THE AMBASSADOR

created by Terri Morgan

FORMAT: 1-hour sci-fi adventure series

GENRE: Hopepunk/Sci-fi/Martial Arts (G/PG)

TONE COMPS: Stargate SG1 + Kung Fu + The Expanse

LOGLINE: When an authoritarian regime begins taking over nearby worlds, an accomplished older woman and her four old friends with covert skills, deep personal bonds, and mastery of the ancient arts may be the best chance the alliance has to survive.

Series Premise:

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 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).

Development:

The story has been published as an eight-book series. In 2024, the first chapter was scripted, produced, and distributed as a full theatrical audio drama with original concept art. In May 2025, the show won a Corporate Live Wire (UK) Innovation and Excellence award. It is currently heard in 38 countries, 253 cities.

Story Engine:

The show is optimistic, character-driven, and built around excellence, found-family, and generational legacy. Each episode leads the team to their next discovery as they:

• Evaluate situations, develop strategies, make plans, and use technologies
• Navigate regions of real space, arrive on new worlds, and evade capture
• Learn, practice, and use traditional Chinese martial arts
• Prepare meals and sit down together to eat them
• Uncover secrets, use special objects, employ mystic skills
• Explore cultures, languages, histories, and philosophies
• Rely on integrity, honor, respect, ethics, expertise, teamwork, and practice
• Confront moral choices with empathy, fairness, justice, and compassion

The stories are a play-date for adults that offer a grounded vision of a hopeful future. They are a comfortable adventure in a world where excellence is expected, integrity and honor matter, trust is earned, wits matter more than firepower, friends are the best, everybody gets a seat at the table, and the good guys win most of the time. They cross generations and cultures, East and West. They take us back to a time that never existed and show us a future we can only imagine. They offer a rare glimpse into the inner world and discipline of traditional Chinese martial arts training and philosophy. The stories ask us to step just far enough away from our current world to see our common humanity. The scenes juxtapose office conversations with flights through space; mystical ancient swords with a personable AI that can take physical form; making cookies with installing a flight monitoring system, and more. The connections between the real world and what the characters experience keep the stories grounded. The stories are not about blowing things up or who has the biggest guns. They are about how we come together, grow, learn, and pass on what we have learned to the next generations.

Pilot Episode:

The Central Alliance High Council has summoned First Contact Ambassador Micha Lawrence to appear at their chambers in the capital city on Dagon to send her on a covert mission to the distant Ka’len system to get a treaty with the Kora and find a way to stop the destructive Olmeri incursions. The night before she leaves, she is resting in her apartment when her friend, High Council President Aliel Smbarak calls to tell her they have received new reports of more Olmeri activity. The next morning, she arrives on Dagon 7, the planet’s space station. She meets Commander Brandon who surprises her with the news that the Magellan has a new captain. She meets Captain Logan and uses the ancient arts to evaluate him. Then, she introduces him to her team: Kell, Beth, the Doctor, and N’amani. Captain Logan initiates command transfer. Maja, the ship’s AI, appears in the entryway, runs a security scan, and gives Captain Logan command. Once underway, they have a briefing where the Ambassador reveals their secret mission. The Doctor and Beth go to the dining hall to make noodles for lunch. The Ambassador and N’amani meet in her quarters to talk about the captain. For three weeks, they study star charts, practice martial arts, install equipment, and test navigation systems. They prepare food, eat, and talk about their progress. Two days before they arrive at the Ka’len system, the Doctor discovers the planet has medicinal plants the Kora don’t seem to know about. He spends all night checking his findings. Early the next morning, he goes to the Ambassador’s quarters to tell her what he found. She calls Beth. Beth arrives and somehow manages to hold the Ambassador’s mystical sword. Later, Kell arrives to tell the Ambassador he is leaving for his dangerous flight into the asteroid belt. She uses the ancient arts to give him clearer vision. He goes to the observation platform to talk with Captain Logan and Commander Brandon. Then, he boards his cruiser, leaves the Magellan, and begins his run. He dips and turns deftly through the moving rocks. He is preparing to return when an asteroid clips his tail wing and sends him spinning. At first, he can’t see anything clearly. Then, he hears the Ambassador encouraging him. He corrects the spin and returns safely to the Magellan. He goes to talk with the Ambassador. Captain Logan and Commander Brandon are amazed by what they see on the flight recorders. The Ambassador, Kell, Beth, the Doctor, and N’amani arrive on the flight deck. Captain Logan gives them a bottle of Champagne. They board the Ambassador’s shuttle and depart for Ka’len.

Creator: Terri Morgan

Terri Morgan is a writer, internet pioneer, linguist, international champion martial artist, teacher, grandma, and foodie. She authored the eight-book series that is the basis for The Ambassador. For almost 30 years, she traveled between the US and China. She has written dozens of technical manuals, evaluated international technical publications, judged international martial arts events, and translated from Chinese. In 2024, she brought together an international team of actors and creatives, scripted, produced, and syndicated the award-winning audio drama to a global audience organically.