_{Please read the Artist's Description below before reading. Thank you.}

Chapter One: Abduction

_{© Lady Owl}

A small alien spacecraft slipped undetected past a stationary marker buoy. This buoy is one of trillions that make up a grid that marks the border between known and unknown space. The two creatures within this craft belong to a society of many alien races known as the Concord. Every individual is forbidden from passing this border by law of this Concord. However, these two aliens will risk it for their goal is to explore uncharted worlds, beyond the borders to scavenge anything they can find to take back and sell in the black market. Technology, resources, even alien animals and people unknown to them.

Since the entire mission is illegal, they could face severe criminal charges if caught, but they must. It's within their nature. They're a pirating people. Their very race's survival depends upon their scavenging and profit skills. They're a simple race that most higher races within the Concord look down upon. The only reason they are apart of the Concord is because they are an intelligent enough, known species within the galaxy and they do offer some unique goods and services to the many alien members, even if many of those services are shady.

Having traveled for quite some time, they had come across several unexplored systems; though most have turned up nothing but junk. They had only found a few pieces of drifting garbage in space that might be of some value. However, excitement rises again as they detect yet another system on their sensors. After examining the system, they are ecstatic to find that one of the planets appears inhabitable. As they enter the system, they decide it would be safe enough to hide on the planet's single moon and examine the situation in depth. They indeed find life but even better, intelligent life by the looks of it. Still rather primitive by a couple centuries, but definitely worth landing here to take a look.

As they Entered the planet's atmosphere, they turned on their stealth systems. Their scanners indicated that whatever technology is present on this alien world would not be able to detect them. Especially not after installing illegal, but enhanced stealth equipment to their ship to escape Concord space. They would never fool a Concord ship, however, but these creatures would never pick them up on any kind of primitive sensors they may have, either.

They descended past the terminator of the planet to the darkened side, their sensors showed several large landmasses. One in particular caught their attention with several huge clusters of lights. As they descended further down, smaller patches of lights could be seen between the larger clusters, separating civilization from wilderness. Finding it best to locate a less populated area, they chose a small group of lights on the edge of one of the wilderness pockets. They could fool sensors, but not eyes.

As they shot down across the night sky, leaving a trail of fire behind them, a young woman, the age of nineteen, caught a glimpse of it from her bedroom window. She had been reading a book on her bed, and saw from the corner of her eye a bright light that quickly faded as soon as it had started. As she ran to her window, she could see the trail of flames go behind the tree line [more excitement, thinking from her part and maybe a different idea of what she might think it is]. Her heart skipped a beat as excitement flooded her. Hopefully it was what she thought it was... and hopefully she would be able to find it when she got there.

Dressed only in her night gown [ might change this to no items at all: she grabbed her camera and a small bag filled with some of her things], she flung a bathrobe around herself and rushed down the stairs, out the front door. She could see a glowing light from behind the trees. She found this odd and hoped someone hadn't already beat her to the impact site.

She ran right into the woods without a second thought. Twigs and leaves cracking beneath her bare feet. The light shined stronger through the trees and she could hear strange sounds pulsing in the distance. The foliage was becoming thicker as she struggled to move through it. Pushing branches aside and forcing herself through as twigs grabbed at her long hair. She pushed hard against the last of the thick branches and stumbled out the other side into a large clearing, the light blinded her. Covering her eyes and attempting to peek between her fingers... her camera dropped. The wind from the hovering object blew leaves all around the clearing. Her bathrobe slipped from her and her hair swirled around in the object's wake. This was certainly no meteorite...

Aboard the ship, the two aliens were arguing with one another. Banging on the control panel as the lights from their ship refused to turn off. They managed to dim them and looked out the window at their surroundings, seeing a creature down below. Animal? Native? They didn't care. This is what they had been searching for. This is what they came to this planet for.

The ship never needed to land. There was no need. Their very prey had come to them. A circular door on the bottom of their ship opened allowing a large beam of light to escape from the inside. The beam moved quickly toward her. She was frozen with fear but even had she not been, the beam of light moved too quickly for her to even attempt to escape and was soon over her. At first nothing happened; but she soon felt a strange tingling against her skin. Goosebumps raised along her arms and she could feel the tiny hairs standing on end. Small rocks within the beam begin to vibrate against the ground and then lifted slowly, hovering. It was a tractor beam! Her mind raced, Straight out of her science fiction novels and they were going to abduct her!

Her heart raced as the upward pull became stronger and her hair slowly lifted off her shoulders and floated up above her head. She began to feel weightless as her feet lifted off the ground... before she had time to even scream, she fell unconscious. Her limp body rose slowly up and into the belly of the ship. The light was swallowed as the door closed shut.

Was this enough, the aliens thought? Was this creature enough to make their trip worthwhile? It had better be since things were getting bad. A small flying pod with horizontal rotating blades and its own beam of light, was coming near. The giant light attached to the pod shinned towards their position. It would seem the creature they had taken was not the only one alerted of their presence. The two aliens bickered back and forth as their fingers fumbled for the controls. They soon lifted quickly up into the night sky. They escaped the planet's gravity and moved back to its moon to hide. They wanted to examine their precious cargo.

A door slid open, shining light into the darkened cargo bay. An elegant looking creature lay unconscious on the floor. Various plant particles and stones along with a few odd items also laid all around the creature. As they scanned it, they found it was female and that it was young. This was a perfect find. They had gotten more than they had ever hoped to find. A young female alien was an extremely profitable thing they could sell. Especially an exotic alien from outside Concord space.

They moved to her and one of them gently lifted her body up into its arms, the other standing close, nervous about its partner dropping the precious cargo. The empty handed one pressed a holographic button on the side of a stasis pod. Its partner put her inside and closed the lid, both watching as the inside of the pod misted up with frigid air and gently froze her in cryo sleep.

The trip back would be a long one. A few months of traveling back on the path they had come by to return to Concord space. She would sleep until then. They left the planet behind. The solar system. Her home. She would never see it again.

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