An accomplished older woman leads a close-knit team as they look for ways to protect the Local Neighborhood. Together, they must find a way to stop the invading Olmeri. 

SYNOPSIS:

Book 1 of The Alliance Trilogy

Ambassador Micha Lawrence and her team must go out once again to try to stop the invading Olmeri. The Ambassador had collected quite a lot of data and was still trying to analyze it. High Council was growing impatient. She talks with her friend, Council President Aliel Smbarak about the problem of the Olmeri and realizes they don't have enough information to predict where the Olmeri are going or coming from. She invites her team N’amani, Doctor Marcus Gray, Beth Michaels, and Kell to join her in a presentation to the High Council. The High Council realizes they need to find out more about what they Olmeri are doing. They also realize that they need to find out who their friends are and who can be counted on. They send the Ambassador and the Magellan with Commander Sara Brandon, Captain Alexander Logan, Maja and Lt. Meredith Katy to survey the Outer Boundaries. On shore leave, Kell is attacked. N'amani and the Ambassador fight to defend him. They discover the Olmeri problem is worse than they thought. The Ambassador goes to visit Minister Lon Ryu on Parador, only to find that he is not the friend he pretended to be. The Ambassador and the Doctor talk about what happened over a nicely aged scotch. They continue building rapport, having various things to eat, and trying to find a pattern to the Olmeri destruction. The Ambassador teaches Beth how to look in the mirror. Maja teaches the Doctor how to make pastelitos. The Ambassador is insulted by another planetary leader. She talks with N'amani about what happened. The whole team reviews what they have and how they can approach analyzing all of it. The Ambassador sends a secret message to President Smbarak: It's bad. The Ambassador recalls going to Ras 2 to meet with Master Tai and the Council of Nine. As First Disciple of Master Tai, she should inherit the House of Tu and all that goes with it when he passes away. He is old, even for the Xiu race. But she can't be on Ras 2 and the Magellan. She asks the Council of Nine to give the House to Sentar. He too keeps the linage from Master Tai. Sentar has been taking care of Master Tai and the House. The Council of Nine find Sentar worthy and agree. The Ambassador and Master Tai plan to tell Sentar as soon as she gets back from her next mission. But while she is out, Galen calls to tell her Master Tai has passed away. The Doctor uses the Ancient Arts to help the Ambassador with her grief. The Ambassador asks Captain Logan to use the Star Drive to get her to Ras 2. She goes to meet Sentar. They grieve together. The Ambassador tells him that he will be Master of the House of Tu. They go to get something to eat and find Galen, Maru and B'ani already at a table. They talk about Master Tai and congratulate Sentar. They arrange a farewell dinner for Master Tai and invite over 300 people. The Ambassador introduces Sentar as the new Master of the House. The other Eight Masters all bow to him and welcome him. The next morning, the Ambassador gets up early to walk in the garden. Galen finds her. Maru and B'ani join them. They decide not to wait for Sentar. As the come up the path, they see Sentar is already there. It starts to rain. Sentar invites them to what is his house now. They set a place at the for Master Tai.

Sentar looked up at the clouds. “We should go. The rain will get heavier soon,” he said.

“You don’t like the rain now?” Maru asked.

“I got older. Master Tai and I would sit...,” he said. He closed his mouth tightly. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His shoulders began shaking.

The Ambassador stepped up on his right and took his arm.

Maru came up on his left. “Let’s go sit inside and watch the rain, together,” she said.

Sentar smiled down at her. “I’d like that,” he said.

“It would be nice to sit together for a while,” Galen said. He held out his arm to B’ani.

“That would be nice,” the Ambassador said. She held a little closer to Sentar.

They walked slowly along the path toward what had been Master Tai’s house. Now, it was Sentar’s.

Sentar let go of Maru and the Ambassador and stepped forward. He opened the door and held it for them to go in. “Welcome. You will always be welcome here. Come in, come in,” he said.

Galen smiled a little. “You sound like Master Tai,” he said.

Sentar followed them inside and closed the door. “Sit down. Sit down. We will all have something. Let’s see now,” he said. He began setting cups and plates on the table, the same way, with almost the same movements as Master Tai.

“I like you, too.” Galen said. He smiled at Sentar. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Sentar set another place at the table.

Maru nodded. She reached for Galen’s hand.

They all smiled and held each other’s hands. They couldn’t stop their tears. And for now, that was fine.

Master Tai was sitting at the table with them. He would always be there.