Her actions, and a career of excesses and other ill-considered decisions have kept other Clansmen from sponsoring Joanna for a Bloodname. Her assignment in the Falcon Guards was just one more example of her commanders putting her in her plea. Star Commander Joanna wants to end her career dying in battle so that her ashes can be used to nourish the next Jade Falcon sibko.

Star Commander Joanna is a bitter woman. She watched her career in the Falcons slowly slide away over the past few years, and knows much of her failure is her own fault. She was demoted from Star Captain to Star Commander in her Trial of Position following the Falcon Guards' loss on Twycross, a downgrade of rank that was not really resulting from any fault on her part - and a just one of her many sources of personal torment. Joanna's involvement with Star Colonel Aidan Pryde's second chance at becoming a MechWarrior and her voluntary participation in the Trial of Refusal fought after the Grand Councils' action in the matter represented the final missteps in a doomed career.

Although she is an aging MechWarrior of undistinguished rank, Star Commander Joanna is a celebrated figure among many Jade Falcon warriors. A long-time member of the Falcon Guards, the Star Commander joined that unit shortly before its infamous defeat on Twycross. A lone Inner Sphere MechWarrior singlehandedly decimated the Falcon unit in that humiliating defeat, which haunted the Falcon Guards and the entire Jade Falcon Clan for years. Joanna, one of the few survivors of that battle, was stripped of her rank of Star Captain after the defeat and forced to fight two Trials of Refusal to gain her present rank. However, the Star Commander redeemed herself and the Falcon Guards when she killed the legendary Wolf Khan Natasha Kerensky in single combat during the recent Refusal War on Twycross.

Star Commander Joanna was the Falconer who trained the cadet sibko of the legendary Aidan Pryde and his sibling Marthe Pryde, and that fact has brought her some fame and awe among warriors. Joanna knew cadet Marthe would probably succeed, and she saw great potential in cadet Aidan, but she was not sure he had enough in him. For Aidan she decided to push him the hardest. She relentlessly drove him, harshly and brutally, and almost too far, getting close to killing him on multiple occasions. During that time, Falconer Joanna also ordered cadet Aidan to couple with her, something which he dreaded.

Joanna served with the Falcon Guards during the Battle on Twycross. On that fateful day Kai Allard Liao killed the Falcon Guard's Star Colonel Adler Malthus by exploding his own 'Mech's engine while near the Malthus's 'Mech and ejected. Kai also devised a plan to knock the Jade Falcons out. Star Captain Joanna was among the warriors in 'Mechs that could not jump away as rocks from explosions detonated on the walls of the canyon rained down on them and buried them. She managed to dig her way out of her Hellbringer and the rubble, and was one of the few to survive. After she returned she was greeted with scorn and shame for surviving, and she was demoted and intended to be cast out. She had to fight two Trials to win her current rank as Star Commander.

Joanna trained and helped rebuild the refleshed but dezgra-branded Falcon Guards under their new commander, Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, also with tainted honor, and helped prepare the unit for the battle on Tukayyid. She trained them meticulously, made them disciplined, honed their skills, and united their spirits into a cooperating working integrated battle machine. On Tukayyid Aidan Pryde led the Falcon Guards to victories and helped the Falcons survive the tricks of the Inner Sphere MechWarriors. Though he lost his life in the end, he redeemed the name and honor of the Falcon Guards, and became a Jade Falcon hero.

For much of her life Joanna hated everyone. Two people Joanna despises most are Falconer Commander Ter Roshak and Star Colonel Ravill Pryde. After Ter Roshak ordered her to be involved in his illegal schemes to reinstate the failed cadet Aidan into a training company, she was unwillingly sucked into dishonorable duties. She also had to seal her lips about murders he covered to give Aidan a new path to start on. Joanna is disgusted by the looks and personality of Ravill Pryde. She is reviled by his Wolf genetic background, hairiness and small rodentlike build, and despises his brash cockiness and audacity to compare himself to and become a replica and replacement of the legend Aidan Pryde. To add her hatred, he beat her in physical, and 'Mech competition. In the 'Mech combat she despised the "cheap" tactics he used to win.

For years Joanna hated Aidan. She did not like him when he was a cadet, and she disliked having to capture him and bring him back to Ironhold for Ter Roshak. She later was tortured by Aidan's successes; His winning a Bloodname which she never succeeded in getting, and then his victorius leadership of the Falcon Guards and becoming a legend. Many times she had nightmares about his success and legend compared to her failure. She eventually let go of her hatred for Aidan and came to respect and admire him, especially because she helped to make him become how great he came out to be.

When Mechwarrior Diana sought the Pryde Bloodname, Joanna brought along her great skill and knowledge and trained Diana relentlessly in the preparation for the contest. In the end, Diana won her Trial, and became Diana Pryde. Much of her success can be attributed to Joanna's training and advising.

Joanna is fierce and deadly in hand to hand and 'Mech combat. In the battle field, she is not one to ignore. She has very good skills in 'Mech piloting, and her edge is in her skill and her brute ferociousness. In every mode of combat she is brutal and ruthless. Sometimes she can be beaten by trickery and nonstandard Clan strategic moves, though with time she became more wary of that.

Star Commander Joanna is well known for her fierce, somethimes ruthless nature and fighting, and blunt truthfulness. When Joanna is given opportunity to fight, she becomes thrilled, and takes on a whole new ferocious look and energy. Though Joanna is sometimes disheartened by her low rank, lack of Bloodname, and failure to become a distinguished warrior, she is a very fearsome and deadly warrior, and is deeply loyal and commited to the Clan. She views many things in a direct study, and carries actions out in a swift and efficient though sometimes excessively violent mannner.

For most of her life Joanna reviled freebirths. She ridiculed them, and avoided physical contact with them at the dread of becoming tainted, and she totally refused to couple with them. Later in her life she served with several freebirths for some time, and eventually gained a small level of respect for them, even eventually somewhat befriended two freeborns, Horse and Diana, Aidan Pryde's freeborn companion, and his freeborn daughter, respectively.

Star Commander Joanna is probably has more sexual desire than most warriors. In typical Clan way, she never took any individual as special for coupling with, but she sought coupling when when she needed it. Joanna is a fearsome warrior who functions very professionally while on duty, but in her private quarters it is a mess and unkempt, as she is disinterested in cleaning and non battle oriented work.

Star Commander Joanna is and has been a tough and rugged individual. She has naturally dark hair, and has very fierce hawkish looking eyes, born of her powerful, agressive and warlike spirit. In the midst of battle her eyes become even more intense looking, especially when she is executing a killing blow. Joanna now is old, and her hair is greying, and wrinkles appearing on her face.

In her latest battle with the Steel Vipers, Joanna was badly wounded. She lost a leg when her 'Mech fell from a cliff. Her leg was replaced by a prosthetic that she is still not used to. She now has been taken from the active duty list and has been sent to train a sibko of Aidan Pryde's progeny. She dislikes being taken from the front lines, but she knows she has served a long battle career, and is getting old, and her recent battle wounds have made her less effective in fighting.

Star Commander Joanna's favorite 'Mech to pilot is the Mad Dog.