𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 of my daze as we landed near a bunker in the middle of the desert. I was tired and right now I felt like I had no emotion. He and Zack guided me out of the craft and onto the sands below. A storm was coming, I could feel it. We walked to a bunker and the Liet opened the door for us. 

"The storm will be here in a few hours," she said "we'll be safe here" he walked into the dark tunnels following her lead "do you know what this place is? it's an old ecological testing station, they were meant to tame the planet and free the water locked beneath the sands. Arrakis could have been a paradise but then the spice was discovered and suddenly no one wanted the desert to go away."  

"Who are you to the Freymen?" Paul asked Liet wh just smiled and continued walking 

"Where's Duncan?" I asked looking around 

"Must have trailed off" Zack mumbled. He seemed to be in a bit of a bad mood, sure the circumstances weren't great at all but he could be a little more positive. Paul bent down and ran the sand through his hands. His eyes landed on his father's ring which resided on his pointer finger. 

"I'm sorry" I whispered tracing the details of the ring gently, he took my hand in his and squeezed it softly 

"I know" he whispered back. "Do you know what the great houses fear most Dr. Kynes?" he asked her "Exactly what has happened to us here. The Sardukar coming and picking them off one by one, only together can they stand a chance against the imperium. Would you bear witness, testify that the emperor has moved against us here?" 

"If they believe me" Liet began "there would be general warfare between the great houses and the emperor"

"Chaos across the imperium" Jessica added 

"Let's suppose I present to the emperor with an alternative to chaos," Paul said, I stood up and looked at him 

"What are you talking about?" I asked, had he made a whole plan to save us or something? it wouldn't work, would it? 

"The emperor has no sons and his daughters are yet to marry," he told me 

"You'll make a play for the throne" I stated softly, I didn't need to question him, I knew what he was thinking "He brought us here to kill us, Paul, he saw us as a threat, we have nothing Paul, nothing"

"The Freymen speak of the Lisan Al-Gaib," he said walking closer to me and Liet 

"Careful" Jessica warned him 

"The voice from the outer world who will lead them to paradise" he continued 

Liet regarded it with the simple word "superstition." Paul frowned and paused for a moment 

"I know you loved a Freymen soldier and lost him in battle," he said 

"Paul" I shook my head telling him not to bring something so painfully up 

"I know you walk in two worlds and are known by many names" he walked closer to her threateningly "I've seen your dream, As Emperor Dr. Kynes, I could make a paradise for Arrakis with a wave of my hand" 

"Paul" I grabbed his arm and pulled him away "I need to talk to you." I ushered him into another room and closed the door. "What are you thinking?" I snapped "We are in danger, we have people on our trail looking to kill us and you want to take the throne? we have no army and no allies, how could this possibly be a good idea?" 

"Arrakis needs change, this whole world needs to change Mila, I'm not just going to it back and wait for it to happen," He told me 

"Think of what's at stake here, House Atreides could go extinct if you don't play your cards right. Your dad is already gone and who knows what's happening with my mother? We can't afford to lose anyone else" I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, everything felt so out of place and I was spinning out of control which I hated more than anything "I don't want to lose you" I added quietly before doing something I never thought I would do. 

I pressed my lips against his softly as the tears trickled down my face. He didn't respond in the way I thought he would, I thought he would push me away and I would have ruined everything but instead, he kissed me back. It was an intense and passionate kiss that made everything feel better, it made everything feel right. 

I pulled away and rested my forehead against his enjoying our moment but of course, it was interrupted. The door swung open and Zack stood in the entrance, we jumped apart and I could feel my cheeks going red. Zack cleared his throat awkwardly "somethings going on" he whispered, "you two need to come back now." We nodded and followed him out of the room. 

Jessica took Paul's arm in fear when we got back to her, everything was quiet except for a muffled thudding coming from outside the bunker. Duncan stood at the entrance ready to fight, he pulled the door back and yelled "Sardaukar." He turned around and looked at me and Paul

"Duncan, no!" Paul shouted running forward. Jessica called after him as he ran towards the door that was closing "Duncan no!" he yelled punching the door. I didn't know what to do, we were losing people at such a fast rate 

"He's gone" Jessica whispered. I let out a whimper and covered my face as fresh tears started streaming down my cheeks at a rapid pace 

"We have to go, we have no choice," Liet told us as Jessica wrapped her arm around my shoulder. Suddenly a laser started cutting the door open 

"Run" I yelled as the laser continued to cut the thick metal. We heard a yell that was sure to be Duncan's and the laser beam stopped, he was using his last bit of energy to save us 

"Come on" Liet yelled as we dashed into a secret tunnel. "Follow the light," she said as she handed us packs "you'll find a thropter ready to fly, that storm is your best shot, above 5000 meters it's mostly dust, climb on top, stay on top" 

"You're not coming with us?" Jessica panted 

"It only sits two" Liet said softly "one of you will have to go with me to the next station and report the attack to the Landsaard" 

"Mila, go with Paul" Jessica commanded

"Mom," Paul said sternly  

"But what about you?" I asked "you should go" 

"No, you two are the future, I love you, Paul, I will see you two again" when she said it, that's when I realized, there were only four of us here. 

"Where the hell is my brother, where is Zack?" I gasped, I had seen Zack only minutes ago 

"They sacrificed themselves to save you," Jessica told me "I'm sorry but we don't have time for this now, you have to go"

"Thank you," I said in a shaky voice as a lump grew in the back of my throat "good luck." Paul and I started running as fast as possible. We soon reached the thropter and climbed inside. I put my seat belt on as Paul started the machine 

"Ready," he asked 

"Ready" I nodded and we were lifted into the air. We flew over the mounds of sand and rocks until we saw a sand cloud coming towards us. "We have to fly into it" I gulped "there are jet flyers behind us" 

"Shit" he groaned launching us quicker into the storm 

"We're not high enough" I yelled as the movements of the thropter became bumpy. We flew into the cloud and started spinning rapidly, the missiles that the jet flyers launched exploded below us as we whirled to the top. The glass in the thropter was cracking, we didn't have much time to get above this storm 

I panted heavily and turned to look at Paul, his eyes were a little glossy and I knew he was having a vision, without warning he pushed the controls away from himself and gripped onto his seatbelt 

"Paul what the fuck are you doing," I asked while trembling

"Do you trust me?"

"Always"