Flynn Kirkland

Flynn Kirkland is a Dragoon loyal to the Alpha Clan. He was a member of Phoenix Squad, and served in the Shah Province as a member of Damascus Squad. He was a founding member of the Recon division, having served in Crow Squad.

## Early Life

Victor and Michelle Kirkland, a married couple living in the Northern Reach, found an abandoned baby. It has not been specified where they found the baby, but they named him Flynn and raised him as their own.

As the boy got older, he began to display superhuman traits: Strength, speed, stamina, etc. Michelle suggested taking him to a doctor, but Victor suspected the truth and advised against it. Michelle did so anyway, and a blood test revealed he was actually a Dragoon.

Once the truth came out, Michelle did not want to tell anyone and keep it a secret. Victor, however, knew that eventually the Alpha Clan would discover their secret. With their doctor's assistance, Victor contacted the Alpha Clan. Despite Michelle's protests, the Alpha Clan came and took Flynn away. With no dragoon willing to take custody of him, he was placed into the Agoge.

When Flynn registered with the academy, he kept the family name Kirkland. He attended the academy alongside Jeremy Bloomer and Talia Hellion, achieving higher marks than both of them. He also befriended a younger cadet, Castor Bryant. They bonded quickly due to their "outsider" upbringings: Bryant being raised a Zeta, and Kirkland being raised by Humans.

## Alpha Clan Service

Despite graduating with honors among the top of his class, Kirkland was given a lowly administrative position after he graduated. It wasn't until a year or so had passed when Jeremy Bloomer was given command of his own squad, and he requested Kirkland reassigned to him in the newly created Phoenix Squad. Kirkland also recommended Bryant, who had just graduated from the Academy. Bryant was in turn recruited.

### Phoenix Squad

#### Northern Reach/Western Reach

Phoenix Squad joined Hauptmann Marble's Idol Company in Warlord Cao's 12th Battalion. There they were assigned to help suppress uprisings and rebellions in the Northern Reach. They fought with the company and battalion into the Western Reach for an extended period of time.

For the most part, the squad was kept off the front lines and given easy tasks to accomplish. While Jeremy Bloomer and Abesamis were oblivious to this treatment, the rest of the squad secretly felt insulted and began to feel some contempt for Bloomer. Kirkland began to respectfully express his frustrations with Bloomer to Marble, Cao, and even Bloomer himself. Although Kirkland's intentions were noble, Marble began feeling disdain towards Kirkland, feeling his actions undermined Alpha loyalty to the Bloomer family.

#### Battle of Patna

The Battle of Patna was the first real engagement that Jeremy Bloomer was put into a front line position. Bloomer's incompetence as a leader led to the death of Daniel Abesamis. When the death of Abesamis virtually mentally crippled Bloomer, Kirkland took control and led the squad further into battle. Although Bloomer took credit for the squad's performance, those within the squad acknowledge that Kirkland was responsible for the squad's success.

After the battle, Jeremy Bloomer was pulled off the front lines and brought back to Founder's Mesa. Although the rest of Phoenix Squad expected Kirkland to be announced as the new sergeant, they were shocked to find that the squad was to be dissolved and Kirkland was to be transferred to the Shah Province. Bryant was also set to join him in Shah, while Talia was transferred to Raven Squad.

### Damascus Squad/Shah Province

Kirkland and Bryant were assigned to Damascus Squad, which had been fighting in Shah since the beginning of the Campaign. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Sergeant Vin Merlin and Michael Cox. The landing zone was ambushed by rebels, however, and Merlin and Cox were both killed almost immediately by a suicide bomber. Ruiz and Liao, Colts from a different squad, happened to be nearby and helped Kirkland and Bryant fight off the insurgents. Despite not being a part of the squad, Ruiz assumed (and demanded) command as a veteran of Shah.

Between Ruiz's harsh tactics and his own frustrations with his circumstances, Kirkland slowly began to become an extremely brutal warrior. He gave in to the satisfactions of killing, surpassing Liao as Ruiz's number-two in the squad.

During theBattle of Jackal Creek, Kirkland came off as nearly savage as he tore through rebel attackers. After the rebel attack was successfully fought off, he was confronted by Bryant. They got into a tense ideological argument, which led to Bryant expressing his shame for Kirkland and storming away.

Field Marshal McQuade came to Jackal's Creek after the battle, and he decided to reassign Kirkland and Ruiz to the newly established Recon division.

### Recon Division

Kirkland and the other candidates for the Recon division were all called back to Founder's Mesa for an accelerated training session for the new division. Instead of the traditional squad and company formation, the new division would take a different take. Although on paper the Alpha Dragoons would still belong to a five-member squad within a company, but in practice the Dragoons would go out into the field wither solo or with a single partner.

After completing the training, Kirkland joined Ruiz and Talia Hellion in Crow Squad. They were shipped to the Northern Reach and assigned to be supervised by Hauptmann Konstantine Curze. There, he went out on multiple solo assignments.

He was successful for the most part, but came close to losing his life when he had a violent encounter with a resurfaced Beta Clan survivor. He only survived due to the intervention of a human. The experienced change him and how he viewed humanity.

### Invasion of Roommenor

Crow Squad was recalled to Founder's Mesa for the final preparations for the Invasion of Roommenor. Kirkland, with Crow Squad, were among the first boots on the ground.

After the Invasion Line is formed, Kirkland was assigned to support the Queen's Guard in battle. He sort of befriended one of the humans, Stephen Wren. After an unfortunate incident where Kirkland's actions got Stephen killed, Kirkland felt the need to make things right. He sought after the human's widow, Claire Wren. Despite Claire being very cold to him, he offers to help find the remains of her husband. She reluctantly agrees, and the two of them head off. During their trek out into the war zone, it is revealed how Stephen died and how Kirkland was partially responsible. Claire was initially angry, but she eventually comes to empathize with Kirkland.

## Apparent Death

Kirkland and Claire later successfully managed to thwart an attack by Guardians as well as rebels. Claire managed to make it back in one piece thanks to the help from a reluctant Talia. Kirkland, on the other hand, stayed on the battlefield.

Kirkland is widely believed to be dead, having stayed behind so that Claire and Talia can escape. In fact, Alpha Clan has officially listed him as KIA. Still, due to a body never being found, there have been rumors that he survived the event and faked his death.

## Exile

Despite official reports, Kirkland did not actually die. Several days after the attack, Talia returned to the battlefield to find Kirkland's body. Instead, she found Kirkland barely holding on to life. Fearing what the Alpha Clan might do to punish Kirkland, Talia takes Kirkland to Claire's home. Claire is shocked to see Kirkland, but she agrees to nurse him back to health. For several weeks Claire works to rehabilitate Kirkland, but she realizes his right leg will never recover and his right eye has lost all function.

Eventually Claire and Talia work together to smuggle Kirkland back to the Northern Continent. They successfully do so, and Claire takes Kirkland to the home of his adoptive Human parents. Claire leaves him there, proud to get him that far.

Kirkland would have other plans, and would contact Reiner Mitchell to help him. Mitchell would help him move away from his adoptive parents and settle at a small ranch in the Northern Reach. There, Kirkland was resolved to spend the rest of his days in peace and quiet. Despite his handicaps, Kirkland is able to work and live off the land.

## Media

* Kirkland was portrayed by Ethan McDowell in the 2014 short film *Downward*.
* McDowell will reprise the role in the upcoming short film *Ascendance*, a prequel to *Downward*.