AustLit

'AD 2179, the planet Prosperine, Eridanus Constellation, twenty light years from Earth.

Hickory Lace, recently reinstated to the rank of Commander in the Alien Corps, is assigned to investigate the Prosperine mystic known as the Teacher. The Corps has spent decades hoping to find evidence of the Son of God on remote planets, and the Teacher could be the proof they’ve been looking for.

'Hickory’s estranged father is an admiral in the Intragalactic Agency, a federation of planets with common trading interests. He has been negotiating with the Prosperine government for the sale of crynidium—a vital and rare ingredient of FTL travel. To sweeten the deal, the Prosperine leadership has asked the IA for their help in dealing with an upsurge of violence and the threat of revolution in the capital city of Ezekan.

'On their part, the IA have requested the assistance of the Corps, and Hickory in particular, as they believe her unique empathic abilities might prove pivotal.

'Hickory and her team become embroiled in the local politics and discover that the rebel Pharlaxian faction have teamed up with a battalion of alien Bikashi soldiers supplied by the non-aligned planets who are intent on seizing the crynidium for themselves.

'The fate of the Earth and its allies is at risk. Hickory must find a way to prevent the revolution from being successful and at the same time determine who the Teacher is and what he represents.' (Publication summary)

'Six months after defeating the rebel alliance, Hickory Lace and her team are back on the medieval planet, Prosperine. The mystical Sword of Connat-sera-Haagar has been stolen and Hickory must find and return it to its home in the Temple of Balor. The quest takes Hickory deep into the mountains over Erlach where the rebel leader, Sequana, has overthrown the rightful king and is rallying the northern tribes to war. Hickory's team must find a way to restore the king to his throne, and rescue the mysterious 'Teacher' from Sequana and win back the sword.' (Publication summary)

'Commander Hickory Lace and her team, space pilot Jess Parker and the young genius Gareth Blanquette, are back on the planet Prosperine. This time, their destination is the Scarf - a six hundred miles band of floating islands and reefs on the equator. The islands are covered with swamp and jungle and connected by a thick blanket of floating creepers and vines.

'High altitude scans show the deeper into the Scarf you travel, the more inhospitable it becomes. The Agency believes the Scarf is inhabited only by insects and lower life forms. The high surface radiation would mean humanoids could not survive there for long.

'Alarm bells ring out when a Bikashi jet is sighted in the area. The Agency fear that alien forces may be on a mission to retrieve the legendary sword of the long dead heroine, Connat-sEra-Haagar. The sword bestows great power to any who wield it and was sent to the Scarf for safekeeping following the earlier defeat of the Pharlaxian rebel forces. In the hands of the Bikashi, it would pose a threat to the Agency's plans.' (Publication summary)