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- Private Ryk Kydd in an interview(src)
Ryk Kydd, born Ark Bennet, was a Confederate Marine Corps sniper during the Guild Wars and afterwards, an assassin-for-hire.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Ark Bennet was born the son of Errol and Lisa Bennet, members of the Old Families. The Bennet family was low-key, and so few people had any idea who Ark was or what he looked like—only a few pictures of him ever made their way into the public domain. As a child, he greatly enjoyed taking apart the family's service robots apart and rebuilding them, usually with half a dozen parts left over.
As a young man, Ark was dissatisfied with his life. His father wanted him to be a "spare" heir to Bennet Industries like his older sister Tara, but Ark didn't have those inclinations. His mother Lisa wanted him to be a scholar, but he had no interest in that lifestyle either. Either way, in 2488, Ark finished upper school, and the pressure was mounting on him to pursue one of these two paths. There was also talk of an arranged marriage to Hailey Falco, of the Falco Family.[1]
Abduction[]
Two weeks after Ark's graduation, the Old Families held their annual Reunion in Tarsonis City, and Ark's father ordered him to attend, hoping he'd learn at least a little about the family business. A bored Ark wandered outside and entered Hacker's Flat, a low-income area where he stood out. Worse, he got lost and had to consult a map, marking him as prey for "Laura Posey", a grifter who used sex appeal to lure and rob her victims.
"Posey" lured him to a bar and gave him a beer laced with drugs. Ark Bennet fell for the trick and passed out. Before he came to, "Posey" discovered his true identity and "lost" it. Bennet was "sold" to a recruiting sergeant, Harley Ross. He awoke aboard a military-operated system runner. Confronted with Staff Sergeant Wright, he found out his new name was "Ryk Kydd". His attempts to convince Wright of who he really was fell on deaf ears, although he was told that if he passed basic training, the Bureau of Personnel could help him. (Wright then ordered him to do thirty push-ups for "wasting time".)[1]
A Satisfying Life[]
- Kydd on the day of graduation(src)
Initially bitter at being forced into the Marine Corps, "Kydd" found he was actually good at something – sniping with a BOSUN FN92 rifle. He was trained by Sergeant Peters. He developed the intention of qualifying as a sniper during boot camp, a feat that only two recruits had done before him. He completed at least three training simulations, assasinating his designated target each time. Within eight weeks of boot camp, Kydd was the best shot in his entire training battalion and had earned the much coveted sniper's badge.
Kydd told one of his trainers, Major Lionel Macaby, about his identity predicament. Macaby didn't want to lose a valuable trainee, especially one who might earn a sniper qualification before even passing basic training, so he passed the case up to his divisional commander, hoping Kydd would graduate before his identity was confirmed.
He was forced into a punishment detail along with a couple of lower-class rowdies, Jim Raynor and Hank Harnack. They became friends when Kydd reprogrammed a maintenance robot to do their assigned work for them. The two recruits taught him how to live a life away from the Old Families.
Kydd's joy ride
The night before graduation, the three celebrated in the bars of the nearby town of Braddock, which included getting drunk and brawling with fleet personnel. They "escaped" by stealing a vulture, only to crash into a police station and get arrested. The next morning, Kydd was the only one of the trio who was barely presentable.
At the graduation ceremony, he had the opportunity to meet Cornelius Brubaker, a friend of his father, who could have recognized him. However, Kydd had come to like his new life and avoided him, remaining in the Marine Corps.
The recruits were sent by truck toward Fort Howe via Boro Airbase for seasoning. However, on the way their trucks were attacked by Kel-Morian Hellhounds. Private Jim Raynor immediately took on a leadership role, especially after becoming aware of Kel-Morian troops and vehicles attacking Confederate Firebase Zulu to their south. He ordered Kydd and another marine, Private Max Zander, to find a safe path to the firebase. As the rest of the soldiers used the path, Kydd and Zander were sent into a farmhouse in an orchard, where Kydd could set up a sniper's post. As they entered, Zander killed a Kel-Morian scout, while Kydd told him to listen in on the dead soldier's radio. From his position, Kydd killed many enemy soldiers. Meanwhile, Raynor led the new troops to victory.[1]
Cold Blood[]
That depends on who you ask. But the kid answers to "Kydd."
- Findlay and Raynor discussing Kydd(src)
Raynor was promoted to lance corporal for his deed, but he and his squad were assigned boring duties at Fort Howe. They were eventually put into the "care" of Sergeant Tychus Findlay, who threatened them (due to a grudge he held against Raynor), only to be interrupted by a Kel-Morian Combine invasion of their base. Kydd was able to put his sharpshooting skills to work, gaining Findlay's attention.
During the battle, the squad discovered corrupt Confederate troopers loading a pair of trucks at the armory and, after dealing with a band of Kel-Morians, took possession of the trucks. Findlay immediately decided they would steal the trucks and split the loot for themselves. The trucks were stored in the war-shattered town of Whitford for the time being.
Findlay and the rest of his squad were folded into Colonel Javier Vanderspool's Special Tactics and Missions Platoon, whose soldiers would use Thunderstrike armor, enabling them to be air-dropped into combat. Suspicious of the loss of the loot he would have split with the Kel-Morians, Vanderspool assigned Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy, a crab-addicted medic, into the platoon as part of a test of front-line medics... and also to spy on them.
Meanwhile, Findlay wanted to further his Operation Early Retirement scheme. He sold the loot to a customer in Whitford, but another band of attackers arrived and attempted to steal their proceeds. During the battle, Kydd slew many of them, even as they retreated. He felt no remorse for doing so.
Zander used the proceeds of his share to buy food and give it away to war refugees. Unfortunately, this generosity got him captured by Silas Trask, a bandit. Kydd took part in the private mission launched to rescue Zander.
A Legend Is Born[]
Colonel Vanderspool had some news for the Special Tactics and Missions Platoon – they would be used in an assault on Kel-Morian Internment Camp-36, which held hundreds of Confederate POWs.
The platoon took over the base, but the extra dropships which were supposed to pick up the POWs were delayed. As a result, the platoon stole a number of vehicles to transport the POWs. Along the way, they were intercepted, first by Kel-Morian Hellhounds, then by the Kel-Morian Combine's Snakehead Komando, which was equipped with a number of light attack vehicles. During the battle, Kydd killed several enemy soldiers, many still in vehicles.
Kydd's triumphant return to Fort Howe was dampened by the presence of Sergeants Orin and Corly of the Military Security Service. Corly called him by his real name, but Kydd was so used to being called "Kydd" that he was slow to react. Sergeant Findlay immediately took a disliking to them, but Kydd decided to go along.
Corly went over his previous statements to Major Macaby about really being Ark Bennet. Kydd claimed that he had lied; however, the two sergeants said his retinal scans were a match for Ark Bennet. Kydd refused to leave his brothers and sisters in arms, and so the two sergeants allowed him to remain in his new life.[1]
Love and Loss[]
A new commanding officer had been selected for the Special Tactics and Missions Platoon – Lieutenant Samantha Sanchez. Kydd almost immediately fell in love with her.
He even bought her a box of chocolates. However, he never got around to giving them to her. Instead, he allowed Tychus Findlay to swipe them. Findlay gave them to Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy as a "romantic" present on her birthday.
Colonel Vanderspool had a new mission for the platoon; assisting in the upcoming assault on northern Polk's Pride. The city was divided in half, with the Kel-Morian Combine holding the half north of the Paddick River. The STM platoon would accompany a large number of strangely-behaving marines into combat.
Petty Officer Cassidy continued to spy on the platoon. She had learned of Kydd's interrogation at the hands of the Military Security Service sergeants and revealed to Vanderspool that Kydd was really Ark Bennet, and had collected a sample of Kydd's DNA. Vanderspool was already familiar with Bennet Industries.
Due to Vanderspool's tactics, the STM platoon, goliaths and a large number of resocialized marines made it to the north of Polk's Pride, heading toward a heavily defended strategic resources repository. The Kel-Morian forces made attempts to stop them. As the resocialized marines threw their lives away, Lt. Sanchez competently led her platoon past numerous barricades. Against one particularly dangerous one, she led her platoon in a flanking movement. During the maneuver, a Kel-Morian sniper shot her in the head, killing her. An enraged Kydd requested Raynor draw fire to prompt the enemy sniper to reveal himself, then shot the other sniper dead. Kydd cried over Sanchez's death.
As the battle continued, Kydd saved the lives of his comrades numerous times by shooting enemies dead. He would often kill enemy soldiers who crewed deadly gauss cannon emplacements.
Kydd and the rest of First Squad
The Confederacy achieved victory, and UNN reporter Max Speer took their picture. In it, Kydd wore a boonie hat and mirrorshades to disguise himself.[1]
Family Problems[]
Ryk Kydd took fellow squadmate Max Zander to a fancy restaurant in Darby while they were on leave. They were surprised to witness a suspicious meeting between Errol Bennet, Kydd's father, Colonel Vanderspool, and Aaron Pax, a Kel-Morian overseer. The trio intended to rob a Kel-Morian train bearing ardeon crystals during a Confederate attack, with each splitting the proceeds evenly. The colonel planned to use and dispose of the Special Tactics and Missions Platoon during the attack. Vanderspool offered to reunite Bennet with Kydd for half of the latter's share, but the head of Bennet Industries refused. Kydd was distressed at being disowned and Zander was forced to physically prevent Kydd from giving their position away; Kydd suffered a head injury when he struck a protruding support beam.
The pair reported the meeting to Tychus Findlay, who was enjoying private time with his girlfriend, Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy. Cassidy treated Kydd's wound. Kydd enthusiastically agreed to Findlay's suggestion to rob the train themselves. However, Cassidy quickly took the information to Colonel Vanderspool in exchange for more drugs.[1]
Desertion[]
The Heaven's Devils were not the only ones plotting against Vanderspool. Pax ensured the train's security was unexpectedly augmented by rippers. The Confederates could not take the train, and the Heaven's Devils escaped Vanderspool's attempt to neutralize them. Kydd and the others, minus Cassidy, fled on stolen sabers to the starport, where the Kel-Morians were destroying the dropships. Private Hank Harnack was mortally set aflame when he ignited spilled fuel with his flamethrower. Kydd had noticed the spills but been unable to warn Harnack in time; Kydd mercy killed Harnack with a sniper round to the head.
Vanderspool and Cassidy were captured by Pax and brought to the starport by truck. The Heaven's Devils were amused when the Kel-Morian overseer attempted to use Vanderspool as a hostage. Kydd shot Pax in the head through Vanderspool's shoulder while standing five hundred yards away. The remainder of Pax's troops were quickly defeated, but Cassidy was also killed. Surrounded and without help, Vanderspool offered to reunite Kydd with Errol Bennet in a desperate bid to live; the sniper refused and Raynor shot the colonel.
Kydd, Raynor, and Findlay left the scene by dropship. They were going AWOL.[1]
End of the Line[]
Kydd fights with Ezekiel Daun
Kydd separated from Raynor and Findlay and used his sniping skills as a killer-for-hire, unconcerned about who his targets were. When Raynor learned of this, he felt responsible for not helping Kydd.
In 2494 he targeted Senator Westyn MacMasters for death in Tarsonis City. Unfortunately, Vanderspool, wounded but alive, had hired sadistic bounty hunter Ezekiel Daun to kill him. Daun recorded his death as he strangled him with a cybernetic arm. His head was brought before Vanderspool.
Daun later used the recording to unnerve Raynor and Findlay when he targeted them.[2]
Personality and Traits[]
As an Old Family member, Kydd's mother often called him "a very handsome young man." Kydd knew that this was far from the truth however. His eyes were too far apart, his lips too thin, and his chin too narrow. As an Old Family heir, he had a rounded face, but this hardened out over the course of his CMC training. He preferred to dress in low-key clothing, such as wire jackets, Thump Band T-shirts and Street Feet shoes. As a child he enjoyed taking apart and reassembling robots.[2]
Kydd had average intelligence and, according to a psychologist, might have been psychic. His sniping instructor said he had the "X-factor", causing time to seem to slow down when he made a shot.[1]
Kydd initially had difficulty settling into military life, but grew used to it over time. By the end of his life as an assassin, he had developed a cold personality, uncaring of whose life he took.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Dietz, William C. (April 6, 2010). StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books). ISBN 978-1416-55084-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Golden, Christie (April 12, 2011). StarCraft II: Devils' Due. Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books). ISBN 978-1416-55085-3.