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Jessica

Name: Jessica

AKA: Lady Jessica

Lifespan: 10,154 A.G. - 10,256 A.G.

Homeworld: Caladan (trained on Wallach IX)

Affiliation:

"What can I say about Jessica? Given the opportunity, she would attempt Voice on God."
-Gaius Helen Mohiam

Biographical Information

A Bene Gesserit trained woman, born of unnamed parents (her father being Vladimir Harkonnen and her mother Gaius Helen Mohiam), the Lady Jessica was the only concubine to Duke Leto Atreides I, and the mother of both Paul and Alia Atreides. She had been instructed by the Bene Gesserit to bear a daughter, thus continuing the breeding program, as this daughter could be wed to a Harkonnen son and the Kwisatz Haderach produced from the union, but defied the order, bearing Leto a son, as it was his wish to have an heir. The reason she did not marry Leto

Jessica of House Atreides.

I was due to his wanting to keep the other Great Houses hopeful that a nuptial might occur between one of them and him, creating an allegiance between the Houses. However, this was never to be Leto's intention, as he loved Jessica greatly, and considered her as his wife despite the implications this caused. Many asked why Leto did not simply marry her, and others may have suspected his fraud. Later in her life she became Sayyadina to the Fremen of Sietch Tabr, and took the Water of Life, as the ceremony ordered. For some time before this she had known that she carried a daughter, Alia, her second child, in her womb, but did not consider how the Water might effect her until it was too late. Alia was born fully aware, and, like her mother, had residual memories of all the Reverend Mothers that had come before her. Jessica was described as having had an "oval face" and"hair like shaded bronze ... and green eyes," these being the trademarks of her bloodline, which she would have passed to Paul and Alia.

Biography

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

Preconception

Before her conception, Jessica's mother, Gaius Helen Mohiam, had been instructed by her Sisterhood to secure the Genetic Material of Vladimir Harkonnen for the purposes of the Bene Gesserit Breeding Program. The Baron being homosexual, Mohiam was forced to blackmail him into conceiving with her. This first daughter concieved was not Jessica, but another, who, after proving genetically unsuitable, was killed. Mohiam then returned to the Baron for a second try, but he drugged and raped her viciously. In her revenge, Mohiam poisoned Vladimir, causing him to become unnaturally obese in later years. Jessica was conceived during this second communion, and was not discarded as her predecessor had been.

Early Life with the Atreides

Jessica was trained on the Bene Gesserit training world of Wallach IX, and, when she was of appropriate age, given as a concubine to Leto Atreides I, who loved her as his own wife, but did not wed her. Though instructed to bear only daughters to the Duke (a daughter could be wed to Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen), out of her love for him she bore a son, Paul Atreides, thus jeopardising the ancient Bene Gesserit breeding program. When he was fifteen years old, Paul was tested by Jessica's mother, Gaius Helen Mohiam, using a gom jabbar. He survived the test, much to Jessica's relief. Mohiam was astounded by the boy's resilience, and reported back to the Bene Gesserir, concerned that the Kwisatz Haderach may have been conceived prematurely and in an environment where he was not under their control.
The Atreides were later given charge of the ducal

Jessica, the Mother of the Mahdi on Arrakis, with several Fremen guards.

fief on Arrakis, and Jessica was to come with them. Accompanying Leto and Paul, Jessica was captured, along with her son, soon after the Atreides took control of the planet by Harkonnen forces that had launched a sneak attack. The Duke Leto was killed, along with several of their personal servants and hundreds of their men. Jessica and Paul were to be left to die in the deep desert, but were able to overpower their captors and flee, using the stillsuits and other equipment that had been left for them by Wellington Yueh, a "traitor", in the Ornithopter in which they had been traveling.

Becoming Sayyadina

Moving on foot quietly across the desert, Jessica and her son encountered a sandworm, and, fleeing from it, had to take shelter in a nearby rock outcropping. It was here that Paul beheld the shape of things to come. He saw that Jessica carried a daughter, and that he would be destined to lead the Fremen tribes of Arrakis as their religious and political leader. As their Mahdi. Paul and Jessica later encountered a group of Fremen hiding in another rock outcropping, among which was Stilgar, the Naib of Sietch Tabr, with whom, after some negotiation, they formed a pact. In return for Jessica's tuition in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, Stilgar would give them refuge in Sietch Tabr, and make them members of the tribe.
In doing so, Jessica became the Sayyadina (Reverend Mother) of the Fremen. She would later take the Water of Life, after the previous Sayyadina, Ramallo, passed away. Whilst in the water trance, Ramallo spoke with Jessica about her duties and what it meant to be a Revend Mother. She was, however, horrified when she discovered that Jessica was pregnant, and feared for the child unborn, Alia. Alia was affected by the water of life, and became conscious before birth, possessing the powers of a Reverend Mother and heightened awareness even during her first years. Never the less, she was raised by Jessica in the Sietch, and was baptised in the ways of the Fremen.

Jessica, Bound Concubine of Duke Leto Atreides.

Later Years

Jessica was not greatly involved in her son Paul's take over of the Imperium, however, she was a highly revered religious figure by that time. She did not remain on Arrakis with her son and daughter but instead stayed on Caladan for most of her son's reign, where she was suspected of sexual involvement with Gurney Halleck. Around the year 10,207 A.G., Jessica travelled to Arrakis to inspect Paul's two children, Leto and Ghanima. In secret, she intended to use the children for the purposes of the Bene Gesserit. Alia, however, launches an assassination attempt against Jessica, which she survives. Jessica then flees into the desert, taking refuge with Stilgar, an old friend. However, under orders from Alia, which he does not entirely take to heart, Duncan Idaho kidnaps Jessica, taking her to Salusa Secundus. He she is to begin training of the Prince Farad'n Corrino, who will eventually become the husband of her granddaughter, Ghanima.
Meanwhile, Alia is overthrown on Arrakis, and Leto takes control, resulting in the death of Paul. Balance is restored to the Imperium, but the terraforming process, which many Fremen had revolted against, continued. Jessica died of natural causes in the year of 10,256 A.G.*

Some three thousand years later, a flesh replica of Jessica, Irti, who was in a village on the terraformed Rakis, fell in love with a ghola of Duncan Idaho. The two had children, but after the Duncan was killed by Leto, the replacement did not continue their relationship.

Almost 1500 years later she was born as a ghola aboard the No-ship Ithaca from cells found in Tleilaxu master Scytale’s nullentrophy tube.

Lady Jessica of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.

Personality and Traits

Throughout her life, Jessica was seen as being a motherly figure, in both religious and political perspectives. To the Fremen, she represented the holy mother of their messiah, in much the same way as Mary had represented the mother of Christ to early Christians. As such, Jessica carried herself with astonishing dignity and presentness, worthy of a religious figure of her stance. She also took no chances with her safety, and though she was far from paranoid, she ordered that random, suspicious looking members of the crowd that gathered to witness her arrival on Arrakis be taken into custody.
Jessica was greatly loving to her son and Duke, but less so to her daughter (though she was treated the same) due to her apparent fear and guilt at having caused her abomination. She also feared for Paul's children, Leto and Ghanima, who she feared would take after their aunt, Alia. She later changed her opinion on the matter after Leto revealed himself to her in the guise of his other memory, Leto Atreides I, Jessica's great love.

Abilities

As a Bene Gesserit sister, Jessica possessed the usual powers of her order. She was adept at using the Voice, something she put to good use when she and her son were trapped aboard an ornithopter flown by two Harkonnen servants, who intended to dispose of them in the desert. She was able, with the help of her son, who also used the Voice, to convince the pilots to turn on each other, and then take control of the vessel. She was not, or at least, never showed, that she possessed any skill in combat or battle. After becoming a Revered Mother, Jessica was far more consciously aware, and also held the other memory of the Reverend Mothers that had come before her, giving her a great window into past experiences. She is described as having felt as though she was passing through many corridors lined with rooms during her ingestion of the Water of Life.

Quotations

When strangers meet, great allowance should be made for differences of custom and training. -The Lady Jessica, from Wisdom of Arrakis

The greatest and most important problems of life cannot be solved. They can only be outgrown.

It is not easy for some men to know they have done evil, for reasoning and honor are often clouded by pride.

There is no mystery about the source from which love draws its savage power: It comes from the flow of Life itself — a wild, torrential, outpouring that has its source in the most ancient of times...

Anything outside yourself, this you can see and apply your logic to it. But it's a human trait that when we encounter personal problems, these things most deeply personal are the most difficult to bring out for our logic to scan. We tend to flounder around, blaming everything but the actual, deep-seated thing that's really chewing on us. -Jessica to Thufir Hawat

Out of-Universe Information

The Lady Jessica was portrayed by Francesca Annis in the Dune film (1984), by Saskia Reeves in the Dune Miniseries (2000), and by Alice Krige in the Children of Dune Minseries.


Francesca Annis in Dune.	Saskia Reeves in the Dune Miniseries.	Alice Krige in the Children of Dune Minseries.

According to the dedication in "The Road to Dune", Jessica's character is modelled on that of Frank Herbert's own wife, Beverly Herbert.
In the Dune film, after taking the Water of Life, Jessica loses her hair (all Reverend Mothers are shown as being bald in the film). This is not a canonical depiction, despite some popular belief.

Appearances

In Visual Interpretations

Dune (film)
Dune (series)
Children of Dune (series)

*According to Appendix IV: The Almanak en-Ashraf (Selected Excerpts of the Noble Houses).

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Mother of the Mahdi

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