Alma Mavis Taraza

"We can always trust on the Atreides Genes"

- Mother Superior Alma Mavis Taraza



Alma Mavis Taraza was the Bene Gesserit Mother Superior approximately 1500 years after the death of Leto Atreides II. She was in control of the Bene Gesserit when the Rakian Priesthood discovered that a village girl named Sheeana could command the sandworms. Upon discovering this, Taraza ordered Reverend Mother Darwi Odrade to take the girl under her wing and train her as a Bene Gesserit.

Taraza was a close friend to Odrade at the Bene Gesserit School, and both girls developed a strong friendship, using the nicknames of Dar (of Darwi) and Tar (of Taraza). Later, when Taraza become a Reverend Mother and a Bene Gesserit breeding mistress, she was chosen because of her beauty to the most difficult lovers, whose genetic material was ambitioned by the Sisterhood.

As Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit, Taraza realized the menace represented by the Lost Ones that came from the Scattering, especially of the brutal and warlike Honored Matres, whom she analyzed with the help of Odrade. She also purchased many gholas of Duncan Idaho (twelve of them) from the Bene Tleilax, most of whom were killed before recovering their memories. For the safety of the twelfth ghola of Duncan Idaho, she went to Lernaeus and asked the help of the Old Bene Gesserit Supreme Bashar Miles Teg, whose almost identical appearance to Duke Leto Atreides was important in order to help the ghola recovering his past memories as soon as possible. She also entrusted the Bene Gesserit Imprinter Lucilla to gain the loyalty of the young Duncan for the Sisterhood.

Many Bene Gesserit sisters, headed by Reverend Mother Schwangyu, declared their open hostility towards Taraza's ghola project. Schwangyu, the commander of the Sisterhood's Keep at Gammu, tried to win Lucilla to her side. However, the young Lucilla had already received warnings from Taraza concerning Schwangyu's policy, and she refused her proposals.

Taraza decided to investigate more about the mysterious Honored Matres and their talents. For that reason she let her ship be captured by an Honored Matress male commander, who transported her and her crew directly to the orbit of Gammu, where the young Idaho ghola was being trained under Bashar Teg's guidance. She was rescued with her companions by the clever Teg, who threatened the Honored Matres' male commander of destroying the Heighliner the no-ships he had on Gammu's orbit. Among Taraza's crew was Reverend Mother Odrade, who was on her way to Rakis, in order to train the young Sheeana and to take the opportunity to reveal to Miles Teg that she was his natural daughter.

Taraza had an interview with Tleilaxu Master Tylwyth Waff, and, with the help of Odrade, made an alliance with the Bene Tleilax in order to defend themselves against the threat of the Honored Matres.

When the Honored Matres landed on Dune and began attacking both the Bene Gesserit sisters on the Planet and the guardians of the Rakian Priesthood, Taraza was injured by Lasgun shots fired by the Honored Matres. The Mother Superior realized that her end was near, and it was then that Darwi Odrade reached the place where Taraza laid dying, and shared minds with her. In that way, Taraza's memories were preserved in Odrade's other memory, and she died on Rakis. At the end, the Honored Matres used their Weapon to destroy the Desert Planet, killing Miles Teg and his veterans, as well as disintegrating Taraza's body.

Appearances

 * Heretics of Dune (First appearance)
 * Chapterhouse: Dune