speaker: What holds more truth, history or prophecy?
When humans rose up against the thinking machines
that had enslaved them...
...history says it was an Atreides who led them to victory...
...while my great-grandfather deserted the fight.
When war ended and all thinking machine technology was banned,
history branded my family as cowards.
And so we were banished to a desolate world.
Others who shared my blood
were resigned to living in shame.
But the history the Atreides wrote
was spun out of lies.
And I, Valya Harkonnen, would set out to change it.
So I broke free from the past,
and chose a new family,
made up of women unafraid of their power.
There, I met my true mother,
the first Mother Superior,
Raquella Berto-Anirul.
A hero during the wars...
she trained Sisters to work as Truthsayers.
Assigned to the Great Houses
to help them sift truth from lies.
Together, they would form a network of influence
throughout the Imperium.
Raquella would use it to govern the future.
But those who held power were inherently driven
by violence and greed.
They required more than just guidance.
They required transformation.
Mother Raquella embarked on a secret project.
She wanted to breed better leaders.
She amassed a vast genetic archive.
She would use it to foster the right royal unions
and cultivate rulers we could control.
Zealots among us would view this breeding as heresy.
But Mother Superior knew I shared her vision.
And I would stop at nothing to carry it out.
That is why,
in her final moments...
she called for me.
Valya.
It's me, Dorotea.
Valya Harkonnen.
Wait here, Tula.
Valya Harkonnen: These prayers won't help her.
What is she doing here?
I'm here, Mother Superior.
Red dust.
Tell them to leave us now.
Red-- Red...
It's coming...
Tiran-Arafel.
Raquella Berto-Anirul: Valya.
Grow us... safeguard our power.
Use every tool.
The Sisterhood
must be strengthened
or it will fall.
You will be the one to see
the burning truth and know.
She warned us.
- Tiran-Arafel. - A reckoning.
A holy judgment brought on by a tyrant.
From what I saw in Raquella's eyes,
I believe one is coming for us.
We have to prepare.
How?
By putting one of ours on the throne.
A Sister?
The first empress to rule the Imperium.
- One loyal to us. - Dorotea will never agree.
She has to, Kasha.
It is the only thing that ensures our protection.
Mother Raquella always said,
"We could not be split in our purpose."
Factions in the Sisterhood would only weaken our order.
What she foresaw was a force of unimaginable darkness
that could destroy us completely.
I had to convince my Sisters of what was true.
We must carry her legacy forward.
We must keep pushing the boundaries
of what it means to be human.
We must harness our powers of truthsense
until we advise all the Great Houses who govern.
Mother Raquella urged us to use every tool.
Humility is the foundation of our virtues.
The mind of man is holy.
Thou shall not disfigure the soul!
Thou shall not disfigure the soul.
Adversity always lies in the path of advancement.
Most would run from it. I would walk through it.
That is why Mother Raquella chose me to lead.
I see you wasted no time stepping in.
Mother Dorotea... what are you doing?
What should've been done long ago.
Why do you need access to the breeding index?
So I can return the Sisterhood to its values.
- You can't do this! - We are the hand
that points toward a righteous path.
We are meant to guide the Imperium, not rule it.
We must create the path and lead others to it.
We are the only ones who can.
Ever since you arrived, you and your sister, Tula,
you've thought too highly of yourself.
You'd risk our destruction to keep your principles pure.
Mother Raquella didn't share your beliefs,
nor do others aside from your faction of zealots!
You heard what she said. You swore to use every tool!
Because I did not want to fight with her on her deathbed.
This is no tool.
This is us playing God.
And we will be judged for it.
I honor my grandmother,
but this great work of hers must be destroyed.
I beg of you, don't do this.
Dorotea!
Stop!
Face me!
What?
A new skill I've been honing.
One I'd hoped to share with you.
And I will...
if you bend.
I will never bend to you... Valya Harkonnen.
Then take out your blade!
Drive it into your throat!
I knew then, the name Valya Harkonnen
would forever be damned
to the wrong side of history.
But my truth lay in prophecy.
Tula Harkonnen: What do we do?
Sisterhood above all.
speaker: House Varick and House Khumali
have put in requests for a Truthsayer.
And House Harkonnen has put in a fourth request.
Mother Superior Valya?
Yes to House Varick.
Khumali will have to wait.
And you can tell House Harkonnen no...
for a fourth time.
Excuse me, Sister Avila.
Imperial guards.
They're here for the princess.
Her new husband must be quite a catch,
fleeing him so quickly.
That's the princess's half-brother.
He has no claim to the throne.
A man with no purpose devises only mischief.
Exactly. Nothing I like more
than a man with great wealth and idle hands.
Perhaps once his sister is here,
he'll pay us more visits.
And one day, I'll be her Truthsayer and sister-in-law.
I think the whole point of her coming here is to be her own Truthsayer.
Come along, now. Quickly.
We instruct many daughters of the Great Houses,
Lord Constantine.
There will be no risk to the princess here.
None of those other daughters is the heir to the Golden Lion Throne.
If my sister's going to spend the next 10 years here,
we need to take precautions.
Also, the princess will require her own quarters.
Once your sister is here,
she will be treated as every other student.
The dormitory is quite comfortable.
That's not acceptable.
Well, that is unfortunate.
I had to try.
Shall we?
Tula Harkonnen: Humanity's greatest weapon is the lie.
If you observe the large amount of white matter
in the prefrontal cortex,
do you know what that makes this man?
- A criminal. - A sociopath.
A survivor.
Yes, Sister Jen.
Human beings rely on lies to survive.
We lie to our enemies. We lie to our friends.
We lie to ourselves.
Lying is among the most sophisticated task a brain can perform.
Because, for most of us, we don't like to lie.
The body rejects it.
- How does it do that? - Pupils dilate.
- Changes in breathing. - Perspiration on the brow.
Yes, that's right. All of them signs
that we work to perceive in Truthsaying.
It's clear you have a grasp of theory,
but application is what distinguishes a Sister.
Tomorrow, you will be tested on your progress.
I suggest you get some rest today.
Class is dismissed.
Good news, little sister.
So it went well?
This time next week, she'll be ours.
You almost had me that time.
I did not.
Focus on the body, not the blade.
Your eyes, they can lie, but this...
this'll tell you where your opponent's headin'
even before they know.
Unhand the princess! Filthy scum.
Constantine, you made it!
How could I have missed you tying the knot
to a boy just out of diapers?
Keiran.
Between your sword master training and the Sisterhood,
I'm worried Nezzy will grow too full of herself to bear.
She has become quite good.
She'll acquit herself well on Wallach IX.
Constantine Corrino: Hmm.
How was the Sisterhood?
Well, if you like barren landscapes and minimalism,
you'll be very happy.
- Princess. - You wanna see?
Mm-hmm.
Truthsayer Vera: As a royal wedding present,
House of Richese gives the House of Corrino
a newly built fleet of ballista motherships.
Emperor Corrino has reviewed House Richese's proposal
and finds the terms to be acceptable.
A fleet that will know no equal.
Dust storms won't hinder it.
Fremen don't stand a chance against it.
Your issues on Arrakis
will be a thing of the past,
and spice will flow.
One more thing, it occurred to me that having our own wing
in the palace might smooth the transition.
That wasn't part of the arrangement.
Your Majesty, I'm sorry to be frank,
but your issues on Arrakis aren't going away.
Not without my ships to protect the harvest from Fremen attacks.
It is in my blood to build, and I do it spectacularly well.
Your admirals know Richese ships are superior to all others.
Just last month, I heard you lost
another excavator and a whole regiment.
Would you let this small ask derail our entire agreement?
He's trying to make a fool of me.
Very well. You have a deal.
Duke Richese: Excellent!
See you at the engagement ceremony.
You wish to serve the Great Houses
as Truthsayers,
and shape the flow of power.
You must first exert power over yourself.
Your mind and body must be within your control.
Only then, can you discern the truth.
In front of you are men and women
from the Imperial prison.
Thieves, swindlers, con artists.
Your task is to demonstrate, at the least,
a rudimentary command of Truthsaying.
We have removed all barriers to your subjects
to make this task easier.
You may begin.
Ain't you a pretty little thing.
Her words are true, but her intent is to deceive.
He lies. This man is a liar.
Honestly, these were the best you could find?
If you think it's so simple to deceive, Sister...
tell us, why are you here?
Sister Jen: My story.
When I was a child...
my mother and father sold me to a man who made his money
peddling the flesh of children.
I'll spare you the details.
But I bided my time until he got sloppy with his knives.
I slit his throat in his sleep.
Then I went home...
...and did the same to my parents.
The looks on your faces.
This is my tradition.
I wore this when I first met your father.
He was a stranger to me too.
The veil belonged to my mother.
Made by the Wanderers of Harmonthep.
Very understated.
It's a symbol of strength.
Something I wish you'd show a little more of.
Instead of allowing those sorceresses
to woo you to their school.
The Sisterhood will teach me skills
that will aid in my leadership.
- This arrangement isn't what I wanted. - Why not?
I hear Pruwet Richese's quite charming.
The boy is nine.
Every year before he comes of age
is mine to do with what I will.
I'd make him younger, if I could.
If you took my counsel,
you'd rule how you want and marry who you want.
I see the way you look at our new Swordmaster.
I'm getting what I want.
You're not the only one who knows how to negotiate.
I'm surrounded by vipers, Kasha.
And Duke Richese's the worst of them all.
The Duke is no viper. He's simply a man.
Your Majesty, Reverend Mother Kasha.
Swordmaster.
- What is it, Keiran? - There's a soldier here from Arrakis.
Can't you deal with it?
It's Desmond Hart, sir.
He survived.
Desmond Hart.
- Your Majesty. - It's an honor.
Twelve tours of Arrakis
when few last more than one.
Multiple commendations.
We heard your regiment was wiped out in a Fremen attack.
Harvester, transports, everything.
That is why I've come.
Because I'm the only one that can tell you the truth.
The attack on Arrakis...
it wasn't Fremen.
They were insurgents from your own allied worlds.
The equipment they used was from off-planet,
and they were trained in our ways.
Once our harvester ejected its payload of spice,
their ship collected it.
It was theft.
Kasha.
His story is true, Your Majesty.
Or at least he believes it to be.
Then why wasn't I informed?
It must be an isolated incident.
You've been long on Arrakis.
I imagine you're eager for some leave.
Actually, Your Majesty, I was hoping, uh...
that I could get an assignment here at the palace.
Well, I'm sure we can find something suitable
for a man of your talents.
In the meantime... we're about to have quite a party.
Join us.
Nez!
You did this!
Nez!
I came to say goodbye.
Kasha, what's wrong?
Remember the day my Sisters and I found you?
We had no way of knowing what we would discover.
A child held captive for years.
But the moment I saw you,
I knew that one day...
you would lead our Imperium to a better future.
I have something I need to attend to,
but I'll be back soon.
Javicco Corrino: Kasha's gonna miss the engagement ceremony,
but she says she'll be back for the wedding.
Oh, thank the stars.
What would we possibly do without her?
Look, I know you're angry with me about this wedding.
What choice do I have?
Our marriage may have joined the Imperium.
- It didn't cement it-- - Stop parroting her words back at me.
I know exactly what our marriage did, I brokered it.
I'm telling you, they chose that boy knowing his age
would give them years to make Nez one of their own.
Stop fighting this wedding, Natalya.
That boy comes with a fleet of fighters,
which I need for Arrakis.
There was a time when you took my views seriously.
The Imperium was the stronger for it.
Yes, well, you and I...
we remember things differently.
Need to get dressed.
It's time.
Emeline performed well.
And it might be wise to pair the princess
with someone outside royal circles.
Next.
Not everyone from this school stems from noble houses.
It's not her background that concerns me.
She's too rigid. She reeks of piety.
We operate across worlds of all dispositions.
Our aim is not to broaden the princess's worldview.
It's to adhere her to our own.
The Sisterhood's, you mean.
Acolyte bonds are forged in fire.
They last a lifetime.
Emeline is a bad influence.
Jen has bite, doesn't she?
She'll go far if she can be tamed.
Reminds me of someone else I know.
- When was I ever tamed? - Never...
if you asked our mother.
Well, I think the princess would like her, but...
she's too independent a thinker.
We need to pair Ynez with someone we can trust to keep her in line.
She won't be under Kasha's influence much longer.
Well, Theodosia?
She has reason to be loyal to us.
We took her in when she had nowhere else to turn.
She excels in her studies. She is uniquely...
useful.
We'll see.
Oh, don't dissemble, sister.
You're only hard on her because she's your favorite.
Well, your favorite's like a lamb lost in the woods.
Lila is a true empath.
And given her lineage...
she will be a natural-born Truthsayer.
She needs to be nurtured.
Weakness is not something to nurture.
She's young. She's afraid.
She's in awe of you.
And in time, she'll grow all those hard layers
that you measure worth by...
as I did.
Don't underestimate yourself, Tula.
What matters most is what's underneath those hard layers.
- Whatever trepidation you're feeling-- - It's not trepidation.
What I saw was no ordinary nightmare.
The fear I felt... I still feel.
You don't know Nez like I do.
She's strong... not easily handled.
Well, good. That's why she was chosen.
You forget I'm the one who bonded with her
since she was a child,
who deflects the empress's interference,
who assuages the emperor's fears
even as we weaken him on Arrakis.
Now is not the time to lose faith in a plan
that has been decades in the making.
And what if this plan of yours
causes the very thing we seek to prevent?
What if we've brought on the reckoning Raquella spoke of?
You forget I'm the one that Raquella asked for
as she lay dying.
I shall see the burning truth.
I think I know what she wanted.
Why don't you stay the night,
remind yourself of your purpose,
but tomorrow you must return to Salusa Secundus.
Nothing is more important than your work there.
A Sister on the throne, that's what we agreed.
And this is the marriage that makes it possible.
This wedding will proceed.
Imperial Cryer: House Richese.
Duke Richese: Your Majesty...
may I present to you my son
and the future of your royal line...
Lord Pruwet Richese.
May the Richese seed find purchase
in royal wombs.
If Kasha believes something is wrong,
the least we can do is our due diligence.
- Why do you dismiss her out of hand? - It wasn't out of hand.
I heard what she said
and then I dismissed her.
So, it is blind obedience you want?
- Yes. - Well, at least that's constant.
I have done everything that Raquella asked.
I have protected our work. I have grown our ranks.
Our hands are poised on the levers of power.
And yet our grasp on it is still fragile.
I am trying to protect us and the Imperium
the only way I know how.
I believe in your commitment, Valya.
Well, maybe she's grown too close to Ynez.
It's so unlike her to abandon her post
- at this precarious time. - That is exactly my point.
Why not just check the match.
See if Princess Ynez truly is the one we should put all our hopes in.
My family calls me Nez. What do they call you?
- Pruwet. - So, what do you--
We don't actually have to speak.
Father says this is just a formality.
Mm. Yeah.
Whale fur, the finest in the known universe.
The profit is there. It's, it's simple mathematics really.
I'm sure you're right, Baron Harkonnen. Let me think about it.
You won't regret it.
And, whale fur never goes out of style.
It would be incredible for your uniform.
And, uh, have we discussed
the untouched value of whale seed?
Its, uh, its medicinal benefits--
Would you excuse me a moment, please?
What do you have there?
Nothing.
Your intent is to deceive.
You're not a Truthsayer.
Not yet, but I know a liar when I see one.
Let me see.
That technology is forbidden!
Princess Ynez, step aside.
- Don't tell me you're all afraid of a little toy? - Afraid?
You exist because House Corrino defeated thinking machines!
Javicco...
let's be sensible.
Don't let this ruin our celebration.
Let us, for now...
overlook this transgression.
Thank you, Nez.
Once our marriage goes through,
you pull something like that again
and I'll stab you myself, you little shit.
Now get rid of that thing.
Our plan holds.
I checked the genetic archive.
Ynez is the right choice.
And this is the match that stabilizes
the Corrino line for centuries.
I'm wondering if when all this is over,
Kasha shouldn't spend some time here, with us, on Wallach IX.
Kasha may be wrong about the wedding,
but no one is closer to the emperor.
We need her influence.
You can't keep picking pieces off the board
just because they disagree with you.
If you want to protect her, Tula,
get her head straight.
Sister Emeline: After all our training,
the princess will just stroll in here as an acolyte.
How's that fair?
She's a princess. She's never known fair.
We, we just passed the Lowers.
We're not going to the Lowers.
We're going to Division.
One last night out. You and me.
In that case...
Desmond Hart: Your Majesty.
Are you alright?
Yes, yes. It's nothing.
Fear can be debilitating.
Especially on a planet like Arrakis,
where everything is...
constantly trying to kill you.
You'll find Salusa Secundus familiar.
No, thank you.
What do you think? You think a fleet of fighters
will be enough to end my troubles on Arrakis?
Yes.
But they'll do nothing about the growing insurgency in the Imperium.
That was an isolated incident.
Your Majesty, the theft of spice is a mere symptom.
Your troubles are far greater than just Arrakis.
More and more people question
if we were too quick to discard the machines.
And why only the Great Houses profit from spice?
Has this not been shared with you?
I thought the witches knew everything that went on.
Kasha's never led me astray.
But I... I feel this wedding is wrong.
- Then call it off. - And lose control of Arrakis?
My father never suffered such humiliation.
Nor his father before him.
Without spice, the Great Houses would feed me to the worm.
Do you believe in forces
that extend beyond man and machine?
I don't know what I believe anymore.
Well, then believe this.
I should not be here.
That attack should've killed me.
The fear I felt staring down in that abyss.
You know what I prayed for then?
The strength... to feel nothing.
Next thing I know, I'm clawing my way out of the sand.
My lungs are screaming.
And when I took my first breath...
I felt reborn.
Different... I was no longer afraid.
Hmm.
The gods are listening.
The gods?
Religion is my wife's refuge.
I'll tell you something...
if the gods freed me from this vice of a wedding...
consider me a true believer.
Wanna share?
speaker: Atreides...
everything okay?
We're good.
Are we good?
We're good.
In two days' time, I'll be in another world.
What's wrong? Bad dreams?
Everything's a joke to you.
Why are you even here?
Your story was a lie.
But there was truth behind it.
I was raised here... in the Sisterhood.
The Reverend Mothers, they don't always know who our parents are.
And even if they do, they don't tell us.
Don't worry, doe eyes...
one way or another, our past always finds us.
You're okay, I promise. I'm here now.
There you are.
What are you doing out here all alone?
I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream.
You wanna tell me about it?
I'd be afraid too, after what happened to your toy.
Father says we've become far too strict about such things.
Hmm.
- You're a real soldier? - Mm-hmm.
Then why are you here?
- There's no war here. - Not many see it, but I do.
There's a war hidden in plain sight...
waged by an enemy that has made themselves indispensable.
It has come here to do our thinking for us.
But the machine wars ended ages ago.
They did, I know.
And that is why it is so troubling
that we are being controlled again.
That is why I've been gifted a great power.
What power do you mean?
To win a war requires sacrifice.
And yours, it won't be in vain.
Ahh! Stop it, please!
It hurts! Stop!
Stop it, please!
No!
I see, Mother.
I see.