Arriving at Illium, Anya, Garrus, and Tali made their way off the Normandy to be greeted by a young asari, who explained that all their docking and other fees had been waived for all trips to Illium.

"Who waived our fees?" Anya asked, scratching her brow in confusion.

"Liara T'Soni handled all your fees. She has an office overlooking the trade district. You should stop by and see here while you are here! I'm sure she would be most happy to see you!" The concierge said with a brilliant smile.

"Liara? What is she doing here?" Anya was even more surprised. Liara was another one of her crew back before the Normandy was destroyed. Liara was a beautiful asari whom shed rescued from the geth in the hunt for Saren. She turned out to be the daughter of Matriarch Benezia. The memory of standing over Liaras dying mother as Liara cried for her to stay with them and fight Sarens indoctrination wrenched her heart. She pushed the memories away, focusing on the present as the asari concierge was speaking again.

"Liara is one of Illium's most trusted information brokers!" Anya smiled and thanked her, and then made their way to Liara's office. She rounded the corner into the office to catch the lovely asari mid conversation with what seemed to be a rather nervous client.

"Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few have. Either you pay me, or I flay you alive...with my mind!" The holo flickered off, and Liara realizing she had company, stammered and turned to face Anya, wrapping her in a hug.

"Sh-shepard! Nyxeris! Hold my calls!" Anya laughed and wrapped Liara in a warm hug as Liara's assistant nodded and left the room. She quirked a brow as she stepped back and eyed Liara, who seemed to be blushing slightly.

"Threatening to flay people alive with your mind are we?" Liara chuckled at Anya and shook her head. She spent a few minutes catching up with Liara before turning her focus to her reason for being on Illium. Her dossiers had said both Samara and Thane Krios were here. She of course invited Liara to rejoin her, but Liara declined, having other things that she had to take care of first. Anya took mental note to see if she could help Liara after she finished building her team. Liara informed Anya that she needed to speak with Seryna down at the docks for Thane, and Officer Anaya in regards to Samara. Thanking Liara for the information and promising to be back later, she sought out Seryna, who informed Anya that Thane was at the Dantius towers to take out the asari Nassana Dantius. The name sounded familiar, and Anya wondered about the familiarity as she made haste to catch her assassin.

Anya's team arrived at Dantius towers in time to watch as several salarian workers ran frantically, mechs sending their dogs after the defenseless workers and shooting the salarians in the back as they ran away. She grit her teeth and pulled her rifle, unloading her clip into the mechs. After dispatching them, her team moved forward, suprised to find one of the salarians still alive, holding on just barely. He explained that it was Nassana who ordered the mechs to shoot everyone. Nassana had caught wind of the hit on her life and hired a bunch of mercs to guard her tower. In her impatience to get everyone out, she ordered her guards to shoot anyone who took too long to leave.

She applied some med-gel to the salarian, helping him to his feet, and told him to get to safety. She sped up her pace, herself, Tali and Garrus pushing to get up to the top of the tower and reach the assassin before he was discovered and killed. Floor by floor they rescued other trapped and scared workers, getting information as they went, and even shoving a merc out a window when he refused to cooperate. The action netted her a few choice words from her team, but she shrugged and pressed on. The salarians she rescued as they progressed hadn't seen Krios, but they spoke in awe of the ease in which he dispatched the dead mercs next to them and then had sealed them inside the rooms to protect them. Anya smirked slightly. 'This Krios must be a hell of an assassin' she thought.

Finally reaching the top floor where Nassanna waited in her office, surrounded by her blue suns guards, everyone spun their guns to face Anya and her team, a look of shock on Nassana's face. It was then that Anya recalled who the asari was. Nassana had tricked Anya into killing Nassana's sister two years ago by saying she was kidnapped. It turned out her sister actually was a slaver, and Nassana wanted her head so it wouldnt affect her political image. An amused smirk at the irony played across Anya's lips as she stared down the asari. 'Karma is a bitch' She thought.

"You!? So…you've been sent to kill me. Makes sense. You killed my sister...and now you're here for me." Nassana spat, turning her back on Anya. Anya's brow twitched as she heard the faintest of thuds from the air ducts above Nassana and her guards.

"You really think its me, Nassana?" Anya smirked as Nassana offered to pay her double for telling her who the actual assassin was. Another thud, just loud enough for a guard to take notice and start looking around. Nassana panicked and sent guards to check the other exits. In the chaos, as quiet as the night, Krios slipped down from an air duct, wrapping his hands around the head of one guard and snapping his neck in one quick, silent motion, followed by snapping the head back of a second guard, killing him as well. It was then the third guard took notice of Krios, but before he could react , Krios shot him and just as quickly had one hand on Nassana's back, the other pressing his pistol to her abdomen. With a pull of the trigger as surprise and shock set in on her face, he ended her life. He softly laid her back over the console behind her, crossing her arms over her body as she let out a last, dying moan. He then stood silent with head bowed, his hands folding in what seemed to be quiet prayer.

Anya stared as the events unfolded before her. Everything was over in a matter of mere seconds, but in that time, everything seemed to slow down as she watched this assassin work. He was dressed in form fitting leather than deliciously hugged every bit of his lithe body. It was open over the breast bone, allowing the skin of a toned chest to peek through. Anya swallowed hard as her eyes swept over his form. He was all lean muscle, tall, around six foot it seemed. His eyes still looked black as night. As the light hit them though, she could see he had a humanoid iris and pupil settled there in what was a dark grey. His eyes flashed a brilliant dark green as he darted his eye from target to target. The voice of her turian team make brought her back to the current moment as Thane had bowed his head.

"Nice entrance." Anya glanced over her shoulder at Garrus just slightly, then refocused her eyes on the assassin before her.

"You Thane Krios? I was hoping to talk to you." Anya said, somehow managing to maintain her usual cool. Thane didn't look up at her, but after a second he spoke out softly.

"In a moment. Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." Anya's breath hitched slightly at his voice. She couldn't quite describe it. His voice seemed to vibrate when he spoke. It reminded her of the way Garrus sounded when spoke, the vibrations and duality of his tone. She suppressed a shiver as the sound of Thane's voice sent delightful chills down her spine. 'The hell...' She thought. Garrus' voice definitely didn't do that to her. She refocused on the conversation with a hard swallow.

"Do you really think she deserves it?" Anya asked quizzically. Her brow was cocked slightly, wondering why anyone would spare a prayer for someone like Dantius. She certainly wasn't deserving in Anya's eyes. Had her sister murdered, gunning down her workers in cold blood...no...far from deserving in Anya's mind. In that moment, Thane opened his eyes, focusing those dark eyes on her. Anya kept her face straight while suppressing another delighted chill as his gaze seemed to rake over her body for a moment. Her reaction to the drell was perplexing.

"Not for her, for me." Thane said simply. There was a bit of sorrow behind his eyes, hidden in the tones of his voice. Anya cocked a brow in surprise as Thane continued speaking. "The measure of an individuals work can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All of this destruction...chaos." Thane paused for a moment, walking around to the front of the console as he spoke. Anya looked at Nassana's still form, then back to Thane as he resumed speaking.

"I was curious how far you'd go to find me. Well...here I am." Thane came to a stop at the front of the console, staring back at Anya. His eyes seemed to momentarily flick over her again, the corner of his mouth twitch ever so slightly. It was so minute that Anya was sure she imagined it. She shifted her weight to one foot, her weight leaning back on it as she spoke up.

"Howd you know I was coming at all?" She asked. Thane began to advance towards her, walking past her to stand in the little circle created by her, Garrus and Tali. As he walked passed, he brushed against her ever so slightly. Another delicious chill spiraled down her spine and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face. She couldnt understand why he had such an effect on her.

"I didnt. Not until you marched in the front door and started shooting. Nassana was paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would try to kill her." Thane spoke over his shoulder at her, his voice low. "You were a valuable distraction." Anya once again cocked her brow at the male, but smirked slightly.

"Lets cut to the chase, Thane. I need you for a mission."

"Indeed?" Thane remained unmoving, staring past her team.

"You're familiar with the collectors?"

"By reputation." Thane turned and walked past her again, brushing past her ever so slightly again. Anya fought to ignore sensations flowing through her body. He faced the window as Anya continued explaining their mission.

"They are abducting human colonies. Freedoms Progress was their handiwork."

"I see."

"We are going after them." She stated matter-of-factly. Thane then turned his upper body to look back at her.

"Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so." Anya smirked a bit, shifting her weight back on one foot again and crossing her arms.

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos, too." Brief memories of Ilos flashed into her head. Of racing to get through the conduit and save the citadel before Saren and Sovereign could destroy everything. As Thane spoke again, Anya stepped forward to stand next to him, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"A fair point. You've built a career on performing the impossible." He paused for a second, casting his gaze to the floor. He seemed...almost sorrowful. He returned his gaze to the sight of the setting sun before speaking again. His voice was sad, detached. "This was to be my last job." He paused briefly once more before continuing. "I'm dying. Low survival odds don't concern me. The abduction of your colonists does." Anya stared at Thane in surprise at his confession, but kept focus on the task at hand. She made note to see if there was something she could do to help later after he was aboard the Normandy.

"Does this mean you'll help us?" She asked softly, turning her head to look at him

"I will work for you Shepard. No charge." As they turned their bodies to face one another, Thane extended his hand to her, and she in turn took his to shake hands. It was all she could do to stay straight faced. Even through her gloves, his touch seemed to ignite a whirlwind of sensations throughout her body. He seemed to hum power, and she tried to keep herself calm lest she drown in the sensations that lit seductive fires across her nerves. 'I'm going to need a cold shower...' she thought to herself as she released his hand, turning towards the door to make her way back to the ship.