Joy Corelli

Joy Corelli
Personal
Died	October 3062
Affiliation	Federated Commonwealth
Career
Profession	Leutnant-General

Joy Corelli was the commanding officer of the 26th Lyran Guards between 3039 and 3051.

Biography

War of 3039

Alnasi

On 15 April, 3039, a flotilla consisting of the 26th Lyran Guards RCT and the 1st Argyle Lancers appeared at a Pirate Jump Point above the Combine world of Alnasi, an industrial world defended only by a small planetary militia. Woodruff Patterson, now holding the rank of General in the LCAF, commanded the invasion force, and was determined to secure the planet quickly. The Alnasi militia, however, waged an effective guerrilla war despite fielding only a company of 'Mechs. Ultimately, however, Patterson was able to surround the capital of Gantarius, forcing the planetary government's surrender. It took the invaders until mid-May, however, before they could run down the militia 'Mech Company. With the planet in their grasp, the Guards and the Lancers dug in to prepare for the possibility of a DCMS counter-attack. The 26th Guards losses during the conquest were considered light.

Unfortunately for the Guards, guerilla warfare by the surviving militia and an insurgency by the local population (and supported by the Internal Security Force) kept them from ever fully securing the planet. Sabotage to Lyran equipment became commonplace, and matters were not helped when the Argyle Lancers were rotated off-world to prepare for follow-up attacks. On 22 July, Combine reinforcements arrived in the form of the 6th Alshain Regulars and the 5th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre, using the same pirate point the Lyrans had. Although they held an advantage in skill, experience and sheer numbers over the Regulars and the Cadre, their position was highly compromised. Patterson sent his aerospace fighters to interfere with the incoming enemy transports, but they inflicted only minor damage before being chased off by Kuritan fighters and assault DropShips. The Guards then sent their second battalion (supported by armor forces) and their lightning company to harry the DCMS landing zones. They were quickly repulsed by the overwhelming ferocity of the Alshain Regulars, piloting 'Mechs (provided by ComStar) never before seen by the Lyrans. The Kuritans soon built a formidable defensive position around their LZ, and within a few days, the Regulars were prepared to attack the Lyran-held capital from the west while the Cadre struck from the northeast. The Cadre's approach was botched, however, when they ran into entrenched Lyran armor positions. Nevertheless, the Guards faced a deteriorating position, attacked on two sides and facing heavier opposition within the city. By 30 July, Patterson was forced to pull his troops back deeper within the city. The entrenched men and women of Steiner's Boots proceeded to repulse five Combine assaults in succession, but terrorist attacks by the ISF and the local citizenry grew progressively worse. On 5 August, a suicide bomber killed General Patterson and 26 other members of the Guards. Two days later, Colonel Joy Corelli, acting commander of the 26th, ordered the Guards to begin withdrawing from the planet. Within a week, the last remaining Lyran troops had lifted off-world. Overall casualties to the unit during the counter-attack were moderate, allowing it to maintain unit cohesion. The Twenty-sixth returned to Phalan, and ultimately were rotated back to Tamar when the war ended. After the conflict, Colonel Corelli was promoted and confirmed as the Twenty-sixth's commander.

Recovery and the Lyran Alliance

The Clan Invasion was eventually halted at the Battle of Tukayyid. The 26th Guards were so damaged by the fighting that they did not even appear in a ComStar report on the deployment of AFFC forces in 3054. Nevertheless, they managed to avoid being formally disbanded. Like most traditional Lyran units, the Twenty-sixth switched their loyalties to Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion and the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces during the secession of 3057, this despite the fact their commanding officer was a distant cousin of the ruling Davion family. Although they took no part in Operation Bulldog or other major actions, the Guards nevertheless maintained their veteran status when they returned to full strength. Joy Corelli officially remained commander, despite still lingering in a coma. As of late 3061, the Guards were stationed on Port Moseby.

In October 3062, Corelli finally passed away. As November 3062, the Guards remained on Port Moseby.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: SLDF