"Before the sandworm became extinct, the Empire had a great empire. They founded a city on the desert and made it a great metropolis. They developed a great Shipbuilding Yards, and manufactured all sorts of materials for their siege engines and warships. They ruled the desert for centuries. But when the worms came, the Empire was overthrown and the desert was leveled. The sandworm was gone, and so were the benefits the Empire had enjoyed."
Paul Atreides