Travis (Blake's 7)
Encyclopedia
Space Commander Travis is a fictional character
in the English science fiction
television programme Blake's 7
. Stephen Greif
performed the role of Travis in the programme's first series, but declined an offer to return for the second series. "Weapon", the third episode of the second series, marked the premiere performance of Brian Croucher
in the role. In this episode, Travis expresses to Supreme Commander Servalan
some unease about his recent "rehabilitation". In B7 Productions' audio dramas of Blake's 7, Craig Kelly
assumes the role of Travis.
Travis is a Space Commander in the Terran Federation
who is infamous for his brutality and ruthlessness. Prior to the events of the Blake's 7 television series, a Federation leader commissions him to subdue an anti-Federation resistance movement
on Earth. Travis and a band of troopers under his command ambush a key resistance group. When the group's leader, Roj Blake
, declares their surrender, Travis commands his men to gun-down the rebels. Blake wrests a DEW
gun from a trooper, and shoots Travis, wounding him severely on the left side of his body. After the troopers capture Blake, a combat medic
called Maryatt partially repairs Travis' face. Later, Travis eschews cosmetic surgery, and replaces his amputated left arm with a cybernetic one equipped with an energy weapon
called a Laseron Destroyer.
When Roj Blake escapes the Federation, Servalan, Supreme Commander of the Terran Federation, enlists Travis as a special agent to hunt Blake—and to commandeer Liberator
, an advanced starship
which Blake now captains. In his several encounters with Blake, Travis eventually captures a resistance leader called Avalon, and indirectly causes the death of one of Blake's crewmen, Olag Gan
. Ultimately, however, Travis fails too egregiously for Servalan, who required of him not only the downfall of the resistance movement, but calculated assistance in her maneuvering for total galactic ascendancy. Servalan fears that Travis' blundering might expose her abuses of power, and concludes that his liability exceeds his faltering usefulness. Finally, she endorses a dilatory court-martial
for a massacre which Travis ordered earlier in his career—a crime for which he was sure to be executed.
Coincidentally, the Liberator, under Blake's command, attacks Federation headquarters at the penultimate moment of Travis' sentencing. Amidst the commotion of the attack, Travis seizes the opportunity to escape his death sentence, and absconds to Servalan's office. There, he forces Servalan to provision him with an escape ship and other resources. Travis, now a fugitive, resumes his obsessive hunt for Blake.
Blake and Travis meet for the final time at Star One, a secret base and supercomputer
of crucial importance to the Federation's control of its planets. There, Blake discovers that Travis has betrayed the Federation to aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy
. Travis shoots Blake on sight, but is unaware that he has not mortally wounded him. When an opportune moment arises, Blake clips Travis with a shot from his sidearm. Before Travis can retaliate, Kerr Avon
knocks him into an energy vortex, killing him.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the English science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television programme Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
. Stephen Greif
Stephen Greif
Stephen Greif is an award-winning English actor.His television appearances include Waking the Dead , Spooks , Mistresses 2 , He Kills Coppers , Holby City , The Last Days of Pompeii as Sporus, Judge John Deed , Space Race , EastEnders , The Bill and...
performed the role of Travis in the programme's first series, but declined an offer to return for the second series. "Weapon", the third episode of the second series, marked the premiere performance of Brian Croucher
Brian Croucher
Brian Croucher is an English actor and director perhaps best known for his role as Ted Hills, which he played from 1995 to 1997, in the soap opera EastEnders....
in the role. In this episode, Travis expresses to Supreme Commander Servalan
Servalan
Servalan is a fictional character in the BBC science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Jacqueline Pearce . She was the principal villain of the series...
some unease about his recent "rehabilitation". In B7 Productions' audio dramas of Blake's 7, Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (actor)
Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
assumes the role of Travis.
Travis is a Space Commander in the Terran Federation
Terran Federation (Blake's 7)
The Terran Federation, sometimes simply called The Federation, is the primary stellar government featured in the British Blake's 7 science-fiction television series of the late 1970s...
who is infamous for his brutality and ruthlessness. Prior to the events of the Blake's 7 television series, a Federation leader commissions him to subdue an anti-Federation resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
on Earth. Travis and a band of troopers under his command ambush a key resistance group. When the group's leader, Roj Blake
Roj Blake
Roj Blake is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Gareth Thomas ....
, declares their surrender, Travis commands his men to gun-down the rebels. Blake wrests a DEW
Directed-energy weapon
A directed-energy weapon emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal...
gun from a trooper, and shoots Travis, wounding him severely on the left side of his body. After the troopers capture Blake, a combat medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
called Maryatt partially repairs Travis' face. Later, Travis eschews cosmetic surgery, and replaces his amputated left arm with a cybernetic one equipped with an energy weapon
Directed-energy weapon
A directed-energy weapon emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal...
called a Laseron Destroyer.
When Roj Blake escapes the Federation, Servalan, Supreme Commander of the Terran Federation, enlists Travis as a special agent to hunt Blake—and to commandeer Liberator
Liberator (Blake's 7)
The spaceship Liberator is a fictional starship featured in the first three seasons of the BBC television series Blake's 7.-Background:...
, an advanced starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
which Blake now captains. In his several encounters with Blake, Travis eventually captures a resistance leader called Avalon, and indirectly causes the death of one of Blake's crewmen, Olag Gan
Olag Gan
Olag Gan is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by David Jackson ....
. Ultimately, however, Travis fails too egregiously for Servalan, who required of him not only the downfall of the resistance movement, but calculated assistance in her maneuvering for total galactic ascendancy. Servalan fears that Travis' blundering might expose her abuses of power, and concludes that his liability exceeds his faltering usefulness. Finally, she endorses a dilatory court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
for a massacre which Travis ordered earlier in his career—a crime for which he was sure to be executed.
Coincidentally, the Liberator, under Blake's command, attacks Federation headquarters at the penultimate moment of Travis' sentencing. Amidst the commotion of the attack, Travis seizes the opportunity to escape his death sentence, and absconds to Servalan's office. There, he forces Servalan to provision him with an escape ship and other resources. Travis, now a fugitive, resumes his obsessive hunt for Blake.
Blake and Travis meet for the final time at Star One, a secret base and supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
of crucial importance to the Federation's control of its planets. There, Blake discovers that Travis has betrayed the Federation to aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
. Travis shoots Blake on sight, but is unaware that he has not mortally wounded him. When an opportune moment arises, Blake clips Travis with a shot from his sidearm. Before Travis can retaliate, Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Paul Darrow...
knocks him into an energy vortex, killing him.