Leto Atreides I

Born on Caladan to Duke Paulus Atreides and Lady Helena Atreides (née Richese), Leto claimed Atreides, Richese and Corrino heritage: the former through his father, and the latter two through his mother.

Paulus educated Leto with methods which Helena disagreed; Leto worked with villagers (had spent a month working in the pundi rice fields) and socialized with citizens and commoners.

When he was 14 years old he was sent for a formal education on Ix, where he became friends with Rhombur Vernius and met his sister. There he underwent hours of high-tech physical and mental training, with added time for tours of technological facilities and instruction in business philosophy. To complete his physical training, every third morning, the friends worked out on the automated training floor under master Zhaz.

It was the growing astuteness of Leto that caused him to observe the growing discontent of the lowest class of Ixian workers, the suboids. Leto observed while walking incognito amongst them, their growing discontent with Ixian flirtations with producing robotic items which might break the law on Thinking Machines. This malcontent boiled over when the suboids were prompted into revolution during the Tleilaxu invasion of Ix at the start of Project Amal. Leto, Kailea, and Rhombur were able to leave the planet in an escape rocket; almost losing their lives.

Just a short time later, Leto became Duke when his father was killed by a drugged Salusan bull during a bull-fighting event. Leto later discovered his mother's (Lady Helena Atreides) involvement in the incident, and exiled her to Caladan's Eastern Continent, to join the religous group, the Sisters in Isolation, and live in solitude in their Abbey.

Leto was known for his steady hand, and for always speaking his mind when it came to the truth. Leto insisted on testifying on behalf of House Vernius in front of the Landsraad, after being in office for only a short time. His staunch defense of the deposed house caught the attention of many noblemen, who were intrigued by the young man's honesty.

On the return trip home to Caladan from Kaitain, Leto was caught in Harkonnen treachery. The Harkonnen used their secret technological device, a no-ship; to fire on, and destroy a Tleilaxu vessel inside of a Guild Heighliner, making it appear that an Atreides vessel had done the deed. Once accused, Leto protesting his innocence, demanded a Trial by Forfeiture in front of the Landsraad.

Leto traveled by to Kaitain again to face his Tleilaxu accusers in front of the entire Imperium. Unbeknownst to him, the Bene Gesserit had delivered to then Crown Prince Shaddam Corrino IV a forged note supoposedly from Leto himself. The note talked about Leto's knowledge of House Corrino's Project Amal plan, their house's attempt to create synthetic melange, to break the spice monopoly. In actuality, Leto knew nothing of Project Amal; nor did he know of Shaddam's growing fear of Leto "spilling the beans".

As Leto faced the entire congress of nobility, and watched with fear as the Lansraad was just about to pronounce judgment against him, the Crown Prince strode to the podium. Shaddam announced to the entire assemblage that he wanted to start his reign with the "noble House Ateides" intact, and that Leto's reputation was impeccable. Shaddam gave his personal knife, what has come to be known as the Emperor's Blade, as a gift to Leto, and encouraged the Landsraad to confirm Leto's innocence, which they did, much to the dismay of the Tleilaxu and House Harkonnen.

Leto returned home to Caladan, exonorated and innocent, but with Kailea and Rhombus Vernius, still exiled and dishonored. Leto felt pity for the beautiful Kailea, and decided to give in to her sincere desire to have children, and fell in love with her. After a year, she conceived a child, and Victor Atreides was born. Leto loved Victor as any father would, but due to the disadvantage that House Vernius was in Empire-wide, refused to make him his ducal heir.

After just a few short years, this caused bitterness to well up within Kailea, and as she listened to her secret Harkonnen agent Chiara, she began plotting the demise of Leto. She believed that if Leto was dead, then House Atreides could be claimed by Victor, with herself as Regent. She arranged to have a bomb planted aboard the skyclipper airship that Rhombur, Victor, and Leto, were using to peruse and visit the Caladanian countryside on the planet's Western Continent. As the bomb went off, it was Victor that was killed, Rhombur horribly maimed, and Leto survived relatively unscathed. Kailea committed suicide by jumping off the balcony of Castle Caladan.

After the failed relationship with Kailea, Leto entered into a lasting relationship with a Bene Gesserit acolyte named Jessica who, after entering into the Atreides household, was bestowed the title of Lady. Jessica's instructions from the Bene Gesserit were to bear a daughter, so that when she reached maturity she would mate with the Harkonnen heir. The purpose of this was twofold, one reason obvious, the other, known only to the Bene Gesserit: to end the feud between the two Great Houses, and to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. Unfortunately for the Bene Gesserit, Jessica fell in love with Leto, and succumbed to his wishes to sire a son, Paul. Unfortunately for Leto, however, the same characteristics for which Jessica fell in love, would ultimately prove to be a liability.

Despite falling in love with Jessica himself, and despite the fact that she did indeed bear him his beloved son, Leto never married Jessica. However, his refusal to marry Jessica was not out of snobbery; Leto's refusal to marry was driven by his astute political insticts. Leto had developed a reputation among the other Great Houses and had become very popular in the Landsraad. While he remained single he ensured that House Atreides was open to political alliance with those other Houses.

Until the time Paul was twelve, there simply was no political benefit to Leto getting married. As the shadow of hatred grew between House Moritani and House Ecaz, Leto saw an opportunity to cement relations between himself and Ecaz. Leto decided to marry Archuduke Armand Ecaz's daughter, Ilesa Ecaz, as a way of furthering himself in the Imperial congress. Tensions rose between Jessica and Leto, especially when Paul accompanied Leto off-world to to the Ecaz homeworld, to the betrothal ceremony of Leto and Ilesa.

When the time of the marriage ceremony between Ilesa and Leto came around, the entire planet of Caladan was excited about the prospect of the duke marrying. Cala City was decked out in full display, as nobility from off-world arrived for the ceremony. Sadly, Hundro Moritani, leader of House Moritani, self-exiled on Grumman; used Leto's wedding to Ilesa as a springboard to begin the War of Assassins of 10,187 AG. Using sharp, hexagonal flying daggers as murderous weapons disguised on flower pots, they self-activated activated their manuevering ability as Ilesa was being presented down the aisle by her father, the Archduke. Leto, Paul, and Jessica, emerged unscathed from vicious attack; but Ilesa lost her life, as her personal bodyguard, Whitmore Bludd, hesitated throwing his body in front of her as the blades swept downward.

Truly grieved by Ilesa's death, Leto was even more dedicated to defeating House Moritani, and pledged the full might of the Atreides family against Grumman, Moritani's home planet. As House Atreides attacked the Grumman forces, with Ecazi re-inforcements, it seemed evident that Ritka, capital of Grumman would soon fall Leto's and Armand's forces. As a way of acting as "the peacemaker", the Emperor Shaddam himself, arrived with Sardaukar in tow, to end the War, and to enforce the cease-fire.

Hundro announced that he had all of the great pawns in the place where he wanted them. Leto, Armand, Shaddam, and even secretly, Rabban was there, fighting for and incognito House Harkonnen. Hundro announced that House Moritani was descended from disgraced House Tantor, whom had blown up Salusa Secundus almost 10,000 years earlier. He then told the entire delegation that he was going to kill himself, and all nobles and armies present, with the atomics stockpiled by his House. However, the Viscount's bodyguard, Hiih Resser, had decided to disobey Hundro, and had never set the charges to the detonators on the nuclear devices.

Leto returned to Caladan with Paul even more decided to not to marry, and looked towards opening up other venues of unity within the Imperium. Given the intense hatred that existed between House Atreides and the House Harkonnen, to remain open and seem agreeable to an alliance, was considered a significant tactical advantage; as it enabled Leto to hedge his bets. This political acumen, while it won him many fans in the Imperium, also inspired the jealousy of the Emperor. He was deemed a threat by Shaddam Corrino IV, who decided to use the long established animosity between House Harkonnen and House Atreides to dispose of this troublesome Duke, and of House Atreides altogether.