The basic idea of Rediscovery is a reverse ‘rabbit hole’. Instead of the protagonist falling through a rabbit hole and finding the place of adventure, our protagonist meets one of them who finds us – and it turns out some undesirables from their society have been here a long time.
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Osh Scimtar di Merlak (‘ScOsh’) is the apparent ne’er do well son of Scimtar,one of the Empire of Humanity’s most important figures, born into obscurity but who has achieved power and distinction over a very long lifetime. ScOsh is his eldest surviving son – the rest of Scimtar’s first family were killed by assassins a long time ago. He didn’t inherit the power of his father’s gifts, nor has he accomplished nearly so much as someone who started off with the advantages of being Scimtar’s son might be expected to. Through the course of the first novel, we find out there’s a lot more to ScOsh’s story – he’s not nearly the disappointment most people think.
Graciela Juarez (Grace) is a 28 year old re-entry college student in Riverside California when we meet her. She had a wild youth, but she’s straightened herself out for several years now and she’s finally closing in on her degree in biochemistry. She’s a good but not outstanding student – she has no reason to expect a spectacular career, but she does expect a professional level post and commensurate salary. Her goal is the professional family woman, and the disruption ScOsh represents is not an easy accommodation to make, given her employment and student status.
Together they discover a group of failed Imperial rebels has been present on Earth for generations, working behind the scenes for their own purposes – and they are aligned with a more malign group, actual enemies of humankind.
The second novel begins within seconds of the end of the first. Grace is at loose ends, having new abilities but not much idea of how to put them to best use. She is starting to realize her prospects are much brighter even before ScOsh’s family offers to adopt her.
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The Empire of Humanity is very different from Earth. They have a hundred thousand years of civilization and progress behind them. They are not really an Empire, although there are similarities. They have a social science that tells those in charge in no uncertain terms the consequences of too much government – consequences they expect to live long enough to experience themselves. As a result, Imperial government is minimal, and advanced as they are, every year sees improvements in the lives of the average inhabitant. However, this means helping Earth – or even bringing it into the Empire with all the benefits of that – is not on their agenda. It takes Grace months just to learn to live in her new environment and figure out a possible way to help Earth – by exporting dogs to the Empire. During this period, she has a whirlwind romance that has her marrying Asto – one of ScOsh’s nephews. But when she takes Asto home to meet her parents, she discovers that some things on Earth have gone wrong again since she’s been away.
The third novel begins the day after the end of the second. There are problems on Earth, problems beyond Grace’s experience or ability to deal with alone. Also, the official governments of Earth have become aware of her activities, and she needs allies – other people willing and able to back her up in dealings with Earth people, lest those governments impose their own agendas on her.
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The government is seeking leverage over Grace and the other dog traders, as is the remnant of the failed rebel organization. Enemies of humanity are manipulating both, and in the middle of it all, a disaster takes place that imperils everything to the point where the Empire changes its mind and steps in to keep the planet and entire population from being wiped out – but even that doesn’t bring everything under control.
The final novel of Rediscovery starts several years after the events of the third. Grace’s husband Asto is at that stage of his career where adults of the Scimtar family generally serve their first tour of duty in the military, and Grace decides she wants to serve, too, as lack of any service time is a handicap in many circles of Imperial life.
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We follow Asto and Grace through training and into their first duty station, a far outpost where aliens want what the Empire has built badly enough to start a war over it – a war that swiftly goes bad for the aliens, as the Empire doesn’t mess around with politics until the shooting is over.
At this point, Grace and Asto find out the Empire has a use for tightly bound married couples with their abilities – they are offered the opportunity to become part of the Merlon’s Eyes, a group that gathers intelligence on alien realms, doing their best to keep the Empire from being surprised by attacks such as they just experienced on their first duty.
The Merlon’s Eyes generally serve aboard embassy ships, for a period of about two years at a stretch, and they quickly discover that while the Eyes are officially information gathering only, their abilities mean they often are required by the situation to go beyond that.
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