Before Crisis Chapter Summaries – Chapters 12, 13 & 14

Part 5 of the Before Crisis chapter summaries.

Having blackmailed President Shinra into allowing him to return to his role as Chief, Verdot regains control of the Turks and leads them to victory in Junon against the AVALANCHE invasion, promising that he will do what he can to find the leak within the Shinra Executive.  Several months pass before AVALANCHE make further movements, but they are unsuccessful in recruiting to their cause Shinra’s scientific genius, Professor Hojo, or the last surviving Cetra, Aerith.  With AVALANCHE retreating, Shinra receive disturbing news of the strange disappearance of workers at a remote Mako Reactor.  The Turks are sent to Nibelheim to investigate.

Read on to find summaries for Episodes 12, 13 and 14…

12.  An Awakening That Tore the Peace

Nibelheim  [ν]-εγλ 0002/09/21-30

Following the mysterious disappearance of the workers at the Mount Nibel Mako Reactor, the player Turk is sent to scout ahead for the SOLDIER investigation team.  Tseng flies a helicopter over the Nibel Mountains to where the Reactor is located, but as the player parachutes out over the summit, a strong gust of wind blows them off course somewhere onto the cliffside trails below.  Meanwhile, elsewhere on the mountain, a young girl chases her cat, pleading with it to return to her because the road ahead is dangerous.

The player makes their way across a series of rope bridges over the gorges in the rock, avoiding the preying zuu birds, and discovers the young girl to be in trouble against the monsters on the mountain. Defeating the monsters, the Turk helps her get her cat back.  The player tells the girl to remain where she is and when they have finished their business at the Reactor, they will escort her back down to the town.  The girl introduces herself as Tifa.

Coming to the Reactor, the player discovers that it is surrounded by dragons.  They report to Tseng who says that it is too dangerous to attempt to get inside and that the investigation will have to be put on hold.  The player returns to get Tifa and takes her to the secret Shinra ropeway car to descend the mountain.  As they travel, Tifa asks the Turk if they have ever met a boy named Cloud.

Suddenly, the ropeway is attacked by a dragon.  The cables snap and the car crashes into the mountainside, leaving the two hanging on a ledge.  The player calls Tseng and informs him that the ropeway is destroyed.  He replies that it will cause problems for Sephiroth’s team who are due to arrive shortly, and that the player must find a guide to navigate Mount Nibel for the SOLDIERs.  Tifa agrees to do it.

The following day, the SOLDIER investigation team arrives, consisting of Sephiroth and Zack, and accompanied by two Shinra soldiers – one of whom is Cloud. The player is pleased to meet old friends, but is surprised when Cloud requests that they don’t tell Tifa that he has come back to Nibelheim.  They agree to remain silent.

The next day, the investigation team return from the Reactor, and the Turk is stunned to see Sephiroth act strangely and lock himself in his room at the inn.  Zack explains that he changed because of something he saw at the Reactor, and has been behaving oddly since.  Sephiroth later disappears into the basement of the Shinra Mansion.  Tseng orders the player to keep a close eye on Sephiroth, but is concerned as he is unable to contact Chief Verdot who is currently on another assignment.  One night, he leaves the Mansion and sets Nibelheim ablaze, causing the entire town to be engulfed in flames.  Slaying the townspeople, he sets off for Mount Nibel.

Alerting Tseng to the situation, the player chases after Sephiroth, racing up the mountain towards the Reactor.  They catch up to him inside the facility as he strides down a corridor towards the Reactor’s core.  Sephiroth swings his Masamune and tears a chunk from the ground, knocking the Turk out. The player regains consciousness to find Cloud shaking them, and then the young soldier runs off towards the Jenova room.  Staggering weakly after him, the player finds Tifa bad wounded.  As they stand over her, Zangan appears, and explains that Tifa’s cat led him to her.  He escapes from the Reactor with the girl on his back.  The player runs up to Jenova’s chamber, passing the incapacitated Zack, just in time to see Cloud throw Sephiroth into the Mako pit.  Following the devastation, the player Turk reports to Tseng.

Read full script here, or watch video part 1 here and part 2 here.

13.  A Scar That Disrupts the Peace

Nibelheim  [ν]-εγλ 0002/10/01

The player Turk waits on backup, trying to aid the wounded Zack and Cloud.  Professor Hojo is first to arrive at the scene, and begins to inspect the fallen men.  Tseng arrives moments later and tells the player to return to the town to help Reno and Rude rescue the survivors. As the player leaves, Tseng asks Hojo if it is really necessary to go as far as a cleanup process.  Hojo dismisses his opinion, eager to enter both Zack and Cloud into his new experiment.

Arriving back in the smouldering town, Tseng calls the player and orders them to go to the Shinra Mansion and check that the machines in its basement are still functioning as Hojo wants to start a new project immediately.  Upon entering the mansion, the Turk finds that there is something unusual going on, and that mysterious floating spirits are causing illusions.

Tseng tells the player that Hojo has requested certain documents in the archives room be destroyed.  The player makes their way to the room, avoiding the spirits, until they come to a small library on the second floor.  Reading some of documents before setting them alight, the player discovers that the bodies of the victims from a town that was accidentally bombed were discarded at Nibelheim, and that Hojo performed experiments to fuse Materia with flesh, but that it only worked with individuals with prosthetic limbs as the Materia ended up damaged under normal conditions.

Heading towards the basement laboratory, the player meets Verdot who has just arrived at Nibelheim.  He explains that the mansion was used for experiments for decades until strange activity began to take place there years before. He leads the Turk to the basement and together they begin to investigate the machines in the laboratory.

Suddenly there is a blinding flash, and the two find themselves in an illusion of the streets of Sector8.  The events of the player’s first mission and AVALANCHE’s attack of the Mako Reactor unfold.  The two have to battle AVALANCHE operatives as they make their way to the Reactor, but the enemies are found to be the mysterious floating spirits each time they are defeated.  As Verdot fights, he uses strong magic.  When the player asks him about it, he reveals that his arm is prosthetic, and that it was designed with a Materia slot to allow him to continue working with the Turks.

A fake Verdot appears and tells them that he will make them insane by showing them horrors from their past.  The scene changes to the town square of Kalm, but it is unexpectedly engulfed in flames. Verdot hangs his head and says that they are being shown the day when the Shinra Army accidentally bombed the town, misguided by the broken communication of his own commands. He explains that he lost his daughter, Felecia, and his wife in the tragedy, and was the one who led the cover-up.  The prosthetic arm reminds him of what he was responsible for, and why he became so involved with his work.

The illusion wears off and Verdot tells the player that they will head back to the town.  They meet with the other Turks and Hojo, who is desperate to start his experiments on the survivors.  Verdot tells them that he has already organised a team of Shinra employees to rebuild Nibelheim and act out the lives of the townspeople.  He tells the others that he will take full control of the situation so that none of them have are involved in something that will make them become like him.

Later, Verdot returns to Shinra Headquarters.  He reports to President Shinra that in his special assignment, he discovered that AVALANCHE’s Headquarters are located in Wutai.  President Shinra states that although the company have many enemies there, they will prepare to move in and eradicate the terrorist group once and for all.  Verdot then reveals his suspicions about the identity of the Shinra informant for AVALANCHE, leaving the President stunned.

Read full script here, or watch video part 1 here and part 2 here.

14.  Every Hope and Resolution

Wutai  [ν]-εγλ 0003/01/03

At AVALANCHE’s Headquarters in Wutai, the Shinra informant is gathered with Elfé, Sears and Fuhito.  The informant reveals that the Turks have located their base and have been sent to destroy it.  The informant orders that they must not fail in their mission, as it will cause all their plans to have been for nothing.

The player Turk arrives at the centre of Wutai.  As they scan their surroundings, a young girl darts from the path that leads to one of the town’s pagodas, chased by an AVALANCHE operative.  The player defeats the enemy and is thanked by the girl, who then asks about the magic the Turk had used.  The player explains to the girl that it was Materia, and tells her to go home before she gets into any more danger.  The girl runs off, pondering the idea of using Materia to gain power.  Knowing that they will only be able to secretly access the pagoda of AVALANCHE’s Headquarters from the roof, the player climbs the Da-Chao cliffs so that they can jump onto the building and plant a bomb.

Inside the Headquarters, Fuhito orders the elite troops to assemble on each floor to protect against the imminent intrusion.  Although weak, Elfé insists that she fight alongside them.  She argues that she was found wandering alone and without her memory, and was raised by AVALANCHE.  She says that the least she can do for those who helped her is make a stand with them.  Sears and the reluctant Fuhito agree to protect her.

The player Turk calls Tseng once they are inside.  He informs them that he is nearby and will be acting as their support.  Working their way down through the pagoda, battling the four Special Divisions of the AVALANCHE Army and planting explosives on each floor, the player arrives at the ground level only to discover the entrance is locked.  Meanwhile in another part of the building, Elfé addresses her troops once more and promises to protect them but as they move out, she feels the pain again, causing Fuhito to suggest they continue with their original plan.  On the ground floor, the young girl suddenly falls from the ceiling and lands on top of the Turk.  She tells them that she hates the people who have used the building as their Headquarters as well as the Shinra, and escapes through a hidden passage.

Realising the girl has stolen the detonator, the Turk gives chase through the underground passages and a series of rooms.  Eventually trapping the girl, who has identified herself as Yuffie, the player orders that she return the detonator, but she presses the button and initiates the bombs before the Turk can grab it off her.  Knowing they have to get out of the pagoda, Yuffie leads the player through more secret passages, pursued by AVALANCHE operatives.

Fighting the AVALANCHE men, they come close to the exit as the first of the explosions go off, shaking the entire building.  They reach a large room only to find Elfé, Sears and Fuhito waiting.  The player battles the three as she defends Yuffie, and is surprised to defeat them, not noticing that they change into Ravens as she escapes.  Outside the destroyed pagoda, the player and Yuffie meet Tseng.  Yuffie is outraged to discover the player works for Shinra and demands that they leave Wutai at once.

Verdot reports to President Shinra that the mission was a success and that the AVALANCHE leaders were assassinated.  Meanwhile, atop Da-Chao, the real leaders meet with the Shinra informant – Vice President Rufus Shinra.  Elfé is upset that her illness has come back and hindered her strength, but the others assure her that using the special Copy Materia on the Ravens will have tricked Shinra, and that patience in allowing the company to think they are dead will reward them.  Rufus states that their most significant attack on the company is yet to come.

Read full script here, or watch video part 1 here and part 2 here.

Intro and Episodes 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-22, 23-Epilogue, Rescue and WEAPON, Special Episodes