Assemble

With their path taking them near the bay where Operation Mi'ihen was set to take place, Yuna stopped midway through the Mushroom Rock Road to state, "I wish to witness the fight between the Crusaders and Sin. And, if possible, I think we should help them..."

Though her words were spoken to the group, Yuna invariably directed her gaze to Andrew. He scratched his head in response but eventually said, "I could do something about it if they were willing to wait a couple of days. The issue is that the people in charge of the operation know it will fail but plan to move forward regardless..."

"He's right," appended Auron. "If it were possible to vanquish Sin using machina and simple numbers, the civilizations that preceded it would not have fallen. The Maesters of Yevon know this well..."

"Even so, there must be something we can do..." muttered Yuna, her gaze still fixed on Andrew.

"There's always something..." affirmed Andrew, nodding as he opened his Menu and sent a message to Minfilia and Merlwyb, asking them to ready as many bombs and explosives as they could manage, promising to repay them later. Fortunately, his relationship with Merlwyb and Limsa Lominsa was fairly robust since they had sent over Alexandria's 1st and 2nd Naval and Civil Engineering Corps to help expand the production facilities of the Maelstrom, the Grand Company she helmed.

"This is probably going to derail your pilgrimage. Are you okay with that?" asked Andrew, meeting Yuna's gaze.

Adopting a narrowed-eyed smile, Yuna replied, "I understand that the 'journey' is important, but the only reason I became a Summoner was to free the people of Spira from their pain and suffering. So, please, lend me your strength..."

"Mine and quite a few others," mused Andrew, maintaining a smile even though Merlwyb's response nearly caused his left eye to twitch. She was originally a pirate before becoming Lord Admiral of the Maelstrom, so she wasn't shy about taking advantage of a situation to secure even greater benefits for herself and her people...

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"Well, isn't this a treat? Had I known you were coming this way and had an interest in Operation Mi'ihen, I would have escorted you personally," said a certain blue-haired Maester, eyeing Yuna with a possessive gleam in his distinctive purple eyes.

Performing the usual prayer, even though her faith in Yevon had long been shaken, Yuna replied, "I appreciate Your Grace's concern, but, as you can see, I am well attended."

"Indeed..." said the bare-chested man, passing his gaze over Andrew and the rest, his gaze settling on Auron as he said, "Ah, Sir Auron. It's good to see you out and about. I'm curious to learn what you've been doing these past ten years."

"That's none of your business," replied Auron, his expression and tone making it clear he had no intention of engaging in polite conversation.

"Ah..." uttered Symore, an awkward smile adorning his face as he turned his attention to Andrew and said, "And you...I believe you were called Sir Andrew? If the rumors are to be believed, you single-handedly dissuaded Sin from attacking Kilika. I also had the privilege of seeing you in action at Luca. Your speed and skill were truly awe-inspiring."

"My only regret is that I wasn't able to find the culprits responsible for releasing said fiends," replied Andrew, matching Seymour's smile as he added, "Once I do, I plan to shove a spear so far up their ass, they'll be able to taste their own bullshit."

"Your words create quite the picture..." remarked Seymour, losing a bit of his smile.

Raising his brows and grinning, Andrew asked, "Oh? Seems like you have someone in mind if you can form a mental image so quickly. If Your Grace could provide us with a clue, I'll be sure to write your name on the end of the spear so it's the last thing they see before they die."

No longer smiling, Seymour directed his gaze to Yuna and remarked, "It usually isn't my place to make such recommendations, but you may wish to be more selective about the company you keep..."

Without waiting for Yuna's response, Seymour turned around, making his way toward the makeshift command center situated atop the highest cliff overlooking the bay and the beach below. His gait was slow and relaxed, but if you observed the hand he used to hold his ornate, crimson-tipped staff, his inordinately long fingers were white from his grip.

"Man, I really don't like that guy..." said Tidus, standing with his hands behind his head, earning himself a firm smack from Wakka for 'daring' to insult a Maester.

"Let's go," said Auron, taking the initiative to walk forward, leading the charge into the command center. He had heard that the person in charge of the operation was named Kinoc, a name Auron was familiar with from his days of serving as Braska's Guardian. If the purported Maester was the same as the man he remembered, it didn't bode well for the internal affairs of Bevelle and the Yevon faith as a whole...

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Unlike in the game, where Operation Mi'ihen was conveniently initiated shortly after the player's arrival, things were a bit different in reality. The Crusaders intended to lure Sin by tormenting its spawn, trapped within a cage, but it wasn't like the colossal whale could teleport. It would have to swim over from wherever it was at the time, so Andrew unexpectedly had seven hours to complete his preparations, much of which was spent standing on the edge of a cliff with crossed arms, carefully formulating a plan with the members of his group chat.

*THUNK*

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*THUNK*

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*BOOM*

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Directing his gaze to the source of the loud booming sound, Andrew was unsurprised to see the cage containing the electrified Sinspawn had burst open. The cage had originally contained a multitude of Sinspawn, but as the monster that gave them their name drew nearer, they fused to form a gruesome chimera with a centipedal head, large horns, a curled body that resembled the carapace of a scorpion, hooked forelimbs, legs resembling a horseshoe crab, and a set of colossal arms covered in durable, tortoise-like shells.

Seeing the amalgamation land near the command center, Yuna, who had been sitting next to Andrew, silently reading what was being discussed in the group chat, rose to her feet, gazing up at him to ask, "What should we do?"

"That's your decision to make," replied Andrew, adopting an affectionate smile as he reached out to caress Yuna's left cheek with the backs of his fingers, combing aside her hair.

"I'm ready..." affirmed Yuna, placing her hand over Andrew's and smiling. As she did so, various figures began appearing around them, starting with a beautiful, raven-haired woman wearing a queenly white dress, her belly bulging slightly. Next was a teal-eyed cat girl with platinum blonde hair, followed by a lithe woman with white hair and pointed ears, a tall woman with pale skin, swept-back silvery-white hair, and a dark coat resembling a ship's captain, a petite, fair-skinned woman with wheat-colored hair, an ornate white laurel headdress, white robes, and notable horns, and a tall, muscular man with dark skin, braided locks, and fierce-looking armor who was supporting a delicate, doll-like beauty atop his forearm. And that was just the first wave of arrivals.

"Alright, where's the bastard I need to kill?" asked the tall, pale-skinned woman with sharp, somewhat bestial facial features, manifesting a set of double-barreled flintlocks that looked more like miniature cannons than practical pistols.

Without waiting for a reply, the woman, Lord Admiral Merlwyb, opened fire on the amalgamated Sinspawn, spherical black shells covered in tiny runes emerging from the ends of her gun barrels. It wasn't visible to most, but with his enhanced senses and extraordinary eyesight, Andrew could see the spherical projectiles expand, growing to full-sized cannonballs as they impacted the Sinspawn, exploding violently.

Following Merlwyb's cannon barrage, the petite, wheat-haired woman with horns protruding from the top of her head, her body garbed in pure white, long-sleeved robes, tapped her silvery crystalline staff against the ground, causing a hemispherical barrier of vibrant blue light to materialize around the group.

"We're here as observers," reminded the wheat-haired woman, better known by her name and titles: Kan-E-Senna, Elder Seedeer of Gridania and leader of the Twin Adder, one of the three Grand Companies.

"Then you can observe me kicking arse," retorted Merlwyb, reloading her pistols like shotguns.

"You've made some interesting friends in the other worlds," remarked the queenly woman with the slightly bulging belly, none other than Andrew's beautiful wife, Garnet.

Before Andrew could respond, one of the later arrivals, a buxom woman with pale-blonde hair and a distinctive butt window, approached, hand on her chest, as she said, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Queen Garnet. If the situation permitted, I would have liked to have sat down and chatted with you."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," appended the doll-like figure seated atop the muscular man's arm, prompting him to lower her to the ground so she could stand, staring up at Garnet and Andrew as she appended, "It's been too long since we met in person, Prince Andrew, Queen Garnet. And I suppose this charming young woman is Lady Yuna?"

Though astonished by how small the doll-like woman, Nanamo, was, Yuna quickly replied, "That is correct, your...Grace?"

As she didn't know how to address a Sultana, Yuna's expression became a little awkward until Nanamo waved her hand, stating, "There is no need for such formalities outside official settings. You are free to address me as Nanamo. In fact, I insist upon it."

Giving Yuna a bit of breathing room, Garnet replied, "It's good to see you again, Nanamo, Minfilia," with a narrow-eyed smile. Then, as her gaze met Y'sthola's, her smile diminished ever so slightly as she added, "Y'shtola..." in a fainter tone.

Returning a catty smile, Y'shtola mused, "It's truly a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty. I'm looking forward to witnessing the power of your Eidolons. Assuming, of course, they can materialize in this world."

"That will not be an issue," assured Garnet. Unlike the Eikons, Eidolons, and Aeons of other worlds, hers were manifested from within her body, not drawn or materialized from energy in the environment. It had taken her a while to learn how to call upon them, but with Eiko's help, she was now a qualified Summoner.

Refusing to be left out of the conversation, the pointy-eared elfette that appeared with the first group placed her hand atop her diminutive chest and said, "Once this is over with, it would be my pleasure to get to know Your Majesty better."

Turning to face the pointy-eared girl, Garnet paused briefly before asking, "Are you the one called Alisaie...?"

"Indeed," responded Alisaie, bowing her head low and respectfully. The technology of Alexandria was nothing to write home about, but as Garnet was the 'mastermind' behind Andrew's activities, Alisaie believed it would be prudent of her to get to know the otherworldly Queen.

Adopting a smile, Garnet asserted, "You are welcome to visit the castle whenever you'd like. Though, to avoid any misunderstandings, your first visit should be with my husband."

"I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty," replied Alisaie, raising her head and briefly exchanging glances with Andrew. It was faint, but the moment their gazes met, the tips of her ears became red as she quickly looked to the horizon, noting, "That's quite the ominous sight..."

With the exception of Merlwyb, who had exited Kan-E's barrier to join in the battle against the amalgamated Sinspawn, everyone else on the cliff turned to face the sea, noticing black tendrils spreading through the bay.

"By the Divines..." muttered the muscular man, General Raubahn, still on one knee in case Nanamo wished to reclaim her place upon his forearm and shoulder. Instead, she did something that caused his nearly hairless brows to twitch, extending a hand to Andrew as she said, "Andrew, if you would be so kind..."

Though initially confused, Andrew quickly realized what Nanamo was asking of him, a moderately incredulous smile adorning his face as he picked the diminutive Sultana up and allowed her to sit on his shoulder...

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