Thanebio-fixed

Thane Krios

 

Role:

Thane Krios's role is smaller than that other squad-mates, because he is restricted by the slow-killing side effects of Kepral's Syndrome – a disease which erodes drell lungs, and makes it difficult for oxygen to make it into drell blood. Thane will protect the salarian Citadel councilor from the assassin Kai Leng – allowing Shepard to boost the Citadel council's faith in the Alliance's efforts to stop Cerberus. If Thane survives his encounter with Kai Leng, he will continue to aid Shepard by eventually tracking down Leng, who is hiding somewhere on the Citadel. On top of that, Thane can use his connections with Kahje's government activate the side quest “Vassla Prothean Ruins”.

 

Recruitment:

At the news that Kai Leng is somewhere on the Citadel, Liara advises Shepard to seek out an assassin of his own to help track the Cerberus agent-- in this case Thane Krios. Liara, after utilizing significant amounts of Shadow Broker files, finally managed to track down the drell assassin's home on the hanar planet Kahje. Liara explains that post-suicide mission, Thane returned to Kahje in hopes of:

finding his son, Kolyat (if Shepard either failed, or didn't attempt Thane's loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2).

protecting his son, Kolyat (if Shepard completed Thane's loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2).

Shepard takes the Normandy kodiak down to one of the larger islands of Kahje, which houses the domed drell city of Rucaal. Thane expected this visit, and has sent word to the security tower to admit the SR2's kodiak. Shepard takes the kodiak directly to Thane's house to avoid a public scene. The assassin is already waiting for Shepard outside his house. Thane is now a wearing a metal and plastic device over his chest, which apparently forces moisture out of his lungs, as a means to fight Kepral's syndrome. According to the assassin, all it does is buy him some precious time. During conversations, Thane occasionally covers his mouth with a portable respirator and breathes heavily. As usual, Shepard has the paragon/neutral/renegade options for greeting, and Thane invites Shepard and company inside. If femShep romanced Thane, there is the appropriate romance dialogue available.

The houses interior is simplistic, with light colors, sharp angles and comfortable living appliances. There is no clutter and no weapons of any kind visible.

 

If Shepard is not romantic with Thane, there will be a picture of Irikah (Thane's dead wife) hanging on the wall. Shepard can inquire about it.

If Shepard is romanctic with Thane, there will be a picture of her on the wall, holding hands with Thane.

 

Thane offers the company some beverages – which Shepard and company can accept or deny – then leads them into his living room.

 

 If Thane reconciled with Kolyat in ME2, the young drell will also be found at the house, having done six months of community service for Armando Bailey, and having been released from duty at Thane's request. Shepard tries to convince Thane (with the usual renegade/neutral/paragon options) to come to the Citadel for tracking Kai Leng. However, Kolyat will be angry at Shepard's request. Unless romancing Thane, Shepard must convince Kolyat to let his father return to the Citadel. Thane will insist that Kolyat come along to help Thane with his medical issues, and Shepard must agree. Thane will also give Shepard clearance to search the Prothean ruins of Kahje.

If Thane did not reconcile with Kolyat in ME2, the ex-assassin will have returned to Kahje after the suicide mission in hopes of finding his son, only to discover that Kolyat abandoned the house and has not since returned. Fearing that he will miss his son's potential return to the house, Thane must be convinced to come to the Citadel with either renegade-red, or paragon blue conversation options by Shepard. If Shepard does not have high enough paragon/renegade levels, Thane will not join Shepard-- though he will give him government clearance to search the Prothean ruins on Kahje. Shepard will depart the enclave without him.

Once recruited, Thane has the option of either going to the Citadel, or going directly to the side quest “Vassla Prothean Ruins”.

 

Missions:

Thane is available for a handful of missions, including the two story missions “Stop a Killer”, and “Track a Killer”, and the side quests “Vassla Prothean Ruins”, and “The Hidden Wards”.

1) In the story mission “Stop a Killer”, Thane assists Shepard and company track Cerberus agents lurking in the keeper-tunnels of the Citadel as a temporary squad-mate. After Thane and Shepard locate and kill a number of Cerberus assassins and help assist C-Sec in forming a resistance, Thane will spot Kai Leng attempting to escape. Shepard and Thane will chase Kai Leng to a fork in the keeper-tunnels, and Thane will instruct Shepard to take the left route while he takes the right one. Shepard's route will lead him to Leng, but the Cerberus assassin will stall Shepard by locking the doors inside the tunnels. If Kasumi Goto is alive, she will hack the doors for Shepard. If Kasumi is dead/not recruited (ME2), EDI will hack the doors for Shepard, but slower.

If Kasumi is loyal, she will get attacked by Cerberus agents, tell Shepard that she'll deal with them. Shepard and Goto are separated.

If Kasumi is not loyal, she will get attacked by Cerberus agents, tell Shepard that this isn't what she signed up for, and will flee, leaving Shepard to waste time fighting the mercenaries.

Shepard exits the keeper tunnel, which turns out to be a vent located high above the apartment of the salarian councilor.  The councilor, who is throwing some sort of house-convention, comes out onto the balcony to speak with some of his guests outside. Leng, now on the roof of the apartment (and out of sight of Shepard), tries to get into a position where he can snipe the salarian, but keeps having to readjust his aim due to the number of people blocking the councilor. Finally getting a clear shot, Leng prepares to fire, just as Shepard finally spots the assassin. Suddenly, a shot rings out. Thane, crawling onto the roof at that moment, fires his pistol at Leng's rifle, busting the barrel apart. Leng reacts instantly, leaping from the roof down into the confused and terrified crowd – his long knife drawn. The jump from roof to balcony is too high for Shepard to make, but Thane easily makes Leng's leap. Leng darts at the salarian, killing his body guards with ease, but Thane manages to intercept him and knocks Leng down with a biotic attack. The two assassins recover instantly and face off, Thane standing between Leng and the stunned salarian. Paragon and renegade prompts become available for Shepard.

If Shepard chooses the paragon prompt, he will position himself near the councilor, and drag him to safety. The councilor will flee into his house to call C-sec (his omni-tool comm's signal is being blocked by Cerberus).

If Shepard chooses the renegade prompt, he will bullrush Leng in an attempt (Shepard won't shoot because he'd risk hitting Thane). At the same time, Thane will launch a biotic attack at Leng. Leng will dodge both attacks, and Shepard will be knocked backwards by Thane's biotics instead. The salarian will scamper to safety in the time it takes Leng to recover.

Thane and Leng circle each other, and begin strange twitching motions, which are actually advanced CQC moves. The two are so good at hand to hand combat, that they can anticipate each other's moves without actually striking each other. Finally Thane breaks the dance, and engages Kai. As the two fight, Shepard aims his gun at Leng. Unfortunately, a Nemesis sniper located in a hovering car a distance away from the balcony opens fire on Shepard, and he ducks behind the salarian's glass windows, which becomes peppered with bullet holes from the sniper. Meanwhile, Thane is the better CQC artist, but Leng manages to slice the drell across his respirator device. Thane begins to splutter and cough as the effects of Kepral's syndrome assault his body. Shepard will try to go around the glass to get at Leng, but the Cerberus Nemesis will snip Shepard's shoulder with a well placed shot, and keep him in cover. Leng raises his knife for a fatal attack.

 If Kasumi Goto held off Cerberus mercenaries in the keeper tunnels, she will appear on the roof above the balcony, just as Leng prepares to finish Thane. Kasumi throws a frag grenade at Leng, knocking him backwards, then leaps down onto the balcony, draws her sidearm, and starts pelting Leng's kinetic barrier with bullets. The Cerberus Nemesis takes aim at her, but Shepard finally gets his chance and shoots the sniper. Leng charges at the still firing Kasumi, but Thane recovers and blasts him off the balcony with a biotic attack.  Shepard rushed out to meet Kasumi and Thane, just as C-sec shows up at the scene. Kasumi quickly cloaks so that nobody can see her.

If Kasumi Goto fled from the Cerberus mercenaries in the keeper tunnels, she will appear on the roof above the balcony just as Leng prepares to finish Thane. Kasumi throws a frag grenade at Leng, knocking him backwards, but she stays on the roof-- too afraid to get closer to the assassins. The Cerberus Nemesis has a clear shot at Kasumi, and shoots her through the heart. Kasumi falls off the roof, mortally wounded. Shepard gets his clear shot at the Nemesis, and kills her. Thane recovers, and blasts Leng off the roof with a biotic attack. Thane and Shepard lean over Kasumi. C-sec officers and the salarian councilor come back onto the balcony, and Kasumi sensing their approach, simply splutters (through a mouthful of blood) “Don't let anyone see me”. She cloaks, and a moment later, the spot where she lays becomes dark with her pooling blood. Even in death, she remains anonymous.

[Assuming Kasumi was not recruited/alive]

If Thane is loyal, before Leng can stab him, Thane grabs the assassin and flings the pair of them from the roof. Leng activates his synthetic leg-jet boosters, slowing their fall, and they land on a car down below. Thane is knocked out, Shepard shoots the Nemesis, who was distracted by the falling assassins, and Leng staggers away from the smashed car, which is actually a C-sec vehicle. Leng flees. Shepard and the C-sec officers rush over to see Thane, and Shepard calls for an ambulance. From this point on in the game, Thane wears a breathing mask permanently until his death.

If Thane is unloyal, Leng raises the knife for a killing blow, and Thane closes his eyes, accepting death. Leng stabs the drell in the chest. C-sec officers shoot at Leng and the Nemesis sniper. Leng leaps off the balcony to escape, and the Nemesis sniper drives away. Thane dies, begging the gods to forgive him for his past sins. Shepard can mourn Thane.

For more details on the mission, go to “Stop a Killer” under main “Story missions”.

 

2)      Assuming Thane survived the mission “Stop a Killer”, he can be recruited for the mission “Trace a Killer” – in which he uses his assassin-expertise to figure out that Kai Leng is hiding in the Citadel's currently unused refugee apartments (which are being renovated for future inhabitants). If Thane survived Leng's first encounter, the drell will be found in intensive care at Huerta Memorial Hospital, different from the original room he was admitted to. The drell assassin will have contacted Shepard over the radio, and tells Shepard that he thinks  he knows where Leng is hiding – based upon maps of the Citadel. Kolyat (if reconciled with) will not be there when Shepard goes to speak with Thane. Thane will show Shepard Leng's probable location.

 Shepard can use renegade dialogue to coax Thane into personally helping hunt for Leng. Otherwise, Thane will stay in the hospital (and be quite content to do so). He will not be harmed during this mission, though Kolyat will find out that Thane left the hospital with Shepard for several hours, and will be angry. This will permanently damage femShepard's relationship with Kolyat after Thane dies.

Shepard can allow Thane to stay in the hospital with paragon and neutral dialogue options. Thane will instruct Shepard and company via radio on where to look for Leng once they reach the apartments.

For details on the mission, go to “Track a Killer” under main “story missions”.

3)      As mentioned before, Thane makes the side quest “Vassla Prothean Ruins” available. However, Thane can only be a temporary squad-mate on this mission if Shepard takes the option to go directly from Thane's home in the drell enclave, to the ruins of Kahje. If Shepard refuses, Thane gives Shepard government clearance (benefit of being such a valuable assassin for the hanar's government), and Shepard can finish this mission at any time. On this mission, Thane will be a wealth of detail on hanar culture, history of Kahje, and Prothean ruins. If Javik is brought along for the “Vassla Prothean Ruins” mission, the two will discuss the effects and origins of Prothean influence on the hanar – and Javik will be the only squad-mate to recognize what the discovered Prothean A.I named “Vocal” is.

 

Death:

[Note: Thane's death is not in the game because I dislike the character (I actually quite like Thane), not because I am trying to be mean to fans who support femShep's relationship with him, and not because I needed a main character to die for the sake of drama. Thane's death is here because it was foreshadowed in the previous game, and because his character revolves around the concept of a man at the end of his life, looking back on the choices he made.  I believe that to take away Thane's death by having Mordin or some other character come up with a cure for Kepral's syndrome trivializes the entire premise of who Thane is, and the effects that Kepral's syndrome have. I feel that with the potential of the geth-quarian conflict coming to an end and the potential for the genophage being cured, having a disease like the one plaguing Thane also being cured is both horribly uninteresting, unrealistic, and unhelpful in the scheme of the overall plot. What would be next? A tidy bow tied around a cure for the gentic disorder that created Ardat-Yakshi? A magical pill that allows quarians immune systems to be strengthened instantly? I didn't want these “micro-problems” to be resolved. They can be left for a future Mass Effect game to figure out, preferably one where the protagonist is Dr. House's great-great-great grandchild working in the universe's best hospital]

 

Thane dies late in the game, right before Shepard's second trial with the Batarian Hegemony (ironically, this is the trial that brings into question Shepard's personal history, backstory, and love interests). The Huerta Hospital contacts Shepard, telling him that Thane doesn't have much time, and they will suggest that the commander meets with the drell one last time.

If Thane was loyal, he will list the decisions he made throughout the events of ME2 and ME3, and will thank Shepard for them. He will pray to his wife, Irikah, for a safe spiritual passage into death. Kolyat will recite religious passages, and Thane will die peacefully.

If Thane was not loyal in ME2, he will die bitterly regretting that he never reunited with Kolyat. Before dying, he prays to his wife Irikah for forgiveness.

If Thane is romantic with Shepard, the assassin will tell her and Kolyat that they are his reason for life, and lanterns in death. Shepard and Kolyat will recite religious text for Thane, who will die quietly.

After his death, the Citadel councilors offer romance-femShepard/Kolyat a funeral for Thane's service to The Council.

If femShepard denies this, Kolyat will arrange for his father's body to be cremated.

If femShepard accepts this, Thane will get a funeral with all of Mass Effect 2's loyal and on-Citadel squad mates, and the SR2's current squad-mates. After the funeral, Thane's body will be sent back to Kahje, to be buried in the hanar fashion of setting the corpse to sea. Shepard and Kolyat will have a two person private ceremony in Mass Effect 3's epilogue sequence.

If the choice is left up to Kolyat, he will send Thane's body back to Kahje, where the hanar will bury him at sea.

After the Hegemony's second trial of Shepard on the Citadel, Shepard will remember all of the people that he lost throughout his/her lengthy journey (via visual flashes of their faces), particularly those that were romanced. If Shepard romanced Thane, she has the option of an emotionally charged act while isolated (unless she brought Hannah Shepard with her) on the elevator, going down to the Citadel Atrium.

 While images of Thane (and other dead squad-mates) flash across her vision, Shepard can choose the “Lash out” option. This sends Shepard into a rage, and she smashes her fists against the elevator wall until her fists are bloody. If Hannah Shepard is there, the mother will reach out and comfort her daughter. Armando Bailey, who will be watching the elevator interior (via security camera) with some C-sec security agents, will calm down his disgruntled employees by telling them that “everything is alright”. He never mentions this to Shepard.

While images of Thane (and other dead squad mates) flash across her vision, if Shepard chooses to “Break down” option, she will slump to the floor defeated, and tears will fall down her cheeks. If Hannah Shepard is there, the mother will reach out and comfort her daughter. Armando Bailey, who is watching the security cameras in the interior of the elevator, will turn off the monitor so his C-sec staff will stop watching, respecting Shepard's privacy. He never mentions this to Shepard.

While images of Thane (and other dead squad-mates) flash across his vision, if Shepard chooses to “Stay strong”, he clenches his fists and breaths heavily, but remains straight backed and steely eyed. Armando Bailey, who is monitoring the interior of the elevator from a security camera, contintues to watch Shepard silently as he descends to the Atrium.

[Note: This scene is meant to offer Shepard a place of emotional weakness. It is optional, as Shepard can choose to “remain strong”. This scene is placed after the events of the second trial, in which the batarians question Shepard's past game decisions, and insult his romantic interests in an attempt to goad the commander during the trial. I felt that the natural transition from Shepard as a goaded target, to vulnerable and isolated individual made an extremely powerful and moving scene in my head. The bit about Armando Bailey watching was meant to give the scene even more weight]

 

Shepard can continue to mourn Thane throughout the story. If Shepard romanced Thane, Kelly Chambers, Emily Wong/Diana Allers, Garrus, and a few other characters will want to talk about his death. In the case of Emily Wong/Diana Allers, it will be for interview purposes.

Ironing out variables:

 

If Thane was not loyal, and was killed during ME2's suicide mission, he does not appear in ME3. Shepard cannot visit his house. Liara forges Shepard clearance to enter the Prothean ruins on Kahje. Kolyat does not appear in the game, though Liara's Shadow Broker resources reveal that he is now working for the Eclipse gang. Shepard is unable to stop Kai Leng from killing the salarian councilor-- who escapes C-sec and Shepard by jumping off the balcony-- this puts more pressure on the Alliance to take out Cerberus, and forces Liara to hire STG when assaulting TIM's main base. Spectre-Garrus/Spectre-Jacob tracks Leng to the uninhabited Citadel apartments.

If Thane was loyal in ME2, but was killed on the suicide mission, Shepard can mourn him. Liara forges Shepard clearance to enter the Prothean ruins on Kahje. If Shepard was romancing Thane, Kolyat and Shepard will have a few scenes together where they remember the assassin fondly. If Shepard was not romancing Thane, he simply discovers that Kolyat has stayed on working with Armando Bailey.  Shepard is unable to stop Kai Leng from killing the salarian councilor-- who escapes C-sec and Shepard by jumping off the balcony-- this puts more pressure on the Alliance to take out Cerberus, and forces Liara to hire STG when assaulting TIM's main base.

If Thane was never recruited, he does not appear in ME3. Kolyat does not appear in ME3. Liara gives Shepard forged government clearance to enter the Prothean ruins on Kahje. Shepard is unable to stop Kai Leng from killing the salarian councilor-- who escapes C-sec and Shepard by jumping off the balcony-- this puts more pressure on the Alliance to take out Cerberus, and forces Liara to hire STG when assaulting TIM's main base.

If the Shepard endorsed a human-only council in ME1, then Kai Leng is attacking either Councilor Anderson, or Councilor Udina.

If the councilor Leng is attempting to assassinate is Anderson, then there will be special dialogue in which Anderson and Leng recognize each other.

If Leng kills Anderson, then Udina takes over in his place.

If Leng kills Udina, then another human councilor is appointed.