Before Crisis Chapter Summaries – Chapters 21 & 22

Part 8 of the Before Crisis chapter summaries.

Chief Verdot has defected from the Turks to pursue Fuhito and rescue his daughter, Elfé.  Fuhito and his new AVALANCHE are in a race against time with Verdot to locate the four Support Materia that would allow him to call forth the world-burning summon, Zirconiade, in its complete form from the Materia in Elfé’s hand and return all life to the Planet.  Meanwhile, having been ordered to assassinate Verdot, the Turks are caught up in the struggle and vow to do everything they can to save their former mentor’s daughter.  Learning that the Turks are in league with Verdot, President Shinra orders them killed for their betrayal, secretly using their assassination as a way to get Rufus back from their custody without the threat of blackmail.

Read on to find summaries for Episodes 21 and 22…

21.  Resolve to Reach the End

Corel Prison  [ν]-εγλ 0007/10/01

  A woman is walking through a valley in the Corel Desert when she sees a number of Ravens run past.  She is surprised to see any AVALANCHE operatives after four years and notices that something seems strange about them, like they have become zombies.

  Meanwhile, Rufus informs Tseng that he has spotted AVALANCHE at Corel Prison on the real time surveillance equipment in his cell.  They conclude that the only reason AVALANCHE would break into such a stronghold is because one of the Support Materia is there.  Tseng sends the player Turk to retrieve the Materia.

  The Turk activates their radar device to track the movements of the AVALANCHE operatives and let them lead the player to the Materia.  Following the signal through the wastelands, the player soon discovers a young woman lying on the ground.  Examining her, the player finds that she has many artificial body parts, deducing that she has heat stroke and will have to get some water and shade.  Suddenly, a land worm bursts from the ground and attacks the Turk.  Defeating the monster, the player carries the woman through the hole the land worm made and into the caves below, wary of the fact they had not seen a single AVALANCHE operative.

  At Shinra Headquarters, Scarlet advises the President that she has located Verdot’s whereabouts.  She tells her troops that they have orders and that they must accomplish their mission by any means necessary.

  Meanwhile, the woman regains consciousness in the caverns under the desert.  The player introduces themselves but the woman is hesitant to be helped by a Turk.  The player searches the caves for a water pool and when she finds one, carries the water back to the woman.  Leaving her to recover with the water, the Turk decides to continue with their mission.  Using the radar device, they are able to follow a number of Ravens through the tunnels.  The player comes to a large cavern to discover the Ravens have been killed by another land worm.  Slaying the creature, they discover that it had the Support Materia.

  The player Turk returns to the women, but is surprised when she acts ungrateful for their help.  The woman says that she has something to do and walks off.  The player chases her, telling her she won’t make it out of the caves in her condition.  Together they exit the tunnels but find the desert engulfed in a sandstorm.  They are accosted by Ravens trying to steal back the Materia but the Turk defeats them, noticing on the radar that a large number of AVALANCHE operatives are gathering nearby.

  As they go to investigate, the woman asks the Turk if they know why AVALANCHE hate them so much.  She introduces herself as Shalua and says that the Turks are responsible for tearing her family apart when they kidnapped her sister as a SOLDIER candidate.  She says that she searched the world and fought countless battles against Shinra to find her sister, resulting in many wounds, and joined AVALANCHE to find out more about SOLDIER.  The player explains that the AVALANCHE Shalua knew is gone, replaced now by Fuhito’s soldiers.

  The two escape the storm and arrive at a ridge.  Suddenly, they are surrounded by Ravens, but the operatives are mown down by rapid gun fire.  The player is relieved as Verdot and Sears appear, and is surprised to learn Shalua and Sears are old acquaintances.  Shalua is unimpressed that Sears is helping the Turks, but agrees to leave with him.

  At Turk Headquarters, Rufus informs Tseng that Scarlet and her troops are closing in on Verdot in the Corel Desert, and that the player Turk is with him too.  He says that if his father captures Verdot, he would use him as leverage against the Turks.  Tseng concludes that President Shinra will kill Verdot no matter what happens and decides to fly out to Corel himself, even though there’s no way he would make it in time.

  In the desert, Scarlet arrives with her troops and Shinra weapons.  She unleashes the weapons on them, wounding the player.  Verdot calls on Scarlet to stop the onslaught as it’s he that she wants to kill.  Scarlet cackles that her orders are to capture him.  Leaving the player for dead, Scarlet and her troops take Verdot into custody.  Tseng arrives at the scene a short while later.  The player explains the situation and Tseng says that they have to save Verdot as it means saving themselves.

  At Shinra Headquarters, the Shinra Executive unanimously agree to disband the Turks, leaving Scarlet in a position to assassinate them discretely.  President Shinra secretly plans to use Verdot as leverage to get the Rufus back, and announces that Verdot is to be executed in four days time.

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

22.  The Threat That Pierces the Heavens

Midgar  [ν]-εγλ 0007/10/04

Part One

  With the date for Verdot’s execution at the hands of Shinra growing nearer, the Turks split into two teams; Tseng, Reno and Rude try to locate Verdot’s whereabouts while the others work to recapture the final Support Materia from Fuhito.  At Turk Headquarters, Tseng tries desperately to access the Shinra mainframe and find the location that his mentor is being held, but is unsuccessful.

  Meanwhile, the other Turks and Sears are gathered at a bar in Wall Market discussing their next move.  They decide to divide the Materia between themselves for safety.  Elena, the younger sister of one of the Turks and barmaid for the premises, enters after leaving something behind at the end of her shift. Exiting the bar, she makes her way through the streets but spots a scuffle between some Shinra soldiers and Ravens.  The Ravens drag the soldiers away, stealing their outfits.  Seeing the uniforms again, Elena thinks the soldiers are okay but notices something is not quite right.  She begins to follow the soldiers but soon gives up, unaware that she is being watched.

  At the Turks Headquarters, Tseng is getting frustrated.  Suddenly, someone accesses his terminal remotely and shows a surveillance feed on his monitor.  The video shows Verdot in a cell and Tseng, Reno and Rude realise that Rufus is showing them his location.  Rufus says he will give them the location but at a price and will only negotiate the terms with Chief Tseng. 

  At the bar, the Turks decide to split up and search for Elfé.  As the player goes to exit, Shinra troops arrive with security robots and unleash them on the Turk.  Defeating them, the player gets out of the bar.  Tseng calls to say he has found Verdot and is going to rescue him, giving them orders to secure an escape route.  The player heads for the city gates, avoiding the security robots, but finds them heavily guarded by Shinra soldiers.

  The player establishes that in order to get through the gates and checkpoints beyond, they must commandeer a Shinra truck. As they make their way through the Slums, Shinra soldiers pursue them.  The Turk decides to take cover in a small shack, only to discover Elena inside.  Elena allows the player to stay there for a while but reiterates her dislike of the Turks.

  Meanwhile, Tseng, Reno and Rude arrive at the city’s garbage disposal site, fighting through hoards of heavy-armoured security robots.  Tseng calls the player Turk for a report.  When they explain the situation, Tseng order them to steal a truck and they will use it to escape with Verdot.  Going outside, taking care to evade the security robots, the player soon runs into a Shinra soldier.  Knocking the soldier out, they steal his uniform.  As they head towards the parking lot, the Turk sees a truck leaving and climbs aboard.

  Passing through the security checkpoint, the truck makes it onto one of the Slums’ highways.  In the back of the vehicle, the player notices a bag on the floor moving and making noises.  Opening it, they are stunned to discover Elena tied up.  Elena explains that the ones driving the trucks are anti-Shinra operatives in disguise and that she was kidnapped because she had seen them.

  Suddenly, the truck stops and the Raven driving it gets out.  The player runs outside and discovers another hijacked truck on the highway.  They kill the operatives but more Ravens emerge from the other truck.  While fending off the enemies, the trucks drive off with Elena still in the back.  The player tries to call Tseng to inform him what has happened but gets no answer.  Meanwhile, Tseng and the others have come up against too many security weapons.  Reno and Rude have fallen and as the robots close in on him, Tseng recalls the day he caused the scar on Verdot’s face, and since then has sworn never to give up on his mission.

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

(Interludes with Special Episode of Tseng)

Part Two

  Using the memories of the day he learned his most important lesson as a Turk, Tseng summons a strength from somewhere within and blasts down the security robots with his gun.  Helping Reno and Rude to their feet, he asks them if they can continue on.  Together, they proceed through the garbage disposal site to rescue Verdot.

  In the Slums, Sears continues to search for Elfé in the knowledge that Fuhito may have discovered a way to summon a complete an indestructible Zirconiade from the Materia in Elfé’s hand.  Suddenly, he is shot at by a Mako gun and turns to see Fuhito.  Fuhito threatens to hurt Elfé is Sears does not hand over his Support Materia.  Sears does so, deciding that doing as Fuhito asks is his best option of saving her.

  The AVALANCHE-driven truck arrives at the train station.  As they force Elena aboard and through the carriages, she drops one of her academy badges on the floor.  The player Turk, who has taken a shortcut to get to the train station, boards the train as it sets off for Midgar’s Plate.  Discovering Elena’s badge, they proceed through the train until they find Elena surrounded by Ravens.  The Ravens demand the player’s Support Materia in exchange for Elena.

  Going through with the swap, the player ensures Elena is clear of the Ravens before they attack them to reclaim the Materia.  Elena is impressed by the Turk and considers joining the organisation.  The player chases the Raven with the Materia onto the roof of the train but, as they near the Plate, the operative jumps onto the roof of a train travelling in the opposite direction.  Knowing that they have to stop the Raven at all costs, the Turk decides to head into Shinra Headquarters and steal a helicopter to give chase.

  Meanwhile, Sears has been badly injured by Fuhito and his troops.  Fuhito explains that his Ravens’ mission was to secure the Support Materia from the Turks and once they have been brought to him, he can begin the summoning.  He says that once he has used the Support Materia to summon Zirconiade, he will remove the Materia from Elfé, thus killing her, and offer her Materia to Zirconiade so it may become complete.  Leaving Sears wounded on the ground, Fuhito disappears.  Sears calls the player and explains that in order to stop Zirconiade from becoming complete, they must save Elfé.

  At the garbage disposal, Tseng and the others arrive at the place where Verdot is being held and break into his cell.  Verdot is surprised to see them as he realises they have sacrificed everything.  The player calls Tseng to inform him the Support Materia has been stolen and they are going after AVALANCHE by helicopter.  Meanwhile, President Shinra decides to take advantage of the fact the Turks are preoccupied with Verdot and AVALANCHE and try to free Rufus from their custody.

  As the player Turk arrives at the upper levels of the Shinra Building, an intruder alarm sounds.  Making their way up through the floors, fighting past Shinra soldiers and Hojo’s monsters, they arrive at the helipad at the height of the tower.  Taking the helicopter, the Turk flies it back to the Slums and begins pursuit of the AVALANCHE truck.

  Nearing the truck, the player rams it with the helicopter, causing it to crash.  They land and begin to chase the Raven on foot along the highway, but are accosted by a number of other Ravens.  Defeating them, the player races on and catches up with the other one, but not before he has met Fuhito and handed over the Support Materia.

  With the four Support Materia gathered, the summoning of Zirconiade begins.  Elfé’s body glows a burning red and is lifted from the ground.  Bursts of energy begin to shoot upwards, turning the sky red with cracks of lightning.  As Fuhito marvels at the sight, the player dashes forward and grabs Elfé, leaving Fuhito and the Support Materia behind.  Setting the unconscious Elfé down, the Turk returns to battle Fuhito.

  During the fight, the player notices the Support Materia begin to act strangely, glowing on and off in spurts.  In a blinding flash of light, Elfé is again encased in energy, and the Summon Materia rises from her body.  The Summon Materia then shoots towards the four Support Materia and in another flash, they fuse into one.  Taking the new Materia, Fuhito escapes, swearing that he will fulfil his destiny to restore all life to the Planet.

  The player calls Tseng and tells him that Elfé is safe but Fuhito has got away with the Materia and plans to use it to summon the complete Zirconiade.  Tseng promises that they will stop him.  The player makes their way to join the other Turks on their team at the entrance of the path of light that leads to Zirconiade’s domain, knowing that defeating Fuhito and world-burning summon will be the Turks’ most difficult task yet.

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