In the sprawling deserts of Arrakis, where water is more precious than spice, a new kind of conflict brews in the shadows. Elara Tuek, a figure shrouded in intrigue, has a contract that will test the mettle of even the most seasoned operatives. The target is a powerful Water Shipper, his manor a fortress of greed and paranoia, guarded by relentless spotlights and silent sentinels. This is the mission known as "Water Fat," a complex dance of stealth and survival that begins not with a blade, but with a whispered conversation in the dusty corners of Harko Village.
Elara's instructions are clear, delivered with the cold precision of a crysknife. The Water Shipper near Arrakeen must be eliminated, not through direct confrontation, but by a subtler, more insidious means: poisoning his personal water supply. She hands over a specialized poison injector, a tool that feels heavier than its weight in gold. With the contract secured, the journey begins. The operative summons an Ornithopter, the metallic wings of the craft slicing through the arid air. A press of a key brings up the world map, and the destination is marked—a formidable compound just outside the shimmering city of Arrakeen. The flight is a brief respite before the storm.
The Fortress and Its Guardians
Touching down triggers a brief transmission from Elara, a final reminder of the stakes. The manor isn't just a building; it's a labyrinth of death. High walls are patrolled by troopers with watchful eyes, while sniper nests dot the parapets, their scopes searching for any hint of movement. But the true masters of this domain are the enormous, automated reflectors. These brilliant beams of light ceaselessly scour the grounds. To be caught in their gaze is to be paralyzed, trapped, and unceremoniously dumped back at the mission's starting point—a frustrating and potentially fatal reset.
Initial Infiltration Route:
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From the spawn point, immediately identify the scaffolding on the right side of the outer wall.
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Activate Bindu Sprint or deploy the Shigawire Claw for a burst of speed and mobility.
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Use this enhanced movement to dash past the first sweeping reflector beam and reach the base of the stairs.
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Scale the wall swiftly to reach the first checkpoint, a momentary safe haven where Elara's voice crackles back to life.
She directs the operative to seek out her contact, a man named Yargun, within the compound. Finding him is a puzzle in itself. He stands brazenly on an open platform, positioned precariously between the intersecting paths of two powerful reflectors. Before any approach can be made, the area must be sanitized. Two patrolling guards block the way. A suppressed, long-range weapon is the tool of choice here; a single misplaced shot could bring the entire fortress down upon you. With the guards silently neutralized, a hurried conversation with Yargun reveals the paths forward.
The Crossroads: Steel or Shadow?
Yargun lays out two starkly different options, each with its own brutal calculus:
| Approach | Path | Risk Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Assault 🔥 | Above the platform | Extreme | A frontal push, requiring the evasion of multiple reflectors and the elimination of every guard in the path. A test of combat and reflexes. |
| Covert Infiltration 🌑 | Left, through the poppy fields | High (but recommended) | A subterranean route. Slower, but bypasses the bulk of the manor's defenses through a hidden cave network. |
The wise operative chooses the path of shadows. The recommended route leads to the left of Yargun's platform, across eerie, silent fields of poppies. Here, stealth is paramount. Reflectors continue their mechanical dance, and guards must be picked off from a distance with precise sniper fire. The goal is a tunnel intersection—a dark nook perfect for observing the patrol patterns of two spotlights. While waiting for the beams to pass, a final sentry guarding the cave entrance is eliminated. The moment the lights swing away, it's a desperate sprint into the welcoming darkness of the underground passage.
The Depths of Deceit
The cave does not offer easy passage. A sealed blast door blocks the way, requiring a cutteray to breach. For the unprepared, scraps of metal littering the floor nearby can be fashioned into a makeshift tool. Inside, the air grows thick and dangerous. Toxic gas mines are scattered like deadly fungi, forcing careful, measured steps. The tunnel forks; the correct path is to the left, leading to what initially appears to be a dead end.
This is where perception must shift from macro to micro. A close inspection of the rock wall reveals faint lines of structural weakness. The cutteray hums to life once more, carving a new path forward through solid stone. The challenges evolve—quicksand puddles now threaten to swallow the unwary. The only safe passage is to cling to the walls, stepping only on the small, stable rocks protruding from the murk.
The tunnel finally spits the operative out into another stealth zone, now deep within the manor's underbelly. The environment is familiar yet more intense: more guards, more relentless reflectors. The strategy remains: stick to the right, use the environment for cover, and eliminate threats with silent efficiency. Moving from shadow to shadow, a door is found and crossed, leading to another guarded chamber. A single trooper patrols the center. He must be dispatched quickly, creating a narrow window to dash between two synchronized reflectors and reach the next door.
The Poisoned Chalice
And then, there it is. The final chamber houses the mission's objective: the massive, ornate water container belonging to the Water Shipper himself. The air here feels still, heavy with impending revelation. As the operative approaches and interacts with the injector, a cutscene plays not as a reward, but as a twist of the knife.
The Water Shipper appears, but he is not the monster the briefing described. In his final moments, he reveals an uncomfortable truth, a piece of the puzzle that casts Elara Tuek's motives and the player's own allegiance into profound doubt. The poison takes effect. The target falls. And in that instant, the fragile silence shatters.
⏰ ALARMS BLARE! ⏰
The mission is no longer about stealth. It is about survival. Guards pour into the room, weapons raised. Engaging them is suicide. The only command is: RUN. Burst out of the chamber, turn right, and sprint across an open field, ignoring everything but the landing pad in the distance. The Ornithopter sits there, a promise of escape. Boarding it is the final, frantic action, the craft lifting off as laser fire stitches the ground below.
The return to Harko Village is quiet, the desert sun doing little to warm the chill of the newly uncovered truth. Rewards are given—credits, perhaps rare materials—but they feel hollow. A debriefing with Elara Tuek awaits, promising the "next and last" of the assassination contracts. Yet, after the revelations in the Water Shipper's manor, her words now carry a different weight. The mission "Water Fat" is complete, but the real game—the game of trust, betrayal, and survival on Arrakis—has only just begun.