Tom Paris

Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris was a secondary hero on the television series Star Trek: Voyager.

Coming from a family that had given centuries of service to Starfleet, Tom was the son of Owen Paris - who was an Admiral by the mid 24th century. Tom grew up feeling inadequate to his father. When he came of age he went through Starfleet Academy and graduated to become an officer.

After he caused the deaths of three fellow officers in an accident Paris was cashiered out of the fleet. He drifted around before finding his way in to the Maquis, an organization defending border colonists from the Cardassian Empire. Paris was captured during his first mission and was sentenced to the penal colony in New Zealand.

Recruited by Captain Kathryn Janeway to help track down a missing Maquis ship, he was onboard USS Voyager when it was pulled into the Delta Quadrant. After Captain Janeway destroyed the Caretaker's array they were left stranded over 70 years from home. Janeway gave Paris a field commission at the rank of Lieutenant (jg).

Over the next seven years Paris became an intergral part of the Voyager crew, becoming friends not only with Ensign Harry Kim but a fair number of the crew as well. He dated Megan Delaney briefly and was very attracted to Kes. Paris was attracted to B'Elanna Torres, who at first made it clear she did not like him, calling him a pig. As the ship made it way home over the next seven years her feelings changed and the two feel in love and were married in 2377. The following year just as Voyager was finally reaching home they had their daughter Miral.

Even though Paris was a valued member of the crew he had a rebellious streak that didn't sit well with Commander Chakotay or Captain Janeway. Janeway sentenced him to 30 days in the brig and demoted him to Ensign for about a year after Paris violated her orders when he tried to help a member of the Monean race to keep their world from falling apart. He would regain his Lieutenant (jg) rank the following year when Janeway felt that he had redeemed himself.

After Voyager returned to Earth Paris along with the rest of the crew were promoted two steps in rank, becoming a Lieutenant Commander. He went with his wife and daughter to the Klingon world of Boreth on a quest to locate B'Elanna's mother, who had disappeared in the jungles of that world.

Paris later rejoined the Voyager crew as first officer under Chakotay, and was still aboard when the ship was fitted with a slipstream drive and returned to the Delta Quadrant.