The Gaia Chronicles- Book 1

17: Taken

Kwame sings as he lays down to sleep:

"The echoes of ancestors are heard in the dreams of the cave people."

In the middle of the night, as Gaia and Kwame and Karenia and her famnily were, sleeping, Takana came into the cave, quietly sneaking in.  No one was ready.

She lassoed Gaia with her tentacle whip, completely immobilizing her with a powerful shock of electricity.
"Nooooooo!" She cried.
Kwame woke up when he heard her scream, but it was too late. Takana shot him immediately with a stunning beam. He fell to the ground paralyzed.
Karenia's dad was next, and by the time Takana was pulling Gaia out the cave entrance, the rest of the reptilians were waiting by the ship outside.
Their clean, shiny suits made Gaia angry and sick; not intimidated and afraid, as she was sure they had intended. But then again, maybe they don't intend anything but total domination of humanity. Either way, she was sure they loved seeing her all soiled and distraught.

"I knew I would catch up with you little girl, you will never get away from me again. Your destiny will be fulfilled. You are to be the next princess of the Doltian empire. Of course, I will be the Queen of this world, while you keep the people happy, and working hard as ever. We're going to need hundreds of slaves to go back with us. And they won't follow me. We need you to do that part. When your stupid people think I rescued you, our good daughter of the Muranthian people, they will do anything you ask.
That's why I need you to look over here," She grasped her face in her green, scaley fingers.

"Look over here, look into my eyes young thing."
Gaia's gaze was fixed on the floor of the ship. But she slowly looked up at her. Not because she was told too, as she was sure that Takana would believe, but because she was curious about what evil looked like. She was unprepared for it. There was a pulsating ring of fiery orange around a black, slit pupil. Like something she had seen in a snake before, but with the malicious expression only a bitter and ferociously jealous old witch could have in her eyes.

"I'm looking at you Takana. But I am looking at a pathetic shell of a putrid creature, and a parasite."
Takana squeezed her tiny and defiant face much tighter, even beginning to dig into Gaia's flesh.
"Ok, now, you will do this thing, because over here, I have a surprise for you."

Gaia's heart sank. Something about those words made her feel dread.

Takana motioned to the others, and two of the reptiles moved quickly towards a blue lit circle in the middle of the room. the circle began to open up, and the sound of mens voices could be heard.
The opening got wider and a capsule came up out of the floor with Kwame and Dek inside.
" Father!" Said Gaia. And tried to go forward, but Takana still had a grip on her face.
"Kwame!
They both had been beaten, and Gaia now recognized why some of the reptiles had blood on them and rips in their clothing.
Dek was the worst, since he had sustained injuries in the crash landing of his ship a few days  before.
They were both tied up, back to back.
Dek's head was hanging low, but when he heard his daughter's voice he lifted his head up and looked at her with his sunken eyes. One eye was crimson red. All he could do was mouth his words to her,
"I love you"

"As I was saying,
Takana pulled Gaia's face back to hers. "You will do your part, won't you."
As long as you do, everyone will be kept alive and well."