Dana's character was original concieved after seeing an image of a person, in a costume, laughing and joking with a photographer over lunch. My brain, on first sight, asked "Why is this enemy of humanity joking with a human?" And that's when Dana was born:

"Soldier defects to enemy camp, despite physical evidence that she was in their enemy's army."

"Drafted soldier defects to enemy camp."

"Drafted soldier is programmed to fight an enemy, and programming fails, causing her to defect to enemy camp."

"Drafted soldier is captured, impressed into service with the enemy army."

"Soldier is captured, made to serve in the enemy army. Must learn to live with and coexist with people who hate her and culture that is alien to her."

"Think Roman Legionnaire trapped in China."

"Soldier is captured, tortured, and then given a choice of protecting a frontier town due to lack of local manpower or being executed. Takes it, thinking escape would be easy. Ends up serving in town where the folks hate her, and has physical markings that make her enemy status very visible, but after a few fight where she protects them, they begin to tolerate her."

"'Tarheel Thayla.' She thinks Tarheel is a military rank, but it actually means 'traitor.'"

"My name is Dana. My rank is Tarheel."

"Possibly poisoned? To keep her loyal?"

"Eventually sees The Enemy as People, finally able to seperate people from political ideology, although that slants her relationship with the people."

"Explore relationships: Friends, and the lost friendships of those friends who like the Traitor. Escape attempt that is foiled by her wanting to protect people?"

"Negotiates her future over a plate of milk and cookies, make that the theme and symbol of her forced service (m&c antidote?). Has a minder, big bulk of a man named 'Thayla.' Thayla cannot discern the difference between loyalty to govt and loyalty to people running the govt."