"Captain Kirk, I see that I have managed to reach you again." The frustratingly calm voice of Thomas Harewood crackled over the ship's transmission. Kirk sat stoically in the captains chair, fingers curled tightly around the arm rests. Though he was trying his hardest to best keep a straight face, the entire ship's crew knew how hard that would be. In the background of the picture was yet again their navigator, sitting upon a bed with his knees pulled to his chest, head down. He didn't look any worse for wear since the last time they had seen him on camera, but there was a broken look to him. It had been close to five days now, and they were quickly running out of time.

"Yes, now that you have oh-so-conveniently removed the block on our transmissions." Kirk growled, ice blue eyes reflecting light with intensity. No longer were conversational and pleasant negotiations on his mind. If he could manage to get Pavel off that planet, he would do it, with or without violence was up to his captor.

"Oh, my dear Captain, surely you don't blame me for that. Are you so unaware of your surroundings?" The man's chocolate colored eyes narrowed as he took in the three crew members dressed in camouflage colored suits, equipped with backpacks for survival. "You had plans to transport without knowing entirely what awaits you? Tsk tsk," he tutted, acting as though he were ashamed. He clucked like a disappointed mother hen, the noise making Jim's skin crawl. "I would have thought you of all people would be slightly more prepared. I suppose I was mistaken."

Leaning back in his chair, Kirk spread his arms wide, looking to be accepting of the information. "Do enlighten us," he commanded, as cocky as always. He was growing rather tired of the games that Harewood was playing.

"I was hoping that at least one of you would have caught onto my little hints... perhaps Mr. Spock?" Raising a pointed eyebrow, Spock twitched his head in the slightest, a hesitant no. He too was unaccustomed to being withheld from knowledge, and it appeared as though everyone one the bridge was getting tired of Harewood's idea of fun. One look around the room revealed faces with muscles tense from worry and stress and annoyance. Harewood was smiling as usual, his lopsided grin even more vicious today.

"Ah, so unprepared. Well, I'll clue you in, then, dear Enterprise crew." the man in question grinned, as though he were amused by the situation, although Kirk had to admit this probably was the case. He was sure the fact that they were almost completely in the dark was satisfying to Harewood; he probably relished in the fact that he had the upper hand. Not only did he have Chekov, but he knew the planet, and this much more than Kirk could say for the Enterprise.

"There was a reason Khan picked this bountiful place to live." Throwing his arms open wide in a gesture of grandeaur, Harewood leaned back and grinned. "Secrecy, my dear captain. Your boy Pavel discovered in less than fifteen minutes how the planet's atmosphere can affect a person. I suppose he's the only crew member who actually noticed the mist - although he did not last long in it. It appears as though the white noise the mist creates causes extreme pain after so long." He shrugged, as though that we no big deal.

Though it was beginning to make sense in small doses, Kirk was tired of hearing about so many things that confused him. First Harewood was a Vulcan-turned-human, and now he was living on a magical planet with some weird headache-causing-mist? It sounded like a fairy tale, or something from those old Harry Potter books he used to study in Classic Literature classes in grade school.

Harewood must have seen the confused crinkle in his forehead, for the man sighed. "It's simple, really. We have a constant mist that covers the surface of our fine planet. This makes living above ground impossible, and gives us plenty of room below ground for laboratory space. I'm not entirely sure what causes this strange weather - that was Khan's choosing, or possibly his own design, but either way, the fact remains that the mist produces a transmission block for both the planet and any ships above. Starfleet was correct under the assumption that Augments had the far better technology. They are so many years in advance, it still manages to astound me. And you have sealed them in cryogenic tubes forever! It seems like such a waste on your part."

Harewood clucked yet again, like a mother disappointed in her child for neglecting chores. Yet the sounds that came from his particular throat were more sinister and evil.

"Khan and his crew were war criminals. They are too dangerous to be awoken. In fact, maybe you should join them," Kirk snarled, his eyes narrowing at the memory of the vengeful Augment. Khan had been a particularly difficult adversary, made even more memorable by the fact that in some ways, he was just like Kirk himself.

Is there anything you would not do for your family?

His words had struck Jim in the heart, because he knew the answer-he had lived and died the answer. He knew with every fiber in his being that he would whatever he needed to do to keep his family safe, and right now he was failing in his sworn duty to do so. Harewood's mention of Khan just made it even more clear in Kirk's mind that he would stop at nothing to make sure that Pavel returned to their ship, unscathed. Unfortunately, it seemed as though that was not an option anymore. Not only did he seem to be in some sort of physical harm, but now it was as though it would be impossible to get him off of the planet, what with the mist.

"If I may interject, Captain." Stepping forward slowly, Spock narrowed his eyes quizzically. "I was wondering how exactly you are contacting us, Mr. Harewood. If this so called mist does indeed do what you say it does, should it not be blocking our transmissions even now?"

Harewood chuckled, a disturbing sight, considering only half of his face showed the mirth he found in the question. "You see, that is the only problem I have with our wonderful planet. The mist is only lifted for one hour a day. When that hour will occur during the day constantly changes."

"So you're saying-" Kirk started, the frustration in his voice obvious.

"Yes, Captain. What I'm saying is that I have essentially used up your hour for communications. I would apologize for being so rude, but as it was my intention, I feel no need to. And as much as you would love to use this opportunity to beam down, I know that you honestly cannot risk that."

"And why is that? Tell us what is keeping us from coming down there to kick your ass right now!" Kirk spat, leaning forward in his chair, as if it would bring him closer to the screen.

"Why don't I just show you, Captain," From under the screen, Harewood's arm twitch, moving across his own control screen. As the camera zoomed out, Kirk found himself looking for Pavel in the background. He was sitting quietly, curled into a ball as he had been before. The eyes of the Enterprise crew were glued to the screen, watching as Harewood sauntered towards what appeared to be the boy's cell. Pavel looked up slowly, confusion evident in his face as Harewood led him towards the camera at the control panel.

With a sickly smile, Harewood put his hands on either of Pavel's shoulder, shoving him roughly into the seat at the control panel. The anger in his eyes seemed dull, as though he were afraid to look even slightly rebellious. The room was silent on both sides, not a word uttered over the transmission. Everyone was staring at the screen as though watching what was going on would somehow prevent it from happening. Kirk could feel the fear mounting up inside of him, almost weighing him down. Pavel obviously seemed surprised at what was happening, almost scared, and Kirk knew from this that the boy didn't have more of a clue as to what was going on as the rest of them did.

From somewhere off of the side of the screen, presumably from his pocket, Harewood withdrew his hand. Clutched in his thick fingers was a flash of silver metal, and Kirk found it suddenly hard to breathe. If he was any good at predicting, as he typically was, he knew what was going to happen next. It was as if everything were happening in slow motion. Or, rather, it was as if Harewood was moving sluggishly on purpose, to build the suspense of his audience. With every small motion, the Captain felt his anger growing. As Harewood flicked the knife out of his switchblade, he brought it to the young navigator's neck, the gleam in his eye as bright as the reflection of light that was shining off of the knife.

"Pavel, as you can see, we have some guests who have overstayed their welcome," Thomas sneered, his hand steady as he held the knife just under the Russian's jaw. "I think it's time we moved on from the initial hospitality we've shown them, don't you agree?" He leaned down, punching a few buttons on the control panel. "Here comes the fun part, Captain, I think you'll enjoy this." Harewood looked up into the screen, as though he were an excited child, just waiting to show off his new invention. In this case, however, it would be an invention that could possibly cause mass destruction.

It was as if he could see the question in everyone's eyes. "I am making absolutely certain that you will stay on your ship, and everyone here will remain on my planet." He answered the unspoken inquiry with a wicked grin. "If you make any hostile moves against us, you will deeply regret it. I am ordering your dear Pavel here," at this, he looked down at the navigator, whose wide eyes met his. "To shoot down your ship the moment you make any kind of movement. If he values his life," Harewood pressed the knife tighter to the pale throat it rested upon, the tension in his skin obvious. The panic in Pavel's eyes was now unhidden and pure, and he looked as though he was holding back a sob. Kirk was certain he had never seen someone so frightened before in his life. "He will do what I say. If you value his life - and the life of the rest of your crew - you will obey my orders, as well. Do we understand each other?"

Harewood grabbed Pavel by the nape of his neck and turned his head in the direction of the screen, so that the bridge crew could clearly see the tears welling in his eyes. He was trying his hardest to be strong, they could tell. The sight turned Kirk's blood chill, though a fire was brewing in his heart. He could hear the intake of breath from Uhura. He could see the glistening liquid ready to spill from the eyes of just a boy, a young crew member who did not deserve this kind of treatment. He could feel his own hatred, pure and unchanging, growing in his heart.

"Yes." He managed to seeth through clenched teeth. "I hear you, loud and clear. Now what do you need to talk about?" He couldn't understand why Harewood was drawing this out. It was obvious that he wanted to start something, but he was holding back on giving them any kind of demands.

"I believe some negotiations are in order. We have remained in the same situation for days now, with no possible solution in the near future. I had been hoping you would get bored and contact me first, but I suppose I do have the cards in my hand." He let out a long sigh that sounded impossibly happy. It sent a shoved down the spine of every crew member on the bridge.

"What do you want, Harewood?" Kirk jumped straight to the point, fed up with playing the waiting game with this madman any longer. He could barely stand to sit there in the captains chair, just watching as Pavel was being held against his will, left in the hands of a man who may very well have had every intention of killing him, or anyone else on their ship. Eighteen was nowhere near old enough to handle something like this. Eighteen was not old enough to have to deal with either the physical or emotional scars of being held captive.

"Yes, that is the question, isn't it? What you've been dying to know ever since I appeared in your lives, isn't that right? Well I suppose I ought to tell you now that you're all here to stay. You've waited long enough, you poor patient souls. And so have I," There was a pause, a beat to the let the last words sink in. He was teasing them, yet again, adding suspense to the moment. He would have made a great actor. Kirk thought bitterly. "I want the coordinates to the location of Khan and the other Augments." He finally let it slip, the words taking effect the second they were in the air.

All pretense was suddenly gone from his voice, as though Harewood suddenly decided to drop the theatrics as well. Kirk was taken aback by this rapid change, but remained impassive to it, instead focusing on the demand.

"They're frozen, Harewood. Sound asleep forever in cryotubes. They don't really make fun party invites. What would you want them for?" Jim smirked in return, a vain attempt at humor to mask the fear still dominant in his mind.

"Well not while they are frozen. I would have thought you were more astute than that, dear captain. I plan on reviving Khan once more," He let yet another second pass, grinning at the astounded reactions. "He is as valuable to me now as I once was to him. I cannot finish my work without him and his... special qualities."

"You want his blood." Bones piped up, sounding incredulous. Kirk turned to look at him for a moment, his eyes meeting the older man's, a tidal wave of understanding beginning to crash over him. Maybe Bones' new information wasn't such a waste after all…

"My, how intelligent of you, doctor." Harewood leered, with a grin, sounding almost amused. "Yes, I do want his blood. He did not give my daughter enough to keep her stable. I suppose his supercharged blood works more effectively on fully aged humans." He looked pointedly at Kirk, as though blaming him for his daughter's decline in health.

Bones had been about to retort, tell Harewood where exactly he was wrong with his theory, when the PDA in his hand lit up with a notification. Or, rather, everyone on the bridge was suddenly getting a message on their console screens. Glancing over towards the captain, he caught Jim's fingers tapping at the screen of his own PDA, finishing whatever message he was trying to send. If they hadn't been on camera, Bones would have berated him for his terrible choices. He had to admit the man was good at messging out of view of the camera, able to keep his eyes focused on Harewood rather than at what he was writing, but didn't he realize that getting caught could put everyone's life in danger?

Harewood wasn't stupid- surely he would notice everyone looking at their screens. Bones was pleading with his mind for everyone to be discrete, especially since the message was dangerous itself. A quick glance at his screen showed what the captain had wrote - a plea for anyone who could to slip out of the bridge and contact Starfleet before they ran out of time. Harewood had revealed vital information, and they needed someone to relay what they had found out back to headquarters before it was too late.

It was an ensign who made the first move. She was barely out of the academy, probably only assigned to the Enterprise bridge crew for a small task. Perhaps she was working down in engineering with Scotty, and he had sent her up to ask a question, or transfer information. Reasons aside, she had been caught on the deck when the transmission came in. It made sense that she would want to be the first off. Perhaps she thought that she had something to prove, by saving the day, by doing something brave. Whatever the explanation was, she was the first to step to the door, and hardly anyone on the bridge even knew her name.

The door had hardly recognized an officer trying to pass through before Pavel let out a noise of surprise and sudden pain. The grip that Harewood had on his shoulder tensed, fingers pressing down hard enough to turn his fair skin bright red. Thankfully, he hadn't put pressure on the hand holding the knife to the navigator's throat. However, it was obvious that things had taken a turn for the worse. Yet again, Kirk could predict what was going to happen - as Harewood had outlined it in their agreements.

"Pavel," Harewood's voice was smooth, most calm in the way his name spilled from his mouth. Yet there was an extreme amount of rage boiling through him. "Remind your captain of our terms."

"No," the boy uttered, his voice nothing more than a plea. "No, please, you cannot make me do zis... I cannot do zis…" His eyes shifted from Harewood to the controls and back again, the tears spilling now and making shaking tracks down his face.

"I am nothing of not a man of my word. Kirk did not uphold his end of the deal, and therefore there is no reason as to why I should keep mine," Harewood insisted, shrugging slightly, as if it was a minor inconvenience to him. "Now put your hands on the controls and fire on that ship, Mr. Chekov." He demanded, this time adjusting his fingers on the handle of the blade, threateningly.

"Please!" Pavel shouted, the words filled to the brim with a desperation Kirk was certain they all were feeling. Why had he been so stupid? He knew it was a long shot, sending out a message like that, especially with so many scarcely trained officers still on the bridge. And yet he had done it, because he was so confident being the James Kirk that defied logic, the captain that broke all the right rules at the right time. But this time was different-he had agreed to terms he had known from the start he was going to break, believing that he could get away with it as he usually did. He had underestimated Harewood's resolve, and now he had put Pavel in a position Kirk knew he himself wouldn't have been able to handle.

"Mr. Chekov, I am not going to tell you again," he snarled, the sharp edge of his blade digging into flesh. If he moved a centimeter, he could be left with a fatal wound. "I would hate to teach your captain a lesson by killing you. Now, do as I ask."

The reluctance on his face was played out just as well as the fear, confusion, and pain. The tears could have been caused by anything, but something in his eyes told Kirk if was more than just the pain. It wasn't only the red line forming across his neck, the bruises on his shoulder, the various other evident injuries - or any of those that could be hidden. It was the trauma of going through a hostage situation - as the hostage, to make it worse. It was the fear of never going home, never getting back to the life he once had. It was the fact that he was being told to bring the people he loved to harm.

Jim hated to see a man cry, and it broke his heart even more to hear the wracking sobs that came from Pavel's throat. He was gulping in air, chest heaving, obviously trying to stop himself from being loud. He was trying to control his crying, and he couldn't bring himself to. His eyes connected with the Captain's, and Jim couldn't help but think of how this was his fault. If he hadn't had sent that message. If he hadn't berated Chekov for something he couldn't help - being young. If he had been the man that the late Captain Pike had always wanted him to be. If he had filled his father's shoes and followed in his footsteps, maybe he would have been able to save his crew. If he hadn't had been so cocky about always being the hero - well, the list could go on.

"I'm so sorry , Keptin." The young ensign managed to choke out before he sent a missile straight at the Enterprise.

Author's Note:

Hello everyone, here we are at the end of another chapter! We thought we should announce the winners of our little contest! We saw some great comments, and we have decided on a three-way tie between n1h1|4dr3m, Snowflake Kisses, and Satin Ragdoll! Their one shots will be posted on my Fanfiction account as soon as they are ready to be published. Thanks to everyone for commenting, and we urge you to continue to show your support! Thank you!

We're so sorry for the cliff hangers (they're in practically every chapter) but we just love to post. We hope you enjoy this update. We're taking our whole long weekend to keep updating. Keep an eye out for new chapters, there should be one coming up soon. Thank you all again for reading and reviewing.