They arrived at the gate of the command centre. An old ruined tower stood before them. Time had been cruel to it, yet still it stood, a monument to the engineering prowess of ages past. During it's time it may well have served a similar purpose, possibly to watch the shore for invaders. Who the original owners of the tower were was unknown, lost to the inevitability of time. Judging from the ruins, it was difficult to imagine what it would have looked like in its day. It had the appearance of a tower which had collapsed. All that remained were the foundations and some towering metal girders - possible proof of the height it may once have once reached. The rubble provided cover with the opportunity to observe all the beachfront, making for an excellent vantage point to make tactical decisions. Many coloured banners decorated the rubble. Their purpose was to identify all the Crusader branches from across Spira, as well as other more ancient banners used to bring good fortune before battle, such as the banner of Yocun and Mi'ihen.

At the gate they were greeted by a familiar face with a miserable attitude.
"The operation will begin shortly. Please check all your equipment." Gatta said glumly.
"Um, you all right?" Wakka asked.
"Of course not! I came here to fight Sin! But they stick me here!" Gatta cried in frustration.
"If you want to prove yourself then first you must complete the tasks you are given." said Strider.
Gatta nodded miserably and let them through. "Just doing what they say? It just won't be enough." he muttered to himself.
"Yeah, you should be out on the front lines." Tidus said to him, when the others were out of earshot.
"That's right! It's not fair!" Gatta said. "I'll do something...even if it means bending the rules."
Tidus gave him the thumbs up and slapped him on the back before catching up with the others.
Within the ruins, a base had been established. There were numerous tents within the walls, sheltered by the rubble. Vantage points had been established where the structures were safest and provided the best view of the beach. A guard ran up to them as they entered the ruins.
"Lady Summoner and guardians, you are to be guests at the command tent, you are expected. This way please."
They followed the guard to the largest tent in the centre of the ruins. It was lavishly decorated with numerous banners and flags. They stepped inside to find a group of Crusaders sat around a table with a map pouring over it. At the head of the table sat a bald man with soft features, but if anybody were to assume his features were a window to his personality then they would be mistaken. For all his soft, round features his eyes had a fire to them, a fierce determination. The man looked hardened by life. Standing over the Crusaders stood a man. He had charcoal hair and glasses with a prominent scar on the right side of his face, across his eye. The man appeared rugged, and it gave him the appearance of somebody much older than he was. His clothing was also shabby, and he may have easily have been dismissed as a vagrant were it not for the fact that his clothing had the appearance of somebody that had once held a position of high esteem. When the party entered the tent the bald man stood up and beckoned them forward.
"So this is the summoner I have been hearing about!" he boomed.
When they stepped forward Yuna gasped as she looked at his face closer. "Maester Kinnoc?" she gasped, hastily bowing.
"No, no." He waved his hand impatiently. "I am a Maester no longer, so please cease with your pious bowing. I am now the Commander of the Crusaders."
"So then you have forsaken Yevon?" asked Yuna.
"Forsaken Yevon? No, I have not forsaken them. Neither have any of the soldiers who are here today. Yevon have forsaken us." Kinnoc explained.
"But it is the Crusaders who have abandoned the teachings, surely you can see that?" interjected Lulu.
"We believe that there are aspects of the teachings which are misguided and simply used to manipulate the people of Spira. We do not condemn Yevon's motives, as we are sure that the teachings were introduced with the best of intentions, but whatever those intentions originally were, Yevon has become misguided."
"How are they misguided? For hatin' Al Bhed? They deserve it! They're heathens!" Wakka spat.
"Yevonites know so little about Al Bhed. They truly are a remarkable people, yet they get treated like vermin all across Spira. Even in Luca, where they are granted the most liberties, they are still shunned." said Kinnoc.
"And they wouldn't be shunned if they followed the teachings!" said Wakka.
"You must forgive Wakka, Commander. He can only sing one song." said Strider.
"Lord Kinnoc, how can you justify this operation? Using machina to fight Sin? Everybody knows that the only proven way to defeat Sin is a summoner." said Lulu, gesturing to Yuna.
"And we are very respectful of summoners and their courage. Knowing that they are out there on pilgrimage is what helps many of Spira's children get to sleep at night. It gives them hope. But that's what it is. Hope. Summoners never truly defeat Sin, it just comes back. How do we know that machina won't kill it?" said Kinnoc.
Yuna remained silent and looked down at the floor. "I don't know." she said finally.
"Yuna?" said Lulu, reproachfully. "Sin will be exorcised by complete atonement."
"Hmph. Your guardian sounds more like Braska than you do." said the stranger in the corner, drawing the attention of the party.
"Ah!" said Kinnoc. "Forgive me, where are my manners? Lady Yuna, I'm sure you'll be honoured to meet Colonel Auron, previously a warrior monk of Bevelle, and guardian to your father, High Summoner Braska."
There was simultaneous gasp from Lulu, Yuna and Wakka at the mention of his name.
"Sir Auron?" Yuna bowed hastily.
He approached the company, and stood before her. "You look very much like him, but you have your mothers eyes."
"Please Sir Auron, what was my father like?" Yuna asked.
"He was a brave man, stubborn and determined. He refused to give in, even when all the odds were against him. Perhaps you'll prove to be just as stubborn."
"I hope so." Yuna laughed, bowing.
"So...uh Sir Auron?" Wakka asked apprehensively. "If you don't mind me asking, a famous guardian like you...why did you join the Crusaders in this operation?"
"Sin came back. This is a new plan to rid Spira of Sin, so I joined." Auron said simply.
"You'll get pretty much the same answer from all the Crusaders." laughed Kinnoc, slapping Auron on the back.
Yuna gave Tidus a quick glance before speaking. "Sir Auron, if you're here now, do you know where Sir Jecht is?"
Auron glanced quickly at Tidus, where his eyes lingered for a moment before looking at Yuna. "Can't say. Haven't seen him in ten years."
"I...see." said Yuna, looking dissapointed.
"You'll meet eventually." He said.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it!" said Yuna.
"Anyway there will be plenty of time for this after the operation. We have to make our final preparations!" said Kinnoc. "Spira's future hangs on this operation. If we can not halt Sin here then it's attacks across the land will surely intensify."
Shelinda, who had been very quiet up until this point rushed forward and interjected.
"This plan won't work, you know that!" she cried. Kinoc chuckled sympathetically and placed his hands on her shoulders. "So young, so loyal to Yevon. There are other ways to defeat Sin that are not in your scriptures, child. Do not fret. And do not judge us today for trying to fight Sin our own way."
"But Maester! You'll all die! There is still time, you can put an end to this, Yevon will greet you with open arms!" she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I am afraid it is too late for that. Even if there were time, I would not give the order to abandon this operation. We have waited far too long. And who are we to rely on, summoners (waving his hand in Yuna's direction)? They now seldom walk the pilgrim road. Too many of them have died. Yevon's teachings have failed. Spira has little hope left, and this is all we can do."
Shelinda opened her mouth to protest, but no words came. Instead she stepped back, and did not take her eyes off the floor. Several tears could be seen trailing down her face.
"What are you still doing here by the way?" Kinoc asked, turning to Lucil. "The rest of the rangers that have reported in have taken their positions."
"I wish to guard lady Yuna. She needs to see Lord Jyscal. It is a matter of great urgency, it is vital that she get there." Lucil replied.
"Indeed?" Kinoc asked, his face alight with curiosity. "Very well, very well. Summoners are such a rarity these days. I don't think I could forgive myself If I were responsible for the Lady's death. Very well, Lucil. Guard her, and guard her well!"
"I kinda...think we don't belong here." said Yuna.
"With the operation starting it will be too high a risk to attempt to move you now. We must make do and stand our ground. I am sorry, Lady Yuna." Lucil explained.
A young crusader rushed into the command centre and headed straight to Kinnoc and whispered something hastily in his ear.
"It is time at last!" Kinnoc boomed. "We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once!"
"The fiends may break through, this place is not safe!" Shelinda said.
"Make sure to defend yourselves." Kinnoc advised.
"Will Sin really come?" Yuna wondered aloud.
"Sin always returns for its spawn. To make sure we're going to encourage them to call out to it." said Kinnoc, firmly.

Along the beachfront, dozens of cages could be seen. Crusaders used machina implements to torture the sinspawn, causing them to cry out in pain. The screeching created an ear splitting sound, causing everybody to cover their ears in agony. When they sound had finally subsided, they all waited with baited breath. How long they waited, they did not know. But it felt like an eternity. Finally, what had been a calm ocean began to rise menacingly. Waves began to rock violently against the shore, and then with a thundering spash a gigantic creature emerged from the depths. It's scaly carapace almost shone, reflecting the intense sun. No sooner had it emerged, the order to fire was heard, and hundreds of canons roared. They irritated Sin, like a swarm of wasps would irritate a person. Soon Sin was overwhelmed by fire and it's carapace appeared to flay, as hundreds of globs of skin appeared to drop into the water. No sooner had they dropped into the water, it became evident they were not skin, but sinspawn. They could be seen swimming rapidly towards the beachfront where the Crusaders stood in formation, ready for the assault. Hundreds of sinspawn collided with crusader steel and the sound of the swords clashing with hardened shells filled the beach. The beach soon became overwhelmed with spawn and the legions of chocobo knights that had assembled charged to the front in a desperate attempt to push them back. But sinspawn did not relent, and they did not fear. They were fragments of Sin, and were not so easily swayed. The roaring of canons continued from the cliffs above. Sin roared in pain and the Crusaders cheered, confident that their plan was working, and they fought with greater zeal and continued to wade through the chaos in the beach, a beach which was now littered with the bodies of brave Crusaders, dead sinspawn and sand stained with blood and entrails.

In the command centre, overlooking the beach Yuna and her companions looked down on the beach anxiously. The Crusaders were rapidly losing ground and despite the heavy bombardments from the canons, they were still losing the battle. A burst of light came from the water, as Sin encased itself in a magical shield that had the appearance of a bright purple bubble. Then suddenly, the magical energy burst from Sin and hit the beach, decimating countless Crusaders who had just seconds previously, been fighting on the shore. Yuna let out a shriek as she saw countless people wiped out in an instant. The Crusaders and the Al Bhed overlooking the beach from the command centre looked aghast at what had happened.
"Where in Spira are the Al Bhed? When will the machina be ready?!" Kinnoc boomed, reeling on one of the Al Bhed nearby.

On the beach bellow, Sin approached. The beachfront appeared empty, although they could make out individual Crusaders who had survived the wave retreating. Sin moved towards a towering, exotic looking canon. It was a machina the likes of which had not been scene for centuries in Spira. The Al Bhed had done a spectacular job repairing it, and yet throughout the onslaught it had remained silent, motionless. It may as well have been nothing more than a static monument. But as Sin approached, the lights turned on. A loud hum was heard as it presumably powered up. And then a great beam of light errupted from it. It pushed forcefully against the bubble Sin had cased itself in, and for a moment it appeared the machina had won over, but then in one violent moment, the beam was pushed back, and another wave errupted from Sin, and crashed into the machina canon. It tore the machina asunder, and there were screams heard from bellow as Al Bhed looked up and saw the machina crashing down upon them. And then there was silence. An eerie silence. Finally Sin let out a loud cry, and turned away and submerged into the ocean.