+Tilahun is what in Dana's terms would be a 2nd Lieutenant, and the secondary protagonist of the story. His thread is a blindly patriotic military soldier who becomes a more level headed politician.
+Tilahun grew up in Gefanna, and knows the area well. He's also fiercely loyal to Mulhare, the Defense Directorate for the area, and a patriot to the philosiphy of the Zakiri. It's his loyalty to Mulhare that got him this far, and Mulhare has total trust in him to follow orders to the letter.
+But it's his attatchement to the Zakiri anarchist philosophy that shows the first signs of a break in his patriotism, when Mulhare essentially forces Dana and poisons her to keep her there. The Zakiri don't use force, and while Mulhare's excuse rings true ("She's a RINC, she can't be ALLOWED a choice"), it also goes against everything he believes in. His loyalty to Mulhare wins out in the end.
+He's assigned to Dana as a minder, and her second in command, temporarily. His assignment is to help her mesh into the Gefanna Defence Force as a leader, and once done and sure of her abilities, to head back to the front.
+He is intensely loyal to the Zakiri, but also level headed. When Dana makes noises she plans to escape, he lets her. Not because she doesn't belong, but because he realizes she needs to try at least once, and fail to realize the futility of it all. He doesn't even report her. In his mind, her failure will ensure she does her job, and therefore he's okay with her trying once.
+He will be our view on the Zakiri world, he knows the city, the people. his admonishments and praises of Dana hint to us what is needed of her to succeed not just in her job, but in fitting in. It's also these explanation that makes him feel more and more the decision to keep Dana in Gefanna was wrong.
+While she outranks him, as her minder, he can disregard any order she gives if he feels it's unreasonable.
+He is just as trapped in Gefanna as Dana is. After he feels his time in Gefanna is over, Dana specifically asks for his help as she's now trying to fit in, but having problems. This keeps him in Gefanna for a bit longer, even though he's itching to go back. When he finally decides to leave, the resources are no longer available to send him to the front.
+Being stuck in Gefanna, and knowing he's stuck there, begins to transfer his patriotism, not just to the Zakiri in general, but specifically to his hometown of Gefanna. The more he fights for them, the more he helps Dana fit in, the longer he stays, the more he feels beholden to them and less to the Zakiri government.
+When communications with the Zakiri are cut off, Dana and Tilahun declare a manner of martial law in order to try an maintain the city on suddenly much more limited resources. Dana wants strict law until the situation clears, but it's Tilahun who says that it needs to be done where it won't impinge much on the local Zakiri philosophy. Tilahun declares a "softer" form of martial law, essentially becoming a de-facto mayor and spokesperson of the town. Between him, Dana and Kelile you have "Gefana" "Gefana's Defense" and "Gefana's People." His ultimate goal: Make Gefana self-sustainable and able to remain out of the Zakiri/RINC war (at least till the town is able to stand on it's own feet), at which point he'll step down.
+While this is always his plan in the later part of the story, the actual hurried decision to become independent is last minute, to avoid a RINC takeover the town at the end.
+Tilahun, as "spokesperson" is the one doing trade with other communities and tribes in the area. Kelile is somewhat underhanded and sleazy. One misstep and we lose a contact. Dana is military, and even if she negotiated in good faith, there's always the feeling that the negotiations are being done under the gun. Tilahun, as a native son, is the best suited.
+In the end, after several years, Gefanna does stand up on it's own, Tilahun stands down and returns to the Gefana Defense Forces, this time as Dana's equal, and not minder and subordinate.