Intergalactic Summit

No summary update has been received despite the passage of time. It has been quite a long retreat, even by devout Amarr standards. What has happened? Perhaps after such a long period of relection and mediation you have realized the illegality of your operations and the hostility of the locals, as even Khanid based capsuleers as disparate as Makkal and Silas demonstrate, places the continuing viability of your enterprise and decided to cease your interference into the Kingdom's internal affairs?

Corporation Public Brief

Under the direction of the DSTON Development office and in an effort to streamline our operations for optimal security and function, we have moved all administrative operations to our Yulai office. I will be dividing my time between administrative duties there and teaching duties in Edmal...

Thank you.

Dr. Tahrmal Nalthkh
CEO, DSTON
Provost, DSTON Academic Learning Center

I see, so you are persisting in your misguided efforts. Below are some specific grievances/concerns about the Disciples of Ston I've attempted to discuss with one of your apologists, a certain Che Biko. Mr. Biko has regrettably, not been available to continue our debate as to those points (in all candor and charity, I hope he is well, it was an interesting chat), so perhaps it is best to take it to the source.

These concerns/questions go the core issue of whether the Disciples of Ston believe they are above the laws of the Empires and Concord and are simply pirates/lawbreakers of another name:

One, the Disciples of Ston's services are nowhere near neutral. For instance, the Disiplies have no issue flaunting the laws of the Empire or Kingdom as is blatantly admitted.

Two, [REDACTED]

Third, [REDACTED]

Fourth, to the extent the slaves are lawfully so and Amarr, the Disciples of Ston are engaging in cultural triumphalism and are depriving them of their chance for salvation to the extent that they are not lawfully repatriated. In that regard, it is suggested that the Disciplies should return those lawful slaves to either baseline or Amarr capsuleer loyalist organizations who can ensure they are repatriated to their original location or placed in an alternative and appropriate one if necessary so that their path to Salvation is uninterrupted.

I look forward to your thoughts.

Note -Redacted items being left to private discussion. Mr. Biko was previously apprised of them.

Corporation News:

As of today, all Matriculants from the Bahromab center have been transferred to the Kaaputenen center. The total transferred is 5697 residents. Ston Momaki conducted the transfer operation but was instructed to not report the operation until completed. This was due to recent bounty hunter attacks directed against him while on patrol. At the same time that the resident transfer was taking place, we have also transferred all of our weapons and ammunition confiscation stocks to the Bahromab facility. Now that this is complete, residents and confiscation storage are completely separate. The other reason for the resident transfer is that the Kaaputenen center has much superior agri-dome facilities that are very accessible to the residential infrastructure. We wanted all of our residents to have the advantage of access to the Agri-dome facilities. This transfer also allows us to make better use of available staff while spreading the workload out. All in all, it is a better arrangement for all. The Bahromab center will now be strictly for weapons and ammunition confiscation storage. All residential facilities and staff will be moved to the Kaaputenen center.

I respond to you against my better judgment but please understand that I do not intend to engage in an extended argument with you. Past experience has shown that the arguments over slavery tend to become protracted exercises in futility. We demonstrate our belief by what we do. Judge as you will.

Regarding #1 You are correct; we are not neutral with regards to many things. The Disciples of Ston are not neutral regarding slavery. We do not believe it is right to enslave others. We are pacifistic so we are not neutral regarding violence and war.
Regarding #4 It is not possible to answer your objection on the basis of your stated religious position, because we do not share that particular belief. You believe we "should" return slaves to slavery. We believe we "should not." (see #1) It a bit ironic that you should charge us with cultural triumphalism given the rather culturally triumphant way in which the charge is stated.

Dr. Nalthkh is busy administering Semester Finals right now and probably won't be on this forum for some time. I don't think he minds me responding here.



I wish I could always say that I have adequately learned from mistakes made in the past. One such mistake has been to enter into protracted debates on slavery on this forum. I may be risking a repeat of that mistake by responding here. Hopefully not.

We have covered this information before but perhaps it is good to repeat it now and then. Among the millions in slavery within the Amarr Empire, there is segment that are not kept by religious holders motivated as you describe. It is reasonable to assume and confirmed anecdotally that an Holder concerned about the "spiritual journey" of his slaves, would not sell them and ship them off illegally across borders at the hands of unscrupulous and irreligious capsuleers. Those we rescue have no religious holders to return to, at least rarely so. As has been stated, on the rare occasions when they do, we have facilitated their return or their re-establishment with a different holder. This is of their own volition, of course.

Do we provide access to Amarrian religious services? Yes. The Matriculation community is diverse in its spirituality. We don't believe we coerce anyone. However, just because I say that doesn't make it true. I admit that the Amarrian clergy that we employ are on the liberal side of the slavery issue. While I am trying to put myself in your shoes, Ms. Aspenstar, and feel your doubts; you might also put yourself in my shoes and feel my doubts about employing conservative Amarrian clergy. They might just as well attempt to coerce our Matriculants. So, I admit some tension.

Bottom line is that we are aware and sensitive to the religious needs and desires of the Matriculant Community. If you have some particular clergy in mind, perhaps a first step would be to have them come and meet with our clergy staff first and then perhaps visit as a guest speaker or liturgist sometime.

As far as your redacted questions are concerned, feel free to send them to me as an eve-mail.

Then: Non-violent because I had to.
Now: Non-violent because I choose to be.

Some time ago I made a total fool of myself in a fit of frustrated rage. I acted in a manner that brought shame not only on myself but upon my colleagues. After many positive and rewarding experiences with the Disciples of Ston including a stretch as CEO, I had reached a place of self-doubt. I trace it back to my voluval and the mark of my destiny being the Sankofa. I had not embraced this destiny even though the spirits had given it to me. I had expected a more "manly" mark and destiny. Instead I received one of deep nurture and one that suggested a non-violent way of life. This is not the typical way of the Matari and I felt the tension. The Disciples required a non-violent life as part of our code of conduct. Subconsciously I began to chafe against this requirement. It came to a boil one evening after a repatriation run that resulted in a customs fine of significant amount. I mentioned it in passing on the Summit channel and ended up in a fury of words against some who had spoken critically of me. My actions were reported to the corporation and I was asked to resign as a part of discipline for my actions. Since that time, I have been operating my own Corporation (Repatriation Transportation Services). What I have not before reported is that since completing basic training that I left when first joining the Disciples, I have functioned in a non-violent way; this time out of choice. In exploring the Sankofa, I have come to peace with its implications. I feel no longer compelled from without but rather compelled from within by the spirit of Sankofa.

Recently I have been assisting the Disciples of Ston with an expansion of their rescue patrols. so, in communication with Ston and with Dr. Nalthkh and with their approval, I am re-submitting my application to join the Disciples of Ston once again. Upon their approval and acceptance, I will join their efforts as a rescue patrol pilot. The RTS corporation will close.

It's not like they're invading our space, attacking our worlds, raping, pillaging and murdering everyone in their way in the name of "freedom" like the Republic does. If a slave's owner dumps a slave into a jetcan then I'm pretty they've given up all legal rights to them. Returning a slave to such an owner wouldn't bring them any closer to Salvation, either. Neither would letting them slowly suffocate. Such a person clearly places no value on either the slave's life or eternal soul and can no longer be trusted with either.

Being that's the case, I have no problem with what the Disciples do for a living. They keep their guns holstered and they're saving lives. Getting mad at them would be like getting mad at the Sisters of EvE, y'know? Besides, I'm constantly finding survivors lost in space myself, and I don't like it when they turn our hangers into a tent-village and eat all our food. They've provided for me a way to get all these people out of my hair while keeping my conscience clear.

Ekstasi would be good. I feel Rapture has been done to death though....