The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 306– Imperial Capital Kaitain! Decapitation Operation! Sit Back and Enjoy the Show!

Inside the command center of the flagship, the latest strategic proposal had just been formally approved.

Without delay, Song Zhaomei issued her orders through the smart AI, Loki, ensuring they were precisely delivered to every department within the megacorporation.

The first to mobilize and take action was the Transdimensional Vanguard Squad, led by David Martinez.

As for the other expeditionary legions, they needed a bit more time to organize, with their scheduled departure set for twelve hours later.

This decapitation operation would be spearheaded by an elite combat unit—David himself would lead his men to the imperial capital of the Dune universe to apprehend Reverend Mother Helen and her cohorts!

At that moment, aboard the wanderer-class Dreadnought bound for the Dune universe, David stood before the main control console, having assembled all personnel participating in the decapitation operation.

"I'm sure most of you have already heard—our superior, Song Zhaomei, was the target of an assassination attempt not long ago. We've been ordered to head directly to the capital of the Corrino Empire."

"Our objective is to locate the mastermind, Reverend Mother Helen of the Bene Gesserit, along with her senior leadership—and eliminate them all in one swift strike."

"Any questions?"

Hearing the mission briefing, Rita, the Chief Sergeant, Cage, and the others were surprised, but more than anything, they were thrilled.

After all, the ongoing Conquest Across the Multiverse hadn't required much from the corporation's forces. Just two expeditionary legions had been enough to quell the human rebels in the Halo universe.

It wasn't that the legions lacked combat power—far from it. It was simply that Megacorp's doctrine was to strike with absolute force: if they acted, it would be with the intent to end things decisively.

As such, battles rarely lasted long. The real drain on time, energy, and resources came from the preparation before the war and the stabilization efforts afterward.

This was especially true for the conquest of the Dune universe. Li Ang, their CEO, had initially deployed just one expeditionary legion. Only when it came time for Megacorp to fully assume control of Arrakis was a second legion sent in.

This alone spoke volumes about how easy it had been to subdue the Dune universe.

Initially, Rita and the rest of the Vanguard thought they wouldn't have a chance to earn any merit in this operation. But then, the Bene Gesserit foolishly picked a fight—handing them an opportunity on a silver platter.

How could the Transdimensional Vanguard not be excited? It was a free merit grab—who wouldn't take it?

"Captain, no questions!"

The Vanguard soldiers replied in unison, eyes forward, filled with resolve—not an ounce of fear, only burning determination.

Avenging Supervisor Song Zhaomei was part of it, sure—but more importantly, this was a chance to add another line to their personal service record.

And when they eventually retired, those records would directly impact the benefits and pensions they received.

"Good."

David Martinez gave a satisfied nod. "Then get ready. Smash the Bene Gesserit and the Corrino royals. Let's sweep away the bad luck for Supervisor Song."

With that, the Vanguard soldiers dispersed, heading off to prepare their weapons and gear.

As elite operatives, each member of the unit had the freedom to customize their weapon loadouts.

Some favored firearms, others preferred flashy melee weapons like swords, and there were even those who specialized in poisons and biochemical warfare.

As long as it didn't interfere with team coordination or combat effectiveness, they were free to use whatever suited them best.

While the Transdimensional Vanguard prepared for battle, Megacorp's intelligence and military resource departments were fully mobilized for the upcoming decapitation strike.

Though Megacorp had only recently arrived in the Dune universe and wasn't fully familiar with its galactic environment, the Atreides family provided crucial cooperation.

Thanks to their assistance, Megacorp gained access to all the intel they needed—details on the Corrino royal family's strongholds and likely locations for Reverend Mother Helen.

After thorough analysis, the intel division concluded that Helen and Emperor Shaddam were most likely together, with their probable location being Kaitain—the capital of the Galactic Empire.

As the Corrino family's homeworld, Kaitain housed the empire's strongest and most elite royal guard. These fully armed troops were the foundation of any hopes the royal family had of a comeback.

And if all went as predicted, then Reverend Mother Helen—who had been orchestrating everything from behind the scenes—was almost certainly hiding there.

Thus, Megacorp's elite Transdimensional Vanguard would soon deploy to Kaitain… to carry out the decapitation strike!

While every department of Megacorp busied themselves with mopping up and fully consolidating control of the Dune universe, Duke Leto had already returned to Caladan.

In his private study, he was deep in discussion with his trusted Mentat, Thufir Hawat, analyzing Megacorp's recent actions.

As someone sitting comfortably on the sidelines, Duke Leto couldn't be happier to see the Bene Gesserit getting what's coming to them. He had long grown tired of that overreaching organization.

The great houses had earned their power through the AI Jihad—fighting bloody battles against ancient artificial intelligences.

But the Bene Gesserit? They slept their way to influence.

That alone might've been tolerable—after all, the elites of every house had indulged in those same pleasures.

But now the Bene Gesserit were going too far. They sought to manipulate the heirs of major houses, inching closer to seizing the very foundations of imperial power.

Leto and the other nobles had considered countermeasures, but none of their efforts had worked.

Now, with Megacorp choosing to strike with overwhelming force and wipe out the millennia-old Bene Gesserit once and for all, they were finally rid of a massive headache.

Still, the consequences of such a move were not something every house could afford to bear.

For minor houses, the Bene Gesserit had essentially been a talent farm—relying on the Sisterhood's resources, they could slowly grow stronger.

But just like a parasite feeding off its host, the more a house grew dependent on the Sisterhood, the more power the Bene Gesserit siphoned away—until they completely took over.

That's why most houses, even knowing the Bene Gesserit had overstepped, were hesitant to move against them.

Because the scariest thing in this world is entanglement—when you are part of them, and they are part of you.

Wiping out the Bene Gesserit would also cripple many of the houses, leaving them talent-starved and weakened.

But for House Atreides, this wasn't a concern at all. Duke Leto, with his top-tier position in the empire's political hierarchy, had long since joined the ranks of the winners.

As long as he didn't challenge Megacorp's interests, he could do whatever he wanted—and Megacorp would have his back.

"Never thought the Bene Gesserit would make such a foolish move—trying to assassinate a Megacorp executive. Looks like they're about to be wiped from history."

With justice served, Duke Leto was in high spirits. He felt a deep, indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Immediately after the assassination attempt, he had declared full support for Megacorp and offered his full cooperation.

That attitude, combined with his willingness to assist in the decapitation strike, helped him quickly shed the blame for "dereliction of duty" in protecting Song Zhaomei.

Li Ang had merely issued a verbal warning to House Atreides, telling them to tighten up their security in the future and ensure no similar incidents happened again.

Upon hearing that the Divine Emperor Li Ang would not be pursuing charges, Leto finally breathed a sigh of relief.

And quietly, he thanked the assassination attempt for solidifying Megacorp's resolve to dismantle the Bene Gesserit once and for all.

---

For smaller houses, political forces like the Bene Gesserit might be seen as a life-saving "medicine."

But for a massive house like Atreides, they're nothing more than parasitic leeches.

And compared to the Corrino Empire or the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit—being a religious-type organization—are clearly the most difficult to deal with decisively.

After all, no matter how far Shaddam IV runs, his power base is rooted on Kaitain. Once separated from his home turf, the royal family can only gradually fade into decline.

As for the Guild Navigators—those spice-addicted junkies—they're deeply dependent on the melange from Arrakis. Controlling the spice essentially means controlling the Guild.

Only the Bene Gesserit witches are truly unbound by territory. Their members aren't addicted to spice, and they're scattered freely throughout the Empire. They come and go as they please.

If the Universal Megacorp had simply unified the Dune universe by eradicating the Corrino royal family and redistributing the Empire's benefits—

Then the untouched Bene Gesserit would have remained parasites feeding off the roots of the great Houses' power, losing only one major client—the royal family.

As long as they're not severely crippled or wiped out as an organization, even if the Empire is reshuffled and new players take the stage, the Bene Gesserit's parasitic nature will endure.

It's just another cycle, nothing more.

What's worse, most Houses have grown dependent on the high-quality services provided by the Bene Gesserit.

Without a viable replacement, it's nearly impossible to shake off their control through internal reform alone.

At their current rate of development, the Bene Gesserit could make a comeback in no more than twenty years, regaining their grip on the noble Houses.

They might even start infiltrating the upper ranks of the Universal Megacorp itself!

As everyone knows, power typically comes from three sources. The first is brute force—seizing it through sheer military might.

The second is bloodline—dynastic inheritance. But the process of reproduction requires the involvement of women, making it a form of maternal transmission.

The third is through sexual alliances—political marriages and strategic unions. This is the method currently employed by the Bene Gesserit in their power grabs.

By these three metrics, the Bene Gesserit naturally possess overwhelming advantages in seizing power.

As long as they're willing to shed their supposed moral constraints, it's easy for them to rise through beauty and "superior service."

Once a Bene Gesserit gives birth to a noble heir, the House is essentially infected.

After a few rounds of tailor-made Bene Gesserit "service," that House's voice and authority are fully under their control.

Duke Leto's deep unease and wariness of the Bene Gesserit were absolutely justified.

Had the Universal Megacorp not interfered, if the original storyline had played out as written, Paul would have inherited House Atreides, launched his own rise, and eventually become Emperor of the Known Universe—

Only to discover a deeply troubling reality: his biological mother was a Bene Gesserit, and his sister Alia was one too.

Across the vast expanse of the Empire, the political influence of the Bene Gesserit stretched everywhere. As Emperor, Paul may have held the throne, but he was hardly free.

Even when it came time to name a successor, Paul was forced to compromise with the Bene Gesserit.

Despite having a crown prince, Leto II, he appointed his sister Alia as regent behind the scenes.

Under Bene Gesserit manipulation, Alia later tried to usurp the throne from her own nephew.

Fortunately, the Bene Gesserit overplayed their hand this time, dragging the Conglomerate into the mess—saving Duke Leto a great deal of trouble.

Originally, the Universal Megacorp only sent a single expeditionary force to unify the Dune universe.

For a sharp political mind like Duke Leto, it was easy to see through Li Ang 's intentions—it was clear that unification seemed too easy, lacking in challenge or technical complexity.

Once the task was complete, leadership would arrive, sign off, and head off to the next project.

As for a minor nuisance like the Bene Gesserit, aside from the major noble Houses, who else would even care?

But relying solely on the First Expeditionary Corps, the Megacorp brought swift resolution at Arrakis, wiping out the Corrino royal family's Sardaukar legions.

Half of the unification process was done in one decisive stroke. The remaining details were hardly worth mentioning.

Everything should have ended there—until the Bene Gesserit, in a moment of suicidal foolishness, chose to interfere and side against the Megacorp.

That forced Li Ang to personally issue the highest directive of the Megacorp: a full purge of the Bene Gesserit.

For House Atreides, this news was an overwhelming stroke of luck!

If the political landscape of the Empire was about to be reshaped, then of course House Atreides—rising as the final victor—would hope for an environment free of parasitic entities like the Bene Gesserit.

Otherwise, all of Leto's painstaking efforts would eventually fall into their hands. His descendants would remain shackled by their influence.

"My Lord Duke, this is the hand of destiny favoring House Atreides!"

At this moment, Hawat couldn't stop grinning. He too was pleasantly surprised by this unexpected turn of events.

After all, that Bene Gesserit assassin named "Anya" had originally targeted Duke Leto, Hawat, and several other key Atreides figures.

It was only by chance that Song Zhaomei happened to be there, triggering a "misunderstanding" that provoked the wrath of the Universal Megacorp .

Reverend Mother Helen still didn't know what had truly happened. Even now, she refused to believe the Megacorp really existed—thinking it was just some tech firm under House Atreides.

But one had to admit, fortune truly smiled on House Atreides. If Anya had acted a day later, she wouldn't have run into Song Zhaomei.

Had that happened, she might have succeeded in assassinating several high-level Atreides members, plunging the House into chaos and slowing its expansion.

But the timing was off, and the Bene Gesserit's plan completely collapsed.

As a Mentat with formidable computational abilities, Hawat had already run the simulations in his mind—he could see the ruthless blow about to befall the Bene Gesserit.

"By now, the Megacorp's forces should be closing in on Helen. I wonder how the God-Emperor plans to deal with the Bene Gesserit."

Duke Leto stroked his chin thoughtfully, a smile tugging at his lips.

Reverend Mother Helen was the Bene Gesserit's top leader, with deep and complicated ties to House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and the Corrino royal family.

First, she was Jessica's mother—making her Leto's mother-in-law. She had also had illicit relations with Baron Harkonnen, head of House Harkonnen.

Beyond that, she maintained a long-standing intimate relationship with Emperor Shaddam IV, often sharing his bed in secret.

In short, Reverend Mother Helen had elevated the art of "cost-free business" to its peak—sleeping with whoever held power.

Naturally, Duke Leto held deep contempt and disdain for such a morally bankrupt mother-in-law.

But one must admit: women with no moral bottom line become especially terrifying when they acquire real power.

As a behind-the-scenes orchestrator of numerous conspiracies throughout the Empire, Helen had helped Shaddam IV carry out many dark deeds, even swaying imperial policy.

Leto had long suspected that it was Helen who advised the Emperor to assign House Atreides the job of taking over spice operations on Arrakis—

A ploy meant to push Paul into striking out on his own and becoming the new Emperor, thus transforming him into the Bene Gesserit's puppet, the Kwisatz Haderach.

If the Megacorp successfully captures Helen, Leto would love to have a chat with her—but that was obviously impossible.

As the mastermind behind the mess, Helen would no doubt be executed by the Megacorp. All Leto could do was sit back and watch the Bene Gesserit collapse and crumble.

…

…

The Imperial Capital – Kaitain Star System!

In the pitch-black depths of space, a swirling hyperspace tunnel distorted spacetime as an invisible rift began to form.

A Wanderer-class Dreadnought, emblazoned with the Universal Megacorp 's signature logo, emerged from the tunnel.

Kaitain, as the capital of the Empire, sees countless starships pass through daily. Though Emperor Shaddam had issued a no-fly order to lock down the star system—

Full enforcement would still take at least half a month, due to the need to coordinate trade routes and organizational logistics.

And in that interim, the Megacorp's Multiverse Advance Team, led by David, had already arrived in silence!

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