Terran Federation

Terran Federation symbol

The Terran Federation, also known as the Earth Federation and generally referred to simply as the Federation, are the main antagonistic organisation in the science-fiction series Blake's 7. Many (but by no means all) of the individual villains in the series were members of the Federation, including principle villains Servalan and Travis.

History

The Federation had been in existence at least two hundred years by Roj Blake's time. They were led by a President and High Council, with the civilian arm known as the Administration and the military arm known as Space Command. Based on Earth, they were the major power in the galaxy and had control of dozens of star systems. Those under their control were kept there by forces, with independence virtually impossible. When the planet Saurian Major tried to leave the Federation, half the population were killed and the other half were sent into slavery. Control of most of the population of Earth was achieved by drugging the water supply, leaving them docile, and confining them to domed cities, with going outside being an offence. Control was ensured by Federation troopers and also by Mutoids, individuals who had undergone modification to give them superior strength and durability, and who survived on blood plasma.

Federation troopers

While the Federation was capable of military conquest, they also used more subtle means to bring planets under their control. Their strategy for annexing Lindor involved rigging an election to remove the anti-Federation president and bringing the planet to the verge of civil war which would allow them to install a puppet government. They attempted something similar on Horizon, having the hereditary chieftains go through training to make them loyal to the Federation. On both occasions, Blake's interference saw the population turn against the Federation.

The Federation seemed to keep a pretence of civility even among its own upper echelons. Travis' massacre of over a thousand unarmed dissidents was regarded as a war crime by the military court. Despite this, similar smaller massacres of unarmed and unresisting rebels, such as Blake's original movement, Bran Foster's group and the rebels who assisted Avalon, took place without apparent censure. Federation troopers on Zondor used the drugged population for target practice.

The activities of Blake and the Liberator crew were an embarrassment to the Federation and their capture was given a high priority, with Blake top of the Federation wanted list. Not only did they disrupt the Federation with acts of theft and sabotage, but they were an important symbol that encouraged other rebellions. However, even Blake was forced to admit that they never truly struck at the heart of the Federation.

Federation pursuit ships

A more serious threat came with the invasion of the Andromedans. With alien ships pouring into their space, the Federation fought them alongside the Liberator and other non-aligned ships. They ultimately triumphed, destroying the entire Andromedan fleet, but only because of superior numbers: Over half the Federation fleet was destroyed, along with their computer control complex Star One. Servalan had declared martial law and proclaimed herself president at the beginning of the crisis, but had difficulty enforcing that authority with very little military remaining. In the short term, the Federation ceased to function with even Earth seeing a rebellion. However, Servalan soon restored order and regained much of the territory, although their power was still limited.

The infighting among the Federation resulted in Servalan being deposed and declared dead, with most of her old followers purged and power being handed back to the High Council. Ironically, the lack of people who could identify her meant Servalan could assume a new identity as a junior Federation officer, Commissioner Sleer. Even more ironically, in this identity she discovered the key to restoring the Federation: Pylene-50, a drug that could induce total apathy in the subject. With the Federation still lacking enough force for military conquest, this allowed them to rapidly regain control of many worlds who had left them during the aftermath of the war. When the Federation succeeded in wiping out Blake, Avon and their followers, and ending Avon's attempt to form an anti-Federation alliance among the border worlds, it seemed the last threat to their existence was gone.