Editing Morgan Kell

{{Update Needed|[[Era Report: 3052]]|[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]|[[Historical Turning Points: Mallory's World]]|[[Lethal Heritage]]|[[Shadows of Faith]]|[[BattleTech: Legends]]}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Morgan Kell BTLegends.jpg
| caption             = Morgan Kell
| name                = Morgan Finn Kell
| birthdate           = [[2986]]<ref>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 89: "Morgan Kell"</ref>
| died                = [[3083]]<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 157: "Mercenaries Today"</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Kell]]
| rank                = [[Colonel]]
| title               = 
[[Grand Duke of Arc-Royal]]
----
[[Prefect von Warlock]]
----
[[Baron von Arc-Royal]]
----
[[Member of the Order of the Tamar Tigers]]<ref name=WRc13>''Warrior: Riposte'', ch. 13</ref>
----
[[Knight Defender of the Draconis March]]<ref name=WRc13/>
----
[[Margrave of Arc-Royal Theater]]<ref name=FCCWp182>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 182</ref>
| position            = 
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = [[Margaret Maybelle Kell]] (mother)<ref name=ATSORc4>''A Tiny Spot of Rebellion'', ch. 4</ref>
| siblings            = [[Patrick Kell]]
| spouse              = [[Salome Ward]]
| children            = [[Phelan Kell]]<br/>[[Caitlin Kell]]<br/>[[Megan Kell]] (illegitimate)
}}
'''Morgan Finn Kell''' was the cofounder of the [[Kell Hounds]] mercenary unit along with his younger brother, [[Patrick Kell]].  He also held the title of Grand Duke of [[Arc-Royal]].<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', p. 94: Colonel Kell is announced at the Archon's [[3028]] New Year's party; at the time he was a baron</ref>

==History==
===Academy===
Morgan graduated from the [[Nagelring]] academy in [[3004]] after attaining stunning marks.<ref name=TKHp14>''The Kell Hounds'', p. 14: "Service Timeline"</ref> While there he formed close ties with fellow [[Cadet]] [[Steven Merriam]] which would persist for decades.<ref name=FMLAp41>''Field Manual: Lyran Alliance'', p. 41: "Pandora College of Military Sciences Profile"</ref>

===Early career===
After graduation, Morgan deferred his service in the LCAF for a year in favor of touring the Commonwealth with his cousin, the powerful Duke of [[Donegal]], [[Arthur Luvon]]. LCAF officials hoped Morgan would return from this excursion a more mature and seasoned soldier.<ref name=kh16>''Kell Hounds (sourcebook)'', p. 16: "Morgan Finn Kell"</ref>

In [[3004]], Morgan, Arthur and Arthur's future wife [[Katrina Steiner]] were attacked by [[LIC]] and [[Loki (Intelligence agency)|Loki]] on [[Poulsbo]]. Archon [[Alessandro Steiner]] had sent forces to assassinate Katrina due to her opposition to his [[Operation CONCENTRATED WEAKNESS]].  Members of the loyal opposition force, [[Heimdall_(organization)|Heimdall]], saved them and allowed them to flee to the [[Periphery]]. As a cover, they took on the personae of the Red Corsair and her henchmen.  Acting as undisclosed pirates through the Periphery, they reentered the Inner Sphere through the [[Free Worlds League]]'s border. Leading to Katrina's return to Tharkad and helping her to "retire" Alessandro.<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', pp. 99–101: Morgan Kell and Katrina Steiner remember their adventures of twenty years ago as "Red Corsair"</ref>  During this time Morgan met a woman named "Tempest", who is believed to be his first love.<ref name=FM:Mp65>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 65</ref>

Following Alessandro's resignation, Morgan returned to the LCAF. He was assigned to the [[Tenth Skye Rangers]], where he served for three years. In August 3010, he resigned his commission to form a new mercenary unit with his brother.<ref name=kh16/>

===The Kell Hounds===
The Kell Hounds were born even before Morgan and Patrick had thoughts of running their own mercenary command. Arthur Luvon, future husband of Lyran [[Archon]] Katrina Steiner and Morgan and Patrick's cousin, 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, which they created in [[3010]]. Though initially mocked as rich boys playing mercenary, the two made quite the impression with their surprisingly advanced grasp of strategy and tactics, as well as a top-notch technical support staff.

In a battle on [[Mallory's World]] in [[3016]], Morgan saved his unit by using the [[Phantom ’Mech]] skill in single combat against the commander of the [[2nd Sword of Light]], [[Yorinaga Kurita]].

After that incident, Morgan reduced the Kell Hounds to a single battalion and went to a MechWarrior monastery, the [[St. Marinus House]] on the planet [[Zaniah]]. Eleven years later, following the death of Patrick Kell at the hands of Yorinaga Kurita, he rebuilt the Kell Hounds into a full regiment to defeat Kurita. He traveled to [[Tharkad]] at New Year's Eve of [[3027]] to ask Archon Katrina Steiner to release the unit's contract so he could pursue Yorinaga. He was asked by Melissa Steiner to give her away in place of her father.<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', pp. 114–115: "Melissa asks Morgan to give her away to Hanse Davion, which he accepts"</ref> As his unit rebuilt and trained he and Captain Daniel Allard traveled to [[Terra]] for his cousin's wedding in August [[3028]].  In the course of the events of the wedding, he briefly allied with [[Wolf's Dragoons]] commander [[Jaime Wolf]] and archenemy Yorinaga Kurita to rescue Yorinaga's son after he discovered hidden [[Star League]] era BattleMechs under ComStar's compound on [[Hilton Head]] Island.<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', pp. 198–202: "[[Chu-sa]]'' [[Akira Brahe]] reveals to Morgan, Jaime Wolf, at the urging of his father of his discovery of Star League era BattleMechs being maintained under ComStar Compound"</ref>

By January [[3029]] Morgan had his forces destroy the [[Genyosha|Genyosha's]] base on [[Nashira]]<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', p. 281: "Akira Brahe is told of the destruction of their base at hands of the Kell Hounds"</ref> and create a makeshift map out of the ruins of the base to direct the Genyosha to a world on which to meet.

===Clan Invasion===
During the [[Clan invasion]] he received word of the loss of his son [[Phelan Kell|Phelan]] to what was later discovered to be [[Clan Wolf]] on [[The Rock]] in [[3049]]. Near the end of the war, he led the Kell Hounds on [[Luthien]] alongside [[Wolf's Dragoons]] against the [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Smoke Jaguars]] and [[Clan Nova Cat|Nova Cats]].
After the battle, Morgan talked with [[Jason Youngblood]], commander of the [[Crescent Hawks]]. As he had lost his Mech on Luthien, a [[Phoenix Hawk LAM]], he gave him a brand-new [[Phoenix Hawk]]. He attempted to convince him to stay, and the Haws, as part of the Hounds. After asking to step back from active duty to spend more time with his son, Jason agreed.<ref>''Yesterday's Enemy'' </ref>

On June 19th, [[3055]] Morgan was caught in an explosion that killed his cousin Archon [[Melissa Steiner]] and his wife, Salome.  The explosion also tore his right arm off, requiring him to wear a bionic replacement prosthetic, but he seldom wore the device, because he disliked it.  He learned later that his cousin's daughter [[Katherine Steiner-Davion|Katherine Steiner]] had arranged for the assassination of her mother to make way for her ascension as the new Archon.  As he gathered evidence he also began to isolate his patrol region along the Lyran-Clan border, beginning what he later called the [[Arc-Royal Defense Cordon]].

After the [[Refusal War]] between the Wolves and [[Clan Jade Falcon|Falcons]] he created the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon on the border area with Clan Jade Falcon. During this time, the Cordon was technically part of the Lyran Commonwealth, but was, for all intents and purposes, under the authority of the Kell Hounds. His son, Phelan Kell, later relocated to Arc-Royal with the remaining [[Warden]] Wolves as [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]]. Notable units in the Cordon were the [[4th Skye Rangers]], [[17th Skye Rangers]], the entire Clan Wolf-in-Exile ''[[touman]]'', [[The Blue Star Irregulars]], the [[Dioscuri]], and the [[Kell Hounds]].

During the [[3058]] [[Whitting Conference|First Whitting Conference]] there was parliamentary debate about Kell's standing to be present for political discussions on the Star League's creation.  In order to proceed with the agenda, [[Candace Liao]] proposed marriage to Morgan, bestowed upon him the world of [[Warlock]], the title of Prefect of Warlock, and named him a Peer of the Realm.  While the proposal was never deemed serious, a closer relationship between the two eventually developed.<ref>''Grave Covenant'', chs. 6 & 11</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 64</ref><ref>''Prince of Havoc'', chs. 26 & 28</ref><ref>''Storms of Fate'', ch. 15</ref>

In [[3059]], Kell met with his cousin [[Victor Steiner-Davion]], and secretly gave him the support of his forces should they ever be needed to retake his place as [[Archon-Prince]] of a reunited [[Federated Commonwealth|FedCom]]. While on Tharkad during the [[Whitting Conference]], he had a private meeting with Katherine/Katrina Steiner-Davion and his son Phelan Kell.  The meeting started amicably at first, where she tried to court him to her side.  He soundly refused, stating boldly that he knew she had ordered the murder of her mother, which led to his wife's death. In a fit of rage, she threatened his life, only to be threatened herself--as Phelan Kell began strangling her on the spot.  Morgan calmly called off Phelan to spare her life, while Phelan warned her that his Wolves would come for revenge should anything happen to him or his father.  This latter part of the incident was a ploy to deceive Katherine in the hopes that she would slip up and reveal any incriminating evidence she was hiding.

===Civil War===
After the outbreak of the [[FedCom Civil War]], Morgan helped to plan some of the campaigns of the war and took over as leader of the allied forces for Victor when his lover [[Omiko Kurita]] was murdered.

He was also a key leader in the retrieval of [[Peter Steiner-Davion]] from [[Zaniah|Zaniah III]]'s St. Marinus House to lead the assault on Tharkad.

Following the end of the war, Kell was Archon Peter's first choice for the post of [[General of the Armies]]. He declined the post, due to his mercenary status and an unwillingness to shoulder the weight of rebuilding the shattered LAAF. Peter instead placed Morgan in command of the newly renamed [[Arc-Royal Theater]],<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 180</ref> but like [[Caesar Steiner]]'s posting as General of the Armies, the position would be a temporary one and he had been replaced by General [[Thanom Hammerskjold]] in the reshuffling of the Lyran army that preceded the [[3067]] [[Whitting Conference]].<ref>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 177</ref>

===Jihad===
Morgan survived the [[Jihad]] and died in his sleep in [[3083]]; with his death, both his title and command of the Kell Hounds passed to his daughter, [[Caitlin Kell]], who began the process of rebuilding the mercenary command from the dozen or so survivors of [[Operation SCOUR]].<ref name="FM:3085p157">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 157: "Lyran Commonwealth"</ref> One of the more unfortunate legacies of Morgan's life was the difficult position Clan Wolf-in-Exile found itself in after the Jihad; Morgan's long life left the exiled Clan as the occupants of restricted enclaves, rather than a true part of the population of the Kell fiefdom, something that might have been avoided if Morgan's son Phelan had been able to inherit Morgan's title.<ref name="FM:3085p112">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 112: "Clan Wolf (in-Exile)"</ref>

Despite the many momentous political events of Kell's storied life, he was also recognized as a truly legendary [[MechWarrior]]. 

==Honors and Titles==
*[[Awards#Robinson Medal of Valor|Knight Defender]] of the [[Draconis March]]
* [[Awards#Order of Tamar Tigers|Order of the Tamar Tigers]]<ref name=WRc13/>
* Peer of the Realm, St. Ives Compact<ref>''Grave Covenant’’, ch. 6</ref>
*[[Awards#Sword of St. George|Regimental Holder of St. George]]<ref name=WRc13/>

==BattleMech==
Kell was noted as being an elite pilot of the ''[[Archer]]'' BattleMech,<ref>''Technical Readout: 3039'', p. 296: "Archer notable pilots"</ref> and he continued to pilot his distinctive red-and-black-painted machine until his "final" retirement from active military service in [[3055]]. He was reputed to be "unkillable" on the field of battle, and his proficiency with the ''Archer'' led him to be considered as one of the greatest MechWarriors of his age, second only to [[Natasha Kerensky]].<ref>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 10'', p. 8: "Archer: Notable 'Mechs and MechWarriors - Colonel Morgan Kell"</ref>

==Quote==
{{quote|''What they say about Kell? It’s all true. I was there on Luthien. I saw the Clanners accumulate around him like some mythical warrior’s enemies heaped about him, as he fought on unscathed.<ref name=PC>''BattleTech: Legendary MechWarriors Pack'', Pilot Cards: "Morgan Kell"</ref>}}

==Notes==
*He carried a note written by Archon Katrina Steiner that gave him access to '''anything''' he needed.
Written as: {{quote|''Deny this man, Morgan Kell, nothing. Katrina Steiner, 22 July, [[3007]]''}} The letter was Katrina's second act as Archon after gaining power.<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', p. 92: Dan Allard reads Morgan's "note" from Archon</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Morgan Kell TKH.jpg|Morgan Kell at age 42 from ''[[The Kell Hounds]]''
Morgan Kell ER3052.jpg|Morgan at age 64 from ''[[Era Report: 3052|ER:3052]]''
Morgan Kell Luthien.jpg|Morgan at age 66 from ''[[Luthien (scenario pack)|Luthien]]''
Morgan Kell ShSphere.jpg‎|Morgan at age 75 from ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
Morgan Kell HBHS.jpg|Grand Duke Morgan Kell at age 81 from ''[[Handbook: House Steiner|HB:House Steiner]]''
Morgan Kell MMTSD.jpg|Morgan at age 90 from ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers|Masters & Minions]]''
Morgan Kell BTLegends.jpg|Morgan from ''[[BattleTech: Legends|BT:Legends]]''
Battle of Luthien (35).jpg|Morgan Kell's ''[[Archer]]'' at the [[Battle of Luthien (3052)|Battle of Luthien]]
Archer (Morgan Kell) BTLegends.jpg|Morgan's ARC-2W ''Archer'' from ''BT:Legends''
Morgan_Kell_CCG_CommandersEdition_Photo.jpg|Morgan Kell CCG Card portrait
Morgan Kell BTVG.png|Morgan Kell at age 39 from the [[BattleTech (Video Game)|HBS ''BattleTech'' game]] (apocryphal image)
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Blood Legacy]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Endgame]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[The Kell Hounds]]'' (sourcebook)
* ''[[Lost Destiny]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]''
* ''[[Natural Selection]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Not the Way the Smart Money Bets]]''
* ''[[Operation Audacity]] (novel)
* ''[[Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 10]]''
* ''[[Storms of Fate]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3039]]
* ''[[A Tiny Spot of Rebellion]]'' (novella)
* ''[[Warrior: Coupé]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Yesterday's Enemy]] (short story)

[[Category: Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Kell, Morgan]]
[[Category: Kell Hounds Characters|Kell, Morgan]]
[[Category:Nagelring Alumni|Kell, Morgan]]
[[Category: Notable Archer Pilots|Kell, Morgan]]
[[Category: Characters with Pilot Cards|Kell, Morgan]]