*Captain Drake and Admiral Parangosky enters the bridge, SPARTAN 010 Naomi stands to attention, specialist Roberts remains seated, focused on her work."

Parangosky: Well, where is he?

*Tukmen'tukhan's avatar appears before her and bows.*

Tukmen'tukhan: Jade tells me that this is a sign of respect to modern humans, though I suspect she might have been playing a joke on me.

*Roberts stifles a laugh*

P: You are the construct?

T: I am. My name is Tukmen'tukhan and I am pleased to meet my modern counterpart. I hope that you are as formidable as they say.

P: They?

T: Yes. Madeleine mentioned your reputation, also Jade, and the charming Lieutenant Volkovskaya.

*Parangosky looks towards Captain Drake, who shrugs indifferently.*

P: My reputation has a habit of getting out of hand, I'm afraid, but feel free to believe everything you hear.

T: Noted. Are you here to sequester me?

P: No, I just wanted to see you for myself. Unless of course you think Commander, Harper is not up to the task.

T: She is rather young but I would ask that you keep her assigned to me. I trust her.

P: oh? Do you not trust me?

*Tukmen'tukhan laughs*

T: I know that I would not trust me, were it myself in your position.

P: Good. Though, I wanted to know your thoughts regarding Madeleine Harper. We mean to trust her with the long-term survival of the human race, after all.

T: Madeleine reminds me of an old friend. One day you will teach your children about Forthencho, Lord of Admirals. He was a noble man, with an indomitable spirit. Maddie shares that with him, I think. She has the will and the fortitude necessary to take on such responsibility. There is more to her character than just that, however; there's a creativity about her as well. She's a fearless warrior with a scholar's heart. I think this task will suit her well, a compromise between the ideal path she might have taken and the reality of living through a genocide.

*Parangosky turns to Drake*

Drake: Satisfied?

P: I'm never satisfied. Although I am impressed that Madeleine has managed to gain your trust, Tukmen'tukhan.

T: She is honest.

P: Yes, she is, never could quite get rid of that. What about you, Miss Roberts, I understand you and the Commander shared more than just confidence.

*Jade blushes and stops working abruptly.*

Jade: uh-

P: No need to explain yourself. Just answer the question, please.

J: Maddie - Commander Harper, is compassionate. She struggled with what she believed her role to be at ONI. She has it in her head that everyone has to be robotic, like Halsey's droids.

P: Has? She's still conflicted?

J: In a sense. She'll get over it, though. Once she gets an idea on her head, nothing will stop her.

D: Ain't that the truth.

P: hm, SPARTAN, you've worked with the Commander before, what are your thoughts.

*Sierra 010 shifts uncertainly on her feet and after a pause, Admiral Parangosky sighs and shakes her head*

P: Don't make me order you to say it, Naomi.

Naomi: Commander Harper is an efficient operative with a talent for close quarters fighting and long-range marksmanship. Despite her youth, inexperience, and her occasional self-doubt she has never proved a liability to any operation we have both partaken in. She has a lot to learn but I believe she is more than capable and will be eager for the task. She's lethal, effective and… and she's a friend.

D: You consider her a friend?

N: All SPARTANs do. She treats us like we're human.

P: An ex-cultist, an ancient human A.I., and a Super soldier.

D: Sounds like a set up to a bad joke.

P: Indeed. Though, I think it says all we need to know, don't you Felix?

D: Yes, Ma'am. Yes, I believe it does.

P: Good, now then Tukmen'tukhan, let's go over a few things...

Recording Ends

Data Recorded by Specialist Roberts' Lab on the Bridge of the Fenrir.

}{=}{

December 7th 2551:

Site Yankee-002-G3, Orbit of Louis XIV, Ballast System

00:06 hours local time.

The UNSC Enigma floated beside the Fenrir and the Hel, set against the backdrop of the sun, which was named after an ancient earth sun-king: Louis XIV. It was quiet aboard the ship, Admiral Parangosky was touring the ships with Naomi, Jade, and Drake and the rest of the crew were taking shore leave on Ballast. This suited Maddie just fine as she and the small gathering of allies huddled around a table in the common room, playing beer pong.

"That's when Dad had to get involved, he thought it was Maddie screaming, but when he got up there, he found Preston tied up and screeching his little heart out." Maggie laughed, downing a SPARTAN-sized cup of beer, without taking the ping-pong ball from it.

The rest of the group howled with laughter and Maddie blushed, "He kept making me the hostage, I was sick of it" she grinned, letting Katya fill her cup.

"How old were you?" George asked, taking a sip of his scotch, "aren't your brothers older than you?"

"She was seven," Maggie said, "Which made Preston nine and Alex thirteen."

"Somethings never change, do they?" Maddie offered with a devilish smile.

"No, they don't, now take your shot!" Victor said, handing a ping-pong ball to Maddie. Maddie swayed and regretted suggesting SPARTANs versus everyone else. They'd ploughed through a lot of alcohol. Victor was quite drunk, he'd been 'Director', a name derived from an apparent love of film. He was slender and had a hard-set, serious looking face that contrasted with his generally cheerful disposition. Maddie stepped forward, aiming the ball and threw it neatly into the cup, despite her drunkenness.

"No way, this isn't fair" Dorian, the man who had been 'Fender' sighed, "you and Katya are carrying your whole team."

Evie snorted, "What did you expect from the Viper and the Wolf?"

"Hey, I made a shot" George grinned, "I think."

"That was me, Sir" Duggan replied, "It's a good job you're a better Captain than you are a beer pong player, isn't it?"

"Can't be good at everything" George replied, knocking back another shot as Saskia stepped up to the table, swaying heavily.

"Oh, man, I'm seeing four cups there," she tried to focus and Victor chuckled as he steadied her, "My ancestors would be so ashamed" she groaned, "Their offspring is a lightweight."

"Flyweight, more like. There's two cups there, Sas." Victor replied, a cheeky smile plastered on his face. Saskia scowled and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, which earned a round of 'oohs' from the rest of the group. She launched it, awkwardly, and it plopped itself into a cup. Maddie groaned in disbelief as the SPARTANs celebrated, jumping around in a circle of towering bodies. Maddie thought it was an odd sight, not just because these SPARTANs had social skills, but because her sister was among them. When last she remembered, Maggie Harper had been a meek girl who felt more comfortable in an empty field than at a party. Seeing her like this, part of a team, a family of sorts, lifted her spirits a little but the guilt still remained. She swallowed, zoning out as Katya was selected to down the drink. She wondered if Maggie simply didn't even need her, that she had others to rely on, people who didn't sign her life away.

"My turn" Jack said, from his wheelchair, "watch this" he said, slurring his speech a little. Between his meds and the shot or two he wasn't meant to have; the man was about as coherent as a junkie high on paint. He tried to spin the chair in place, then chucked the ball wildly. Katya rolled her eyes as he celebrated his miss with a lap around the hall.

"What do I see in that man?" She asked herself, aloud.

"The heart wants what the heart wants" George replied, his eyes meeting Maddie's.

Maddie blushed, then turned to Katya, "I think he'll balance you out a bit. You know, stop you from being so serious all the time" she laughed.

"Maybe he can give Dorian a few pointers as well," Evie offered, earning her a playful punch on the forearm from Dorian, who made a point of scowling extra-hard at her.

Katya downed another shot, earning a round of laughter from the rest of the group. Maggie stepped up to the table, stared deep into Maddie's eyes, and threw the ball. It dinked on the edge of the last cup, bouncing upwards in a little hop. Everyone held their breath as it hit the opposite lip and bounced away and onto the table. Everyone groaned in relief or frustration. It was their fifth game. While Maddie and Katya had cruised the first two rounds, the metabolisms of the SPARTANs meant that their team could go the distance, winning two victories on the bounce as the 'natural' humans began to flag. It was only luck that Maddie's team was still in this.

The sun flared outside the window, drawing Maddie's attention. It reminded her of that last night of ignorance she'd shared with Nico. They'd shared drinks, stolen a kiss, and finally started to make progress in their relationship. It had all been too late though, the next day, hungover and angry at her family, the covenant arrived and ruined it all. When Ana and Angie abandoned her, she'd given up on them and, perhaps wrongly, she hadn't bothered to keep up with the others, either. She had heard that Nico made it into the Army, and was stationed on Reach, but aside from that, she'd left that life behind. She thought back to the drinking, the smoking, and the flirting, she felt a little ashamed. She'd only been a teenager, but Maddie felt as though she'd been silly, like she'd made a fool of herself and it followed her around like bad press. It was irrational to feel that way, especially when she'd learned so much and survived untold dangers but that was just how she felt. Now, it seemed an insurmountable barrier to her, it was a daunting thing, knowing that her mother, sisters, and her eldest brother were about to be in the same system together and that she'd likely have to confront them or lose them all.

Get your house in order. That's what Parangosky said, it had sounded like an order.

Maddie knew she had strength but she wasn't sure she was ready to confront her darkest decision. She was already cataloguing excuses in her head.

"Evie's on for the win" someone said, drawing her attention back to the game.

She tossed it calmly into the cup and the SPARTANs celebrated. Maddie smiled as the group slowly split into separate conversations and Maddie found herself sitting opposite Katya and Jack as they nestled against each other, their fingers intertwined. Duggan had decided to spar with Dorian and was getting his ass kicked when Katya caught Maddie's eye.

"Congratulations, by the way" she said, raising her glass, "on the promotion."

"I never thought I'd see the day that you said something positive about me." Maddie replied, her expression cringed at what she had done to the woman. Katya smiled, noticing the regret in that expression and leaned back in her seat as Jack seemed to tense.

"These are strange times" Maddie said, watching Jack relax again, "and they're only going to get stranger with time but thank-you, and well done on yours as well."

"Beta-Seven, huh." Jack said, aloud, "blank cheques, dark rooms, and secret tech."

Maddie nodded, "the only other Beta division I know of was responsible for creating the SPARTANs."

"Jesus," he noted, taking a swig from his glass.

"How are things going with your sister?" Katya asked, looking towards the window, where Maggie stood chatting with Sterling and Victor.

Maddie shrugged, "Good. Sort of." Katya looked like she didn't believe her. Apparently, they did know each other too well. "It could be going better. Everything's changed. I've changed, she's changed and our family is smaller too. We haven't spoken much. Or at least, not about anything that matters."

"Then what are you doing here?" Katya asked, her bluntness cut right to the core of Maddie's being.

Why am I putting it off?

"I'm terrified I'll lose her again."

"You'll definitely lose her if you grow distant. You might have changed but you're still family, if mine were still alive I would force them to enjoy my company."

Maddie chuckled, "Yeah, that might work."

"I can't imagine your family disputes were much fun, Kat" Jack slurred, laughing to himself. Katya looked sad for a moment; a wave of emotion wafted across her icy blue eyes as they met Maddie's.

"No," she agreed, smiling wistfully, "they weren't."

She gave Maddie a look and Maddie realised she was being subtly ordered over to her sister. She excused herself and nodded to Katya as Jack slurred something soppy into her ear, making her smile. With a deep breath she approached her sister, standing beside them as they looked out over the ships.

"So, this is our big chance, is it? Two ancient ships we know nothing about." Victor shook his head, "talk about a long shot, right?"

"I'll say." Maddie replied, "but it's always been a close one." Maggie nodded; her eyes fixed to the Fenrir.

"It's a little one, but it's the only light in the tunnel we've had for a while." George said, squeezing Maddie's hand.

Victor stretched and swayed a little. "I can't believe I get to work with you guys, though. It'll make a great story for my ViDoc's one day: "The unofficial official histories of the human race, the Viper, and the Wolf."

"Bit of a mouthful, that." George noted, sipping on his scotch.

Maggie remained quiet and Maddie looked away, only for George to catch her eye and pull Victor away so that they could speak.

"Hey" They both said in unison, the moment they were alone. Maggie blushed and offered Maddie the first word.

"You first, I only spoke up because I didn't think you wanted to talk."

"Me too," she replied, sheepishly.

Maddie chuckled and shook her head. "This is awkward"

Maggie turned to her and smiled, "Isn't it?"

"It shouldn't be, should it?"

"I don't know, Mads, maybe it should."

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Maggie nodded; her throat tight. Shadows struck the muscle on her neck and shoulders. In simple fatigues, she looked like the apex of humanity as they accentuated her sharp Harper features.

"I didn't expect you to be the same you know." Maddie said, her eyes downcast, "I don't care what you think you need to be to me. SPARTAN or sister, the fact you're here is all that matters, you know that, right?"

Again, she swallowed, her eyes shimmered. "I'm not the girl you remember." She said, firmly.

"Do you think I am?"

"From what I've seen, yeah."

"I don't smoke anymore." She offered, trying to eke out what Maggie really meant. She sniffed a half laugh, it was abrupt, but it put her at ease. "You still care, you're still brilliant, clever, compassionate. You might not have thought you were capable of it and you might not have acted like it when you were a teenager, but meeting you… you're every bit the brilliant young woman that I expected to meet. They called you mother. That sounds fitting for the sister I knew, even on a battlefield and among SPARTANs, you're still the same empathic and talented girl I remember. I am sure that hasn't changed." Maddie put her hand on Maggie's as she spoke softly, glancing up at the imposing frame of her sister. "We have both been through more than I bet most go through in a lifetime. We might be the same people, but our experiences do change how we apply ourselves. There's no going back to the way things were, no returning to the days when we had the luxury of ignorance and our biggest problems were a teen smoking habit and a dysfunctional family. Honestly though, I don't want to go back. I want to spend time with you, right now, to make up for the lost years when I didn't know if you were alive or further back when I didn't appreciate you properly."

Maddie paused when she noticed Maggie smiling.

"What?" Maddie asked.

"Nothing, I just thought that was really sweet." She said, barely louder than a whisper.

"Well, it's the truth. I've spent too long believing that I have to be something I'm not to succeed. I'm about to reframe human history and become the greatest historian the world will ever know and you'll be there by my side."

She wiped her eyes. "Yeah okay, things definitely have changed" she sniffed, "and I like this new Maddie, so I don't want to go back either."

"Forwards it is then, unto the breach." Maddie said, remembering without difficulty, the speech that Maggie had once read to her for a birthday. Maggie remembered it, too. She wasn't a fan of Henry V. She preferred Tempest and Othello; she did know that it was Maddie's favourite.

She held back her tears, straightened her back and spoke quietly so that only Maddie would hear:

"Be copy now to men of grosser blood,

And teach them how to war. And you, good yeomen,

Whose limbs were made in England, show us here

The mettle of your pasture: let us swear

That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not,

For there is none of you so mean and base,

That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!"

The speech had stirred a thousand stolen moments and the repressed sadness of lost years but as Maggie reached the final lines, Maddie's heart burst with joy, and the knowledge that her sister was still just that: her sister. She turned and pulled her close, the pair of them sobbing into each other's arms as the Fenrir shifted out of the way of the Sun's glorious warmth, flooding the hall with a golden glow of honeyed light.

There in the arms of a super soldier, in the arms of her sister, Maddie felt for the first time a sense of something pure and noble. It brightened her smile and her eyes, leaving her an oxymoron of emotion.

Despite it, one thing remained a constant. One thing rose above all else to spur the young woman on into the future.

Hope.

Madeleine Harper will return in:

The Spook: Ghosts of Ballast

Author's Note:

So, that's book two!

Much shorter and hopefully paced slightly better, I'm hoping that you enjoyed this book more than the first one! That being said, if you didn't I'd love to hear why as I'd love to improve my writing next time around. I really enjoyed trying to craft a mystery for you over the course of these two books and I'm looking forward to tying up the loose ends in the final story, with Maddie finally confronting the demons she's been happy to let live in her closet for so long.

First things first, thank you to Lumari and Starpottergeek for all of your reviews, week-in-week-out they have kept me going and publishing at as consistent a rate as I can manage. I'd also like to thank everyone who has reached out in DM's or posted one-off reviews because they have also been great to read and sincerely welcomed. You have all truly helped me during lockdown's and I hope I've made yours a little easier in return.

Secondly, I think all the pieces are on the board for a final, epic story in the Spook Trilogy. This story is the one I've become most excited for as all the threads I've been developing, all the the plotlines and relationships that matter are finally ready to play themselves out. It will see Maddie take on the defence of an entire system both on land and in Space as she tries to keep the hope of Project: ARC DREAM alive. Unlike this story, I do think this conclusion will be the longest book in the trilogy and will need more time to see each plot thread resloved and pulled together as best as I can manage it. Unlike the last two books, this is the first time I've had the entirety of the plot mapped out before we start, in addition to a fully developed world that is hopefully more than just wasteland (as with the The Spook) and set dressing (as it was in Shadow Meridian).

So, what does that mean?

It mean's I need some time to get well ahead of the chapter releases in case I need to do revisions and alter the plot a little. Considering the scale I am aiming for, contriving a reason for an Army to be somewhere it has no reasonable way of getting to in an unrealistic amount of time cannot work. Unlike with SM and the Spook we're not dealing with a only a small team anymore, and I need to make sure coherence is maintained to do that, which ultimately means a bit of a wait until it starts.

tl;dr

Be patient with me and hang tight.

That being said, however...

There will be a side story, short at around 45k words, to keep you entertained in the meantime. It's going to be a Navy Fic focused on a crew and characters that we will need for the post-Maddie stories I plan on telling (yeah, it's not ending with this next one!).

Keep an eye out for it dropping in the next week and give it a read, it's a little bit experimental but it should be enough to keep you interested while I get up to speed on part 3.

Stay safe and have a good one!

EPILOGUE

Erun walked slowly up the steps. His feet and head were numb and seemed to weigh him down, a force of constant pressure that threatened to collapse his bones into dust. The wind howled and the grainy sands of his ancestral homeland whipped against him, stirred into a frenzy like a torrent of smoke and Ash commanded by the God's.

The God's.

The thought had come unbidden and once again he was in that room, locked in a trance, staring into the face of his enemy… and one of his God's. Why was it always humans? Erun shook his head and rubbed the stump on his jaw, where the little gutter worm had cleaved part of his mouth off. His lisp had been a constant reminder of his shame, yet now he felt no reason to desire the respect of his peers. There was only a persistent sense of dread and melancholy about him as he came to a halt in front of the old monastery. These lands were once held by Erun and his people, now the monastery lay abandoned, home only to the most devout worshippers of his family's ancient order.

The Ascetics.

Four Sangheili stood in a half circle in the large hall, cloaks raised high upon their heads so that only the four points of their mandibles were exposed to the howling winds and dusty wraiths of Sanghelios' dry season. Sat aside from them, decrepit in an old servant's chair, was the charred form of a familiar master. Erun stalked forward, his feet the only noise save for the wind.

He stopped before them, his golden eyes scanning the room. No one moved until his eyes met the Prophet's, bundled in Rags, Redemption was a sorry sight. Though he hadn't been old when they last met, Redemption was now an embittered and scarred shell. His eyes shone with fire, though, they seemed to burn with the rage and anger that Erun had only ever seen in a human.

"Hello, Erun" He hissed.

"Redemption."

"Hmph. An ironic name, don't you think." Erun didn't reply, his gaze returned to the other figure. "Faith was executed for heresy, Mercy has killed more of his men than anyone else, Regret is too arrogant to reflect on the idiocy and short-sightedness of his actions and Truth…"

"Truth is a liar."

Redemption stirred, producing an old rickety cane from beneath his rags.

"So, you know. I thought that you were here to kill me."

"Ketarus suggested it."

"Always was wise for a brute."

"So, I should kill you."

"That depends. It's only a wise choice if you plan on continuing the charade." He paused, growing a little nervous as he forced himself to his feet, "Do you?"

"Do I, what?"

"Plan on continuing to follow their religion."

Erun shrugged. He didn't know, he felt lost and confused, and his whole world didn't make sense to him anymore. He'd spent his life pursuing an honour that was never held by those he respected, he'd adhered to a religion that was built on a lie.

And I've helped murder millions of humans.

"I don't know."

"Indeed, and how could you? No one knows the truth. I certainly won't take a human's word for it." Erun huffed at the mention of them, turning away. "The Ascetics were truth seekers."

Erun realised what it was that Redemption was suggesting. "I agree." He said, without hesitating.

"Typically decisive, as always, my friend."

"I've run from my family for too long. My lands are held by a vulture, commanding a fleet while he lords over land he's never seen. I lost my position as a zealot, I lost a quarter of my damned jaw, and my religion, my worldview was shattered by a nishum that wasn't even fully grown!"

He stood in front of the figures, taking a knee before them. Erun knew the ancient rites, he knew the rituals that an ascetic undertook.

Forgive me father, for straying, but even scripture suggests resorting to old habits when the mists of uncertainty descend. 'For the loyal believer will search the truth in his heart, and shape the world accordingly.'

The Sangheili lit their swords, casting a wave of blue across the room.

No way back, now. Ketarus had a feeling it would come to this. Even I had my doubts. Should a crisis of faith really be so dangerous?

Erun's robe was swiped from his shoulders as the priests advanced, cutting at the straps with quick quips of their blades.

If Truth is a liar. The days of the Covenant are numbered. That's why Redemption needs my help. That's why he sent the message.

Erun didn't look up. The wind sang.

Then, the Priests began carving their runes into his skin.