Another week passed since Garrus split himself from Dartus and Lantar. Garrus' shore leave was over, and so it was over for his crewmembers. The group of turians and humans on his ship helped Garrus with wiping another evil on Omega. This time they needed to deal with Blue Suns occupying cargo bay which held massive amount of Red Sand and Hallex drugs. Terminus systems may have been corrupted and worked outside the law, but not when Garrus and his people were present. Aria T'Loak didn't care much for Garrus or the Alliance in general. As long as they weren't causing trouble like organizing revolt against her, she didn't care. Garrus and his people were very successful, no casualties and only few scratches in the result.
Garrus returned with his people to the ship and were returning to Earth to send report to the Alliance headquarters. Gangs on Omega were starting to think if it had any sense doing crime when there was Garrus aka Archangel still sniffing around. Garrus was piloting his ship when he suddenly received an incoming transmission from Lantar's omni-tool, "Hmm, Lantar?" He thought, putting the transmission on his hologram, "Oh? Sergeant?" Garrus asked as he spotted asari sergeant of local law reinforcement on Illium, "Garrus Vakarian. I'm sorry if I interrupt some important action, but consider this as a distress call." She said and Garrus frowned, "I don't understand. Sergeant, why did it say that it was coming from Lantar Sidonis?" Garrus asked. The police called from Lantar's omni-tool. That couldn't mean anything good, "It is omni-tool of this turian. Garrus, Lantar hasn't reported his absence for 24 hours." The sergeant said and Garrus' eyes widened, "What? What does it mean?" he asked, "We take presence of our officers in serious matter. If officer doesn't report himself for absence such as illness for more than 24 hours, we are forced to come to his living place. We arrived. He was nowhere to be found, only his omni-tool was here. That's why we called you. You were in his omni-tool and so we were thinking if you wouldn't have some clue where he could be." Sergeant explained, "This isn't something Lantar would do just because he would want to. He runs away when he senses big problem, but this isn't him! What about Dartus Raidat? Doesn't he know?" Garrus asked, "That is the point. Dartus Raidat died four days ago during mission of thwarting an assassination." Sergeant said and Garrus realized what was the actual problem. Dartus was dead. Lantar could fall into tremendous anxieties. As Garrus knew Lantar for a long time, he knew that he was still young and impulsive and could act unadvisedly. If what Sergeant said was true and Lantar was nowhere to be found, Garrus knew that Lantar was in danger, "Sergeant! Try to search for Lantar everywhere you can, but please, do not capture him!" Garrus warned her, "What do you mean, Garrus? What can he do?" she asked, "I need to talk to Lantar myself. Just tell me where he is so I can negotiate with him. He won't listen to anyone else so please, do as I say." Garrus said. Sergeant nodded and the hologram closed, "Shit, Lantar! What have you got yourself into? Just tell me you're not gonna go to the edge!" Garrus thought and decided to go tell his people about Illium. Garrus got on the crew deck, all of his people watched him, "Uh, what's going on, Garrus?" one of the turians asked, "Changing plans. We're going to Illium. There's something I need to do and it can't be delayed!" Garrus explained, returning to the cockpit. Garrus didn't talk to anybody, he needed to think if Lantar would be that stupid to actually put himself in danger, in the worst case killing himself. He wished to believe that his cowardice would stop him, but thinking that he left his omni-tool at home didn't seem like there was some way to reason with him.
Garrus arrived at Illium three hours later. He set his crew to a shore leave until the time he arrived. He contacted the sergeant again, "Sergeant! What's the status?" Garrus asked, running through Nos-astra port, "It seems our special operatives found Lantar sitting on the roof of Illium trade center." She said with calm tone, "I'm on it! Does he have a gun?" he asked, "No. It seems he is unarmed, only sitting and waiting as if something is about to happen." Sergeant said and Garrus hurried to an elevator of the trade center. Garrus headed to the top floor and then to the maintenance chambers from where he was going to access the rooftop. There was no time for thinking. Garrus had to reach Lantar before it was too late. He was finally at the door leading to the rooftop. The door broke open and Garrus stood on the rooftop.
Lantar was sitting further but noticed the door opening. He looked a little bit behind himself, "Garrus?" He asked and Garrus approached him, "What are you doing here?" Lantar asked and Garrus pointed his finger at him, "What do you think?! Your superior contacted me because you just disappeared and left your omni-tool back in your home! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Garrus tackled him and Lantar looked away from Garrus, "That's none of your business. It's nobody's business…" Lantar argued. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted from the ground and Garrus held him against his face, feeling his talons clenching deeply in Lantar's clothing, "I travelled light years because I knew something bad was going to happen to you! I'm not losing the last member of my group from Omega! You're my friend so you better fucking explain what's bugging in your head or I'll make sure you go behind bars so I know about you 24/7!" Garrus hissed, talking directly at Lantar's face. Lantar smiled at him, "Don't you think this is a little mainstream, Garrus?" he said, grabbing Garrus' talons and Garrus let him go. Lantar sat down on the ground again, "You want to know what's up? Then rest your ass next to me and I'll tell you." He said and Garrus obediently sat next to him. Lantar started his narration.
FLASHBACK
The other day Garrus left Illium, Dartus and Lantar got in their role of officers with full dedication and were given an assignment. They had to stop Eclipse mercs from assassinating wealthy businessmen on Illium. They had one particular place located within hotel towers in residential district. Lantar and Dartus were alone for this assignment, not knowing what they'll expect. However, they were progressing well. Eclipse were falling and Lantar with Dartus were moving forward. They came across large area of wide corridor, "Alright, kid. Open areas are always trouble… be careful." Dartus said and Lantar gave him reassuring nod. They entered the room, walked through but then Eclipse mercs and LOKI mechs appeared from around the corners, "HIDE!" Lantar shouted and with Dartus took cover behind some furniture as the mercs were shooting them. The bullets were whizzing millimeters above their heads and they didn't have much space to show themselves up. They kept using every opportunity given to peek out of their cover to shoot the mercs and the mechs. They were fighting nearly ten minutes in one take. Finally, Lantar killed last standing mech. Its head blew up and the body fell down, "Ha! That was the last one! We should move and finish this Da- Dartus?!" Lantar looked to the other side, seeing Dartus leaning against his cover, a dark blue puddle was spreading under his body.
Dartus was bleeding heavily and it was from his heart. Lantar recognized that because Dartus was holding the place where the blood was leaking from. Trails of blood were running down Dartus' armor and Lantar froze in horror. He quickly scuttled down to Dartus, kneeling in his blood and reaching his talon to Dartus' face, "Dartus, no!" he said and used medigel to help him. The weakly breathing turian looked at Lantar's green eyes with his own red ones, "K-Kid… right in the feelings." Dartus made a joke in the worst situation, "How can you just make fun of this?! We must find help! Come!" Lantar tried to pull Dartus but only managed to lay him down on the ground. Dartus moaned of pain, "Ah…! Sorry kid, but I'm not gonna make it. I already feel my legs cold… you need to finish this without me." Dartus said and released his grip on heart, "Dartus! I'm not leaving you behind! You can't… can't just leave me!" Lantar said raising Dartus' face towards his, connecting their foreheads. Dartus smiled, "No, don't cry for me, kid. It'll be ok, you'll see." Dartus said huskily, smiling up at Lantar. However, Lantar couldn't do what Dartus wanted from him. Knowledge of Dartus dying was too strong for Lantar to bear and he cried immensely. Dartus felt the tears falling on his face and used his remaining forces to raise one arm, placing it on Lantar's cheek. Lantar put his own talon on the same place where Dartus placed his own, holding it, "I don't want to see you cry, Lantar. Please… smile for me." Dartus smiled weakly and Lantar did his best to smile, "What I'm gonna do without you… Dartus, you are everything that helped me to find myself. I am already lost now… Dartus?" Lantar said but no response came, "Dartus…?" he asked once more, but it was useless. Dartus already died and Lantar didn't know what to do. He bent himself over to rest Dartus' on the ground, but before that he kissed Dartus once more. His faceplates were already cold and no breathing was coming from him when Lantar kissed him. Lantar left to finish the assignment when Dartus was left in puddle of his own blood.
END OF THE FLASHBACK
Lantar held his knees, eyes closed. Each time he remembered about that, it was hard for him to push tears back, "He was a guide to me. We loved each other, Dartus was somebody who could put me on the right track in my life." He sighed, "I tried to continue doing my job here, but I was starting to feel more and more as stranger. I was feeling like shit again. Already 12 dead people on my account and everything appears to be against me. I can't love or have friends or family because they die! You should not be here, Garrus or else even you'll get killed!" Lantar said, increasing his voice, "I don't want to live anymore! I tried so much to save my sorry ass all the time and when I find somebody who really loves me, he must die!" he continued and Garrus wanted to pull Lantar closer for comfort. Lantar just flinched himself away, "Get away from me! You'll be dead if you put your trust in me, you know that!" Lantar said, hyperventilating his sorrow. Garrus raised his hands in front of himself, getting himself on knees, "Lantar, listen! No matter what things you did, it's all behind us. Don't be an idiot! Don't throw your life away! It's not true that you lost everything! I am still here." Garrus said in calm tone, "But you have your own things to care about! Except for that, I don't want to hope you could love me. We both know it won't happen! You're my friend, but that hurts me even more because it gives me that hope." Lantar explained and Garrus was getting desperate because he was running out of arguments, "How do you even want to kill yourself? You don't have anything…" he said, "I… paid assassin to kill me. He's probably already at his position, getting ready…" Lantar said and Garrus wished to help Lantar, "Lantar, Dartus wasn't the only person you could love. Remember what you told me about Jane? Now think for Dartus. What would he want? He surely wants you to be happy! Lantar, be reasonable! It's not too late yet." Garrus explained, Lantar seemed to think, "You need somebody in your life, Lantar. You are lonely since your parents died and since then you had to be on your own, without anybody and only hope of me returning your affection. You lack presence of someone who can cheer you up, who can hold your hand, who can sleep with you." He continued. Lantar seemed to be listen. His interest in Garrus' words. He nodded and Garrus continued, "If you agree, you can take my hand and we will both leave Illium. You can join the Alliance. They will surely approve if I ask them to put you under my command. Our relationship is not possible, we know it. However, there are some turians in my crew who also miss someone and I bet you would choose from them. They pretend to be straight but I know that they're not." Garrus had smile in his voice. Lantar smiled back. The idea of being by Garrus' side and having somebody from his crew he could love was nice for him. He knew it was risky because it would mean another of his lovers would die, but it gave him another hope. Lantar reached for Garrus' hand and with his help, he got on feet, "You sound like you trained this speech for hours, but I know you can keep your promises and it would be honor to be under your command again." Lantar said and Garrus smiled, "Welcome aboard, private!" Garrus said, placing arm around Lantar's back.
Garrus made it. He managed to change Lantar's attitude and it filled him with happiness. They were walking towards the door when suddenly, a projectile flew through Lantar's chest and the turian coughed out blood. Lantar knelt down, "Lantar!" Garrus shouted, holding the wound on the back side while Lantar held his chest, "Shit… that assassin!" Lantar said. Garrus immediately gave him some medigel and called Sergeant, "Sergeant! I've got critic situation! Send paramedics for immediate transport to hospital! It's clear shot through heart! Quickly!" Garrus said, watching as Lantar knelt and propped himself with one talon. The deep blue liquid dripped and Garrus hoped for miracle.
The aerial transport appeared at Garrus' sight as it was hovering in front of him with Lantar. Salarian paramedics carefully set Lantar on board and with Garrus they flew in the hospital. Lantar's state was critical. Garrus was actually praying for his survival. Salarian paramedics did their best to keep blood circulation and pumped in new blood continuously. After arrival at the hospital, Lantar was put in the Intensive Care Unit where doctors performed surgery that was going to heal arteries which may have been torn apart during the assassination. Garrus had to wait, he was hoping they weren't too late.
Doctors came to him four hours later. Lantar survived and Garrus was happy to know that. It was strange for Garrus to know that this person he wanted to kill was actually now one of his friends. Lantar was also happy, not now because he was unconscious due to the anesthetics, but sure he was going to be happy thanks to Garrus and his offer to be part of his crew. Lantar's assassin disappeared. Nobody really knew who it was or where he went, but neither Garrus nor Lantar cared about it. It was better that he was gone.
Lantar was set free from hospital few days later. Garrus decided to send report with explanation that they were going to be spending few days on Illium and also he sent request for recruiting Lantar in the Alliance. Garrus' mother was right at one thing. Her son was doing great things. Lantar was accepted on Garrus' behalf and the crew welcomed him on board of Garrus' ship. Some people were more sympathetic, some less. However, Garrus didn't lie when he said some of the turians were gay.
Lantar found friends between the crew and as the time progressed, he found between them the turian who was going to be Lantar's partner, outside the mission of course.
THE END