Species: Gelt
Birthdate: 410 IE
Birthplace: The Realm
Lattus Tishla, also known as Dr. Tishla Austin, once a reluctant participant in a rogue invasion of a human colony, rises to become one of the most important political and moral figures in the Compact Universe. Born to a servant family and indentured to her childhood friend, Lattus Kai, as a concubine, Tishla ultimately reclaims her late husband’s authority on Gilead, negotiates peace between species, and leads the reconstruction of the planet—now known as Hanar.
Tishla’s story is one of profound transformation—from servant to stateswoman—and her ability to navigate grief, diplomacy, and power makes her a powerful symbol of reconciliation between humans and Gelt.
Key Traits and Developments
Early Life and Indenture
Born Maz Tishla into a servant household loyal to House Lattus, Tishla was indentured to Kai as a concubine and genetics student. Though formally his servant, she shared an affectionate and egalitarian bond with him, and their relationship was marked by deep love and mutual respect. Her scientific curiosity and boldness often put her at the center of decision-making, particularly during their assignment to govern the penal colony of Essenar.
Essenar and First Contact (428 IE)
On Essenar, Tishla struggles to help govern a starving population as food riots erupt. Amid the chaos, she encounters Marq—a human representing Juno—who offers her a root crop engineered to end the famine. She investigates his claims personally and confirms the tuber’s effectiveness. Though initially grateful, Tishla later discovers Juno used the colony as a proving ground, and the engineered roots ultimately fail, inciting a second, more devastating riot.
Escape to the Compact and Metisian Trauma
After Kai discovered Marq and ‘s deception, Tishla’s indenture is transferred to Marq, who takes her to the Compact world Metis. While technically free upon arrival—her nanites automatically dissolve the contract in Compact space—she experiences alienation and trauma, especially during a medical examination she perceives as a violation. Her time on Metis culminates in a violent confrontation with Marq, after which she flees with help from sympathetic Laputan citizens.
Rise to Power and Moral Reckoning (429 IE)
Tishla travels to Gilead and challenges the Larals’ claim before the Sovereign. She invokes Kai’s authority and asserts her right to rule, offering the humans of the devastated colony a stark choice: rebuild with her, or execute her for the sins of the Gelt. She even instructs a loyal Warrior to behead her on command. The humans, moved by her courage and sincerity, choose peace.
Symbolic Break with the Realm
To finalize Hanar’s separation from the Realm, Tishla leads a ceremony in which a Gelt colony transport—stripped of usable equipment—is flown out over the sea and destroyed in a fiery explosion. Inspired by Viking legends of burning ships to claim new lands, the act declares Hanar independent and committed to reconciliation.
Governance and Symbolism
Tishla adopts the title “First Citizen” of Hanar and governs from the modest former residence of a Gelt administrator. She refuses to pave the plaza before her home, leaves a tavern open across from her seat of power, and maintains her own kitchen. Her humility and refusal to adopt the trappings of nobility inspire loyalty from both Gelt and human settlers. Though not a Warrior herself, her strength and sacrifice earn her respect even among that caste.
Postwar Role on Amargosa
Following the Liberation of Amargosa, Tishla extended her influence beyond Hanar. She served as a liaison between Metisian, Hanarian, and Compact interests during the planet’s reconstruction. Recognizing the shared trauma of occupation, she advocated for peaceful coexistence and oversaw the formation of mixed Gelt-human farming enclaves in underdeveloped areas such as the Southern Plains.
Tishla also championed the establishment of a Thulian medical enclave on Amargosa to assist with post-radiation treatment and rejuvenation research, arguing it could save both species from demographic collapse. Though she never claimed formal authority on Amargosa, her guidance—alongside Douglas Best, Athena Jovann, and Fleet Admiral Tran—helped stabilize the region as Amargosa transitioned from protectorate to core world status under the Metisian Republic in 432 IE.
Role in Jayne Best’s Abduction and Rescue
During the abduction and rescue of High Normaj Jayne Best, Tishla played a pivotal supporting role. After Naomi Best, Jayne’s infant daughter, was left in the care of Suicide and JT Austin, JT discreetly contacted Tishla to intervene on behalf of Naomi and her sister Carolyn, knowing they would not be safe while their father recovered from his injuries and their mother remained missing. Tishla agreed without hesitation, personally taking both girls into protective custody on Hanar. When brought to JT’s cabin shortly after Naomi’s arrival, Tishla—like all Gelt women—was able to lactate at will, a biological adaptation of her species, and immediately began nursing the infant to stabilize her.
Role in King Edward’s Rescue
Tishla receives the royal Bonapartan delegation and the captured Realm garrison on Hanar with her usual poise and diplomatic skill. She has a private moment with JT Austin, during which she slaps him out of frustration for dragging her into a tense political situation—but immediately regrets it when she realizes she struck him with her ring hand. JT forgives her, understanding the pressure she’s under.
Tishla later entertains King Edward’s proposal for a political merger between Hanar and Bonaparte, a delicate diplomatic suggestion hinting at closer ties or shared governance. Though noncommittal, she does not reject the idea outright, signaling Hanar’s growing prominence on the interstellar stage.
Afterward, Tishla quietly departs for Amargosa on what is nominally a vacation. In truth, she is deeply concerned over JT’s recent emotional turmoil and his strained relationship with Suicide, prompting her to check in on him and offer support—both personal and political.
Coup on Hanar and Flight to the Sovereign
Tishla crash-lands on Amargosa in a modified hyperdrone with her daughter Athena, seeking refuge with Suicide after a violent coup overthrows her government on Hanar. She reveals that human and Gelt insurgents have seized power, killing her closest allies, and that her escape was part of a last-resort contingency. Brought to New Lansdorp, she meets with Governor Best, Admiral Burke, and Athena Jovann, who confirm the planet is descending into chaos. With no official support available, Tishla announces her intent to indenture herself to the Sovereign of the Realm, offering her body and freedom in exchange for his intervention—while entrusting Athena’s safety to her allies.
While en route to the Throneworld aboard the Bounty, Tishla, JT, and Suicide detour to Armaneya, where Delda Rallis secures a discreet Laputan vessel to avoid detection. During their layover, Tishla and JT become lovers, finding solace before what may be a final sacrifice. Suicide objects the next morning, warning of the political and cultural implications, but Tishla defends her choice and asserts control over her own fate. After crossing into Realm space, they are ambushed by Laral Belcas, who boards the ship and attempts to claim Tishla under indenture law. JT and Suicide retake control of the Bounty, humiliate Belcas, and forcibly “assist” him back to his ship, using his crew’s presence to masquerade as a loyal Realm vessel. When they reach the Throneworld, they are intercepted by the Sovereign’s yacht, where Chancellor Tuvat and General Bolden take them into custody. Tishla, presenting herself as the Sovereign’s indentured, advocates successfully for JT and Suicide, ensuring they are treated as protected escorts rather than enemy sapiens.
At the Throneworld, Tishla is relieved when the Sovereign agrees to help liberate Hanar—on the condition that she resume her genetic research and eventually bear him an heir. Before the agreement is finalized, Laral Belcas challenges her indenture, blaming her for the deaths of his uncle, cousin, and brother during the Gelt Incursion. To stop Belcas from claiming her, JT issues a counter-challenge, invoking the deaths of countless humans and Gelt in the 429 invasion, the Sovereigns’ own objections to those actions, and the loss of his wife, Lizzy. Tishla is horrified by the challenge, slaps JT, and begs him not to proceed, but cannot stop him. She screams as JT wins the brutal duel—only after being nearly disemboweled. Wracked with guilt, Tishla blames herself and attempts suicide, but is talked down by Suicide, who forces her to confront her responsibilities. When JT regains consciousness, Tishla remains at his side, supporting him through the final negotiations with the Sovereign that will ultimately restore her rule and reshape Hanar’s future.
Tishla returns to Hanar alongside JT, Suicide, and a strike team led by Mitsuko Yamato, only to be briefly captured by rebel forces. They are released when the remaining Children of Amargosa, sent by Admiral Burke and the Metisian Republic, arrive to reinforce the mission. Traveling with joint Compact and Republic forces, Tishla helps retake her Residence, where she is devastated by the destruction and the murder of her two servants—an act that drives Bornag to execute the human insurgent leader on the spot. With Eric Yuwono’s help, she taps into the planetary media to announce her return and publicly introduces the “Lord of Hanar.” At the Parliament building, following a brief confrontation (and two stun grenades hurled by Tishla herself), the Sovereign of the Realm oversees the handover of Hanar’s legal claim to JT, who immediately consents to merging the planet with Thule, then the Metisian Republic, and ultimately Bonaparte, forming a new Foundation. However, under Realm law, the basis for this union lies in Tishla’s original claim—and to formally restore it to her, she and JT marry in a Marilynist ceremony, with Ellie Nardino as her maid of honor. The marriage is both a legal handback and an emotional culmination of their long, hard-fought bond.
The morning after the wedding, Athena returns to Hanar from Amargosa with Athena Jovann, her godmother and namesake. As soon as she sees JT, she runs to him with a huge grin. Trying to break the ice, JT tells her, “Well, I’m your father now,” only to freeze when she replies, deadpan, “You’re not my father.” Before he can respond, she throws her arms around him and exclaims, “You’re my Dad!”—bringing JT to tears in front of everyone. From the sidelines, Tishla leans close to Athena Jovann and murmurs, “He doesn’t cry often, but when he does, he means it.”
End of Tenure as First Citizen
In the weeks following the wedding, Hanar’s newly expanded parliament—now provisionally merged with those of the Metisian Republic, Bonaparte, and Thule’s ruling council—selects Douglas Best as the next First Citizen, pending the drafting of a formal constitution. On the morning of his inauguration, Tishla observes the contrast: while she had simply stepped into power out of necessity, Best takes an oath of office, bound to law and a defined term. Her rule, she reflects, had been entirely improvised—shaped by war and survival in a wilderness settlement—while Best now stands in the capital of a thriving, rebuilt city that didn’t even exist seven years earlier. Watching from the sidelines, she turns to Suicide and says, simply, “I’m free.” After a brief honeymoon aboard a new Goldeneye with JT, Tishla relocates to Amargosa, where she embraces a quieter life, resuming her work as a geneticist at the Thulian Clinic there—while helping launch a sister facility on Aphrodite, finally fulfilling the vision that once began as a desperate fight for survival.
To give herself some anonymity, she adopts JT’s surname as her own, following taking on Kai’s during her original indenture. She explains to Jayne Best, who did the same for symbolic reasons, that Lattus Tishla is on the currency and is still a figurehead in the Foundation. Tishla Austin is a pilot’s wife. Not stated is also how Tishla did not want her own infamy to disturb her parents’ quiet life in the Realm, so she did not take her maiden name.
In Breaking Liberty, Tishla steps fully into her role as a geneticist for the Thulian Clinic on Amargosa. When a crashed spacecraft yields a lone survivor suffering from stasis-related amnesia, she helps assess his condition and confirms—alongside Ellie Nardino—that the man is former Compact president Baker ibn-Aziz. Tasked with escorting him to a new clinic on Aphrodite, Tishla undertakes the journey not as a political figure, but as a scientist committed to preserving life and knowledge. Her quiet competence and steady presence guide the mission even as it begins to unravel.
The journey deepens her bond with Ellie, marking their first extended time together without JT Austin. Their interactions—especially a frank conversation about their shared history with JT—dissolve old tension and forge a new, mutual trust. That bond is tested when the two are captured on Liberty and Tishla is turned over to Jez Salamacis, a dangerous acolyte of Marcus Leitman. Salamacis drugs her with the intent of transforming Tishla into a twisted “gift” for her cult leader. Though traumatized, Tishla regains her resolve during the rescue operation and successfully pleads for JT—severely wounded in the fight—to be taken to the Aphrodite Clinic.
Tishla then chooses to remain on Aphrodite, transferring her genetic research there so she can oversee JT’s recovery personally. It’s a pivotal turning point: her decision is not political or strategic, but deeply personal. In doing so, she sheds the remnants of her past leadership and affirms her place in the family she has built—with JT, with Ellie, and with the cause of healing rather than ruling.
At Armaneya
By the time of Jump, Tishla has stepped away from her former position as Hanar’s first citizen and now accompanies JT Austin, Ellie Nardino, and Suicide on select off-world missions. She joins the covert effort to free Pelgar Shrian from her indenture to Laral Raas and secure the alien-built quantum entanglement device in Shrian’s possession.
Operating under her own name and status, Tishla serves as both diplomat and enforcer—wielding the symbolic weight of her legacy and the literal authority of the Sovereign’s scepter. She provides critical backup in the extraction plan, confronting Laral Raas directly despite the personal and political trauma tied to the Laral family. While JT is visibly uneasy with this confrontation, the couple work together in the field with practiced efficiency, marking the first time they’ve done so since the Liberation of Amargosa.
Tishla later attends the wedding of Connor Duffy and Shrian aboard the Endeavour, visibly supportive of the political and emotional union between human and Gelt.
Relationships
Tishla’s relationship with JT Austin is one of the most complex and emotionally layered in her life. It begins when he helps capture her on Amargosa, where she is using the alias “Trixie.” Despite the circumstances, a fragile bond forms, culminating in JT offering to stay and die beside her rather than allow her to be recaptured. This act becomes the foundation for a deep mutual empathy rooted in trauma and shared burdens.
Their connection intensifies just before the Liberation of Amargosa, when they share an intimate encounter. Afterward, Tishla gives him the dagger of her late husband, Lattus Kai—an intimate Gelt gesture symbolizing love or deep trust. She tells JT to kill her with it if Lizzy Parker’s memory demands it. The next morning, she introduces him to her daughter Athena, who expresses a wish for JT to become her new father—further intertwining their lives.
During her first visit to JT’s cabin on Amargosa, she privately weeps at Lizzy’s grave and begs forgiveness. She continues to vacation at the cabin frequently, often whether JT is home or not, using it as a place of solace. Her affection for JT grows increasingly evident, even as their lives remain complicated. At one point, she takes custody of Douglas Best’s children while Best recovers from an assassination attempt, an act done entirely for JT’s sake.
When JT involves her in a tense political situation following the attempted abduction of King Edward of Bonaparte, Tishla confronts him in private and slaps him—then instantly regrets doing so, especially after realizing he had just lost another lover to war. Later, upon noticing JT and Suicide had stopped speaking, she travels to Amargosa out of concern. A week later, she gently tests the waters with JT, suggesting he could “take her” if he wanted. He deflects, saying she would have to make the first move—so instead, she nudges him into a relationship with Ellie Nardino.
That season-long relationship leads to one of Tishla’s most cutting and teasing habits: reminding JT of his romantic entanglements and Gelt preferences with casual sarcasm. Nonetheless, she remains his emotional anchor. When JT and Ellie later consider rekindling their romance, Ellie tells him, “Just don’t break my Gelt friend’s heart unless you mean it.”
Their relationship shifts permanently in 436 IE. After Tishla escapes a coup on Hanar and seeks refuge on Amargosa, JT agrees to help escort her to the Realm, knowing she intends to indenture herself to the Sovereign. During a layover on Armaneya, she and JT finally become lovers again—this time not in desperation, but in shared vulnerability and trust. When Suicide confronts them the next morning, Tishla defends their bond and clarifies that the choice was hers. She admits it was only the second time they had been together, the first being the night before JT joined the the Liberation began.
Tishla is horrified when JT challenges Laral Belcas to single combat to protect her from being claimed, and though she slaps him in a moment of panic, she remains by his side afterward. She is nearly broken watching him fight and almost die in the duel, and attempts suicide from guilt before Suicide intervenes. After JT recovers, Tishla stays with him during negotiations with the Sovereign and supports the legal transfer of Hanar’s claim, culminating in a Marilynist wedding aboard the Sovereign’s yacht.
Following their brief capture by Nobu Katsumoto’s insurgents, JT uses the dagger Tishla once gave him—originally offered for her own execution should he ever blame her for Lizzy’s death—to kill Nobu, plunging it into the insurgent’s chest. He then orders Nobu’s head removed and presented as a gift to the Sovereign, now arriving in orbit, symbolically ending the rebellion and reasserting Realm authority.
The next morning, Tishla and JT are reunited with Athena, who arrives from Amargosa with Athena Jovann. When JT greets her with “I’m your father now,” Athena startles him by replying, “You’re not my father”—only to throw her arms around him and shout, “You’re my Dad!” JT breaks down crying, prompting Tishla to quietly tell Jovann, “He doesn’t cry often, but when he does, he means it.”
Following their marriage, Tishla legally adopts the surname Austin, choosing it over her maiden name (Maz) and former indenture name (Lattus) to create distance from her public identity. She explains to Jayne Best that “Lattus Tishla” remains a figurehead on Hanar’s currency and Foundation affairs, but “Tishla Austin” is simply a pilot’s wife. Unspoken, but deeply felt, is her desire to protect her parents—still living quietly in the Realm—from association with her public notoriety.
Though JT plays a smaller role in Breaking Liberty, his connection to Tishla remains central to her choices and emotional arc. After years of surviving war and political upheaval, the two are finally trying to build a quieter life together. Their bond is evident in private exchanges—casual teasing, mutual protection, and a shared weariness with being treated like symbols rather than people. JT’s presence grounds Tishla, and her decision to take part in the mission to escort Baker ibn-Aziz stems in part from her trust in JT’s judgment and her desire to stay connected to the people they both care about.
That trust is tested when JT is severely injured during the rescue from Liberty. Tishla doesn’t hesitate; she pleads for him to be taken to the new Thulian Clinic on Aphrodite, where she can oversee his recovery. The trauma reignites her old pattern of self-sacrifice, but this time, she chooses not to retreat or martyr herself. Instead, she moves her work to Aphrodite to be by JT’s side—not out of duty, but love. It’s a quiet, profound shift in their relationship: Tishla no longer sees herself as a burden or a symbol, but as a partner choosing to stay. In doing so, she reaffirms the life they’re building together, one not defined by war or politics but by shared healing.
By 438, now fully functioning as both life partners and field operatives, Tishla and JT exhibit a seamless working relationship during the mission. JT’s concern about her facing another Laral contrasts with Tishla’s calm resolve. Their shared experience in the field rekindles the synergy they developed during the Amargosa Occupation, showing they remain deeply bonded and mutually supportive.
Tishla and Suicide first meet on Amargosa, where Tishla is held prisoner under the alias “Trixie.” During their early interactions, Tishla reveals her deep remorse for her unintended role in the Gelt invasion and even asks Suicide to allow JT to kill her if it would give him closure for Lizzy’s death. Suicide declines, recognizing both Tishla’s sincerity and the complexity of JT’s emotions.
Their relationship evolves into a tense but functional alliance. Despite Suicide being the one to quip about JT’s habit of hooking up with Gelt women who resemble Tishla, she and Tishla maintain mutual respect. They frequently work together—particularly when missions demand a blend of diplomacy and special operations.
Following the attempted abduction of King Edward aboard the Queen Maria Sophia, Tishla becomes alarmed by the growing rift between JT and Suicide. Aware of how critical their bond is to maintaining stability both personally and politically, Tishla quietly advocates for their reconciliation in her own way.
In 436, Tishla is ousted in a coup and flees to Amargosa. Suicide and JT come to her aid and agree to escort her to the Realm’s Throneworld, where she will plead for help from the Sovereign. Later, when Suicide discovers that Tishla and JT have slept together, she confronts them both in anger, warning them of the political and cultural consequences—especially as Tishla is about to present herself as indentured to the Sovereign. But this time, Tishla stands up for herself and for JT, making it clear that the choice was hers alone and rooted in genuine emotional need, not manipulation. She explains that they have only been together twice, and both times were her decision, made for reasons of healing and love, not politics. Suicide, though still wary, begins to respect her more openly from that moment.
The first major fracture comes after JT is nearly killed fighting Laral Belcas to protect Tishla’s indenture. Overcome by guilt, Tishla attempts suicide. Suicide finds her and is furious, not only at the act but at what she sees as a betrayal of everyone who risked themselves for her. When Tishla tries to call her “Mom” in the aftermath, Suicide snaps: “You don’t get to call me that. You have to earn that right.”
This shift comes full circle when Tishla shyly asks Suicide for permission to marry JT, recognizing her as a parental figure. In response, Suicide offers to have her mother merge her two wedding dresses—from her marriages to Akrad and Priya—and have the result fitted for Tishla. She tells her, “How’s that for approval? Daughter?” That simple word—“daughter”—marks a turning point. Though Tishla had long been considered one of the Children of Amargosa, that moment, witnessed by Mitsuko Yamato, makes her formal acceptance into the group explicit, closing the emotional distance that had lingered between her and Suicide for years.
In Breaking Liberty, Tishla and Suicide demonstrate the depth of their long-standing alliance, built on mutual respect and shared trauma. Though Suicide no longer commands Tishla’s missions, she remains a trusted advisor—and occasionally, a pushy older sister figure. It’s Suicide who recruits Tishla for the mission to escort Baker ibn-Aziz, knowing her presence will lend medical credibility and personal steadiness. When things go wrong, Suicide trusts Tishla not only to help protect Baker but to survive abduction and attempted grooming by Jez Salamacis. Their brief but pointed interactions underscore the unspoken truth: Suicide may be the planner, but Tishla is the one who must walk into danger—and survive it.
Though vastly different in personality, Tishla and Suicide operate in respectful harmony. Tishla values Suicide’s tactical prowess and unapologetic bluntness, while Suicide honors Tishla’s past as both a survivor of the Realm and a political force. The mission to Armaneya reinforces their unspoken alliance and mutual trust.
Breaking Liberty brings Ellie and Tishla into their first extended, one-on-one mission together, forging a relationship that evolves from wary professionalism into something deeply personal. Initially linked only by their mutual connection to JT Austin, the two begin to shed old tension through shared danger and unexpected honesty. In a key scene aboard the Angry Crow, Ellie confesses that JT was her first lover, expecting judgment or discomfort. Instead, Tishla responds with empathy, validating Ellie’s experience rather than challenging it. This disarming moment marks the start of a deeper bond. During the mission, through their shared trials—rescue, betrayal, near-death—they form a quiet sisterhood of survivors, each recognizing in the other someone who knows what it means to endure. It is in this crucible that Ellie is grafted into Tishla’s growing family—not as a rival or subordinate, but in an undefined role that reflects exactly what both women need. Ellie never got to marry JT, but she becomes part of something just as enduring: a family built not on tradition, but on love, trust, and shared scars.
Tishla continues to treat Ellie as an integral—if undefined—part of her family. She supports Ellie’s role in the mission and trusts her with both copilot responsibilities and emotional support for JT. Their connection is built on trust, shared trauma, and a growing familial closeness, particularly as co-parents to Athena.
Athena Jovann was the first Metisian official Tishla met upon arriving in Compact space. She oversaw the legal and diplomatic review of Tishla’s case while her status as a Gelt refugee and former concubine was assessed. The two formed an immediate bond, and Tishla would later name her daughter Athena in her honor, later asking Jovann to serve as the girl’s godmother.
Later, as part of a Compact fact-finding delegation, Jovann was chosen to evaluate Hanar’s status during its transition from Gelt-occupied colony to multispecies settlement. Her recommendation to the Assembly—based in part on Tishla’s leadership and the cooperation of surviving humans—was to grant Hanar full independence, a decision that legitimized Tishla’s regime.
When Jovann became governor-general of Amargosa during the transitional period under the provisional government and later the Metisian Republic, she and Tishla remained close. Despite her political responsibilities, Jovann frequently cared for young Athena when Tishla was away, effectively becoming a second maternal figure. Their relationship reflects deep mutual respect, political alignment, and lasting personal loyalty.
Lattus Athena Tishla’s daughter with the late Lattus Kai, is both her greatest legacy and most personal source of strength. Named after Metisian official Athena Jovann, who later became her godmother, Athena survived a murder attempt in utero that claimed her twin brother. Tishla raised her amid the founding of Hanar, balancing motherhood with political leadership. The bond between mother and daughter deepens when Athena later asks JT Austin to be her father, a wish fulfilled after Tishla and JT marry and he adopts her. Athena embraces JT as her Dad, choosing to carry both Kai’s and Austin’s surnames to honor them. Tishla often entrusts Athena’s care to close allies like Jovann or Ellie Nardino, confident in the strong, chosen family that surrounds them.
Orias Palak served as a father figure to both Lattus Kai and Tishla, having worked as a military advisor to Kai’s household during their youth. After Kai’s death and the devastation of Gilead, Palak became one of the earliest and most steadfast supporters of Tishla’s leadership. He backed her bold plan to merge the surviving human colony with the new Gelt settlement, rejecting both the Compact and the Realm in favor of an independent Hanar.
When Tishla assumed power, Palak became her chancellor and closest advisor, offering both political wisdom and emotional grounding during the fragile early days of her rule. He also played a key role in planning the Liberation of Amargosa, ensuring coordination with allied forces. His guidance helped legitimize Tishla’s position among both Gelt and human settlers.
Palak died during the coup on Hanar, giving his life while helping evacuate Tishla and her daughter Athena to safety on Amargosa—his final act of loyalty to the woman he considered a daughter.
Trevor Colt first meets Tishla when she calls the final ceasefire on the former Gilead. A respected voice among the human survivors, he becomes an early advocate for her plan to merge the human and Gelt settlements and declare independence from both the Compact and the Realm. He later serves as her chief law enforcement officer and joins her inner council. Colt also becomes her first human lover, a relationship defined by trust and emotional candor rather than romance. Known for his honesty, he isn’t afraid to challenge her when she strays from her ideals—though he notably says nothing when she executes the man who killed her son, Kai-ban, while the murderer was in custody. Colt dies helping evacuate Tishla and Athena during the coup on Hanar, sacrificing himself to ensure their escape to Amargosa.
Connor Duffy: Connor Duffy and Tishla share a quiet, enduring bond rooted in their shared experience as survivors and veterans of the Amargosa Occupation. Though never particularly close on a personal level early on, their mutual respect has grown over time—especially as both have taken on roles of responsibility and influence within the Compact.
Tishla views Duffy as one of the more grounded and introspective members of the Children of Amargosa. She understands the burdens he carries, especially the tension between his technical brilliance and his emotional reticence. During the events of Jump, she steps in as both ally and advocate during his efforts to free Shrian, recognizing in his actions the same drive for justice and personal loyalty that once defined her own choices.
While Duffy may not express it openly, he trusts Tishla’s judgment and treats her with quiet deference, not because of her former political power, but because of who she is—someone who understands the cost of doing the right thing when it’s the hardest option.
Like all the Children of Amargosa, Duffy accepts Tishla as a maternal figure of sorts—not in a literal sense, but as part of the strange, resilient family they’ve all formed around Suicide and JT. Her presence at his wedding to Shrian cements that bond and affirms her belief in his path forward.
Pelgar Shrian: Tishla immediately recognizes echoes of her own past in Shrian: a Gelt woman bound by indenture, struggling to act with agency in a world where political forces treat her as property. Though their interaction is brief, Tishla is instrumental in discrediting Laral Raas’s claim over Shrian and affirms her right to freedom and dignity.
As a former indentured herself, Tishla navigates the legal and symbolic channels necessary to facilitate Shrian’s release—without overshadowing her. Her presence signals support not just for Shrian personally, but for a future in which Gelt like Shrian are treated as full partners in Compact society.
Motherhood and Legacy
Tishla gives birth to Athena, her daughter with Kai, and eventually forms a deep connection with JT Austin, who becomes Athena’s adoptive father. Their blended family—Gelt and human—becomes a living symbol of unity between species.
Appeances: Tishla's Journey, Chasing Eternity, Second Wave, Storming Amargosa, “Half Shell,” Suicide Run, Checkmate, Winter Games, Royal Orders, Suicide Gambit, Breaking Liberty, Jump