His capture by Clan Wolf on the Periphery planet The Rock began a radical new life for Phelan Kell. His captors at first refused to accept that this freebirth had any worth except to perform the lowliest tasks of a bondsman, but his obvious skill, intelligence, and knowledge of the Inner Sphere militaries soon brought him to the attention of Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky, who used the young Kell Hound as an asset in order to push his Clan out ahead of the other invaders. Phelan soon proved his worth and returned to the life of MechWarrior, this time for the Clans, and with great skill and determination won a coveted Bloodname and command position.

Phelan Ward rose to the rank of Khan when Ulric Kerensky assumed the ilKhanship of the invading Clans. When Clan Jade Falcon spearheaded the effort to unseat Ulric Kerensky by accusing him of highest treason-deliberately conspiring to destroy the Clans' genetic heritage by agreeing to the truce of Tukayyid and therefore denying coming generations the opportunity to hone their fighting skills against the enemy-Ulric devised a plan to save Clan Wolf and the Inner Sphere and at the same time cripple the most rabid invading Crusader Clans. As the culmination of his plans, Ulric sent Khan Phelan, along with the best and brightest of the Wolf Wardens, warriors and other castes alike, to shelter with the Kell Hounds on their home planet of Arc-Royal. Knowing that the Clans would strip Phelan of his rank, name and authority for running to the Inner Sphere, ilKhan Ulric used the privilege of his rank to create the Bloodname of Kell and award it to Phelan. He further charged Khan Phelan Kell with preserving the best of the Clan Wolf way and continuing to protect the Inner Sphere from the worst ravages of the Crusader Clans.