List of Dune Bene Gesserit - Odrade

Odrade

Darwi Odrade is an Atreides descendant introduced in Heretics of Dune (1984). Secretly the daughter of Bene Gesserit Bashar Miles Teg, Odrade's "care with details" makes her — like her father — most suited for duties related to security. The younger Reverend Mother Lucilla is a near copy of Odrade from her physical appearance to the sound of her voice; however the two women are not directly related, but are instead the products of parallel breeding lines. Though trained by the Bene Gesserit from a young age, for the first few years of her life Odrade had been raised in secret on the seacoast of Gammu by a couple she called "Mama Sibia and Papa." Odrade recalls this childhood fondly and treasures the lessons of love learned there, which she must keep forever secret from the Bene Gesserit, a "society where any form of love was suspect."

In Heretics of Dune, the "wild talents" of the Atreides bloodline that Odrade displays intermittently are what the Bene Gesserit both fear and desperately need. The suspicious — mainly Bellonda — scrutinize her continually, looking for reasons to terminate her, while Mother Superior Taraza senses that the Sisterhood needs Odrade's limited Atreides prescience to avert imminent destruction at the hands of the Honored Matres:

Taraza did not like calling up this talent in Odrade. The younger woman possessed a prescient instinct for detecting threats to the Sisterhood. It came from the wild influence in her genetic line, of course — the Atreides with their dangerous talents. There was a special mark on Odrade's breeding file: "Careful examination of all offspring." Two of those offspring had been quietly put to death. (Heretics of Dune)

Taraza tasks Odrade to take over the Bene Gesserit Keep on the planet Arrakis, and take under her protection the foundling girl Sheeana, who has the ability to control the giant sandworms which roam the desert planet. Recognizing Sheeana's value to the Sisterhood, Odrade begins training her as a Bene Gesserit acolyte. Meanwhile, an anonymous document referred to as the Atreides Manifesto surfaces, attacking all religions in the known universe except for that of the Bene Tleilax. This creates a furor with the intensely religious Tleilaxu, who have long nursed dreams of hegemony, dominating the universe with their religion. The Tleilaxu council decides to treat the Manifesto as a gift from God, and they spread it far and wide. It is later revealed that the Manifesto was in fact written by Odrade. When Taraza is killed after a showdown with the Honored Matres on Arrakis, Odrade becomes Mother Superior.

In Chapterhouse Dune (1985), Odrade is accompanied by Tamalane, Dortujla and the acolyte Suipol to meet the Great Honored Matre Dama on Junction, as Miles Teg leads a force to attack Gammu. With Gammu about to fall, the Honored Matres activate their "weapon of last resort", turning victory into defeat and holding Odrade captive. Tamalane, Dortujla, and Suipol are killed. As planned with Odrade previously, Murbella travels to Junction alone, pretending to have escaped the Bene Gesserit with their unique abilities and the location of the Bene Gesserit's hidden homeworld, Chapterhouse. Murbella is brought before the new Great Honored Matre Logno, who has Odrade standing nearby unrestrained in a gesture of contempt. Murbella provokes and kills Logno, while simultaneously the Honored Matre Elpek kills Odrade. With both of these deaths, Murbella becomes the new Mother Superior as well as Great Honored Matre, fulfilling Odrade's intentions.