** Garrus POV **
After Nihlus had left, Garrus headed back to the apartment to pack his belongings. He had to find a way to find out where Aster had gone. He planned to start in Omega. That was where she had gone the first time around.
Once Garrus was done packing for the trip, he found a few empty boxes tucked away in the closet. Knowing that this apartment was going to be sold soon, Garrus grabbed one of the boxes and began packing up the apartment as best he could.
While he worked, his mind began to wander.
After Mina and Wrex had escaped the Citadel, Garrus, Nihlus, Solana, Chellick, and Vaia took care of the last Cerberus troops around the docking bay. C-Sec got involved once John and his team rallied the struggling forces. It didn't take long for C-Sec to take care of the remaining Cerberus troops.
Garrus hadn't been surprised when he received notification of his revoked Spectre status. He knew it was only a matter of time.
After the chaos had subsided, news of Mina/Aster's escape wasn't known until a few hours later. Many of the C-Sec officers weren't aware that Mina/Aster had been captured. With the help of Nihlus and Solana, they had come up with a plan to help cover their involvement in freeing Mina.
The group had told everyone who asked that they engaged Cerberus troops as they were taking Mina into custody. Garrus explained that he tried to retrieve Mina from the enemy while everyone was distracted. In the middle of the chaos, Mina had managed to escape from them.
Since the CCTV cameras had been disabled before the attack, there was no proof of what had really happened except for Nihlus and Garrus's word. Thankfully, the Councilors didn't press for more information.
Their attention was focused on Udina and his betrayal. Finding Aster and the A.I had been put on hold for the time being. Garrus was sure Nihlus would spin things around and blame everything on Udina, including the A.I video and allegations against Aster.
"At least now I can take a vacation," Garrus thought, boxing up his calibration tools. "Maybe I can go on a date with Aster."
Garrus sighed, adjusting his spare armor on the bed. The apartment was nearly bare. Aster hadn't had much to begin with. When he had moved in, Garrus hadn't brought much with him either.
His omni-tool chirped, startling him. He glanced down, expecting a message from his mother or from C-Sec. Instead, his omni-tool screen flickered before settling into a yellow-tinted transparent sphere.
"Good evening, Garrus Vakarian," SAM's synthesized voice resonated directly into his audio processors. "I have detected an optimal travel window. Your designated destination is Apartment 3B, Sector Gamma, Upper Wards, Omega."
Garrus blinked. Omega? Was Aster on Omega? This was… unexpected.
A slow grin spread across his mandibles. A surprise, he could do that.
"You're the A.I attached to Aster," Garrus said, a low rumble in his voice.
"Yes," came the reply.
Garrus paused, then leaned closer to his omni-tool, as if the AI could physically hear his whisper.
"Aster is on Omega?" Garrus asked.
"Yes," it repeated.
"How did you get access to my omni-tool?" He asked.
"I purged the infected files on your omni-tool," it explained. "I've had access since that moment."
"Makes sense," Garrus muttered.
Garrus quickly sent a message to his parents letting them know that they should visit Omega. His parents immediately booked three tickets for a transport. The transport would leave in a few hours. With Garrus' Spectre status revoked, they didn't have much of a choice. The only way to get to Omega was to take a transport since he couldn't take his ship.
"This needs to be top secret," Garrus continued whispering, "Aster hasn't been cleared of the treason charges. We need to be careful."
The A.I's holographic avatar, a shimmering yellow sphere, pulsed subtly. "Understood, Garrus Vakarian."
"Perfect," Garrus chuckled.
Garrus quickly packed the last box with much more urgency. Omega was just the perfect place for a secret rendezvous with his wife. Given the circumstances, he hoped she wouldn't shoot him on sight for showing up unannounced.
*
When it was time for the transport to leave, Garrus grabbed his bag and met up with his parents at the docking bay D-42.
"Omega," his father stated.
"I'm sure she's there," Garrus assured him. He didn't tell his father that the A.I had told him.
"What are we waiting for?" his mother, Camelea, asked excitedly. "Let's go."
Garrus followed behind his parents, joining the growing line to board the transport. To think the Citadel was running so smoothly, given that they were attacked a few days ago.
"Do you know where to find my daughter-in-law? " her mother asked, taking a seat in the turian section. "Or do we need to look for her?"
"I know where she is," Garrus assured her.
The trip to Omega took a few hours longer than he was accustomed to, but when they arrived, it was early afternoon. Garrus grabbed the bags and followed the line out of the transport.
"I don't think I've been to Omega before," his mother, Camelea, stated, looking around.
"It's not the best place to live," Castis interjected before she got any ideas.
Castis turned to look at Garrus. "So, where is she?"
"Sector Gamma, Upper Wards," Garrus replied. "Follow me."
"I'm surprised this place has an Upper Ward," his mother commented.
Garrus silently agreed and headed toward the nearest shuttle. As their shuttle ascended, Omega slowly transformed from an unsavory sight to something else. Then they arrived at Gamma Sector.
Garrus blinked. His mother gasped, and his father's mandibles went slack.
The street was clean. Not just "clean for Omega," but genuinely, surprisingly clean. The air, while still carrying a faint whiff of ion fumes, was remarkably fresh. There were potted, bioluminescent plants lining the walkways, their soft glow illuminating neatly swept pathways.
Small, polished cafe tables sat outside an establishment that looked suspiciously like a high-end bistro.
"What is this?" Castis finally managed, his voice a low growl of disbelief.
"Garrus, are you sure you know where you're going?" his mother asked, looking admiring the nearby flowers.
Garrus zoomed in on his omni-tool. "Gamma Sector. Aster's apartment is 3B." He gestured to a well-maintained building. "Right there."
He was expecting the usual rundown place, but who would have thought Omega had a clean side? The trio made their way over to the apartment. For a moment, Garrus thought he would need to break in, but when he was about to take a look at the door panel, the door swung open.
Garrus looked around and slowly walked inside. His parents followed behind him. As soon as they entered, his mother took the liberty and started looking around. His father went straight to the sofa and sat down.
Garrus let the door close behind him for an apartment that looked small on the outside. It appeared to be a turian-sized apartment. The hallway was a bit wider, and the ceiling was higher. The sofa and seats were made to fit turians since his father wasn't having issues sitting down.
From where he stood, Garrus saw four more doors connecting from the hallway. To his left was the kitchen and a table. The layout was very similar to the apartment on the Citadel.
Garrus joined his father on the couch. He hoped Aster would return soon.