For those who didn't see, Patch 1.23, the final (major) patch for 1.0 is due tomorrow evening.
Quote:
At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on FINAL FANTASY XIV to implement patch 1.23. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV will be unavailable.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
* Clients will update automatically upon launch after release of the patch.
* Patch download rates may vary depending on server congestion.
* Comprehensive patch notes will be posted on the FINAL FANTASY XIV Forums the day of the patch's release.
[Date & Time]
Jul. 25, 2012 from 21:00 to Jul. 26 at 1:00 (GMT)
* The completion time may be subject to change.
[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV
United We Stand was an awesome mission, I'm looking forward to doing the final mission, probably versus the White Raven, Imperial Legatus Nael van Darnus.

But what part will Gaius van Baelsar play?

The storyline leading up to 2.0 has been way better than the game's actual "story missions". If you've been paying for your account all this time, these missions are basically what you've been paying for.
Post-patch days are usually busy, hopefully we have enough people online to finish up this quest line.