Colonel Robert 'Robbie' Collins, Aurora, Asgard Core Room

It took a day and a half to use the Asgard matter-energy replication technology to build the parts for the communications hub, then time was spent getting all the parts together, ensuring the hub would survive falling into the ocean without harming the delicate technology within the reinforced shell, to record a message and then to transfer that message into the hard-drive within the hub. After it was beamed off the ship, Robbie remained in the Asgard Core room waiting for any sign that Alayne would be alive. His heart was racing at the thought that his cousin could be hurt, or worse.

'No, don't think that,' Robbie thought to himself as a holographic version of the planet below was floating just above the waist level table in the middle of the room. They were watching a real-time view of the planet while he slowly walked around the table for the next few minutes; his eyes locked on the planet. He could see the wisps of clouds moving over the largest continent on the planet below his eyes shifted towards the other continent which was much smaller. His eyes then went to the blinking blue dot which indicated the location just over the ocean between the smaller and larger continent where the communication hub was beamed.

Walking counter-clockwise now, Robbie glanced at his watch which showed nearly three minutes having passed since the hub was beamed to the planet. He came to a stop suddenly when Dr. Fitzgerald, who was hunched over a monitor behind him, called out "Colonel!" before turning and hurrying over to the hologram. Robbie looked on as the man came to a stop next to him before the latter said, "sensors have picked up a disintegrating plasma beam in high orbit."

His heart was racing now as the hologram zoomed in towards a section of the smaller continent. A weight seemed to have lifted off his shoulders when a red circle highlighted an orange glow which soon vanished.

"Show it again," Robbie commanded before the orbit of the holographic planet reversed back a second… just enough to highlight the orange glow. As Robbie stared at the glow, he could hear Fitzgerald on his left explaining that all sensor readings indicated the glow was from an already weakened plasma burst from an Arrow Fighter-Interceptor.

Fitzgerald then added, "the burst must have penetrated the disruption field before being dissipated; that's the only way our sensors could have detected it."

Robbie stared at the glow while saying, "which means Alayne is still alive, that she received our message, and that her Arrow is still functional." He released a sighed of relief as he leaned forward with his hands resting on the top of the glowing table, "that's great news." He sighed in relief once again before saying, "is there any way to establish communications?"

"We're still unable to contact the surface," Fitzgerald said, "we've been trying for the past day and a half. We've even tried old-school UHF and low-frequency bands… still no luck. We've even tried morse code… nothing's going through that field."

Robbie knew the lack of any way to effectively communicate – in other words, real time communications – was worrying. However, the most likely fact that Alayne was alive alleviated a lot of the worry. Since Alayne still had access to the Arrow, Robbie was hopeful she would be able to use the on-board equipment to locate a Stargate.

"Doc," Robbie said as he stared at the Hologram, "if Alayne had access to her Arrow, shouldn't she have been able to find a Stargate by now?"

"Yes," Fitzgerald replied before he looked at the hologram while deep in thought. A few seconds later, he continued, "unless the Stargate has been disconnected from the DHD for an extended period of time." He turned his head towards Robbie and continued, "the DHD provides a constant power source which helps in dialling the Stargate. But if the DHD is not connected, the Stargate should still contain power thanks to the naqudah; the only issue then is that the Gate needs to be dialled by hand." Fitzgerald then sighed before saying, "but if the Stargate's been disconnected from the DHD for a very long time… say thousands of years… then its most likely the sensors on the Arrow could not detect the residual power given off by the Stargate."

Robbie nodded his head before saying, "and the Arrow should be able to detect it."

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

Sighing, Robbie then said, "get me the SGC and Homeworld Command; they need to know what's going on."

It would be several minutes later that Robbie received updated orders from both General Samantha Carter at the SGC and General Hank Landry at Homeworld Command. The both of them were also able to express their relief with the very good possibility Alayne was alive and that her Arrow was functional. However, the problem was not being able to send any help down to the planet since no one knew Alayne's exact location and the fact that it was likely no one would be able to leave the planet because of the disruption field. Robbie was ordered to send all data on the planet's location to the SGC so that they could extrapolate a Stargate address using any star constellations. He was also ordered to spend the next forty-eight hours scanning the planet below before leaving orbit for Earth.

"Just orbiting the planet would help no one, Colonel," General Carter had said as Robbie frowned at her with his arms folded over his chest, "so far all scans haven't given any new actionable information, right?"

"That's right, ma'am," Robbie said with much reluctance.

"We're not stopping analysing the data," General Landry added, "whatever you scan over the next forty-eight hours will be examined, especially the disruption field. In the meantime, we still have the Brotherhood to deal with, so collect as much information as possible and then get back. I'll have a scout ship continue scanning the planet."

"Sir...," Robbie said as he stared at Landry, "but…"

"We still have the Brotherhood to deal with, Colonel," he replied, "and we're not leaving Captain Alayne behind. All of our scout ships have the latest sensor packages equal to a BSC class so if she manages to get a message through, the scout ship will receive it."

Robbie sighed and nodded his head, "Alright, Sir." He didn't like the thought of leaving the search for Alayne to another ship, but Robbie knew General Landry was correct. The Brotherhood was a threat and they were still out there in the galaxy somewhere.

'There has to be a way to contact you, Alayne,' Robbie thought to himself, 'there has to be.'

Alayne

The Sparrow banked left while Alayne watched the plasma beam travel out of her sight when suddenly there was a loud humming sound coming from all around her. She looked around in confusion wondering where the strange sound was coming from while Arya yelled out though the radio asking for an explanation of what just happened.

"What was that light, Alayne?" Arya had asked. Before Alayne could answer, there was a sudden hard jolt that forced Alayne to jerk the plane right, while the harness holding her against the seat dug into her flight suit. Suddenly, there was another hard jolt that forced a loud yelp from Alayne as the plane swerved right just before it suddenly started to shake. Alayne knew Arya was referring to the plasma beam, but she was concentrating on this surprising new development. The shaking was so bad that it felt as if the plane was going to tear itself apart while over the Northern group below. Alayne banked the fighter-interceptor towards the West, and then the North. The shaking got even worse and now there were wisps of smoke rising from the control panels around her.

"Alayne!" Arya yelled through the helmet radio, "we can see smoke! Are you safe? What is happening? Why are you not answering?"

'Smoke?' Alayne thought to herself as she tried to steady the plane just before there was another hard jolt that forced Alayne to hit the back of her helmet against the seat.

"WARNING! WARNING!" Alayne looked around in shocked surprise at the cockpit controls as the shrill computerized voice rang out: all the lights were blinking rapidly, there were also sparks erupting from behind some of the consoles along with the rise of darker and darker smoke. The fighter-interceptor was continuing to shake before the computerized voice rang out once again, "Power core compromised! Power core compromised!" The screens in front of her were showing an outline of the Sparrow with red colours outlining the engines, the power core, and the wings. The red outlines were blinking as the shaking got worse while Alayne continued North away from the group of Northerners down below.

"Eject! Eject! Eject! Catastrophic overload imminent! Eject! Eject! Eject!"

Not wanting to take any chances, Alayne could only watch as the cockpit filled with dark grey smoke while more and more sparks were erupting all over the consoles. She reached for the ejection mechanisms on either side of the seat and pulled. And then there was a loud SCRREEEECH! And then a hard jolt that reverberated through her whole body. The belts securing her to the seat dug into her flight suit as small thrusters at the bottom of her seat expelled her out of the cockpit and several hundreds of feet into the air just as there was a bright light flashing beneath her followed by a loud before a bright light and loud BOOM!

Alayne listened to her own breathing with the full helmet protecting her against the rush of wind against her as she continued to rise above the fireball just below her. She could feel the heat while the back of her helmet pressed against the brace around the headrest. Once the seat was not rising higher, she felt a sense of weightlessness before she started to fall down towards the ground. She looked down and across at the dissipating ball of fire as debris of various sized began making their way towards the ground. She felt most of the restraints loosen automatically before the seat fell from under her and made its way down towards the ground; in the meantime, she could feel the seat back and the cushion still attached to her just as it was designed to do in an emergency.

A few seconds later, she felt the parachute open automatically. Her body jerked once it was fully deployed while speaking through her radio in the helmet, "Arya? Arya? Can you hear me?" There was nothing. Not even any static. It was strange since the helmet had its own transceiver independent from the communications equipment on the Sparrow. "Arya?" She grabbed one of the steering lines and pulled left until she was facing the Northern group on the ground.

"Arya?" Alayne spoke into her radio once again. There was still no response. Sighing, Alayne turned her chute around and watched as the debris fell towards the ground, she noted the general area where they landed with trails of smoke indicating their locations.

Alayne needed to know what happened, she hoped that the black box or the central computer was intact from the explosion. She needed to know what happened, after all she had been flying for some time without incident. There was only a reaction when she fired the plasma beam into the air, and it did not make much sense for there to be a planet-wide defence system that would respond to a firing of a plasma beam into the air.

'I did fire the plasma bursts from the Sparrow last night,' Alayne thought as she continued floating down towards the ground. First though, she needed to land; and then she could think about what happened and why. As it was, she needed to control the parachute so that she could get as close as possible to the Northern group on the ground. She would need them now, especially since this wasn't her world, she was alone, and there was safety in a group. She knew the cushions attached to her back were filled with medical supplies, some protein bars, location and communication equipment. The final items of equipment were a couple of small arms, a redesigned variant of the Kull armour which was lightweight and flexible, along with two plasma repeaters for self-defence.

All Alayne could do now was wait to land.

Arya, a few minutes earlier.

Arya, Robb, and Catelyn were among the Northern Host watching as smoke suddenly erupted from the tail end of Alayne's flying machine. By now, most of the camp was awake from the message received through the radio Arya was holding. The message apparently sent to Alayne by this Colonel Robbie Collins had the ones awake and listening in awe. The repeating of the message woke up even more Northerners who then listened to the message wondering how this message was being sent and from where. The voice was definitely male and had an accent similar to Alayne's; in fact it was similar to a Northern accent.

It would be moments later that there was a roar in the sky; a roar that had everyone look up while Arya called out for Alayne through the radio. There was a part of herself that was hurt when Alayne responded in a curt voice saying that she was calculating something. She looked at Robb, who was also confused and whispered to himself "What does she mean calculating?" Arya didn't have an answer as she then looked at her mother also looking up in the aky as the aircraft shot higher and higher into the sky. The machine was smaller now, but it was still visible.

"What the fuck?" Arya turned her head towards the Hound who was still in his armour and looking up alongside Dacey. Arya slowly stood up before looking around at many of the Northerners – at least those awake – looking up at the wky just before there was a loud collectinve gasp. Arya quickly tuned and looked back up at the sky as a beam of bright yellow light flew higher and higher into the sky while Alayne's machine flew away in a different direction.

Since she had not seen what happened, Arya looked to her brother who was in complete shock while her mother – shocked as well – turned her head and whispered, "that… that thing shot out a yellow lance of light into the sky."

Arya was staring at the machine as it flew while raising the radio to her lips. She had so many questions in her mind; she knew Robb and her mother had many questions as well. She was certain the entire Host had many questions. And her first question was to ask what had just happened… what was the beam of light and why it was needed. But before she could ask anything, Arya saw dark smoke coming out from the tail of the machine.

"What? Why is there smoke?" Dacey, standing still, asked as she stared up while standing next to Catelyn. It was then that the machine started to act erratically as it made sudden movement to the left and right before turning around and heading South. And suddenly it made another turn - as more smoke seemed to pour out from the tail – towards the North. Arya watched the machine fly away – her heart beating fast in worry for what was happening to Alayne – before two things happened in quick succession. Arya saw something shoot out for the 'head' of the machine before there was a bright red and orange ball of fire in the sky – followed soon by a loud BOOM. She heard many in the Host yelling out in shock; Arya looked towards her mother who had her hands covering her mouth in utter shock while Robb could only open his mouth and eyes wide. Dacey was stunned as well while – upon turning towards the Hound – Arya saw him stare in fear at the fireball.

"Alayne," Arya whispered as she looked back up at location of the dissipating fireball. She could see pieces of the machine falling towards the ground – dark grey smoke trailer behind the pieces – and her eyes searched for the object she had seen just before the fireball. She brought the radio to her lips and yelled, "Alayne!"

There was only a screeching sound from the device in her hand. Arya yelled again, "Alayne!" Still nothing from Alayne as Catelyn sniffled. Arya knew she had seen something leave the 'head' of the machine, and she made it known to the others.

"I didn't see anything, Arya," Robb whispered as he looked up the cloud of dark grey smoke – all that remained of the fireball – which was dissipating. Catelyn whispered, in a sad voice, that she had seen anything either except for the explosion. The Hound, Dacey, and many of the men around were saying the same thing while Arya was searching the clear sky with her eyes.

And suddenly she held her breath upon pointing up at the sky when a dark grey coloured cloth… at least it seemed like cloth… Arya couldn't really make out the dark grey object from this distance. But whatever it was, she could just barely make out a figure tied underneath the dark coloured object floating down towards the earth.

'Alayne?' Arya thought to herself before speaking into the radio, "Alayne?"

BY now, most of the Northern Host was able to make out the grey coloured object that was floating – not falling but floating – down. The dark grey coloured object and the figure below was only a speck for now, but Arya believed the figure would be getting larger as she got closer. It was surprising to Arya – she thought people would fall instead of float down towards the ground – as she waited for any answer from Alayne.

But there was no answer as Arya looked on. No answer at all.

She watched with a mixture of awe and anxiety as the grey cloth move in a wide half circle stopping away from them. It seemed as if the object was moving further away before it made another half-circle. The cloth was coming towards them! As Arya stared up at the sky, there was the sound of yelling in the rear of their group. Arya and the others turned around as several soldiers began running about here and there; few were coming towards them while others were rushing away from them and towards the direction of the tree line and the bank of the Trident River.

Arya wondered what was happening, 'are they running away like cowards? Just because of that fireball in the sky? Or…' Before Arya could finish her thoughts, one of the soldiers yelled out at Robb.

"Your Grace! Lord Bolton has escaped!"

Arya's heart raced while Dacey snarled at the man before demanding to know how Bolton could have escaped when he was surrounded.

"Everyone was staring at…" the man then pointed at the sky before continuing, "he must have had a knife on his person and was waiting for the best time to act."

"I searched him when we made camp, your Grace," Dacey said looking at Robb, "he did not have anything on him."

"Which means there could be a traitor among us," Robb growled in anger before yelling out, "find the traitor Roose Bolton and return him alive." He then looked at Dacey whose face was red with anger, "take a force of men with you. Find him, Dacey."

"Dead or alive, your Grace?" Dacey asked.

"Alive, there are answers I need and he has them," Robb replied.

Dacey nodded at Robb before she turned around and rushed towards a horse in the distance while yelling at several others to follow her. Arya watched Dacey rush off before turning towards the sky where the dark grey cloth was closer – it was a rather large cloth that seemed to hang in the air. She could already make out Alayne hanging beneath it as she made their way down to the ground.

Arya looked back towards Dacey getting on a horse before she and several others galloped off.

"Bolton will be found, Arya… Mother," Robb said as he turned his head from Arya to Catelyn before he too turned and looked towards the sky, "and soon, after we find shelter in Greywater Watch, we will plan our next moves."

"Do you think Alayne will be able to help us without the flying machine?" Arya asked.

"Yes," Robb answered. Arya noted the confidence in his voice as he continued, "and she'll help us save Sansa. I know it."

Roose

It had taken him the entire night since the incident at the Twins to come up with an escape plan, he only needed the right time. And the right time had come when that woman who looked as if she was a twin of Sansa Stark died in the sky. That whole incident involving the fireball in the sky caused by a flying machine was really something to think about in regards to Alayne's claims of being from another world; Roose simply didn't have the time. While everyone was staring up at the sky like dogs being distracted by something shiny, it was relatively easy to dislocate his left thumb before slipping his wrist through one of the bindings, and then he snapped his thump back into position which was a painful act. He then quickly untied the bindings around his ankles – bindings which were done when it was dark – and stood up cautiously. There were Northerners around him, but the fools continued staring up at the sky without paying attention to him.

Bolton got up and raced as fast as his legs could take him. He wanted to make it towards the tree line in the distance; but knew it was only a matter of time before anyone would realize he was gone. He ignored the raging fire in the sky as he passed whispering Northerners and he would have been clear if he hadn't slightly bumped one of the men; a Mormont if he wasn't mistaken.

'Shit!'

"Hey!"

"Call the King!"

"Horses!"

"Get him!"

"For the North!"

Bolton didn't want to look behind. He pushed the pain from the dislocation of his thumb aside and continued running. He could hear the thuds of boots on the ground from behind him before he looked over his shoulder. They were close on foot, and he was only a few minutes in front of them. Turning his head back towards the front, Bolton stared at the trees in the distance.

'No,' Bolton realised it would be a mistake going for the trees. He shifted the direction of his run towards the bank of the river where the light of the day reflected off its surface in the distance. He could only just make it; that is if the riders didn't take too long. But he knew riders could not be outrun; he still had to try. A Bolton would not fall to a Stark once again.

Bolton ran as fast as he could. The currents of the river were heading in the direction of the twins and the water was deep enough that men in armour would struggle to move while the horses would be extra cautious. He wasn't wearing his armour or chainmail any longer; they were confiscated the previous night after making camp. So, all Bolton needed to do was get onto the other side of the river. The other Northmen could follow, but it would take them more time than it was worth to cross the deep waters of the Trident.

'One chance… only one chance.'

They were closer to the river so that it was easier to get water or to take a quick bath; it was the Northerners mistake. Bolton would chuckle at their stupidity when he was safe at the Twins since there was no bridge between the two opposite banks before or after the Twins. He knew he would be clear. He could feel it in his bones.

Suddenly he could hear the neighs of horses in the distance.

'No!' Bolton thought to himself. He was close. He could already see the water which was rushing towards the Twins in the distance. Bolton looked over his shoulders and there were many dozens of men chasing after him with several horses making their way through the crowd of people. He looked back at the water and pushed his legs harder and faster. He was close.

So close.

"Bolton! You bastard!"

Bolton could smell the river water already. But he wasn't close enough to jump in. He ran faster than he ever had.

The sounds of hooves were closer now.

"He's mine!" a woman's voice yelled out.

'The Mormont girl… Maege's daughter,' Bolton thought when the river was close enough. He would have to leap. Bolton readied himself… he would leap in three more steps. And just as he was about to leap… just as he could take in the sight of the muddy bank… he heard a scream from behind before there was a hard thud to the back of his head. As he fell forward onto the grass, his face landed sides onto the cool mud of the river bank. As his eyes stared to close, he saw the leather of a riding boot stepping down into the mud next to him.

"After the King is done with you, you're mine," Dacey's voice rang in his ear before losing consciousness.

Melisandre

On the ship heading towards East Watch by the Sea, Melisandre could sense Stannis was still sleeping in his chambers. She remained in her own chambers staring at the fires for any signs of good fortune in the on-coming war against the dead… the only war that mattered. She could sense Selyse in her own chambers praying while young Shireen was reading a book. Melisandre's mind refocused on the fire she was facing in her own chambers. It was moments ago that she had suddenly awakened from a short nap, there was a feeling around herself she could not determine. It was strange, as if there was a weight settling down onto her chest.

The red-haired woman stared into the contained fire to the left of her room and prayed that the Lord of Light would give her some sign of why she felt uneasy. However, all she continued seeing were visions of the Wall, a blue winter rose, a winged wolf, the fall of a great falcon, and snow falling onto frozen ice covered ground. She continued to pray as figures in tattered clothes with glowing blue eyes were walking on snow and ice; she knew these were the dead. She had seen these visions before, but they did not make her feel this uneasy.

She continued praying, begging the Lord of Light for more visions. But her payers went unanswered; feeling the heat from the fire rising, the Red Woman quickly stepped back as the fire rose high into the air. It turned into an inferno that nearly reached the wooden ceiling of her chambers. The fire was intense, and from it she heard a growling voice among distant screams and loud thunderous sounds.

"The Library!"

And then, just as suddenly, the heat was gone and he fire extinguished itself. Melisandre was left panting as she stared at the spot where the raging inferno had been roaring. Now all that was left were scorch marks on the floor and the section of roofing over it.

'The library,' Melisandre thought to herself, 'what library?'

TBC