Thomas Riker

Thomas Riker was the accidental transporter duplicate of William Riker, created in 2361. He was rescued from Nervala IV in 2369, after which he served aboard the USS Gandhi. (TNG: "Second Chances")

While serving aboard the Gandhi, Tom had a romantic relationship with Mary Barranco. (Star Trek: Pendragon)

In 2370, he joined the Maquis. Masquerading as Will Riker, Tom stole the USS Defiant from Deep Space 9 in order to destroy a secret Cardassian facility in the Orias system. He was convinced to stand down by Major Kira Nerys and Commander Benjamin Sisko in order to save his crew, accepting a sentence of life imprisonment at the Lazon II penal colony. (DS9: "Defiant")

Sometime later, he was returned to Cardassia Prime, where he underwent numerous tests and experiments designed to uncover the secret of his creation. On stardate 48979.1, Starfleet Command sent Captain Sisko to negotiate for his release, offering Delkar VII in exchange. The Detapa Council refused to release Riker, in the hopes of creating an army of transporter duplicates. However, Dr. Duran Nol, Cardassia's leading geneticist, did not want to see such technology used to make war. She convinced the Council that Riker was not created through transporter duplication, but was rather "pulled in" from a parallel universe. The Council ceased support for the project, and Riker was returned to the labor camps. As a "parting gift," Captain Sisko gave him a non-functional combadge, to remind him of where he came from, and that someday he would return. (DS9 comic: "Sole Asylum")

Alternate continuities

Pendragon timeline

Eventually, Tom was rescued from the prison camp, and afterwards, he continued to live in the Demilitarized Zone. He became an ally of Michael Eddington, and helped form the Colonial Alliance in 2385. He eventually became romantically involved with Ro Laren. (Star Trek: Pendragon: "Promised Land", "Above the Wrecks of Time"; Star Trek: Sons of Liberty)

Star Trek: Banshee Squadron timeline

Following the collapse of the Cardassian Union at the conclusion of the Dominion War in 2375, many Cardassian government facilities were simply abandoned, including the prison on Lazon II where Thomas Riker was incarcerated. Riker and a group of former-Maquis took over a guard compound and lived there, defending against other, more violent ex-inmates until 2381.

In early 2381, a civilian Cardassian cargo ship landed near the guard compound looking for salvage. Riker attempted to make peaceful contact and negotiate for passage off Lazon, but his Maquis associates attacked instead, killing the crew but being, in turn, themselves all killed. Before the rest of the local inmates had time to arrive at the landing site, Riker took the ship and escaped from Lazon II.

In June of 2381, he arrived in the New Canada system and snuck aboard Starbase 901. There he met Ensign Kimberly Tycho of Banshee Squadron and told her his story. He convinced her to help him find someplace safe to live away from the Cardassian Guard, the Obsidian Order, the Bajoran Provisional Government, and Starfleet Security. Kimberly and the other Banshees managed to smuggle him to Ba'ku where he was welcomed and offered a home by the village elders, Sojef and Anij. (Star Trek: Banshee Squadron: "Runaway")

Star Trek Online/Star Trek: Constance timeline

Following the collapse of the Cardassian Union at the end of the Dominion war, the prison on Lazon II had been abandoned. The Maquis were left to fend for themselves after the prison broke down, in this continuity Thomas Riker had a son Joshua Riker. Thomas died before the True Way had taken the prisoners off of the planet. (Star Trek Constance: "The True Way")

Star Trek: Pirates Cove timeline

At some point after the Dominion War, Thomas was transferred to the Federation maximum security penal colony on I'Tana IV.

External links

• Thomas Riker article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Thomas Riker article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.