On Giedi Prime, the furious Baron Harkonnen shouts at the captain of his guards, Iakin Nefud, who is high on drugs. Two years have passed since Nefud first arrived on Arrakis following the death of Duke Leto. The Baron is furious that one of his sex slaves was hiding a poisoned needle beneath a skin mark. Feyd-Rautha arrives, and the Baron leads his nephew into his chambers. There, Feyd-Rautha confesses to the assassination attempt as well as the incident in the gladiatorial arena. He accepts the Baron’s punishment: He will not die, but Hawat must watch over him every moment. The Baron is confident that he can control the former Atreides Mentat, though he is aware that he must keep Feyd-Rautha alive as his nephew is his only heir. While Feyd-Rautha is busy imagining himself as Emperor, the Baron issues one final punishment: He must kill all the female sex slaves. Feyd-Rautha accepts and dreams of a day when his uncle is no longer alive.

Hawat meets with the Baron, who asks him about Salusa Secundus, a prison planet that is used to breed the elite Sardaukar warriors. Although Hawat loathes the Baron and wants to kill him, he adopts a businesslike attitude to their interactions.