#machinahead

He had a memory of perhaps seeing this man once, on Yuna's Pilgrimage, but it was only vague.

Gippal had always wanted to be a Crusader, but being an Al Bhed, he was "not eligible". When he found out the Crimson Squad accepted all comers, he wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. He prized himself on his skill with machinery, telling his comrades no one could use a machina weapon like an Al Bhed.

On a training mission in the Sanubia Sands, Gippal met his teammates, Nooj, an ex-Crusader, and Baralai, a Yevonite, most likely an Acolyte. While there he also met their sphere recorder, Paine. Throughout their time as teammates, the four learned much of each other, and shared many laughs about their futures.

On the final mission to become members of the Crimson Squad, they, and many other applicants, were required to enter the Den of Woe to investigate a strange happening. Inside, they discovered applicants turning against each other. After a while, Shuyin, a spirit who possessed the entrants to the cave, took over Nooj and he pulled his gun on Baralai. Gippal raised his weapon to Nooj's head to get him to stop, and Baralai raised his to Gippal's head as they were all taken over by the spirit.

Paine was able to break apart the triangle and Shuyin's spirit left Gippal and Baralai, but secretly lay low inside of Nooj. They exited the Den and met up with the officials who told them they were official Crimson Squad members, their first mission being to go to the top of Mushroom Rock Road and guard Maester Wen Kinoc during Operation Mi'ihen. As soon as they turned, however, the guards attempted to shoot them down.

They managed to escape, and met up outside Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad. The four decided it would be best if they split up. Paine, still recording, had her camera on as Nooj, again possessed, shot Baralai in the back. When Gippal heard the shot he turned and was shot in the chest, then Nooj turned fire on Paine. All of them survived Nooj's attack, but were separated thinking Nooj as a traitor.

Later, when Gippal pays a visit to Home, he is in the desert where he meets Auron and talks about rushing into the fight and being a "jackass". All of a sudden, his partner gets radioed that the Guado are attacking Home, and they both run off. It is assumed he later evacuated on the airship with the others.

After Yuna defeats Sin, Gippal starts the Machine Faction in the abandoned Djose Temple with a connection on Bikanel Island, where people can join and excavate in the desert. At the temple Gippal meets Yuna, Rikku and Paine who want to go digging at the desert, but Paine plays it off like they have never met. At this point, Nooj is Meyvn of the Youth League, still under Shuyin's control, and Baralai is Praetor of New Yevon. Though he is neutral, Gippal provides his machines to both sides.

After a while, Gippal goes to the Bevelle Underground where Vegnagun is located, meets up with Nooj and Baralai, and finds the hole where Vegnagun used to be. Shuyin leaves Nooj and enters Baralai who jumps into the hole and the two jump in after him. Later on, when Yuna enters a connecting hole, she meets with Shuyin, who is actually Baralai, and Gippal and Nooj tell her to keep care of things topside.

Soon after Yuna's fall, Rikku and Paine throw a CommSphere into the hole finding out it was of no use. Although when Yuna returns back to Celsius with the LeBlanc Syndicate, Shinra reports the CommSphere has been fixed. The video footage shows Gippal who states that whoever made the invention is a genius, and claims he is also a "genius" for fixing the CommSphere, although communication through the sphere wasn't working.