A Memory Faded

[DarkTails]

"My god... can't those two keep from fighting?" Nova approached with her escorts joining the two Marines outside the door. She stood there for a moment, taking a deep breath, contemplating on whether or not she should barge in.

After a few moments, she mustered the courage to enter the room and opened the door. "Just what is going on in here!?" Nova walked to the table, her tone changing from sharp to quiet while addressing Hemlock. "Commander, please try to calm down." Her tone shifted to more annoyed now addressing Sader. "And you, can't I leave you in here to ask some questions without pissing him off!? He was perfectly calm when he came in here." Nova glanced at them both, annoyed.

"Commander, may I please have the keys to the locks so I can examine the stone?" Nova's voice became calmer once again.

[Spectre]

He very abruptly reached inside his shirt, yanking his dog tags off and placing them in her hand, which had the keys in question attached via a small extender chain. "Take the damned stone.. Better I do it willingly rather than have him shove marines down my throat." He kept an irked glare arrayed towards Sader, clearly fed up.

Reyes stood back, watching the three. She seemed to have her eyes fixed on Hemlock, which in her situation wasn't very surprising. She grabbed one hand with the other, hovering them over her mouth as Hemlock handed Nova the keys.
The keys by contrast were very unusual in appearance. One seemed to be roughly like a normal padlock key, with a noticeable notch struck into the middle of the pathway and a small hole near the tip of the key. The other, however, was just a small stick with a very small pin sticking out at the end.

[Morosz]

After hearing out Nova's complains Sader looked at her then took a deep breath."We will discuss this later Operative. Both of you please leave, i still haven't finished with Hemlock." Noticing Hemlock's glare, Sader decided to look at him with a calm and seemingly ignoring face.

[DarkTails]

"I'm sure we will, Admiral. Thank you Commander." Nova took the keys and departed, taking her two operatives with her. As she walked back to the quarters to retrieve the stone and head to the lab, she showed a mix of emotions around others for once, concern mixed with anger.

I just walked in there and yelled at Admiral Sader... what was I thinking?? Nova had no idea what Sader would do to her for that, but she was sure it wasn't good. I'm so dead. She retrieved the stone and headed to Juneau's lab to examine it closely as she had an operative comb over records for 'Reaper'.

[Spectre]

Hemlock took the very slight moment to stand, walking towards the door. Before he would be shoved back into the room by a marine by the door, he gave Reyes a very brief but slightly intimate hug, pulling back and giving her a pat on the shoulder.
"Try not to worry too much, Cath... It's not like he's going to bite my head off or anything.."

"Y-yeah.. still.. I don't want you to go mental over this.."
He gave her a slight wink before the marine finally shoved him back, Hemlock giving them a rather unamusing glare before turning back and sitting back down in the same seat he was in before. Reyes followed Nova out, staying nearby her but maintaining distance enough to not seem intrusive.

[DarkTails]

Nova continued to retrieve the stone, her two escorts following behind her, one handing her a datapad, seemingly with more information based around crew testimonies of what happened at the Order shipyard, detailing the extensive time and lack of quality of the repairs. She skimmed over it, and continued into the CO's quarters, the two operatives staying at the door while Nova retrieved the stone.

"Now, let's have a closer look at you." She began unlocking the case.

[Spectre]

Reyes followed them for the time it took them to reach his quarters once more. She gave the two operatives an unusually shaky nod as she passed by them, walking in and quietly sitting down on one of Hemlock's pieces of furniture. She just sat there, quietly thinking to herself. From what could be seen, she didn't actually seem like she was all there.
All that could be heard was her quiet mumbling, like she'd finally gone off the deep end.

By contrast, the display case, once both keys were inserted, clicked open, the lip raising up and finally revealing the stone in all it's unusual fantascism. "Yes.. a closer look.. et melius vultus.. altius autem vultus.. quia tu me.."

[Morosz]

Noticing the hug Sader waited untill everyone leaves the room then he closed the doors. "So what happened after repairs have been made."

[DarkTails]

Nova picked up the stone and inspected it closely, looking for the marking described in Hemlocks notes. Now how to you.. speak..? She closely inspected the alien stone, trying to get a quick understanding of it before she took it to the lab.

She seemed to not notice Reyes' mumbling, more intent on figuring out the stones secrets.

[Spectre]

"After.. we waited.. We didn't leave until months later when I finally asked if they were continuing our repairs. When they said that was all we were getting, we packed up shop and headed back."
He laid his hand flat on the table, slowly raising it up and making a small movement with his fingers. "You have.. no idea how it feels waiting that long for nothing to happen...." He sighed. "You have a pretty good idea of what happened once we left.."


The stone continued to speak, however it's topics began to travel down a slightly darker path than before..
"Rejoice.. this one is free... The lights of Anuk'sa reveal themselves... Servant of the light.. please deliver this one to the promised ones... I beg you..."

Reyes could hear the stone's rantings, as well as the two operatives, but to them only faintly. The marking labeled inside Hemlock's notes was described as a small imprint, very much shaped like a miniature cross. While the shape was unusual, the instant she'd place any part of her hand over it, her mind would very suddenly be filled with visions and sounds of a planet under bombardment, a shuttle exploding, a woman and what sounds like an infant child screaming, and a man sobbing. At the end of it, the very faint sound of Hemlock's voice could be heard.
"Emma...."