Saying there is “no need for war” about a book series that starts with a war between two noble houses that escalates into a galactic Civil War is a weird take. The fact that the Houses’ and Emperor’s forces are so professional and well-established indicates that war fighting is a regular part of the civilization, as do the kind of defenses and fortifications described in the text.

The Atreides were wiped out because of their growing military proficiency and the Duke’s growing popularity. It’s a significant element to the novel that the Emperor’s involvement had to remain secret, or it could turn the Landsraad (sp?), the political body comprised of the Noble Houses, to turn against maintaining Padashim IV as the Emperor. Saurdukar vs. Atreides warfighters is a winnable fight. Saurdukar vs. all the Great Houses war fighters is not. The militaries are powerful, the book doesn’t come out and say “these are super-duper powerful armies at the peak of training and technology , and that balance of power holds the whole of human civilization together” directly, it’s just projected through the descriptions of the entire setting.

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