Chapter 43
Kaidan stifled a yawn and stood up taller beside the stage. He touched the pistol at his side again and glanced down to check the rifle leaning beside his legs. Laying on the edge of the stage next to his arm, a datapad glowed with a list of the day's award ceremonies. The Summit was hours in, and nothing had happened that wasn't bullet-pointed on the agenda. He needed to keep his attention sharp though.
Hopefully, his small presence relative to the enormity of the stage wasn't drawing too much attention. The Alliance brass in the front row gave him occasional, narrow-eyed frowns. Standing here idle, lounging with an elbow on the stage, occasionally reading off a datapad – he was cutting a proud figure for being a Council Spectre.
If he looked passive, he felt far-from through. Each quick movement on stage, a slight bend toward the floor, or Heaven-forbid someone dropped something – Kaidan would flinch, skin rippling with static, only to discharge as the offender continued about something normal. Should a biotic on his list do anything sudden, make a move toward the statue, Kaidan had already decided, he'd give himself away and extend his barrier. But, so far, that hadn't happened. Yet.
Kaidan squinted across the stage at Shepard's silhouette resting her back against the wall, hand up on the stage. Miranda was somewhere around too, but having more than two people touching the stage would only look odd. Just having Miranda and Liara out front probably looked odd. Whether Liara or Miranda could push a barrier out far enough to cover the floor, Kaidan's wasn't sure. He'd practiced, and he could still barely do it. Still, it was better to have some backup. Shepard would be back on stage at the end to receive her award, and then for the final presentation of all the award winners. Kaidan didn't know how he was going to watch all of them at once.
The crowd applauded as the hanar ambassador backed up from the spotlight. The salarian master of ceremonies clapped as he took center stage again. A table and chair had replaced the Councilor's lecterns, and they stood clapping along with the audience. Ilk sat down after two solid claps and stared up at the ceiling. It was probably a boring day for them. Just making an appearance, cheering on awardees, no decisions, or arguing. The salarian announced a recess and with a nod the lights rose up in the auditorium.
"Switch, Kaidan?" Liara came up beside him. Her eyes had that sharp edge she'd been looking at him with all day.
"No, I'm good."
Liara sighed. She probably felt useless. He felt useless just standing here. Sometimes the important jobs were the ones that won everything or did nothing. Either you were a hero or utterly useless.
"Just keep watching," Kaidan said.
People stood up from their seats and the crowd noise swelled. Miranda looped around the stage toward them. Kaidan looked across the stage. Shepard rested a palm on the floor as she scanned the crowd.
"Kaidan," Miranda said. "Everything's in the clear?"
"So far."
"Figured." Miranda stopped in front of him and tapped her fingernails on the stage. "Comm's cutting in and out. You noticed?"
"The kinetic shield," Kaidan dipped his head toward the stage. "It interferes."
Miranda peered at him. "You look tired. Long night?"
Liara came up beside Miranda and faced him. Her eyes glinted at him above the tight line of her mouth. Kaidan frowned at her not for the first time that day and drew his eyes back to Miranda.
"Yeah," he said.
Miranda squinted at his chest suddenly and cocked her head. She stepped forward and spread a hand across his chest.
"What are you doing?" He grabbed her hand.
She bent her face in closer to his shirt. He shoved her hand back and retreated a step. Miranda straightened with a growing smirk and looked him in the eye.
"What?" he said double checking his arm was firmly on the stage. "I put this on last night. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours. I showered. Why're you picking at me?"
Miranda tapped her fingernails on the stage and tilted her head at him.
"You and Shepard getting along pretty well, hmm?"
"What?" His eyebrows drew together. "Miranda, did you get sleep last night?"
Liara looked sideways at Miranda. The look she flicked to him glittered with something he couldn't define. Her arms crossed under her breasts.
Miranda pointed at his chest. "You're wearing the other half of Shepard's makeup."
Kaidan frowned and looked down. Miranda tapped a tannish stain on the side of his chest.
"Your right side, her left. Makes sense." Miranda chuckled. "Be glad the Alliance brass aren't this insightful."
"The Alliance brass already got their insight," Kaidan said shifting against the side of the stage. He glanced at Liara. "Nothing happened."
"But they think it did?" Miranda leaned an elbow against the stage. "Ever hear of double jeopardy? If you already have to do the time …"
He drew his eyes away from Liara and gave Miranda a flat look. She smirked back at him, and the lights flashed overhead. People move down the aisles finding seats. Miranda pushed away from the stage.
"I'm going back to the other side. I'll deliver the message – all's clear."
Her hair bounced as she turned. She cast a smirk over her shoulder at him as she headed around the stage. Liara moved into his line of sight where Miranda had stood. He sighed.
"Nothing happened. I went over to Shepard's. We talked and ate. Accidently fell asleep on the couch. That's it. The admirals caught us. It looked like something else."
Lights reflected in the rounding clearness of her eyes, and her lips curved into a smile.
"I didn't know if you'd tell me."
"What do you mean? Of course, I would." He frowned, then shift against the stage. People took their seats as the roar of conversations slowly hushed. "I need to focus on this. But we should talk. Later."
Her lips curved wide, and she nodded. She brushed against his arm as she passed around him and receded into the shadows by the wall. She flicked on her Omni-Tool.
Kaidan checked the schedule on the datapad. Ambassador Ulkut for the Elcor came on stage. This was bound to be a long one. The day's end was closing in though. Tali and Wrex had made appearances on stage earlier, and the last few hours of the opening ceremonies had really dragged. But Shepard was due soon, and the day would be over. Now that he thought about it though, he'd probably need to stand by the floor for the rest of the week just to be safe. He was getting ahead of himself though. The awardees reassembling on stage for a closing recognition was going to be a hurtle. Kaidan wiped a sweaty palm on his pants and refocused on the stage.
Ambassador Ulkut was still droning on in his speech. Kaidan stared around the faces in the crowd. Behind him Liara drew in a sharp breath, and Kaidan twisted to look at her. She was already halfway to him with her Omni-Tool glowing in her face.
"Kaidan."
She put her wrist out to show him the screen. He glanced at Ulkut and did a quick scan of the crowd before focusing down on her Omni-Tool.
"A message from one of your contacts?" he asked.
"There's a lot of motion around the Normandy. It's dry docked in the hangar bay nearby."
"What?" Kaidan frowned. "Why're you watching the Normandy?"
"The Scorpion's original goal was to take it, right?"
Kaidan shifted against the edge of the stage and tapped his fingertips on the stone floor.
"All right." He stood away from the stage. "Take my spot. I'm going to check it out."
"I'll go," Liara said.
Kaidan glanced across the stage. Miranda stood beside the stage instead of Shepard. Shepard had to be getting ready to come onstage then. Neither Miranda or Liara had practiced with the stage, and the closing ceremony with all the honorees would be soon.
"Okay," Kaidan said.
Liara nodded and backed away.
"Be careful," Kaidan said.
She slid down a side aisle and disappeared through an exit. Audience applause swelled around the stage. The Elcor ambassador was actually finished. Kaidan checked the schedule again. This was moving faster than he'd thought. He checked the pistol at his side again and flexed his fingers against the cool surface of the granite floor. Time was winding down.