Doich: “Maybe that's why he's so successful.”
―Dak Chamblers and Tray Doich talking about Joe Tylars
Joe Tylars was a Human male officer in the Sinyan Nationalist Movement during the Sinyan Civil War, and later, a general in the Sinya Defense Force during the Cruentusian War. Tylars was selected by Sinyan Emperor Yen Balestone to replace Dak Chamblers as Supreme Commander of the Sinya Defense Force after a failed attack on Stahlon. From there, Tylars led the Defense Force in a successful Sinyan uprising against the Srav Federation. He would continue to lead the Defense Force against the Taung Confederacy in the latter years of the war.
Tylars later became a commander in the military of the United Coalition of Worlds after the Sinyan Imperium had pledged its allegiance to the government. He also had a short-lived political career on the United Coalition's governing council.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Joe Tylars was born in 24,316 BBY on the Sinyan Imperium homeworld of Sinya. By the outbreak of the Sinyan Civil War, a conflict between the Sinyan Nationalist Movement and the Sinyan Socialist Republic, he was part of a militia. Tylars became a member of the Sinyan Nationalists shortly after the war officially began.
Sinyan Civil War[]
As a member of the Sinyan Nationalist Movement, Tylars was transferred to a nationalist tank unit where he rose up in the ranks, as his immediate superior felt his aggressive battle tactics were appropriate for a higher rank. This did, however, earn Tylars some disdain from many of his fellow officers, as he was promoted ahead of them despite being younger. He often took his unit on small raiding missions, such as attacking Sinyan Socialist Republic convoys. By the end of the war, he had reached the rank of colonel.
Cruentusian War[]
Srav Invasion of Sinya[]
Chamblers: “We need prisoners to interrogate and that usually works best if they're alive.”
Tylars: “My men operate as I command.”
Chamblers: “And you are to operate as commanded!”
— Dak Chambers and Joe Tylars[src]
In 24,299 BBY, the Cruentusian War broke out across the galaxy, eventually prompting the Sinyan Imperium, the nationalist movement that replaced the Socialist Republic, to become involved. As the war escalated, Tylars watched the events and tried to learn as much as he could about each side's strengths and weaknesses. When the socialist Srav Federation military invaded Sinya, Tylars had already devised tactics on how to use his Sinyan tanks against the Srav counterparts. Nevertheless, his forces were unable to halt the Srav assault.
The death of Sinya Defense Force Supreme Commander Ken Trallar and the Sinyan General Staff in Reshlund caused a shortage of generals in the Defense Force, so Tylars was promoted to the rank. Many of his fellow officers, including the new Supreme Commander Dak Chamblers, felt he was too young to become a general. Nonetheless, he carried out his duties, often conducting raids against groups of Sravs with his tanks. Much to the annoyance of Chamblers, however, Tylars never took any prisoners. Because of this, Chambers came to resent Tylars and nearly relieved him of his command. Tylar's past successes in the conflict, combined with the Sinyan's need for as many officers as possible, prevented Chamblers from doing so.[1]
During an attempted attack on the Srav-occupied city of Stahlon, Tylars was assigned to capture a fuel depot on the outskirts of the city. He was able to capture it, although he also felt forced to engage a nearby Srav tank division. Tylars later received word that the rest of the Sinyan forces were trapped within the city, so he ordered his men to pull out of the depot in order to rescue the other Sinyans. He was then able to break through enemy lines and save most of the remaining Sinyan defense forces before the Sravs could react. Because of this move, along with most of the blame for the defeat being placed on Chamblers, Tylars was made the new Supreme Commander of the Sinyan Defense Force.[1]
In an effort to boost the morale of his troops, Tylars planned a raid on the city of Eisenval. He personally led the attack and was successful at capturing supplies and prisoners before giving the order to withdraw. He used the raid as a propaganda tool to recruit more people to the Sinyan resistance.
Shortly afterward, Tylars prepared to lead a major uprising against the Sravs. To protect his troops from aerial attack, Tylars hired a mercenary squadron called the Flyboys. After the Flyboys neutralized the Srav's orbital platforms, Tylars began the assault with columns of tanks and infantry attacking several major cities. Tylars led an attack on Reshlund but was held back by the dug-in Srav infantry. The Sravs then tried to mount a counterattack, but Tylars called in the Flyboys, who repelled the assault. With most of the Srav threat removed, Tylars continued his advance and eventually reached the capital building. He was then able to capture and kill all the Srav commanders, effectively ending the Srav occupation.
Following the end of the occupation, Tylars received permission from Emperor Balestone to begin a program that would allow the Imperium to gain additional territory. This led to the planets of Axra Prime, Karccev, and Mu Nae being put under the control of the Sinyan Imperium.
Taung conflict[]
Joe Tylars aboard the Imperious over Karccev.
Like most Sinyans, Tylars was caught off-guard by the Taung invasion of Mu Nae. He quickly began planning a response, however, and decided to set a trap on nearby Axra Prime after learning of the completion of the top secret project "BEX". He was surprised and angered when Balestone decided to put Bureau of Sinyan Intelligence Chief Herich Stimmlur in charge of the battle. He was further angered after the battle when he learned that Stimmlur had left many SDF soldiers and Sinyan Colonists behind when the BSI withdrew from Axra. Confrontations soon began to arise between the leaders of Sinya that drew attention away from other Taung attacks.
Several small engagements between the two factions occurred during this time. After the Sinyans lost Riesen III to the Taung, Tylars ordered a special operation to rescue several SDF marines who had been captured during the battle. The operation was successful in rescuing most of the marines, who were then returned to Sinya. Following the rescue, the Sinyans emerged victorious in several naval battles, partially due to the completion of the Velum-class battleship, which boosted their naval firepower. Despite this, the Sinyan leaders failed to recognize that their fortress-world of Karccev lacked commanding officers.
The Taungs invaded Karccev not long after the Battle of Axra Prime, and the Sinyans were in no position to oppose them. With no leader and poor organization, the SDF troops on the planet were easily beaten by the crusading Taungs. When Tylars learned of this, he turned his attention away from his troubles with Balestone and Stimmlur and toward the enemy, who had taken over much of the planet.
In response to the Taung occupation, Tylars sent his former superior, Dak Chamblers, with additional troops to reinforce the defenders; Chamblers was killed in space when a Taung fighter crashed into the bridge of the Sinyan command ship, Conquest. Hanen Chards and some of the reinforcements reached the ground and were able to launch a semi-successful assault on the planet's surface. However, Chards was killed when the Taungs counter-attacked shortly afterward. Both sides were forced to enter a stalemate and remained there for several months.
In the meantime, Tylars began preparing a major land and space operation which he hoped would defeat the Taungs once and for all. When the assault was launched, the Sinyan commanders declared it a success. Tylars led the naval battle from the bridge of his flagship, the then-new Velum-class battleship Imperious, while Tray Doich led a land offensive which broke through Taung lines, causing widespread instability. The Taungs withdrew the next day to return to their homeworld, Dxun, which had just been attacked by the Srav Federation. Although the Taungs were effectively out of the war, the Sinyans had been decimated by their attacks.
Part of the Coalition[]
If they would have told me I had to take orders from a Srav, I wouldn't have taken this assignment.
—Joe Tylars during the Battle of Abonshee II
Following the Taung withdrawal from the war, Tylars convinced Balestone that the best course of action would be to join a diplomatic meeting being assembled on Corellia, as Tylars believed it would provide security for the planet from another invasion. Despite Stimmlur's opposition to the plan, Balestone agreed with Tylars and became one of the signers of the Treaty of Corellia. Tylars then became an officer in the military of the United Coalition of Worlds, the government created with the signing of the treaty.
Tylars' first and only deployment with the Coalition was on Abonshee II, under the command of former Srav officer Nataska Vergulva, against the Death's Tongue Militia. During the battle, Tylars was forced to take up the job of providing Vergulva cover-fire. This also meant he had to take direct orders from her, which did not sit well with him due to her former affiliation with the Srav Federation. Despite this, the Coalition forces were successful in defeating the Death's Tongue Militia as well as its native allies. Tylars remained on Abonshee II, as commander of the garrison, for the rest of the war.
Post-war[]
The only major difference between war and politics is you don't get to shoot the guy on the opposing side.
—Joe Tylars
At the war's end, Emperor Balestone retired from politics, leaving the Sinyan's seat on the Coalition council open. Due to intense pressure from fellow Sinyans, Tylars took this seat, despite not wanting to become involved in politics. In addition, and much to Tylars' dismay, he was seated on the same council as his former commander Nataska Vergulva. Because of their differing ideologies and past disagreements, Tylars and Vergulva had many heated arguments during their time on the council. After only a year on the council, Tylars, like Balestone, resigned from his position and returned to Sinya.
Personality and traits[]
Herich Stimmlur, a longtime political rival of Tylars.
Tylars loved warfare and devoted much of his time to studying it, which paid off for him as he was one of the few Sinyan officers able to lead successful counter-attacks against the Srav Federation. Although his superiors considered him obedient in his early career, many of them later believed Tylars began to overestimate his own importance and became used to getting his way. Because of this this, he rarely obeyed orders he disagreed with, causing a number of problems with his superiors.
Regardless of his obedience controversies, his success as a commander often overshadowed his disobedience. Tylars was a self-avowed imperialist and was responsible for promoting the expansion of Sinyan territory to Emperor Balestone. While Tylars believed that citizens should have had some form of freedom and choice in political matters, he generally thought democracy made government susceptible to corruption. Over his career, he made numerous enemies within his own government, including Dak Chamblers and Herich Stimmlur.
Behind the scenes[]
Joe Tylars was created by fan fiction author Ty294 on Star Wars Fanon, the Star Wars wiki of fan invention. The character is currently part of the ongoing Project Cruentus, a series in the FanonProject program on Star Wars Fanon. The character's name is derived from the author's middle name and first name—Joseph and Tyler, respectively. Ty294 also loosely based the character's personality on his own.
In the short story Against All Odds, also by Ty294, Tylars goes by the call sign "Black Dog," which is a reference to an American tank battalion known as "The Black Dogs" in the computer game Battlezone.
Appearances[]
- Against All Odds (First appearance)
- Rescue on Riesen III (Mentioned only)