This post, the final of Dune’s 20th anniversary will focus on the Emperors mobile palace, but first a correction. Previously I said that we don’t get a clear view of Jim Bandsuh’s wide, unfixed wing Ornithopter, on my third rewatch I realised that this design is not only in the third part, but appears at the end of part one, although brief we get some close-ups which I have included in today’s images.

 

Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV doesn’t take a spaceship full of luxuries, when visiting worlds in his domain, instead he takes a Palace. Using a Starship Lighter, that envelops the building acting as a protective surface, with the addition of wings required to land it. Arriving at a planet with a fleet of Heighliners the Emperor make sure that all locals realise, who is in charge with his gold and blue Palace dominating the landscape. Bringing the Palace means that the royal household does not need to walk on foreign ground, with the local leaders required to come to them, on their terms. Even on the ground the Palace is far beyond a standard building, equipped with shields in case the local population decided to disagree with the leadership. At the end of the visit the Starship Lighter, returns from the planets orbit, re-envelops the Palace returning to space, where it and the Fleet of Heighliners either go to their next destination or return to the Royal Household home.