When Picard sat down I stood up and stood to the right of the President’s lectern at parade rest. Right now, billions upon billions of people throughout the Federation and beyond were watching me. I had considered, for a time, not participating in the awards ceremony, as it would make any kind of clandestine mission near impossible in the future, but the First Minister of Bajor had practically begged that I come in person to receive the reward. In the end, the benefits outweighed the costs as I did have a number of ways to alter my appearance if necessary.