Dramatis Personae

The Liberator and crew:

Liberator: A powerful spacecraft that far exceeds anything known to Earth technology, it is equipped with neutron blaster weaponry, force wall defences, auto-repair systems, and a teleportation system. The main computer, Zen, is the speech interface to the ship’s systems, and coordinates navigation, battle computers, and information systems. The current crew discovered Liberator abandoned and drifting, apparently after a space war, and commandeered the vessel in their fight back against the Federation.

Kerr Avon: A technical expert, particularly with computers, Avon’s attempt to embezzle millions from the Federation saw him imprisoned and exiled from Earth. He escaped to Liberator with Blake and Jenna, where his instinct for self-preservation meant that he became the most unwilling member of Blake’s team –perceived by the others as a man whose cold calculation is primarily self-serving. By the time they reach Star One, he has exacted a promise from Blake that control of the Liberator will be handed to Avon after they have completed this mission.

Roj Blake: Once leader of the Freedom Party and a charismatic opponent of the Terran Federation, Blake was captured in a lethal ambush by Travis. When their attempt to brainwash him failed, the Federation trumped up charges to disgrace Blake and banish him from Earth. En route to the penal colony Cygnus Alpha, Blake escaped from the prison ship London, and commandeered the derelict Liberator. Since then, he has cajoled or bullied his reluctant outlaw crew in a renewed fight against their enemies – with fatal consequences for both sides. Blake has targeted the Federation’s facilities, rallied its enemies, and tracked down its Central Control system to Star One – where he had a final confrontation with his nemesis, Space Commander Travis.

Cally: A telepath from the planet Auron, who can communicate her thoughts directly to others. Sole survivor of a guerrilla attack on a Federation facility, Cally has felt unable to return to her isolationist home world. Her mutual distrust of the Liberator crew mellowed, and her growing empathy has made her an instinctive medic. Lately, her loyalty to Blake has been sorely tested by his obsessive campaign to destroy Star One, no matter what the cost.

Orac: A unique supercomputer created by Professor Ensor, and appropriated by the Liberator crew after his death. Orac can access anything that contains a Tarial Cell, also invented by the Professor and now a standard component in all modern computers. Orac shares many characteristics with Ensor, including a thirst for knowledge and an ill-tempered intolerance of anything perceived as less intelligent – including the Liberator crew.

Vila Restal: A petty thief, a conjurer, but most of all an expert lockpick who can breach even the most complex security systems. Vila has been in trouble with the Federation since he was a juvenile. He was eventually exiled to Cygnus Alpha, but rescued from there with his friend Gan by Blake and brought aboard Liberator. He prefers to be lazy, even if that might look like cowardice, and has a weakness for drink and an eye for pretty women. Vila is smart enough to know that playing the fool can be a good way to stay safe. And safety is something he has thought about since Gan died in Blake’s abortive attack on a Federation facility.

Jenna Stannis: A smuggler sentenced by the Federation to exile on the penal colony Cygnus Alpha. Jenna assisted Blake’s mutiny aboard the prison ship London and commandeered the Liberator. The ship’s name was taken from her thoughts when she first came aboard. Jenna’s expertise has made her the Liberator‘s principal pilot. Although she has some reservations about their fight against the Federation, Jenna is loyal to Blake.

The Federation:

Servalan: Supreme Commander of the Federation’s entire military organisation. Servalan is responsible for the brutal repression of all resistance, and has been charged with destroying Blake and his crew – though she wants to capture the Liberator for the Federation. In an organisation governed by men, Servalan is a rare, powerful woman who has exploited her seductive charm and amoral ruthlessness to fight her way to the top. She is prepared to use and discard anyone, including Travis. In the panic that ensued when Star One failed, a military coup sees her appointed as President of the Federation.

Travis: A brutal Federation Space Commander appointed by Servalan to lead the capture of Blake and the Liberator. Travis previously encountered Blake on Earth, when he ambushed a group of Freedom Party rebels and slaughtered them after they had surrendered. In the attack, Blake severely wounded Travis – who required a cybernetic eye replacement, and a prosthetic limb which incorporated a laseron destroyer. Frustrated by his repeated failure to capture Blake, and Servalan’s flagrant manipulation, Travis eventually betrayed humanity by helping alien invaders to infiltrate the Star One facility. In a final confrontation, Travis shot Blake with his laseron destroyer. But Avon finished off Travis, who plunged to his death.