Citadel Council

The Citadel Council is the governing body of the Citadel. Convening in the impressive Citadel Tower, the Council is the ultimate authority in Citadel space, passing judgement for violations of Council law, settling disputes between governments, and maintaining law and order, often through the use of its own covert intelligence service, the Spectres.

The Council is an executive committee composed of one representative each from the member species. Though they have no official power over the independent governments of other species, the Council's decisions carry great weight throughout the galaxy. No single Council race is strong enough to defy the others, and all have a vested interest in compromise and cooperation.

Each of the Council species has general characteristics associated with the various aspects of governing the galaxy. The asari are typically seen as diplomats and mediators. The salarians gather intelligence and information. The turians provide the bulk of the military and peacekeeping forces.

Any species granted an embassy on the Citadel is considered an associate member, bound by the accords of the Citadel Conventions. Associate members may bring issues to the attention of the Council, though they have no impact on their final decision.

Formation
The Citadel Council was founded in 500 BCE by the asari and salarians, the first two races to independently discover the Citadel, believed to be a triumph of the lost Prothean civilization, at the hub of the mass relay network. It was the asari who suggested forming a governing body aboard the space station in partnership with the newcomer salarians. The founding of the Council marks the beginning of the Galactic Standard (GS) calendar, the year 0 GS.

Over the next 500 years, the Council rapidly expanded outward from the Citadel, encountering several new races and incorporating them into the growing galactic community. The volus were the earliest known race that the Council made first contact with; in 200 BCE, the Council grants the volus an embassy at the Citadel in recognition of their contributions to Citadel space, including the Unified Banking Act which establish the credit as a standard currency. Along with the volus, the batarians, elcor, hanar, and quarians were also welcomed to the fold during this time.

The Rachni Wars
The times of peaceful first contact ended abruptly for the Council with the accidental discovery of the rachni around 1 CE. The hive-minded, insect-like rachni reacted with extreme hostility and initiated a large-scale war with the races of Citadel space. Negotiation with the rachni queens was impossible; the queens could not be contacted in their underground nests on the rachni worlds.

A turning point in the war came when the salarians made first contact with the krogan in 80 CE, who had been living in the post-apocalyptic ruins of their homeworld Tuchanka for nearly two thousand years. The krogan were uplifted and manipulated into serving as soldiers for the Council. The resilient krogan succeeded where other Citadel races could not. Able to survive on the harsh rachni worlds, the krogan stormed rachni nests and exterminated queens one by one. By 300 CE, the rachni were declared extinct. As a reward for their service, the krogan were given a new, pristine homeworld. A lasting result of the Rachni Wars was the Council's establishment of new laws which prohibited the activation of uncharted mass relays.

The Krogan Rebellions and the Turians
Some 400 years after the end of the Rachni Wars, the Council once again found itself embroiled in a galaxy-wide conflict. The krogan, having exploded in numbers and encroaching on the territories of other races, were asked by the Council to withdraw from the asari colony of Lusia. Outraged, the krogan refused. The Council ordered the recently-formed Special Tactics and Reconnaissance division to make a preemptive strike against krogan infrastructures, and the Krogan Rebellions began.

This conflict persisted for a century, ending only after the Council made first contact with the turians, who agreed the krogan were a threat and declared war against them. The turians inflicted a lethal blow using the salarian-developed genophage; without the ability to quickly replenish their forces, the krogan dwindled. Following the Rebellions, the Citadel Conventions were drawn up. By 900 CE, the turians have filled the military and peacekeeping niche in Citadel space vacated by the krogan. In recognition of their role during and after the Rebellions, the turians were inducted into the Citadel Council as the third race with full membership.

Expansion, Conflict, and Humanity
The next thousand years were relatively peaceful ones for the Council, interrupted only by some minor galactic incidents and the Geth War of 1895 CE. In that conflict, the quarians were driven from their worlds by the geth, machines created to serve the quarians that had achieved artificial intelligence and rebelled. With invasion by the geth an immediate threat, the Council refused the quarians' pleas for help and revoked their Citadel embassy, and also implemented restrictive laws on AI research and development.

During this time the Council continued to explore the galaxy, encountering new races with varied success. One diplomatic failure occurred with the yahg, a pre-spaceflight race discovered by Council surveyors in 2125 CE. A Council delegation was dispatched to the yahg homeworld Parnack, expecting to quickly establish diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, the predatory yahg misinterpreted the delegation's non-subservient behaviors as an attitude of contempt and promptly slaughtered the delegates. The Council responded by cutting off contact with the yahg and declaring Parnack off-limits to Citadel races; the Council asserted that the extremely aggressive yahg were poorly suited to integrate with the galactic community.

In 2157 CE, Council intervened in the Relay 314 Incident. A brief conflict instigated by the turians against the newly-encountered humans for what the turians viewed as a breach of galactic law, the First Contact War, as humans referred to it, was brought to an end when both sides prepared to escalate their involvement. The Council revealed itself and the existence of the galactic community to humanity and brokered a peace agreement which forced the turians to pay significant reparations. Humanity quickly rose to prominence and was granted an embassy on the Citadel in 2165 CE.

Mass Effect: Revelation
After their top Spectre agent, Saren Arterius, reported the Alliance's illegal AI research on Sidon, the Council holographically confronted the first human ambassador, Anita Goyle and announced they would impose heavy sanctions on the Alliance with regular reports from personal overseers. Goyle predicted their ulterior motives - intending to curb humanity's rapid growth and expansion - managed to negotiate a better deal with a passionate speech about humanity's growth as a species.

Goyle later asked for an audience with the Council, diplomatically offering Alliance participation in taking down the rogue AI researcher, Dr. Shu Qian, on Camala. She offered the services of one of the Alliance's most decorated officers, Lieutenant David Anderson and had him paired up with Saren, to assess his Spectre candidacy. As Goyle left, she realised that the Council had anticipated all her requests, agreed measures in advance, and subtly let her know that she had a lot to learn about galactic politics.

Unfortunately, Saren secretly sabotaged the mission and falsified his report to make Anderson look responsible for the destruction of a refinery that killed hundreds of innocent people. It was enough for the Council to bar Anderson from the Spectres. After Saren stole Dr. Qian's research, the Council had no other evidence of the supposed artifact that Dr. Qian had discovered, and refused to investigate further without proof.

Mass Effect
Shepard's induction into the Spectres is seen as the first step toward humanity getting a seat on the Citadel Council, but this is a thorny issue as humans are still newcomers. Initially the Council are reluctant to bow to the pressure from Ambassador Udina, but proof of Saren Arterius' treachery, and Saren's vendetta against humans, forces their hand. However, the Council do not want to send their fleet into the Attican Traverse, as this could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems. They task Shepard with tracking Saren down and give the commander authority to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him. At the end of each mission, Shepard has the opportunity to report back to the Council from the Normandy's comm room and discuss matters with them.

Despite this, many humans still see the Citadel Council as anti-human and excessively cautious, which is not entirely unjustified. Much to Shepard's annoyance, throughout the mission the Council refuses to see the Reapers as anything more than a story Saren is using to control the geth, and dismisses the commander's vision as a simple dream. They further justify that their own intelligence sources did not uncover anything Reaper-related. The salarian councilor explains their position: the Council's decisions affect trillions of lives across the galaxy, and they cannot act on the say-so of a single person, even a Spectre, without evidence.

After Shepard discovers that the Conduit is on Ilos, gains the co-ordinates for the Mu Relay to reach the planet and discovers that Saren and Sovereign are planning to attack the Citadel itself, the Council sends word that they are putting together a massive joint-species fleet to handle Saren and the geth. But when Shepard returns, the commander realizes the Council are only prepared to put up a blockade to stop Saren reaching the Citadel itself, and they have no intention of going to Ilos. The Mu Relay's position means the presence of a Council fleet there could start a war with the Terminus Systems. The Council remains convinced that the Reapers aren't real, only seeing Saren as a master manipulator who plots to attack the Citadel and wouldn't reveal his true motives. Shepard's protests only result in the Normandy being grounded by Udina, while the Council quietly closes diplomatic channels.

Shepard manages to escape the Citadel, but the Council has no time to retaliate, as they are soon faced with a massive geth armada led by Sovereign. When the Citadel fails to respond, the Council is evacuated to the Destiny Ascension, which then comes under heavy fire. Shepard, returning to the Citadel via the Conduit, has a choice of how to deploy the Alliance Navy ships as reinforcements, ultimately deciding the fate of the Council and the future politics of Citadel space.

Focusing on Sovereign and abandoning the Council sees the Destiny Ascension destroyed and the Council killed, resulting in a new Council being formed with Captain Anderson or Ambassador Udina as chairman. Depending on the player's paragon/renegade score, Ambassador Udina either states the necessity for the new Council to be assembled of only one species - the humans, or merely calls for a human chairman in a multi-species Council. This however has no real impact on the story, as Mass Effect 2 will not treat these outcomes differently.

Alternatively the Alliance fleet can save the Ascension and the Council, albeit at the cost of many human lives - in this event, the Council accepts that the Reapers are real and humans are invited to join the Council, with either Captain Anderson or Ambassador Udina as representative. Either way, the galaxy would look to humanity and the Council for guidance against the Reaper threat.

Mass Effect Galaxy
The Council was contacted by the batarian ambassador, Jath'Amon, with the intention of bringing about a reconciliation between the batarians and the Citadel races. Meanwhile, Jacob Taylor, a former marine of the Systems Alliance, was investigating batarian activity with the help of informant Miranda Lawson. During their investigations, they discovered that the true purpose of the peace talks was to facilitate an assassination attempt on the Council by means of a deadly bio-weapon.

After confronting Jath'Amon with the evidence of his treachery during a Council meeting, the batarian released the weapon and infected the Council. Jacob repelled the batarian insurgents and brought Jath'Amon to justice. With the help of an antidote manufactured by the asari scientist Batha, the councilors were cured of their infection before any major harm could befall them.

Mass Effect 2
If the Council is saved, then humanity gains their full trust. Either Anderson or Udina is appointed as the human Councilor, with the other becoming their assistant. Nonetheless, there is not enough evidence to prove to the Council that the Reapers exist, even from what few fragments of Sovereign were recovered. When Commander Shepard returned from the dead, thanks to Cerberus, the Council was skeptical of their former Spectre's claims about the Collectors abducting human colonies. They were even more wary that Shepard was working with Cerberus, an acknowledged terrorist organization. Though the Council cannot take any official action, they offer to restore full Spectre privileges to Shepard on the condition that the Commander restricts operations to the Terminus Systems. Shepard can accept or refuse the offer.

If the original Council died, the new Council will refuse to meet with Shepard. If Anderson is Councilor, the Commander can still be granted Spectre status, but this is played down as being a mostly symbolic gesture. If Udina is Councilor, then Shepard will not be granted Spectre status (this is the default condition for players who do not import a Mass Effect game file into Mass Effect 2).

Mass Effect: Inquisition
In 2186 CE, Councilor Udina informs Captain Bailey that C-SEC has been compromised and is working to undermine the Council. Bailey's investigation results in the death of Executor Pallin and Bailey's promotion to Commander, despite Bailey's reservations about Pallin's guilt. Udina does not elaborate on the nature of C-SEC's or Pallin's activities.

Citadel Fleet


The Council's most important peacekeeping force is the Citadel Fleet, which polices Citadel space and guards the Citadel itself. Mostly comprised of turian vessels, the Fleet is large enough to station patrols at a vast number of mass relays and still keep a garrison at the Citadel. The flagship of the Fleet is the asari dreadnought Destiny Ascension. The Council is evacuated to the Ascension in the event of an emergency.

Council Demilitarization Enforcement Mission
The Council Demilitarization Enforcement Mission (CDEM) was created in accordance with the armistice that ended the Krogan Rebellions. Based at Pildea Station, CDEM's patrols oversee the entire Krogan Demilitarized Zone. CDEM logs all ships passing through the DMZ and has the right to board and search them at any time and for any reason. Under the armistice, CDEM is responsible for ensuring that the krogan do not obtain starship-mounted weapons; the penalty for smuggling these weapons is punishable by death by spacing.

CDEM operates battlestations in orbit above Tuchanka and manages the planetary shroud which prevents Tuchanka's surface from heating to inhospitable levels. CDEM also enforces a quarantine around the debris field of Rothla, and maintains a small garrison at Ruam's helium-3 mining stations to prevent the sale of fuel to criminal elements.

Special Tasks Group
The salarians often handle intelligence-gathering operations as part of their Council duties, using the Special Tasks Group (STG). The STG is composed of small units of salarian operatives who monitor developing situations or undertake covert missions.

Spectres
The Council's elite, invested with the Council's authority, Spectres are vital to keeping the peace across Citadel space. They are individuals who act either on the Council's orders or on their own initiative, to preserve galactic stability. Sometimes, in situations where the Council cannot be seen to act officially, they will send a Spectre instead. Spectres have absolute freedom under the law and answer only to the Council. All details of them are classified.

Administration

 * Departments
 * Ministry of Finance (see Cerberus Daily News: February 4, 2010).


 * Committees
 * Committee on Habitable Worlds (see Caleston, Dranen).
 * Committee on Paleotechnology (see Cerberus Daily News: December 6, 2010).


 * Agencies
 * Citadel Emergency Services (see Cerberus Daily News: March 22, 2010)
 * Citadel Security Services
 * Citadel Travel Advisory (see Cerberus Daily News: October 23, 2010).

Trivia

 * In Mass Effect, the turian councilor is voiced by Alastair Duncan, the asari councilor is voiced by Jan Alexandra Smith and the salarian councilor is voiced by Armin Shimerman.
 * A report by the Cerberus Daily News refers to the asari councilor as "Councilor Tevos". In Mass Effect 2 on the Citadel, an Emily Wong news vid on the Citadel refers to another one of the councilors as "Councilor Valern", but does not clarify if the turian or salarian councilor is being named.