Inside the Freemen rock chamber, Naib Sharnak judges Vorian Atreides and Griffin Harkonnen after Ishanti’s death. Sharnak blames Vorian most heavily for bringing danger to the tribe, while Griffin admits regret for pursuing the blood feud that led him into the desert.

Sharnak throws two knives onto the floor and orders Vorian and Griffin to settle their feud by combat, promising death if they refuse. Vorian tries to avoid the fight and bargains for safe passage for the winner; Sharnak grudgingly agrees, though the tribe clearly wants blood for Ishanti.

Griffin attacks with unexpected skill, while Vorian fights defensively and tries not to kill him. During the duel, Griffin reveals that he went to Kepler and saw Vorian’s wife, Mariella, at her funeral. The revelation shocks Vorian, allowing Griffin to wound him and pin him with a blade at his throat.

Instead of killing Vorian, Griffin decides that revenge will not restore House Harkonnen’s honor. Griffin casts the knife aside and declares the feud over, asserting responsibility for his own choices rather than continuing inherited hatred.

Sharnak then shifts the charge from the blood feud to water theft, sentencing both men to death for the water Griffin stole. Vorian offers all the water chits he earned on the spice crew, enough to repay far more than the stolen amount. Sharnak accepts for Ishanti’s sake, not out of mercy, and orders Vorian and Griffin exiled to a distant weather-monitoring station where they can call for help.