Light: Exploits, Book II.

Part 3. Dry Realities.

Eventually, the rouge Cabal space magnet threw us gently into Neptune's orbit. We regrouped after circling the planet a few times.
Quite a few times larger than Earth Guardians, Ghost comments.
I'd wager a few dozen times more dangerous than it too. I say.
Low and slow? Farah reminds me.
Low, and slow, I say setting the engines.
Diving now. Altitude at steady decline. Ghost says, maintaining our ships again.
Entering inner orbit. Just passed the mesospheric layers.
We all feel a shake.
Cloud density? I demand.
At least 35 times thicker than water.
We all brace and slam into the cloud layer.
Is this water or not? Priest asks.
No, but it's far more pressurized. I don't know if the ships can maintain. Ghost hesitates.
We didn't come this far to turn back, I say priming my engines as Farah and Priest do the same.
Brace! Ghost, maintain hull! This is gonna get rocky! I say as I grip the throttle.
I push as hard as I can, feeling my seat pull me back.
We all slipped through the cloud cover, slowly, but it eventually burned away the closer to ground we got.
We were just past when a blaring red light pierced the slow rumble of my flight.
Guardian! Hull malfunction! All systems Failing! Ghost shouts.
Fuck. Hold on! I'm flying over you, Priest says. Ghost! Detach reach claw!
I unbuckled my harness as I looked out and saw the wing of my ship curve and cut the cockpit off of my ship.
I was just barely able to duck in time. Soon I felt the low atmospheric pressure of Neptune. 
Thick like nothing I'd ever felt.
Like I was being slammed with stones made of water.
I can't... Breathe... I struggle to choke.
We need to get down!
Without thinking, I threw myself off of my ship.
Noo! Priest yelled as he and Farah dove after me.
I felt myself pass through the increasingly thinning layers of Neptune's Sky.
I was able to gasp and breathe and notice I was plummeting.
Approaching touchdown Guardian. Ghost said softly.
I looked over the patches of land I could see through the clouds. It was rocky, uneven and rugged.
Ghost I thought there was no natural land mass above sea level on Neptune. I comment.
There's not. At least there shouldn't be. Ghost replies.
I pass through the clouds and see full ground.
Valleys scratched into the ground. Gouges of caves with nothing but darkness inside.
There was a single pool of water, about the size of The Traveller wide, sparkling and glittering directly below me.
Woah... Farah says with a soft gasp.
I felt the same way.
Something dried up Neptune. The Water World.
It was gone.
Just a blue storm that left us stuck in a facade.
By The Traveller... This... Priest starts.
As I get closer to the water, I glide and hover over it.
How long can I maintain glide like this Ghost? I ask as I focus on defying gravity as my reflection hangs in the water.
With that amount of focus, about 15 minutes.
I looked out over the water. It was clear and shimmering, and I couldn't see how far down it went.
But, when I looked down, I didn't see the watery clear front of my helmet. I saw the back of it.
My eyes widened.
Ghost... What is that... I mouth softly.
Soon enough I hear a blood curdling scream. It breaks my focus and I feel myself drop.
But something catches me. Something dark.
An unseen thing.
An evil and Dark thing took me. I thrashed around violently. I felt like that Minotaur so long ago.
Unbind me creature! I shout, but soon I feel another scream.
My eyes widen. My mouth gapes. My Ghost is warning Priest and Farah my vitals have ceased.
I felt whatever this was latch onto my Light.
It was speaking to me.
A word. I whisper, comatose to the others.
It's a name. Of a word. I continue, entranced
Keep talking! Stay with us Dylan! Farah screams.
I feel another scream. It thunders and I feel my heart burst. My nose bleeds and I choke on blood as I mutter softly, Destroyer...
And I feel myself splash in the water which is now, only as tall as my ankles.
My Ghost is busy fixing my heart, as soon I feel it beat again. It thumps softly.
I gasp as I feel my lungs burn for breath.
I sit up and tear off my helmet.
I breathe deeply and hold it, shuddering from what I just felt.
I looked toward Earth.
I asked her if she felt this.
Eris... Please guide me... I ask her silently.
The wind rustles through my hair and I look at my reflection.
Blood is cleaned and I'm new again.
I stand up and look over the water again.
Is there any more water? I ask Ghost.
It buzzes and scans the area.
... No... I can't detect any nearby water source....
I looked around. I knew by what latched onto me, there was Darkness here.
Priest and Farah descended from their ships, weapons drawn, and Light sufficiently agitated.
Guardians, I'm detecting some kind of signal. Distress signal. From a research station. Ghost says curiously.
Where? I say slipping my helmet back on and drawing my rifle.
117 yards southeast of this position.
We looked out and sure enough, saw a building scratch the sky.
We felt the ground rumble.
No! Sparrows now! I say holding my Ghost.
We speed off, not looking back.
All that was ahead of us was dried, cracked ground. No trace or sign of there ever being any water.
It's entirely elevated. It must have been built on the water, I say as we get closer.
Then how do we get in?! Priest barks as our Sparrows cry lowly.
Find a way! Something is right on our ass! I shout.
Whatever it was burst from the ground, roaring as it threw dirt and rocks on us.
It was as big as our ships, and seemed to be made of stone. But it had a gaping mouth. And a deafening roar.
Whatever it was, it didn't like us treading on its ground.
It slammed near us and threw me off my Sparrow.
I rolled out and popped back up on my feet.
I felt the ground shudder as Priest flew by, grabbing my outstretched arm.
It burst again, diving and resurfacing in its attempt to kill us.
I want this things head! Priest roars.
Ghost! Scan all available records for what that thing is! We'll hold it off! I shout as I reach down and grab Priest's hand cannon.
I stand on the Sparrow, wobbling trying to hold my balance.
It pops up and I fire, the barrel cracks. The bullets whiz and ping off its iron hard hull, one lands near Farah.
Hey! Watch it! She shouts.
Do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to shoot like this?! I scream back.
Priest! Keep circling!
He turns over the engine and we backpedal and turn sharply, I barely have time to grab the cowl of his chest plate.
Oh yeah, hold on, he laughs.
Guardians! This is a Feeder! A Hive creature, it's hide is thick but inside it, its weak to Light! Ghost shouted frantic.
As it popped up, I was caught off guard, and realized just how un-massive the creature was.
It's body was completely in the air between resurfacing.
That's our chance! When I tell you, Pour all your light into that thing! I shout as Priest hits the throttle and we speed off, Farah coming up beside us.
It roared again. And crashed up from the dust faster and more violent than before.
The wind whipped loudly, dust and rocks pinging off of our armor.
My eyes flashes and I palmed a bolt of Void Light.
NOW!! I scream as Farah draws her Solar Revolver.
She fires all her shots, burning the Feeders hide, causing it to scream and crash above ground.
I leap off of the Sparrow and Priest slams into it with his Fists of Havoc.
It screams again as I run toward its mouth and launch my Nova Bomb into it.
It fades away, screaming and burning and howling as it does.
We all pant and collect our breath.
Now... I say standing up and straightening my coat, Let us see what this research station has for us.