Jessica glanced behind her as she walked ahead with a quick pace.
Stepping into a room, she locked the door behind her.
She stepped forward into the dark room, activated the hologram machine, and Mohiam's hologram appeared, a blue hologram that lit up the room slightly.
"Reverend mother," Jessica nodded respectfully to the hologram.
"Jessica, how have you been?" Mohiam asked.
"I have been well, Reverend mother."
"Good," Mohiam said with a nod.
There was a momentary pause.
"I have received news that the Harkonnens attacked Arakeen," Mohiam asked.
"Indeed"
"What is Duke Leto's next move?"
"He has captured several soldiers, and I have assisted in using The Voice to extract confessions and is planning on holding a Landsraad session soon," Jessica replied.
"Interesting, the reports state that all soldiers are dead," Mohiam squinted.
Jessica paused for a moment.
"Reports? How soon..." Jessica said.
Mohiam was silent for a moment.
"The Bene Gesirit have eyes everywhere, you should know that", Mohiam said causing a momentary stall between them.
"Some lived," Jessica said when the silence had stretched too long.
"How many survived, Jessica?"
'I have to tell her... but I can't,' Jessica thought of Leto and her responsibilities to House Atreadis.
"Child… are you hiding something from me?" Mohiam asked, with her keen observational abilities, that she noticed something amiss with the way Jessica was acting.
'Do I tell her...?' Jessica seriously thought to herself, weighing the pros and cons.
The moment of silence stretched.
'I can't tell her,' She thought to herself, staring at Mohiam who was closely observing every twitch on Jessica's face, looking for any oddness or nervousness in her mannerisms.
Jessica knew Mohiam was looking for any signs that may suggest something deeper she was not saying, but this was not her first time facing this type of situation.
She kept her calm.
"I am pregnant," Jessica said.
"It is a daughter."
Mohiam's eyes slightly widened for a moment.
"Good," Mohiam replied.
"Keep me informed," she said as the hologram disappeared and still darkness returned.
Jessica stood in silence for several moments.
Staring off into the darkness.
She was unmoving as her mind was lost in thoughts.
...
Within the palace, Jack was walking beside Thufir.
"Thufir, what happened to those soldiers that were not affected by the gas by the way?" Jack casually asked as the two were walking to the underground dungeon where the war prisoners were being held.
"Approximately 4,358 soldiers, young Paul."
"And how many did we capture?" Jack asked curiously,
"Approximately 2,942 soldiers" Thufir said with a slight smile.
"How are the interrogations going?" Jack asked.
"We have extracted several confessions from the Harkonnen soldiers, but the Sardaukar have not broken," Thufir said with a frown.
Jack nodded, and they walked in silence.
Reaching a door, Thufir opened it, and the walls shifted from smooth stone to rough, carved rock with a 2-meter-wide staircase leading to the basement.
Walking down the staircase, a long hallway appeared with nearly 10 doors leading into rooms. Duke Leto, Yeuh, and Jessica standing in wait in front of the staircase.
"My lord," Thufir said with a slight bow of his head when he saw Leto.
Leto nodded at Thufir as well.
"Let us begin now that we are all here," Thufir said as he glanced at Yueh.
Yueh stepped forward.
Jack glanced at him in silence for a moment before Yueh began to speak, "Recently, a severely injured enemy soldier was brought to us by the Fremen," Yueh said, "What caught my attention was his injury. It was not a battle injury," Yueh said as he turned around and began walking towards a room nearby.
"Somebody attacked him using lethal methods. This is not something Atreides soldiers have done," Yueh said as he arrived in front of a door.
He pushed it open and stepped aside.
Duke Leto and Jessica entered the room and behind them followed Thurfir and Jack. Yueh entered last shutting the door behind him.
'So this is what it looks like from the other side' Jack thought as he stepped into the observation alcove.
On the other side, a low-ceilinged stone room. A single glowglobe casting pale light. A chair bolted to the floor with Cova chained to it.
He had a bandage on his neck, with his hands and legs tightly imprisoned by chains.
"He claims to be the Sardaukar Commander. He was backstabbed by the Baron, he said he survived due to the Baron forgetting to remove a patch-up pack when they dumped him, which kept him alive long enough to be found and brought back. He says he wanted to request an audience with you, Duke Leto," Yueh said
"What did he want to tell me?" Duke Leto asked.
"He said he will only be willing to talk to you," Yueh said.
"Very well," Leto said as he turned to Thufir.
Jack's eyes flashed towards Leto with a concerned frown.
'He can't seriously be considering going in person, right?'
"Thufir, prepare the hologram."
'Thank goodness,' Jack thought to himself as he turned his head towards Cova.
"Right away, my lord" Thufir said as he exited the room.
Yueh following behind.
Many moments passed and the hologram communication was set, switching it on, a hologram of Duke Leto appeared in front of Cova.
"I was informed you wished to see me," Duke Leto said.
Cova was silent, his hand feeling his own bandaged neck.
His eyes were dim.
"I want to..." He stopped himself mid-sentence, he was hesitating.
Leto didn't say anything, he just waited in silence.
Cova glanced at the table in front of him, drops of sweat dripping down his brow.
His eyes were jittery as he looked up at Leto.
"Confession," Cova muttered through gritted teeth.
"I want to confess for you... against Baron Harkonnen and..." He stopped.
It felt like his mind was roaring to stop him.
His jaw tightened.
Every word looked like it cost him something.
He opened his mouth.
"And Emperor Shaddam," He managed to force himself to say.
A moment of relief flashed in his eyes as he leaned back on the chair.
Breathing heavily, he glanced at Duke Leto.
"I will do this on one condition."