<em><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">Ten years after the end of the Reaper War, the galaxy remains united.  The various civilizations that endured remain strong, and have rebuilt much of what was lost.  Due in no small part to the massive effort put forth by Commander Jessica Shepard, the losses incurred were surprisingly small - comparatively.  The Citadel was destroyed, and the mass relays were heavily damaged.  A decade of work has rebuilt them and kept the galaxy together, but has severely depleted the Element Zero reserves.  Now convening on the new Citadel - custom-made by tireless work - the Council is scheduled to meet for the first time in the past ten years, and to induct new members from each of the remaining Citadel races.  But everything may not be safe.  Many teams have been sent to find new sources of Element Zero.  Several teams have gone missing at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, without a trace.  Something is there... something big.</span></span></em><br/><hr/><strong>Kulta'z</strong><div class="floatright"><strong>Tagging: Any (Open)</strong></div><br/>Galactic Calender, day 127<br/>Ten years ago, a fleet of living machines invaded the Milky Way galaxy.  Hundreds of thousands of ships, each capable of independent thought, each capable of wiping out an entire civilization.  They'd come to harvest all spacefaring lifeforms - to exterminate them, and turn them into new Reapers.  At the time, the many species of the galaxy were at ends with each other.  At the time, the mighty Krogan were sterile, and dying.  Kulta'z remembered those days well.  She had been one of the thousands of infertile females, incapable of giving birth to a new generation.  Many of her fellow infertile Krogan women sacrificed themselves in experiments or to death, unwilling to face the fact that their role in life was not child-bearing.  Kulta'z was stronger than that, and sought a higher purpose.  She trained herself in biotics, and soon garnered the attention of the leader of the strongest Krogan clan: Urdnot Wrex.<br/><br/>Now, ten years later, she stood on the<em>Kimlek</em>bound for the new Citadel.  She was to be one of the first Krogan to set foot on the Citadel since it'd been rebuilt.  She didn't know what awaited her, but Wrex had promised her a new mission to take.  One that would put her in collaboration with other species - and put her on the fast track to being a Spectre.<br/><br/>She wasn't the flight officer of the<em>Kimlek</em>, but she did carry some authority.  As she walked by the lower ranked soldiers, they moved aside.  Most out of respect, others out of fear.  She had fought on the ground, on Earth, during the last push of the Reaper War.  She'd battled dozens of Reaper forces, seen dozens of her people killed and transformed into ... something else.  She'd come back from that, not only alive, but different.  The others could see it.  Wrex could see it.  She was different.<br/><br/>She stepped onto the bridge and observed the docking procedures.  The Krogan ship moved into position.  The communications officer contact the Citadel Tower.<br/><br/>"Citadel Tower," the officer said.  "This is the<em>Kimlek</em>, requesting docking permission."<br/><br/>"Copy,<em>Kimlek</em>," came the reply.  The voice sounded human.  "Your transponder codes have been verified and authorized.  Please proceed to docking bay 139.  Transferring you to a Krogan operator."<br/><br/>"Copy, Citadel Tower.  Proceeding on course."<br/><br/>A moment later, the communication line clicked on again.  "<em>Kimlek</em>, we read you.  Continue docking procedures.  Ambassador Drek will be waiting for you topside."  This voice was Krogan.  Evidently, C-Sec believed that each species would feel more at home speaking with one of their own.<br/><br/>The ship slowly made its way into the specified docking bay, came to a complete stop, and was locked into place.  The loading ramp extended and connected to the entryway.  With a curt nod to the pilot and communications officer, Kulta'z made her way to the entryway.  A tall, dark red-skinned Krogan stood by the door.  She thrust her arm to her chest in a salute, and he did the same.<br/><br/>"Captain Pax," she greeted.<br/><br/>"Kulta'z," the captain replied, his voice deep.  "Are you ready?"<br/><br/>"Yes, I am."<br/><br/>"Good.  We don't have time to waste on sight-seeing like the rest of the crew.  We're to meet Ambassador Drek, then report directly to the Council Chamber.  Our arrival has been registered with C-Sec already."<br/><br/>"Understood."<br/><br/>The captain pressed a button and the blast door opened, revealing a small pressure room and a second blast door.  She and the captain moved forward, closed the inner door, and opened the outer door.  Waiting one the loading ramp was Ambassador Drek, dressed in a blue-and-white outfit that accentuated the Citadel's pristine color scheme.<br/><br/>"Captain, Kulta'z," he said, saluting them.  They saluted back.  "Come.  The Council is waiting."<br/><br/>He led them away from the docking bay and - after a short elevator ride - to the Presidium Commons.  The Council Chamber was on the other side of the space station.  The new Citadel was very much like the old one, though it was larger and offered more to explore.  It hadn't reached nearly the same population size, yet, but it would in time.  Kulta'z wondered who else was going to be on this mission, and if they would encounter any of them before reaching the Council Chamber.