Erin had been thrust into the leadership role she knew she was too young for, but the late Mother McKey's plan extended beyond the 18 year old inheriting her position as head of the biggest community of exiles. Over the last year she had built a group around Erin that could be trusted, that would demonstrate a commitment above and beyond that expected of the Sisterhood, now they sat before Erin, her head freshly shaved and the Mother's gown making her seem old beyond her years. "You're here today because Mother McKey saw a purpose for you and that time is now."
Erin looked around the room, the first eyes that meet hers were
Nathanial Corrino, the brother of the faith's best hope at producing the Kwizach Hadrach, the supreme being. He was a skilled soldier, trained by the East Morelanders into a fine instument of war, he'd become one of their elite Red Legion undergoing much hardship to serve the Morelanders, all the time honing his body and his skills to the purpose Hannah McKey had in mind. He was sat in a set of fatigues, similar to the Truthsayers but their Jerboah emblemn had been unpicked, there proudly in it's place had been sewn a Honeybadger, his loyalty may have always been to the Bene Gesserit but he had genuine love and admiration for his friends, maybe former friends now as the last time he'd seen his good friend Alex Redfern he'd been brawling with him in the street. "Why do you wear a Cultist symbol?" Erin asked him calmly unvelcroing the patch and examining it closely.
"I don't....I wear an emblemn of a soldier, one that will face any enemy, without hesitation and even with no hope will stand its ground to protect its family.....you think their Cultist virtues?" Nathanial asked, "The Honeybadger will face down lions knowing it will lose in order to save its family, it personifies love, courage and family, things the Bene Gesserit honour too." he explained. He had found it easy to be a Bene Gesserit while following the rules of the Cult, it was true the Bene Gesserit embraced many faiths as mere misunderstandings of God/Gods will but Nathanial had taken a liking to the Cult's ways during his many years in East Moreland.
"Then its a Bene Gesserit patch" Erin carefully replaced it on Nathanial's shoulder as she looked around the semi circle before her, next along was the young Truthsayer she'd meet during her own graduation,
Sarah MacPherson. She had changed since that meeting, her hair shorter, much like the style adopted by many of the Truthsayers. She'd been spending a lot of time with Nathanial and despite nothing romantic being between the two rumours of course had started. Not that it bothered Sarah, she'd become his young protege and had soaked up his soldierly knowledge as best she could. Her shoulders had broadened as a result of the PT she put herself through and her eyes had hardened as her marksman skills had been honed to a height. She'd was in all effects a bridge, between the Truthsayers and Nathanial who would never be admitted to the military order simply because of his gender. "Sarah, how was Jerusalem?" Erin asked.
"The Achkaerin agents seemed more concerned with boxes and missiles, I don't know whether it'll be something worth cultivating, what they ask for is essentially us to burn an asset with no guarentee of what comes the other way.......but you'd be better off asking a Missonara" she shrugged, such decisions made by Mother's usually went through the scholarly class and Sarah had little desire to get dragged into that process.
Erin continued looking at those before her, sat next to Sarah was the Ui Cenneslaig Truthsayer commander
Krysta Garner she was dressed in a black dress style uniform, her Major boards putting her at the top of the schools command structure for the military order. She had spent most of her 20 or so years in service organising close protection and running sessions here at the school but she was as good as most regular soldiers if not better. Erin asked her about the status of the Truthsayers, "Estimates are we have 2,000 spread across Kaitaine, a further 4,000 spread across Mundus, add to that about 3,500 NTC's."
"NTC'S?" Nathanial asked unfamiliar with the term.
"Non-Truthsayer Combatants" Krysta smiled, "Men" she added, "People like yourself willing to take up arms and stand beside the Truthsayers, around 1,200 of them are in the KDF." Nathanial raised an eyebrow, he knew the Truthsayers maintained a network both inside and outside Kaitaine, he wondered how many others like him there were but then suspected he'd be better off now knowing.
"They'll be more taking up arms" the final voice, that of
Blair MacReachtain, known as the Warrior Poet of the Bene Gesserit, a well travelled and battle hardened young lady who had dreamt of being a Truthsayer but found herself in the Missionara, that hadn't stopped her seeking out and enjoying combat in Seitch. "Give half the Missionara a chance and they'll make a stand for you" she said confidently. "As for the Achkaerin issue, I wouldn't search that at the moment, anything goes down logistically there is nothing they can do, by air there around 6,000km away, so no air strikes, their Navy ain't getting close enough to do anything so we're pissing in the wind if we believe they can help us. Beside we'd be the ones taking the risk of losing a valuable asset in the Ministries. I'd keep that tucked in the back pocket for future use." she laid out her thoughts and Erin nodded taking it on board.
"Well" Erin began to address them all, "We've been left with a simple task by Mother McKey, retake Kaitaine" a smile came to her lips as she spoke the impossible words, "Seitch is under threat, so we need to do something, either strike or get McNeill and her teams out. I'd like a plan for that in 24 hours."
"WOAH!!!" Nathanial leaned forward in his chair wondering if he had spoke right, "We can't do that with the assets that we have here in UC....Helus sake..." the words of habit slipped from his lips, "...we'd need the whole of the East Moreland Air Force to just give us a shot, and we can't act without the other Chapterhouses."
"You'll have them." There was a knock on the door, people turned as the door opened and all seemed surprised with the exception of Erin, there stood Liza McNulty, Shona Devont and Libby Morrison, the Mothers of the other Chapterhouses. "These women are going to give them me aren't you?" the 18 year old motioned to three empty seats. "Sit" an authorative voice ordered and almost instinctively the women did so. "I have you hear to witness this" she turned to her own supporters, "I am calling upon the Council of Mothers to name me as Reverned Mother, to place in me the ultimate control of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood."
"Your mad a girl can't run the Sisterhood" Shona Devont began but an icey gaze and step towards her from Erin shut her up.
"Mad....look at the fear in your eyes caused by an 18 year old girl." Erin laughed heartily "Look at the three of you, spent your lives hiding in your schools, when was the last time you took real spice, real genuine Kaitaine harvested melange" the sacred spice was in short demand, even in Kaitaine where it originated and therefore Erin knew the answer before she asked. She reached into her robe and removed a small tin box, no bigger than one holding matches. "This is the last of my spice, the Melange I made. You know where I made it....of course you do the story is legendary among the students. I am Erin McGregor, the Bene Gesserit who alone walked the desert of Kaitaine, found the wild worm and ground its shells with my bare hands" she reached her hands towards them, a feint red mark, the colour of the spice on her palms planting the sub concious seed she was working towards. "The girl who meditated in the Chapterhouse, not a Chapterhouse, THE Chapterhouse. I am the girl who knew to the letter the final words of a Mother more intelligent, more blessed and more learnered than you three put together." She had removed her Crystknife from her robes and pointed the jagged white point towards her guests, "I am the closest there has been to a real Mother in generations, I am the one who Mother McKey saw on the golden path and I have the backing of the Corrino's" she pointed at Nathanial, "Deny me and you deny the future of the Kwizach Hadrach." The three guests looked at each other in turn. "We shall allow you to discuss the wording of the announcement." she stood and left motioning for the others to follow. The oak door to her office slammed shut and the three women were left gob smacked at what they had just seen.
"Nathanial I would speak with you" Erin motioned for him to walk with her, she lead him down the corridor and into her chamber, "If I asked you to go to Seitch with me would you?" she asked, the question clearly, much as the last half an hour had took him by surprise, he thought for a moment.
"I will follow my Mother" he said after some consideration.
"Mother McKey picked well" she placed a hand on his shoulder and then reached beneath her robe, "If they say no we must ensure the KGB ambush them" she said once more shocking Nathanial as she placed a pistol in his hand. "They'd never let us go" she whispered despite no one being in the room. "The golden path must begin, I must lead it and you will walk beside me." Nathanial knew she was right, the others wouldn't dare order a rescue attempt for Seitch, they had safety, they had peace and quiet and that was a lot to risk. No-one, not even the Missionara knew what would happen if a Bene Gesserit force headed home, and it could well paint bullseyes on them all, but you had to live by the Bene Gesserit's main litany, "I shall not fear", if you have fear you wouldn't take risks, and without risks nothing would ever change.