Trade World Saga

This is the complete TRADE WORLD SERIES — all four books in one. (Re-edited)
MANUAL INTERPRETATION - Rett didn't expect to be rescued and then attacked by a primitive on a test flight. Andrew didn't expect to save an alien and nearly destroy his planet because of what he learned. Earth didn't get to choose their representative for a planet-wide treaty and then be threatened by an alien confederation.
Surely Earth Couldn't defend itself. Surely they couldn't have had contact with others, from off-planet, before now... but what was this backwater planet doing with a fleet of ships, advanced navigation systems and a galactic-class trading facility with personnel who spoke all the major galactic languages. Every species got it wrong.
PATENTLY OBVIOUS - Earth is venturing out into space with technology adapted from aliens. We have no clue on how to trade and which planets are occupied and which are vacant. How will we move out into the void when there is political sniping at home? How do you convince the public it is a good thing when they don't believe they really exist? Aliens are headed to Earth. What do we trade? What will we ask in return? How do we handle intellectual property off planet? Every technology—every trade good is fair game. This is about Earth going through its growing pains and being tested at every turn. Earth has a lot of growing up to do and it isn't all fun and games... it is a test we have to pass...
A CERTAIN EXPERTISE - shows our young race suddenly moving into deep space. Empires had existed before us but we had come from the fringe of the galaxy and the older races were near the core. Some races progressed slowly even though they were much older due to their bureaucracy. Others appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. We were currently leaving a mark on our galactic arm through our trade and rediscovered ancient technology.
We have overcome local competition and are probing deeper toward our galaxy Core. We are searching for the creators of the molecular circuitry that can improve electronics or form intelligent machines. We are also, struggling with our humanity and facing political jockeying at home due to radical changes in longevity, energy availability, and mobility. A society’s standard of living is based on the average energy available to individuals and ours has just increased by orders of magnitudes.
The new power sources and alien influences may be a bit much for Earth should we even survive the tourists and traders. The more advanced species that are further inward on the spiral arm are another kettle of fish altogether.
CORE VALUES - Earth and the Exploration Service destroyed the bulk of the Allung slave traders. New transition technology lets them travel thousands of light years instantly and they’ve seized accumulated positional data (charts) from the Allung Confederation. The Earthers are traveling closer to the galactic core where the Allung may have run into the Ylee, the possible creators of the lamlee.
The Ylee region of space is close to LeiLei and Shiv’s home world and we will go there first. Earth wishes to expand: explore, and tame further systems near the core. They have to decide what type of expedition to form—do they need a lone ship, a squad or an armada. Earth has had opposition at every step of their travels and many groups on Earth are finding the means to look for a future, an escape into space. Earth may not survive its successful trading...is trade worth five billion human lives?