Cienna was a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother in the council of Mother Superior Harishka, during the events of the Prelude to Dune series. She was described as a very beautiful woman, with a heart-shapped face, whose beauty had cheated the hearts of many men. Cienna agreed to give the no-ship to Duke Leto Atreides from Caladan when he required it for his expedition on Ix, arguing that he was an honorable man, as his father and grandfather. She also defended the actions taken by the Duke's army concerning the destruction of the War Memorial at the Senasar plateau, claiming that the memorial belonged to him. Her opinion was refuted by Reverend Mother Lanali and Cristane, who agreed that the no-ship was a terrible weapon to be shared with any Landsraad nobleman.