Chapter 18

Shepard gazed around the Summit Hall. Big as a cathedral and took just about as long to build. Some scaffolding in the back showed they still had finishing touches. It felt echoey with only a hundred people. Come the Summit, when it filled up, everyone talking like this would be a deafening roar.

Across the hall, Admiral Hackett's eyes locked on Shepard as he rounded a group of turien officials milling beside the stage. There were only a few Alliance officials here. He shook skimming along the front row of seats until he met her. She snapped him a salute. He returned it with a smile.

"Commander Shepard."

"Admiral."

"Glad to see you back on duty."

"Thank you, sir."

He stood shoulder to shoulder with her facing the panoramic stage. Oriana looked small up on the massive stage glancing at the clock on the wall. She gave a wavering smile as she shook the Councilor's hands and fidgeted with a bracelet. A black cape draped over the sculpture towering behind her. Miranda stood beside and gave Shepard a smirking smile as they talked to Councilor Mason. Reporters readied themselves around the elevated edge of the stage angling their cameras. For once, they weren't after Shepard.

"You've been helping with the Terra Firma threat?" Hackett asked.

"Yes. You didn't need any information on that, did you?"

"What? No, no. I don't want anything on that. You don't need to share it. But … how are things going with it?"

"We have some leads."

"And by 'we,' you mean Major Alenko."

Shepard glanced sideways at him. "Is that a problem?"

"No." Hackett shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back. "You're both Spectres. You haven't … associated in some time. A brief collaboration on something of this order isn't unwelcomed."

Shepard didn't say anything.

"Have you seen the Normandy yet?" Hackett asked.

"I thought she was being detailed."

"We have some major repairs underway. New elevator system being installed. Unfortunately, resources are limited, it will be same deep space shuttle model as before."

Shepard stifled a curse under her breath and glanced sideways at him. "That shuttle nearly killed everyone in the cargo bay."

"Eezo's limited. These older core models use less of it. Pursue it with Admiral Wilson though. Maybe he can get somewhere with that. We'll need her ready. The relays will be up."

"If we recover the shard."

"When we recover the shard, yes. The relay repairs are nearly complete other than that. There are contingency plans if it can't be found. Regardless, when it's functional, you'll get your wish to be out there again. A lot of possibilities for the Normandy, for you."

"And my crew?"

"Your choosing, within reason. I imagine you'll get some say in your XO this time. But Admiral Wilson should talk with you about this, not me."

People hushed and turned to the stage as the Councilors assembled in line. Miranda patted Oriana's arm and crossed to the stairs. Next to the Councilors, Oriana interlaced and re-laced her fingers with a strained smile. Miranda walked along the edge of the stage and stood beside Shepard.

"I'm not part of the sculpture, right?" Shepard asked.

"Don't worry," Miranda said.

Reporters edged into position around the stage as various officials and Alliance officers filling in around. In a few days, the room would bulge with almost every species, the most important players, the highest stakes, decisions on the fate of the galaxy.

Councilor Mason spoke as Oriana bit her lip and straightened her back. Miranda beamed with her eyes fixed on Oriana as they readied to pull off the cape. Some of the cameras bobbed pivoting to focus on Shepard. Why the press wanted her reaction, she couldn't say, except they just loved suffocating her.

Shepard readied a smile and stretched her tender calf. The dog bite barely hurt anymore. Kaidan was right. You really didn't appreciate medigel until you'd gone without it. Then to have it back - the relief. The dog bite had been starting to hurt like hell, but then that fast, the hurt was better. It felt like it hadn't even happened.

Oriana tugged the cape away. It rippled to the stage's granite floor. An obsidian sculpture towered over the Councilors. Figures in the sculpture stood side by side curving around the image of the crucible with their hands overlapping on top of it - human, turien, asari salarian, quarian … geth. Shepard's throat tightened. Geth. Looking over the figures' shoulder stood many more in the sculpture's background – hanar, vorcha, batarian, drell, volus. The sculpture was perfect. Exactly the focal point the Summit needed to remind everyone how far they'd come and what they risked. The crowd boiled with applause. Miranda smile so broad her teeth peeked through. She didn't even appear to be trying to stifle it. Shepard clapped with a grin. There was hope going forward.

XXX

Miranda handed Shepard a flute of champagne. Shepard accepted it with a nod and sipped it as she circled the statue on stage. She craned her neck up to see the figures' faces.

"Do you like it?" Oriana glowed coming up to her.

"It's perfect, Oriana."

"Thanks, Commander Shepard."

"So formal," Shepard grinned. "No one's listening."

"I am," Miranda said.

"You don't count," Shepard said.

A voice called across the stage at them.

"Diana Allers, Battlespace News. You're the artist, correct?"

Shepard pivoted and lifted her flute to Diana. The reporter stood below the stage and strained toward them with a microphone. Her camera bobbed just at the edge of the stage but not over it. A C-Sec officer eyed Diana from the corner of the stage.

"Ori, go talk to her." Shepard nodded toward Diana.

"Really, Shepard?" Miranda asked. "The press?"

"Why not?" Shepard said. "She worked hard on this. It's wonderful. Go get some credit. Bring some attention to it and what it stands for. Go with her, Miranda."

Oriana glanced hesitantly at Miranda. Miranda gave Shepard a pointed sigh then turned and ushered Oriana to the stairs. Allers stumbled over another reporter as she rushed to the meet them at the bottom of the stairs.

Not many people were left. A few Alliance officers mingled to the side. It was mostly just reporters. A waiter came by with a tray of empty flutes and eyed hers, but she waved him on and took another sip.

The statue was well done. The lines and faces looked real. Better artistic work than Shepard could ever dream of doing. Miranda's genes really were perfect. Shepard touched the smooth black stone and ran her eyes up the body of the geth. Extinct now. Millions wiped out in one instant by one decision by one person.

She drew an unsteady breath, feeling a little dizzy, and stumbled back a step. The glass flute tipped in her fingertips. It shattered at her feet in a splash of champagne and glass. A waiter rushed over with a towel over his arm. Too early for champagne anyway. Shepard dropped to her hands next to him as he spread the towel out.

"I'm so …" Shepard stared at the champagne spreading across the floor.

She stood up slowly and turned in a circle with widening eyes. Reporters yelled at her from the side of the stage, but she ignored them. A smile curved up on her lips. She flicked on her Omni-Tool. Kaidan couldn't be that busy today.

XXX

Shepard scrolled through the scan results on her Omni-Tool. She'd finally finished scanning the right side of the stage. Still nothing. She lowered herself onto the stage's stone steps and reviewed the records from the Summit Planning Committee. They still weren't helpful. Shepard sat back against the top step and sighed.

She glanced around the stage again. For her tour, it looked like construction was about finished. Only the details were left. The sprinkler system was only half installed. The ladders and boxes of sprinkler heads shoved back stage for the ceremony. The glass case on the stage's wall was still empty where the biotic fire axe and AED machine needed to placed. Shepard doubted the fire alarms had been tested yet. All contingencies for a disaster, but maybe not the right disaster.

She brought up her Omni-Tool's message screen again. Maybe he'd decided not to come after all. It had been an hour since the first message she'd sent asking him to meet her. She hadn't gotten a response. She could tell he'd received it and read it, but time ticked by with nothing. She'd finally sent a second message and just come right out with what she'd found. She'd gotten a quick reply - he was coming. With all the scan results negative, she should probably just message him again. Tell him not worry about it after all. She brought up a message window.

A door in the back opened and Kaidan rushed through. He took a side aisle scanning the room around him until his eyes stopped on her. She stood. The hall was empty except for them. As he neared, his eyes shifted to the stage.

"Have you found anything?" he asked.

Shepard smirked. "Hi back, Kaidan."

His eyes flicked back to her. "Sorry. Hi."

Shepard pivoted to face the stage. "I almost messaged you. I haven't found anything."

The stage came up to Kaidan's chest, and he leaned over it running a hand over the tiling.

"It's one solid piece," Shepard said. "It's set in the stage like a giant disc. I have the instillation records. The Summit Planning Committee ordered it. Installed last week. I thought it may conceal explosives, but I can't find anything incendiary."

"Hmm." He turned to her. "Pretty big coincidence if it's not connected. Blue quartz and marble. The timing."

"Right. Any ideas?"

Kaidan lifted his arm in the air over the edge of the stage. A distortion in the air wavered around his arm as it moved.

"How's the shield?" he asked.

Shepard stepped back drawing her pistol from her belt and fired. Kaidan tripped backward with a curse and pressing palms to his ears.

"What the hell, Shepard!"

"Their new shield technology's working." Shepard jammed her pistol away. "Well, from bullets anyway."

Kaidan lowered his hands. "You couldn't warn me?"

"Between drawing my gun and discharging it, there were a few seconds. There's your warning. Besides, I fired in the corner not next to you."

The air still rippled at the corner of the stage. Shepard strolled over and bent next to the front row of chairs. A flattened bullet turned over in her fingertips as she stood.

"We still don't know if it's working to deflect biotic attacks," Kaidan said.

"Right you are." Shepard tossed the bullet up and caught it. "How about you go on stage, and we'll find out."

Kaidan eyed her. "How about you go on stage, and we'll find out."

A grin spread split Shepard's face, she crossed over to him. "You're afraid I'll hurt you."

"Shepard, don't get me wrong - you're an amazing biotic, a huge force on the field - but you're, uh … not gentle."

"Gentle?" Shepard grinned even wider. "Come on, you like it rough."

His eyes widened on her, and he looked away sharply. She watched him squirm with a smirk before he crossed his arms and glanced at her again.

"Maybe not as much as you think," he said.

"Come on," Shepard said. "Get up there. I'll give you the smallest tap. If the barrier's working you won't even fill that much."

Kaidan drew out a long sigh but dropped his arms and passed by her. He trotted up the stairs to the stage. His steps slowed as he neared the center, and he glanced around the stage with a wrinkling forehead.

"You ready?" she asked.

His focus snapped back to her. He blinked as if clearing his head and found a central point on the stage.

"Small tap," he reminded.

"Like running into a butterfly. I promise."

"Okay." He waited.

Shepard glowed and flung her hand out at him.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Not a thing."

"There's our answer then."

Kaidan seemed to catch something in the edge of his vision. He turned with raised eyebrows.

"Oriana's statue?"

"Yeah. I scanned it too. Nothing."

Kaidan shuffled to the back of the stage and stared up at it. "It's amazing."

Shepard leaned against the edge of the stage and put a palm on the blue quartz floor. The shield was working to block outside gunfire and biotics then. An idea crossed her mind. She shot along the bottom of the stage and up the stairs. Kaidan circled the statue running a hand along the surface.

A feeling - something familiar, magnetic and jittery - drew Shepard's feet forward across the stage. As she crossed over the center, it spiked then die away. She took a step back. For a second, she almost forgot why she came onstage. The air rippled around the stage's stage, and her eyes went to Kaidan. The shield prevented attacks from the outside, but the attacker might not be on the outside. What if … Shepard flared blue. Kaidan twisted to look at her with a pinched brow. Small tap. Shepard raised her hand to him, and the air flashed. Kaidan flew across the stage. Shepard yelped and scrambled after him.

"Kaidan! Damnit."

He lay flat on his back. His eyes cracked opened. The flash of energy had nearly thrown him off the stage. His forearm hung over the edge, and he blinked droopily up at the stage lights. Her shadow fell over his face as she bent over him.

"Kaidan? Hey, hey. You okay?"

His eyes shifted to her. He drew in a deep breath and blinked rapidly as if trying to bring her into focus.

"Say something. You okay?"

He nodded but didn't say anything. Perhaps she needed to call a doctor. He took another deep breath.

"I'm okay," he said.

"Kaidan." She studied his face. He met her eyes as if finally really seeing her. "I'm sorry. You all right?"

His face scrunched as he raised up onto his elbows. She stood and put a hand out to pull him up.

"Damn, Shepard," he moaned. "What happened to the small tap?"

"It was," she said.

He grabbed her hand, and she hauled him to his feet, staggering back a step.

"That was like running into a butterfly?" he said. "What the hell type of butterflies live on Mindoir?"

Shepard laughed. "Uh, I swear, it really was a small tap. Or meant to be. You all right?"

He touched the back of his head then drew his hand back to look at it. "I'm fine."

"You looking for blood?"

"Well, yeah. Damn, Shepard. Your small tap would put down a krogan. I said you were heavy handed."

"I was just seeing if biotics work inside the shield. Should have warned you. Sorry."

Kaidan dug around in his pocket and pulled out two green capsules. He looked at them for a minute before tipping his head back and swallowing them.

"Dr. Chakwas would get on you for not taking those with water."

He shrugged. "If Dr. Chakwas was here, I'd be half way to an MRI."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

Getting a new implant – she should have anticipated it wouldn't be a straight across transition. She still needed to get a better feel for gauging her strength. She had really meant it to be a small tap. She eyed him.

"Okay, Kaidan." Shepard took a step back and put out her arms. "Give me a small tap."

"I don't need paybacks, Shepard." He felt the back of his head again and winced.

"Not paybacks. Just … why don't you show me your version of a light tap."

He sighed and walked past her. He tapped her shoulder with a finger as he passed. "Light tap. There."

Shepard spun around. "Uh huh. Now biotically."

Kaidan stopped in the middle of the stage and turned to her.

"Come on," Shepard said. "Show me up."

"Fine." He sighed.

Blue washed over his skin, and he raised a hand. Shepard's vision flashed. She reeled backward with a gasp and stumbled to stay on her feet. She sucked air in through her teeth as she doubled over. White flashes swam in her vision as footsteps pounded to her. Kaidan's hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Shepard!"

She clasped Kaidan's arm steadying herself and caught her breath. The pain of being socked in the gut loosened, and her vision cleared. She cringed straightening her back. Shallow breaths eased the sharp pain in her ribs. Kaidan stared into her face with round eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered. "I … hell, I'm so sorry."

"Your small tap sucks, Kaidan."

Shepard pushed Kaidan away and stood taller with a grimace.

"All that bragging about your soft touch, Kaidan." Shepard groaned.

"Bragging? I wasn't the one comparing my biotics to a butterfly."

Shepard hugged her middle. Kaidan put a hand on her shoulder again.

"I'm so sorry, Shepard. You really okay?"

"That was meant to be a soft tap, right?"

Kaidan gaped at her. "Why even ask me that? Of course, it was. I wouldn't hurt you."

"Something's off then. We both thought we were only giving a little tap."

Kaidan dropped his hand from Shepard's shoulder and stared around them.

"I think you're right." He turned on his Omni-Tool.

Shepard tilted her head to see his screen as laser rays glowed across the floor in front of them. Kaidan paced around the stage as the beams scanned the stage. His feet moved slowly across the stage's center. He stopped and backed up a step. That familiar energy was still there pulling at her. She came up next to him.

"I feel something here," she said.

"Me too," he said and looked back at her. "I felt it when I first came up. Doesn't feel like FLT or a biotic signature. Something with a mass effect field though."

"I feels …" Shepard squinted focusing on it. So familiar. Her snapped to him. "It feels like that Mass Effect shard - the one I recovered from the relay."

Kaidan's eyes darted to her with raised eyebrows. He concentrated on the floor for a second before nodding. "Yeah, it does."

"How would you …"

"James and I found it on the Normandy after the attack."

Kaidan's Omni-Tool beeped and the beams shut off. He touched the screen.

"Eezo," he said looking up.

"There's element zero in the floor?" Shepard shifted to look at his screen. "That's a large ass amount of eezo. This stage is huge."

Kaidan took tentative steps away from the center. He frowned with a concentrated look and retreated back to the center.

"The stage's inner layer may be eezo," he said, "but there's something's here, in the center."

Kaidan flipped on his Omni-Tool's scanner again and sank to his knees. They had both stood in the stage's center when they hit the other. Shepard threw a spare heatclip spinning across the stage and walked to the edge. She flung a glowing hand out at it. The clip flashed and skid across the stage. She stopped it from dropping over the edge. Kaidan glanced up idly but turned back to his screen. When she got back to the center, she threw her hand out again. The clip flashed and exploded off the stage. It boomed against the far wall leaving a cracking dent and disappeared under the rows of chairs. Shepard looked down meeting Kaidan's wide eyes.

"See, could have been much worse. Good thing you have more mass than a pistol clip." Shepard said. "Seems to be the center of the stage that matters."

Kaidan's face glowed orange as he stood staring into the holoscreen on his Omni-Tool. "Shepard, look."

She came up beside him.

"The shard," Shepard said.

Kaidan turned in a circle and gazed around the stage. "This is the weapon - Terra Firma's weapon. It's what those specs were for. They built it."

"The center amplifies mass effect fields," Shepard said. "They embedded it in the Summit's stage?"

"It's for the attack." Kaidan met her eyes and turned sharply. He strode to the stairs off the stage.

Shepard stared around them at the huge marble and quartz floor. The Summit's stage was Terra Firma's mass effect weapon.