KBI

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## Private Special Ops Force KBI

Claudio Kilgannon imaging being detained by KBI.

### Purpose

To thwart Wilhelm Ryan and the United Red Army at any and every turn.

## Data

### Key Figures

Leonard Hohenberger (Creator)
Cambria Kilgannon (The Knowledge)
Coheed Kilgannon (The Beast)
Inferno Kilgannon (The Inferno)

### Established

Shortly after the Black Rainbow appeared.

### Dissolved

Just before the Black Rainbow disappeared.

### Materiel

*The Grail Arbor*
↳ LEO
The Crowing
The Vishual

## Appearances

### Books & Comics

*Year of the Black Rainbow* (novel)*The Amory Wars: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV* (comic)

The **KBI** was a private, special operations force that operated all throughout Heaven's Fence during the year The Black Rainbow appeared. Their actions were widely opposed by de facto leader Wilhelm Ryan who was the target of their missions. KBI was an acronym for the codenames of the three members; **K**nowledge, **B**east, & **I**nferno.

## Creation

KBI was created by Dr. Leonard Hohenberger shortly after The Mage War ended in Ryan's victory and the Black Rainbow appeared over the skies of the planets throughout the colony of Heaven's Fence. Hohenberger, with his background in biomechanics, was assisted by two additional scientists: Geneticist Inaid, and Biomedical Engineer Stockmeyer. These three brilliant minds grew the first IRO-bots, a combination of biological DNA and machinery. Unlike a cyborg, IRO-bots were grown, not simply made. Hohenberger's team developed several serums to accelerate both physical and mental growth in the specimens. Each specimen also required a relatively small amount of DNA which would grow in a similar fashion to IVF, but the resulting zygote would be transferred to a stasis tube instead of a womb.

The first IRO-bot completed was Inferno who was made from Hohenberger's own DNA sequence, and was nearly a clone of the doctor in that respect. The accelerants were applied to him and he presumably came "online" roughly eighteen weeks after being formed. Though very similar in the face, Inferno seemed to develop a stockier build than Hohenberger. He retained his scientific mind, but it quickly developed a keen sense of strategy for battle.

The next specimens created were a pair: Beast (also called Coheed), and Knowledge (also called Cambria). Created after Inferno had been online for some time, Coheed was made using bits of Hohenberger's late son, Joseph's DNA, and Cambria was made using bits of Prise DNA. Coheed was equipped with bio-weaponry in his arms. His left would be able to produce several machete-like blades and his right would be able to form an ion cannon. These transformative powers were painful for him, tearing his real, biologically human skin, but true to his code name, he over came this hurdle like a champion. As for Cambria, her Prise DNA afforded her certain psychological powers. Dr. Inaid also noted that her DNA contained a 0.0001 match to Mage DNA, even though her source should have been mostly Prise.

## Training & Work

Hohenberger, as a successful scientist, lived on a relatively large and secluded compound that contained a home lab, sizable backyard on the verge of a forest, and a greenhouse that his wife, Pearl, also used for her own scientific research as a biologist. He used his home's large space to train each of the IRO-bots, building a makeshift training facility. Inferno oversaw the training of both Coheed and Cambria, while Hohenberger, presumably, worked directly with Inferno to train him in strategy and so forth. (Inferno, with his scientific mind, may have even simply uploaded all understanding of strategy to himself at some point.)

They engaged in a variety training exorcises which included limiting their actions (not being allowed to damage the environment, for example), and they slept in tents to harden them up and get them use to having to sleep in odd places, as well as other simulated experiences. One of their first missions was to Howling Earth where they investigated a mining facility and engaged in Ryan's Red Army when they found out they were mining the energy from the Keywork. They continued to find various key spots where Ryan's operations could be crippled in anyway. For example, they launched a full scale attack on NulKigh-Cutta where General Mayo Deftinwolf trained new recruits.

## Disbandment

One day while the trio was out on a mission, Pearl Hohenberger had been captured by Ryan's forces. Upon their return, the doctor informed KBI of the event, but not of the exact ransom requested of him. Ultimately, he decided to give in to Ryan's demands, but in his own way. He ordered Inferno to return to the *Grail Arbor* alone until further notice. Reluctantly, he did so. The doctor then deactivated Beast and Knowledge with the failsafe code word "Camille" and did two things: after perfecting the Monstar Virus, he split its makeup in two parts. The compound that provided Ryan's required level of virulence of the disease was put in Coheed and the core of the disease itself was put into Cambria. Separately, these elements wouldn't harm either of them, but should their bodies be tampered with, including killed, these elements would activate in their own ways and either kill the host or others nearby. While the pair has these elements in them, they are immune to each other. Ryan's forces would have to figure out how to trigger the virus without killing the hosts. Still deactivated, the pair and virus were delivered to Ryan per his request.

The doctor had already begun development on his fourth IRO-bot which would contain an antidote to the virus, and recorded an informational video message for Inferno which was activated by his voice. This video included instructions regarding the antidote, the Keywork, and how to reactivate Beast and Knowledge. Inferno launched as massive an attack as he could given their limited resources on House Atlantic where the pair was being kept and was able to reactive them, battle Ryan and his forces to the crumbling of his stronghold, and successfully escape with the pair. Once safe, Inferno deactivated the pair one last time and did two things: he suppressed their memories up to that point, and constructed false memories to put in their place. This included concealing his own identity from them (he would now be known as "Jesse" to them), and creating a connection to the infantile IRO-bot that would now be their daughter. This also effectively disbanded KBI.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 8. Evil Ink, 2010.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 14. Evil Ink, 2010.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 9. Evil Ink, 2010.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 7. Evil Ink, 2010.
5. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 11. Evil Ink, 2010.
6. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 13. Evil Ink, 2010.
7. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 15. Evil Ink, 2010.
8. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 19. Evil Ink, 2010.
9. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Chapter 20. Evil Ink, 2010.
10. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio and Peter David. *Year of the Black Rainbow*. Epilogue. Evil Ink, 2010.