SIM:T'Mar & Frost JP1

((Crew Lounge - USS Toronto))

Ever since he had been handed the PADD with his orders, Liam had done

very little other than simply stare at them. It was something that he had thought about for a long time, and that he had expected that he might be asked to do one day. But he hadn't expected them to come quite this soon, or under these circumstances. He was filled with the strangest set of emotions as he stared at the orders.::

===============

Commander Liam Frost,

By order of Starfleet Command, you are hereby directed to report to Tranquility Base with all reasonable expediency.

Upon your arrival, you are to assume command of USS Gemini. Specifications and crew assignment are attached. You are free to select any qualified candidate to serve as Executive Officer. Mission orders will be provided upon your arrival.

Good Luck, Commander.

===============

A significant portion of him was excited by the opportunity that was

given to him. He was being trusted with a remarkable task. He had been placed in charge of a ship before, but the circumstances were different. The Captain was incapacitated, and it had been his duty to take that responsibility in the interim. But it was understood to be temporary. Now he was being tasked with full command of a starship. He had looked over the crew assigned to him. Some of the names were at least vaguely familiar, though he would need a bit of time to discover how they would work together.::

But there was also the more immediate task ahead of him. He had been

given a crew, but as the message stated, the task of selecting an Executive officer was one that had been left in his hands. He had been pouring over the list of crew he'd been given, reviewing the records of the qualified officers. It had eaten up a lot more time than he realized it should have. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became that there was only one logical choice.

T'Mar had spent the entire trip to the USS Toronto, processing the fact

that she was not returning to the Apollo. She was still uncertain as to why Starfleet Command had chosen her, but she had finally come to terms with the fact that it would be some time before she would see her old crew again. Now she was on her way to the Lounge to meet Liam. He had requested her presence and she could only assume it was to discuss the transfer further. Walking in the Lounge she looked around until she saw the familiar face of her former First Officer and friend. She approached him, uncertain if the meeting required formalities.::

T'Mar: Greetings, Commander..

Frost: Thank you for meeting me here.

T'Mar: ::nodding:: Of course.

Liam was unsure of how much effort he should put into pleasantries. It

was always something he had been unsure of when it came to T'Mar, and Vulcans in general. Under some circumstances, it would have been considered rude not to have at least offered something, But he wasn't sure about Vulcan rules of etiquette were, or what the penalty was for breaking them. But he decided that, ultimately, this was a situation that called for the direct approach. He took the PADD and handed it to the mostly Vulcan woman.::

Frost: This is our assignment. The USS Gemini. I want you to familiarize yourself with the crew list and the specifications of the ship.

T'Mar often preferred that people be direct with her. Beating around the

bush, as the Terran phrase went, was not something she was particularly good at and she tended to miss the point that the other person was trying to make. She took the PADD that Liam had handed her and briefly looked over it. The USS Gemini. So now she knew where she was going at least. And she knew she would be staying with Liam. In their time serving together on the Apollo, she had grown accustomed to working with him and he seemed to understand her ways more than others did. There was not much to say in response to the orders. She typically familiarized herself with the crew and ship specs without being told. Perhaps it was the Security training or perhaps it was simply logical'::

T'Mar: Aye, Commander.

He looked her in the eye, carefully measuring her reactions, if any. But

she was as cool and logical as she ever was. It was a look that told him that he had made the right decision.::

Frost: There is another matter. I need a favour from you.

T'Mar: oOA favor?Oo What can I do for you?

Frost: As someone I greatly respect once asked me, I need you to jump off a cliff for me.

Her puzzlement was understandable. He imagined that euphemisms were

something that she probably had less experience with than most people he knew. He was glad to know at the very least she would know that it was one.::

T'Mar looked at Liam, confused. She could only presume he was not being

literal, although she would not put it past the man to expect her to be willing to do something like that. Still, she had no idea what he meant.::

T'Mar: Jump off a cliff, sir?

Frost: I've been ordered by Starfleet Command to take command of the Gemini once we arrive at Tranquility base. I have also been asked to select a first officer. As of this morning. I have made my decision.

She listened carefully. Once again it felt like her world was turning

upside down. She had originally thought the transfer may have to do with her own reckless behavior, but the fact that Frost was transferred as well had immediately thrown that idea out the proverbial window. Now she realized it was far more than that. She had naturally assumed that she would be remaining in Security or a position related to that and that Frost would either become a First Officer again or remain in Intelligence. Thinking back to the Captain's Ready Room on the Apollo, she wondered if Jaxx knew then exactly what was to become of them. Everything was changing so quickly, she wondered if this was a prank. While she was getting better at her own humor, she still could not always tell when others were attempting it.::

Liam had had a similar reaction when Jaxx had asked him to take the

position of First Officer of the Apollo. It was a position he had wanted to work for, but still had not expected to be given. And it was a lot of pressure to be handed, no matter how well prepared one was for it. He could see the gears beginning to turn in her head, her Vulcan logic putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.::

T'Mar: Is this a joke, sir?

Frost: It is not.

T'Mar: Then you mean..

Frost: T'Mar, I have selected you to fill that role.

No matter how long he spent looking at the crew list that he had been

given, he kept coming back to T'Mar. She was, as she would say, the logical choice. She was many things that he wasn't when it came to a position of command. He was emotional and impulsive. She was cool and logical. She knew when to let him take a chance, and when to tell him that he was out of his mind, though he imagined she would likely find a more logical way to put it than that.::

T'Mar felt a swell of excitement that suppressed the mixed emotions

related to leaving. She was being promoted to First Officer! No longer could she question the validity of her past decisions. Evidently someone out there felt her actions were justifiable. In many ways, she felt her background in Security would help her in this role. Ultimately, she was still there to protect the Captain and the crew. She regained her inner composure and suppressed her emotions. It was time to show Liam he was making a good decision.. a logical choice.::

T'Mar: Understood. When do we depart?

Frost: We will be arriving at Tranquility Base in approximately 51 hours. you have that long to familiarize yourself with the crew, the ship and your new duties.

It was out in the open now, and there was no turning back. He had made

his choice, and he had no doubt that it was the right one. He knew exactly how much pressure he had just put on the woman. He had faltered a bit under the pressure the first time, but Jaxx had never wavered in his faith in Liam's ability to do the job. And now he was placing that same faith in T'Mar. And he was even more confident in her ability to do the job than he had been in his own ability to do it at the time. And he would need that part of her to help him ignore the small part of his mind that was utterly terrified about what he was about to undertake.::

Frost: Do you have any questions?

T'Mar: To be truthful, Commander.. there are many other qualified officers out there. Why did you choose me?

It was a question that he had wanted to ask when he was named First

Officer of the Apollo. And it was one he still wasn't sure he'd ever gotten a proper answer to. Of course, over the time he had spent in the role, and the responsibility he had been given now, it was fairly obvious. There were a lot of factors that he had to consider. And when they were all considered together, she was clearly the best candidate.::

T'Mar could not help but ask the question to quench her curiosity. The

fact was, she was still young and although she had risen up in the ranks faster than she would have expected, there were others out there with far more experience than her. She was honored to be chosen, but she was interested in hearing how he had come to such a conclusion.::

Frost: It was, as you might say, the logical decision. You are, in many ways, everything that I'm not. I'm emotional and I can be impulsive. You're cool and logical. I tend to take chances, where as you prefer careful analysis. I believe that we can find a way for these traits to complement one another to create an effective command structure.

Liam was very aware of his limitations. It was how he had managed to get

as far as he had in his career. But discussing them was something else altogether. And while he hadn't really done so now, it wasn't the easiest thing he had done. But it would, if he was right, lead to an effective team leading the ship::

T'Mar: ::nodding:: A logical decision. I will get started immediately on learning everything you have requested. ::pausing:: Unless there was anything else you wished to discuss?

Frost: No, that's all, thank you.

T'Mar: Then good day, Commander..

With that, T'Mar bowed at Liam and made her way towards the exit. She had

a lot of information to memorize before they arrived and once they did arrive, she would not have much time to acclimate before putting that knowledge to use..::

He watched as she left the room with her new knowledge of her posting.

He wondered if she had any idea what she was getting herself into. He certainly hadn't when he had been asked the same question. But then, he wasn't sure that he fully knew what he was getting himself into now. But it was too late to back out now. Only time would tell that.::

Commander Liam Frost

Commanding Officer

USS Gemini

&

Lt. Commander T'Mar

First Officer

USS Gemini