Chapter 27

Kaidan held a laminated Terra Firma ID card up to the light and turned it over in his fingers. It looked right. He snapped it back down on the Spectre office's work table. He slid the real ID up next to it and twisted the lamp closer. They looked identical. He needed a magnifying glass though. He rifled through the cabinet drawers slamming them shut. Nothing.

He tore around the Alliance supply crates stacked in the center of the room. He ripped open the top desk drawer, dug around, and jammed it shut before moving down to the next. Time was running out for all of this. He should have gone with his gut and just skipped the party.

He found the magnifying glass in the bottom drawer under a box of thumb tacks and an old datapad. He checked the IDs under magnification. The Alliance Operations Department had pulled through on these, even with it being a rush job. Kaidan fingers moved down the row of IDs: James, Miranda, Shepard, and himself.

He stood back and gazed around the room. Assuming the Alliance requisition office hadn't mixed anything up, they had the thermal clips, armor, grenades, comms. The Turien Shield pins - he'd almost forgotten about them. He flicked aside the paperwork cluttering the desk and found them. Processed this morning. The Alliance Ops Department was making him grateful to be reinstated and accessing Alliance resources again.

Kaidan's Omni-Tool flashed with a messaged. The other Spectre offices stood dark and empty as he strode down the hall. He opened the entrance to the Spectre offices. Liara looked up from her Omni-Tool with wide eyes.

"Come in," he said and stood back from the door.

Liara peered down the hallway with a creased brow. Her eyes flickered back to him.

"Am I allowed in?"

Kaidan shrugged. "You're with me."

Liara slipped past him and craned her neck to see in the closest offices.

"You're alone?"

"The Summit's tomorrow," he said.

He passed by her and moved down the hallway. Light from his open office illuminated the patch of the corridor ahead.

"You look tired," Liara said.

"Here." He nodded to the open doorway.

She walked through the door hesitantly and stared around the room. Her eyes landed on the tower of crates in the center.

"Everything's prepared?" Liara asked.

Kaidan came around her and stopped at the desk. He grabbed the Turien Shield pins.

"I don't feel ready," he said. "I don't know what more to do though. Materially. Suppose there's still audio to comb through."

Liara strolled down the row of guns along the wall and up to the city map. Kaidan crossed to the workbench and examined the pins under the magnifying glass.

"You're not afraid I'll sell your secrets on the black market?" Liara asked.

"Go ahead," Kaidan smiled at her. "I already locked up all the really damning stuff. Threw up some red herrings too."

"Red herring? That's a fish?"

"False leads."

Kaidan turned the pins over under the magnifier. He leaned in closer to study the backs. Liara stopped over his desk and touched the papers.

"You must trust me now," she murmured.

Kaidan set down the last pin and turned to her. "I always trusted you. I had a migraine. Makes it so I don't think sometimes."

Liara squinted down at the top page on the desk. Her eyes widened and snapped up to meet his. "The Terminus System?"

Kaidan sighed and nodded. "Admiral Hackett talked to me a few days ago. Once the relay is back online, I'm going."

"There can't be relays active in the Terminus System yet? It's full of slavers and outlaws. The system's never worked together to accomplish anything."

"They're raiding, killing, destroying peripheral Council space," Kaidan said, "and we can get the relay near Orian working again. Enough system relays are under repaired to get us a good ways there."

"But still, that …" Liara's lips parted, and she looked down processing it. Her eyes came up sharply. "That will take years."

"Two years. That's what they project to get the relay near Orian Station operational. Even once the relay's working though, there'll be a lot to do - the slavery, the killing, the piracy Dwindling resources makes people desperate, and colony economies will need reestablished in the face of all that. If it's not for the Terminus colonies, then we're there for the edge of Council space."

"Why send a Spectre?"

"Why not? They need someone out there. I can do more good for the Council there than I could a lot of other places."

"You don't know that. You sound like you want to go."

"I'll go where they tell me. I'm not being asked."

Liara's eyes dropped to the floor, but she nodded. Kaidan put his hands behind his back and leaned against the wall.

"How're you doing?" he asked softly.

Liara clutched her elbows tightly. "I should have collected myself before I went. Or not have gone. I'm embarrassed now. I think everyone noticed."

"I'm really sorry, Liara."

"I know." She smiled at him and pulled out the desk chair. "I hoped she really had made it to Thessia. It was an unlikely hope, but I was starting to believe it was possible."

"After everything with Shepard, it makes any unlikely hope seem possible."

"You and your father were close before he …"

Kaidan's stomach clenched, and he swallowed. "Yeah."

Liara was silent a long time. When she spoke again, her voice was soft.

"She was my last immediate family member," Liara said and looked at him with big blue eyes. "I only recently got to know her, and now that she's gone. It feels like all I have is what's right now. But even this will be gone."

Kaidan took a deep breath. "A thousand years is a long time."

Liara tilted her head and studied him "Would you live a thousand years, if you could?".

Kaidan shifted against the wall considering it.

"Depends," he said finally. "If everyone I cared about could live that long, then maybe yes. But if not … I can imagine how you feel."

Liara nodded silently.

"But, Liara," Kaidan said, and she met his eyes, "you're going to meet a lot of people and do a lot of things. Good things. The galaxy will be better for it. And you'll always have people who care about you, even if they're not all there at the same time. Purpose and people that love you – that can last a thousand years."

The corners of Liara's lips twitched up. He felt a smile stretch his own lips.

"I'm not being glib," Kaidan said. "I actually do think that."

"I know."

Kaidan pulled his eyes away and straightened against the wall. His eyes moved over the weapons mounted on the wall opposite him.

"What about Shepard?" Liara asked. "She got home all right?"

"Yes." Kaidan gave a wan smile. "Miranda said Shepard knew exactly where she was going. Over ten kilometers. Right to the Alliance doorstep."

"She drinks better than I do," Liara said. "She probably still remembers everything."

"Remembered the teams we put together. Got an email from her this morning. So, I'm sure she does." Kaidan tromped across the room to the weapons. He yanked a random pistol from its holder and turned it back and forth in his hand.

"You said she wouldn't let you get her a cab?"

"Nope." He slammed the pistol back onto the mount. "Let's talk about something else."

"You're angry."

"No. Maybe?" He walked over to the ID's spread across the work table. "Frustrated, I guess. But let's talk about something else."

Liara rose from her seat and came beside him. "I'm glad I was invited to help with this."

"Of course," Kaidan said. "I know you're busy though. You don't have to jump in on this."

"It may be the last time," Liara said. "Of course, I'm coming. I'll be there for whatever happens at the Summit too."

Kaidan smiled sideways at her. "You're a good friend, Liara. Shepard's lucky to have you."

"I'm not doing this for Shepard." Liara met his eye then looked away quickly. "Or I am. But not just for her. I want to help both of you."

Kaidan snatched up the closest ID cards and focused on it. "Thanks."

"Kaidan …"

"Liara." He turned and faced her. "I'm sorry. I know it's been awkward between us. I never meant for … that to happen."

"Maybe it happened for a reason."

She drew closer and searched his eyes. Standing so close, face-to-face, studying the blue facets of her eyes made the memory rise around him like a mist. His chest throbbed, and he stumbled back a step. He turned away sharply and moved to the pile of supply crates. The lid flew open to reveal pistol upgrades neatly sorted with thermal clips. He sank to his knees and glanced over his shoulder.

"Maybe you're right," he said. "I never would have discovered Terra Firma's plans."

Liara's eyes fell, and she nodded. "Right. That's what I meant."

He dug through the clips. It seemed like everything was here. He could inventory all day, and it would still be here. Liara's shadow fell over the crate.

"What can I do to help?"

His heart still beat in his ears as he stood. He flicked on his Omni-Tool.

"Interested in sorting information? I have a lot of audio. Maybe you can teach me something."

"I do have some experience sorting information." Liara gave a strained smile. "Where do we start?"

XXX

Kaidan shoved the supply crate into the back of the shuttle. Joker hobbled around the corner of the shuttle.

"So, I'm glad you and the commander keep thinking of me instead of Cortez on this stuff, but using a non-Alliance shuttle sucks. Total bitch."

"Well." Kaidan hopped out of the shuttle onto the HQ landing pad. "Unless you want to explain to a discipline board why we painted over the Alliance emblems on their shuttle …"

"We can paint it back."

"Not 'we.'" Kaidan grabbed another crate off the asphalt. "Only way that plan goes down, Joker, is if you starting saying 'I.'"

"That's not what Alliance training taught me. No 'I' in team, you know. Hey, why don't you use your biotics for that stuff? You guys really miss your chances to show us, mere mortals, up. Not that you're not already showing me up – I don't hear your bones breaking – but the other mortals, like James."

"Biotics drain you. It's better to save your biotic reserves. Exhaust yourself upfront doing something you could have done physically? You might end up in a bad spot."

Joker shrugged and looked around at all the gear. "This all Alliance stuff? 'Cause this shuttle's no way near Alliance quality. Gotta haul - what? - eight people and all that stuff."

"Joker," Kaidan hopped out of the shuttle again. "It will fit."

"Fit? Yeah. Fit well? No. Big difference when it comes to the propulsion drives. You try to overclock the –"

"No overclocking." Kaidan exhaled loudly.

"Well, okay, sure, Kaidan. Since you know so much about being a pilot, I'm happy to let you micromanage me."

Kaidan checked the pistol on his waist belt. "I've been a pilot."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. The second-best pilot in the Alliance - Major Kaidan Alenko."

"All right." Kaidan walked away.

Footsteps tapped onto the strip of landing pad. The door to HQ closed behind her. Shepard wore her N7 armor with the helmet tucked under her arm. She had to have a hell of hangover. Despite the dark circles, her eyes gleamed resting on the shuttle.

"Shepard," Kaidan said and moved across the landing pad to her.

"All right." She paused and glanced around. "Joker's here. Where are the rest?"

"It's only a little past noon."

"I messaged them."

Kaidan shrugged. "I'm sure they're on their way then."

"Hope so. We have a lot to go over." She pivoted and drummed her fingers on the helmet under her arm. "You have everything?"

"For the most part."

Shepard frowned. "For the most part? Or do you have everything?"

"I have everything."

"Good."

Shepard strode past him toward the shuttle. Kaidan fell in behind her. Her steps slowed, and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Hey. I had too much to drink last night. Sure you figured that out. Anway, I didn't know what I was saying. So let's just move on. Keep our eyes on what's important."

"I wouldn't do anything else, Shepard."

"I know." Shepard stopped short. "Just touching base. I want to keep things comfortable. And, we have a job to do."

"Understood." Kaidan's jaw tightened. "I agree."

"Then let's go."

Kaidan clenched his hands and followed behind her to the shuttle.

"Hey, Joker. Let's go over some stuff," she said.

Kaidan wandered to the end of the shuttle and mashed a button on his Omni-Tool. A holographic map of the theater and surround area popped up. He forced his breathing to slow and glanced sideways at Shepard. She leaned over a datapad with Joker. Her questioning him last night on a personal level had hurt enough, but he'd never given her reason to doubt his professionalism. No matter their private ups and downs, that part – his character, their work as soldiers – that had always been safe. She knew him better than anyone did. At least, he'd thought so. Maybe he just wanted her to. He cut his eyes back to the map. It had gone dark. She didn't need his help after this or want him around, then fine. More than fine actually. His teeth clenched as heat flushed in his face, and he punched the map up again. The sooner the whole damn thing with the Summit was wrapped up the better.