• aeronmelon@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Janeway had the authority to promote Starfleet officers under her command, but not the authority to recruit new officers. Hence the “provisional” part. But the situation required it so all the Maquis she integrated wore those alternate pips until Starfleet could ratify and approve them (most, if not all of which, they did.)

    • CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      But didn’t she recruit Tom Paris? Or did she just “restore” his rank of Lt? If she had the authority to restore a criminal’s rank, surely she would have had the authority to recruit, either way.

      • aeronmelon@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Paris graduated Starfleet Academy, and had a rank before being jailed. They don’t say it outright, but I think Janeway got Starfleet’s permission to commute his remaining sentence in exchange for being an “observer” on her ship. But even without being part of her crew officially, he was part of Starfleet again (uniform) so she had the power to promote (and demote) him at her discretion.

        • CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Ah I think you’re right. I think she says that at the prison colony, that he’ll be free to do whatever he wants in exchange for guiding them through the badlands.

      • LordTrychon@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        When she did that, she was in contact with Starfleet. She didn’t do it unilaterally on her own using powers granted to her as captain.