Citrine
From Xenosaga Wiki
Stephanie Mitchell (child)
Citrine is an orange haired girl first seen in Episode II. She is U.R.T.V. #668, the missing U.R.T.V. from Episode I who falls between U.R.T.V.s #667 Albedo and #669 Nigredo in the numerical sequence. She is a rare female-type U.R.T.V. These models were produced solely for maintaining the viability of the U.R.T.V. cell culture which degenerates after each successive round of cloning.
She is shown to have been separated from her 'brothers' and had few to no relations with anyone other than Yuriev, her father, and those working for him. She'll keep working for him even after the Miltian Accident and his 'death'. The true purpose of her creation was to destroy Red Dragon, and so Junior, if ever it is needed. As with the three others variants, she symbolize one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.
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[edit] Youth
[edit] Birth
She was created to be a U.R.T.V. variant, the head of the female U.R.T.V. unit. Female U.R.T.V.s are produced by inducing a mutation in the Y chromosome of a developing clone and changing it into a second X chromosome thus turning a male U.R.T.V. into a female. Because of a genetic instability brought about by the Y to X change, female U.R.T.V.s often suffer forms of congenital defects and die very quickly as their bodies fail them. Citrine, however, shows no sign of being affected by this defect, and is one of the only nine remaining female U.R.T.V.s. Her birth came after Albedo's, but before Nigredo's.
[edit] In Yuriev's Institute
Citrine wasn't allowed to remain with male U.R.T.V.s, and was kept with the other female U.R.T.V.s in a separate ward. The three male variants met her for the first time during one of the intervals in the mission to save Sakura's subconscious, surprising them, Albedo having only heard of a girl's ward without having known if it actually existed. At this time, she presents herself with a very arrogant attitude and claims that the female U.R.T.V.s are theoretically more powerful than the male units. Rubedo looked irritated at her when she claimed the other females had been disposed of due to an instability and angrily asks, "Who do you think you are?", to which she replies, "And just who do you think you are, Rudedo?".
She had a discussion with Nigredo later on, who originally thought the 'missing' number, URTV #668, was dead, where she told him that they were basically the same in powers and as to why they both didn't have Anti U-DO waves, in order to control the Red Dragon, Rubedo's ability, if ever it goes out of control. She also was allowed to, exceptionally, follow the boys in their mission into Sakura's Subconscious, this being likely the only time she did a mission with male U.R.T.V.s.
[edit] Miltian Conflict and After
Citrine isn't shown anywhere during the Miltian Conflict, but she hints to having been present that day in claiming Rubedo abandoned her on Miltia 14 years ago when he abandoned the other U.R.T.V.s that day, deeming on this day Rubedo wasn't a comrade any more to others U.R.T.V.s.
After the incident, her situation is unknown though it is likely she was kept and raised by Yuriev's co-worker from the Institute, the Salvator faction until his return, as hinted by her wearing the Institutes's outfit at the moment of Yuriev's return.
[edit] Xenosaga I.II
While she doesn't appear outside of the flashback in Episode II, Citrine returns in her adult form in the Episode II part of Xenosaga I.II. She wears the Institute's outfit at this moment and is one of the first people to become aware of Yuriev's return after he takes over Gaignun's body. She then seems to take on the role of a special agent or bodyguard for him, carrying out his dirty work and protecting him when necessary.
[edit] Xenosaga III
She acts as Yuriev's bodyguard in this Episode as well as special agent. She receives orders from him, but stays in the shadow until the Durandal takeover where she helps him take over the bridge, especially by easily defeating and controlling Canaan. When Yuriev goes to take control of the Zohar Emulators, she stays at the last door just before the chamber to stand guard and prevent anyone from foiling his plans.
When Junior and the team try to stop Yuriev, they encounter her. At this point she reveals to not follow Yuriev's orders for his plan in itself, but in order to destroy U-DO, the reason that she was born, even if it threatens the existence of the universe. She shows a similarity with Albedo in that her main argument against Junior is that he abandoned them 14 years ago.
Forced to fight her, Junior and the others defeat her. She then questions Jr., "Why were we born? For what reason do we exist? Answer me, Rubedo. You betrayed your comrades, you killed your brother. Why are you still alive?", to which Jr. replies, "To keep my promise.", referring to his promise to Sakura. She simply says that she pities him for still being hunted by Sakura's shadow, then dies.
[edit] Personality
When she is present in her youths, she talks with an air of superiority to the other U.R.T.V.s, including Rubedo, Albedo and Nigredo. She seems to voluntarily isolate herself even when she is allowed to wander around, which is likely due to the way she was raised.
As an adult, she follows Yuriev's orders, has kept her air of superiority, and an has apparently adopted a sadistic side when it comes to battle. She seems to be sure of what to do, claiming what she does is to fulfil her reason to exist, but the moment of her death she reveals that, in truth, she was unsure of her own reason to exist.
[edit] Relationships
[edit] Nigredo/Gaignun
He was the only other U.R.T.V. that she had a personal relationship with, what with their powers and reason to exist being the same. She had told him about his purpose and powers, but never revealed if she knew what Yuriev really created him for. She never said her thoughts on Yuriev's using Gaignun's body, but she was likely lead to think Gaignun by himself was dead, since she claims Rubedo to be her last 'comrade' alive.
After her death, Yuriev has a conversation with Gaignun's consciousness, where we learn that Gaignun is downtrodden to hear of her death and that he had a 'Connection' with her. The nature of this connection in unknown and is left up to imagination.
[edit] Rubedo/Junior
Junior feels remorse for Citrine since she is basically like Albedo in that he abandoned her on Miltia. She seems to hate him when they meet on the Durandal, and claims that she has the powers to kill him and defy him.
[edit] Dmitri Yuriev
Yuriev was her father. She was raised to think his actions are right and followed him blindly in his efforts, though in the end she doesn't do it for him, but because it is her reason to exist and has nothing else left.
Yuriev consider her as a mere unit, as he does for each U.R.T.V.s.
[edit] Trivia
- Writings released by former Xenosaga writer Soraya Saga revealed that in the original version of Episode II before her script was modified by Monolith's new team of editors an adult Citrine makes a brief appearance in the game's present-day timeframe where she reunites with her fellow U.R.T.V.s Gaignun (Nigredo) and a now physically mature Jr. (Rubedo).
- She is symbolizing one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse along with her three brothers, her symbolizing Death, although the horse of Death is pale green and not orange, unlike the three others variant whose symbolized horse has the same color than their name.
- Being an U.R.T.V. variant, it is assumed she is a Shining Will along her brothers, the heroes, Testaments and some others characters.
