Hello xirs and stalkers.

This is probably the epilogue for Anomalous Effect. The spark has run its course, and I have my own original fiction to think about.

As a sort of consolation prize for those who stuck around, here was the outline for the rest of the fic.

Doctor's arc ends with him leaving Thessia after saving Hita from being burned as a witch with the help of a Psy-dog. The last part explains how Hita became a respected healer for the rest of her life, essentially becoming a legend. I had a lot of baaww moments planned, so too bad about that.

The next flashback would have been Ashot and Yar, and their adventures on the planet that would later be called Kahje. They ended up there after Yar insisted on being assigned to the planet full of "sexy tentacle aliens" but instead of Asari, they ended up with primitive squid aliens who thought they were space demons, who bled vile yellow acid and expelled noxious gases after consuming vast quantities of alcoholic poison.

Their arc would end after identifying relics that offered information on the Reapers. Tens of thousands of years later, a demonic cult that centers around the demon "Yar'Ashot" has sprung on Kahje, at odds with the mainstream religion of the Enkindlers.

The third flashback planned was that of Zulu giving an impoverished Asari prostitute and her dozen children, and teaching them the wonders of making moonshine and vodka. Like Doctor, he was assigned on Thessia to look for Prothean relics, and though he didn't find any, he did save an Asari village from being abducted by Monolith troops and their subverted Rachni and Yahg auxiliaries... while intoxicated.

The fourth would have involved Ganja and his adventures on Surkesh, teaching primitive Salarians the art of planting and smoking weed... everyday. He also saved a Salarian city from being overrun by Reaper husks left over from the reaping of the previous cycle.

Thousands of years later, the Salarians think that Ganja was some kind of wise sage who preached love, equality and meditation by smoking "mar'xuana"

I had other arcs planned, but that's all I had lined up. The final arc would have involved Dyegtyarev, Strelok and Zaeed Massani finding Vigil in the Temple of Athame. The official records only mention Dyegtyarev and Massani, and Shepard explains that it was because of politics that Strelok was written out of the history books. He further explained that it was also politics that made the factions choose the Stalkers to go find the Prothean relics. They were the most politically acceptable option, because they didn't have any power. They couldn't keep any Prothean relics even if they found them.

Shepard then explains the story behind Strelok and Dyegtyarev but it's clear that he's hiding something.

Later, Anderson and representatives from the Four factions drop by. Alenko is a perpetually high, slightly mutated Freedom operative. Ashley is with Duty. Chakwas is a mad scientist from the Ecologists. And Anderson with the Tribe.

They request that the Stalkers hand over the aliens to them. The Stalkers tell them to fuck off.

Bunch of action happens in between, including an omake where Ganja teaches Liara to smoke weed, Wrex and Shepard stealing several crates of booze from Zaeed Massani, Rael getting drunk (again) and getting provoked into fighting in the arena (again) and Saren going hilariously insane (he develops an imaginary friend, which is later found to be a feral poltergeist parasite).

Weeks pass, and Liara, Wrex, Rael and Saren remain stuck on Shanxi, unable to leave due to the Emissions that cover the system. They slowly mutate and become insane because of the Zone. Unable to save the aliens from their suffering, the Stalkers vote to put them out of their misery, but Shepard votes on a plan to save them.

The plan was to create an artificial Bubble Anomaly that would transport them into Citadel space. I haven't thought this part through yet, but it essentially boils down to this:

1. Stalkers create a bubble anomaly

2. Load the aliens into a lifepod

3. Send lifepod to Citadel space.

And that's how we end up back in the present.

Years pass, and Wrex and a grown up Tali rescue Liara from her care home, accidentally kidnapping Garrus along the way. They inform Liara that the Monolith and the Reapers are returning, and that they have agents in all of the major powers in and out of the Citadel. Wrex tried to warn the council but as a renegade Spectre, they wouldn't believe him.

Along the way, news come out that the Citadel had fallen to an unknown giant vessel commanded by the rogue Turian Fleet Intelligence agent, Saren Arterius. At the same time, the capital worlds of the main races are besieged by unknown alien crafts and terrible monsters.

Realizing that they couldn't save the day on their own, Liara, Tali, Wrex and Garrus force their way through relay 314 to enlist the assistance of the only force that had sort-of successfully fought off the Reapers and the Monolith.

When they landed, it was Shepard who greeted them. I had planned to create a touching moment where Tali - like a little girl - breaks down crying, angry why the magical "Sakars" didn't answer her prayers to save her parents.

Liara and Wrex tell Shepard what's going on, and he tells the Stalkers. The Stalkers, though, explain that they don't have any fleets or armies. Only the Great Factions have them, and they will not (even if they can) venture beyond Zone/Human Space.

Angry, Liara begs the humans to help them; to send whatever help humanity can offer. "Please you saved our people before. You can't just abandon us now."

In a moment of self-pity, Shepard tells Liara, "We can't even save ourselves. What makes you think we can save the galaxy?"

Strelok makes a dramatic entrance halfway through this conclave, and tells them that he has found a way to both save humanity from the Zone and the rest of the galaxy, but he couldn't do it alone. He reveals that he has met the mysterious Leviathans and that with their help, he has found a way to reverse the effects of the Zone.

This is where the fic ends.

The epilogue would have taken place on Thessia, as Reapers and Monolith forces devastate everything. On a lonely shrine dedicated to the ancient "Stakar," a team of Asari commandos are hard pressed to fend off wave after wave of husks. They are about to be overrun, when one of the ancient "stakar" relics in the shrine starts blinking.

The Noospheric beacon becomes active and a Bubble anomaly appear out of thin air, and out comes a squad of Stalkers - fully armed and armored - and they mow down the Reaper husks, just as they did during the Third Long Dark War (see Chapter 9).

At the head of this squad are Shepard and Strelok, and they lead the fight.

The End. Cheeki Breeki

So there you go, fam.