 |
This article or section refers to elements from Apocryphal media This article contains elements from Dune 2000 and Emperor: Battle for Dune |
- "We have chosen well. There is great strength in this warrior - can it be? The warrior of the Prophecy, the One who will rise to lead the people to bloody peace? We shall see.[1]"
- ―Lady Elara Moray Trieu's report to Reverend Mother Marius Alethea Blasco
The Commander was the title given to a nameless Commander of one of 3 Houses during the First Spice War and the Battle for Dune: Atreides, Harkonnen or Ordos.
The House whom the Commander aligned with was initially distrustful of the Commander and doubtful of their skill, partly due to the fact the Commander arrived on an imperial liner, with Lady Elara, who was a concubine and truthsayer to the Padishah Emperor Frederick IV.
Over the course of the First Spice War, the Mentats began to praise their skill and the Commander becomes an invaluable member of their arsenal, eventually defeating the other houses and claiming Arrakis for their chosen house.
Biography[]
First Spice War[]
Prior to the beginning of the war for Arakis started, the Commander was taken to the planet by Lady Elara, who informed them that the sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit studied the Commander's bloodline and fate, foreseeing their death many times but also one scenario in which they succeed. Elara was the one who booked The Commander's passage to Arakis and she admitted to them that if that if the Emperor found out, he would execute her, given his lack of compassion.
Atreides Playthrough[]
The Commander arrived at the Atreides outpost to meet with the Mentat, Noree Moneo. Moneo was addressing some conscripts, mentioning the wealth that they'll go home with, before exploding with outrage at their agreement, reminding them that they are here for the Duke, not their own gain. He lectured them about the dangers of Arrakis mentioning the Harkonnen and sandworms. The Commander was sent to mine 2500 Solaris worth of Spice Melange in the imperial basin. Given the relative ease of the task, they were only given a small unit of soldiers and access to the very basics of Atreides technology.[2]
Back at the outpost, Noree Moneo was watching the sunset. He told the Commander that they fought like a Fremen, that they fought with their soul. He found this odd, since rumor was the Commander arrived on an imperial liner, with Lady Elara. He asked the Commander if they had some hidden talents, before dismissing the question as irrelevant, all the while twirling a dagger between his fingers. He told the Commander that the Duke was willing to give them a chance to prove their loyalty. The Commander was to take over a Harkonnen mining camp, and 'persuade' them to leave. He then warned the Commander that the Duke was watching them and advised them to be very persuasive. He then returns to watching the sunset.[3]
The Commander met with Moneo at an airbase, just as the mentat was about to board a plane. He praised the Commander for a well fought victory, assuring them they likely impressed the Duke, as he requested the Commander to lead the next mission personally. Moneo informed them that their spies in Tuono Basin indicate a growing Ordos presence. The Ordos insisted they were just harvesting Spice, but they had more trikes than harvesters. Moneo told the Commander they could not afford to fight both Ordos and Harkonnen houses at once and that it would be advisable to mine the Spice without conflict. However, if the Ordos attack, he ordered them to 'bury their base in the sand.'[4]
At an outpost, the Commander received a video call from Moneo, who gleefully reported the Ordos fled rather quickly after they were defeated at Tuono Basin. He goes on to say the Atreides found worm hooks and footprints in the basin, indicating the native Fremen, possibly thousands. The Duke desperately wanted an alliance with the Fremen, while the Baron Harkonnen wants them dead. He mentioned that the Harkonnen have sealed off a Fremen enclave and ordered the Commander to get past the Harkonnen and help defend the Fremen, but he warns them to be careful, since the Fremen were not yet their allies.[5]
In a room with a map of Arakis on the wall, Kari, a Freeman woman with melange-blue eyes is shackled to a chair. She is offered Spice coffee by Moneo, which she silently rejected. He assured her in the Fremen language that it was not poisoned and proved it by taking a drink. He turns to the Commander and tells them that Kari would drink it if it were poison, as she's a Fedaykin - never taken alive. He then encouraged her to have a drink of the coffee, tilting the cup to her lips, but the drink spilt down her chin as she refused to drink. Moneo muttered about how charming she is, as he sets down the cup, telling the Commander she'd already sliced her wrists before their men confiscated her Crysknife. He moved to the map, noting that intercepted Harkonnen missives indicate the rest of her kinsmen are being held prisoner in a Harkonnen barracks in Sietch Tabr. He asks the Commander to destroy the Harkonnen base, capture the barracks and free the Fremen hostages to prove to them the Atreides are their allies. Kari interrupts and speaks earnestly to the Commander in Fremen, notably the word 'Taqwa'. Moneo translates, stating 'death, the price of freedom' and to her, it's as if they are already dead.[6]
Returning to the map room finds Moneo, sipping the coffee and now in the prisoner's chair. He states he knows about the Harkonnen trap and how all the Fremen held at the barracks were dead. He then laments on the Commander not answering his call a little earlier. A knife is held to his throat by the Kari, who reminds them both that she told them the price of freedom to the Fremen is death. She then insists the Fremen are not allies of the Atreides, stating that Dune only belongs to Shai-Hulud - the worm god. She sneers, calling the Atreides stupid, pointing out they focus too much on the Harkonnen and not enough on the Ordos. She goes on to inform them of the hidden smuggler's starport on the funeral plane, their sacred ground, and tells the Commander that if they destroy it, the Fremen will consider their offer of allegiance, since Fremen pay their debts. Moneo nervously asks the Commander not to be too long.[7]
Harkonnen Playthrough[]
The Commander arrived to meet the Harkonnen Mentat Hayt De Vries, waiting while the man recited an oath and drank the juice of Sapho. He then introduced himself, before observing that the Commander was obviously new, given their lack of a heart plug. He warned them not to let the Baron see them. He then threatened the Commander, comparing them to a speak of dust that he could kill at any time without consequence. He admitted that things weren't going too well for House Harkonnen - he was offended at the thought of The Emperor giving away Arrakis to any other house. He ordered the Commander to mine everything and kill anyone who tried to stop them, he also warned them to watch out for sandworms.[8]
When a nervous Hayt noticed the Commander, he informed them that the Atreides had attacked their mining camp in the imperial basin and, rather appropriately, did not want to inform the Baron of a defeat. He instructed the Commander to wipe out the Atreides, before peering out the door behind him, still nervous.[9]
At a Harkonnen airbase, Hayt exited a plane. When the Commander arrive, Hayt reported with some disgust that he'd spent the morning with the Baron, torturing an Atreides conscript for information. Despite the large bloody mess, they extrapolated the location of a new Atreides base - Sietch Tabr. Hayt insisted that the base was poorly defended and needed to be destroyed before it could fortify itself. He waved the Commander off, before stepping out of the plane, still looking disgusted.[10]
Ordos Playthrough[]
The Commander arrived to speak with the Ordos Mentat, Edric O, who noted that there was a high chance that they were either a Harkonnen terrorist or an Atreides spy, though House Ordos was willing to accept those odds. He told the Commander to mine as much Spice as they can and to avoid the Harkonnen and sandworms.[11]
Upon the successful completion of their mission the Commander arrived to speak to Edric O again, who noted that they were now worth one quantity of Spice to the Ordos. He informed them of a small Harkonnen base in the Imperial Basin and ordered the Commander to destroy it, informing them that they now had access to a new unit, the trike. Edric O then demanded The Commander restore Spice production or spend the rest of their days in a pain amplifier.[12]
Edric O was undergoing maintenance when the Commander arrives and appeared to be unaware of the listening device on the side of his head. He admitted that the Commander may be of some value before dismissing the attending servant, who bowed. Edric O informed the Commander that the Harkonnen were stalling their Spice mining operations and told the Commander to eradicate them. He reminded the Commander that Spice has great value and must flow, it is the law.[13]
From a remote outpost, the Commander received a holographic call from Edric O, in which he noted the Commander's success and how their value had risen. He admitted it's no secret that the Ordos lacked physical strength and relied on (often expensive) and forbidden artifice traded from the Ixians, such as Edric O himself. He then informs them that their allies, the Smugglers, wished to trade information on the Ordos resources to the Harkonnen. He ordered the Commander to capture the outpost at Sietch Tabr and take the women and children there hostage to prevent this.[14]
When the Commander arrived to speak with Edric O, he found the mentat's physical form unresponsive. He addressed the Commander via the screen behind him, where he explained they were testing a prototype Ixian nerve gas in his corporal entity, noting there was no cause for concern, for it was effective. This gas would penetrate armor, causing disorientation and possible combustion. House Ordos planned to acquire large amounts of the gas, once sufficient funds have been acquired. He told the Commander that their mission was to gather a large quantity of Spice so they can purchase the nerve gas from the impatient Ixians. The nearest Spice field was under Atreides control, so they must eliminate the Atreides and mine the Spice. Edric O suggested the use of the Carryalls in order to speed up Spice production. He finished the briefing with a smile, saying 'yes, the gas is effective'.[15]
Edric O told the Commander they were of increasing value and would be remunerated once Arrakis was secured for House Ordos. He informed the Commander that they had paid the Ixians, who were in the process of delivering a large quantity of shipments to the starport in the Funeral Plain. He turned away and told the Commander to destroy the Atreides and Harkonnens, should they locate the Ordos-controlled starport. The listening device on his head was still active.
In the Imperial Palace, Frederick IV listened to the briefing through a speaker. As he handed it to a servant, he blessed the Ixians, noting that they made the bugs faster than the Empire could outlaw them.[16]
As soon as the Commander arrived, Edric O angrily demanded them not to say anything, quickly removing the listening device from his head. He stated that while the Bene Gesserit are their ally, the Emperor plotted against them, with the Atreides and the native Fremen fighting alongside him. He admitted that the Ordos were no match for the Emperor's [[Sardaukar] army, so they should acquire more Spice and hire mercenaries. Unfortunately, they were considered unreliable and if the body count got too high, the mercenaries would leave. Edric O firmly stated that the Spice would flow, and the united enemy would be eliminated. Smoke rised from the listening device as Edric O smiles.[17]
Edric O turned to face the Commander, looking very pleased, his eyes now the telltale blue of prolonged Spice usage. He gleefully stated that the Spice had enhanced their sight, and now their knowledge was more perfect than ever. He closed his eyes and looked for information, before stating that while the Emperor's forces had been weakened the Sardaukar still fight with the Atreides. He suggested the Commander push the Atreides onto Harkonnen land, in hopes that they would eliminate each other. He warned them not to put any faith in their mercenaries stating that they would receive a base of their own, given their questionable value. Instead the Commander should rely on the newest acquisition, the Saboteur, who could demolish any building. Edric O also reminded the Commander to avoid the Death Hand, stating that while the Harkonnen did not believe the Ordos aware of their atomics, the Spice had shown them many things. The Commander was instructed to eradicate the Imperial threat, with Edric O stating there was a 3.9% chance of their survival.[18]
The Commander arrived to see Edric O's chair alight with energy. The mentat, clearly excited, stated that they could see all of it:Ggreat armies in ruins, the Emperor camped between the Harkonnen Baron and the Atreides Duke, that the Emperor was weak and House Ordos' hatred of him was strong. He stated the mercenaries were restless, that they would sooner kill the Ordos than kill for them, telling the Commander to be ready to slaughter them if necessary. He saw the Atreides with the Fremen, the Harkonnen with the Death Hand and the Emperor at the root of all of it. He insisted that the Emperor's palace must be destroyed and the Saboteur could achieve this easily. He saw three great armies in ruin, Ordos controlling Arrakis, the Spice and the universe. He insisted that The Commander 'finish it!'[19]
Following the Commander's success in eradicating the Harkonnen, Atreides and the Sardaukar, an Ordos Saboteur is able to approach the Emperor's palace. On the throne in the palace, Lady Elara distracted the Emperor with a kiss, before using a Gom Jabbar to stab him in the neck and paralyse him. He hissed at her, calling her a bitch before dying.[20] As Lady Elara walked away the Saboteur entered the throne room and activated an explosive, destroying the palace.[21]
Battle for Dune[]
Atreides playthrough[]
- This article is a stub: It may require more information.
Harkonnen playthrough[]
- This article is a stub: It may require more information.
Ordos playthrough[]
- This article is a stub: It may require more information.
Behind the scenes[]
- The Commander is the name for the player character in Dune 2000 and Emperor: Battle for Dune.
- Both games are viewed from the Commander's point of view, and they are never seen on screen.
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ Dune 2000 Manual
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission One
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission Two
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission Three
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission Four
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission Five
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Atreides Mission Six
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Harkonnen Mission One
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Harkonnen Mission Two
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Harkonnen Mission Three
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission One
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Two
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Three
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Four
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Five
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Six
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Seven
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Eight
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Mission Nine
- ↑ Emperor: Battle for Dune - Introduction
- ↑ Dune 2000 Campaign - Ordos Epilogue