Chapter 308: The Bloody and Violent Transfer of Power!
In the "partnership" between the Universal Megacorp and House Atreides, the megacorp was indisputably the dominant force — in reality, it was the true master of House Atreides.
The Universal Megacorp could make any demand of House Atreides, and the Atreides had no choice but to obey without question.
At first, in order to speed up integration, the megacorp had lowered itself just slightly, negotiating with Duke Leto and offering him certain benefits.
But now, the situation was firmly in their grasp. For Leto, simply managing to keep the benefits originally promised by the megacorp was already a stroke of fortune. He no longer dared to overreach and demand more.
If he pushed his luck and angered the Universal Megacorp, Li Ang could revoke everything granted to House Atreides at a moment's notice and hand it all over to House Harkonnen instead.
So while the relationship between Atreides and the megacorp might appear on the surface to be a partnership, Duke Leto was acutely aware that he was nothing more than a dog raised by Li Ang .
Whether House Atreides would be fed well by its master depended entirely on how obedient it was. One misstep, and a new lackey would replace them without hesitation.
After hearing the Chief Warrant Officer's explanation, Reverend Mother Helen finally remembered that she had seen this person once before — on Caladan.
Back then, the Chief was accompanied by Rita, and they had claimed to be from the Universal Megacorp. But at the time, Helen hadn't believed a single word.
She'd thought this so-called "Universal Megacorp" was just some kind of tech or business front concocted by House Atreides.
But now, it was abundantly clear: that was never the case!
"So you're not Duke Leto's people…"
Stunned, Helen's thoughts began racing. Time itself seemed to slow down as her mind worked at lightning speed.
Looking around at the Spartan soldiers surrounding her, Helen could clearly sense their innate confidence and pride — traits uncharacteristic of common Atreides guards.
These soldiers most likely came from some powerful and mysterious faction not inferior to House Atreides.
And their assault on Kaitain was clearly aimed at the Sisterhood, likely tied to the recent assassination plot orchestrated by the Bene Gesserit.
It was now obvious to Helen: her agents on Arrakis had threatened someone of great importance to the Universal Megacorp.
Yet the primary objective of that operation had been to assassinate key figures within House Atreides. If members of the megacorp had also been caught in the crossfire, that could only mean one thing — a core member of the megacorp had been present during the attempt.
By the time she finished piecing the clues together, Helen had already grasped most of the truth: the Universal Megacorp was not just a partner of House Atreides — it was the power behind the curtain.
Its strength was so overwhelming that even Kaitain's palace defenses were meaningless before it. The megacorp wielded a force capable of "wiping the table clean" in one stroke.
In that instant, Helen's thoughts leapt to the devastating defeat in the Battle of Arrakis. It was now painfully obvious that the downfall of both the royal family and House Harkonnen had been due to the megacorp's super fleet.
Yet despite their intelligence agencies' best efforts, neither House Harkonnen nor the Corrino Empire had uncovered any reliable intel on that fleet.
They hadn't even been able to definitively identify who it belonged to.
The Universal Megacorp — and its vast, terrifying fleet — had seemingly appeared out of thin air, like invaders from another realm.
The overwhelming force they displayed above House Atreides had forced Duke Leto into submission, and even Jessica had been compelled to betray the Sisterhood.
From the very beginning, Jessica had known the truth and accepted the inevitable outcome.
She understood that House Atreides, under the guidance of the megacorp, was destined for greatness. Paul didn't even need the Sisterhood's help — he already had the makings of a galactic emperor.
Weighing her options, Jessica had chosen what served her interests best: betraying the Bene Gesserit and aligning herself with the Universal Megacorp.
In that moment, Reverend Mother Helen finally understood the whole truth. A desolate sigh escaped her lips. And yet, even now, she still didn't know which faction the Universal Megacorp belonged to.
After all, ever since the AI Jihad ten thousand years ago, all political and economic power in the galaxy had been divided and locked in place by the major noble houses.
Fiefdoms had been granted. Power had been stabilized to uphold the empire.
Under such a system, it was virtually impossible for some ancient and forgotten family to emerge from nowhere and rise as the secret puppet master behind everything.
Every major house's share of power and resources was fixed and visible. The balance of power had long been established.
The Corrino royal family ranked supreme — a Tier-0 existence, unrivaled by any. House Atreides and House Harkonnen stood firmly in Tier-1, with all other houses ranking below them.
In the Galactic Empire, these three families — Corrino, Atreides, and Harkonnen — were the cream of the crop. No one could rise above them.
And yet now, a force had emerged that could make Atreides kneel and crush Corrino and Harkonnen with ease.
It was like trying to pour a ton of water into a one-liter bucket — where had all this extra water come from?
The entire empire was under constant surveillance by the Bene Gesserit. Reverend Mother Helen simply couldn't fathom which family could possibly possess such capabilities.
More disturbingly, if the Universal Megacorp had the power to unify the noble houses, why hadn't they acted sooner? Why go through the trouble of propping up House Atreides?
Did the megacorp's true master have no interest in the throne?
Or could it be... the Universal Megacorp came from outside the galaxy?
Helen froze in place.
Years of spice use had enhanced her mental agility. A sudden flash of inspiration lit up her thoughts, pointing her to a possibility frighteningly close to the truth.
Perhaps the Universal Megacorp was the legacy of ancient humans from beyond the galaxy!
During the AI Jihad ten thousand years ago, when the entire galaxy was engulfed in chaos, it was entirely possible that certain desperate families had fled into the unknown.
Those ancient humans may have built a completely different civilization beyond the galactic rim — one powerful enough to explain the technological might now on display.
"You… You're humans from outside the galaxy, aren't you?!"
Helen stared at the Chief Warrant Officer in shock. No wonder these Spartan soldiers had always felt "off" to her — they weren't even locals.
"You're only realizing the truth now? It's a bit too late," the officer sneered. The megacorp had given Helen a chance — her downfall was her own doing.
Just then, Rita emerged from the shadows, having received the execution list from headquarters and secured high-ranking members of the Sisterhood.
The Spartan soldiers behind her escorted over a dozen senior Bene Gesserit personnel to the scene. All were about to be executed alongside Reverend Mother Helen.
"Helen," Rita said, "let me be blunt. Duke Leto isn't fit to sit on the imperial throne. That position belongs to our boss."
"He will take control of the Sisterhood and every religious and political institution in the empire — and become its one and only God-Emperor!"
At that moment, Helen felt as though thunder had cracked across a clear sky. Her eyes brimmed with disbelief, grief, and helpless rage.
But above all… she was overwhelmed by regret.
So it had all been clear from the beginning — House Atreides was merely the megacorp's dog. The true master had always been right in front of her.
Had she aligned herself with the megacorp from the start, she could have led the Sisterhood to the winning side — not ended up being purged.
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What truly stunned Helen, however, was the fact that even the Andromeda Galaxy—the closest galaxy to the Milky Way—was over a million light-years away.
For a force like the Universal Megacorp to cross such an immense distance and arrive in the Milky Way, what kind of unfathomably powerful and terrifying civilization must it be?
The truth behind this "divine descent by machine" utterly overturned Helen's understanding of the universe.
Seeing Helen's stunned, bewildered expression, Rita decided to reveal the entire truth to her. At the very least, she shouldn't die in utter confusion.
Without delay, Rita clarified, "The assassin you sent to kill Duke Leto encountered our Governor. You should know what that means."
At those words, Helen's heart sank completely. The term "Governor" wasn't some obscure or arcane title—it referred to the top-ranking administrative figure the Conglomerate had assigned to the Empire. And they'd happened to get caught up in this assassination plot.
No wonder the Universal Megacorp had responded with overwhelming force, deploying an elite strike team to carry out a precise operation, decisively eliminating the Sisterhood.
In that moment, Helen shut her eyes in despair, cursing the assassin she had sent out ten thousand times over in her mind. But more than anything, she was overwhelmed by one emotion—why did her luck have to be this terrible?
Of all places on Arrakis, the assassin just had to run into the Conglomerate's Governor, amid the upper echelons of House Atreides. An utter failure who only made things worse!
"Enough. It's time for you to move on."
At that moment, the Master Sergeant, having received the execution order, activated the custom cybernetic weapon mounted on his arm—a Mantis Blade.
Equipping oneself with a cybernetic weapon was a traditional practice among Astartes and Spartan warriors alike, and the Master Sergeant was no exception.
Of all available options, he had chosen the same Mantis Blade used by V.
Meanwhile, the communications officer quickly set up an FTL communication device and, through Kaitain's broadcast network, began livestreaming the scene in real time to every screen across the Galactic Empire.
In an instant, everyone across the Empire could see what was happening here.
Rita then calmly stepped in front of the camera and declared to all watching the broadcast:
"We are from the Universal Megacorp—a supercivilization poised to take control of the Galactic Empire and unify Universe 005: Dune."
She then glanced at the kneeling figure of Mother Helen and announced:
"This is a Bene Gesserit, known as Reverend Mother Helen. But today, that esteemed title will no longer belong to her."
On camera, the once-proud and exalted Reverend Mother now appeared hunched and frail, her pale face like a pile of dry bones ready to collapse in the cold wind. The high-ranking members of the noble families watching were dumbfounded by the sight.
The revered and once-unassailable Reverend Mother had met such a humiliating and pitiful end.
And in the footage, they could even see the iconic structures of the imperial palace collapsing, engulfed in chaos and screams.
The Sardaukar troops of House Corrino still hadn't given up resisting the Spartan warriors.
But overhead, the wanderer-class dreadnought had already deployed swarms of AI drones and clone soldiers, holding back the insignificant rabble.
When enemy numbers grew too large, David didn't hesitate to use the hardlight cannon to clear the field in one overwhelming blast.
At that moment, every noble across the Empire was watching this bloody execution. They were witnessing the collapse of the imperial monarchy and the disintegration of the Sisterhood.
The truth that power is seized through violence had never felt more real or immediate.
At first, some suspected the broadcast was a deepfake meant to sow chaos. But very soon, these heads of noble houses, using their own intelligence channels, confirmed Kaitain's latest developments.
When they learned that the palace district had fallen and even the commander of the Imperial Guard was dead, they finally realized—the once-dominant Corrino family and the Bene Gesserit were truly doomed.
Of course, Rita couldn't care less whether these aristocrats believed the broadcast or not. As time passed, the truth would inevitably become clear.
Rita continued listing Helen's crimes and, citing a multitude of charges, permanently stripped her of all political rights.
This move was meant to justify Helen's execution. Simply put, once her lifelong rights were revoked, she was no longer entitled to any rights tied to being a person.
In other words, Helen was now less than human—no more than a beast. And when it came to dealing with beasts, there were no limits to how they could be put down.
"Reverend Mother Helen of the Sisterhood, conspired on Arrakis to carry out a terrorist attack targeting House Atreides. She dispatched Bene Gesserit assassins to infiltrate their base and attempt to assassinate core members of House Atreides."
"During this process, she endangered a key high-level figure of the Universal Megacorp. In accordance with our principle—'Those who offend the Megacorp, no matter how far, must be punished'—"
"We will now purge the Sisterhood and execute the mastermind Helen, as a warning to others!"
As her voice fell, the live broadcast split into two screens. On the new one, Lady Jessica, under Song Zhaomei's arrangement, was undergoing the investiture ceremony to become the new Reverend Mother of the Sisterhood.
One screen showed the birth of a new Sisterhood, with Jessica appointed as its leader. She would now oversee the development and exploitation of spice for the Megacorp.
The other screen showed the execution of the old Sisterhood's Mother Helen, with her loyal inner circle soon to follow her into death—symbolizing the fall of the old order.
This visually striking contrast revealed just how smooth a transition of power could be. The noble families watching were both shocked and excited.
Most of them had aligned themselves with House Atreides—and now it was clear they had chosen wisely.
In that moment, Helen raised her eyes and saw her own daughter, Jessica, taking over her position as head of the Sisterhood. A profound sadness welled up inside her.
Helen had long known her relationship with Jessica could hardly be called "motherly love." After all, she had raised Jessica as nothing more than a tool.
But what she couldn't accept was that the very person she had manipulated and controlled her entire life had now betrayed her at the most critical moment.
Jessica could have contacted her privately and explained everything. A bit of evidence would've been enough. But she had chosen not to.
This meant Jessica had always intended to replace her.
When that realization struck, Helen gave a resigned and bitter smile. Jessica was the same kind of person as she was—only this time, Helen had lost.
"Jessica… you've won."
Helen closed her eyes and straightened her back, as if ready to embrace her death with dignity.
In the next instant, the Master Sergeant struck. With a crisp shing, flesh was severed from bone, and Helen's head fell from her wrinkled neck.
The execution was swift and clean—no hesitation, no mess. One by one, the other Sisterhood members behind Helen were also executed.
Gunshots to the head, decapitations, poison injections—every method was used.
Rita hadn't prepared some long-winded speech. Their mission here was simple: to publicly execute Reverend Mother Helen, and to take Emperor Shaddam into custody.
"Any organization or force that threatens the interests of the Universal Megacorp will be regarded as an enemy. And against enemies, the Megacorp will take any necessary measures."
"Furthermore, while the Megacorp welcomes challenges from any force, those that resort to underhanded tactics such as assassination will still face harsh countermeasures!"
Rita's words were a textbook example of double standards—because in wartime, anything goes.
Assassination, after all, was among the mildest of methods.
But the Universal Megacorp was an unprecedented powerhouse in the Galactic Empire. Power was everything, and those with the biggest fists made the rules. The Megacorp's laws existed solely to restrain the weak.
"Biochemical weapons, biological weapons, nuclear weapons—all tools that violate humanitarian principles—are strictly forbidden. Violators will be punished. Let Helen serve as your cautionary tale!"
As Rita delivered those lines, the Master Sergeant standing nearby instinctively lowered his head—not knowing whether he was stifling laughter or feeling a bit guilty.
After all, just recently he'd heard that in Universe 004: Halo, the Megacorp had wiped out an entire ten-thousand-year-old species using a strategic weapon called the "Neutron Purge."
It had taken only a few minutes.
And now they were saying even nukes were off-limits? That was the height of hypocrisy.
Of course, Rita was just following orders from above. The Megacorp was about to wrap up the unification of Universe 005: Dune.
The lines between friend and foe had already been drawn. And since war was inevitable, they might as well use this moment to intimidate their enemies—pressuring more of them into surrendering without a fight.
This would help minimize the war's impact on civilians and reduce unnecessary casualties.
After speaking, Rita had the live broadcast terminated. With Emperor Shaddam in custody, they prepared to depart in triumph.
As for Kaitain, it would be left in the hands of the incoming First and Second Expeditionary Legions.
That night delivered an overwhelming shock to the noble houses of the Galactic Empire. Without a doubt, Rita's words had left a deep impression.
Today, Spartan warriors stormed the heavily guarded palace, executed Reverend Mother Helen, and abducted Emperor Shaddam in broad daylight.
And tomorrow? The same procedure could easily be applied to any other house that dared defy them.
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