Taja

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Taja is a character featured in the television show Mortal Kombat: Conquest, played by actress Kristanna Loken. A former thief, Taja is a quick and skilled fighter with an upbeat personality.

When Taja was a young girl in her early teens, she belonged to a family of travelers. They were not a very wealthy family, but they were happy nonetheless. But one day while her family were setting up camp in the middle of a forest, Taja wandered off exploring, not realizing that she would never see them again.

Taja used the only talent she knew to survive: stealing. Sometimes Taja would have to go extremely out of her way to achieve something. Her youth did not set a limit for her, and she would sneak into a king's palace if necessary. As she grew up, she became one of the most sly and skillful thieves in the world. But along with stealing, she picked up the ability to fight. Fighting was essential for thieves, for even the most silent of burglars occasionally get spotted. One day Taja teamed up with other thieves in an attempt to mug the local Baron Reyland's daughter, Jen Reyland and her bodyguard, Siro. Unfortunately, Siro defeated both of them and even managed to arrest Taja, who was sentenced by the Baron to work as a slave. The Baron attempted to initiate an intimate relationship with her, but thankfully Siro stepped in before the Baron could take Taja by force.

Meanwhile, a man named Kung Lao had also been in trouble with the Baron for attempted romance with Jen. The Baron hated the idea of Jen being married to the latest champion of the Mortal Kombat, thinking it is nonsense and an unsuitable lifestyle for his daughter. It is revealed in the episode "Debt of the Dragon" that the Baron owed a lot of money to the Black Dragon Clan and probably wanted Jen to wed a wealthy man to help pay it off. In one last attempt to free Kung Lao, Jen freed Taja, seeking her help. Taja defeated all of the Baron's guards single-handedly, allowing Kung Lao to escape from danger. Things went wrong again, though. A lethal assassin named Scorpion captured Jen in the hopes of luring Kung Lao to a battle.

By this time, Taja had become friendly with both Siro and Kung Lao and joined them on a mission to rescue Jen. While Taja and Siro fought the monks who had been cursed by Scorpion, Kung Lao battled him in the Shaolin Temple of the Order of Light. Taja helped Kung Lao and Siro in destroying Scorpion, but the win was more of a loss, as Jen's dead body lay burned on the floor. In later episodes Taja explains how unusual it was for her to make friends and constantly faces betrayal from many whom she thought to have trusted. During 'Twisted Truth' she forms a romantic relationship with Tomas, to which Kung Lao and Siro believe him to be a murderer, but at the end Tomas proves his loyalty to Earthrealm by sacrificing himself to save the three. Taja is also betrayed by an old comrade thief from days past (in episode 21) and earlier when she was kidnapped by Shang Tsung she begins to feel sympathetic about Vorpax's lifestyle, but later is betrayed by the woman upon learning what Queen Kreeya's true plans were about.