Two of the scouts stood up and walked around the table toward the band. "Good job," pronounced the man in front. His gait and build reminded Ry of his old friend, Tet Tramys, but Tet hadn't worn a goatee -

  Then he caught the grin behind those new whiskers. It was Tet! Ry clutched the neck of his vye and grinned back. Even with an enforcer watching, he had every right to bask in these compliments. Erik lounged over his tenor set, beaming.

  The second scout, a long-haired woman, stood just out of the circle of light, behind Tet. Oddly, she was humming something in a sweet soprano voice. Her riff sounded more like b'ssa nuuvu than anything else. "Doo-dit, doo, doo..."

  Ry straightened, careful not to stare at the woman's silhouette. Was that bass code? Finally, she stepped into the light. Ry got a good look at her face and nearly fainted. She'd changed her hair color and style, and he'd never seen her wearing anything remotely like this beaded shift-smock before -

  But that woman was his mother.

  Did she honestly work at Holstrum Talent Agency, or was she covering for an Alliance agent who'd just skipped town...or was she an Alliance agent? Maybe she and his father left him on Tuttin IV to keep him out of danger when the Alliance recruited them. Maybe now she could see that he, too, was ready to be trusted on the front lines.

  "Di-di-dit, dumm." Shutting her eyes, she tossed the long hair. Tet turned aside. He said something to Hannis. He might as well have been speaking droid dialect for all the attention Ry paid him.

  Good job, good job. Ry finally caught the rhythm of the hummed code. He smiled, though he kept looking at Hannis and Tet. He felt like his brain was swimming in blue milk, blowing funny little bubbles. His mother hadn't acknowledged him, but he could see from the lines around her eyes and crossing her forehead that she was barely keeping herself from taking a run at him, arms flung out, just like she used to do.

  Need you home, for now, he heard. Good job, Ry. So proud.

  Tet turned away from Hannis and Erik. "Gettingly good," he announced, "and I'm sorry, but we've got three dusk bands on the circuit already. Try again next year."

  Ry groaned, just as the enforcer would expect. "Thanks anyway," he said. "Thanks for listening."

  "Our pleasure." His mother put so much pride into those two words that Ry's last doubts flitted away for good. He ached to sit down and talk with her...and with Tet...but with that enforcer still sitting behind the table, he couldn't. He cased his bass and helped Erik load peres. As they exited the gaudy reception room, he glanced back over his shoulder.

  His mother had followed them out. She barely lifted one hand.

  He nodded vigorously, eyeing the animated displays on the advertising wall. Hannis would figure out a way to send code between systems.

  He had a lot of catching up to do.

 

 

  Kathy Tyers, Rebel Bass - Star Wars Gamer #6

 

 

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