Tasmanian SFG Series by C.R. Daems, Emily Woo Zeller

Jolie was three when she found she was ugly and deformed. She was five when she found she was a sub-human and an outcast. She was seven when five boys and two girls dragged her out of the orphanage and beat her unconscious, leaving her lying bleeding and broken in the street. She was content to lie there and die, tired of being hated and abused. But a frail old man with wispy white hair and a long beard wasn't content to let her die... moreJolie was three when she found she was ugly and deformed. She was five when she found she was a sub-human and an outcast. She was seven when five boys and two girls dragged her out of the orphanage and beat her unconscious, leaving her lying bleeding and broken in the street. She was content to lie there and die, tired of being hated and abused. But a frail old man with wispy white hair and a long beard wasn't content to let her die. He not only saved her, but he adopted her and passed on his unique martial art to her. She was twenty when she headed to Delphi, the center of the United Systems of Perileos (USP) and the planet of her birth-father to find her place in his society. Based on her unique upbringing, she decides to join the USP military, requesting to be assigned to the Tasmanians SFG, an elite all male unit. The military brass is reluctant to deny her request and admit their enlistment contract permits bait-and-switch assignments. Instead, they agree to let her enter the school, thinking she couldn't possibly succeed–a Chihuahua competing against Rottweilers–and plan to make an example of her when she fails. Although Jolie is small, she is not what she appears. But can her adopted father's art enable her to survive the treachery of the military brass, the grueling of the school, the prejudices of the instructors, and the testosterone of an all-male class. And if she succeeds, can she thrive in the high-octane and all male environment of the Tasmanians? less

"Devils to me," a siren call that would bring every Tasmanian running to answer no matter what they were doing. Repeated over and over by those answering the call, it would empty bars or a base or a city of Tasmanians, because no member of the elite unit would desert a brother in trouble, reinforcing their unofficial motto, Et Anima Una, Of One Mind... more"Devils to me," a siren call that would bring every Tasmanian running to answer no matter what they were doing. Repeated over and over by those answering the call, it would empty bars or a base or a city of Tasmanians, because no member of the elite unit would desert a brother in trouble, reinforcing their unofficial motto, Et Anima Una, Of One Mind. Jolie is the only female in the elite all male Tasmanian special forces group and loving every crazy minute of it–well, except for being made a squad leader. A duty no Tasmanian would want since it means having to make life and death decisions that impact their brothers' lives. But Jolie's true-father's emphasis on Ready, in Ready, Aim, Fire, has proved beneficial on each of her previous assignments, earning her the call sign Fox and giving her a unique latitude on her assignments–a squad leader with no orders or direction. Because, while Jolie can be unpredictable, she never disappoints and always has her squad in the thick of the action. As one Tasmanian commander commented: "That exemplifies Et Anima Una like nothing else could. Jolie walks off to only the space gods know with no orders or direction, and we think it's normal." less

The Tasmanian's unofficial motto is et anima una, Of One Mind, and somehow the elite special forces group performs like they have one mind. Jolie understands on a subconscious level but not on an intellectual level. An important level for Jolie as she has a platoon and no stated objectives while on assignments and, therefore, easy to lose her connection with the main force. A problem that could make her unfit for the Tasmanians.