Nostrenian

The **Nostrenians** were microscopic, carnivorous beings which thrived among dust and light.

## Biology

Similar to the Vashta Nerada, little was known about their true forms due to how research and studies were greatly limited due to their potentially deadly nature. That, and few people even knew of their existence, due to them being restricted to only a singular planet.

It wasn't until the arrival of the United Planetary Terraforming Corporation that they were later revealed to be a subspecies of genetically enhanced Vashta Nerada however. Instead of thriving in the darkness, however, they were born with 'negative genes' which instead allowed them to thrive in light. This proved to be a lot more advantageous for them. Thanks to the infrequent amounts of dust devils which spread across the surface of Nostreni, they eventually learnt to adapt into such natural occurrences; so an approaching dust devil could very well not be what it first seems.

They also developed an extraordinary metabolism, and a distinct lack of need for sustenance due to the moderately small amount of life left remaining on the arid surface.

## History

Originally branded as the Nerada Vashta by Biotechnician Dendry; an employee based on the Synthesis Station during the height of the Last Great Time War, these microscopic creatures were going to be sold off by the humans as weapons for the pursuing conflict. However, after several complications aboard the station with their ravenous new produce, a small swarm of Nerada Vashta stowed away within a fleeing TARDIS which later took a brief stop on the nearby planet Nostreni as the occupants attempted to gain contact with their fellow soldiers from the Synthesis Station. They received no response - and were soon going to be unable to - as the Nerada Vashta devoured all of the Time Lord crew. Feeling under threat, the TARDIS then subsequently activated its HADS system and fled the planet; leaving this swarm isolated in a foreign environment.

Centuries later, after the Time War's reign had long since dissipated, a research crew of the UPTC made planetfall in the event of hoping to find a suitable new planet for their next and most ambitious project. Deeming Nostreni suitable for their needs, they became blissfully unaware that, unbeknownst to any of them, there indeed was indigenous life which took residence on this world. Indigenous life which had evolved, expanded and multiplied over the centuries it was left alone; adapting to the environment around it.

Shortly after their planetfall, and the apparent loss of a number of their crew, the UPTC were joined with a peculiar old lady and a young member of the Galactic Census, her supposed acquaintance. The Nostrenians, as the UPTC now nicknamed them, unaware that they were in fact a subspecies of Vashta Nerada, began their assault in the form of a singular dust devil, ravaging the spaceship in the matter of a few seconds as it tore it to complete shreds. Realising that they were out of their depth, the Sixteenth Doctor and Tari Ackerman opted to allow the Corporation members to flee in her own ship.

Two took her up on the offer, with only one of them surviving the pursuing carnage; a swarm of Nostrenians breaching her suit through a minuscule rip in the fabric of her spacesuit, devouring her while the Doctor, Tari and her colleague watched helplessly in the TARDIS. Her body, along with the creatures, was quickly ejected from the TARDIS and into deep space in the hopes they would starve. (TV: *Dust to Dust*)