Tom Paris
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| Species | Human |
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| Portrayed by | Robert Duncan McNeill |
| First appearance | "Caretaker, Part I" (Voy) |
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, is a character in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Paris serves as the chief helmsman and an auxiliary medic aboard the USS Voyager. The character's middle name, "Eugene", is a tribute to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
Tom Paris is the son of Starfleet Admiral Owen Paris and a scion of a family with a long history of illustrious service in Starfleet. Following in his family's tradition, Paris attended Starfleet Academy sometime in the 2350s and majored in astrophysics. A gifted pilot, Paris earned an assignment to the Academy's honor squadron.
His relationship with his father was not a good one; while Tom wanted to join the Federation Naval Patrol, Owen wanted him to enlist at Starfleet Academy. Admiral Paris often disapproved of his son's tendency to get into fights and his resulting punishments.
Soon after his graduation from Starfleet Academy, Tom crashed a shuttle he was piloting near Caldik Prime, killing three other Starfleet officers. Afraid he would lose his commission, Paris falsified records that would later reveal the cause of the accident as pilot error. His efforts to cover up the error succeeded, yet still, overwhelmed by guilt and regret, he confessed. He was court martialed for his actions and was dishonorably discharged from Starfleet. This caused a major rift between Paris and his father.
Following his discharge, Paris left San Francisco for Marseille, where he started spending his time drinking and playing pool in Sandrine's, a waterfront bar. There, Chakotay, a former Starfleet officer now serving with the Maquis, recruited him to serve as a mercenary pilot for the Maquis Rebellion against the Federation. This adventure went no better than his earlier stint in Starfleet as Paris was captured by Starfleet while piloting his first mission for the Maquis.
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Wikipedia