This article argues that the Citadel Council in Mass Effect doesn’t fail due to ignorance or arrogance, but because it functions as a stability mechanism. Its purpose is to preserve equilibrium, not confront disruptive threats. Evidence of the Reapers is delayed, reframed, or proceduralized because acknowledgment would require structural change. Action is avoided through process, jurisdictional ambiguity, and consensus-building. The Council acts only when inaction threatens its own legitimacy. The failure isn’t moral—it’s structural. The system delays not to prepare, but to survive.