ROJ BLAKE

I don’t think I want to kill for your entertainment.

THE LEADER: An engineer by training, fate made him a politician and now it has led him to become a revolutionary. Blake is that most dangerous of creatures: a pragmatic idealist. He will bring down the Federation and restore peace and liberty to humanity… and god help anyone who stands in his way!

KERR AVON

I said it was our only chance – I didn’t say it was a good one.

THE BRAINS: The second best hacker in the Federation. He likes logic, facts and leaving nothing to chance. His mistake, as he sees it, was relying on other people – it’s not a mistake he plans to make twice.

JENNA STANNIS

Planets are just there for people who can’t cope with freedom.

THE PILOT: Born and raised in space Jenna has been a smuggler, a pirate and, when all else failed, a legitimate trader. For her the fight is not against the Federation, but against Earth’s domination of the colony worlds.

OLEG GAN

I’m an easy man to underestimate.

THE STRONG MAN: Freakishly large and strong, many people think he’s stupid. This is a mistake – often their last. On the surface he appears loyal and good humoured, but he blames the Federation for the death of his wife and plans to take his revenge.

VILA RESTAL

I plan to live forever… or die trying.

THE THIEF: The money isn’t important it’s just a way of keeping score. Vila is the best thief in the Federation, there is no lock he cannot open, no situation he cannot lie, cheat or fast talk his way out of. He isn’t in this for the revolutionary politics, he’s in it for his friends.

CALLY

My loyalty is to my own people – first, last and always.

THE PROFESSIONAL: Cally is an intelligence agent, a professional, she works for Auronar’s infamous External Security Bureau. Her people are in a losing struggle with the Federation and Cally believes that the most effective thing she can do is to support Blake – but that could change.

ORAC

A statement of fact cannot be insolent.

THE SENTIENT MACHINE: Probably the only true artificial intelligence built by man Orac has wide ranging powers. Able to tap into other computers and communication systems and even, in a limited sense, predict the future, Orac’s only drawback is its horrible, unfriendly, arrogant and uncooperative personality. As Avon says its true drawback is that it’s just too useful to destroy.

ZEN

I survived the sun. Confirmed.

A machine consciousness forged by Avon out the Liberator’s damaged control systems. Without Zen the Liberator is so many million tons of inert matter. Zen seems happy enough to do the crews bidding and yet sometimes, just occasionally, it seems as if he has an agenda of his own.