Eagle’s Tears
Why are you here?
The governor gave us a good contract, and is much more trustworthy than your average employer, the location is far enough from the FWL that we don't have to worry as much about shooting at folks we used to work with and the job of protecting citizens from bandits is very rewarding.
Why was your unit picked?
You'd have to ask the governor about that; I'd like to think that she saw our capabilities and found them to be ideal for what she was looking for.
Rate of pay for unit?
I'm sorry, I cannot discuss contract details.
Are you planning on extending your unit contract?
Depending on the governor being satisfied with our work and asking us to renew, yes, we feel that as long as the majority of the population sees us as friendlies instead of an occupying force then this is a good world to continue working on. That being said, it all depends on whether or not the governor is happy with our service and whether or not we get offered any contract that fits our needs better. At this time, the unit preference is to remain here if asked.
Can we have access to battle footage?
That is up to the Governor; I see no reason not to release segments that do not contain classified information, but that decision must remain the Governor's. Any BattleROMs released would be done so through the Governor's office, not directly from the Eagle's Tears
History of unit? and Unit, personnel bonafides?
The majority of us are from the 13th Marik militia; When the WoB began to take things over in our home we saw the handwriting on the wall and decided that we would not remain in a service where we would most likely have ended up shooting at fellow FWL soldiers. Most of our families went through that at the turn of the century, and don't want to be part of that again. We were originally formed as an Op-For unit for the Knights of the Inner Sphere to practice against C3 formations; as such, we were picked personnel from throughout the FWL military so that they could get the best training possible.
I still have many contacts and friends within the Knights, as do many others in our unit. Our decision to leave the FWL military was not an easy one and we mostly still feel as if we are Free Worlders first. The name "The Eagle's Tears" stands for our continuing links to the FWL philosophy and love for our home, and yet the loss we feel at having to leave because of conditions there. That being said, our departure was amicable and the Knights and the Captain General were helpful when we formed our unit. They even offered us a contract, but as I said before, the reason we left was to make sure we would not be part of any FWL vs FWL fighting, so that was not a good fit. And even though we are not Knights ourselves, we see our unit as protectors of the innocent very much in tune with the philosophy of the Knights. That is why this contract was such a good fit. It was impossible to turn down a chance to protect the citizens of this world from outside depredations.
Are you answerable to our military code of conduct?
Within our unit, the FWL UCMJ (universal code of military justice, for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym) is the law and philosophy we follow, along with the ideal of protecting innocents. I have not seen any conflict between this and the DCMS Code of Conduct, nor do I expect to. If however, some conflict occurs between these two codes, I will discuss the ramifications with the Governor and her liaison officer and legal staff to determine the correct course of action at that point to adhere to the spirit of the code and protect the people of this world as best we can.
Who do you report to, what is your chain of command, operational orders, guidelines?
We report to the Governor through our assigned liaison officer; the broad scope of our orders are to protect the populace.
For anything more detailed, I refer you to the Governor's office for that information.
How did you feel entering the Hilo Power Plant?
Infuriated that we couldn't get there in time to save the work crew
Impressions, thoughts, theories about what happened there?
It looked like a professionally planned attack. We are still trying to find out exactly who was responsible, and fully intend to bring them to justice.
How did you capture Caesar?
The Eagle's Tears were not present at the engagement in which Caesar was captured, we were at the alternate predicted drop point for Caesar's forces to protect that location from him in the event he chose to strike there. We extend full congratulations to the units present at his capture, and the excellent work they did to bring the notorious pirate to justice.
How did it feel to capture Caesar?
As I stated before, we were not actually a direct part of the operation in which Caesar was captured; we are proud to be associated with the units responsible however. It is good to have been a part of the larger plan to protect this world from his depredations.
What are the objectives of the GSF?
The protection of the people of this world.
Do you work with the GSF, How do you work with the GSF?
It is my understanding that we are considered an ancillary unit of the GSF and as such, work with the rest of the GSF under a very well understood set of conditions. As with any group of units with different operational methods and styles, there are always rough spots when such units attempt to integrate into a larger force. Time and hard work have significantly reduced those issues; we hope to complete efforts to resolve integration issues in the near future.
Tell us about your reaction to the protests?
We are glad to be on a world where people have the freedom to speak out with things they are dissatisfied with. That being said, we are saddened that our actions and purpose have been so misunderstood by the people who are protesting against us. We also wonder if those protests might be the result of agitation by groups who do not wish for the Governor to be successful in protecting this world from harm. Personally, I would ask that the people with concerns speak with their elected officials in hopes that any concerns might be quickly resolved rather than hold protests which have the possibility of resulting in violence.
Do you really have Clan personnel working in the GSF, how does that happen, are they in combat with the GSF, did they have anything to do with what happened at Hilo General Hospital?
I believe that there are clan bondsmen in some of the other GSF units, although not in the Eagle's Tears. As with any bondsman, it happens when a clan warrior or tech is captured in battle and the opponents think that he or she is honorable and capable enough to be allowed to serve in their unit. It is my understanding that clan warriors consider this to be a significant honor; they will do everything within their power to bring success to those who make them their bondsman and will go to great lengths to avoid dishonoring the person or unit that holds their bond. To my knowledge, as long as they are provided with the information necessary to prevent any misunderstandings bondsmen are invariably a great asset to those they serve.
In regards to the incident at the hospital, no-one in my unit was present at the time so I have no first hand knowledge of the situation. Therefore I would refer you to those who do for an answer to that question. However, I do feel it is not a good idea to assign blame without proof, so I would suggest that you not act as if a bondsman was responsible until you have proof that they were. I am a firm believer in the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" because I have seen many occasions where a good person has had their life ruined by false accusations. Whoever is responsible, I am certain that Hilo's law enforcement agencies are working hard to bring that criminal to justice.
Many people have objections to the GSF, what is your reaction?
As with any new thing, change makes people nervous. Misunderstandings occur and people get upset. They have every right to voice their concerns as citizens of this world. If they did not have that right, or felt that they were at risk if they voiced their concerns, this would be a police state and I for one would not be willing to serve a government that did not allow that voice. The fact that the Governor does allow such freedom of speech is a major reason we found the contract here to be a good one for our unit.
My personal feeling is that if the people who dislike us are willing to spend the time to find out the facts about our mission and get to know us as people, instead of considering us a force to be opposed they will find that we are doing our best to give them a chance to live without the fear of military aggression against this world and learn to accept us as such.
What is your opinion of the Kokuryu-kai?
Have you ever heard the term fascist? More of the same by a different name. The best interest of the people of this world are not even remotely a concern to such people; all they wish for is power for themselves, and they are willing to say anything and promise anything to get that power. I would think twice about believing that they will even pretend to keep their word once they HAVE power.
Are they behind actives on planet?
Remember what I said earlier about "innocent until proven guilty"? The Governor can provide a better answer to that question once the facts have been established. If they are proven to be behind any of the unrest or violence here and the Eagle's Tears are asked to bring them to justice we will do so.
What are your plans to react to the rise in pirate actions?
Our plan is to prevent pirates from harming this world to the best of our ability.
What do you know about what is happening in the Combine?
Unfortunately, we don't know any more than the general population here on that subject; we've all seen the same HPG messages for public dissemination and deplore the horrible violence and waste of human life that has occurred.
What are your thoughts / opinion about Outreach?
I've lost friends in that Atrocity. I fear that this is only the beginning of a horrible new wave of violence without any constraints at the hands of zealots who care nothing of how many they kill or how many worlds they lay waste as long as they get their way. These people are the same ones who created the conditions in the FWL that led to the formation of our unit and our departure from that part of the inner sphere. My worst fear is that they will bring their destructive, controlling ways here to this world. If they do, our unit will do everything in our power to prevent such a disaster; we're through trying to live and let live with regards to such monsters.
How is your restaurant doing?
I'm glad we've moved on to a more amenable subject. Have you tried us out yet yourself? We're doing quite well and are humbled by the wonderful response we're getting from those who have given us their patronage. We've even had a few requests to discuss franchises in other cities and establishing an air race series based upon the race we sponsored for the festival, but those discussions are still in early stages as of yet. What do you and your audiences think of those ideas?
If I might add a few things before we conclude this interview... I would like to ask that anyone who does have information which might help in reducing unrest or preventing any attacks on fellow citizens provide that information to the Governor's Office or local law enforcement so that she and they may take appropriate action to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Also, we are always looking to hire new personnel, anyone interested please contact our offices to set up an appointment to find out if our unit is a good fit for you.
The Eagle's Tears as a unit wishes to thank the Governor and the population of this wonderful world for the opportunity to serve them.
Anyway, I hope these answers have given you and your audience a better understanding of our unit and our hopes and goals for the betterment of life for all here on this world. Anytime you have more questions for any of us in the Eagle's Tears, please contact us and we will be happy to answer them to the best of our ability.
