Mornay
“Agent Mornay” is the pseudonym of an alleged defector from the Black Eagles. His true identity is unknown and his story was only known through a tell-all interview with the Scope, which drew great controversy. The Black Eagles dismissed the story as pure fiction, while the Scope defended the defector as genuine and refused to release his identity under constitutional protection of the press.
History
Military Career
Mornay claimed to be a Gallente male, in his early thirties, who had served in the Federation Army as an infantry sniper. According to him, he had participated in several operations against the Serpentis, earning several medals for distinguished actions and reaching the rank of captain. Following the Caldari invasion of Luminaire in YC110, he was contacted by the recently-formed Black Eagles for recruitment.
Recruitment
The recruitment was highly secretive, with Mornay often taken to secret locations at any hour of the day and subject to a variety of tests, in an attempt to break his resolve. Though psychologically demanding, Mornay proclaimed that the tests at first seemed “justified” in order to “make sure [he] wouldn't become a traitor.” Mornay claimed to have passed these tests with flying colors, before finally being sent on a test mission.
The mission involved an assassination against an unnamed individual. Mornay was not told the identity of the target, only that he was a “danger to the Federation.” Mornay was told the man would regularly be seen through a window at night and that Mornay could take the shot there. Mornay reported that he did not question his orders and traveled to the location as directed. Sure enough, at the time indicated by his superiors, a man matching the description he was given appeared at the window. Mornay fired the shot, watched long enough to make sure he had scored a hit, then quickly departed.
A few days after he had committed the assassination, Mornay reported that he was once again taken in by his recruiters. Mornay was reportedly told that he had done an “admirable job” and was asked to pass “one last test.” The recruiters hooked Mornay to a virtual sensation device, injecting him into a scenario showing him the inside of the house of the man he had killed. Mornay learned that he had committed the assassination as the man was leaning down to kiss his son goodnight.
After being released from the scenario, the recruiters informed him that it was to “test [his] resolve” and ensure that he did not “feel remorse for the enemy.” Mornay expressed no such emotion, but later attributed this to a combination of shock and not believing that the scenario had been authentic. He was welcomed into the Black Eagles shortly after.
Missions and doubts
Mornay quickly learned that his recruitment was not unique. Other new recruits reported similar initiation tests, but the details were distinct for each. Mornay soon began to believe that the virtual scenario had not been falsified and that it was a realistic portrayal of what had occurred. He even began to suspect that the Black Eagles had randomly selected a target and bugged their house with cameras to record the death, specifically for his recruitment.
Despite these suspicions, Mornay continued to work for the Black Eagles for several months. During this time, he served in a variety of roles. Most often, he acted as a simple guard during interrogations, kept outside while senior members of the Eagles questioned prisoners. Most often, the prisoners were of Gallente birth, though he was informed they were imprisoned for seditious acts.
However, there were several occasions where he was ordered into the field. Though he did not commit any further killings, he was present at several raids, acting as a cover sniper in the event of resistance. According to Mornay, most of these raids were carried out in the dead of night against private residences, all without any sign of struggle. He claimed citizens were regularly taken from their homes, stuffed into unmarked vehicles, and secreted away in detention facilities.
Eventually, the actions he witnessed led Mornay to seek escape.
Scope contact and interview
Knowing that he could not simply quit, Mornay waited until he was assigned to another raid squad as a cover sniper. While the raid was taking place, Mornay abandoned his position and fled. For several days, he went into hiding, living off what cash he had on hand at the time. Realizing that he could not escape discovery forever, he contacted the Scope, which offered to protect him in exchange for an interview.
Mornay agreed, provided that his identity not be disclosed. The Scope readily agreed, and Mornay appeared in a taped interview segment with Sherie Ledu, a well-regarded journalist. The interview was promoted as the first time anyone had defected from the Black Eagles and lived to speak about it. Mornay related his experiences as a Black Eagle, particularly the assassination and subsequent virtual sensation test.
The interview whipped up a storm of controversy within the Federation. The Black Eagles denied Mornay's story, claiming that the events detailed had never occurred. They asked the Scope for the man's identity so his claims could be categorically disproved, but the Scope cited Federal laws protecting the identity of informants and whistle blowers and refused to release the information.
So denied, the Black Eagles attempted to ignore the controversy, thereafter referring only to their original statements denying the events. The Scope, unwilling to release Mornay's identity, was hammered in some sectors for “sensationalist broadcasting” or even concocting Mornay entirely in order to drum up ratings.
Aftermath
The fate of Mornay has never been disclosed, though the Scope has continued to inform those interested that he remains safe, under an assumed identity. The Black Eagles no longer comment on the matter, refusing to even acknowledge inquiries about Mornay or any other supposed defector.
Since Mornay's story, numerous others have stepped forward with similar allegations against the Black Eagles. The majority of these men and women have followed Mornay's lead and spoken on condition of anonymity. A few have revealed their identities, however. With these, the Black Eagles have consistently offered up documentation disproving their stories. The defectors regularly claim that the documentation has been fabricated, but there exists no proof either way as to the authenticity of the claims.
