Eight days after the Yaakra discovered the mysterious object, the cargo ship shot through a mass relay and entered the Keplin quasar, where the Prism space station had been constructed.

Finished in 2200, the Prism served as a substitute for the Citadel while the latter underwent major reconstruction following the destructive discharge of the Crucible. Built as a monument to galactic unity after the Reaper War, the tetrahedral station hovered within a magnificent nebula of blue-green gas and dust and served as the heart of galactic civilization.

"This is the Yaakra eezo freighter," the quarian pilot radioed, "requesting permission to dock."

The radio crackled and the voice of a human woman came through, "Apologies, Yaakra, permission denied. All the docking bays are currently full but we will try to accommodate you as soon as possible."

The pilot turned around to face the captain, waiting for further instructions. Conn'Jarrel said from his seat, "Tell her we have an appointment with the Council."

"We…have an appointment with the Council," the pilot repeated.

"You do?" the woman said skeptically, "what is your appointment number?"

The pilot started to reply but trailed off helplessly, again turning to face Conn'Jarrel. The captain tapped a button on his seat, "Request to open a comm channel with the quarian councilor."

A rhythmic series of beeps came over the QEC channel, then a hologram of the quarian councilor was projected before the captain. Though her face and emotions were partially obscured by her visor, Conn'Jarrel could see that she was clearly irritated by the call.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"Captain Conn'Jarrel vas Yaakra, councilor. I have coordinates for an unknown object we discovered on the edge of space in an unknown nebula. Geth Unit 35c led us there. The object contains unimaginable amounts of element zero which would be of great use to the quarians, but the element zero is unobtainable by our equipment.

We are requesting either assistance in extracting the element zero from the object or trading information on its whereabouts for element zero. My terms are up for negotiation, but I hope you understand that either way is greatly beneficial to the quarian race, councilor."

The quarian councilor pondered over Conn'Jarrel's proposal, pacing around her room. After around a minute she returned to face him, "Is your information reliable? We can't risk making a fool of ourselves before the rest of the Council. Not while we're a relatively new race to intergalactic politics. If your information is false, we'll be mocked to no end!"

"Councilor, I have scans of the object uploaded to an optical drive, ready for presentation. I just need ten minutes with the Council. Can you arrange that for me?"

The councilor straightened her robes. "Very well," she sniffed, "you'll have your chance to prove your information's validity. Your appointment is number 7."

"Thank you, councilor." Conn'Jarrel nodded to the councilor and disconnected the call. "Appointment number 7!" he called to the quarian pilot.

The pilot hailed the Prism again, "This is the Yaakra. We have an appointment with the Council. Appointment number 7."

"Let me check that," said the woman. A few seconds later she replied, "You're cleared to dock, Yaakra. Proceed to cargo bay 2."

"Thank you." The pilot swiped and tapped on several panels on his console. The Yaakra's side engines ignited, thrusting the ship towards the space station steadily. A triangular aperture slid open as they neared and the freighter flew through. The cargo bay was significantly larger than the docking bays used by passenger craft, permitting access to the large quarian freighter. Switching off the main engines, several small thrusters on the ship's underbelly slowed its descent and the Yaakra touched down with a jolt upon the silvery docking bay floor.

A ramp angled down from the Yaakra's airlock and descended to the ground, hitting the metal floor with a clang. The airlock doors slid open and Conn'Jarrel stepped through, donning his enviro-suit to protect him from any alien bacteria in the station.

The quarian councilor was waiting for him outside of the docking bay. Slipping the precious optical drive into a pocket, Conn'Jarrel jogged towards her, falling into step as she walked towards the central elevator.

The interior of the Prism was as pristine and shiny as the chrome exterior. The floor and walls largely consisted of aluminum and silvery metals, and lighting was provided by luminous glass cylinders embedded in the walls every few meters, illuminating the hallways and hangars with a pale blue light. The Prism's atrium was spherical and took up most of the stations interior. Fifteen floors, each with numerous shops and entertainment facilities were ringed around a central column of glass, within which slowly spun a metal statue of a double helix. Every so often the helix would discharge a burst of electricity that arced throughout the column and delivered a brief show of brilliant pyrotechnics to the people onboard.

"You're needed in the Council room immediately," the quarian councilor said briskly, not making eye contact. She walked along at a rapid, determined pace while Conn'Jarrel struggled to keep up.

"Has our discovery sparked that much interest already?" he asked.

"Yes." She spoke the word without emotion, giving away nothing. Conn'Jarrel was left to wonder whether she meant it as a positive or negative thing.

They reached the central elevators which ran up along the central column housing the helix. The councilor swiped an identification card against a scanner which beeped brightly. An elevator pod swiftly descended from one of the upper floors, the glass doors sliding apart silently. As soon as they stepped in the councilor tapped on the button for the fifteenth floor and scanned her card again, sending the elevator shooting upwards. An audio advertisement came up over the speakers and the monotone voice of an elcor boomed, "With enthusiasm: Commander Shepard VI now in stock at Dekuuna Exports on the fifth floor. Predicts what the real Commander Shepard would say with seven percent accuracy!"

As soon as the doors parted the councilor was off again, headed straight for the Council's chamber, Conn'Jarrel following closely behind. The entire fifteenth floor had been dedicated to the Council, containing their personal quarters, conference rooms, and the Council chamber where the most important of meetings were held.

The Council chamber had a ceiling of glass, displaying the endlessness of space in all its glory. The Council members were seated on a raised platform high above the chamber floor and looked down imperiously upon the quarians. Conn'Jarrel was told by the councilor to head for a simple metal desk and chair while she ascended to the Council's platform.

Conn'Jarrel sat down, slightly nervous but insistent on not showing it. He sat on the hard seat, fished his optical drive from his pocket and placed it on the desk for all to see. I'm going to get a neck cramp if I have to look up at them like this for the whole ordeal, he thought to himself. Suddenly, a circular fence rose from the floor around him and the section of the floor he was seated upon lifted off and rose to hover at eye-level before the Council, jolting him from his seat. Under the unyielding glare of the Council members, he awkwardly resumed his seat.

"Captain Conn'Jarrel vas Yaakra," the asari councilor started, "you said you have discovered an object of monumental interest to the Council?"

"Y-yes."

"Would you care to elaborate on your claim?" the salarian councilor interjected.

"Of course, councilor." Conn'Jarrel slotted the optical drive into a holographic projector built into his table. It hummed softly before producing a 3-dimensional image of the object the Yaakra had found.

The Council was silent for a moment, each member gazing curiously at the projection. Then the turian councilor spoke, "What exactly is this object?"

"Geth Unit 35c, my second-in-command, recalled the geth being commanded, during the time when a majority of them were under the Reapers' influence, to collect vast amounts of element zero and bring it to an unnamed nebula for some sort of construction project. We believe to have found the result. It is roughly the size of a mass relay and looks noticeably similar to the Citadel. It is coated with hexagonal plating that contains the element zero."

There was another pause as the Council digested the information.

"Is there a possibility of life aboard the object? The Citadel supported millions of lives, what's to say that there isn't the same situation aboard this object?" the human councilor said.

The asari councilor rolled her eyes, "Does it seem likely for the Reapers to order the geth to build a sanctum for organic life?"

"No," the human councilor mumbled, blushing in embarrassment.

"With curiosity: Where is the object?" the elcor councilor boomed in its monotone voice.

Now's where we get down to business, Conn'Jarrel thought. Out loud he replied, "That takes us into our negotiations. I wish for the Council to provide assistance in extracting the element zero from the object's plating."

"Absolutely not," the turian councilor exclaimed, "something of that value should not be taken apart for your personal gain!"

"Personal gain!?" the quarian councilor stood, her arms stiff to her sides with clenched fists, "Our people have suffered long enough! Now, when we start to recover and ask for some assistance in obtaining element zero, you turn us down immediately? We need the element zero to power our ships and our power stations! My people are in grave danger! Industry and agriculture are failing! We need what's in that station!"

"Calm yourself, my dear," the asari councilor said in her soothing tone, "the Council's decision must be decided upon by the majority," she glanced pointedly at the turian councilor.

Conn'Jarrel continued, "If extracting the element zero is out of the question, I am willing to disclose the object's whereabouts and guide your ships there in exchange for a suitable amount of element zero."

The Council members converged in a tight group to decide upon the scenario placed before them while the quarian councilor sat aside, away from the chatter, her arms crossed before her chest. There was a heated argument between the turian and asari councilors, the first wanting to deny both options while the latter argued for exchanging element zero with the quarians. Conn'Jarrel sat patiently, awaiting their decision. After another five minutes, the group dispersed back to their seats.

The salarian councilor announced, "We have come to a decision, Captain Conn'Jarrel. You will tell us the location of the object and lead a Council shuttle there in order to prove your claim. Once your claim has been validated, you will receive fifty tons of element zero and a license to utilize the element zero mines and refineries on one of our element zero-rich worlds."

"I accept your demands," Conn'Jarrel replied.

"Then it is decided," the asari councilor said, "you will receive your element zero and license as soon as we verify the existence of this object and its described properties. You may leave, Captain vas Yaakra."

"Thank you for your time, councilors." The platform descended back to the ground, reconnecting with the floor. Conn'Jarrel disembarked after ejecting his optical drive from the projector and headed for the Council chamber's doors.