Anne

"Okay I did most of the setup just place your finger here," Anne said. "Hold it…Perfect. Congratulations, Daenerys you are now the proud owner of your own MoCom."

Anne smiled making a quiet clapping gesture as Daenerys held the transparent mobile device in her hand delicately as the screen came alive with the touch of her finger. She inspected it with a certain skepticism like a friend being served unfamiliar food they were not yet sure they would like. It was somewhat amusing to Anne, that most children of Daenerys age would be bouncing off the walls to receive a MoCom, and modern parents shied away from giving their children access to computers until they were older. Though in a world without much in the way of technology, Daenerys had virtually no connection to the machine.

"It moves when I touch it," Daenerys said. "I feel like I am doing a spell."

"There's an old saying that magic and technology are the same thing depending on your perspective. Wanna try taking a picture?"

That caught Daenerys attention, she had caught Anne taking pictures and recording video at first concerned for her wellness seeing her talk to herself. When Anne showed her that MoComs could capture moments in time and show them back to you, Daenerys seemed impressed. After slowly scrolling through the options like an old woman, Daenerys found the camera application.

"You just point it at what you want to take a picture of and press that button or hold your finger on it to take a video."

"I see,' Daenerys said. "Come, Drogon. I wish to take a picture."

The little black dragon quietly hissed as Daenerys took him off her shoulder holding him like a cat she placed him on the mat of the tent smiling as she took a few pictures of Drogon who tilted his head at the clicking noise and raised his wings. Anne was still amazed by Daenerys' dragons, when she first mentioned them she expected lizards perhaps even pterosaurs. But Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion were storybook dragons come alive with long whip-like tails, strong bipedal bodies, and of course gigantic bat-like wings with multiple strong fingers. For a xenostudies expert like Anne, they were an exciting mystery, winged reptilian animals had been observed on many planets some even named dragons by surveyors, but no doubt when pictures of these dragons surfaced no one would deny giving them the title.

"Aren't you photogenic? You cute little dinosaur you," Anne cooed. "Good boy, Drogon."

Drogon turned to face her inspecting her curiously before staring back at Daenerys who was admiring the pictures she took.

"Dinosaur," Daenerys repeated. "More of your strange words."

"It's a very old word. They were giant reptiles that used to live on Earth," Anne said. "Millions of years ago until a giant rock fell from the sky and destroyed their ecosystem…their world in a sense. The Earth healed and left birds as the only survivors the same as the birds you have."

Daenerys murmured showing she was listening but focused on inspecting her MoCom as Anne talked.

"My brother told me stories of animals from faraway lands like that," Daenerys said. "Giant birds that stand upright with sharpened teeth and tails."

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised," Anne said. "If you have dragons why not dinosaurs too?"

"Are they truly all gone besides birds?"
"Well, not anymore. We use machines to bring them back to some worlds and there is a planet called Crerassia with animals that look like dinosaurs."

Daenerys nodded but said nothing Anne realized that sometimes what she talked about went over her head. It was hard to explain things when they had no frame of reference, Anne paused for a moment when she noticed the MoCom.

"Oh, try taking a picture of yourself," She said. "Here press this."

As the screen flipped Daenerys could see her pale face and purple eyes staring at herself wide for a moment before she noticed her short white hair on her head. She reached over and placed the pelt of a white lion atop her head adjusting it before she inspected herself carefully and finally took a picture.

"I…I think I would prefer pictures of my dragons. Irri? Could you bring Rhaegal and Viserion?"

Anne nodded and kicked herself in her mind.

Stupid, why don't you ever think?

No one had ever properly explained it to her, but Daenerys had lost most of her hair. When she asked her bodyguard, Jorah, about it he simply muttered something about a fire before changing the subject. Anne knew that Daenerys was the victim of abuse, though she was a strong girl there were times when she was very cautious and wary. Most heartbreaking was she had been pregnant at far too young an age; she had mentioned it in passing and when Anne had finally been allowed to give her a medical checkup with her rudimentary knowledge of healthcare Daenerys showed signs of post-partum recovery and horrific internal bleeding and unhealed scarring and dried blood in her womb. It took all her willpower not to vomit from the sheer horror of it as she gave Daenerys an injection of medicinal nanomachines to assist in her recovery.

Irri entered with two small cages, she smiled at Daenerys and gave Anne a slow nod of acknowledgment as she placed the dragons and opened their cages. Ever since Doreah had recovered from her sickness much of the camp, Khalasar if she remembered right, had become a lot warmer toward her. Many of the Dothraki still regarded her carefully but some greeted her and even offered her a few gifts. They called her, Ocheesi, which Daenerys told her meant 'Horse Woman' due to her long black hair and dark skin but she assured her it was a term of endearment. Though Anne was convinced she was simply being kind.

Irri asked something in the Dothraki language. Anne was getting good at picking up on it, but fluent speech was hard to keep up with. She was asking about the dragons and Daenerys explained she was taking pictures showing the MoCom to Irri who frowned.

"More witch spells," she said. "Do not use it so much, Khaleesi."

"You worry too much," Daenerys said snapping a picture. "See?"

Irri looked at her photo with wide eyes and quietly said something rubbing beads on her wrist before hurriedly leaving. Daenerys laughed too herself.

"She will be angry with me…"

Anne was about to ask something when the tent opened once more, Jorah stuck his head in clearing his throat to announce himself. Anne fought the urge to frown, Jorah had pressed a sword to her face and made thinly veiled threats to her multiple times. That was enough not to endear her to him, but Daenerys revealed one night that Jorah's attachment to her went beyond simple loyalty. That disgusted her, especially after learning what she knew about Daenerys. She had hoped even in a world far from the Union such things would be frowned upon but the culture of the people here was truly alien.

"My Queen," he said. "There is a rider returning."

Daenerys' entire demeanor changed in a moment no longer the gentle girl playing with her dragons. She lowered the MoCom and stood a regal expression appearing.

"Whom?"

"From the direction, it looks to be Aggo but…He is not alone there is dust rising there is a caravan with him."

"Bring my silver," Daenerys said. 'Come, Anne."

Anne nodded following Daenerys as they left the tent. Anne blinked adjusting to the light, their surroundings were a dusty abandoned city that Daenerys had named Vae Tolorro it was essentially uninhabitable having long died and lost all amenities, but it provided food and reprieve from the Red Wastes. Still, she had sent out her warriors to search for a potential haven or anything of value.

As Jorah brought forth the gorgeous white mare, Daenerys climbed atop with ease and offered Anne her hand as she hoisted her atop with surprising strength. They quickly rode off to the outskirts of Vae Tolorro where the rising dust of traveling people could be seen. Anne held tightly as Daenerys rushed forward joined by Jorah and her handful of remaining warriors as Aggo appeared. The tall Dothraki warrior waved and called out a greeting his demeanor peaceful the caravan followed the sight which relaxed Daenerys and her guards but left them shocked.

The miserable convoy was a collection of women and children not a single man amongst them as they traveled forward moving toward Vaes Tolorro with empty tired eyes many of the children were weeping. But there was the welcomed sight of food and water on some of the carts and horses with no riders. Daenerys approached Aggo slowly with Jorah.

"Aggo," Daenerys said. "What is this?"

Aggo began speaking but he was tired and his speech was slow which gave Anne enough time to translate in her mind. "A Khalasar I found on the road, Khaleesi. They were abandoned."

"Abandoned? Where did their men go?"

"Slain," Aggo said. "I saw the bodies they littered the ground with blood, fallen horses everywhere."

Anne felt a cold chill. Daenerys had told her about the Dothraki, they were nomadic people with a harsh and ritualistic warrior culture. When Khalasars fought the defeated were enslaved and lived on in shame not massacred and left to die. Aggo stopped a woman who was weeping pulling a cart.

"Show your Khal and Khaleesi," he said. "She must see.'

The woman nodded sadly and climbed into the back of her cart. She pulled back a blanket which revealed a dead family, a strong-looking man with a woman and undoubtedly their children. What Anne saw, however, caused her to gasp loudly.

"Oh my god…They were shot!"

"Shot?" Jorah said. "What do you mean, girl?"

Anne struggled to look but pointed toward the corpses. Their bodies had gaping holes, the man especially had several in his chest and a final one in his head.

"When you asked me about weapons in my world," Anne said. "That is what some of them can do. It fires out metal bullets that tear through flesh."

Daenerys stared with a disturbed look on her face. She looked up at the woman and asked her what happened. The woman began speaking but her grieving voice was loud and hard to follow, Jorah approached and translated for her.

"She says on the night of the falling star, your ship, Khal Mordo led his Khalasar toward one of them," Jorah said. "They found something a…she is describing a raft. They found two men and three women, Khal Mordo killed the men and claimed the women as slaves. They were traveling back to their territory when they camped for the night two days ago when… When a screaming dragon came from the sky. The dragon flew over their camp and landed where…demons came out, warriors in black. The Warriors killed the Khal and his family, they took the women from the raft and when the men chased them to avenge the Khal they were all killed. The warriors set fire to their camp and began killing the women and children. These are the only survivors."

Anne covered her mouth as she listened. A screaming dragon…warriors in black that were after the survivors from the Karlsefni it could only be an aircraft. Daenerys likewise realized the truth she looked back at Anne her expression grim.

"Anne…would your Union do this? Slaughter women and children?"

"No, no!" Anne said. "Its…It's illegal, against the law of war. I'm not a fan of the military but…that's not how they would rescue us."

Daenerys closed her eyes a moment and nodded. "I believe you. But if not the Union, who?"

"Oh god…" Anne said. "Fuck…"

Anne felt herself shaking and tears rolled down her eyes. Daenerys gently touched her face and hugged her.

"Anne…" She spoke. "Try to speak, be calm."

"It's…it's the people who attacked the Karlsefni, my ship. Only they would have technology like that. They must be hunting us…I put you all in danger."

"No," Daenerys said. "We took you with us and we will protect you. As we will these people, Aggo tell them they are now under my protection, they are our Khalasar now."

Aggo nodded and spoke with the woman. She wept and offered her thanks, but the group was in a grim mood.

"It may be wise to leave the city, Khaleesi," Jorah said. "We need to stay on the move if we are being hunted."

"We cannot leave until Jhogo returns," Daenerys said. "I will not abandon my bloodriders."

Jorah was about to protest when another rider approached from the direction of the city. Anne strained her eyes and realized that it was Jhiqui atop a horse.

"Khaleesi!" She screamed. "Strangers in the city! With Jhogo!"

Daenerys said nothing and pulled at the reins of her horse and kicked the mare's side. Sensing the urgency her silver cried out and raced forward ahead of the caravan as if they were charging into battle. Anne held on for dear life praying she did not fall as she squeezed her legs against the horse with all her strength.

As they reached Vaes Tolorro Anne was thankful not to hear screaming and the clatter of guns if only for a moment. There was a crowd of people assembled deathly silent as they stared at the alien sight before them, one Anne recognized immediately. It was a large black truck with six wheels covered in thick armor with a weapon at the top. There were no markings to indicate its affiliation. Jhogo stood next to a woman wearing a red mask and a hood who was staring in the direction of Daenerys as she approached. Daenerys stopped for a moment and beckoned for Anne to dismount as she rode forward.

"Jhogo, blood of my blood," She said. "Are you unharmed?'

"Yes, Khaleesi," Jhogo said. "Be at ease, they were not enemies."

Daenerys looked toward the masked woman.

"I am Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons and rightful heir to the Iron Throne."

"Well met mother of dragons," she said. "I am Quaithe. I have come from a city known as Qarth to facilitate a meeting."

"Qarth?" Daenerys said.

"It is a city, Khaleesi," Jhogo said. "Not far from here! They have offered us refuge there."

Quaithe nodded silently. "Qarth welcomes the Dragon Queen. But much has changed there. You will find allies but you must be cautious."

"Cautious?" Daenerys said. "How?"

"Beware the sea," Quaithe said. "For it brings sharks."

The woman stepped back as the armored truck whined as a large ramp lowered. From within two men stepped out walking together. It was immediately clear they were foreign to Anne that these men were not from this world. The first man was missing two limbs, his left arm and leg. His arm was a basic robotic prosthetic that lacked any flesh covering and he wore a simple robotic leg attached via a hardened strap. He was wearing a dark leather jacket over a black turtleneck with a tactical vest with weapons and ammunition adorning it with black trousers and boots to match. Atop his head, there was a small red hat that leaned slightly a metallic pin of a dagger piercing a hand on the front. He had a rugged pale face with black hair with clean silver streaks and his right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

The second man was a rare sight for Anne, he was old, incredibly old by the looks of it with sagging skin and loose wavy white hair, and his fair skin was growing dark with spots. Yet he stood firmly walking with a cane at a slight hunch adjusting his dark black glasses. He wore a white lab coat over a simple green shirt and brown trousers with the same black boots.

"Daenerys Targaryen?" The first man said. "Ah…forgive me, Queen Daenerys Targaryen. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Well met," Daenerys said guarded. "Whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

"I am General Walter Kozak," he said. "I represent the independent organization known as NEMO."

"Nemo…" Daenerys repeated.

"The cultural reference would not have any meaning to you I am afraid," The second man spoke. "But we are an organization dedicated to bringing an end to war and tyranny in the universe."

Kozak nodded. "This fine gentleman is Doctor Finley Berkel."

Doctor Berkel smiled. "This is a truly joyous reunion young Daenerys. You have grown considerably since we last met."

Daenerys reacted quickly to that. "I have no memory of meeting you, ser."

"I would imagine not," Berkel said. "You were such a little girl then fiercely protected by your brother. It is unfortunate what happened to young Viserys, he was always too obstinate for his own wellbeing."

"Come to Qarth, Mother of Dragons," Kozak said. "We have a lot to discuss."