You know... no one can force a promotion upon an officer.
They can decline promotion (Riker did this 3 times in the first 3 seasons alone), and when Tuvok was promoted to Lt. Cmdr, he even said something like "Had I known a promotion would include insults, I would have declined".
Maybe Tuvok just isn't intersted in being anything else than ship security?
Reposted, as still speculation being posted when dialouge from 'Flashback' explains everything.
As Captain Revo stated, he took an extended leave of absence. He alluded to his dissatisfaction with Stafleet in 'Flashback' and eventually acted on it. The aforementioned conversation went like this:
VALTANE: Vulcans. You guys need to relax.
TUVOK: No, I will not relax. Ever since I entered the academy, I've had to endure the egocentric nature of humanity. You believe that everyone in the galaxy should be like you, that we should all share your sense of humour and your human values.
VALTANE: Well, if you hated it here so much, why'd you join Starfleet in the first place?
TUVOK: I joined under pressure from my parents. But I've already decided to resign my commission once this assignment is complete.
VALTANE: Well, your loss.
JANEWAY: Tuvok, did you really mean that?
TUVOK: At this point in my life, yes. My experiences at the academy and on board the Excelsior were not pleasant.
JANEWAY: I knew you left Starfleet for over fifty years, but I never knew why. I didn't realise it was because of a conflict with humans.
TUVOK: My perceptions of humanity and Starfleet were undoubtedly coloured by the fact that I did not want to be here in the first place.
JANEWAY: Your parents really forced you to go to the academy?
TUVOK: It was their wish, and I felt an obligation to fulfill it.
JANEWAY: What did you do during those 50 years?
TUVOK: I returned to Vulcan, where I spent several years in seclusion immersing myself in the Kolinahr, a rigorous discipline intended to purge all emotions. I wanted to attain a state of pure and total logic.
JANEWAY: What happened?
TUVOK: Unfortunately, six years into my studies, I began the Pon farr. I took a mate.
JANEWAY: T'Pel.
TUVOK: Yes. We decided to raise a family together, so I chose to postpone my studies.
I don't think Tuvok is a dirtbag. If he is guilty of anything, it is the same thing the whole cast of characters in Voyager is guilty of, being terribly dull and uninteresting.
I may be poking at a hornets nest with that statement. Sorry, just my opinion.
Comments
They can decline promotion (Riker did this 3 times in the first 3 seasons alone), and when Tuvok was promoted to Lt. Cmdr, he even said something like "Had I known a promotion would include insults, I would have declined".
Maybe Tuvok just isn't intersted in being anything else than ship security?
As Captain Revo stated, he took an extended leave of absence. He alluded to his dissatisfaction with Stafleet in 'Flashback' and eventually acted on it. The aforementioned conversation went like this:
VALTANE: Vulcans. You guys need to relax.
TUVOK: No, I will not relax. Ever since I entered the academy, I've had to endure the egocentric nature of humanity. You believe that everyone in the galaxy should be like you, that we should all share your sense of humour and your human values.
VALTANE: Well, if you hated it here so much, why'd you join Starfleet in the first place?
TUVOK: I joined under pressure from my parents. But I've already decided to resign my commission once this assignment is complete.
VALTANE: Well, your loss.
JANEWAY: Tuvok, did you really mean that?
TUVOK: At this point in my life, yes. My experiences at the academy and on board the Excelsior were not pleasant.
JANEWAY: I knew you left Starfleet for over fifty years, but I never knew why. I didn't realise it was because of a conflict with humans.
TUVOK: My perceptions of humanity and Starfleet were undoubtedly coloured by the fact that I did not want to be here in the first place.
JANEWAY: Your parents really forced you to go to the academy?
TUVOK: It was their wish, and I felt an obligation to fulfill it.
JANEWAY: What did you do during those 50 years?
TUVOK: I returned to Vulcan, where I spent several years in seclusion immersing myself in the Kolinahr, a rigorous discipline intended to purge all emotions. I wanted to attain a state of pure and total logic.
JANEWAY: What happened?
TUVOK: Unfortunately, six years into my studies, I began the Pon farr. I took a mate.
JANEWAY: T'Pel.
TUVOK: Yes. We decided to raise a family together, so I chose to postpone my studies.
I may be poking at a hornets nest with that statement. Sorry, just my opinion.