Well, young pup, you once asked why the Imperium, for all of its power, doesn’t simply wipe out all smugglers on Arrakis. Truth is, we are part of this intricate ecosystem, bound in a complex web of agreements, bribes, and threats. Inevitably, someone in power requires something not ever meant to be listed on a manifest — weapons, vehicles, narcotics, wildlife, and things even more exotic.

Sometimes those above need spice to flow down alternative channels. We work for neither the Harkonnen nor the Atreides. Their War of Assassins comes with many strictures. Where there is any restriction of commerce, there are always those who will carve a niche for themselves, circumventing those annoying boundaries choking the trade.

Why doesn’t the Imperium wipe us out? In our own peculiar way, we work for the Imperium. Just don’t tell some of your fellows out there. Kills the romance.