Akenathen Tandin
A male human named Akenathen Tandin held the position of general within the Royal Onderon Militia during the period known as the Clone Wars. Following the Separatists' takeover of Onderon and the installation of Sanjay Rash as their appointed king, Tandin initially maintained his allegiance to the throne. However, an encounter and discussion with the imprisoned Saw Gerrera later enlightened him to the errors of his ways. Consequently, he turned against Rash and, in collaboration with the Royal Army, played a crucial role in rescuing former king Ramsis Dendup and the Onderon rebels from their impending execution. Tandin, working alongside the Rebels led by Steela Gerrera, Saw's sister, and receiving assistance from the Jedi Order, and their allies managed to expel General Kalani's droid forces from Onderon and successfully defeat Rash. As a direct outcome of their combined efforts, Dendup was restored to his rightful position as the king of Onderon.
Biography
Working for the Separatists
Akenathen Tandin functioned as the general of the Royal Onderon Militia. Following a coup that was supported by the Separatists, which enabled Sanjay Rash to supplant Ramsis Dendup as the king, Tandin chose to remain loyal to the throne. Nevertheless, Tandin started to experience doubts regarding his loyalties after he observed how Rash handled the growing rebellion. While the Onderon rebels were actively creating disturbances through their opposition to the droid army, Tandin continued to show fealty to King Rash. However, with the arrival of General Kalani, Tandin found himself in frequent disagreement with the super tactical droid, who had been dispatched to Onderon by Count Dooku.
Tandin made an attempt to persuade Rash that the rebels were exclusively targeting the droid army. He proposed that if the Royal Onderon Militia were to assume control of security, it might encourage the rebels to cease their activities and engage in discussions. Kalani rejected this suggestion, arguing that the rebels might have sympathizers within the militia's own ranks. Tandin insisted that the threat was external and that the droid reinforcements had not been effective in stopping it. Rash intervened, stating that they would not negotiate with the rebels, whom he labeled as "terrorists." Subsequently, the droid R9-D9 entered the throne room and displayed holograms of the rebel leaders. Tandin informed the king and Kalani about the involvement of Steela Gerrera and her brother Saw in the rebel movement, along with Lux Bonteri, who was the son of the deceased Senator Mina Bonteri.
Saw Gerrera was apprehended during his attempt to rescue Dendup from execution. As a consequence, Kalani subjected Saw to torture in an effort to extract the location of his cohorts. Tandin refused to allow the torture to continue and decided to keep Saw alive in order to locate rebels. He informed the super tactical droid that while he could control the people of Onderon, he could not sustain it against their will, and that it would only lead to others taking Saw's place. Kalani insisted that they too would suffer. Tandin retorted that the war would therefore be lost. Tandin told Kalani he had strong tactics, but it was unfortunate that he could not calculate a different approach. Later, Tandin further questioned Saw while the latter drank tea, with Saw sowing the seeds of doubt within Tandin.
Shortly after this, Tandin provided Saw with a cup of tea and questioned the reasons behind Saw's decision to rebel against Rash's throne. Tandin believed that Onderon's past under the rule of Ramsis Dendup was outdated and that the future lay with Onderon under Separatist control. Saw explained that his rebellion stemmed from King Rash's abuse of power, ruling with an iron fist and prioritizing his own empowerment over the well-being of the people. Saw declared that he fought in Dendup's name because the former king had chosen to politically fight for his people, rather than aligning himself with either the Republic or the Confederacy for personal gain, as Rash had quickly done. Saw presented Tandin with a choice: they could either sit as free men or as servants of the Separatists. Tandin insisted that he was free, while Saw had chosen to become a terrorist. Saw corrected Tandin, asserting that he was a patriot and that resistance was not terrorism. Saw's words of patriotism had a profound impact on Tandin, especially when combined with his awareness of Kalani's willingness to employ torture as a method of extracting information.
Aiding the rebels
Tandin later witnessed the near-execution of Dendup and the arrival of the rebels. After they were surrounded and all seemed lost, Tandin led all the palace guards to serve by his side and prevent the execution from happening. The royal guards surrounded the battle droids while Tandin briefly took Rash hostage. He gave Dendup, the rebels and guards a chance to escape since he was willing to sacrifice his life for them. Rash warned Tandin that the second he released Rash the B2-series super battle droids and Droidekas would shoot and kill him. However, before the droids could fire, Ahsoka Tano jumped out of the crowd, Force pushing the droids to the ground and saving the general. They then escaped together, allowing the civilians to turn against King Rash for his lies. In the Onderon rebel safe house, Dendup asked Tandin why he waited to then to defect from the Separatist. He replied it was time for a new approach. Tandin and the royal guards then pledged their support to the rebels and their true King.
The rebels subsequently relocated from the city to the wilderness in order to draw the droids away from Iziz. Tandin gave his consent to Steela Gerrera's leadership after Dendup appointed her as the leader of both their forces. However, General Kalani dispatched HMP droid gunships to provide assistance to the droid army in its mission to destroy the rebellion. Saw and a small group of rebels launched an aerial attack on the droids, hurling thermal detonators from their rupings, while Tandin led a contingent of Royal Army troopers mounted on dalgos. Nevertheless, their entire strategy underwent a transformation upon the arrival of the droid gunships. The gunships swiftly eliminated several rebels and members of the Royal Militia. After Saw's failed attempt to destroy a gunship with a detonator, Tandin rescued him, pulling Saw onto the back of his Dalgo. Tandin initiated a retreat, instructing Saw and his troopers to regroup at the nest. The rebels teetered on the verge of defeat until Hondo Ohnaka delivered RPS-6 rocket launchers on behalf of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ultimately, they achieved victory over the droids, compelling the Separatists to abandon Onderon, and Kalani killed Rash. Sadly, the victory was with great cost, as Steela died during the final battle. Tandin was present at her funeral in Iziz as Onderon celebrated its liberation.
Personality and traits
Akenathen Tandin was a human male Onderonian general who stood at 1.77 meters (5 feet, 10 inches) tall. He had gray hair, green eyes and tan skin. He also had tattoos on his hands. As the general of the Royal Onderon Militia, Tandin led the army in combat. After Sanjay Rash overthrew Ramsis Dendup, Tandin at first remained loyal to the throne as he feared that a civil war would only cause more suffering for the people of Onderon. Saw Gerrera showed him the errors of his way, and that combined with Kalani's adversion to using torture as a method to extract information, led to Tandin turning against King Rash. He then helped the Rebels free Dendup from execution and subsequently joined the fight against Rash and the Separatists.
Skills and abilities
Serving as the commanding general of the Royal Onderon Militia, Akenathen Tandin demonstrated expertise as a skilled military tactician and an effective leader. His responsibilities included safeguarding the king and protecting him from any potential threats. In addition to his leadership skills, Tandin possessed proficiency in both armed and unarmed combat techniques. Like his subordinates, he was also skilled with a laser lance.
Equipment
Tandin wore ornate gilded grey armor and he wielded a laser lance in combat.
Behind the scenes
Akenathen Tandin made his debut appearance in "The Soft War," which was the fourth episode of the fifth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. David Kaye provided the voice for the character. Tandin was first identified by the name "Akenathen" in the 2021 reference book titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!, authored by Jason Fry.