Phelan Kell

(Redirected from Phelan Ward)
Phelan Patrick Kell
Phelan Patrick Kell
Character Profile
Also known as Phelan Ward;
Phelan Wolf
Born 27 June 3031[1][2][3]
Died 3108[4]
Affiliation Clan Wolf;
Clan Wolf-in-Exile
Rank Khan[2]
Parents Morgan Kell (father)[2]
Salome Ward (mother)[citation needed]
Siblings Megan Kell (half-sister)[citation needed]
Caitlin Kell[citation needed]
Spouse Ranna Kerensky (lover)[citation needed]

Phelan Patrick Kell, also known as Phelan Ward and Phelan Wolf, was born to Morgan Kell and Salome Ward. The name "Phelan" is Gaelic for "wolf".

History[edit]

Early life[edit]

Phelan spent some of his early life on Outreach being raised with members of Wolf's Dragoons in a sibko-like environment. While there he met and trained with Natasha Kerensky. When he was old enough, he was then sent to the Nagelring. He was an average student, and rebellious. He was eventually kicked out of The Nagelring when during a terrible blizzard on Tharkad he heard of a school bus that was stranded in an avalanche. Taking a 'Mech without permission he managed to find the stranded children and used his 'Mech's fusion reactor to keep them warm; unfortunately, many had sustained serious injuries and the basic medical supplies he had brought with him were insufficient to save them, resulting in a few deaths. When a hearing was called on the matter, Phelan's adversarial attitude towards it and his continued insistence he had done nothing wrong, resulted in him being expelled.[citation needed]

He then went on to join the 2nd Regiment of the mercenary group the Kell Hounds. On a mission to suppress pirates, Phelan was captured on The Rock in the Oberon Confederation in 3049 by Vladimir of the Wolves, a member of the initial assault forces of Clan Wolf. His 'Mech destroyed, and heavily wounded, he was believed dead by those in the Inner Sphere.[citation needed]

Clan Wolf[edit]

While in captivity he was subjected to interrogation and drugs that led him to divulge all he knew about the military might of the different successor states of the Inner Sphere. Ironically, Phelan was the son of Salome Ward, a direct descendant of Captain Michael Ward, a confidant of Aleksandr Kerensky and the source of the Ward Bloodname. Vlad of the Wards had found his one legitimate rival for the Ward Bloodname. Phelan was the bondsman of Khan Ulric Kerensky of Clan Wolf and advised him on how to best outbid Clan rivals, such as Clan Ghost Bear for the right to invade Rasalhague. After an aerospace fighter crashed into the bridge of Ulric's flagship, the WarShip Dire Wolf, Phelan rescued Khan Ulric Kerensky and Star Captain Vlad, who deeply hated him. Although Ulric was rescued, the ilKhan of the Clans, Leo Showers of Clan Smoke Jaguar was killed. Subsequently Phelan was granted full warrior status in recognition of his bravery and dedication to the Clan. Phelan's name was changed from Phelan Patrick Kell to Phelan Wolf. Khan Ulric mentioned that this was the first time a caste change like this had been done in the Clan in the last 30 years.[citation needed]

Natasha Kerensky bid only Phelan to take the Free Rasalhague Republic world of Gunzburg. He successfully negotiated the bloodless surrender of the world from his old enemy Tor Miraborg. This action significantly enhanced his standing among the Wolf Clan. Phelan went on to win many more victories in the Clan Invasion and eventually won the Ward Bloodname, left open by Cyrilla Ward's suicide. He defeated his close rival and hated enemy Vlad in the last battle for the Bloodname.[citation needed]

The Battle of Tukayyid that halted the Clan invasion took a toll on the Wolves, despite the fact that they were the only Clan of the five involved in the battle to secure both of their objectives. Khan Garth Radick was killed. While Natasha was elevated to senior Khan, Phelan was elected saKhan. This fulfilled now-ilKhan Ulric Kerensky's goal of having two Khans who were experienced with the ways of the Inner Sphere.[citation needed]

In 3057, Clan Jade Falcon brought charges of genocide against Ulric, claiming that Ulric's agreement with ComStar Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht to a 15-year truce made worthless the contributions of three generations' worth of Clan Bloodnamed warrior talent. With the other Clans furious at the truce that bound them, the Grand Council found Ulric guilty, though he declared a Trial of Refusal. In what would become known as the Refusal War, Ulric threw most of the Wolf Clan at the Falcons. Phelan, as the commander of Alpha Galaxy, made a show of participating in the war, but led the most staunchly Warden warriors into exile in the Inner Sphere. Phelan led his troops to the Lyran Alliance, but were still assaulted by the Falcons. With the help of the Kell Hounds, the Falcons were defeated.[citation needed]

He would then learn of Ulric Kerensky's last gift to him: the creation of the Kell Bloodname. After this, Evantha Fetladral would nominate Phelan to the post of Khan of the exiled Wolves, a motion easily passed by his loyal core of warriors.[5]

Clan Wolf-in-Exile[edit]

With the war over, Phelan set about preparing his people to live in exile. Grand Duke Morgan Kell, Phelan's father and the Duke of Arc-Royal, granted the Wolves-in-Exile an enclave on Arc-Royal. The Wolves-in-Exile formed a key part of the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon that was ostensibly created to keep the Jade Falcons in check.[citation needed]

Phelan himself attended the Whitting Conference on Tharkad that saw the resurrection of the Star League and the decision to annihilate Clan Smoke Jaguar. Though he was accused of such, Phelan did not betray the path to the Kerensky Cluster. He led elements of his Wolves against the Jaguars in Operation BULLDOG, capturing a Smoke Jaguar Cluster almost entirely intact.[citation needed]

When the FedCom Civil War broke out in 3062, Phelan was forced to sit out from most of the fighting in order to combat a new Jade Falcon assault, though he advocated assaulting Tharkad early in the struggle. He did eventually get his chance to attack the Lyran capital in 3067 as part of Peter Steiner-Davion's pan-Lyran coalition.[citation needed]

Marriage and children[edit]

While Phelan was romantically linked to Ranna Kerensky, there is no "marriage" in the Clans. Phelan withheld his genetic legacy from the Clan eugenics program until Ranna achieved her Bloodname, so that they would achieve immortality together by creating a sibko from their genetics.[6] Phelan and Ranna's eventual first sibko would produce three graduates.[7]

Death[edit]

Phelan was killed by a Falcon raid on Arc-Royal in 3108. The Falcons intended to destroy a key Exile factory along with anyone inside or nearby, and Kell led three sibkos to intercept them. He was the lone fatality in the engagement.[4]

Philosophical and Political Views[edit]

Phelan was a strong believer in the Clan Warden political perspective. He was described as having taken to the Clan lifestyle like a convert to a new religion.[citation needed]

Awards[edit]

Phelan earned Warrior status in the Clan after having been taken as a bondsman, which gave him the name Phelan Wolf.[citation needed]

In 3052, he won the Ward Bloodname during a Trial of Bloodright (with Star Captain Vlad as a challenger), which changed his name to Phelan Ward. His Bloodright had a particularly proud pedigree: of the fifteen who had worn it before him, ten became Khans or saKhans.[8]

He was made one of the Khans of Clan Wolf alongside Khan Natasha Kerensky. Upon Natasha's death during the Refusal War, Phelan became senior Khan of Clan Wolf-in-Exile (not to be confused with Khan Vlad Ward of the reborn Clan Wolf).[citation needed]

At the end of the Refusal War, the late ilKhan Ulric Kerensky bestowed the new Bloodname of Kell upon Phelan in a postdated message, so that the Wolves would have a Bloodname that survived Abjuration.[citation needed]

BattleMechs[edit]

During his early career with the Kell Hounds, Phelan piloted a Wolfhound which he named "Grinner" after his dog, who died saving him. After testing out as a warrior of Clan Wolf, this 'Mech was rebuilt and upgraded to a custom Wolfhound IIC. Later, during Operation Bulldog, he used an Executioner OmniMech. Later still in course of the fighting on Tharkad during the FedCom Civil War, he piloted a Mad Cat. In addition, during the "incident" at the Nagelring, he piloted a Scorpion. During his early Clan training with Natasha Kerensky, he used a Kit Fox, and completed his Trial of Position with a Dire Wolf. In addition Phelan piloted a Nova in the second Trial for his Bloodname and for a time on Morges during the Refusal War. In a subsequent Trial of Bloodright, Phelan piloted an antiquated Mercury when he won the coin roll ritual to determine the nature of the battlefield against an Elemental. To even the odds, the overseers of the Trial deliberately gave him a 'Mech that possessed no weapons that could destroy a suited Elemental in one hit, as the fight would have been otherwise heavily lopsided in Phelan's favor.[citation needed]

Quotes[edit]

Face it. This charge is born of the fact that Khan Ulric and his Wolves ripped through one of the most densely populated regions of the Inner Sphere while the rest of you moved at the speed of a stunned snail.
  — Phelan Wolf defends Ulric Kerensky, accused of plotting the death of ilKhan Leo Showers, before the Clan Grand Council, June 19, 3051[9]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Blood Legacy, ch. 5
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Dragon Roars, p. 63
  3. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 89: "Phelan Kell Profile"
  4. 4.0 4.1 BattleTech: Legends, p. 74
  5. Malicious Intent, p. ??[citation needed]
  6. Bred for War, ch. 8
  7. Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 3, p. 12
  8. Lost Destiny
  9. Blood Legacy, ch. 17

Bibliography[edit]