A/N: It was suggested that I expand my summery a bit, and so I have. Hopefully it's more revealing summery than it had been before. Per usual, I claim no ownership of the Star Trek franchise or title characters. Also, I would have had this up last night but the site was freaking out a little bit. But it's alright now so on with the show.

Chapter 3: Snowfall of Feathers

The world was an unbelievably vibrant shade of blue, and from space it would remind of the Sol System's Neptune. On the surface however, it was easy to see what gave Alpha Onias II that lovely blue tint. It was the atmosphere. Ions were reacting to the oxygen in the air put off by the copious amounts of equally blue tinged vegetation. It was terribly interesting, at least it was to Jim as he brushed past a large marble blue leaf that would fold shut upon contact. "Wait just a minute," a twangy voice would order, halting the young captain in his forage through the undergrowth. "What is it Bones?"

"Let me see your arm."

With a puzzled expression, James stepped toward the ever-suspicious McCoy, offering his arm as requested. "Not the whole thing, just where that leaf grazed you." This statement quickly sent the younger man's eyes rolling. "Oh my God Bones, it's a leaf."

"And?" Came the question accompanied by a single eye that nearly bulged from the doctor's socket. "There could be enzymes seeping down to your skin and entering your bloodstream through osmosis. Before you know it, you'll be a froth-mouthed and convulsing mess covered in green spots and purple boils. Stand still." With a fluid deftness the CMO had been honing ever since James Kirk had become one of his most frequent patients, a blinking detachable tricorder scanner would hover over Kirk's bicep where the potentially lethal plant made contact. "Christ Bones, why does it always have to be doom and gloom with you?"

"Because I'm always the one left patching you up," the man responded not even looking up. He was far too absorbed in his friend's vitals. "And I appreciate it," Jim replied as he purposefully turned his arm from Bones' examination, "but for right now Bones, relax a bit and enjoy the view! This place is amazing," the younger man grinned as he gazed up to the ocean of sky above them. Of course McCoy was about to interject with a decidedly cantankerous comment but Jim was already moving out of earshot…a thing that had the doctor muttering after him. Before long, Jim would come upon Spock who was standing beside a stream taking down furious field notes. In addition to the redshirts, the Vulcan had collected his own team of scientists who were presently fanned out along the bank. "Find anything?"

"An indigenous species of freshwater cephalopod, or at least what closely resembles a cephalopod." Here Spock gestured toward the blue flowing water. Sure enough James would see a number of creatures that looked a great deal like cuttlefish. "Did you and your team find anything else besides the little squids?" Jim hazarded with bright eyes turning towards his First Officer. "Yes. There are so far 243 observed types of microorganisms in this stream the cephalopods are actively feeding upon."

"Cool."

The Vulcan raised a brow. "I'm sorry Captain, but to what are you referring is cool? The ambient temperature currently reads 82 degrees with humidity levels at 76 percent."

"An expression Spock," Jim informed with a huff of exasperation. "You gotta stop taking stuff so literally."

"I see. I should assume then that you are finding my observations satisfactory?"

Jim pulled his lips in and pressed them thin while still managing a smile. "Yes, Spock."

"Thank you Captain."

"No problem Spock." It was here that James began to amble away in search of something else to oversee. At that moment he wasn't too interested in seeking out Bones given how determined the doctor was to diagnose him with something horrendous. "Captain?"

"Yeah Spock?"

"May I speak with you briefly?"

"Sure," Jim would oblige, returning to Spock's side.

"Though this is a personal matter, I am compelled to ask your input as that it is valued. I have been contemplating proposing marriage to Lieutenant Uhura, though given the proximity of our work relationship and where each of us rank in the ship's hierarchy, I am wondering if such would be appropriate. While currently there is no Starfleet regulation against married couples operating together in a work environment, I am understanding that such situations can be frowned upon given potential conflicts of interest. ...Captain, why are you currently displaying such an expression? Is something the matter?"

Even when asked directly, Jim could only stare at his first officer with wide astonished eyes. "Holy crap Spock! You? Married? This is great!" The blonde would gush, though being mindful to keep his voice down in light of the news. "I am not yet married Captain, I was merely contempla-"

"Spock I got it. But no, this is fantastic! When are you gunna pop the question?"

"Captain, have you not been listening? This is the very matter on which I am attempting to express my concerns." For a moment Jim went cross-eyed. "Spock you're killin' me. Look, for the most part I think you two have been pretty hush-hush about your relationship. Really only a few people on the Enterprise know and if you wanted to keep nuptials low key, I don't see why you couldn't get married any time you want. I mean if you do ask her, I assume you aren't gunna wait until after we get back to Earth. Hell, we just left." To this, Spock looked thoughtful.

"Indeed we have. I have only arrived at this juncture late last evening." He paused. "Perhaps I will wait a while longer before I do officially propose marriage. I would imagine Lieutenant Uhura would prefer to discuss such a life event and its implications before finally settling on if she will or will not consider such a proposal." Jim's mouth pulled to one side as he eyeballed the mixed-blood. "Or Spock," he would say somewhat dramatically, "you could just surprise her. Girls like that too you know." The Vulcan frowned slightly. "There would be no logical reason to present a proposal of marriage without disclosing the line of thinking that preceded it."

"Spock you're hopeless."

"How so?"

Setbacks. Setbacks everywhere! He though only had himself to blame. If he had not failed repeatedly during the time of his initial awakening, he would not be in this most uncomfortable situation. Given his terroristic methodology in bruising badly Starfleet's image now over a year ago, nearly every entity in the organization had been more weary of threats both internal and external. Needless to say, his thefts the prior week were not helping to allay any fears. Security had tightened considerably and components he had acquired were found to be either faulty or not compatible as previously expected. A point of frustration, but not something that could not be overcome. That did not mean he appreciated the delays. Of course he was patient, but there was only so much time he could expend before certain windows of opportunity closed with no chance of reopening.

As he sat upon the carefully made bed that had not actually been slept in for days, Khan's mind turned to the crew that he had essentially abandoned yet again. There was a tremendous amount of guilt that pulsed through him at the thought, even though he knew very well that escape would be easiest when there were fewer of them. But admittedly he had made a mistake—not awaking at least one other with him. For all his superior physicality and intellect, he had failed to accept in timely fashion the simple notion that he was having difficulties alone. With a second mind and an additional pair of hands, he would have been able to more quickly negotiate the obstacles that barred his ability to leave Earth behind. With his people. Yes, leave Earth behind to seek out the Enterprise and her wretched crew.

Khan could already feel himself seething.

Things actually could have been so much more different if Kirk had not decided to try his hand at a double-cross. He wouldn't have had the need to batter the Captain for instructing his Engineer to fire upon him. Just the same though it might not have mattered. It was doubtful Kirk would have just stood by and allowed him to cave that scoundrel Marcus' head in. But…as far as Khan was concerned, he had done Kirk a considerable service. Without him the Enterprise Captain would have been dead long before leaving Qo'noS, his beloved ship turned into little more than giant chunks of twisted space flotsam; the ungrateful bastard. It was the Vulcan half-breed however that set the super-human's teeth to gnashing. How could he have been so blind…so…so stupid? There was a part of him however that reasonably explained how there was no way he could have known of the Vulcan's planned deception. Perhaps that was Khan's folly. He was ruthless and took some degree of pride in this characteristic of his, but he had been too focused on winning back his crew to ever suspect the Vulcan would arm the repurposed torpedoes, hopelessly crippling the Vengeance.

That was his other folly. Honorably holding up his end of the bargain.

They could call him what they wanted, but he knew himself to be a gentleman who did not go back on his word. He had given the Enterprise back her Captain in exchange for a Trojan Horse. Curse the mix-breed Spock. If it were possible, Khan was developing a hatred for the hybrid greater than he had for Admiral Alexander Marcus—a man he literally killed with his bare hands. Why that hatred? It was because the Vulcan had genuinely made a fool of him, made a fool of him by exploiting his greatest weakness. Granted Khan had allowed it to happen, and because of that the result was the same…his being alone without his people. Without them on account of one damnable Vulcan.

In an instant, sudden rage swelled inside of the super-human has his face drew into hard lines of primal contempt, nostrils flaring hotly. A hand would flash out and snatch one of the two pillows upon the bed and within a few maddening seconds, white down feathers would settle like heavy snowfall littering the room. It was a childish tantrum, but it was far better than blowing his cover in an incendiary moment of passion-filled recklessness. He had made such a mess of his quarters though. Like the mess he would surely make of that abhorrent green-blooded filth. Had it not been for the Bantu woman's interference, he would have rightfully crushed the skull of that pointy-eared mutt as well. Another opportunity would certainly emerge. When the Enterprise was finally in his grasp, how he would relish tearing anguish from the stoic Commander…it was a fitting recompense for letting him believe his family had been obliterated.

A/N: I honestly didn't want to spend too much more time on this chapter as I had devoted more energy to it than expected. I hope it didn't seem horribly muddled though I'm not sure if I've really gathered any rhythm here. Let's hope I can do better with the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Constructive criticism promotes better chapters.