After invading the Esper World following the Battle of Thamasa and the extermination of most espers, Emperor Gestahl and Kefka Palazzo raise the continent as a floating base where the Warring Triad rest. After the Returners stationed in Vector escape the Empire, they attack the continent with Setzer Gabbiani's airship, the Blackjack. The Imperial Air Force surrounding the continent attempts to stop them, but is destroyed, allowing an away team to land on the continent's western tip.