The Ambassador

An accomplished older woman brings together a tight-knit team to protect the Local Neighborhood. Together, they must find a way to stop the invading Olmeri. This is the first book in the eight-book series. It introduces the Central Alliance, the Masters of Ras'alhague, and the main characters. Star systems near Sol in what astronomers call the Local Neighborhood formed an alliance centuries ago. In recent years, the alliance has been getting more frequent reports about planets being taken over by the Olmeri, a highly destructive, authoritarian regime. The Central Alliance High Council assigns their best ship, the Magellan, to take their top operative and negotiator, First Contact Ambassador Micha Lawrence, to a distant star system to get a treaty and to stop the Olmeri incursion. She succeeds. But the Olmeri are still coming. She finds a way to buy time. It will be risky. She asks her four old friends for help. The Ambassador is a highly respected older woman, not another Captain or Lost Renegade. She is not a broken relic looking for redemption. She's very good at what she does. She is an adept in the ancient arts and a Keeper of Earth. She's well-liked. She's received more than a few medals and commendations. She is slightly snarky, speaks multiple languages, and keeps lots of secrets. She'd like to retire. The High Council won't let her. Not yet. The stories offer a rare glimpse into the inner world of traditional martial arts training. The Ambassador and her four old friends embody the five elements of Xingyiquan (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth) grounding the series in the long history and storied traditions of authentic Chinese martial arts. Their colors (White, Black, Green, Red, Gold) reflect their elements, personalities, and special skills (xingyi, taiji, qigong, bagua, sword). Throughout the stories, the focus is on taking care of each other, what honor, integrity, honesty, and kindness mean, how we pass on what we have learned and bring up the next generations, and all sorts of positive character questions that are fundamental to traditional martial arts.