Chapter 52-Epilogue--THE END!

Chapter 52

The reign of Inzal Kazab Corrino was perhaps the most transformative and controversial time in the history of the Imperium. The 'All Seer' had come into power usurping his own father, Shaddam, to take control of an imperial throne and House, both of whom had become hostage to the invisible but ever-present interests of many groups of the Imperium, most prominent of which were the Been Gesserit and the Spicing Guild.

Shaddam IV's own ascension had been the result of a deal struck with these hidden powers, a deal to the reality of which even he remained oblivious to as the Bene Gesserit order planned to end his line by depriving the Padishah Emperor of a male scion. And yet Inzal Kazab Corrino was not one to bow down to fate and was born as teh first born son to the Emperor and was saved from death by the courage and love of two young proteges of this sisterhood, his mother, the Queen Anirul, and her dear friend the future Lady Jessica Atredies.

His very birth had been rebellion against the fates and the hidden shadows that sought to control the Imperium, and so how could a boy who had denied the very fates with his birth let these hidden powers control him after he had become the Emperor.

He would not.

His ascension came as a result of an elaborate ploy, one that decimated the third strongest House in the Imperium, the House Harkonnen, while making the second strongest House a steadfast ally, hence giving him an absolute majority in the Imperium.

Though the true source of his power was his monopoly on Spice Trade, for Inzal Kazab Corrino had risen from Arrakis, the desert planet which supplied the whole Imperium with the Spice Melange. It was on this planet that he gained his epithet of 'Kazab,' one coined by himself unifying the planet. He had dismantled one of Bene Gesserit's so-called prophecies that spoke of a promised savior.

Regardless his absolute control over the planet gave him a monopoly over the greatest commodity in the whole of the Imperium, hence giving him near absolute power. And it was in the fear of that power that the so called hidden players shall join hands and wage war against the Emperor.

The war would last for a decade, and despite the combined might of the four oldest orders of the Ixians, the Spicing Guild, The Bene Tleilaxu, and the Bene Gesserit, they would be no match for the power of the 'All-Seer' and his armies.

And the war would end on the very planes of Arrakis, the planet where it had all truly begun with the Emperor himself slaying the 'Four Pillars' of the rebellion in the caverns of Jacurutu.

And so would begin the true reign of Inzal Kazab Corrino. The four Orders would see their power and influence curbed, with the Bene Tleilaxu getting annihilated to extinction, while the Bene Gesserit would be forced to scatter. The Spicing Guild would lose its monopoly on Spice Trade and Space Travel, with the Emperor publicising the Ixian designs for ships that did not need Guild Navigators.

The Ixians would receive sanctions, their research into more esoteric concepts like goals would be halted, and their libraries would be made public. The initial years were filled with much upheaval, and the effects of this change would only become apparent years later.

A new wave of discovery and inventions would follow his policies, and without the Spicing Guild choking all progress through its tolls, the Galaxy would see its horizons expanded, with many seeking the unknown that lay beyond.

He would be supported in his reign by the Atreides clan, one which would led by Alia Atredies, the daughter of the Duke Leto, and his wife the Lady Jessica, who had allied with the Emperor for he had rescued their family from absolute annihilation.

And it was through House Atredies that the Emperor controlled House Harkonnen as well, and with those two at his back none could stand against him in his reforms.

And yet his greatest support would come from his most loyal companion, his lady wife, the Empress Shishakli Tabr Corrino, who also held the title of Duchess of Arrakis and was the leader of the Fremen people for much of his reign.

His reign would come to an end after a hundred and fifty years, and the shields around Arrakis would come down once more only to never go up again, for any could handle the burden that the 'All-Seer' had shouldered for over a hundred and fifty years.

He would be succeeded by one of his sons, Shia Corrino, a young warrior of great strength who was married to the adopted daughter of the Atreides clan, Ghanima Atreides—herself.

To this day, many speculate about the early death of Inzal Kazab Corrino, and it is believed that it was caused by the liberal and excessive use of his Haderach powers, which hastened his decline and caused him to die as early as he had.

The Dowager Empress abdicated the throne to the young Queen, and despite being beloved by all, she left the royal abode on Arrakis and settled down on Kaitain, where she lived out her days alongside Princess Irulan Corrino, the Emperor's sister.

To this day, nearly a hundred years after his death, Inzal Kazab Corrino is mourned throughout the Imperium, for he gave the people the most precious thing a monarch could—Freedom.

There are many who speculate that the man is not truly dead, and that he lives to this day resting and guarding the galaxy.

There are various books written about the man that was Inzal Kazab Corrino, about his ruthlessness, his sagacity, his wisdom and his hubris. But few can truly capture him for who he truly was.

Inzal Kazab Corrino, was a man of indomitable will, one who refused to bow down to the powers that be and changed the course of history. In his struggle he faced many a hardships, lost many a friends, and yet he pushed forth in his mission.

Apart from being a sagacious ruler, he was a good man, a loyal husband, a loving but demanding father, and a doting father-in-law, as I experienced myself. To the one reading these records--the tales narrated to me by the man himself and those around him, know that despite the tales and the legends, Inzal Kazab Corrino was just a man loyal to his beliefs.

Know this that in his own words, 'Fate. I don't believe in it. For I saw the path it led me towards and decided to forge my own'.

And in the following pages, you will read tales, secrets, stories that have never seen the light of day but describe the real life of the man many call the one who saw it all, perhaps even the future—'The All Seer.'

Excerpt from the 'Life and Lies of the All-Seer' by Ghanima Atreides Corrino.

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