Thermal Base

Thermal Base is the sixth stage for Lilac and the seventh stage for Carol and Milla in Freedom Planet.
In the story of Freedom Planet, Torque is captured by Brevon's troops and taken to his underwater base near Jade Creek. Lilac and Carol get into an argument over their ability to accomplish their mission, so Carol and Milla leave the group. Lilac goes into Brevon's base alone and fights Syntax, but is captured by Brevon himself. Carol, Milla, and Spade later break into Brevon's base to rescue Lilac and Torque. Their mission ultimately proves successful, as Brevon's base explodes and all five make it out safely. Unfortunately, Lilac and Spade are each separated from the main group.
== Act 1 ==
left|thumb|369x369px|Syntax spots Carol breaking into the base.
Act 1 of Thermal Base starts near the entrance of the base. The walls are an orange-red color, and there are windows so that those inside the base can see the ocean water. The player enters the base from below and enters the area to discover that Brevon's base is filled with enemies, most of which actively target the player. The player will reach three platforms that bob up and down and have flames coming out of them. A player in this stage will see these a lot throughout the entire level, and platforming over them will be common. One of the big gimmicks of the stage is the keycards that the player must collect in order to open doors throughout the level. The first keycard and door are right next to each other in order to quickly teach the player how the keycards work. The next keycard to find is much farther away from its door in an isolated room with a miniboss. The miniboss is called the Roboshrimp; the only way it can damage the player it by shocking them with its electric tail, so if the player has a Metal Shield then the Roboshrimp cannot damage them. by destroying all its armor and hit its head (much like the Hunter Snake in Dragon Valley) then miniboss will be beaten and the player can collect the keycard. It is also here where Syntax will notice the player and start watching them, something it will do throughout the entire level. The next keycard is obtained in a rather roundabout manner. The player must make their way lower into the base across platforms that go up and down and hanging bars that they can cling to while avoiding streams of fire. Then the player can make their way back to the door to unlock it. 
left|thumb|294x294px|Milla gets caught by the lava flow.
After this, the player will be given access to a larger part of the lower base. They can go straight ahead to a room with many crates and bombs, or they can go downward to the next section of the level. There they will run into a small room where a Shade Elite will push a wall to edge the player closer to a machine that spews lava at the sound of an alarm. This Shade Elite can be defeated simply by attacking the wall that it pushes. After getting out of the lower area, they will find two keycards that open two consecutive doors. The player will then run into another locked door. Syntax will appear and tell the player that it can be opened by standing on the blinking floor panel next to it. If the player does this, however, the panel will explode and hurt the player and Syntax will say "JUST KIDDING.". The actual way to get the door open is, of course, to find another keycard. The keycard is located inside a miniboss called the Robosquid and can be collected just by attack it until its glass exterior breaks. The player can kill the Robosquid, but it is not required. Upon unlocking this door, the player will quickly make their way to the midboss of this stage, Syntax, who takes the form of a spider. Syntax's only has one attack in its first phase: sucking up lava from the lava pillar to the left and right and spewing it back at the player, which they must duck under or jump over. After damaging it enough times, Syntax will begin its second phase when its spider body explodes and becomes just a head. In this phase, Syntax will suck up spikes from each side of the arena and launch them downwards at the player. Syntax does not have much health in this phase, however, and will be defeated quickly. Upon be beaten, a torrent of lava begins to spew towards the player from the left. When they reach safety, the player will see a keycard and a door and open it to begin the next act.
== Act 2 ==
thumb|377x377px|Lilac searches for the keycard to the next door.
Act 2 takes place deeper inside Brevon's base. The walls and floor are purple and blue rather than the orange-red color of the last act. This act is more open, but it is also still the same basic concept of the last act: collecting cards to progress through the levels. Two new stage objects are conveyor belts and underwater area with jets, both of which push the player in a certain direction. The player will have to make their way through loop-de-loops, bomb panels, and more enemies to find the next keycard, but they will see it eventually and loop back around the area to get past the door. This part of the stage will also give Carol a fuel tank, something that a player who picked her would not have been able to use up until this point. The player will also see a row of pile drivers in this area, which slam down onto the floor to kill the player in one hit. The player will also see a lever that makes the water rise up, but if they don't pull it immediately and make their way downward, they will find a narrow pathway that leads to an optional hidden keycard that leads to an optional door. After pulling the lever, the player will make their way to another locked door with the keycard being just above it next to a shield. After going through a few lava wells and pile drivers, the player will arrive near an unlocked door. Before going through the door though, if the player had collected the optional keycard, then they can climb up the ladder to unlock an optional door with two extra lives in it. The player then makes their way up an elevator with few enemies on it to reach a corridor with a bunch of doors leading to the boss room. There is also a singular patch of grass that Milla can dig into to get an elemental shield before the boss.
== Stage Boss ==
thumb|263x263px|Carol fights Syntax's squid form.
The end stage boss is a fight against Syntax in its squid form. Syntax will float all over the room during this fight, but it will try to stay close to the player whenever it can. During most of the Syntax has two main attacks. It can suck up the lava from the bottom of the arena and fire it back down at the player in pieces as if it were bullets. Syntax's lava attacks can also heat up the metal platforms on the center and top of the arena, so players must watch out for that if they plan to stay there for most of the fight. When Syntax reaches two thirds of its health, it will disappear off-screen in order to launch spiked metal balls from the floor to cover the left, right, and center of the screen in that order before going back to its lava attacks. When it reaches one third of its health, it will repeat the metal ball attack again and then use a new attack. Syntax will jump out from the lava in the form of a large sawblade and roll around the edges of the room and bounce into the center. After this, the fight progresses normally and Syntax is defeated.
== Enemies ==
==== Regular Enemies ====
* Lava Squid: Lava Squids are floating robots that fires lasers horizontally. They move once they fire two shots.
* Pushup: Pushups stand in a single spot and rotate between shooting red energy spikes straight up or straight down. When the spikes touch the floor or the ceiling, they split into shockwaves that travel horizontally. They do not actively target the player.
* Saucer: Saucers stomp around the floor and shoot fireballs upward. They do not actively target the player.
* Seeker: Seekers fly around the screen and open up their shell and fire a small bullet to the left or the right.
* Shade Elite: Shade Elite run far away from the player and fire at them with their laser guns; they must be knocked down twice in order to be defeated.
* Tankbot: Tankbots slowly move along the ground and shoot the player when they get within firing range. 
==== Minibosses ====
* Roboshrimp: The Roboshrimp moves around the arena in a snakelike manner around the walls and has an electric tail that can shock the player. It does not actively target the player.
* Robosquid: The Robosquid floats in midair to the left and the right and occasionally fires bullets diagonally downward. The speed of its movement and guns increases when its glass exterior is destroyed.
* Syntax (Spider Form): Syntax will move from side to side across the room regardless of what phase it is in. It will start by sucking up lava from the walls and spewing it at the player will will do the same with the spikes once its health is low enough.
== Gallery ==
Capture2.jpeg
Lilac in Thermal Base.jpeg
Milla Syntax miniboss fight in Thermal Base.jpeg
Carol Roboshrimp Miniboss Thermal Base.jpeg
Gameplay of Sash Lilac in Thermal Base.jpeg