Battletech Kell Hounds Ascendant A Battletech Collection

NEVER BET AGAINST THE KELL BROTHERS… The Kell Hounds are one of the most storied mercenary units in the Inner Sphere. Now, New York Times-bestselling author and Kell Hounds creator Michael A. Stackpole goes back to the Hounds’ beginnings in these three short novels, when Morgan and Patrick Kell were just two smart, ambitious brothers—with a plan to revolutionize the world of mercenaries forever… Not How the Smart Money Bets: Morgan and Patrick Kell land on the mercenary planet Galatea to start their new unit, the Kell Hounds. But a few obstacles in their way, including the biggest one, a ruthless crime lord named Haskell Blizzard. But the Kell brothers have faced long odds before, and come out on top every single time. When the chips are down, the smart money is always on the brothers Kell. A Tiny Bit of Rebellion: Galatea’s capital city, Galaport, is threatened by a new enemy: Bishop Arlington Poore, a religious zealot who wants to bring the entire planet under his repressive theocracy—and is willing to starve millions to do it. The Kell Hounds now have their first job: put down this uprising, and fast. But when a madman has converted thousands of civilians to his side, how will Morgan and Patrick end his misguided crusade without shedding innocent blood? A Clever Bit of Fiction: When the Archon hires the Kell Hounds to provide security for war games with Prince Ian Davion’s forces in a show of combined strength between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns, Morgan Kell thinks it’s a chance to relax while getting to know the mercurial leader of the Federated Suns. But when a powerful group of raiders lands on Zavijava, he finds himself facing two threats—stopping the invaders from wrecking the planet while protecting Prince Davion. Trouble is, before the fighting is over, Morgan may have to make a dangerous choice…with the possible fate of three Great Houses lying in the balance… If Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot…: Morgan Kell returns home to find his paramour, Veronica Matova, has vanished without a trace. Desperate to find her, Morgan tasks the Hounds to track her down—and uncovers a conspiracy to destroy the Kell Hounds’ reputation using Veronica as a hostage. But these shadowy enemies don’t realize who they’re dealing with…and no force in the Inner Sphere will help them once Morgan Kell finds them…

DANGER FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE… MechWarrior brothers Morgan and Patrick Kell have successfully faced their first challenge in forming their new mercenary unit The Kell Hounds, toppling a criminal kingpin from atop his illegal empire on Galatea. But while enjoying their recent success, the brothers Kell, along with the capital city of Galaport, come under threat by a new enemy—Bishop Arlington Poore, a religious zealot who wants to bring the entire planet under his repressive theocracy—and is willing to starve millions to do it. Soon enough, the newly-formed Kell Hounds have their first job—put down this uprising as quickly as possible. But when a madman has converted thousands of civilians to his side, how will Morgan and Patrick quash his misguided crusade without shedding innocent blood?

A LETHAL MIX OF POLITICS AND PERIL… Morgan and Patrick Kell, founders of the Kell Hounds mercenary unit, are riding high. First, they deposed the crime lord that had been ruling the mercenary world of Galatea, then they saved that planet again from a religious zealot who tried to starve the government into submitting to his new theocracy. Along the way, they assembled a crack team of ’Mech pilots, techs, and ground forces that will make the Kell Hounds one of the elite mercenary units of the Inner Sphere. So when the Archon hires the Hounds to provide security for war games with Prince Ian Davion’s forces in a show of combined strength between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns, Morgan thinks it’s a chance to relax while getting to know the mercurial leader of the Federated Suns. But when a powerful groups of raiders lands on Zavijava, he finds himself facing two threats—stopping the invaders from wrecking the planet while protecting Prince Davion. Trouble is, before the fighting is over, Morgan may have to make a very dangerous choice…with the possible fate of three Great Houses lying in the balance…

THE RULES OF THE GAME HAVE JUST CHANGED… Morgan and Patrick Kell have just landed on Galatea, the mercenary planet known for its brutal arena ’Mech combat games. They intend to found their own merc unit, building it from the ground up, but there are a few obstacles in their way. The first is a corrupt general fronting for the second, a local crime lord named Haskell Blizzard who crushes anyone he sees as a threat. And the Kell boys offering lucrative contracts for the best Mechwarriors and techs on the planet is a definite threat to his illegal empire. But what Blizzard doesn’t know is that the Kell brothers have faced long odds before, and come out on top every single time. And with the help of some old and new friends, they’re going to take this crime lord down using his own tactics against him. When the chips are down, the smart money is always on the brothers Kell.

NEVER BET AGAINST THE KELL BROTHERS… Since their first appearance in the Warrior Trilogy, the Kell Hounds have become one of the most storied mercenary units in BattleTech. Now, New York Times-bestselling author and Kell Hounds creator Michael A. Stackpole goes back to the Hounds’ beginnings, when Morgan and Patrick Kell were just two smart, ambitious brothers—with a plan to revolutionize the world of mercenaries forever… A RACE AGAINST TIME… If Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot…: Fresh off saving Prince Ian Davion of the Federated Suns, Morgan Kell returns home to find his paramour, Veronica Matova, has vanished without a trace. Desperate to find her, Morgan tasks the Hounds to track her down—and uncovers a conspiracy to destroy the Kell Hounds’ reputation using Veronica as a hostage. While Morgan races against time to locate her, Patrick engages in a dangerous game cat-and-mouse with their unknown adversaries, pulling every trick in the book to stay one step ahead of whoever wants to take the Kell Hounds down. But these shadowy enemies don’t realize who they’re dealing with…and no force in the Inner Sphere will help them once Morgan Kell finds them…

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… Former hauptmann Ronan Carlyle and his sister Isobel are soldiers without a nation. After their commanding officer left the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces entirely, the pair returned to Lyran space for reassignment. But their senior officer branded the remaining troops traitors and cashiered them, stranding hundreds of former LCAF soldiers and technicians. With nothing but a local salvage yard to their name, the Carlyle kids hit upon a way to at least get their people off-planet and back home. So, out of desperation, the Gray Death Legion is reborn. But soon, what was supposed to be a temporary mercenary unit turns into something entirely different…a real mercenary unit. THE TOUGH GO MERCENARY. Gray Death Rising chronicles the new Gray Death Legion’s early missions. From their very first job—working for the same unit that kicked them out of the LCAF—to their next job off-planet, to their biggest mission yet, facing political intrigue and taking on the mantle of their famous great-grandfather’s legacy on the planet of Pandora in a brand-new story. In the cutthroat mercenary world of the Inner Sphere, it takes more than a famous name to survive. Fortunately, Ronan and Bel have the training, intelligence, and most importantly, experience to carry their family’s legacy into a new era. And collected here for the first time, read where it all begins…again.