Patrick Kell

Patrick Martin Kell
Patrick Martin Kell
Personal
Born	2988
Died	May 3027
Affiliation	House Kell
Profile
Profession	Lieutenant Colonel
Family
Parents	Margaret Maybelle Kell (mother)
Siblings	Morgan Kell
Spouse	Takara
Children	Christian Kell (illigitimate)

Patrick Martin Kell (2988 – 3027; aged 39 years) and his brother Morgan Kell were the co-founders of the famed Kell Hounds mercenary unit.

Character History

Early Life

Patrick graduated in 3009 the top 2% of his class from Nagelring, the premier military academy of the Lyran Commonwealth, and was assigned to the 10th Skye Rangers. By 3010 he had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The Kell Hounds Formation

The Kell Hounds were born even before Morgan and Patrick had thoughts of running their own mercenary command. Arthur Luvon, future husband of Archon Katrina Steiner and cousin to Morgan and Patrick, dubbed the two brothers the 'Kell Hounds' after witnessing them as young boys running around and terrorizing a neighbor's flock of sheep. Arthur drew up the Kell Hounds' crest and predicted that the two would grow up to become great MechWarriors. When Arthur died, Morgan and Patrick used the money left to them to form the Kell Hounds mercenary unit in 3010. Though initially mocked as rich boys playing soldier, the two made quite the impression with their surprisingly advanced grasp of strategy and tactics, as well as recruiting a top-notch technical support staff. Patrick became executive officer of the unit.

Mallory's World

The Kell Hounds had grown to regiment size by 3013, with Patrick a Leftenant-Colonel in the expanded unit. While in service to the Federated Suns, the Hounds were called to Mallory's World for an emergency extraction of First Prince Ian Davion, whose forces where taking heavy casualties from the Draconis Combine's elite 2nd Sword of Light. Morgan led the relief force, while Patrick remained behind to safeguard the mercenary unit's dependents. The Hounds arrived too late, and Ian Davion died while covering his people's escape.

To prevent the 2nd Sword from taking the First Prince's body as a war trophy, Morgan challenged its commander, the infamous Yorinaga Kurita, to a duel. During the epic battle, Morgan Kell used the Phantom 'Mech effect to force an honorable withdraw by Yorinaga, giving the Hounds an opportunity to escape the planet with Ian Davion's body.

After the duel, Morgan became reticent and withdrawn, reducing the Hounds to a third of its strength and eventually retiring from the mercenary unit to join a monastery. Patrick became commander of the remaining Kell Hounds, leading them through the lowest period of their history, a time called the "Defection".

Commander of the Kell Hounds

Under Patrick's leadership, the unit overcame its depressive period. He managed to bring the unit back together with the support of Salome Ward, Dan Allard, Clarence 'Cat' Wilson, and others.

By November of 3026 the Hounds were stationed on Pacifica. where they garrisoned the planet from incursions or raids for the planet's plentiful water supply.

In April 3027, a battalion of the 2nd Sword of Light assaulted Pacifica during a visit by Colonel Ardan Sortek and Leftenant Andrew Redburn. Patrick and the Hounds had already tapped into various intelligence networks on the planet and were forewarned of the attacks. Sortek, Redburn and visiting Lyran Hauptman-General Sarah Joss participated in repulsing one of the incoming raider companies. The battle concluded with the assistance of Colonel Sortek's Victor Assault 'Mech dueling with and defeating a Kurita Awesome. However, the other two companies of 'Mechs, composed entirely of Panthers, spread out across the planet, forming resistance guerrilla cells.

On 26 May, Kurita commandos led an assault on the Kell Hounds' compound, whereby a twist of fate only Patrick was injured, albeit by katana blow that collapsed his lung. After the assassins were dispatched, a demi-company of Panther BattleMechs arrived to finish up. However, they were repelled by Hound 'Mechs lead by Cat Wilson's Marauder, taking down three enemy 'Mechs in the process. Doctors managed to save Patrick, tell him as as long he rest he would recover from his injuries. The Hounds withdrew from the planet, taking most of the salvaged Panthers with them, to their JumpShip the Cucamulus. As part of a plan Patrick had made with the JumpShip's captain, Janos Vandermeer, the Kell Hounds made the jump into Kurita space to throw off inbound forces seeking to destroy them. After jumping into an uninhabited star system AC2341CA, the plan was for the JumpShip to "hot-load" its K-F drive so that they could jump again in eighteen hours instead of eight days and proceed to the Styx system, where they would hide out at a suspected Heimdall base.

Silver Eagle

Main article: Silver Eagle Incident

When the Kell Hounds arrived at Styx, they found the Heimdall base under attack by House Kurita, a combined task force of ISF commandos and the Genyosha, though the latter were not recognized at first. When Captain Dan Allard and his team breached the base, they discovered that the Silver Eagle had been taken there and that among the passengers was Patrick's cousin, Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. During the course of the Silver Eagle Incident, Patrick engaged the Genyosha 'Mechs in his Victor, buying time for the Kell Hounds and Melissa to make her escape using while receiving a mortal wound from Yorinaga Kurita. Aboard the Silver Eagle, a dying Patrick Kell met with Melissa, where she revealed the purpose of her trip was for a secret wedding to First Prince Hanse Davion. Patrick Kell wished his cousin happiness, and tells Dan Allard to pass a message to his brother:

“

Dan, tell him...Morgan I understand. Tell him I finally understand.

”

As his final order, Patrick turned command of the Kell Hounds over to Salome Ward before finally dying.

Legacy

After the Kell Hound's actions in the Silver Eagle incident, First Prince Hanse Davion rewarded the Kell Hounds with lands and titles, but asked what else he could do in thanks. It was at Dan Allards suggestion that a scholarship be set up in Patrick's memory, to be offered to potential MechWarrior candidates who shared the same spirit of bravery as Patrick did. Hanse Davion agreed and Melissa Steiner also promised to create a similar program in the Lyran Commonwealth as well.

A memorial in Peace Park in New Avalon City to honor the memory of those who died in the Silver Eagle incident was also created, with Patrick's name among those listed..

Family

Patrick's well known immediate family members were his brother Morgan Kell and his uncle, Arthur Luvon, who was Duke of Donegal. He was cousin (by marriage to Arthur) to Katrina Steiner and her daughter, Melissa Steiner.

Morgan named his son, Phelan Patrick Kell, in part to honor his brother's memory.

Unknown to him, Patrick had sired a son named Christian Kell with a mistress named Takara. He first appeared to Morgan Kell in 3042 on Arboris, presenting evidence provided by his late mother. Morgan brought Christian to Outreach where he could be trained by Wolf's Dragoons, and later joined the Kell Hounds as an officer.

BattleMechs

Patrick Kell was noted to pilot a Thunderbolt, but used Ardan Sortek's Victor Assault Mech in his final moments. He was qualified to pilot the Victor while at the Nagelring Academy, and took part in rebuilding a captured Kurita Victor during his senior year.

Bibliography

• A Tiny Spot of Rebellion (novella)
• The Kell Hounds
• Not the Way the Smart Money Bets, a BattleCorps short story (2008)
• Warrior: En Garde (novel)