[ASA Vet]

there were no intelligent beings in the Milky Way 12-15 billion years ago

You're assuming native beings, how about colonists from older galaxies?

[RightWhale]

colonists from older galaxies?

I will grant that we could colonize the entire Milky Way in a million years or so as we are if we ever get off this mudball, but another galaxy would be out of reach altogether without some vast change of evolutionary level. Can't speak for space aliens coming from another galaxy.

[Question_Assumptions]

The key lies in the statement, "The first generation of stars/planents did not have very many elements higher up than five on the periodic table." If current theories about the formation of the universe, galaxies, stars, and planets are correct, the closer you get to the first generation of stars, the fewer elements you have to work with. The first stars were almost all hydrogen and helium. You need heavier elements like carbon and nitrogen for life and even heavier elements to have metals with which to build a civilization.

[SengirV]

You're assuming native beings, how about colonists from older galaxies?

That would be no good as well, since you need several generations of star life/death to produce heavy elements in the quantities needed to generate life of any real complexity. So no life worth it's salt(get it?) would be around for MANY billions of years after the big bang.