Five years ago, ace pilot Kael was sentenced to death for refusing to kill civilians. When the Titan crisis erupted, Vance launched "Dead Man's Hand"—throwing Kael into battle. Kael soloed a Titan, then barely escaped Hagen's pursuit by detonating his mech and crashing into a river. He was saved by Dr. Colleen, and they fell in love. But Hagen tracked him down, and Vance deployed a prototype Titan. During the attack, Colleen died saving Kael.
