Seabase Alpha
Disclaimer: Same as before. Look at the website intercot.com for various EPCOT locations.
~ ~ ~ ~
Commander Fulton's office overlooked the whole of Seabase Alpha through a large plexiglass window. The area called Ops was the place's nerve center. Through the window they could see security teams duking it out with the Heartless all over the Seabase.
"Where is the crest?" Miranda asked.
"That's the problem, we don't know. When the Heartless first appeared we all elected a representative to hide the crests throughout our world. The crest of the wave is hidden here on Seabase Alpha but we don't know where it is." Fulton began.
"Security to Commander Fulton." Came the call over his communication device.
"Go ahead, Mr. Hawkwood." Fulton began.
"We have reports of Heartless troops in the Concourse, the Seacab Bay and the Undersea Exploration Module. We seem to have contained them for now but I can't guarantee it will stay that way." Hawkwood replied.
"Come, we'd best find that crest before the Heartless do." Miranda said.
~ ~ ~ ~
Johann fired his arquebus again, shattering the middle of the face of a Large Body Heartless, adding to the pile of dead lining the way to Spaceship Earth. Nani handed him his jaeger rifle and Johann took aim, firing off another shot, blasting an Air Soldier out of the air in mid- flight.
"Artillery!" Nani shouted and both of them vacated the roof top they were on for another roof top. Nani was reloading Johann's arquebus as they ran and she handed him the weapon.
Johann dropped to one knee and took aim again, squeezing off another well aimed shot, sending a Shadow Heartless flipping end over end. Nani handed him the jaeger rifle again, and Johann took a running Bandit with a shot through the head.
~ ~ ~ ~
Cobra Bubbles knocked down another Shadow Heartless with a two handed bash. He flung another one into the sword of a Bandit about to run David through.
"Johann, can you keep reducing their numbers?" Cobra asked.
"I'll try but I can only fire so quickly and have only so much ammunition." Johann replied, over the radio link.
"I'll see if I can't get the various pavilions to muster their militias to help you out." Cobra said.
~ ~ ~ ~
"I'm sorry, Cobra." Hawkwood said, "I can't spare a man, the Heartless are coming into Seabase Alpha. They've already taken over the surface levels and entry hydrolators."
"I've got three of my crew in your area looking for the crest. Once they find it, can you spare a few men to help my team?" Cobra said.
"I can." Hawkwood said, "Once your guys get the crest the Heartless will go after them instead. I'll send a squad or two to escort them."
Hawkwood saw three Bandits jump a trio of the brown uniformed militamen. They used their swords to stab and cleave, turning the water of the tide pool where they were defending red with blood. The bandits raced out of the Ocean Ecosystems area only to be ambushed by a pair of other militiamen hiding behind a support column. Three quickly fired blasts of laser fire killed them quickly.
Hawkwood fired his own laser pistol, drilling a Shadow Heartless through the chest. "Mr. Hawkwood, stay with Miranda, Bonkers and Halb, take them around the base." Fulton ordered.
"Yes sir." Hawkwood replied, and turning towards Halb he said, "You might wanna draw that sword."
Halb nodded slowly and drew the reversed blade sword from his hip. As he did, a Bandit came, slashing it's sword at Miranda. There was no way she could have dodged it or shot it and she closed her eyes expecting to feel the razor sharp metal slicing through her flesh. Instead she heard a clang as Halb's sword intercepted it. With another swing, he struck the creature in the neck, knocking it out.
Another militiaman shot a Soldier Heartless dead from the railing of Level 2 with his laser pistol and fired at a Musketeer Heartless, only to miss and have the creature fire it's weapon, the projectile drilling a hole through his chest. The militiaman was hit with so much force that he fell over the backwards over the railing. The Musketeer Heartless that killed him was blown away by another laser from a second militiaman's laser rifle.
"Where could it possibly be?" Bonkers asked.
"Evidently not where the Heartless control otherwise they'd have left already." Miranda concluded.
"Computer, what areas has the heaviest fighting occurred since the Heartless attacked the base?" Hawkwood asked.
"Modules 1A, 1B, and 2B have been experiencing the heaviest fighting." The computer replied.
"The Marine Mammal areas?" Hawkwood replied.
Halb took the lead, his reversed blade sword drawn and ready to use. Bonkers and Miranda followed him, with Miranda behind him. To their left they watched a squad of militiamen ambush a band of Heartless, blasts of laser fire killing them before they got anywhere near them.
Hawkwood smiled proudly at the way his security force conducted itself. They fought like the trained professionals they were. Miranda ducked as a sword was swung towards her throat. Halb swung his reversed blade sword into the Bandit's throat.
"Status report." Hawkwood called over his comm device.
"Status report?" Fulton's voice came.
"Marine Mammal areas are under heavy attack. They've taken over the hydrolator shaft between the first and second levels."
"Try to cut of their reinforcements." Hawkwood replied, "Concentrate fire on the shaft doors."
As the group made their way upstairs they witnessed a squad of militiamen ambushing a group of Shadow Heartless that were making their way towards the Manatee viewing area. Another group of Soldier Heartless hit another ambush by another militia squad before they got anywhere near the Dolphin tank.
"We have Heartless at the Seacab bays, entrance hydrolators, and now Module 1A has been overrun. The Diver Lockout chamber's holding. And Level 2 has experienced some Heartless incursion. We've managed, for the most part to keep them on the lower level, and we've got a lot of them trying to break into the Marine Mammal zone on Level 2, especially around the Dolphin Research Area." Hawkwood reported, blasting three Heartless down with his laser pistol as he did.
"HALB!" Bonkers shouted, throwing himself between a Shadow Heartless and his friend.
Halb spun around and swiftly the reversed blade sword flashed and glistened bright steel. The blade struck the Heartless solidly in the side of the head, sending it falling to the ground.
A gunshot sounded and Halb saw Miranda had just killed another Bandit that would have run him through. Halb had heard it coming and would have faced it with a split second to spare, but it felt good to have someone watching his back.
"You don't suppose the crest is in the Marine Mammal area?" Miranda asked, "Because if the Heartless really wanted to take this place they'd have attacked the command center. But other than a few sporadic assaults they haven't. They've just been ransacking places all around the Seabase."
"It would seem that capturing this base is not their objective, they only want the Crest." Halb replied, "Who hid the crest Hawkwood?"
Hawkwood killed another Heartless with a laser blast, and answered, "The crest was hidden here, we don't know where, by the Dreamfinder. When the Heartless appeared Master Guillon warned us that we must hide the crests. Only Dreamfinder knows where they are."
"Halb, Bonkers, Hawkwood and I will cover you, do you think you can get to that Marine Mammal area?" Miranda asked.
"I can." Halb replied.
Miranda looked at him, concern etching her features, "Be careful."
"I shalt, milady." Halb replied and rushed for the Dolphin Research Area.
"Team Alpha, hold your fire, we've got a friendly coming your way." Hawkwood said, "Teams Bravo and Charlie, provide covering fire, he's gonna need it."
Miranda saw she had to have been right because over a dozen Heartless were chasing Halb towards the Dolphin Research Area. With her, Bonkers, Hawkwood and two security teams covering him, the Heartless didn't make it anywhere near him. But more Heartless appeared to take their place.
~ ~ ~ ~
Vasserbunde's Northern Bastion was still holding out, despite constant assaults from the Heartless. Princess Arial still retained command of Vasserbunde's forces. The Western and Eastern bastions needed more men, the Southern experienced no attacks at all, so she diverted numbers of troops from both garrisons to reinforce the others, sending reserves from the nearby towns to man the ramparts of the Southern Bastion.
"Arial..." Nupraptor moaned from his bed.
"Shh, rest my love, Vasserbunde still remains secure. The riders have brought forth news that the four bastions are still holding. Sir Ferguson remains a capable advisor..." Arial replied.
"Milady," Melante, one of Arial's ladies in waiting, said, "Sir Ferguson to see you."
Sir Ferguson walked forth. He was an older, silver haired gentleman with a thin beard and mustache of the same color. He wore a rapier around his belt and a breastplate as well as leather gauntlets, "Milady, you've transferred five hundred men under the Earl of Wallenstein from the Southern Bastion. I cannot approve this."
Coolly, Arial said, "I have thought of this, and am sending another regiment from the towns of Wachter and Vilstibruck to reinforce it."
"They are untested troops, milady," Ferguson protested, "The five hundred men of Wallenstein are veteran combat troops, they should defend our Southern flank."
"They are much more needed in the Eastern Bastion, they lost still more as of last night." Arial replied.
"I beg you leave, milady." Ferguson said, as he left.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Have your forces found the door yet?" Maleficent asked Al Vermin and Lilith Duprave.
"We still need to open the door; however we've located it at Spaceship Earth." Lilith replied.
"Why can't you open it?" Maleficent asked.
"We have to find the crests to open it, but they've been hidden. Plus Cobra Bubbles and his crew are already in EPCOT..." Al Vermin reported.
"I will summon more Heartless." Lilith said, "It will make the task easier. The militias of the various EPCOT jurisdictions are proving more difficult than expected."
"Be wary of using the Heartless, for they have their own agenda as well." Maleficent warned.
"The swordsman of Parmas is in Seabase Alpha." Terroenza said, from the crystal ball, "It seems he has located the first crest. I have summoned more Heartless to stop him."
~ ~ ~ ~
"They really seem to want this area." A security woman said, clutching her rifle close to her.
"They know the crest is here." Halb replied, "I shall retrieve it and rid thee of the problems plaguing your base. Canst thou hold thy position?"
"We'll die trying." The woman replied, "Alright, Clancy, Hatfield, go cover our buddy here."
"Yes ma'am." Both men replied, running with Halb to the access area for the Dolphin Research tank.
Suddenly another Bandit appeared and Halb dueled with it, his sword striking the creature's weapon when Hatfield blasted it in the chest.
"Go get the crest, we'll cover you." Hatfield replied, dropping to one knee, shooting the occasional Heartless that managed to get past the security team.
Halb splashed the water with his hand, he was impressed at the bravery of Seabase Alpha's security force against such a terrifying foe as the Heartless. As if sensing his intentions a dolphin surfaced in front of Halb.
Halb gently touched the side of the creature's head, "Be calm, gentle creature of the seas, for the menace to your world will be gone soon."
The dolphin nodded its head and dived deeply into the tank. Halb was about to jump into the water and swim to the bottom when the dolphin surfaced with the crest. Halb stuffed the crest into a pocket in his shirt and ran straight for Miranda, Bonkers and Hawkwood.
"I have the crest!" Halb shouted.
"Team Echo, take flanking positions, escort us to the exit hydrolator." Hawkwood ordered.
A security team of ten men took positions of escort around the four people, trading shots with Heartless boarding parties. As they ran towards the exit Hydrolator, a pair of Musketeer Heartless and a Bandit attacked and killed a militiaman. As they charged the group heading for safety, they were ambushed by two more militiamen.
Halb, Miranda and Bonkers got into the hydrolator and felt it rise to the surface. As they left, the Heartless left Seabase Alpha, having no more reason to be fighting down there.
"Hawkwood to Fulton, no more Heartless troops on the base. I'll have a damage assessment momentarily."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC
Disclaimer: Same as before. Look at the website intercot.com for various EPCOT locations.
~ ~ ~ ~
Commander Fulton's office overlooked the whole of Seabase Alpha through a large plexiglass window. The area called Ops was the place's nerve center. Through the window they could see security teams duking it out with the Heartless all over the Seabase.
"Where is the crest?" Miranda asked.
"That's the problem, we don't know. When the Heartless first appeared we all elected a representative to hide the crests throughout our world. The crest of the wave is hidden here on Seabase Alpha but we don't know where it is." Fulton began.
"Security to Commander Fulton." Came the call over his communication device.
"Go ahead, Mr. Hawkwood." Fulton began.
"We have reports of Heartless troops in the Concourse, the Seacab Bay and the Undersea Exploration Module. We seem to have contained them for now but I can't guarantee it will stay that way." Hawkwood replied.
"Come, we'd best find that crest before the Heartless do." Miranda said.
~ ~ ~ ~
Johann fired his arquebus again, shattering the middle of the face of a Large Body Heartless, adding to the pile of dead lining the way to Spaceship Earth. Nani handed him his jaeger rifle and Johann took aim, firing off another shot, blasting an Air Soldier out of the air in mid- flight.
"Artillery!" Nani shouted and both of them vacated the roof top they were on for another roof top. Nani was reloading Johann's arquebus as they ran and she handed him the weapon.
Johann dropped to one knee and took aim again, squeezing off another well aimed shot, sending a Shadow Heartless flipping end over end. Nani handed him the jaeger rifle again, and Johann took a running Bandit with a shot through the head.
~ ~ ~ ~
Cobra Bubbles knocked down another Shadow Heartless with a two handed bash. He flung another one into the sword of a Bandit about to run David through.
"Johann, can you keep reducing their numbers?" Cobra asked.
"I'll try but I can only fire so quickly and have only so much ammunition." Johann replied, over the radio link.
"I'll see if I can't get the various pavilions to muster their militias to help you out." Cobra said.
~ ~ ~ ~
"I'm sorry, Cobra." Hawkwood said, "I can't spare a man, the Heartless are coming into Seabase Alpha. They've already taken over the surface levels and entry hydrolators."
"I've got three of my crew in your area looking for the crest. Once they find it, can you spare a few men to help my team?" Cobra said.
"I can." Hawkwood said, "Once your guys get the crest the Heartless will go after them instead. I'll send a squad or two to escort them."
Hawkwood saw three Bandits jump a trio of the brown uniformed militamen. They used their swords to stab and cleave, turning the water of the tide pool where they were defending red with blood. The bandits raced out of the Ocean Ecosystems area only to be ambushed by a pair of other militiamen hiding behind a support column. Three quickly fired blasts of laser fire killed them quickly.
Hawkwood fired his own laser pistol, drilling a Shadow Heartless through the chest. "Mr. Hawkwood, stay with Miranda, Bonkers and Halb, take them around the base." Fulton ordered.
"Yes sir." Hawkwood replied, and turning towards Halb he said, "You might wanna draw that sword."
Halb nodded slowly and drew the reversed blade sword from his hip. As he did, a Bandit came, slashing it's sword at Miranda. There was no way she could have dodged it or shot it and she closed her eyes expecting to feel the razor sharp metal slicing through her flesh. Instead she heard a clang as Halb's sword intercepted it. With another swing, he struck the creature in the neck, knocking it out.
Another militiaman shot a Soldier Heartless dead from the railing of Level 2 with his laser pistol and fired at a Musketeer Heartless, only to miss and have the creature fire it's weapon, the projectile drilling a hole through his chest. The militiaman was hit with so much force that he fell over the backwards over the railing. The Musketeer Heartless that killed him was blown away by another laser from a second militiaman's laser rifle.
"Where could it possibly be?" Bonkers asked.
"Evidently not where the Heartless control otherwise they'd have left already." Miranda concluded.
"Computer, what areas has the heaviest fighting occurred since the Heartless attacked the base?" Hawkwood asked.
"Modules 1A, 1B, and 2B have been experiencing the heaviest fighting." The computer replied.
"The Marine Mammal areas?" Hawkwood replied.
Halb took the lead, his reversed blade sword drawn and ready to use. Bonkers and Miranda followed him, with Miranda behind him. To their left they watched a squad of militiamen ambush a band of Heartless, blasts of laser fire killing them before they got anywhere near them.
Hawkwood smiled proudly at the way his security force conducted itself. They fought like the trained professionals they were. Miranda ducked as a sword was swung towards her throat. Halb swung his reversed blade sword into the Bandit's throat.
"Status report." Hawkwood called over his comm device.
"Status report?" Fulton's voice came.
"Marine Mammal areas are under heavy attack. They've taken over the hydrolator shaft between the first and second levels."
"Try to cut of their reinforcements." Hawkwood replied, "Concentrate fire on the shaft doors."
As the group made their way upstairs they witnessed a squad of militiamen ambushing a group of Shadow Heartless that were making their way towards the Manatee viewing area. Another group of Soldier Heartless hit another ambush by another militia squad before they got anywhere near the Dolphin tank.
"We have Heartless at the Seacab bays, entrance hydrolators, and now Module 1A has been overrun. The Diver Lockout chamber's holding. And Level 2 has experienced some Heartless incursion. We've managed, for the most part to keep them on the lower level, and we've got a lot of them trying to break into the Marine Mammal zone on Level 2, especially around the Dolphin Research Area." Hawkwood reported, blasting three Heartless down with his laser pistol as he did.
"HALB!" Bonkers shouted, throwing himself between a Shadow Heartless and his friend.
Halb spun around and swiftly the reversed blade sword flashed and glistened bright steel. The blade struck the Heartless solidly in the side of the head, sending it falling to the ground.
A gunshot sounded and Halb saw Miranda had just killed another Bandit that would have run him through. Halb had heard it coming and would have faced it with a split second to spare, but it felt good to have someone watching his back.
"You don't suppose the crest is in the Marine Mammal area?" Miranda asked, "Because if the Heartless really wanted to take this place they'd have attacked the command center. But other than a few sporadic assaults they haven't. They've just been ransacking places all around the Seabase."
"It would seem that capturing this base is not their objective, they only want the Crest." Halb replied, "Who hid the crest Hawkwood?"
Hawkwood killed another Heartless with a laser blast, and answered, "The crest was hidden here, we don't know where, by the Dreamfinder. When the Heartless appeared Master Guillon warned us that we must hide the crests. Only Dreamfinder knows where they are."
"Halb, Bonkers, Hawkwood and I will cover you, do you think you can get to that Marine Mammal area?" Miranda asked.
"I can." Halb replied.
Miranda looked at him, concern etching her features, "Be careful."
"I shalt, milady." Halb replied and rushed for the Dolphin Research Area.
"Team Alpha, hold your fire, we've got a friendly coming your way." Hawkwood said, "Teams Bravo and Charlie, provide covering fire, he's gonna need it."
Miranda saw she had to have been right because over a dozen Heartless were chasing Halb towards the Dolphin Research Area. With her, Bonkers, Hawkwood and two security teams covering him, the Heartless didn't make it anywhere near him. But more Heartless appeared to take their place.
~ ~ ~ ~
Vasserbunde's Northern Bastion was still holding out, despite constant assaults from the Heartless. Princess Arial still retained command of Vasserbunde's forces. The Western and Eastern bastions needed more men, the Southern experienced no attacks at all, so she diverted numbers of troops from both garrisons to reinforce the others, sending reserves from the nearby towns to man the ramparts of the Southern Bastion.
"Arial..." Nupraptor moaned from his bed.
"Shh, rest my love, Vasserbunde still remains secure. The riders have brought forth news that the four bastions are still holding. Sir Ferguson remains a capable advisor..." Arial replied.
"Milady," Melante, one of Arial's ladies in waiting, said, "Sir Ferguson to see you."
Sir Ferguson walked forth. He was an older, silver haired gentleman with a thin beard and mustache of the same color. He wore a rapier around his belt and a breastplate as well as leather gauntlets, "Milady, you've transferred five hundred men under the Earl of Wallenstein from the Southern Bastion. I cannot approve this."
Coolly, Arial said, "I have thought of this, and am sending another regiment from the towns of Wachter and Vilstibruck to reinforce it."
"They are untested troops, milady," Ferguson protested, "The five hundred men of Wallenstein are veteran combat troops, they should defend our Southern flank."
"They are much more needed in the Eastern Bastion, they lost still more as of last night." Arial replied.
"I beg you leave, milady." Ferguson said, as he left.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Have your forces found the door yet?" Maleficent asked Al Vermin and Lilith Duprave.
"We still need to open the door; however we've located it at Spaceship Earth." Lilith replied.
"Why can't you open it?" Maleficent asked.
"We have to find the crests to open it, but they've been hidden. Plus Cobra Bubbles and his crew are already in EPCOT..." Al Vermin reported.
"I will summon more Heartless." Lilith said, "It will make the task easier. The militias of the various EPCOT jurisdictions are proving more difficult than expected."
"Be wary of using the Heartless, for they have their own agenda as well." Maleficent warned.
"The swordsman of Parmas is in Seabase Alpha." Terroenza said, from the crystal ball, "It seems he has located the first crest. I have summoned more Heartless to stop him."
~ ~ ~ ~
"They really seem to want this area." A security woman said, clutching her rifle close to her.
"They know the crest is here." Halb replied, "I shall retrieve it and rid thee of the problems plaguing your base. Canst thou hold thy position?"
"We'll die trying." The woman replied, "Alright, Clancy, Hatfield, go cover our buddy here."
"Yes ma'am." Both men replied, running with Halb to the access area for the Dolphin Research tank.
Suddenly another Bandit appeared and Halb dueled with it, his sword striking the creature's weapon when Hatfield blasted it in the chest.
"Go get the crest, we'll cover you." Hatfield replied, dropping to one knee, shooting the occasional Heartless that managed to get past the security team.
Halb splashed the water with his hand, he was impressed at the bravery of Seabase Alpha's security force against such a terrifying foe as the Heartless. As if sensing his intentions a dolphin surfaced in front of Halb.
Halb gently touched the side of the creature's head, "Be calm, gentle creature of the seas, for the menace to your world will be gone soon."
The dolphin nodded its head and dived deeply into the tank. Halb was about to jump into the water and swim to the bottom when the dolphin surfaced with the crest. Halb stuffed the crest into a pocket in his shirt and ran straight for Miranda, Bonkers and Hawkwood.
"I have the crest!" Halb shouted.
"Team Echo, take flanking positions, escort us to the exit hydrolator." Hawkwood ordered.
A security team of ten men took positions of escort around the four people, trading shots with Heartless boarding parties. As they ran towards the exit Hydrolator, a pair of Musketeer Heartless and a Bandit attacked and killed a militiaman. As they charged the group heading for safety, they were ambushed by two more militiamen.
Halb, Miranda and Bonkers got into the hydrolator and felt it rise to the surface. As they left, the Heartless left Seabase Alpha, having no more reason to be fighting down there.
"Hawkwood to Fulton, no more Heartless troops on the base. I'll have a damage assessment momentarily."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC