** (from main story)

"We've got to get back to Earth though," Coelestaad said, a bit urgently. "If they have gotten to Kamok by now, they'll know that the ship was boarded."

"It's only a matter of time," Morrel said. "Course is plotted, this time directly. We'll deal with anything else when we get there."

Their side trip to the asteroid mine delayed them only a day, but made a huge difference when they arrived near Earth's system. Vocorr had moved in along side their official Federation crafts, and when Coelestaad turned on their comm it was to hear that the Federation was already issuing a welcome speech... and their warning.

"In order to fully enjoy the benefits of Federation life, there are legal considerations to apply to your existing structure," it said. The voice was of the Federation president, a recording that played very similarly to Ija's psionic trick, altering itself to be heard in whatever language was needed. "National divisions of course must be dissolved for the purpose of true unity with the Federation. Your people will be welcomed gladly, travel will be arranged, spaceports and construction of safe power plants, and of course the quality of life here will increase as you will increase our own!"

"What a load of turds," Sideshow grunted again. Every time he heard the speech it made his second stomach constrict.

Of course they didn't outright say 'and the music has to stop', in that speech. It was actually something that the President didn't even touch on in official welcoming speeches to individual world leaders when they did meet up. It was buried in the piles of legal paperwork, of course. But enforced? Oh, yes. Enforced. Like all the other laws - particularly that one about the nations being dissolved. It was perfectly fine, the Federation said, to continue with cultural traditions. But flag waving politics, border wars, those were going to be a thing of the past.

"Anything yet?" Morrel asked as Coelestaad once more was manning the comm station. She nodded, all four hands moving as quickly as they did while she was drumming.

"They have several targets, and apparently they're going to use different ships and crews for it. Probably to avoid another pirate attack..." She smirked.

"Well, pick one, let's intercept and see what's up." He trundled back to the bridge, where Coel punched in the coordinates of the 'meeting'.

They arrived quickly, quietly. The ship had its onboard visi-screen up, and of course the early-technology of Earth couldn't have detected it with any of their radar - so visually it would only stand out if people could cross their eyes and do those fiddly 3-d dot puzzles. Ija cautioned them, "We should go," she tossed her head toward Arick and Coelestaad and herself, "they're just not used to really weird aliens," she quoted one of the Solos and they laughed.

It was true though, this place was packed with Humans and Humans only. Vocorr had sent a ship down earlier, apparently, and encountered something they liked, as well as something they didn't.

It was always good to recruit from among the natives, it was something they did very well in fact. So Ija and the twins - blue as they were, and feline-like as she was, they didn't stand out nearly as much as Sideshow did - slunk around to listen in on this recruitment conversation. It had apparently gone fairly well until a point...

"I can't even understand you, and that crazy boyfriend of yours," one young woman said. "I mean, they're facists with this! This is stupid!"

Another voice, very nearly the same, gave a low disagreement. "What they want is to help Earth get out there into the universe, I mean, come on Lareen, you can see that much! You were the one all ready to jump at it!"

"That was before they told us we couldn't play music any more!" Lareen spat, "go right ahead and join them, I know you're only doing it because you're tone deaf and can't stand the thought of anyone else enjoying it!"

The aliens heard footsteps - stomps - coming toward their direction in the dimly lit alley near this house they'd investigated.

Lareen stormed out, and while Arick heard her companion speaking into what was probably a Federation communication link, the girls intercepted her as she slammed the back door of her apartment shut.

"Shhh," Coelestaad said, urgently clamping both her left hands over Lareen's mouth, "trouble nearby, keep quiet."

Arick meanwhile was sending information through Ija's mind - having a telepath was oh so useful. "She's contacted the Vocorr reps, they're definitely on their way."

"Then we should be on our own way," Ija said, looking at Lareen, "I'm sorry for the scare, come with us, you won't regret it."

***

She didn't. Though Morrel informed them that the other two sites of contact had in fact resulted in abductions for "musical violations", this would prove to be a far better 'kidnapping'. Lareen looked around the ship in awe - even though it was by all standards a crap ship on the outside it was quite livable on the inside and she immediately recognized the musical instruments dotting the walls.

"So tell me again," Lareen later said, while still staring at Sideshow and Brantian nervously, "why do they do this? I mean, what use is it? And why do you keep smiling like that, froggy?"

Morrel gave a laugh, and replied, "because your sister will be extremely useful... to you."

"To you," Lareen said. "Yeah I ... hehe. I can see now. I get it. Sister off in Vocorr, I'm here with you, but pretty much no one can tell us apart if we're not standing right next to each other. We shared clothes all through school, heck we even traded off when we wanted to blow off classes."

"Then you have a bit of experience in ... infiltration," Ija said. "But as for the why... that will take some explanation. Come with me, I can show you more easily and quickly than looking it up in a history chip."

They made their way through the ship which seemed considerably more spacious than Lareen's apartment had been, into Ija's private chamber. There, the felinoid sat Lareen down on a cusion and instructed her to close her eyes, and ask whatever questions she had mentally. Ija would pick up the questions and reply even outside of what she was then doing: reciting the forbidden history of the Galaxy Federation.

It had started during the Outer Rim Wars. It was a long time ago, generations ago. Vocorr took control of the Galactic Federation security division, and blew a single law completely out of proportion.

"No music shall be played on radio frequencies."

During the massive Outer Rim Wars, this was essential, as the frequencies in question were needed for military security and not frivolous entertainment.

The Outer Rim Wars went on, however, for more than 50 years. And as Vocorr helped the Federation win numerous planets and secured mineral and land rights to them, they also began enforcing a variation or two of that law. Eventually, long after the Outer Rim Wars had been won, all planets under Federation control had a strict policy of, "no music shall be played".

A handful of planets would rebel against this idea specifically, or more in general to the tight-fisted Federation rules. Those worlds were made examples of, for any newly contacted or conquered planets. They are uninhabitable, even today.

"That's horrible," Lareen said. "They destroyed millions of people just for music?"

"And they will do it again," Ija said silently in Lareen's mind, with sorrow, "if your world does not cooperate."

Though Lareen was distressed at that, she would let those thoughts settle as Ija continued her instructions. Beyond just the history of why that particular law existed, the formation of the Vocorr and its ties to the Federation were important to learn. Their distinct appearance, their salutes and chatter - those things could easily be emulated by those who paid attention. And, by those who, like Ija-Djon, could pry into their memories without notice, and implant them directly where they'd be of most use.

"Tell me about you guys, though..." Lareen said, dreamily, as Ija paused.

Equally scarce were people who know firsthand, or knew by access to historical information, why this law even exists. Most people were content without music - they had never known it, and hearing it they may not have even truly recognized it. But there were some beings who lived through the Outer Rim Wars. Some who were around when music filled the air and celebrations or even simple gatherings were not complete without it.

Two of them formed the core of the anti-Federation pirate radio ship, Galactirock. One was the skinny, frantic looking Brantian who played an instrument somewhat similar to an Eigenharp . He out-lived his entire species, it was very unlikely that there were any others, for most of them were wiped out during one of the vicious Vocorr raids on Maxta.

Lareen stifled a sob at that. "Imagine... how horrid."

"We are his family now," Ija promised her, "we're your family now."

"You said two were there, was it you?"

Ija chuckled. "No, dear no I'm not that old."

The other was Captain Morrel, the amphibious pilot of the ship. Joining them early on was the dangerous and extremely moody 'Sideshow' who acted as a bodyguard but also as a tour arranger and DJ from the ship.

"He's kind of scary," Lareen said.

"Yes, he is, that's the point of having him here with us." Ija purred and gave a little chuckle. "And I suppose you want to know about me, well I'm a telepath as you can tell. It's illegal to be unregistered as a psionic if you have even a little power. They have ... retraining areas where psionics like myself would be brainwashed and molded into weapons and scouts for the Federation. I ... never bothered to register. I knew better even when I was your age."

"What is that thing you play, I can see it in your mind." Lareen enjoyed this contact, almost able to pick through Ija's mind herself.

"It's a keyboard which is sensitive to my emotional state, allowing me to project directly into minds nearby. That's ... illegal too, of course."

The twins Arick and Coelestaad were both drummers, having been picked up during hazardous smuggling runs (which the crew often resorted to doing, to pay for fuel, food and supplies). Both of them were rather stoned most of their days, but had never let that interfere with either their playing, or their escape from Vocorr hunting teams.

"So now you know us, and why we're here." Ija said, sighing and releasing Lareen's mind from her powerful grip. Lareen felt ... lonely without it.

Suddenly she jolted upright, "I have to get my gear!" She said, and Ija contacted the twins for that.

"They'll take care of it. Is there anything else you want from your home? Or ... to say good bye to anyone?"

Lareen bit her lip. Her freckled skin looked sallow in the light on board, almost matching her honey colored hair. "No. I mean... clothing I guess, but I could get that anywhere can't I? I mean, if I work for it?"

"You're working with us now," Ija said, "we'll bring some of your things, I'm sure that Coelestaad can figure out what you want. You're about the same age I believe."

So Lareen became their seventh crewmember, but not their last. They would spend days on Earth, tracking Vocorr movement and finally planting the seeds of dissent their own way. They broadcast from a hidden location, a mixture of their own songs and local favorites from Earth's own troubled past.

"Join us," they cried, "join us, for to join them would be to lose everything your music has taught you!"

**

It had been a couple years, everyone was settling in to their roles on this smallish ... and growing crowded ship. Lareen was careful with her use of the stolen Vocorr outfits that she'd been given, they had to be maintained just-so, not to bring attention to shoddy rips and tears, or out of date ranking patterns.

With the dragons who could shapeshift available, she felt more comfortable wandering around incognito as such a spy. The others could keep their keen eyes and telepathic senses on her and if anything started to go wrong, they could instantly start a ruckus or stage a distraction.

She'd noticed that her sister had continued to remain steady with her boyfriend Waylon, and also that they'd both been promoted over this same time frame. Marta was always the type to double-down when she felt like she needed to get her way, that had never changed.

As sisters went, they were... rarely as sisterly as they could have been. And as twins, they'd never been farther from the same. Marta was indeed tone-deaf. Lareen had musical talent but rarely had enough courage to audition for local bands. The most she'd done was in high school and performed on stage, she loved doing bold musicals and might have even been able to train for operatic singing ... if not for Vocorr showing up like that. But her voice was never her only option. She played the flute, and had picked up an oboe with the hopes of learning more about woodwinds. Now, they had plenty of other items that she could learn, and in her spare time away from idly patrolling back alleys or going on food runs, she was making progress with finger patterns and how to hold instruments that were meant for people with fewer fingers than she had.

Sometimes they would all just sit and jam, but even among the Galactirock crew, she sometimes shied away from doing much other than joining in to an existing tune.

"I suppose that I'd never gain in ranks if I were Marta," Lareen chuckled, idly pinning another new rank insignia onto her stolen uniform. If anyone got too close, they'd notice that it was merely a replica, it didn't quite shine as much as it ought, so she put it at the other end of the pip cluster, as the 'oldest' of them might be worn a bit. Her attention to detail gave her an edge, according to the others.

She did have to make excuses to those real Vocorr when there were 'emergency raids' near enough that she was forced to attend them. She made sure that if there were any obvious runners, people attempting to flee the raids, she exclaimed in as bold and deep a Marta-like tone she could muster that she would 'take care of them'. Yet somehow they never did ever get brought in. Usually it wouldn't matter, she would check in quietly later on with the Vocorr automated system to claim her time on the street, and subsequently make sure that the people she'd been chasing got away safely.

Lareen knew it was only a matter of time before someone caught on, but for the moment, she was doing well and managed quite a lot of stressful situations with style. Not necessarily with ease, but she figured, if she could stand in front of an auditorium full of distracted teenagers and overly attentive parents and belt out show tunes for a month of weekends, she could pull this off a while longer.

When some of those Solos showed up with their bright dragons and brighter smiles, on a little moon of a big planet, it was decided that finally whoever had yet to find a dragon among the stars and dimensions, should come to this one particular clutch.

It was a rave, "the second one!" Sara Corsair exclaimed, "ours were from the first! It's been some time for them."

"We'll be there for the entertainment," Todd added, with his own rave-colored Hathian looking smugly on from behind them.

"Might need to get a bigger ship," Brantian grunted.