The surface of Taurus V was unlike the other habitable planets in the system. Beyond the clearing the party had materialized in, laid an immense forest with peaks of massive mountains dotting the edges of the party's vision. Its evergreen pines stretched high into the sky, blanketed with thick piles of fresh snow. It was difficult to see the foliage Spock had described earlier, for it too was covered. Though if one looked carefully, they could see the tips of lush, wide-leafed flora peaking from the stark white. Gone were the lively oranges and yellows of Taurus III and IV. The only colors that streaked across this planet's sky were faded blues, muted purples, and a striking black. Stars were much more visible on this background, dotting the planet's canvas with constellations the party had never seen. A sky they were fortunate to see, as a blizzard had recently passed over the area.

The captain took a step forward, taking in the views around him before turning towards his first officer. It was considerably difficult to do so with the planet's gravity, but not impossible. Nothing he hadn't been trained for. He removed his hood, the cold of the planet striking his face. He winced. "Spock… where are we?"

Spock did the same, his breath freezing as he spoke. "We are in the clearing Mr. Scott informed us of, Captain. On Taurus V."

Kirk looked stunned. "This is Taurus V? Spock, I'm aware you said there would be differences between the planets, but this is… a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"Taurus V is the farthest from the system's prime sun, Captain. Therefore, it is not unusual that the weather is different from the other planets."

"Yes, but at temperatures like this, Spock, it seems impossible to have this much life on a frozen landscape. Look at these trees!" Kirk walked towards a nearby tree, already adjusting his stride to the gravity, and rested a gloved hand on the trunk. It appeared dwarfed by comparison. "And here! These leaves!" he said, bending down to brush away the snow from a shrub near his feet. "Mr. Chekov, I want samples of as many plants as you can along the way to the Gamma Colony, understood?"

The Russian stepped forward to take clippings. "Yes, sir."

It was now that M'Benga decided to intervene. "Captain, I must remind you that we shouldn't spend much time here in these woods. Our gear can only give us so much protection from the planet's cold."

"You're right, Doctor. We shouldn't dawdle." Kirk stepped away from the tree, turning to his ensign. "Mr. Chekov, how far is it to the colony dome?"

Chekov bagged another sample before picking up his tricorder. "According to these readings, Keptin, the dome should be 2.6 kilometers that way." He pointed just east of them, through the trees.

"Then let's get moving, gentlemen. We have a shipment to deliver." The captain led the way, the party following suit, unaware of the being watching from above.

Aliah had taken a particular route she frequented when she wanted to escape the collective energy of D'Kal. The tunnels on the outskirts of the city were mainly used by the watchmen, Tu'aran's protectors of order. The people of Tu'aran were peaceful, logic being just one of their patron principles, though there were rare times when a brawl of sorts would take place. These events mostly took place during the only emotional periods of the Tu'arani's lives, Ki'rocco, their Day of Celebration, and during Li'o, a time of heat.

The tunnels that Aliah often traversed were abandoned, the watchmen using newer and more efficient tunnels for their patrols. Dr. T'Bru had gathered enough trust and respect from the Council to be able to use the abandoned tunnels for him or his personnel to make short treks to the surface in order to collect samples of rock that could not be located below in D'rual, Tu'aran's rural sector. Aliah insisted on collecting these samples herself frequently, despite Dr. T'Bru's constant reminders that the Watchmen were more than capable of tending to such menial tasks. Though, understanding Aliah's curious nature, he never kept her from doing so. For this, Aliah was grateful in a way she did not understand, but would never dwell on.

As she navigated the abandoned tunnels, Aliah did her best to keep her presence hidden from the citizens outside the tunnels, not wanting mention of her outing reaching the Council, or her mother, before her return. It indeed was not unheard of for Aliah to venture to the surface, but doing so for extended periods of time was considered dangerous. Tu'aran lay hidden beneath the surface of the planet for a reason, and treks to the surface were to be avoided at all costs.

Her heavy boots thudded against the packed dirt of the tunnel, the sound growing louder as she reached the massive doors blocking access to the surface lifts. Two doors of thick and near impenetrable metal alloy were secured with seemingly thicker bars along the top and bottom, forming a substantial seal. Aliah allowed herself a sigh. This was the part that would perhaps be the most difficult. The older the tunnels were, the more outdated their access doors would be. The metal used by her ancestors could withstand the cold of the planet but was also far more susceptible to rust and warping. This would mean that opening the doors would have the metal scrape together, the sound able to be heard by the nearest peoples. She would need to be careful.

Luckily, Aliah had made this trek a number of times in the past and was prepared. The metal would be easier to slide, loosened by years of use. She also kept a small canister of lubricating oils buried just next to the door. Eyeing a patch of disturbed dirt, Aliah lifted a hand and again that purple glow could be seen. It illuminated the spot and began to push it aside, the top of a smooth and white colored cannister poked out. Lifting the other hand, Aliah removed the canister from the ground and allowed it to drift quietly into her hands. She stepped closer to the door and oiled along the bottom bar first before again using her abilities to oil the top bar. Once satisfied, Aliah set the canister down and took several steps back.

She widened her stance and lowered her body, raising her hands slowly as the glow that encompassed them soon too, ensnared the top bar. Concentrating, Aliah pulled at the bar as much as possible without exhausting herself. Slowly, it began to move and emitting a low rumbling sound. Bits of rusted metal could be heard grinding between the bar, and the door and Aliah allowed herself a small smile. The oil canister had undoubtedly come in handy. When the first bar had been slid out of place, she moved to the bottom bar. This one proved to be more difficult to move, Aliah feeling beads of sweat start to pour down her face. Her expression became one of strain, and the toes of her boots dug into the dirt, but eventually, Aliah also managed to move the bottom bar into its open position.

Taking a moment to rest, Aliah wiped her face of sweat and adjusted her coverings. She removed a small crystal from a pocket and walked towards a panel embedded in the dirt next to the access door. Dr. T'Bru and a number of watchmen were able to construct security panels that kept the access doors shut even if the seals had been opened. Only watchmen who patrolled the outskirts of the sectors and Dr. T'Bru, himself, were trusted with the crystals to unlock the access doors. Although, Dr. T'Bru often lent his gem to Aliah for her surface treks, not giving it a second thought if she kept the crystal for a few days at a time.

She rose a hand to the panel, awakening it with the energy of her abilities. The board emitted an energy field of its own, green and sleek and waiting. Aliah stepped forward and carefully inscribed a pattern into the field with the crystal. The panel's glow grew and stretched to the door, sliding open the heavy metal to reveal the inside of a dark and cylindrical surface lift.

Aliah quickly tucked the small crystal back inside her coverings and boarded the lift, finding it difficult to contain her excitement as the lift door closed and carried her towards the surface.

As the party moved closer to the colony, the terrain between the colossal pines grew wider and easier to traverse. It became clearer to identify the marks Star Fleet had made in terraforming parts of Taurus V to accommodate the dome. It would remain unclear if the entirety of the planet would be subject to terraforming, but seemed unlikely. It was more probable for smaller domes to be prepared in order collect dilithium crystals more efficiently. The Captain continued to be transfixed by the remarkable differences between the Tauran colonies.

The lift thudded to a careful stop once it reached the surface of Tu'aran. Already, Aliah could sense a noticeable difference in the energies surrounding her. No longer did she feel the hardened and suffocating presence of her people, but the light and confusing presence of wildlife and the vegetation. She allowed herself one more smile before exiting the lift and into the hollowed-out trunk of a large mia tree. The dark and thick trunks of these colossal, needle-leaved trees made the perfect guise for lifts. Aliah approached another panel and inscribed the same pattern in its energy field, barely being able to contain herself as the door to the trunk opened and allowed her passage outside.

Great E'ray, it had been so terribly long since Aliah had stepped foot outside. She took a moment or two to appreciate the way the wilderness smelled of mia and dirt and rain. The way the snow landed daintily on her arms and beaded along the waterproof fabric of her coverings. The way the cold winds blew her long dark hair back and cooled her face from the strain of opening the access door. The sound of the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant cries of s'karja, the antlered bovines of Tu'aran. For reasons Aliah did not enjoy delving into, she felt the most at peace here. She sighed once more before taking to the shadows of the mia trees, heading for the last known whereabouts of the invaders.

Not much had been gathered from the watchman that had disrupted her and Dr. T'Bru's work, but mention traveled D'kal fast. The energies of the citizens buzzed with caution and trepidation, mention of staying far away from the eastern sway of tunnels. Keep away from the east. Therefore, the east was where Aliah was headed.

Eventually, the light between the mia trees began to grow too bright, meaning Aliah would soon be coming upon a clearing. She took a single step towards the break in the trees and froze. Pointed, fur lined ears twitched towards the light, and her pupils grew large to take in much from her environment. Aliah's skin tingled with a warning, of danger, and she twisted towards the nearest tree, claws raking into the bark as she climbed quickly and quietly to a high branch.

Keeping close to the trunk, Aliah peered down at the clearing, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Had her senses been wrong? Why had she been alerted of danger if none appeared to be present? It was not a typical or common occurrence for the Tu'arani's senses to be so off. She had continued to stare until Aliah noticed a strange stream of light particles fall into place along the forest floor. Her eyes widened, and Aliah ducked down, reaching a hand up towards the light of the clearing and grabbing it. She concentrated, bending the surrounding light to form a wall in front of her and conceal her from view.

She kept her breathing to the faintest of inhales and watched on in fascination as figures began to manifest on the forest floor. It was apparent now that this was why she had sensed danger. Slowly, the figures took shape and formed beings. Aliah could hardly believe her eyes. They appeared to be wearing strange suits and helms of metal and glass. She wondered if this was what the aliens looked like, but the more logical notion was that they wore this for protection. Could they not survive here?

As Aliah watched on in apprehension, to her surprise, one of the beings removed their helm and looked up at the tops of the mia trees. He looked so strange. He didn't appear to have markings of any kind, nor did he possess pointed ears. His ears were round and small as were his eyes. The alien was strange looking indeed. She was glad to have this guise of light, but for a moment, wondered if the being could sense her.

When it began to make noise, gesturing to the other beings of their herd, Aliah was shocked. They were so loud. Why did they make such horrible noises? Was this how they communicated? One of Aliah's hands flew to her ears and held it closed. She winced in pain but did not leave just yet. She wanted to see more of the beings. As they each began to remove their helms, Aliah looked on in wonder. Although the creatures looked similar to each other with their round ears and lack of markings, some were different. They appeared to have different shades of skin like her people, and different shapes of eyes. Their noises even sounded different in tone and pitch. It was like each sound was unique to that alien alone. Their language seemed primitive and loud, but to Aliah, this was a pleasant development. If the aliens were this primeval, perhaps her people had nothing to fear? It wasn't as though they could sense here, as none had looked up to where she lay hidden yet.

Blue eyes scanned the beings once more, before landing on the greenish hue of an alien she hadn't noticed before. He nearly towered over the other creatures, and his eyes were slanted and focused. His brows were long and tilted upwards, lacking the arch that the other beings possessed, and his ears came to a familiar and terrifying point.

All at once Aliah could feel her blood run cold and hot. Her eyes unconsciously widened in terror and she nearly lost her concentration on the light field. It had been some time since she had glanced over her people's archives, but that face was all too familiar. It was the same face as the ones who had invaded her people's planet all those years ago and nearly drove them to extinction. The Old Ones.

The small hairs of her arm and neck stood on end, and Aliah could feel a hiss build in her throat. She swallowed, not wanting to give away her position. She was outnumbered and in no way able to contact her people from her current position. Though, if one Old One was here, what was to stop there from being more? Looking up, Aliah could barely make out the faintest frame of something colossal in the sky. Perhaps it was their ship?

When the creatures began to speak, Aliah returned her attention to them, trying to make sense of their crude language. If they had an Old One with them, why did they not speak through the mind? The only logical reason behind this would be that the round-eared aliens could not speak the way the Old One did. This was both reassuring and worrisome. If they could not speak of mind, then they may not be able to sense Aliah or her people. Though, this put her people at a disadvantage, not being able to understand the round-eared beings. How was she to know what they came here for?

As she watched, one of the round ears pointed towards the east, towards the valleys. Kiara stood then, confident in her light field and peered off into the east. Her claws raked into the trunk of the mia tree when she came upon the sight of a large and alien looking dome. It was positively massive. How long had that been there? It certainly wasn't something Dr. T'Bru or the Council would authorize, most definitely not now. Aliah came to the realization that the aliens had been here much longer than they had thought. It was not merely this small group of aliens, but an entire city's worth, at least. It was an invasion. It must be if an Old One was present… and where there was one…

Looking up again at the invader's ship, Aliah felt torn. It would be safe to assume that these invaders came in search of her people and their city, but what if perhaps, they were not here for war? She cast her gaze down at the invaders and was surprised to see one of the round-eared ones collecting samples of a w'tar leaf. This was not like the behavior of the Old Ones. In fact, it resembled much of what Dr. T'Bru and she would do for their research.

The Tu'arani woman was conflicted. If she left to alert her people now of the round-eared invaders and the Old One, she was sure the Council would issue a declaration of war and send the watchmen… Aliah did not want that unless absolutely necessary, but how was she to know?

Perhaps, if she could get aboard the invaders' ship? When the noisy beings and the Old One had ventured far enough into the east, she dropped her light field and stood at full attention, gazing up at the speck of a ship in the sky. She could not merely transport herself like the invaders did upon arriving, but perhaps… Looking down at her hands, Aliah removed a glove and stuck it in a pocket. She had only done this once before, in the quiet and safety of her dwelling, but it was conceivably the only way she could think to gain access to the ship above. She concentrated, and her hand was once again engulfed in that enchanting purple glow. Slowly, she could envision her hand destabilize and separate, particle by particle. It was a jarring sight, but she continued, working down her arm and keeping to her legs and torso until she reached her head.

Aliah focused on the experiment she done just hours ago in the lab with Dr. T'Bru… she had been so very close. A bead of sweat dribbled down her face, and she refused to look down at the mess of particles that was her body. She only looked up at the ship now and willed the particles to move towards it. Again, her power stretched and reached her head, the rest of her joining the mass of particles as they crawled towards the ship above.

She had been close before. It had nearly been a success. So long as Aliah did not lose her concentration, she could do this. She focused on the survival of her people, the damage that had been done so long ago. If Aliah wanted to avoid another war, she had to do this. Even if it meant destruction.