Editing Kaylin

{{InfoBoxIndividualSpacecraft
| image      = 
| vesselname = Kaylin
| prevname   = 
| type       = [[DropShip]]
| class      = [[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]] (modified)
| prevclass  = 

| serviceuntil = 9 November [[3067]] (heavily damaged)
}}
The '''''Kaylin''''' was a ''[[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]]''-class [[DropShip]] operated by [[mercenary]] [[captain]] [[Anton Hara]], with [[Lenard Bryce]] as his trusted executive officer for more than a decade. Other named crew members included one Mr. Jacoby as his comms officer, Vogel, and the "ever-silent brunette" Cadence at the helm.

The ship was modified, and was able to operate at least four (and implicitly more) [[aerospace fighter]]s.{{ref label|modified|See Notes}}

==History==
As of 29 July [[3067]], the ship and its crew, plus its ''[[Scout (JumpShip class)|Scout]]''-class [[JumpShip]] ''[[Broken Knee]]'', lay waiting at the nadir [[jump point]] in the [[Alterf]] system,<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 1: ''The Hunt for Jardine'', ch. 2</ref> having been hired by [[Interstellar Expeditions]] to safeguard Dr. [[Brooklyn Stevens]] and her JumpShip ''[[Sacajawea]]'' on their quest to find [[Jardine]].<ref name=HJ4>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 1: ''The Hunt for Jardine'', ch. 4</ref>

When the ships met at Shasta on 13 October, Dr. Stevens for her part was distrustful of IE's motives in sending Hara's armed vessel along, suspecting he or his IE [[liaison officer]] [[Nathan Bellamy]] might mistake "mission support" for "mission control."<ref name=HJ4/>

On 16 October the ''Sacajawea'' and the ''Kaylin'' (attached to the ''Broken Knee'') came under surprise attack from the ''[[Luminus Omega]]'' just as the ''Sacajawea'' prepared to jump to "[[Herakleion]]" (Jardine), which they did during the battle.<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 1: ''The Hunt for Jardine'', ch. 5</ref> The ''Kaylin'' deployed two ''[[Corsair (Aerospace Fighter class)|Corsair]]'' aerospace fighters when attacked in the Shasta system.

The ''Broken Knee'', too, jumped out of the battle with the ''Kaylin'' attached but due to broken coordinates transmitted from the ''Sacajawea'' during the fighting they had to jump into empty interstellar space first, recharge their [[K-F drive]] from the ship's reactor, and reconstruct suitable jump data before jumping to Jardine proper on 30 October, where they arrived at a pirate jump point eight AUs out.<ref name=FJ>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 2: ''Finding Jardine'', chs. 3, 5, 6</ref>

Once at Jardine, Hara and Bellamy plotted to double-cross Dr. Stevens.<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 3: ''Escape from Jardine'', chs. 3, 5</ref> After quick-charging its drive the ''Broken Knee'' executed a mid-system jump to intercept what they thought was Stevens's [[K-1]] DropShuttle as it tried to escape Jardine under hostile pursuit.<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 3: ''Escape from Jardine'', ch. 7</ref> The ''Kaylin'' undocked from the ''Broken Knee'' and moved to meet her DropShuttle. When the ships met on 9 November, the ''Kaylin'' discovered too late that the shuttle was a [[Stiletto-7|trojam horse]]. The shuttle rammed the ''Kaylin'' at over 6,000 kilometers per hour just a meter shy of her aft-starboard launch bay, causing heavy damage. The ''Kaylin'' was then boarded by [[Manei Domini]] forces from Jardine. Hara, Bryce and Vogel (and implicitly, everyone aboard) were killed.<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 3: ''Escape from Jardine'', chs. 9, 10</ref> 

The ramming attack from the K-1 caused heavy, possibly crippling damage to the ''Kaylin'' but did not destroy it. It is the only vessel that could conceivably have brought [[Apollyon]] and his forces to the ''Broken Knee'' before it could complete quick-charging its [[jump drive]] and jump out again, which is exactly what happened. The further fate of the wrecked ''Kaylin'' was not mentioned and it is theoretically possible that it was retrieved and later repaired.

==Notes==
{{note|modified}} The ''Kaylin'' is consistently described as a ''Leopard'' in almost all references including omniscient chapter epigraphs. It was never mentioned to carry [[BattleMech]]s, but unlike a standard ''Leopard'' (which can carry four 'Mechs and two aerospace fighters) it carried at least four aerospace fighters: Two ''Corsair''s which it deployed at Shasta, and two ''[[Lightning (Aerospace Fighter class)|Lightning]]''s of Fyre Wing which it deployed at Jardine in the attempt to capture the K-1 DropShuttle that turned out to be hostile; it is implied that the ''Kaylin'' may have carried even more fighters. There is also the mention of an "aft-starboard launch bay," which does not exist on a standard ''Leopard'' (where only one fighter launch bays is located on each side, forward of the 'Mech bays), and damage reports concerning "Flight Bays Starboard Baker and Starboard Charlie." In one instance, what appears to be the ''Kaylin'' was referred to as a ''[[Leopard CV]]'' class vessel<ref>''The Quest for Jardine'', book 3: ''Escape from Jardine'', ch. 9</ref> but this was from the point-of-view of [[Damien Lucille]] as he was approaching it and may have been a genuine mistake based on the ship's fighter complement that resembles a ''Leopard CV'' more than a ''Leopard''.<br/>It follows that the ''Kaylin'' must have been a standard ''Leopard'' modified to carry an unspecified number of at least four aerospace fighters by converting at least two of its 'Mech bays to fighter bays.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[The Quest for Jardine]]''

[[Category: Individual DropShips]]
[[Category: Individual Leopard-class DropShips]]