1. Plans Within Plans

It did sound like a lot, even to Rook who didn't ordinarily involve himself in those things that didn't directly affect his goals. But this plan, despite being vast in scope and risk, could further his own aspirations to control the underworld. He would therefore make himself useful to Sina and her new scheme to elevate House Helsin. The woman knew him to be an asset since he was here at this meeting. He did owe the house his loyalty, something he constantly had to remind himself of.

"I will help in any way I can. Perhaps I can secure the help of my connections in the underworld, my Lady. Smugglers and the like."

Marcus listens to Lady Sina's plans and bows his head to indicate his commitment to her goals. He considers Hural's warning and ponders Marya's words as she lays out the scope of what will be involved, and he considers what will be required of the house's swordsmen.

She nods gratefully at Hural for succinctly understanding the key goal. As he and Marya consider, and Rook adds in more of the essential ingredients, she continues.

"There are rumors of a spice harvester nearby. Gaining control of it, much less legally will be difficult. But before we deploy the thumpers, let us first find it. The man we met, Isaac, gave me the first clue I've gotten on how to get in touch with the smuggling ring that operates on the edge of the desert. I've collected rumors and innuendo, paid cash for nothing more than stories. I've been cautious not to play my hand, but with you four in my confidence, it is time for the great gamble. It's time to move with less caution if not openly."

Finishing her water, she continues. "Your own skills are needed. I leave it in your hands, with your intuition and expertise to guide you. I see three paths to proceed. The first, is meet this contact and convince him to ferry you to the smuggling hideout. There, do what you can to become necessary to them. Gain their trust, with an eye that we may want to absorb them into our own plots."

She points to the east, toward the desert. "The second, is to attempt to find the spice harvester first. I don't know how we can succeed when they've remained hidden from the Harkonnen. The third is to chase down this false Fremen angle. Someone doesn't want us to succeed, and by extension, they must know something that we don't."

Marya turns to the others in the limocar.

She has a reputation as a capable operator - good at making the quick hard decisions needed in this lethal yet subtle environment, good at influencing others to work effectively towards their shared goals.

Thus, as usual, her response to a situation of this kind is not to dominate and insist - but rather to speak her part and then listen carefully to the others.

"I sense that the most productive of the options describe by Lady Sina is to follow up on the contact provided to by Isaac. Best to work from within an operation that already effectively hides its activities from others players - or manages its relationships with them so that they are able to continue their work. Otherwise we enter the situation likely unaware of all the relevant factions and players involved, making us more likely to stumble."

"I expect that access to the knowledge and skills of the smugglers may provide additional important insights into how we can well move forward with our own ambitions."

"Furthermore, I feel our party here is well-placed - with our set of skills and knowledge and experience - to build trust with the smugglers, to grow our influence with them, to impress them."

"Marya, your keep observations are ever on point.

First then, to this smugglers. We'll win them over, Lady Sina, and with them we will bring into our fold the skills, contacts, and knowledge to bring our plans to fruition.

Looking to the others, "We have a great opportunity to bring wealth and glory to our House. We should not linger - might I suggest we leave at first light?"

"Between Issac and my contact Shadran Korr, it is the perfect time to elevate our house. Shadran operates as a smuggler and information broker within the criminal factions. He specializes in transporting valuable contraband, including forbidden technologies, secret information, and illicit spice shipments. He would be a great asset to our cause and through him, we have already won over the smugglers."

"And to Marya's point, he is very discreet. Shadran is known for his ability to navigate the treacherous sands of Arrakis unnoticed and for his keen sense of strategy. He might know who these false Fremen were working for."

Pleased with this turn of events, Rook tries not to show his excitement. First light, I agree."

"First light. Yes."

"Master Rook, would you perhaps have time to leverage your contacts to find coordinates for this smuggling operation? or perhaps begin an arrangement, so that we are can meet them on neutral ground?"

"I can, of course, Hural. There is a system in place for me to get word to Shadran. There's a shop. A contact I can see. He will set something up."

"Do that then," Hural says with a nod, "I surmise that will result also in a proper destination. I'll arrange travel upon the ornithopter at first light. We should plan to leave under cover of dawn so as not to attract attention. Be prepared to be out of the city for several days, at least."

"To be accepted by the smugglers, to be taken on by them as part of their operation, we'll need a fabricated backstory. Something that makes us both attractive and plausible as members of their crew.

I consider it unlikely that we will be recognised just on the basis of our faces - so I expect we are best off creating false identities for ourselves.

Some possible fabricated backstories could be:

1. smugglers who previously worked on a different part of Arrakis but had to leave for some reason

2. criminals running from the Harkonnens or another criminal organisations looking for new work somewhere out-of-the-way

3. new criminal arrivals from off-planet who want to get onto the Next Big Thing, and be working with spice

4. a group expelled from their House for treachery or some other crime, looking for a new place in the world

Depending on the backstory we choose, I'll need to hide my identity as a Bene Gesserit sister - and Hural his as a mentat.

Hural, do you have enough data about this situation to run a first-approximation analysis on this questions, to help us choose a good approach here?

Do any of you have any preferences for one of these - or some other - backstory?"

"The simplest lies are easiest to maintain."

"They already know me of course so I would remain as I am but any of those stories could work, although the treachery angle might make you more popular."

Rook chuckles. Notoriety was loved by the underworld in his experience.

"I am curious what Hural's analysis comes up with anyway."

"Hmm, you leave one important factor out of your analysis Marya," Hural says. "The marks of the sapho juice stain my lips. There will be no mistaking I am a mentat, and there are precious few of us, particularly on Arrakis. It will be known that I operate for a noble House. I wonder if the truth would not be easier, in any case. Such an organization would benefit highly from a joint agreement with House Heslin, we might use that to our advantage."

"Unless you don't attend the meeting, Hural. If you remain the man behind the curtain, guiding the rest of us, that might work."

Hural nods. "It could, yes. Such is a role I have played more than my share of times."

"Ah, thank you for that information, Hural. I thought there might be some way to hide or disguise the sapho stains - perhaps adding a different colour to your lips. But it sounds like the sapho colour will always assert itself."

"I agree - a simpler, more parsimonious, more accurate presentation of ourselves to the smugglers makes many things simpler, and reduces the risks of us being caught out as imposters."

"If we present ourselves as active, non-expelled members of House Helsin, however, another unwanted outcome becomes more risky - in other words, that word gets out to interested parties such as the Harkonnens, the Emperor, the Guild, that House Helsin is actively engaging in such activities."

"My assessment is that this could have significant, major, potentially even fatal impact on the well-being of the house. Do you feel this assessment is correct? I ask particularly you, Lady Sina - with your insights into the higher-level politics of this situation. And you, Hural, with your potential ability to assess the magnitude of such risks?"

"Given this, perhaps we are best pretending to be expelled members of a House Minor. We say we don't want to tell which house to keep ourselves safer - but if pushed we name House Heslin if pushed. This may be a pragmatic middle road between the risks of exposure of Heslin, and verisimilitude to our situation. Hural could do this without hiding that he is a mentat, although I would need to think carefully whether I hide that I am Bene Gesserit."