Intergalactic Summit

I am pleased to report that our second group of Slaver Detainees have completed initial training in Korama and have been deployed for service at Dresi Center #3. As part of their rehabilitation, these former slave traders will serve the community and live in close proximity to those they once oppressed. We hope to eventually see these reformed individuals become productive members of free society. As with the previous group, this group will be working paid positions under the supervision of the Elders. I believe Elder Gladius will be in charge of this particular group. There are 10 in number who will be doing janitorial and food service tasks.

DSTON has opened four new offices in Minmatar space.

As our Emancipation and Matriculation program has grown, we have found that we have fallen short in the task of Repatriation. The reasons for this are varied, but suffice it to say that the DSTON Development Office has needed to address this issue for some time.

Education and freedom of choice in education are hallmarks of a prosperous society. As an educator myself, I see that any endeavor to repatriate former slaves must involve offering varied opportunities for further education. We desire that those we repatriate become productive, contributing members of their new homes and communities.

To further this goal, we have reorganized our Corporate Divisions. First, we have closed the Clone Body Return Service. This division has seen no activity for some time. All 218 frozen clone bodies will be transferred to the Vocational Center for use in the Cadaver Dog training program. All former owners have been contacted and have not replied. Second, we have opened a Matriculation and Repatriation Services Division at all of our offices. This division will coordinate the receiving of all rescued or transferred former slaves, and also arrange for their eventual repatriation.

The four new offices are located in educational centers within the Republic representing four different areas of education. We are making available a traditional university, a law school, a tech school, and a military school. Those preparing for repatriation can chose the initial destination among these four.

The burden and risk of a repatriation emphasis will likely fall on Mr. Todako as he is our only member who can pilot the necessary covert vessel to bring these former slaves back home. We may enlist outside help in this endeavor but only with the utmost care to protect the safety and freedom of the former slaves we are here to help.

We anticipate that the work will begin as soon as Mr. Todako returns from tribal business.

If I might humbly point out another possible security issue (you'll recall I was spot-on with the last one well in advance...)

It occurs to me that tasking "rehabilitated" slave traders with minding your populace of rescued slaves will result in one of two mathematically inescapable probabilities, given time:

1. Your rescued slaves rip their minders apart with fingernails and teeth, and riot after having been put under the patronage of their former taskmasters, or
2. Your "rehabilitated" slave traders turn out to be plain old slave traders, and rustle up your herd before you've finished typing your next elaborate insight into the cruelty of capsuleers.

Do take some precautions this time, old boy. I like what you do, but the way you do it leaves much to be desired, and tempts the criminal mind into exploiting you. You'd have more luck having Slaverhounds as referees at a Minmatar 100-metre-dash.

No worries, fellas. Fly safe, Tahrmal.

I must be going soft in my old age...

A throne? I've never owned a throne... come to think of it, a throne would be nice!

We just received a FTL communique from Abrat Pator Tech School that 812 Matriculants from Ealur have arrived and repatriated to the Republic at that station. These represent new students at Pator Tech and our Vocational Learning Center. We expect more arrivals on a regular basis at all of our new locations.

Here is an update on recent work:

The centers in Abrat and Edmalbrurdus both received their second groups of repatriates. We hope to keep the flow of Matari former slaves moving back into the Republic consistent.

I personally transported our homeless population and center staff from Korama to the new homeless shelter in Ation. The group from Korama only numbered 18. However, we have also received a large group of homeless from an anonymous pilot. This group numbers 1440. We are told that more may be arriving over time from the same source.

Our facility in Korama is now exclusively for detention and rehabilitation.

I will be returning to Edmalbrurdus and to my teaching duties today. The DSTON Development Office will track these changes, evaluate them and continue to make adjustments as is necessary.

Transportation duty puts me in the mood for reflection, especially since I have the pod time in high sec space and can ponder a bit. It has been some time since I just wrote a thought or two in this space, so I am somewhat out of practice.

Cultures at War.

Certainly we see much of that around here. I have heard a couple old maxims stated recently in the context of these struggles. These maxims are usually stated as absolutes, yet they are opposites.

-Let Justice never stand above the Law.
-Let the Law never stand above Justice.

Two truer statements were never spoken.
Two more false statements were never spoken.

Each in its own way is responsible for the justification of some of the worst atrocities of mankind. For those who have constructed laws on the backs of the poor and the slave, upon the worker, upon the powerless, upon the minority, the first maxim is a whip in the hand of the powerful. Governments construct laws to thwart justice.

Likewise, the second maxim in the hand of the injured can be responsible for the travesty of vengeance. In the name of Justice, laws designed to protect the innocent and preserve order have been crushed all for the sake of a false, careless, anarchist form of Justice.

I prefer to see Law and Justice as principles in necessary tension. When Laws become unjust, let Justice cry out and act for their repeal, through civil disobedience and even rebellion if necessary.

When a people have suffered the pangs of injustice committed against them, let Law govern, slow, and buffer the Just anger of the same people, lest in their zeal for Justice for themselves, they commit injustice against others.

Let Justice and Law be the arms to two men in a contest of arm wrestling. Equal strength against equal strength, each winning when necessary, but mostly remaining centered with the perpetual back and forth that their tension creates.

Dearest Mr. Monmaki;

You describe one of the foundations of the pursuit of rationality - of how to determine the best course of action in a given situation. One of the most difficult things that rationality asks of us is to shed ourselves and follow where truth leads us, regardless of our beliefs. Unforgiveness and certainty are bedfellows, and both buy equal shares in our misfortune.

Unforgiveness can be defeated by humility. Certainty can be defeated by doubt and care. These are already things you know and practice daily. You are a bright star that makes it easier to navigate in the darkness. Please, continue to lead the way for us.

As CEO of DSTON I have been behind in my reporting duties. I thought it was high time I give a little indication of some of our work. Ston has more than adequately taken care of logging rescue activities. While this is happening, we are also making headway in the repatriation of our Matriculation populations into the new locations in the Republic. Below is a summary of how many have been repatriated and where. The majority have chosen to focus on a traditional university education and have thus located appropriately.

7413 Edmalbrurdus Republic University (DSTON Academic Center and Corporate HQ)
3450 Abrat III Pator Tech (DSTON Vocational Training Center)
812 Sist VI Republic Justice Department Law School
1624 Trer VIII Republic Military School

Thank you Manwe for providing covert transport into Republic Space for those ready to repatriate. These efforts will continue on a steady pace and I will try to report our totals from time to time.

We have also been pleased with the reallocation of resources and refocus of our locations for specific purposes. Below is a quick report of our numbers for our other centers.

519 Detainees, Korama Detention Facility
670,833 resident matriculants, Aharalel
669,494 resident matriculants, Dresi I, Moon I
573,372 resident matriculants, Dresi I Moon 5
656,590 resident matriculants. Dresi II
730,947 resident matriculants, Fahruni X
4374 homeless persons, Ation VI (DSTON Homeless Shelter)
(The Cottons and the Greenhands have requested that specific number for the Ealur Center remain unreported for now at the request of the population there.)

I have participated in some of the transportation duties recently. During one of those long trips (68 gate jumps round trip) I was encouraged to take in a few moments of a social experience called "The Summit." It was very interesting. I am used to the very controlled environment of first being a slave and part of the discipline of a crew, then on to university life and the careful structure of professor and student. "The Summit" was a social free-for-all. All different cultures and viewpoints all talking in rapid succession. It was chaotic, yet I enjoyed the few minutes of the experience. I doubt I could handle a steady diet of it though.

One last item: We have opened an office in the Khanid Kingdom. Slaves are found from many races and ethnicities in the Kingdom. We hope to assist in emancipation efforts there and to establish an eclectic matriculation center there. We will report when the work gets underway.

Please feel free to contact me via eve-mail if you have any questions about our work here at DSTON.