As Copied/Quoted From:  Lyran Alliance Battletech Field Manual, Copyright  2000, FASA Corporation, p. 23.

After Wolf's Dragoons, the Kell Hounds are perhaps the best known mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere.  Owned by Grand Duke Morgan Kell, the Hounds form the cornerstone of the Arc Royal Defense Cordon (ARDC) military, working in close cooperation with the exiled Wolf Clan forces.

As Copied/Quoted From:  Patrick's Battletech Archive

Origins: 3010-3016

In 3010, Morgan and Patrick Kell, aged 24 and 22, decided to form the Kell Hounds. Arthur Luvon, the late husband of then Archon Katrina Steiner, had been the Kell's cousin. Upon his death from cancer in August of 3010, the Kells inherited a great deal of money, which they used to form the Kell Hounds.

When the brothers arrived on Galatea in early October, they passed the word that they were recruiting for a new mercenary unit, but they did not hire any MechWarriors for a while. Instead, the Kells concentrated on hiring the best Techs and astechs they could find. Beside the promise of higher pay, they enticed Techs by pointing out that their family owned the Eire BattleMech Company on Arc-Royal, would provide easy access to parts to fix 'Mechs.

The Kells soon had enough techs to service a regiment, and by November of 3010, they had the troops as well. Their first contract was with the Lyran Commonwealth. In 3011, working with Snord's Irregulars, they demolished the Thirteenth Marik Militia, found a cache of Nuclear Weapons the commander of the Thirteenth was going to try to use against them, and helped the Irregulars capture nine Faberge Eggs.

Their next contract was with House Davion, defending against a Kurita raid. The Ninth Sun Zhang academy dropped onto the planet Mara, where the Kell Hounds were stationed, testing the Davions against a future invasion. After tricking the Kuritans, and capturing their JumpShip, the Kell Hounds destroyed the Combine forces that had landed. The survivors made it to their dropship, and then tried to destroy the stolen JumpShip. That attempt almost stranded the Kuritans in the system permanently.

In 3016, the Kell Hounds fought the first battle of Mallory's World, in which Prince Ian Davion of the Federated Suns, died. They Kell Hounds arrived just after the Prince died, and managed to hold off the Regiments of Kuritans long enough that the other Davion troops were able recover the Prince's body.

After this battle, Yorinaga Kurita, who had commanded the Kurita Regiments that had dropped onto Mallory's World and had for slaying Ian Davion in single combat, was promoted to command of the Second Sword of Light, the Coordinator's own regiment.

A few months after the first battle of Mallory's World, the Combine was so angered by the successes of the Kell Hounds, they decided completely obliterate the unit, no matter what the cost. After weeks of heavy battle, the Second Sword of Light Regiment had cornered the 2nd Battalion of the Kell Hounds. The Kell Hounds were completely outnumbered, and could do nothing to escape the death that was coming for them. Just as Yorinaga Kurita moved his forces in for the final attack, Morgan Kell marched his Archer out into the front lines, and slowly recounted his lineage in Japanese. He was challenging anyone in the Second Sword of Light to single combat, but everyone knew that only one man would answer. Yorinaga Kuirta walked his Warhammer out into the field, recounted his lineage, and the battle was joined. And as the battle begun, none of Yorinaga's weapons could hit Morgan! He missed again and again, unable to even touch Morgan's Archer. After a fierce battle, Morgan made his Archer bow to the Warhammer, and Yorinaga knew he was bested.

After this battle Morgan striped the Regiment down to one battalion and left the Kell Hounds for a monastery. Thus began the Defection....

Defection: 3016-3027

There was a time, from 3016 to 3027, during which no Kell Hound, past or present, would speak of the unit's collapse. Ex-Kell Hounds brushed off inquiries with the brusque mannerisms of a politician not wanting to be reminded of campaign promises. New members of the Kell Hounds knew nothing of the breakup, which had reduced the regiment to a weak battalion. Older Kell Hounds, the ones left behind when the unit atrophied, never spoke about details, but they had an expression for that time. No matter how cordial my relations with an individual, the words always came out with disgust on the mercenary's face and venom in his voice. The Defection, they called it, as if that explained everything.

-From Mercenaries: The New Breed, by Jay Mitchell, New Avalon Military Institute Press, 3028

The Defection ended when Patrick Kell was slain by Yorinaga Kuirta as he fought to buy time for Melissa Steiner to escape a Kuritan trap. When informed of his brother's sacrifice, Morgan returned to lead the unit.

Rebirth: 3028-3040

During the 4th Succession War, the Kell Hounds fought another major battle against Yorinaga Kurita and his new Genyosha regiment. In a virtual replay of the battle that had been fought on Mallory's World 13 years earlier, Morgan Kell defeated Yorinaga Kurita a second time. Yorinaga performed seppuku. His son, Akira Brahe, then resigned from the Genyosha and joined the Kell Hounds with a portion of the Genyosha.

3030 to 3032 were blessed years for the Kell Hounds as well. In 3030, Morgan Kell and Salome were married, and in two years, the couple had had two children, Phelan Patrick Kell and Caitlin Ward Kell.

In 3038, the Kell Hounds made a contract with the Free Worlds League, and were stationed near the Capellan border. Because Daniel Allard was the brother of Justin Allard, the man who had married her sister Candance and humiliated the Confederation during the 4th Succession War, Daniel Allard became a target of Romano's rage. Romano sent an assassin to wipe out Allard, but the assassin attacked Morgan Kell's house by mistake and was killed by Phelan Kell's dog, Old Keller.

When Katrina Steiner died in 3040, Morgan Kell received a substantial legacy from his royal cousin. He used the money to expand the Kell Hounds to two full regiments, promoting Daniel Allard and Scott Bradley to the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and giving them regimental commands. Akira Brahe was then promoted to the rank of Major, receiving command of the First Regiment's First BattleMech Battalion.

New Generation: 3041-3048

The Steiner legacy and the expansion seemed to guarantee a bright future for the Kell Hounds. Both Phelan and Caitlin had entered prestigious military academies that would equip them to provide future leadership for the Hounds. Allard and Bradley proved to be able commanders more than capable of working on their own, which freed Morgan to develop educational and other facilities for the Hounds' dependents. Fulfilling a long-held dream, the unit formed a permanent base on the Commonwealth world of Arc-Royal, within the city of Old Connaught. Throughout the 3040s, Morgan worked to make it a suitable place for families to remain when the Regiments were stationed elsewhere.

In 3042, a 16-year-old youth calling himself Christian Kell appeared on the world Arboris, and presented himself to Morgan Kell as the son of the late Patrick and his mistress Takara. Morgan took him to Outreach to be trained by Wolf's Dragoons, which led to another promotion for Dan Allard. When Morgan left the unit for Outreach, he commanded the entire unit. Akira Brahe then took over as commander of 1st Regiment.

In a battle in the St. Ives Compact, Christian Kell and the remains of his unit received the St. Ives Order of Heroism from the planet Ambergrist. He then was promoted to command of the 1st Battalion in the 1st Regiment. In contrast to Christian Kell's exceptional performance in 3048, Phelan Kell was expelled from the Nagelring Academy. The Honor Board at Nagelring dismissed him for stealing a 'Mech, noting that the theft capped a year of increasingly serious problems following the death of his friend D.J. Conner in action on the Marik border. Phelan joined up with the Kell Hounds and went to fight bandits in the Periphery. Neither Phelan Kell nor anyone else in the Inner Sphere suspected that an apparent increase in bandit raids signaled the opening offensive in a intergalactic war.

Clan Onslaught: 3049-3059

In August of 3049, Phelan Kell was captured by Clan Wolf while hunting bandits in the Periphery. Most people had believed him dead, but when he fought as a Star Commander in Clan Wolf's 13th Wolf Guards, the truth became apparent.

There are three major actions the Kell Hounds fought in during the Clan War. At Twycross, Luthien, and Arc-Royal, the Kell Hounds defeated the Clan juggernaut. The battle at Twycross involved the Tenth Lyran Guards, the Ninth Federated Commonwealth RCT, and the Kell Hounds. Losses were high, but a year-long break in the war allowed the Kell Hounds to rebuild to their pre-war strength, and gave them time to analyze Clan tactics.

At Luthien, the Kell Hounds fought along side the Wolf's Dragoons and more than a dozen elite Combine units. Forces from Clan Smoke Jaguar, and Clan Nova Cat attempted to seize the planet, but thanks to the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons, they were unsuccessful. War Lord Theodore Kurita allowed the two mercenaries the first pick of salvage from the battle, so the units could rebuild.

In one of the saddest events in Kell Hound history, on June 19, 3055, Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion, and Salome Ward died at the hands of an assassin's bomb that Katherine Steiner, Melissa's daughter, had helped orchestrate.

The last major battle that the Kell Hounds have a part in so far in the Clan War, was at the Kell Hounds' homeworld of Arc-Royal. A renegade Clan bandit force was lured to Arc-Royal by Clan Wolf in Exile forces, and the Kell Hounds, and was destroyed. This proved to the citizens of Arc-Royal that if Phelan ever left Clan Wolf, he would have a place in the leadership of the Kell Hounds.

In late 3059, Morgan Kell created the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon (ARDC). Encompassing 17 worlds on the border with Clan Jade Falcon, Colonel Kell has made sure that even if he does not enter combat again, he will have a hand in Inner Sphere politics.

Standing Their Ground: 3059-Present

During Operation Bulldog, both the First and Second Kell Hound Regiments assisted SLDF troops with the liberation of Combine worlds from Clan Smoke Jaguar. While not playing a front-line role, the Kell Hounds served as a valuable guard against any Jaguar counter-attacks that might have come. Operation Bulldog finished it's operations in late 3060. In light of recent events, the Kell Hounds have begun to prepare for the future. With Katherine Steiner's take over of the Federated Commonwealth, and with Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon prepared to advance, the Kell Hounds must be vigilant. But with Khan Phelan Ward, Precentor Martial Victor Davion, and Coordinator Theodore Kurita behind them, the future does once again look bright for the Kell Hounds.

Regimental Statistics

Experience Level:  Veteran

Home Planet/Base:  Arc-Royal

LIF Loyalty Rating:  Questionable

Military Assets: