Dopaq

"'We are Sardaukar. The Emperor's blades. Those who stand against us fall. We will take no prisoners, leave no survivors, and afterwards we will watch as the city burns.' — Conrad's speech at the Siege of Sumair"  Conrad Braun  (中空), was a merited Sardaukar Commander and former Sumerian soldier. Previously a child soldier under Sumerian rule, Conrad was later selected by the Sardaukar to assist in the Enki Deposition Plan, as a new recruit to the reformed 5th Legion. He later worked alongside House Corrino in their anti-Sumerian activities, but was captured and forced to undergo heavy experimentation and torture. After successfully escaping, Conrad went on to rally with Horus Corrino during the last Sumerian attempt at requiring their lands. Conrad played a large part in the reformation of the Sumerian Empire, into the what is now know as the Landsraad.

Early life and career
Conrad was born on a rainy day in Sumeria. During his youth, in the turbulent period that was the First Sumerian Rebellion, Conrad was adopted by Magnus Thorne, who named him and became his godfather after he killed the former's parents. Conrad was subsequently raised as a child soldier and later fought in the country's Civil War. He and other children were shown public executions as "moral toughening," and were given food mixed with gunpowder containing chemicals to make them more controllable.

Conrad and the other members of the unit were forced to kill POWs and civilians. On one occasion, Conrad was injected with an unknown substance during a physician's experiment. On another, Conrad witnessed Magnus demonstrate to him that blades were a "noble weapon", by slitting another soldier's throat in front of him.

Under Magnus, Conrad became a killing machine, known alternately as the "White Death" due to his incredibly high kill rate compared to other boys his age. Armed with a sword at the age of six, he proved to be a superior soldier, rising to become captain of the unit at ten. His skills with a bladed weapon, as well as his cruelty in dispatching enemies with them, was another reason for his "Death" nickname.

After the war ended, Magnus had Conrad placed in a relief center. The relief center was reluctant to put the latter into a foster family because they feared he would be too much trouble for the family.

Eventually, without Magnus' knowledge, he was later removed by the early organization of the Landsraad and taken out of country. Conrad and other surviving members of the unit then underwent extensive amounts of counseling before becoming at least outwardly stable. There, Conrad came into the hands of the Sardaukar, who taught him about controlling himself to be more effective. The Sardaukar chose him out of the other child soldiers in his unit because unlike the others, who would live up to their pasts and pay dearly for it, Conrad did not accept his past and hated it. In addition, Conrad was not listed under any databases in any government. Conrad would grow up to suppress the memories about his terrible childhood, burying the memories of his bloody past, though he still suffered from nightmares of his past nearly every night. Now living a life in the Sardaukar's hidden garrisons, Conrad joined special task force where his admirable skills were at first recognized by the 5th Legion. From there he participated in over 50 engagements, including ones against Sumerians during the longstanding Sumerian Crusades.