it open revealing three profiles. pictures along with their details, backgrounds and grounds for suspicion, along with gathered proofs.

  His eyes faded, turning pure white for a brief moment.

  "Three infiltrators have been identified."

  Leto's expression hardened.

  "Garen Belik, Staff of External Defences.

  Slayk Orim, Staff of Aerospace Defence Division

  Yelong Aruk, Staff of Internal Resources," Duke Leto muttered as he glanced at the papers, his jaw tightly clenched.

  'All holding key positions as well,' Duke Leto thought to himself.

  "Two operate under Harkonnen channels. One under an Imperial reserve intelligence branch." Thufir concluded as his eyes cleared, returning to their glossy grey colour.

  The room grew still.

  "You have done well Thufir," Duke Leto said quietly.

  "Have them taken alive. Quietly. If there are more within these walls, I want them found."

  "We do not have much time left on Caladan."

  "Yes my Duke," Thufir bowed and turned to leave.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  ...

  Clack

  Heavy breathing sounded in the room, followed by the clash of wooden weapons.

  "To your right," Gurney barked as he slashed from the left.

  Jack gritted his teeth noticing Gurney's distraction tactic and moved the sword quickly, his right hand tightening around the hilt. He moved to intercept the incoming slash.

  "Watch out," Gurney said as his sword froze in mid-air.

  Jack's pupils dilated.

  A memory of Gurney's tactics surfaced in his mind, but his body lagged.

  Gurney’s kick landed hard against his waist.

  Air left his lungs as he staggered back several steps.

  A moment later, he forced himself upright, catching his breath.

  "You have become sloppy," Gurney commented.

  "I wouldn't have failed if you didn't use dirty tricks," Jack scowled.

  Gurney paused for a moment.

  In a flash he had swung his sword to Jack's neck.

  Jack barely reacted, tilting his head slightly back, just barely managing to avoid the wooden blade.

  The faint shimmer of the shield flickered as the wooden blade struck too quickly.

  "In a real battle, the enemy shows no mercy," Gurney said calmly. "There is no honor in war, young Paul. Remember that."

  'Fuck!'

  'I remember how Paul moves.'

  'Doesn't mean I can move like him.' Jack thought with a sigh escaping his lips.

  "We should conclude our lessons for the day," Gurney said.

  "Recovery is also a very important part of training," Jack repeated what Gurney always told Paul.

  "Indeed," Gurney smiled as he deactivated the shield belt and stretched his body a little.

  Gurney walked towards the table to grab a bottle of water, taking a sip of it while Jack also deactivated his shield belt.

  Gurney wiped sweat from his brow and leaned against the table.

  "Your footwork is lagging," he muttered.

  Jack rolled his shoulder a little, catching his breath.

  Jack suddenly remembered something Gurney had told him a few days ago.

  "Are the drills increasing?" he asked casually.

  Gurney's eyes flicked toward him.

  "They are."

  "How bad is it?" Jack asked with a light chuckle.

  "Twice daily rotations. Live simulations at dusk. Patrol shifts tightened."

  Jack's expression shifted slightly.

  "You think something's coming?" Paul probed into Gurney's thoughts.

  Gurney straightened his back and turned to look at Paul, "I don't think." He said as he picked up his personal blade from the table.

  "I prepare."

  A brief pause.

  "The Duke has ordered full readiness before departure."

  "Sounds like the Duke is preparing for something big," Jack said.

  "Yes, we have a meeting later," Gurney nodded agreeing with Jack's guess.

  "You should go visit Dr. Yueh," Gurney said.

  Jack nodded covering his waist with his palm.

  ...

  Jack changed out of his combat clothes and changed back into his white shirt and began walking towards the clinic.

  A few minutes later, Paul arrived at the clinic and walked in and saw Yeuh inside applying a gauze and bandaid to an unconscious soldier's leg.

  "Hey Yeuh, I need a check-up performed on my waist," Jack said lifting the side of his shirt, showing a bruise forming.

  "Sit over there," Yueh said as he finished the bandage pointing towards a nearby bed.

  Jack moved and sat on the bed, folding up his shirt.

  Yueh soon finished bandaging the soldier up, and approached Jack, getting closeras he examined the bruising.

  "You've been pushing yourself," He examined.

  "Gurney doesn't believe in mercy," Jack chuckled causing Yueh to calmly nod along.

  "Let me grab the medicine," Yueh said as he retrieved a scanner and salve from a nearby drawer.

  Kneeling he began running the device slowly across the bruised area.

  The scanner hummed softly.

  Jack watched him for a few moments.

  "The castle feels tense," Jack said lightly.

  Yueh did not respond immediately.

  "Preparations for departure," he said after a moment.

  "Maybe."

  Jack leaned back slightly.

  "I saw Thufir earlier," Jack said as he glanced at Yueh.

  The scanner paused for just a fraction of a second before resuming.

  "I assume he is busy," Yueh replied unbothered.

  "I've heard soldiers talking," Jack continued. "Something about investigations."

  Yueh applied the salve carefully.

  "Soldiers talk," he replied calmly.

  Jack studied his face for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders.

  "If there are traitors," Jack added casually, "it's better they're found now."

  Yueh's hand slowed, just barely enough to be noticeable.

  "Yes," he said quietly.

  A brief silence settled between them.

  Yueh soon finished applying the bandage and stood up. “That will suffice,” he said, “Avoid strain for a day, the bruise will fade.”

  “Understood,” Jack replied as he adjusted his shirt and walked toward the door.

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Jack glanced back and said before stepping out and shutting the door softly behind him.

  …

  Yueh remained where he stood. The scanner was still in his hand. For a moment, he did not move.

  Slowly, he exhaled.

  A thin sheen of sweat had formed along his brow. He wiped it away quickly and returned the scanner to its drawer.