2 Wastelands of the Salusa Secundus

Vorian was armed with the basic Sardaukar armor that he took from the dead Sardaukars. Within the wastelands and battlefields of the Salusa Secundus, there were several types of people.

Probably the most notable ones were the prisoners who were sentenced to the Salusa Secundus, who fought in the enormous continent-sized wastelands of the Salusa Secundus for what little resources remained. 

The whole population of the Salusa Secundus was something around 5 million plus minus some tens of thousands. In truth, nobody knew the actual number of the Sardaukar Troops aside from the Emperor and a few selected members of the Imperial Court and commanders of the Sardaukar.

When it came to the prisoners who were slaughtering each other, they posed no real threat to Vorian. For him, with his skills, they were not different from just numbers; the real threat came from the different areas.

The real threat were the geniue Sardaukar troopers that often patrolled the areas where the prisoners were killing each other. When he encountered them, they always gave him a hell of a fight, entirely living up to their reputation as the best fighters in the whole Imperium. 

Another reason why Vorian needed to get out of this place as soon as possible was the increasing rate of the Sardaukar troopers venturing into the wilderness because he had a hunch that they were searching for him. 

"Hundred and thirty meters, you say?"

Because Isha was bonded to him in some sort of psychic fashion; he was perfectly able to understand her. Even right now, she was trying to relay to him that several tens of meters from them, there were several people searching their way through the narrow ways of these mountains.

"Meow, meow... meow."

With each meowing sound that Isha made, he understood more and found out that they were prisoners... fortunately. 

Dealing with the incarnated prisoners was rather easy; dealing with the full-fledged Sardaukar was another way entirely. Especially against the veterans and senior members of the Sardaukar, those were one hell of fighters.

But at the same time, Vorian knew their fighting style; he knew all of their skills, not only due to living on the Salusa Secundus for the past eleven years and learning everything that he could on this god-forsaken planet but also from his genetic memories.

The people who were sentenced to the Salusa Secundus were the worst of the worst; the worst criminals formerly sentenced to death were taken and transported into the Salusa Secudnes, where they were shaped according to the wishes of the House Corrino.

He understood that training Sardaukar was only thanks to the harshness and the conditions of the Salusa Secundus; only a hell planet like this could give birth to peerless warriors like them. 

Though even the Sardaukar had the parts of the planet that were a beautiful green paradise that was reserved only for the senior members of the Sardaukar or the descendants of the Sardau Tribe.

"Then, if they carry some useful supplies, we should kill them..."

Vorian knew that supplies such as various pieces of technology, food, or anything that helped to survive in this hellish environment were precious. Especially among the prisoners that were still carrying out their sentences.

He then exited his hiding place and followed Isha through the narrow passages of the mountains until he had a clear view of the people who were treading these paths. There were four of them; all of them looked like seasoned warriors.

'Left, right, right, right.'

With a single glance he noticed what was their dominant hand, which was a crucial thing to know during the sword fights.

'We can start...'

Silently brandishing his short sword, he appeared behind the last of the men who were not as cautious about his surroundings as the other ones, and with a single slash, he slit his throat while holding his mouth so he couldn't scream.

Only three remained as he dashed at the other one, stabbing him from the back, though this was already noticed by the remaining two of their companions, who instantly attacked them with lightning speed. 

The one that was nearest slashed at him; fortunately enough, the paths where they were fighting were narrow enough, so the moment when he dodged the enemy's blade, he fell onto the hard rock. 

Drawing out the sword from the dying man, he stabbed the attacker in his throat while at the same time, he kicked the last one in his stomach, sending him crashing against the walls, before he took out a small knife, throwing it out, directly penetrating his throat.

"Ts... newcomers."

Vorian knew that these people were on the Salusa Secundus for a very short time, perhaps something around a few months. Or else, they wouldn't make such a crucial mistake as not covering their rears and being extra vigilant for every second. 

On the Salusa Secundus, one could die everywhere and every time...

Being alert was the sole way to avoid being killed in some stupid ambush. Now that he killed them, he started collecting the things they had on their bodies. Scavenging was probably the only good way to survive in the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus.

"Swords, some water and instant rations... compass and daggers..."

The Sardaukar Troops controlled what the prisoners could take into the wastelands of the Salusa Secundus with extreme prejudice, so finding there even a single piece of technology was nigh impossible.

The entire area of the planet was no different from the most primitive planets where people worshipped fire. He only took another sword because the one was a bit different from the others he already had and better suited for him. 

Food and water were obviously taken as they were worth more than anything else in this place, together with the compass because his last one already broke. And he couldn't really repair it without the spare parts...

After he took everything that he deemed useful, he continued the journey further to the south; he knew that the plains that were approximately a few hundred kilometers away it was the sole place where one could hide spacecraft.

During his journey, he prayed to whatever god was up there that he would avoid the patrols of the Sardaukar Troopers, who were patrolling the entire planet more frequently than ever. He estimated that sooner or later, they would be caught him or kill him... 

Perhaps death in that case would be better than returning back to the machinations of the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and Bene Tleilax.

"Be on guard... we are going to pass through the center battlefield... the things are really ugly there... last time they started releasing some really nasty gene-engineered creatures..."

After the Revolt of the Thinking Machines, after the Era of the Synchronized Empire and Butlerian Jihad, the technology of the Mankind started changing and evolving more on the side of the Gene-Engineering and Evolution.

Forsaking the concept of the machinery altogether.

"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."

Vorian repeated the quote from the Orange Catholic Bible as he scanned through parts of his Genetic Memories. They were incomplete but most connected to the founder of the House Atreides, Vorian Atreides. 

***

Several days later, it was heavily raining, to the point where Vorian was forced to find a temporary hiding place. During the past five days that he was talking, he encountered only two tiny groups of people, whom all fell to his blade.

Such was the life on the Salusa Secundus; it was all about killing or being killed. People were killing each other en masse, without any mercy, and each day, new prisoners were being transported to the Salusa Secundus.

Creating the infinite cycle of slaughter on the prison planet. Statistically, only one in a thousand would become a full-fledged Sardaukar after several years of brutal and harsh training. 

Right now, Vorian was roasting some pieces of meat over the fire, which was a rare occasion; finding something to eat, aside from the issued rations that could fill someone's stomach for days, was rare. 

Not many lifeforms could survive on the post-atomic wastelands of the Salusa Secundus. However, this time, he was rather lucky as he managed to find a Bristlebakc, which was a native Salusian Boar.

Fortunately enough, he would finally have his fill of food, which he finally managed to have a good feast after a long time. He didn't know what those madmen of the Bene Tleilax did to him, but his physique was more advanced than that of an ordinary human...

Or perhaps it was the case for all of humanity? 

As someone who had access or at least partial one to the genetic memories of his ancestors, he could tell that humanity has evolved tremendously evolved during the past ten thousand years. 

Right now, when it came to the Genetic Memories, he had mostly access to the Genetic Memories of the Vorian Atreides and a few other people, mainly for the purpose of training the fighting techniques and sword skills. 

"Meow, meow... meooow."

Isha the Grynix meowed loudly as she stared at the roasting... surprisingly the creature didn't want to eat raw meat; she was rather picky. Grynixes were reminiscing of the old Terran cats, though they were more fierce and even more dangerous...

Despite her small stature, her claws could tear through armors as well as her teeth, and Grynixes had peculiar psychic abilities, sometimes very similar to the Void of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. 

"It will be soon enough... just wait..."

Vorian stared into the fire, thinking about the future... only a few months and he would be able to leave this hellhole.