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{{sidebar individual
 
{{sidebar individual
| image-top = Tom Riker, 2371.jpg
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| image = Tom Riker, 2371.jpg
| caption-top = '''Thomas Riker''' in 2371
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| imagecap = W. Thomas Riker ([[2371]])
 
| image2 = Thomas Riker (2369).jpg
 
| image2 = Thomas Riker (2369).jpg
| caption-bottom = '''Thomas Riker''' in 2369
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| imagecap2 = Lieutenant Thomas Riker ([[2369]])
 
| gender = Male
 
| gender = Male
 
| species = [[Human]]
 
| species = [[Human]]
 
| affiliation = [[Maquis]]; formerly [[Federation]] [[Starfleet]]
 
| affiliation = [[Maquis]]; formerly [[Federation]] [[Starfleet]]
 
| rank = [[Lieutenant]]
 
| rank = [[Lieutenant]]
| status = Imprisoned in a [[Cardassian]] [[labor camp]] as of [[2371]]
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| status = Imprisoned in a [[Cardassian]] [[labor camp]]
  +
| datestatus = 2371
| born = Stardate 12286.5 ([[2335]])<br />Duplicated in [[2361]]
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| born = [[2335]]<br />Duplicated in [[2361]]
 
| father = [[Kyle Riker]]
 
| father = [[Kyle Riker]]
 
| mother = [[Betty Riker]]
 
| mother = [[Betty Riker]]
 
| sibling = [[William T. Riker]] (transporter duplicate)
 
| sibling = [[William T. Riker]] (transporter duplicate)
  +
| relative = [[Deanna Troi]] (sister-in-law)<br />[[Thaddius Riker]] (ancestor)
 
| marital_status = Single
 
| marital_status = Single
 
| actor = [[Jonathan Frakes]]
 
| actor = [[Jonathan Frakes]]
 
}}
 
}}
''"He's not Will. He is Will, but... you know what I mean."''
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{{article quote|He's not Will. He is Will, but... you know what I mean.|Beverly Crusher|2369|Second Chances}}
 
'''William Thomas "Tom" Riker''' was a result of a [[Transporter#Transporter accidents|transporter accident]] in [[2361]] that created two [[William T. Riker|William Thomas Riker]]s, genetically indistinguishable from each other, with personality and memories identical up to the point of the duplication. One of the duplicates continued to be known as William Riker. The other chose to use his middle name and be known as Thomas Riker.
: - '''Beverly Crusher''' in [[Second Chances (episode)|2369]]
 
 
'''Thomas Riker''' was a result of a [[Transporter#Transporter accidents|transporter accident]] in [[2361]] that created two [[William T. Riker|William Thomas Riker]]s, genetically indistinguishable from each other, with personality and memories identical up to the point of the duplication. One of the duplicates continued to be known as William Riker, the other was known as Thomas Riker.
 
   
 
==Transporter accident==
 
==Transporter accident==
Thomas Riker's life and experiences were the same as [[William T. Riker#Early life|William T. Riker]]'s prior to [[2361]]. In that year, William Riker, at the time a [[lieutenant]] assigned to the {{USS|Potemkin|NCC-18253}}, was leading an evacuation mission on the [[planet]] [[Nervala IV]]. The planet was notorious for its atmospheric distortion field which prevented the use of [[transporter]]s and [[shuttle]]s except for brief periods every eight years. During Riker's transport from the planet's surface, a second [[Annular confinement beam|confinement beam]] was initiated to overcome these difficulties, with the intent of reintegrating the two beams in the [[transporter buffer]] prior to rematerialization on the ship. However, the modulation of the distortion field caused only one transporter signal to correctly materialize on the ''Potemkin'' &ndash; the second signal bounced off of the field and rematerialized on the planet's surface, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew. As a result, two identical William Thomas Rikers were created; one materialized aboard the ''Potemkin'', and the other was left on the planet's surface, his existence going unnoticed by the crew of the ''Potemkin''. Because the split between signals resulted in an equal distribution of Riker's transporter pattern, both of them had an equally legitimate claim to being the "real" William T. Riker.
+
Thomas Riker's life and experiences were the same as [[William T. Riker#Early life|William T. Riker]]'s prior to [[2361]]. In that year, William Riker, at the time a [[lieutenant]] assigned to the {{USS|Potemkin|Excelsior class}}, was leading an evacuation mission on the [[planet]] [[Nervala IV]]. The planet was notorious for its atmospheric distortion field which prevented the use of [[transporter]]s and [[shuttle]]s except for brief periods every eight years. During Riker's transport from the planet's surface, a second [[Annular confinement beam|confinement beam]] was initiated to overcome these difficulties, with the intent of reintegrating the two beams in the [[transporter buffer]] prior to rematerialization on the ship. However, the modulation of the distortion field caused only one transporter signal to correctly materialize on the ''Potemkin'' &ndash; the second signal bounced off of the field and rematerialized on the planet's surface, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew. As a result, two identical William Thomas Rikers were created. One materialized aboard the ''Potemkin'', and the other was left on the planet's surface, his existence going unnoticed by the crew of the ''Potemkin''. Because the split between signals resulted in an equal distribution of Riker's transporter pattern, both of them had an equally legitimate claim to being the "real" William T. Riker.
   
 
[[File:Thomas Riker.jpg|thumb|left|Riker, rescued from seclusion]]
 
[[File:Thomas Riker.jpg|thumb|left|Riker, rescued from seclusion]]
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{{bginfo|Thomas' lieutenant uniform was gold, indicating he belonged to the [[operations division]] at the time he was stranded. It has not been revealed what post he held aboard the ''Potemkin'', but script materials suggested he might have taken over the [[operations officer]] position in an unused storyline.}}
 
{{bginfo|Thomas' lieutenant uniform was gold, indicating he belonged to the [[operations division]] at the time he was stranded. It has not been revealed what post he held aboard the ''Potemkin'', but script materials suggested he might have taken over the [[operations officer]] position in an unused storyline.}}
   
  +
{{bginfo|Will Riker received a promotion to lieutenant commander for his gallantry on the planet. While these actions occurred prior to the transporter accident and therefore were as much Thomas Riker's actions as they were Will's, Thomas remained a lieutenant.}}
==Relationship with Deanna Troi==
 
  +
[[File:Tom-Riker-and-Troi.jpg|thumb|left|Thomas and Deanna]]
 
 
== Relationship with Deanna Troi ==
 
[[File:Thomas Riker and Deanna Troi.jpg|thumb|left|Thomas and Deanna]]
 
During the time he spent on the planet, Thomas had remained deeply in love with [[Deanna Troi]], his girlfriend at the time. Thomas had planned to meet Deanna on [[Risa]] the year of the transporter mishap, a fact upon which he had dwelt while stranded. In contrast, the Riker that beamed off-planet eight years prior was soon promoted and made his career a priority over their relationship, and never made the trip to Risa with Deanna.
 
During the time he spent on the planet, Thomas had remained deeply in love with [[Deanna Troi]], his girlfriend at the time. Thomas had planned to meet Deanna on [[Risa]] the year of the transporter mishap, a fact upon which he had dwelt while stranded. In contrast, the Riker that beamed off-planet eight years prior was soon promoted and made his career a priority over their relationship, and never made the trip to Risa with Deanna.
   
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==Divergent personality==
 
==Divergent personality==
Thomas and William clashed almost immediately due to the resentment each felt towards the other. The eight years of living different lives made them entirely different men &ndash; William evolved into a cautious and duty-driven officer while Thomas remained impulsive and reckless. As a result of conflicts with William &ndash; who was by that time a superior officer (a [[Commander]]) &ndash; Lieutenant Riker decided to leave the ''Enterprise''. He chose to use his middle name, Thomas, to distinguish himself from his transporter duplicate. Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] managed to get Thomas a posting on the {{USS|Gandhi}} where he could continue his [[Starfleet]] career. Upon Thomas' departure, William seemed to have accepted Thomas' existence and gave him his [[trombone]] as a parting gift. ({{TNG|Second Chances}})
+
Thomas and William clashed almost immediately due to the resentment each felt towards the other. The eight years of living different lives made them entirely different men &ndash; William evolved into a cautious and duty-driven officer while Thomas remained impulsive and reckless. As a result of conflicts with William &ndash; who was by that time a superior officer (a [[commander]]) &ndash; Lieutenant Riker decided to leave the ''Enterprise''. He chose to use his middle name, Thomas, to distinguish himself from his counterpart. [[Captain]] [[Jean-Luc Picard]] managed to get Thomas a posting on the {{USS|Gandhi}} where he could continue his [[Starfleet]] career. Upon Thomas' departure, William seemed to have accepted Thomas' existence and gave him his [[trombone]] as a parting gift. ({{TNG|Second Chances}})
   
 
===Maquis affiliation===
 
===Maquis affiliation===
 
[[File:Thomas Riker 2371.jpg|thumb|Thomas and Kira aboard the ''Defiant'']]
 
[[File:Thomas Riker 2371.jpg|thumb|Thomas and Kira aboard the ''Defiant'']]
In [[2370]], Thomas expressed dismay at the [[Federation]]'s policies towards the [[Cardassian]]s and the Federation colonies in the [[Demilitarized Zone]], and later joined the [[Maquis]] resistance. In early [[2371]], Thomas, posing as William Riker, came aboard [[Deep Space 9]] and stole the newly commissioned {{USS|Defiant|2370}}.
+
In [[2370]], Thomas expressed dismay at the [[Federation]]'s policies towards the [[Cardassian]]s and the Federation colonies in the [[Demilitarized Zone]], and later joined the [[Maquis]] resistance. In early [[2371]], Thomas, posing as William Riker, came aboard [[Deep Space 9]] and stole the newly-commissioned {{USS|Defiant|2370}}.
   
With [[Major]] [[Kira Nerys|Kira]] as his unwilling passenger, Thomas took the ''Defiant'' to the [[Orias system]], deep in Cardassian space, where the Maquis believed that the Cardassians were building a fleet of warships. Trying to locate the ''Defiant'' with the assistance of [[Benjamin Sisko|Commander Sisko]], [[Dukat|Gul Dukat]] swore that he knew nothing of this fleet. He was telling the truth, as the fleet had been constructed by the [[Obsidian Order]] in direct violation of Cardassian law. As the ''Defiant'' arrived at Orias, it was intercepted by a number of [[Keldon class|Cardassian warships]].
+
With [[Major]] [[Kira Nerys|Kira]] as his unwilling passenger, Thomas took the ''Defiant'' to the [[Orias system]], deep in Cardassian space, where the Maquis believed that the Cardassians were building a fleet of warships. Major Kira accused Thomas of still acting like a Starfleet officer instead of a terrorist; more concerned with intelligence reports and interstellar politics than with simply hurting the enemy. Trying to locate the ''Defiant'' with the assistance of Commander [[Benjamin Sisko|Sisko]], [[Gul]] [[Dukat]] swore that he knew nothing of the fleet in the Orias system. He was telling the truth, as the fleet had been constructed by the [[Obsidian Order]] in direct violation of Cardassian law. As the ''Defiant'' arrived at Orias, it was intercepted by a number of [[Keldon class|Cardassian warships]].
   
 
===Imprisonment===
 
===Imprisonment===
Sisko negotiated a compromise with Dukat &ndash; Thomas surrendered the ''Defiant'' to the ships loyal to Dukat, not those from Orias, and in exchange for his sensor scans of the Orias base, his sentence would be reduced to life imprisonment in a [[labor camp]] on [[Lazon II]], while the rest of his crew would be returned to the Federation. Kira promised to return for him one day, but it is unknown whether she ever did. ({{DS9|Defiant}})
+
Sisko achieved a compromise with Dukat and negotiated Thomas' surrender &ndash; in exchange for the ''Defiant''{{'}}s [[sensor scan]]s of the secretive Orias base, Thomas' sentence would be reduced to life imprisonment in a [[labor camp]] on [[Lazon II]], while the ''Defiant'' would be escorted back to the [[Federation-Cardassian border]] returning the rest of the Maquis crew to the Federation for trial. Thomas was initially wary of accepting the terms offered to him, but Kira pointed out that it would accomplish his mission and let his crew escape Cardassian imprisonment, even challenging his reluctance as some kind of death wish, a desire to go out in a blaze of glory in order to distinguish himself from the other, more successful William Riker.
  +
  +
Immediately after Thomas surrendered the ''Defiant'' to the {{class|Galor}} cruisers of the [[Cardassian Central Command]], the ''[[Kraxon]]'' extended its shields around the ''Defiant'' to protect her from the fast approaching ships from Orias (upgraded {{class|Keldon}} cruisers with markedly higher top speeds than regular ships of the class). Upon seeing this, the ships from Orias &ndash; under the command of the Obsidian Order and not technically part of the Cardassian military &ndash; turned around and returned to the Orias system.
  +
  +
Just before Thomas transported over to the ''Kraxon'', Kira promised to return for him one day, but it is not known whether she ever did. ({{DS9|Defiant}})
   
 
{{bginfo|It is unclear what became of Thomas following these events.}}
 
{{bginfo|It is unclear what became of Thomas following these events.}}
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According to the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion]]'', the TNG writing staff toyed with the idea of killing off Will Riker in "Second Chances," permanently replacing him with Thomas Riker as the new [[Operations division|ops]] officer and moving [[Data]] to the [[first officer]] position.
 
According to the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion]]'', the TNG writing staff toyed with the idea of killing off Will Riker in "Second Chances," permanently replacing him with Thomas Riker as the new [[Operations division|ops]] officer and moving [[Data]] to the [[first officer]] position.
   
Actor Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed both Will and Thomas Riker, described Thomas as being "''much less confident than Will. But he's also tender and sweeter. I think I like Tom better''". (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'') The DS9 Companion also notes that Thomas' return was on a list of stories the DS9 writers were not interested in hearing pitches on. However, this could have meant that a Thomas Riker story was being mulled over in-house.
+
Actor Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed both Will and Thomas Riker, described Thomas as being "''much less confident than Will. But he's also tender and sweeter. I think I like Tom better''". (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'') The DS9 Companion also notes that Thomas' return was on a list of stories the DS9 writers were not interested in hearing pitches on.
   
 
In an interview with Jonathan Frakes provided with the [[TNG Season 6 DVD]] box set, he states that he had approached [[Ronald D. Moore]] regarding a Thomas Riker DS9 episode involving [[Damar]]'s rebellion. However, this idea was not brought to fruition by the conclusion of the series.
 
In an interview with Jonathan Frakes provided with the [[TNG Season 6 DVD]] box set, he states that he had approached [[Ronald D. Moore]] regarding a Thomas Riker DS9 episode involving [[Damar]]'s rebellion. However, this idea was not brought to fruition by the conclusion of the series.
   
Towards the end of DS9, a rumor that Tom was to be revealed as a member of [[Section 31]] emerged, although [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]] said it was not true. {{AOLchat|Ronald D. Moore|ron127|1998}}
+
Towards the end of DS9, a rumor that Tom was to be revealed as a member of [[Section 31]] emerged, although Ronald D. Moore said it was not true. {{AOLchat|Ronald D. Moore|ron127|1998}}
   
Coincidentally, the name ''Thomas'' is of Aramaic origin and means ''twin.''
+
The name ''Thomas'' is of Aramaic origin and means ''twin.''
   
 
=== Apocrypha ===
 
=== Apocrypha ===
In [[John Vornholt]]'s [[novels|novel]] ''[[Quarantine (Double Helix novel)|Quarantine]]'', set in [[2371]], Thomas transferred from the operations division to the [[sciences division]] after a conflict with the USS ''Gandhi'' [[first officer]]. He wore a blue [[Starfleet uniform (2366-2370s)|Starfleet uniform]] and served as a medical courier pilot. It was in this function that he abandoned Starfleet for the Maquis, joining [[Chakotay]] and [[B'Elanna Torres]]' cell. According to ''Quarantine'', it was Chakotay's idea to steal the ''Defiant'' from Deep Space 9.
+
In [[John Vornholt]]'s [[novels|novel]] ''{{dis|Quarantine|Double Helix novel}}'', set in [[2371]], Thomas transferred from the operations division to the [[sciences division]] after a conflict with the USS ''Gandhi'' [[first officer]]. He wore a blue [[Starfleet uniform (2350s-2370s)#Type B|Starfleet uniform]] and served as a medical courier pilot. It was in this function that he abandoned Starfleet for the Maquis, joining [[Chakotay]] and [[B'Elanna Torres]]' cell after working with them to stop a dangerous virus. According to ''Quarantine'', it was Chakotay's idea to steal the ''Defiant'' from Deep Space 9.
   
In [[Peter David]]'s novel ''[[Triangle: Imzadi II]]'', also set in 2371, Thomas was freed from the Lazon II labor camp by [[Romulan]]s, and had a brief affair with [[Sela]], who believed that he was the original Riker. Driven by jealousy over news of Worf and Deanna's recent engagement, Thomas was manipulated into aiding an assassination attempt on [[Klingon]] [[Chancellor]] [[Gowron]] and [[Emperor]] [[Kahless]], but it was averted due to [[Odo]]'s interference, as Riker and Worf managed to replace the bottle that Thomas had been given &ndash; he had been told it contained poison that would only kill Gowron but it actually contained a dangerous nanovirus that would annihalate the Klingon race &ndash; with Odo. Thomas managed to escape capture, but his actions actually strengthened the Klingon-Federation alliance; believing the bottle to be poison, Thomas had been prepared to drink it himself before Gowron, thus prompting Gowron to reflect that there was still value in the alliance with the Federation if even a discredited Starfleet officer was willing to sacrifice his career for the sake of their alliance. This novel also featured some reflections on Thomas's reasons for abandoning Starfleet, including the idea that he sees himself as an 'alternate' for Riker; having witnessed what Riker became as a loyal Starfleet officer, he decided to find out for himself how he would do as something else.
+
In [[Peter David]]'s novel ''[[Triangle: Imzadi II]]'', also set in 2371, Thomas was freed from the Lazon II labor camp by [[Romulan]]s, and had a brief affair with [[Sela]], who believed that he was the original Riker. Driven by jealousy over news of Worf and Deanna's recent engagement, Thomas was manipulated into aiding an assassination attempt on [[Klingon]] [[Chancellor]] [[Gowron]] and [[Emperor]] [[Kahless]], but it was averted due to [[Odo]]'s interference, as Riker and Worf managed to replace the bottle that Thomas had been given &ndash; he had been told it contained poison that would only kill Gowron but it actually contained a dangerous nano-virus that would annihilate the Klingon race &ndash; with Odo. Thomas managed to escape capture, but his actions actually strengthened the Klingon-Federation alliance; believing the bottle to be poison, Thomas had been prepared to drink it himself before Gowron, thus prompting Gowron to reflect that there was still value in the alliance with the Federation if even a discredited Starfleet officer was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of their alliance. This novel also featured some reflections on Thomas's reasons for abandoning Starfleet, including the idea that he sees himself as an "alternate" for Riker; having witnessed what Riker became as a loyal Starfleet officer, he decided to find out for himself how he would do as something else.
   
 
[[File:Thomas Riker late-2371 Malibu.jpg|thumb|Riker in Cardassian custody in late-2371]]
 
[[File:Thomas Riker late-2371 Malibu.jpg|thumb|Riker in Cardassian custody in late-2371]]
 
In the [[Malibu Comics]] [[Malibu DS9|''Deep Space Nine'']] title, two stories were published extending Riker's story. "[[Sole Asylum, Part One]]" and "[[Sole Asylum, Part Two|Part Two]]", set at the end of 2371, showed that Riker had been taken to [[Cardassia Prime]] and that Cardassian scientists were trying to discover the secret of his duplication in order to create an army of duplicates. It was also revealed that Riker's cells were only nine years old, suggesting their complete creation at the time of the accident. Unable to rationalize the accident against the Law of Conservation of Mass and proven transporter theory, one of the scientists, a Dr. Nol, told the [[Detapa Council|Cardassian High Council]] that he must be from an alternate dimension. Because of this, the Council decided to send him back to a labor camp.
 
In the [[Malibu Comics]] [[Malibu DS9|''Deep Space Nine'']] title, two stories were published extending Riker's story. "[[Sole Asylum, Part One]]" and "[[Sole Asylum, Part Two|Part Two]]", set at the end of 2371, showed that Riker had been taken to [[Cardassia Prime]] and that Cardassian scientists were trying to discover the secret of his duplication in order to create an army of duplicates. It was also revealed that Riker's cells were only nine years old, suggesting their complete creation at the time of the accident. Unable to rationalize the accident against the Law of Conservation of Mass and proven transporter theory, one of the scientists, a Dr. Nol, told the [[Detapa Council|Cardassian High Council]] that he must be from an alternate dimension. Because of this, the Council decided to send him back to a labor camp.
   
In the [[computer]] game ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Dominion Wars]]'', set between [[2372]] and [[2374]], a [[Federation Alliance]] mission involves rescuing Thomas from a Cardassian convoy, after which point he is available as a [[commander]] for your ships. A [[Dominion]] mission in the same game requires the player to destroy the {{ShipClass|Galaxy}} starship under his command.
+
In the [[computer]] game ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Dominion Wars]]'', set between [[2372]] and [[2374]], a [[Federation Alliance]] mission involves rescuing Thomas from a Cardassian convoy, after which point he is available as a [[commander]] for your ships. A [[Dominion]] mission in the same game requires the player to destroy the {{class|Galaxy}} starship under his command.
   
 
In [[Judith Reeves-Stevens|Judith]] and [[Garfield Reeves-Stevens]]' novel series ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium|Millennium]]'', an [[alternate timeline]] found Thomas rescued from the labor camp by the Grigari. Feeling abandoned by [[Starfleet]], Thomas joined the Bajoran Ascendancy, although he secretly worked as a double agent for Starfleet. By [[2399]], he was the [[commanding officer]] of the USS ''[[Opaka]]'' and was killed on [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] of the same year after failing to kill [[Kai]] [[Weyoun]]. This timeline was later reset thanks to [[Benjamin Sisko]] and the crew of [[Deep Space 9]].
 
In [[Judith Reeves-Stevens|Judith]] and [[Garfield Reeves-Stevens]]' novel series ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium|Millennium]]'', an [[alternate timeline]] found Thomas rescued from the labor camp by the Grigari. Feeling abandoned by [[Starfleet]], Thomas joined the Bajoran Ascendancy, although he secretly worked as a double agent for Starfleet. By [[2399]], he was the [[commanding officer]] of the USS ''[[Opaka]]'' and was killed on [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] of the same year after failing to kill [[Kai]] [[Weyoun]]. This timeline was later reset thanks to [[Benjamin Sisko]] and the crew of [[Deep Space 9]].
   
The [[eBook]] "[[A Weary Life]]" revealed that, shortly before the events of {{film|8}}, Will Riker still felt betrayed by Thomas' betrayal. In a conversation with Deanna Troi, it was revealed that Thomas had left the USS ''Gandhi'' and her crew to join the Maquis. Thomas had been recaptured by the Cardassians after the attempt to assassinate Gowron, and had been returned to the labor camp on Lazon II. All of these feelings had Will questioning his inclusion on a mission to the DMZ assigned by Picard. The feelings came to the surface again when Will met with [[Kalita]] and discovered that Thomas had allowed himself to be captured to save his Maquis conspirators. Discovering this led Will to feel pride for his "twin," the first positive feeling he'd had since Thomas joined the Maquis.
+
The [[eBook]] ''[[A Weary Life]]'' revealed that, shortly before the events of {{film|8}}, Will Riker still felt betrayed by Thomas' actions in stealing the ''Defiant''. In a conversation with Deanna Troi, it was revealed that Thomas had left the USS ''Gandhi'' and her crew to join the Maquis. Thomas had been recaptured by the Cardassians after the attempt to assassinate Gowron, and had been returned to the labor camp on Lazon II. All of these feelings had Will questioning his inclusion on a mission to the DMZ assigned by Picard. The feelings came to the surface again when Will met with [[Kalita]] and discovered that Thomas had allowed himself to be captured to save his Maquis conspirators. Discovering this led Will to feel pride for his "twin," the first positive feeling he'd had since Thomas joined the Maquis.
   
 
In ''[[Star Trek Online]]'', Thomas' son Joshua Riker can be met in the Badlands. He explains that the labor camp was eventually abandoned and that his father had led the survivors to build a community. Thomas died several years later of heart failure while carrying his critically injured wife back to camp where she died.
 
In ''[[Star Trek Online]]'', Thomas' son Joshua Riker can be met in the Badlands. He explains that the labor camp was eventually abandoned and that his father had led the survivors to build a community. Thomas died several years later of heart failure while carrying his critically injured wife back to camp where she died.
  +
  +
According to the ''[[Star Trek: Titan]]'' novel ''[[Fallen Gods]]'', it was commonly believed by [[2382]] that Thomas Riker had died while in Cardassian custody during the [[Dominion War]].
  +
  +
According to the ''[[Star Trek: The Fall]]'' novel ''[[The Poisoned Chalice]]'', Thomas Riker was still alive in [[2385]] and had been recruited into a [[Starfleet Intelligence]] black ops team known as Active Four, working with [[Tuvok]] and [[Nog]] to find those responsible for the recent assassination of the Federation President. In the next novel ''[[Peaceable Kingdoms]]'', he assists Doctor Crusher and a Cardassian contact in finding evidence that the current Federation pro tem president- then holding the position for sixty days after the assassination until a full election can be held- is actually a former collaborator with the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor who adopted another Bajoran's identity to fake his death.
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* {{NCwiki}}
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* {{mbeta}}
 
* {{Wikipedia}}
 
* {{Wikipedia}}
   
 
{{featured|date=December 2007|id=725473}}
 
{{featured|date=December 2007|id=725473}}
   
[[Category:Humans|Riker, Thomas]]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Riker, Thomas}}
[[Category:Starfleet operations personnel|Riker, Thomas]]
 
[[Category:Maquis personnel|Riker, Thomas]]
 
 
 
[[de:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[de:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[es:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[es:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[fr:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[fr:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[it:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[it:Thomas Riker]]
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[[nl:Thomas Riker]]
 
[[ru:Томас Райкер]]
 
[[ru:Томас Райкер]]
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[[Category:Humans]]
 
[[Category:Starfleet operations personnel]]
 
[[Category:Maquis personnel]]

Revision as of 21:32, 4 July 2015

"He's not Will. He is Will, but... you know what I mean."
– Beverly Crusher, 2369 ("Second Chances")

William Thomas "Tom" Riker was a result of a transporter accident in 2361 that created two William Thomas Rikers, genetically indistinguishable from each other, with personality and memories identical up to the point of the duplication. One of the duplicates continued to be known as William Riker. The other chose to use his middle name and be known as Thomas Riker.

Transporter accident

Thomas Riker's life and experiences were the same as William T. Riker's prior to 2361. In that year, William Riker, at the time a lieutenant assigned to the USS Potemkin, was leading an evacuation mission on the planet Nervala IV. The planet was notorious for its atmospheric distortion field which prevented the use of transporters and shuttles except for brief periods every eight years. During Riker's transport from the planet's surface, a second confinement beam was initiated to overcome these difficulties, with the intent of reintegrating the two beams in the transporter buffer prior to rematerialization on the ship. However, the modulation of the distortion field caused only one transporter signal to correctly materialize on the Potemkin – the second signal bounced off of the field and rematerialized on the planet's surface, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew. As a result, two identical William Thomas Rikers were created. One materialized aboard the Potemkin, and the other was left on the planet's surface, his existence going unnoticed by the crew of the Potemkin. Because the split between signals resulted in an equal distribution of Riker's transporter pattern, both of them had an equally legitimate claim to being the "real" William T. Riker.

File:Thomas Riker.jpg

Riker, rescued from seclusion

The existence of this other William Riker (hereafter referred to as "Thomas") was discovered on Nervala IV eight years later in 2369 when the USS Enterprise-D returned to retrieve scientific research that had been left behind. With the aid of Thomas, who had altered the computer systems on the planet to aid in his survival, the Enterprise away team was able to access the information and return to the ship with Thomas.

Thomas' lieutenant uniform was gold, indicating he belonged to the operations division at the time he was stranded. It has not been revealed what post he held aboard the Potemkin, but script materials suggested he might have taken over the operations officer position in an unused storyline.
Will Riker received a promotion to lieutenant commander for his gallantry on the planet. While these actions occurred prior to the transporter accident and therefore were as much Thomas Riker's actions as they were Will's, Thomas remained a lieutenant.

Relationship with Deanna Troi

Thomas Riker and Deanna Troi

Thomas and Deanna

During the time he spent on the planet, Thomas had remained deeply in love with Deanna Troi, his girlfriend at the time. Thomas had planned to meet Deanna on Risa the year of the transporter mishap, a fact upon which he had dwelt while stranded. In contrast, the Riker that beamed off-planet eight years prior was soon promoted and made his career a priority over their relationship, and never made the trip to Risa with Deanna.

Upon his rescue, Thomas told Deanna that he could not believe he had failed to meet her as planned and that he was hoping their relationship could resume. Initially, Deanna was opposed to the idea, but found herself won over despite her objections. In the end, however, Thomas decided that he could not remain on the Enterprise, while Troi's feelings for him were not strong enough for her to leave the Enterprise with him.

Divergent personality

Thomas and William clashed almost immediately due to the resentment each felt towards the other. The eight years of living different lives made them entirely different men – William evolved into a cautious and duty-driven officer while Thomas remained impulsive and reckless. As a result of conflicts with William – who was by that time a superior officer (a commander) – Lieutenant Riker decided to leave the Enterprise. He chose to use his middle name, Thomas, to distinguish himself from his counterpart. Captain Jean-Luc Picard managed to get Thomas a posting on the USS Gandhi where he could continue his Starfleet career. Upon Thomas' departure, William seemed to have accepted Thomas' existence and gave him his trombone as a parting gift. (TNG: "Second Chances")

Maquis affiliation

File:Thomas Riker 2371.jpg

Thomas and Kira aboard the Defiant

In 2370, Thomas expressed dismay at the Federation's policies towards the Cardassians and the Federation colonies in the Demilitarized Zone, and later joined the Maquis resistance. In early 2371, Thomas, posing as William Riker, came aboard Deep Space 9 and stole the newly-commissioned USS Defiant.

With Major Kira as his unwilling passenger, Thomas took the Defiant to the Orias system, deep in Cardassian space, where the Maquis believed that the Cardassians were building a fleet of warships. Major Kira accused Thomas of still acting like a Starfleet officer instead of a terrorist; more concerned with intelligence reports and interstellar politics than with simply hurting the enemy. Trying to locate the Defiant with the assistance of Commander Sisko, Gul Dukat swore that he knew nothing of the fleet in the Orias system. He was telling the truth, as the fleet had been constructed by the Obsidian Order in direct violation of Cardassian law. As the Defiant arrived at Orias, it was intercepted by a number of Cardassian warships.

Imprisonment

Sisko achieved a compromise with Dukat and negotiated Thomas' surrender – in exchange for the Defiant's sensor scans of the secretive Orias base, Thomas' sentence would be reduced to life imprisonment in a labor camp on Lazon II, while the Defiant would be escorted back to the Federation-Cardassian border returning the rest of the Maquis crew to the Federation for trial. Thomas was initially wary of accepting the terms offered to him, but Kira pointed out that it would accomplish his mission and let his crew escape Cardassian imprisonment, even challenging his reluctance as some kind of death wish, a desire to go out in a blaze of glory in order to distinguish himself from the other, more successful William Riker.

Immediately after Thomas surrendered the Defiant to the Galor-class cruisers of the Cardassian Central Command, the Kraxon extended its shields around the Defiant to protect her from the fast approaching ships from Orias (upgraded Keldon-class cruisers with markedly higher top speeds than regular ships of the class). Upon seeing this, the ships from Orias – under the command of the Obsidian Order and not technically part of the Cardassian military – turned around and returned to the Orias system.

Just before Thomas transported over to the Kraxon, Kira promised to return for him one day, but it is not known whether she ever did. (DS9: "Defiant")

It is unclear what became of Thomas following these events.

Appendices

Appearances

Background

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, the TNG writing staff toyed with the idea of killing off Will Riker in "Second Chances," permanently replacing him with Thomas Riker as the new ops officer and moving Data to the first officer position.

Actor Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed both Will and Thomas Riker, described Thomas as being "much less confident than Will. But he's also tender and sweeter. I think I like Tom better". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) The DS9 Companion also notes that Thomas' return was on a list of stories the DS9 writers were not interested in hearing pitches on.

In an interview with Jonathan Frakes provided with the TNG Season 6 DVD box set, he states that he had approached Ronald D. Moore regarding a Thomas Riker DS9 episode involving Damar's rebellion. However, this idea was not brought to fruition by the conclusion of the series.

Towards the end of DS9, a rumor that Tom was to be revealed as a member of Section 31 emerged, although Ronald D. Moore said it was not true. (AOL chat, 1998)

The name Thomas is of Aramaic origin and means twin.

Apocrypha

In John Vornholt's novel Quarantine, set in 2371, Thomas transferred from the operations division to the sciences division after a conflict with the USS Gandhi first officer. He wore a blue Starfleet uniform and served as a medical courier pilot. It was in this function that he abandoned Starfleet for the Maquis, joining Chakotay and B'Elanna Torres' cell after working with them to stop a dangerous virus. According to Quarantine, it was Chakotay's idea to steal the Defiant from Deep Space 9.

In Peter David's novel Triangle: Imzadi II, also set in 2371, Thomas was freed from the Lazon II labor camp by Romulans, and had a brief affair with Sela, who believed that he was the original Riker. Driven by jealousy over news of Worf and Deanna's recent engagement, Thomas was manipulated into aiding an assassination attempt on Klingon Chancellor Gowron and Emperor Kahless, but it was averted due to Odo's interference, as Riker and Worf managed to replace the bottle that Thomas had been given – he had been told it contained poison that would only kill Gowron but it actually contained a dangerous nano-virus that would annihilate the Klingon race – with Odo. Thomas managed to escape capture, but his actions actually strengthened the Klingon-Federation alliance; believing the bottle to be poison, Thomas had been prepared to drink it himself before Gowron, thus prompting Gowron to reflect that there was still value in the alliance with the Federation if even a discredited Starfleet officer was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of their alliance. This novel also featured some reflections on Thomas's reasons for abandoning Starfleet, including the idea that he sees himself as an "alternate" for Riker; having witnessed what Riker became as a loyal Starfleet officer, he decided to find out for himself how he would do as something else.

Thomas Riker late-2371 Malibu

Riker in Cardassian custody in late-2371

In the Malibu Comics Deep Space Nine title, two stories were published extending Riker's story. "Sole Asylum, Part One" and "Part Two", set at the end of 2371, showed that Riker had been taken to Cardassia Prime and that Cardassian scientists were trying to discover the secret of his duplication in order to create an army of duplicates. It was also revealed that Riker's cells were only nine years old, suggesting their complete creation at the time of the accident. Unable to rationalize the accident against the Law of Conservation of Mass and proven transporter theory, one of the scientists, a Dr. Nol, told the Cardassian High Council that he must be from an alternate dimension. Because of this, the Council decided to send him back to a labor camp.

In the computer game Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Dominion Wars, set between 2372 and 2374, a Federation Alliance mission involves rescuing Thomas from a Cardassian convoy, after which point he is available as a commander for your ships. A Dominion mission in the same game requires the player to destroy the Galaxy-class starship under his command.

In Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' novel series Millennium, an alternate timeline found Thomas rescued from the labor camp by the Grigari. Feeling abandoned by Starfleet, Thomas joined the Bajoran Ascendancy, although he secretly worked as a double agent for Starfleet. By 2399, he was the commanding officer of the USS Opaka and was killed on Christmas Day of the same year after failing to kill Kai Weyoun. This timeline was later reset thanks to Benjamin Sisko and the crew of Deep Space 9.

The eBook A Weary Life revealed that, shortly before the events of Star Trek: First Contact, Will Riker still felt betrayed by Thomas' actions in stealing the Defiant. In a conversation with Deanna Troi, it was revealed that Thomas had left the USS Gandhi and her crew to join the Maquis. Thomas had been recaptured by the Cardassians after the attempt to assassinate Gowron, and had been returned to the labor camp on Lazon II. All of these feelings had Will questioning his inclusion on a mission to the DMZ assigned by Picard. The feelings came to the surface again when Will met with Kalita and discovered that Thomas had allowed himself to be captured to save his Maquis conspirators. Discovering this led Will to feel pride for his "twin," the first positive feeling he'd had since Thomas joined the Maquis.

In Star Trek Online, Thomas' son Joshua Riker can be met in the Badlands. He explains that the labor camp was eventually abandoned and that his father had led the survivors to build a community. Thomas died several years later of heart failure while carrying his critically injured wife back to camp where she died.

According to the Star Trek: Titan novel Fallen Gods, it was commonly believed by 2382 that Thomas Riker had died while in Cardassian custody during the Dominion War.

According to the Star Trek: The Fall novel The Poisoned Chalice, Thomas Riker was still alive in 2385 and had been recruited into a Starfleet Intelligence black ops team known as Active Four, working with Tuvok and Nog to find those responsible for the recent assassination of the Federation President. In the next novel Peaceable Kingdoms, he assists Doctor Crusher and a Cardassian contact in finding evidence that the current Federation pro tem president- then holding the position for sixty days after the assassination until a full election can be held- is actually a former collaborator with the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor who adopted another Bajoran's identity to fake his death.

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