Why didn't Tom Paris wear a Maquis rank pin?

[The Wormhole]

Had a thought recently, Tom Paris should have worn the same style rank pin that the rest of Voyager's Maquis crew wore. After all, before serving on Voyager he was no longer in Starfleet. Basically the same situation as the Maquis crew, they weren't in Starfleet and wore a separate rank pin to represent this. Yet, Tom Paris wears the standard pips of actual Starfleet officers.

What gives? It can't be because he was a former Starfleet officer before his prison time. Chakotay was also a former Starfleet officer before joining the Maquis, yet he wore the Maquis rank pin. For that matter, Tom was in prison because he joined the Maquis, making him former Maquis. So he really should have worn the Maquis pin.

Thoughts?

 

[MacLeod]

possibility

Because he was in prison he was deemed to have paid for his crime

 

[Michael]

I have often thought the same. I don't know about any in-universe explanations, but I suspect the idea behind the different rank pins was to exclusively distinguish the Maquis members of the crew for the audience. In-universe it's a rather weird decision (by Janeway?) to conciously make the Maquis members stand out. That can't really be good for morale.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

Remember that Tom's job on the recently commissioned Voyager was to betray his former Maquis crew and help Star Fleet track them down so they would be captured.

It was Star Fleet rank or none for the Admiral's son.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

As established in dialog, Tom Paris was officially a Starfleet observer. When he boarded Voyager, he was officially a member of Starfleet.

 

[The Wormhole]

As established in dialog, Tom Paris was officially a Starfleet observer. When he boarded Voyager, he was officially a member of Starfleet.

Except without rank, and indeed in Caretaker though he wears a uniform he is without rank insignia. He would have started wearing his pips at the same time the Maquis were issued their uniforms and rank pins, making it stand out more that he's wearing actual pips rather than the pins the Maquis wore.

I suppose it could have been a combination of having already begun serving time in prison and being an admiral's son, but you'd think someone among the Maquis would be pissed he got an official rank insignia while they got unique ones which only seem to have been used on Voyager.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And also, Tom was never "really" a Maquis to begin with. His heart wasn't with them. He only joined for the thrills. That's why Chakotay was so pissed at him.

 

[The Wormhole]

And also, Tom was never "really" a Maquis to begin with. His heart wasn't with them. He only joined for the thrills. That's why Chakotay was so pissed at him.

Well, that doesn't matter, he still joined and is every bit a former Maquis as everyone else on the ship. Just because his heart wasn't in it means he doesn't have to wear one of the rank pins? Because his heart wasn't really in being a Starfleet officer the first time around, shouldn't that also disqualify him from wearing pips?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I don't see the issue here. Tom had switched back to Starfleet before he boarded Voyager. They said so in dialog. If being an admiral's son helped, it was in helping to get Tom the sweet terms of the deal to get out of prison and help Janeway. There probably were Maquis crew members who still held a grudge, even though Chakotay didn't by the end of "Caretaker", but that was just part of the drama of the two crews under one command and all.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

Because he wasn't part of the Maquis when the ships were forced together.

I always look at him as not a "real" member of the Maquis anyway. He did it for reasons that have nothing to do with the Maquis cause (it goes into more of that in some of the novels).

But yeah I never look at Tom as being a real Maquis member. Plus like I said he wasn't in the Maquis when Caretaker took place.

 

[Ithekro]

Tom Paris was given his rank back as a Starfleet officer. The Maquis personnel were given provisional ranks. Chakotay probably could have warrented getting his actual rank back, but his personality would suggest he'd want to maintain ties to his own crew and thus wear the provisional pin rather than the regular Starfleet rank pins.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Tom was such a renegade, he was even a renegade from the Maquis. Which makes him establishment.

Poor, confused Tom...

 

[SPCTRE]

Tom was such a renegade, he was even a renegade from the Maquis. Which makes him establishment.

The South Park goth kids agree What a conformist, that Tom!

 

[Count]

Tom Paris was given his rank back as a Starfleet officer. The Maquis personnel were given provisional ranks. Chakotay probably could have warrented getting his actual rank back, but his personality would suggest he'd want to maintain ties to his own crew and thus wear the provisional pin rather than the regular Starfleet rank pins.

I stopped reading at the part where you said Chakotay had a personality :P

Paris was brought on as a Starfleet official (no rank, but commissioned via Starfleet) before they left on their mission. The Maquis were just given field ranks by Janeway in the Delta Quadrant without consultation with the home base, so I believe that since Tom had an official standing with SF, he got the proper pips, since Chuckles and co would have only really been recognized in Janeway's direct chain of command (ie: Not actual Starfleet officers) they got the provisional pips.

 

[tomswift2002]

I always figured Janeway just did not have enough pips to go around, and for whatever reason the replicator could not replicate them (maybe it was a General order from Starfleet, a way to cut down on counterfeit pips).

 

[Melakon]

^ You're starting to think like me, so I'd worry if I were you.

 

[The Wormhole]

I always figured Janeway just did not have enough pips to go around, and for whatever reason the replicator could not replicate them (maybe it was a General order from Starfleet, a way to cut down on counterfeit pips).

What about the officers Janeway promoted, like Tuvok?

 

[Ithekro]

They had a few dead bodies when they arrived in the Delta Quadrant. Spares for promotions, but not enough to fit Chakotay's crew in full.

 

[tomswift2002]

I always figured Janeway just did not have enough pips to go around, and for whatever reason the replicator could not replicate them (maybe it was a General order from Starfleet, a way to cut down on counterfeit pips).

What about the officers Janeway promoted, like Tuvok?

Janeway probably had enough to do maybe 10 promotions through a year, and then get more upon return to space dock. In one year Janeway wasn't going to promote every single crew member on the ship, so she wouldn't need a pip for everyone; her quantity was probably only big for 1/11th of the ship. Look at Harry Kim---he was an Ensign for all 7 years; if I remember Datalore correctly, Starfleet officers were only Ensigns for about 2 years before being promoted to Lieutenant (Jr.) grade.

 

[Lynx]

I haven't thought so much about Tom not having a Maquis rank pin, I've wonder why the Maquis didn't get Starfleet rank pins.

Some of them had been in Starfleet. Chakotay was a Starfleet Lieutenant when he left Starfleet and joined the Maquis and since Tom got his Starfleet Lieutenant rank, it would also have been logical to promote Chakotay to a Starfleet Commander with a Starfleet rank pin.

beides that, Janeway was very clear on the crew being a Starfleet crew so why theh had special Maquis rank pins is a bit odd.

Not only that, Kes and Neelix should have been accepted as Starfleet personel too. Kes did actually learn everything to be a Starfleet nurse and Neelix, well wasn't he the Morale Officer.

As for Seven, she did get a Starfleet uniform after some years on the ship.