The stardust-laden wind whistled between the ruined structures of the planet Xelthar, a dead planet whose cities, carved from black crystal, had lain silent for millennia. Fractured towers rose like the claws of some forgotten god, dimly reflecting the light of two dying suns. It was a place where time seemed to stand still... until a mechanical sound broke the slumber.

A violet flash illuminated the shadows.

Tal'izord moved cautiously, his two-toed boots leaving soft footprints in the ancient dust. The circuitry of his suit gleamed in the gloom, casting light patterns onto the weathered hieroglyphics covering the walls.

"Gluph..." she murmured, her voice distorted slightly by the helmet's filter. "Translator, can you decipher this?"

The device on his wrist beeped negatively.

"Vrix'l! Another dead language." Her three fingers brushed over the symbols, the sensors on her gloves picking up every crevice. "But... who built them? Why did they disappear?"

A sudden crack made her suit's nexus systems flicker with alert. She turned too quickly, tripping over a rock and falling to her knees.

"Kzz'tch!" She huffed, sitting up. "Professional scientist, Tal'izord. Very professional."

At that moment, her scanner picked up something: beneath the rubble, a half-open door emitted a faint blue glow. Her heart pounded (or at least, the Xeniat equivalent of a heart).

"There..." Her eyes, hidden behind the opaque visor, must have glittered with excitement. "Something survived."

And without thinking about safety protocols (she never did), she made her way into the darkness, unaware that the ruins of Xelthar held secrets that, perhaps, were best left undiscovered.