An accomplished older woman brings the next generation into her 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 2 of The Alliance Trilogy

N'amani and Beth talk about introductions as they prepare for a presentation to the High Council. The Ambassador delivers a grim report. She asks the High Council to authorize changes to the Ambassador training program and to let her begin training some new recruits. They agree. She goes to Ras 2 to ask Sentar to arrange a tournament on very short notice. They will use the tournament to select the new recruits. The Ambassador, Sentar, Galen, Maru, and B'ani wear their colors together for the first time, revealing they are the Five Elements. It's a secret the Council of Nine warned them to keep. They find three recruits are worthy, Tia, Daniel, and Tory. The Ambassador, Sentar, Galen, Maru, and B'ani decide that the best way for the new kids to learn is to bring them along on a survey mission. The Ambassador invites her team to dinner, tells them she has given the House of Tu to Sentar, and introduces the new kids. They all have trouble with Tory's name (Meth-ren-ran-steve Tor-an-an). The Doctor suggests they call him Steve. Daniel and Tory talk about it. At lunch, they ask Tory if he wants to be called Steve. He chooses Tory. The new kids discuss why they have been invited. Daniel nails it, “We are here because you are older than we are?” The new kids learn that the Ambassador, the Doctor, and Kell can hear them, even if they speak in whispers. The Ambassador invites the new kids to come with them on the Magellan but does not tell them what they will be doing or where they are going. The kids have to decide to go or not. They all want to go. On boarding the Magellan, Tia and Maja have a discussion about skin color. On board the Magellan, the Ambassador and the Doctor teach the new kids several lessons during breakfast. After, the briefing the Ambassador is interrupted. The Magellan is being diverted to stop an Olmeri invasion. They engage the Star Drive. Tia does a quick analysis. The Ambassador is impressed. Daniel and Tory have a tactical solution to target two large orbiters and thousands of smaller ships. They set up a magnetic pulse and Kell goes out to clear a path. He targets the small Olmeri ships, causing them to attract each other. That opens the way for the Magellan to take out the Orbiter. But it will take more power and resources than Maja has. Captain Logan asks Kell to fly the Magellan. He maneuvers the ship into the corona of a nearby star and rides a solar flare to escape. The Olmeri try to follow but their ships burn up. After they are safely underway, the Ambassador, the Doctor, Kell, N'amani and Beth are in the Dining Hall having snacks and beer. The Doctor invites the new kids to join them. They have noodles, beer, talk about the day, and toast Kell for saving the ship and their lives. The Ambassador brings her old classmates, Sentar, Maru, B'ani and Galen back on board for the mission. They invite the new kids to join them. The Ambassador and Sentar teach Daniel a hard lesson about greed and being ambitious. The five old friends meet to talk about what they want and what they are willing to do. They decide Maru and B'ani will go to an Olmeri world, Xuru, to make contact with the Resistance. The Ambassador, N'amani and Kell are working on an analysis of what the Olmeri were doing. The Ambassador calls Beth and the Doctor to come help. Beth brings Tia, Daniel, and Tory. They continue the analysis. Kell and Daniel come up with a way to find a pattern. Galen tells the Ambassador he hasn't been feeling well. They all see Maru and B'ani off. Kell takes them into the Wasat system. They land on Xuru and enter the walled city of Kaldor. They are turned away from several places because they are not wearing proper clothing. They meet Professor Kai, a member of the Resistance. She gets them clothing and sends them to meet Uncle Shu. Maru and B'ani learn about Olmeri society and culture. They discover that the one thing the Resistance wants most is seeds so they can grow their own food and not be dependent on their rations. Uncle Shu prepares a meal. It's more than all their monthly rations. Maru and B'ani go out alone and are spotted by Olmeri Security. B'ani climbs a wall and Maru escapes into a crowded hotel. The Professor sends them to the Worker's Section where they meet Martha, an organizer for house cleaners and a member of the Resistance. Martha teaches them more about Olmeri society. She takes them to clean the house of Master Norg, a wealthy landowner. His housekeeper, Carnia is Martha's friend. B'ani contradicts Master Norg. He orders Martha to beat her. Instead, Martha teaches B'ani how to walk like she has been beaten. Maru and B'ani ask Martha to take them into one of the tall, glass skyscrapers in the center of the city. Martha hesitates but makes the arrangements. They go to clean Mistress Petron's apartment and meet Grace as they get off the elevator on the 127th floor. Everything goes very well. Martha invites Maru and B'ani to her house for dinner. It's late when they leave. The road is blocked and they have to go through a park. They are attacked and soundly defeat their attackers. But they are injured. They use medicines Galen prepared for them. Martha comes early the next morning to tell them to leave. Their attackers included Olmeri Elite Guard and they want to know how two women could have done what Maru and B'ani did. They just manage to evade the Olmeri and get out of the city. But they are trapped on a rocky outcrop. Kell arrives just in time but he can't land. Maru and B'ani have to jump onto his ship. They return to the Magellan to brief the others. The Ambassador comes up with a plan to give the Resistance seeds. What she plans is to create a situation that could change Olmeri culture. The Magellan heads back to Dagon.