Areolus was an inhabited planet in a binary star system, and the homeworld of the ornithoid Areore species. It was located near the Kalla system and had at least three moons. The surface was lushly forested, with many types of bioluminescent flora. Unusually, all animals on the planet possessed wings; these included the sky snake, a four-winged bird-like flying turtle, and domesticated livestock resembling Earth goats and pigs.
Abandoned Areore ships
The ancient Areore were a technologically advanced spacefaring civilization. However, tired of waging incessant war with alien races, they withdrew to Areolus and returned their society to a pre-industrial state, their starships abandoned in underground caves. By the 24th century, the Areore no longer had any awareness of the interstellar community and their world had not received off-world visitors for generations. The Federation was aware of Areolus, but only as a pre-warp society and thus subject to the Prime Directive.
In 2381, the exocomp and former Starfleet Ensign Peanut Hamper crashed on Areolus after escaping Drookmani scavengers in the Kalla system. Over the next year, she integrated herself into an Areore village and became romantically involved with its leader Kaltorus' son Rawda, who showed her his ancestors' ancient ships. Sensing an opportunity, Peanut Hamper secretly contacted a Drookmani ship and invited them to take the ships for salvage, so as to contrive a situation whereby she would save the Areore from the Drookmani in an act of self-sacrificial bravery and redeem herself to Starfleet.
Peanut Hamper's scheme was exposed when the Drookmani captain revealed her message to the Areore and the USS Cerritos. After Rawda defeated the Drookmani by taking control of one of the ancient Areore ships, he declared that from then on his people would defend their way of life without fear. He also banished Peanut Hamper from the planet. (LD: "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption")