Intergalactic Summit

VIOLENT AND VILE

We are worried. As of late we have noticed an escalation in capsuleer violence in the areas that we patrol in our rescue work. The pilots are not only violent but what I would also describe as "vile." Their manners from the language used to the profane names that assign themselves, seem to show a tendency toward the basest of existence. We are concerned mostly for the safety of those we are attempting to rescue. We hope most that the violence will end or at least move on to other areas of space.

TIME FOR CONTEMPLATION

Manwe has sent me to investigate and patrol four border crossings that we have not yet patrolled. We do not anticipate much rescue work at these crossings as they are not particularly busy. However, we wanted to make sure that we were at least familiar with the trade routes that cross these areas. Since it will likely be a slow time, I have set my mind to quiet contemplation during the long down times of patrolling.

A LEGITIMATE CRITICISM

Mr. Thessalonia recently pointed out that the Disciples of Ston are wordy and that we didn't need to open yet another thread. He is absolutely right. I, especially am wordy. Words are my tools of communication. Unlike other capsuleers, I don't speak with weapons, kill mails, war records, etc. Words are my main way of expressing my values and what we are doing as an organization. This results in us (me in particular) sometimes talking too much. I apologize.

For the obvious reason of TS-F being allied to someone who has tens of thousands of kidnappings to his name, I'm urging you not to give people you rescued to Nation loyalists.

One would also wonder why Nation found it neccesary to steal the life of an innocent reporter as well, but Kuvakei showed no hesitation in doing exactly that to ISD Tedra Kerrigan, despite her being allowed supposedly "safe" passage to visit him for an interview.

Nation does not exactly act logically.

All sincere offers are proffered on our public information system in all our Centers. Our residents know that we are serious about self-determination. Among our thousands of residents, there may be some Utopians who are interested in learning what Nation is. We need not agree with the choices people make to offer those choices. We have had residents even go back to Holders, by their choice. Mr. Thessalonia, we will post your offer along with access to all relevant discussions on the matter so the residents can get a full picture of those for and against Nation.

That is all we ask. Thank you.

Ms Fehrnah, I'd expect someone as clever as you to know already that TS-F are guilty by more than just association. They've been at more than enough attacks, assisting the Nation in their actions. TS-F gets the scrutiny because they have proven themselves more than willing on multiple occassions to do as Sansha asks.

So tell me, when Kuvakei comes calling, who do you think they will listen to? Their own conscience or the voice of their master?

It's always a bit amusing what kind of generally-accepted truths are being deemed necessary to discuss on IGS.

The "utopia" Nation offers is the utopia of removing the ability to be unhappy by force. You get to keep your own mind until you dislike something Nation considers good, then you get it removed because you are obviously deviant. It's no different from any other fascist dictatorship in the past, except they found a way to make it unlikely for their oppressed population to ever revolt.

Nation has always worked with the promise of utopia. They show others their "utopia", and hope they'll join voluntarily. Once they're there, they're guaranteed to never feel unhappy again - not because Nation will do and provide everything for them, but because Nation will remove their ability to dislike Nation. And if you don't go there voluntarily, they'll cheerfully come over and force you in a bit later.

In the end, Nation is nothing but a devious group of lunatics who, in the pursuit of the elusive happiness, have lost themselves and their minds. And they will never realize it: The second they do, their friendly Happy Chips will make them simply forget that thought of unhappiness. You need to be very, very desperate to go for that.

I am retelling my story and my connection with the Disciples of Ston, not so much for your information, but for my own need to debrief. I am an Intaki from a family of educated, liberal idealists. We are not religious traditionalists as some Intaki’s. We are political and social idealists. My grandfather and father together with their wives taught us to hold to ideals of justice and equality; racial, sexual, political. Even as a child, I remember feeling these ideals deeply though naively. My naiveté unfortunately carried far too long into my adult life and even into my first weeks as a capsuleer.

After graduating from capsuleer training, I pursued a passion I felt from youth. That passion was to work to assist the Minmatar in their struggle for freedom and sovereignty. I began to seek employment running security and military missions for Minmatar organizations. My naiveté soon crushed my spirits as I saw agents who cared more for their own greed and sought to use pilots as pawns not for ideals but for personal hateful vendettas. Agents would ask for me to completely kill off people even when it wasn’t necessary for the mission goals. They asked me to do dishonest things for themselves, not for the cause. I quit mid mission.

I began to wander. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I started training my mining skills and free-lanced for a while. I trained some corporate and social skills thinking that maybe I wanted to go into business for myself. I was aimless. My wandering took me through a system in Caldari space called Piekura. I was listening in to the local channel when something weird caught my eye. There was a pilot tipping cans, but not in the usual way. He would tip a can and then tell the person about and try to engage in strange conversations about why owning that stuff was important. Often he would give it back if the person would converse. I thought, “what in the world?” I found out that he kind of stuck around Piekura. I began to read some of his reflections on IGS. His thread was called “I am a thief.” He got under people’s skin. His name was Ston.

I began a conversation with him about what his goals and ideals were. We found we shared some things like abolitionism. I told him of my disillusionment with the gratuitous violence demanded by agents. He told me of his pacifism. Eventually, I offered to support his work through a corporation. The arrangement was made so that he called the shots as far as its form but I got to name it. Disciples of Ston was originally a joke played on Ston.

I have never been and am not a pacifist. I used to go ratting. I don’t anymore. I used to run security and military missions. I don’t anymore. DSTON has changed my views. Capsuleer school taught us to hate the pirate factions and to kill them whenever we could. There came a day when I understood that they were humans that I was killing and that they would not wake up in a clone and start over. I had to stop. I’m still not a pacifist. My mining and salvage ships are manned with crews whose lives I am responsible for and defend with force. The Disciples do not ever use force. Their crews know this and accept the risks. That is why though part of the corporation, I am not a Disciple.

Ston and Manwe are my friends and they have always appreciated my support of the Corp. But I have never felt right about being the “exception.” They have always had to “explain” that I am not a disciple and that I sometimes use violence. I have reached the point where I can no longer accept this. I think I am hurting the organization. They should not have to make an exception for me. That is why I am leaving the Disciples of Ston.

I am leaving the Corporation Disciples of Ston, but I am not leaving my friends and I am not leaving the cause. In fact, I have found a way that I can help even more without compromising their values. In the days ahead, I will be establishing a benevolent holding corporation for the purpose of supporting humanitarian work throughout New Eden. The Disciples of Ston will be my first and primary focus of support. This will allow me to continue to help them and it will allow them to tolerate no more exceptions to their standards and values.

There is a mixed bag of feelings in this decision. I founded the Disciples of Ston and I believe that there is not another corporation like it in all of New Eden. I am sad and melancholy to leave it. But, I also feel satisfied that this is the right thing to do and I believe that I will ultimately do DSTON more good through this decision. I have relinquished all roles and access and will drop into my alma mater corp while I make plans to begin the holding corp. I will no longer take patrol duty, but you can bet I’ll rescue wherever my new duties take me.

Au revoir Disciples of Ston!