Author's note: this is an AU where Shepard and Thane are both assassins, and it has no relation with the game's events. I will probably repurpose many characters for the needs of the story.

I can't promise anything regarding the frequency of update on this fiction. Writing in English is hard for me, it is not my native tongue.

Thanks to Askeebe (Moments in between, Never let me go etc..) for English proof and beta reading.

The Illusive Man was smoking his eternal cigarette on his chair, his shining inhuman eyes piercing even through the holo. Shepard had never seen him without a smoke halo, making the background foggy. She had never seen him in person, either, and she hoped she never would. She deeply hated him. The perfect embodiment of cold calculation. Oh, he was suited for his job. The great leader of the Network - the biggest black market supplier of the best human assassins and thieves that money could buy.

Shepard was one of the top assassins of the organisation, but she still had superiors.

Kai Leng was standing at her side, emotionless, listening to their boss without arguing. They never did. Shepard despised him as much as the Illusive Man and he knew it, but he also knew she was loyal to her paycheck and it was enough for him. She didn't care about the 'human only' ideology, and she didn't care about any political plans the Network had. She needed to kill and to be paid, and that summarized her life.

Right now, the holographic, disembodied voice of the Network's human leader was raving about Azure Edge. Again. And he was not pleased. Some of the low-ranked killers from the Network had encountered assassins from Azure Edge during a mission. The enemy organisation hired highly trained freelancers from all races. Their leader was unknown, and the Illusive Man could not stand it.

Blood had been shed, leaving the contract unfulfilled. The Illusive Man's client was beyond angry and was threatening to reveal all the information he had, even though it wasn't very much. Kai Leng's mission was to terminate him as quietly as possible. He accepted his assignment, turned around and left. Just before exiting the room he whispered "I hope you get the dirty work done, because I'm not cleaning up after you fail."

Shepard hissed. "Get out before I snap your neck, Leng."

He did, but not without a sardonic smile.

Shepard waited. The Illusive Man turned his intense gaze to her, and she felt like he could read her thoughts. She wished she could bash his head in and then decapitate him with her favorite monomolecular blade and hoped he had heard this. But he simply began filling her in on her own mission.

"Shepard, you will finish the job your associates couldn't. I've forwarded the target information and coordinates to you. Since the first attempt failed, he will be prepared and paranoid. I trust in your ability to end his life quickly."

"Why kill the target when the client will be terminated?" she asked, already knowing the answer would be about his damn pride.

The Illusive Man gave her a look of disappointment that made her want to pull out each and every one of his nails slowly, and then he simply answered, "The Network doesn't fail." He paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

"I know what you think of me, Shepard, and I couldn't care less, but this is not only about personal pride. It is about reputation. And trust me, if the enemy is as proud as me, there's a good chance it will try to terminate the target as well, regardless of the death of his client. If you encounter any opponents, gather information and anything else you can, and then kill them."

Shepard crossed her arms and rested her back on the wall. It made sense, but it was a long shot. And if it happened, her job was going to be harder than a simple assassination.

"That's a big if, sir."

He grinned."It's almost as big as your paycheck, dear."

Shepard was studying the datapad with care in her little hide out in the center of the Citadel. This contract had the biggest paycheck she'd had in months. The Illusive Man had also forwarded to her all the information he had about Azure Edge. There was a file about 'presumed collaboratives' with surprisingly few names that she opened greedily. She had to admit that if this mission was as good as it was promising, she could have some serious fun. The first name on the list was Kasumi Goto, whom she had never heard about and there was no picture to help her.

Human. Renowned thief, good hacker, used to work in partnership with Keiji Okuda (now deceased). Dangerous.

Shepard shrugged and smiled. What criminal organization wouldn't hire dangerous criminals?. The second name was Feron Drock, whose name was still unknown to her. But there was a picture- some kind of yellowish drell with a blue neck.

Drell. Information broker and skilled infiltrator. Dangerous.

Shepard was beginning to think this list wasn't going to be of any help. She scrolled through a few names, all unknown. Thieves, spies, assassins, mercenaries, all branches of the criminal career. She kept scrolling, quickly memorizing names with few faces to put on them until she stumbled upon a name she already knew.

Thane Krios

That name was trouble. Every good assassin had to know about Thane Krios. His reputation had to be such a big liability to him, she thought. He was widely acknowledged to be the best assassin in the galaxy.

Drell. Freelance (used to work for the hanar -Compact-). Very skilled assassin. Biotic. Avoid confrontation at all costs.

No picture. Shepard was frustrated. The best motherfucking assassin in the galaxy and there was no intel on him? This list was a joke. She scrolled through the rest, finding nothing worthy of interest. She threw the datapad angrily on the bed.

She had to prepare for the mission, but the intel was so scarce she felt like she was going blind into a deathtrap. Not that she was scared of death - she had no ties, no family, no other purpose than killing and enjoying it. However, she usually aimed for perfection. This had many ways it could go wrong, but she trusted her improvisation skill. There was no reason for 'the big if' to happen anyway; no one had an ego as big as the Illusive Man's. She turned on her comm.

"Joker, you there?"

"Welcome to Moreau and Moreau EXQUISITE GALAXY TRIPS. What can I do for you today, my sweet cinnamon roll?"

"Cut the crap. I need a ride to Sur'Kesh."

"Aye aye, Captain," his emphasis on the word 'captain' was as sarcastic as usual,"but where do I pick you up? And who pays?"

"Our usual rendezvous point on the Citadel in an hour. You know my employer; he pays."

She heard him talk to someone else in the distance."EDI, get the ship ready. Her highness Shepard is coming aboard, I'm gonna pick her up in the shuttle."

"Of course, Jeff," a muffled robotic female voice replied.

An hour would be more than enough time to get ready. She put on her dark-blue skin-tight leather outfit interwoven with armor and a cloaking device she never left without: she sought shadows or invisibility as her greatest ally. It wasn't meant to be sexy or fashionable. It was practical, but Joker always made comments about her being 'the sexy, antisocial, murdering type' when she wore it. Her blue tactical glasses worked as a mask to hide her eyes and continuously display information. This outfit was her second skin, and she was comfortable killing in it.

She reviewed her target info on the datapad one last time. A salarian. A scientist (no shit, she thought), and a wealthy one. She was lucky. His current location was in a little town far away from the capital,with few inhabitants, few witnesses. It should be an easy job. There was a possibility of krogan bodyguards, though. She had learned how to kill krogans in so many ways that it didn't really matter to her anymore.

On the wall, only lit by the outside flashes of sky cars and false skylight were her most valued possessions. Hanging neatly, her weapons seemed to have never seen the slightest bit of dust.

Her pistol, a Stinger, was deep red on most of the surface even though marks of attrition let the rough material's color appear in some places. She had had it for a very long time, had modified so much about it that it wasn't really a Stinger anymore. It was her own perfectly adapted weapon. She felt naked when it wasn't placed in the holster under her right arm.

Her sniper, an M-92 Mantis -incredibly precise but with high recoil and reload time- was her ally in situations where her ability in close combat weren't needed. Usually placed on her back, it used to have several layers of glossy paint but she had arranged for it to be completely black. No need for distraction when she held her breath to score a headshot.

She had more love for her guns than for any organic being. However, the true romance was with her monomolecular dagger. Usually secured on her right side, beneath the Stinger, she never had the blade too far from her. She slept with her under the pillow. The weapon was curved just enough to be agreeable to twist in one's gut until the damage was lethal. The cutting edge was less than a molecule wide -characteristic of all monomolecular weapons- making her able to cut through anything with practically no resistance. The pommel was ornamented with intricate carvings, the meaning of which Shepard would reveal to no one. The dagger had a name, Eris, who's existence and origin were also kept secret.

Fully equipped and justifiably proud of her weapons, she methodically finished securing them in place.

She slipped out of the hide out and headed to the rendezvous point.

Joker was waiting in the shuttle when Shepard reached the meeting point. He rarely got out of the Normandy, but she was an exception. She usually paid well, and was unfriendly enough for him to want to tease her endlessly. He earned a living by selling his services as a pilot and would transport anyone with money anywhere with his ship. It was a good ship, better than most. But this business was a cover.

Unable and unwilling to tolerate loose ends, Shepard had done some research. She discovered he was creating and selling illegal AIs and VIs to renowned criminals. The only AI he would never sell was the one he created first: EDI. Their relationship was weird, but she didn't judge. And she didn't really care how he lived as long as he never failed her. She didn't need friends, only associates. She didn't trust the ones the Illusive Man provided. She didn't trust Joker either, but he was fragile enough not to be a threat.

"Welcome aboard, Shepard," he said when the shuttle docked successfully into the Normandy. "Another business trip, I assume?" His tone was eloquent. Oh, he knew, but he didn't care, and she liked it.

"Sur'Kesh. I'll give you precise coordinates when we get there."

"I guess EDI will do the conversation, then," he answered with a smile.

Shepard leaned against the wall of the cockpit and crossed her arms. She didn't display any emotion, but she was curious to witness any interaction between the two. She wouldn't tell them this. She could easily retire to her usual cabin, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"I'd be happy to, Jeff," the robotic voice answered. "Should we resume our discussion about the variety of content in interspecies pornography?"

She didn't see him, but she could almost hear him flush. She couldn't help but snigger.

"I like her," Shepard said.