#deltan

Persis Khambatta - Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

David R. Deitrick's character art for the FASA RPG supplement the Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update (1986) - with bonus alien species photos!

Meet the Section 31 gang (minus Rachel Garrett and Phillipa Georgiou)

Need her to find a Short King who worships her height, consumes her cooking like it’s his last meal on earth and loves her no matter what her hair style is

When humanity landed upon the arid world of Aurora, they believed it to be entirely absent of any intelligent life. Scouting probes made the occasional discovery of the native reptiles that roamed through the deserts, along with some sightings of worm-like creatures that would sometimes sprout from the earth. However no report made any such declaration of life that humans could really speak with on equal ground. So, with such a lonesome comfort that this planet could easily be colonized, the ships of humanity wasted little time in settling down upon the world. The process of finding a suitable landing spot was a challenge in of itself. Aurora was plagued by massive sand storms that were strong enough to make flight near fatal in their strongest levels, and deadly in their mildest to anyone outside without proper protection. More than half the planet couldn't match the critical eye of the committee's responsible, and the half that were would be then criticized by the more strategic minds. Soon a spot was found; nestled comfortably within a surrounding "bowl" of mountains, set upon sturdy ground with an exceedingly impressive vein of ores that easily made the site worth more than expected. It wouldn't take long for the first dozen buildings to be set up. Humanity's technological feats prepared them well in colonizing faster than their ancestors. In what would take months to settle a proper fortification was built and adorned within a week; and with enough time for the basic needs for every man and woman brought along. With manned scouting parties sent to the outskirts, the goal was to ensure that a good 2 day's worth of travel in any direction was safe. Some parties found more ore and metals, exciting their families back home with what seemed like endless upon endless mother-loads, one after the other. Others were greeted not so kindly by the native fauna - many were massive in size, and surprisingly difficult to dodge; yet thankfully injury was the worst it had every gotten. However one party would transmit something they hadn't expected to their superiors. As soon as it had been spotted, they ran off back to their base with a visual. In minutes the entire colony was at a craze on the discovery, and many were quick to call it out as utter fantasy. Request would be sent from home for the image of what these scouts found, and with it turning a colony-sized rumor to wondrous telling throughout humanity's reaches of space: that of what the colonists came to call "The Giant of Aurora" He stood there, measuring as high as 14 - perhaps even 16 feet in height of his body alone. He was built like a god of Greek mythology, as if he were the very icon of physical ability brought to perfection; his hair flowed roughly with the harsh sandy wind, blending with the dark shadows of his body that casted overwhelmingly across the landscape; yet in the dark glowed a pair of green eyes, fiercely enough to cut through the dark. Then from his hand, lifted high and so casually, was raised his weapon; adding nearly twice over the height of his body was a pole with a curved blade on its end, which glowed tremendously like the sun that was setting to the distance. This giant, alone in a harsh world of deserts and storms, gave only a cold and silent glare to the scouts; he raised his weapon shortly off the ground as if to greet them, or perhaps to challenge them in combat - this, while he looked through them all, like obstacles to his path. This would be the first ever sighting of the native Deltan: the giant warriors who call Aurora home, and after their many millennia alone on this world, finally have found a new force to sate their love of battle.

No wonder they hate men.

That whole “twice my height” thing, though... Grrrrr. Don’t mind me, I’m very rawr and overprotective right now apparently.

Persis Khambatta as Ilia - Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)