Well, The Ashtarians have a new leader. I can't even begin to pronounce his name, so we will refer to him as Tug. No matter how many times they say the rest of it to me it just comes out a series of blurred syllables. He has sent me a message, thanking me for suggesting the ancient ceremony of Dropping, and wonders how I knew about it. I DIDN'T! Not on a conscious level, anyway. Apparently it hasn't been used for several hundred-thousand years, but was still in the old records of proceedures.
The new ruler has promised better cooperation and to strike dilligently to find some way of making peace between us.
I have sent him a message stating that I have no grievance with the Ashtarian people other than those still interfering with our own Work. I hope this new leader, who is young and not soiled by having taken part in any of the Ashtarian occupations, can help bring a new era to his people.

Our hopes that the new Ashtarian government would be able to stabilize the situation there did not even last a day! Barely had the messenger left with this news, than a few hours later word came of another tragic incident.
The colony where the Ashtarians are attempting to rebuild the race they destroyed during the uprising came under attack from hundreds of small vessels converted to warships. Fortunately The Galactic Forces had gbeen warned and a substantial force took on the raiders and repelled them, before a great deal of damage could be done. The raiders apparently were attempting to destroy the biological material gathered from across the galaxy to be used for cloning.
Over thirty of the raiders were destroyed and nine were captured. The rest escaped.
The attackers were mainly members of the family that was in charge of the devastated mining operation. The captives made it clear they blamed this race their own people had virtuallly destroyed, for their defeat. They refer to them as greedy, ungrateful worms, who had rebelled against those who had done them good, and deserved destruction fotr the evil they committed. And they warn that their family members will notrest until these evil creatures that murdered their beloved ones are exterminated.
It was not believed this family still had that much power and influence, that they could muster such forces.
The Galactic Forces are searching for their bases and the Ashtarian government has declared many members of the family outlaws, to be arrested by any of their people that come upon them. Will this insanity EVER come to an end?

We have had a new report on The Ashtar Command situation. One of the non-allied systems asked The Galactic Community for help. They had located the baste of some ships that had been raiding their shipping lanes and outposts but did not have the ships to take on such a great force without leaving other sectors open to attack. So they asked for reinforcements, which were readily sent.
When this base was attacked it was found to contain many of the ships that had taken part in the recent assault on an Ashtarian outpost. Several of these ships were captured or destroyed.
Upon examining the crews The Galactic Forces got a bad surprise. Along with The Ashtarians were members of The Dawn Empire. The Ashtarians and The Dawns have been enemies since they met each other, but now apparently the fringe elements of both societies have joined together. It is now understood where The Ashtarian Families still resisting The New Order are getting their financial and logistical aid.
The Dawn government insists they are not involved in any operations against The Galactic Community, and it is generally believed they are telling the truth, that the current trouble is being caused by radicals unhappy with The Dawn's defeat when THEY tried to interfere with Earth some years ago.
If The Ashtarians are bringing in old adversaries in their battle against The Galactic Forces, it puts a whole new difficulty into the works. It just goes on and on. I am beginning to feel like The Jewish People with the Paletstinians. Will there ever be an end to their madness? Why can't intelligent people see reason?

Last night The Galactic Forces brought me word of a situation on Ashtaria that has absolutely appalled me. They knew it would upset me so they had delayed telling me, but finally felt they had to let me know.
Some time ago a doctor in one of the Ashtarian's major cities became concerned because of a series of strange deaths in which the bodies were so destroyed that identification was almost impossible. He reported to the local security agent who had been having his own fears because of the disappearance of pets in the area. His investigation proved their worst fears. A group of rich individuals had reestablished the cult of Busk, the worship of The Dark One, and had been making sacrifices.
At first they had been animal sacrifices, but they had gone on to the traditional sacrifices of young adults and children.
So far over eight-hundred individuals have been arrested. Some have already been tried and are awaiting execution.
It fills me with profound sadness to know how far a race can fall when circumstances start to turn against them, what some of them will do in a vain attempt to regain power.

We wish we could report that the situation on Ashtaria with the sacrificial cult had been settled quietly in the judicial system, which is usually quite fair. but that's NOT the way it went.
Most of the accused were from one family and the leaders of that family refused to believe the charges made against their loved ones, especially that some of them had sacrificed their own children.
They claimed all the evidence was falsified by the government to bring their family down from power. They insisted on the release of their family members. When the government refused they stormed the detention center where the prisoners were being held. Other families sent in forces to help the security agents and over one-thousand lives were lost!
When the prisoners' family members were finally subdued the enraged members of other families decided to skip the judicial process. They took the prisoners and several leaders of their family to an open area and burned them alive; the traditional punishment for their crimes.
It took the government some time to restore order. The mob members have willingly surrendered themselves, and plead guilty, putting themselves on the mercy of the court. The court has decided against any further executions, but are handing out some heavy penal sentances. No family leaders are complaining.