Ix (Dune)
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Ix is a fictional planet featured in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. The name comes from the Roman numeral IX, because it is the ninth planet of the star Alkalurops (named Rodale according to Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Legends of Dune prequel novels). Ix specializes in the production of complex machinery which often flouts the proscriptions of the Butlerian Jihad. Ix's prime competitor is Richese, but Ix always maintains a healthy lead in technology.
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[edit] Legends of Dune
As explained in Dune: The Machine Crusade the family of the Titan Xerxes originally ruled Ix. When Tlaloc conquered the Old Empire, Xerxes took control and changed the name of the planet from Rodale IX to just Ix. After the fall of the Titans, Ix became one of the Synchronized Worlds, and was finally liberated by the Army of the Jihad in 175 B.G.
[edit] Prelude to Dune
In the Prelude to Dune novels, Ix is a beautiful planet with no development on the surface, and practically no one goes above ground. The developed part of Ix is subterranean, mainly consisting of labs and factories. They were the leader in technological production and had the monopoly on producing the starships known as heighliners. House Vernius ruled the planet, but the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX held a grudge against Earl Dominic Vernius for two reasons: Dominic had married Elrood's former concubine, Shando Balut, and Ix's new, larger heighliners negatively impacted Imperial tax revenue on cargo.
Elrood secretly granted the Tleilaxu the right to occupy Ix by force (with the help of his Sardaukar army) and remake it into a laboratory station for Project Amal. This secret project sought to produce a synthetic version of melange the Tleilaxu Master Ajidica called ajidamal, or amal. The old Emperor wanted to remove the spice monopoly by making sure that he had the only access to it, thus controlling the Spacing Guild. The Tleilaxu renamed Ix "Xuttuh" after their founder. In the year 10,156 A.G., Elrood IX was assassinated by Count Hasimir Fenring. Crown Prince Shaddam, now under the name of Shaddam IV, gave Fenring the title of Imperial Spice Minister and ordered him to supervise the project.
Although Ajidica managed to create an artificial melange that seemed to have the original's properties, it didn't work properly. The test-sandworms exploded, and Fenring's test of its use on Guild Navigators ended in catastrophe. When Duke Leto Atreides invaded Xuttuh in 10,175 A.G. and reestablished Prince Rhombur of House Vernius as the ruler of Ix, all the records of the Project Amal were destroyed.
[edit] Classic Dune series
By the time of Dune, Ix was again the leader in providing technology to the Imperium. Ixian devices are ever-present in the novels, but the society itself is unseen until later in the series.
Dune Messiah refers to the Ixian Confederacy, indicating no noble House ruled the planet at that time (or, alternately, that is has a degree of autonomous control over several other worlds, making it a Major House, rather than a Minor House). How this came about has yet to be explained.
In God Emperor of Dune, Leto Atreides II talks about his relationship with the former Ixian ambassador Malky, who had been specially raised and trained by the Ixians to be a "tempter" — the "Devil to Leto's God". The Ixians had intended for Malky to manipulate Leto into doubting his own purpose; the plan ultimately failed. They later created Hwi Noree, a female designed specifically to attract, seduce and hold influence over Leto. He sees this intent but cannot dismiss his attraction for Hwi. The Ixians have an embassy on Arrakis which is infiltrated by Tleilaxu Face Dancers, who kill and replace everyone there (except for Hwi) as part of an assassination attempt on Leto. The attempt fails, but Leto later allows himself to killed by Siona Atreides, as part of his own plan for the universe.
The Ixians had managed to keep Hwi's development a secret through the use of their new invention, the no-chamber, which contained machines that hid the people within from prescience (as Guild Navigators can do). They also also created the Navigation Device which would eventually take the place of Guild Navigators and help fuel The Scattering. Combining these two technologies later resulted in the no-ship, a starship that could remain unseen and did not require a Navigator to fold space.
By the time of Heretics of Dune the power of the Ixians seemed at its apex with their alliance with the Fish Speakers; but Bene Gesserit analysts saw them as a failing power, because Ixian society had become a bureaucracy and no great inventions had come out of the workshops of Ix for centuries. When the Honored Matres conquered the Old Empire, the Ixians were reduced to a barely tolerated technological combine.
[edit] Ixian Technology in the Dune games
[edit] Dune 2000
The Ixians are responsible for providing the technologies for the three Houses to build their unique tanks. This is done by building the Ixian Research Facility at the player's base. Once this is done, the player will be able to build either the Atreides Sonic Tank, the Harkonnen Devastator, or the Ordos Deviator. Other than that, they serve no other purpose.
[edit] Emperor: Battle for Dune
In the War of Assassins, the Ixians now play a more direct role in combat, interacting with the three Houses as trading partners. An alliance with House Ix can be forged by aiding them in various missions, providing that the player doesn't ally with the Tleilaxu first, as the two are bitter enemies.
Once allied, the Ixians will provide the player with units built from the House of Ix. These include the Infiltrator (a stealthed mobile kamikaze unit that reveals cloaked enemy units when it detonates), and the Projector Tank (fast hover tank with light mounted cannon, which when deployed, is able to project holographic images of the player's troops that provides realistic damage, yet disintegrates harmlessly on impact).
The Ixians have also been known to be victims of the Bene Tleilax forces on Arrakis, having dead Ixians harvested for use in their Flesh Vats. There's also a mission involving a Suboid (lower class) revolt on an Ixian research facility that parallels the revolution in Vernii, Ix mentioned in Dune: House Atreides, with the Tleilaxu being the aggravators of the Suboid revolt. The Suboids were later killed by the Tleilaxu after their takeover despite being the latter being their "friends".
