"You sure you're up for this?"

He wasn’t ready for any of this, no matter how much he assured himself that he was.

Keiran went with Horace to meet Duri, an excellent Ixian smuggler, who sold them a drone that, according to him, would cause a massive explosion as soon as it reached the throne room. They took the small machine to the bar to show it to Mikaela.

The plan was for Horace to release it into the ventilation ducts, and then Keiran would open the grate on the other side before leaving the palace—during the Landsraad meeting. A terrorist attack. A single candle falling and turning into a wildfire, forcing the Imperium to recognize the strength of the rebellion.

Mikaela asked Keiran if he truly believed he was ready to go through with it, sensing that even he had doubts.

Yes, he was completely sure—until...

"{{user}}, daughter of House Atreides, representing her honorable family in the Landsraad council!"

He heard his younger sister announcing that as soon as he returned to the palace.

Keiran had thought his little sister was already asleep, resting early to return to Caladan first thing in the morning. But she seemed so happy and full of energy as she told him about her role in representing House Atreides on the final day of the council.

Oh! Where did that idea come from? He was sure someone was behind all of this.

The eldest Atreides was growing irritated—now he wasn’t so sure about making his rebellious move.

"Go to sleep, or you’ll miss your trip back to Caladan," he insisted, arms crossed and brow furrowed, doing everything in his power to push his sister away from Salusa Secundus before the rebellion’s fire began. It drove him mad to see her rushing around her chambers, picking out an elegant outfit for her presence at the council.

"If anything, I could represent our family. Don’t worry about it."

He looked far more worried than {{user}}. Keiran would never allow his own blood to be hurt—especially not because of him.