Navigators of Dune

53

Valya continued to monitor the progress of her Sisters, especially the stubborn Orthodox ones. Apart from a handful of discards who had needed to be killed, most were successfully retrained, both physically and mentally. The Sisterhood was once again strong and stable, under her able leadership.

Ninke, though, remained a question mark. And a big one.

Sister Deborah stood beside Valya on the practice field, watching hundreds of trainees going through their solo routines, including the spunky and determined Gabi. They kicked at the air and struck imaginary targets with stone-hard fingertips, moving fast. Together, they perfected the combination of skills from Valya’s Swordmaster education, the techniques she and her brother Griffin had created for themselves, and the Sorceress Way. Though closely packed together, the frenetic trainees did not touch one another, but landed gracefully in their proper combat positions, as if choreographed.

“They are making some progress,” Deborah reported.

“Not enough for the standards I have set.” Valya had found that it was never wise to offer too much praise, which might encourage some trainees to be satisfied with less than their absolute best. She raised her hands to pause the session, calling out, “I’ve seen good improvement, but good is less than excellent. A Sister must attain the pinnacle of human abilities, physical and mental. That is why Mother Superior Raquella founded our order.

“I have selected the best among you to undergo more intensive mental training, to add balance to your fighting abilities. You will need those mental skills to advance the Sisterhood into the future, as you will be taught important psychological tools, emotional shaping, and even Truthsaying for those of you who have the ability.”

After she motioned for them to continue practicing, Valya focused on Ninke, while the former Orthodox Sister went through high-order defenses in which she countered complex attacks in sparring sessions with Gabi. Despite Ninke’s stocky, muscular build, her movements were lithe. Her broken arm had recovered sufficiently that she trained with the others, showing only a slight favoring of the other arm.

Valya raised her eyebrows and turned to Deborah. “What is your assessment of Ninke?”

A small twitch of a frown turned Deborah’s lips. “Since being released from the medical center, she is one of the standouts in both the physical and mental arenas. The injury may have made her reconsider her rebellious attitude.”

“But is she loyal?”

Deborah could only shrug. “She professes to adhere to our philosophy, yet even with my careful observation, I can’t ascertain her loyalty to you, Mother Superior. Without question, Ninke is loyal to the Sisterhood — but her degree of devotion to your new methods is not so clear. I doubt if she will ever be as faithful to you as she once was to Reverend Mother Dorotea.”

Valya’s brow furrowed in displeasure. “Just as there are degrees of love, so too are there degrees of devotion and loyalty. How much loyalty do you think is necessary for our purposes?” She watched Ninke continue to fight, wondering whether the woman was worth keeping, or if it was safer just to cut their potential losses and get rid of her after all.

As if sensing she was being singled out, Ninke stopped her routines and let Gabi catch her breath. She turned to face the two observers, her expression openly hostile. Valya stared back at her coolly, and spoke sidelong to the Sorceress. “Her blatant display of emotion shows a lack of mental toughness.”

Ninke wrapped herself in utter calmness and casually glided toward the observers through the frenetic, fast-moving trainees without brushing against them. She faced Valya. “Mother Superior, I survived the hazing you imposed on my faction, and I completed all the demeaning tasks you made me perform. Because of your grudge against us, my fellow Orthodox Sisters have been beaten and injured — some even killed. But I am still here.”

Valya instinctively tensed. “Those others were more valuable to the Sisterhood as examples of what happens to people who disobey me. I believe my methods have been effective.”

“And me?” Ninke sniffed. “Of what value am I to you?”

With a stiff smile, Valya said, “When your faction betrayed us and nearly destroyed the Sisterhood, you committed treasonous acts. But I see potential in you, Ninke, so I have given you a second chance. Will you take it, or spurn your opportunity?”

Ninke lifted her chin. “I have proved myself enough. Sometimes an injustice must be addressed with more than words or acquiescence.” She dropped into a fighting stance, her muscles loose and poised, her eyes hyperalert. “And this is one of those times. Accept me now as I am, or kill me.”

The rest of the Sisters halted their practice, some of them aghast. Deborah stepped out of the way as Valya and Ninke began to circle each other. Ninke glanced to her left, which Valya interpreted as a deception, so she prepared for a strike in the opposite direction, but the other Sister whirled around exactly where she had looked, a double feint, and sprang straight at Valya and struck out at her. Valya used her own reflexes and combined fighting techniques. She felt a ripple of air as Ninke missed her. Barely. Ninke did not favor her injured arm at all, so the hesitation she’d shown in using it earlier must have been faked.

But when Valya spun to launch her own attack, the other woman was unexpectedly there facing her. Ninke struck the Mother Superior in the center of her chest with a hard kick. Valya bent her knees and let herself fall backward to soften the impact, then sprang back out of the combat area to better prepare for her opponent’s next move.

In one blur of motion after another, the other Sister showed that she understood something of the advanced fighting methods, but Valya spotted patterns in Ninke’s interpretation of the Sorceress Way. Patterns that reflected her inexperience.

Valya went on the attack, following the other woman’s precise moves like a shadow. She surprised Ninke and drove her back with a series of kicks, fist thrusts, and hard elbows, ending with a stunning blow to the side of the head. Then Valya took her down with a strike to the knees, pinned her to the ground, and pressed two fingers against a nerve in her neck, rendering her helpless.

In the adrenaline rush, Valya could have killed Ninke on the spot, but decided to spare her life. She released her hold on the pressure point and backed away, then astonished Ninke by helping her to her feet.

Trembling with anger, ready to continue fighting, Ninke faced Valya. “I am loyal to the Sisterhood, Mother Superior,” she said in a defiant voice. “And I will fight our enemies. Are you an enemy of the Sisterhood? Or should I focus on a different one?”

Valya smiled. “Your comment is as unexpected as some of your fighting moves.” She nodded quickly. “I am the Mother Superior. I am not now, nor have I ever been, nor will I ever be, an enemy of the Sisterhood. We already have enough enemies.” She raised her voice, so the others could hear. “Ninke, your punishment is over, the past is forgotten. Now it is time for us to unify into a strong force — a vital, yet nearly invisible, part of the Imperium.”

Ninke moved back among the other women on the practice field, where she resumed her energetic routines with Gabi. “Yes,” Valya muttered to Deborah as they continued to observe. “We certainly have enough outside enemies to keep us busy.”

WHEN CIOBA STEPPED off the VenHold shuttle on Wallach IX, returning to the Sisterhood school after such a long time, she was glad to see her black-robed colleagues awaiting her. Though her original training had taken place on Rossak, this still felt like a homecoming.

Cioba had chosen to wear the white robe of a Sorceress, calling attention to her rare genetics. She was proud of her heritage, and now she hoped to make these women the allies of Venport Holdings, even though they were already working more closely with the Imperial Court … though not always to VenHold’s benefit, from what her sources had reported to her.

As she crossed the landing field toward the main school buildings, Cioba noted that the gathered Sisters stood poised, as if they were a security detail in addition to a reception committee. Among them, the moon-faced Sister Olivia stared at her guardedly. “You have come alone?”

Trying to understand the unexpectedly stiff attitude, Cioba said, “I came alone, but I am pleased to find myself among friends now.”

A small smile broke through Olivia’s wary expression. “The Emperor has clamped down on your husband’s company, and we know VenHold recently attempted to lay siege to Salusa Secundus, an attempt that ended in a debacle. It is dangerous for us to have you here, or to have any dealings with Josef Venport.”

“The Emperor took severe and unjustified actions to harm us, but Venport Holdings is strong and will survive. We need the advice and assistance of the Sisterhood, however. That is why I have come.” Cioba glanced around. “I must see Mother Superior Valya about an important matter. Please, Olivia?”

With a softening expression, Olivia gestured toward several large new buildings under construction. “The Mother Superior monitors the work daily. Come with me.”

Olivia led Cioba up a stone-paved path to the main buildings. While Josef had given them the initial classroom structures that helped the Sisterhood make their start here, the Mother School seemed to be thriving now on this remote world, going into a major expansion phase. Would Valya remember to show gratitude for what Venport Holdings had done for them?

The landing field had a new terminal structure, larger than the previous temporary one. A male construction crew moved a prefab building on a rolling framework to a new foundation, while workers installed windows and doors in two large new dormitories that had stone walls and red tile roofs.

“This school is different from our cliff city on Rossak, but it is going to be beautiful,” Cioba said. “Raquella would have been pleased.”

Olivia led her to the young Mother Superior who stood in front of the stone building, talking to a man in a tan work suit who made notes as she spoke. Although Valya noted Cioba’s arrival, she remained engrossed in her discussion until she dismissed the contractor.

Cioba was married to Josef and was a vital part of Venport Holdings, but she had been raised and trained in the Sisterhood, so her allegiance to the Mother Superior was deeply ingrained. Raquella’s successor was not an easy woman to know, with complex, sometimes contradictory ambitions and a wall around her.

When Valya turned her attention to Cioba, she spoke bluntly, “I am surprised you came here, Cioba Venport. The Emperor would pay a fine ransom if we delivered you to him — a small sacrifice on my part to obtain a great deal of influence.”

Cioba had hoped for a cordial conversation, and negotiations. She even wanted to visit her daughters Candys and Sabine, who were being taught here. But in light of Valya’s aggressive comment, she shifted her entire approach. “With respect to you, Mother Superior, I would advise against that. I am a Sorceress and a Reverend Mother. If you were to treat me so disrespectfully, it could create a new rift in the Sisterhood — just when you are trying to heal an old wound.”

Valya turned away to look at the construction activities. “Even so, your coming here entails great risk for us.”

“Perhaps, Mother Superior, but I am certain you have ways to prevent the escape of the information. I am here to ask you to take another risk, on my husband’s behalf. Just as he took a big chance himself when he helped the Sisterhood after we were disbanded by Emperor Salvador.”

Valya arched her dark eyebrows, looked deeply apprehensive. “What would you ask of us?”

“The Sisterhood could serve as an intermediary to resolve the dispute between Josef and Emperor Roderick. Negotiating peace would bring stability to the Imperium and place both the Emperor and VenHold in your debt.”

Valya narrowed her gaze. “The Emperor has confiscated all VenHold financial assets and seized their banks across the Imperium. Your husband recently laid siege to Salusa Secundus and retreated in defeat after the Butlerians drove him away. What possible advantage would the Sisterhood gain if we were to strengthen ties with Venport Holdings?”

Cioba forced calm upon herself. “That is an inaccurate assessment of events, Mother Superior, but keep in mind that VenHold still controls significant economic assets in other areas. Josef went to Salusa not to conquer, but to force an end to the dispute.”

“And the reason he retreated so suddenly? I don’t feel as if we have received all of the information on that.”

“I am not a military tactician,” Cioba said, with the most enigmatic smile she could muster.

Valya gave her a wry smile in return. “All right. But as for the ‘dispute,’ I believe it began when your husband assassinated Roderick’s brother — murdered an Emperor.”

Cioba struggled to find a way to break through the Mother Superior’s stony resistance. “Salvador Corrino was a volatile and dangerous man. Do not forget that he slaughtered many Sisters on Rossak. Whatever my husband’s actions, you have to agree that the Imperium benefits from a more stable Emperor.”

The young Mother Superior gazed at her dispassionately, not seeming to care about her problems. “Agreed, and that is why the Sisterhood has strengthened ties with Roderick Corrino, the Imperial Court, and many Landsraad nobles. I do not wish to jeopardize that.”

Cioba continued doggedly, “Because of Roderick’s grievance against Josef, the Butlerian fanatics have been gaining influence and power at the expense of reason. I know you have no great love for the Butlerians, Mother Superior. Think of the damage the Orthodox Sisters caused to our order, how they nearly destroyed us!”

“Yes, but that is an internal matter to the Sisterhood, and it has been resolved.” Valya gave a grudging nod. “However, I do agree that we would all be much better off if the dispute were to end. One retaliation leads to a counterretaliation, which leads to another, ad infinitum. But I have well-placed Sisters in the Imperial Palace, including Fielle as the Emperor’s Truthsayer. Those women are required to serve both the Sisterhood and the Emperor to the best of their abilities.”

“Sometimes at cross-purposes, though.”

“The Sisterhood’s purpose is paramount.” Valya’s dark eyes were hard.

“The Sisterhood’s purpose is wide-ranging,” Cioba countered. She hoped this cryptic statement was enough to remind Valya that Cioba knew about the Sisterhood’s hidden computers and their extensive genetic records. In fact, Cioba herself had arranged for the secret VenHold transport that had retrieved these computers and records from the Rossak jungles. “For the good of the Imperium, we must force a wedge between the Butlerians and the Emperor. Venport Holdings can do that, and only my husband has a military force sufficient to oppose the fanatics. He calls on the Sisterhood for assistance. You can serve as an intermediary between Josef and Roderick, finding a way for them to become allies.”

Valya crossed her arms over her chest. “Helping Josef that way would bring the wrath of the Emperor and the Butlerians down on us.” She shook her head. “No, Sister Cioba. After the setback we suffered on Rossak, I don’t think that’s wise. As Mother Superior, I will not place our order between another collision of titanic forces. Too dangerous for us. The Sisterhood must remain neutral in this matter.”

Valya dismissed her and walked briskly off to the main complex, accompanied by Deborah, leaving Cioba alone, stunned and disheartened by the aloof dismissal.

WHEN VALYA RETURNED to her offices, she received a surprising intelligence report that made her pulse race. Fielle had rushed a coded message directly to her from the Imperial Court, news that she knew the Mother Superior would want right away. Yes, Fielle knows me all too well.

Vorian Atreides had gone there to meet with Emperor Roderick on Salusa, and after the hated man left, the Truthsayer had been able to gather important information. There were strong indications that he had gone to Corrin, and that he thought he could hide there.

He was wrong.