Necessary Sacrifices

Fanfiction
Title:	Necessary Sacrifices
Author(s):	Alice C. Aldridge
Date(s):	1991
Length:	47 pages
Genre:
Fandom:	Blake's 7
External Links:	Online at AO3
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Necessary Sacrifices is a gen Blake's 7 Jenna/Travis story by Alice C. Aldridge. It was originally printed in the zine Roads Not Taken.

Series Synopsis

Necessary Sacrifices was the first story in my Travis and Jenna series, written chiefly because I was so exasperated with Blake and Travis's behaviour in Trial. Instead of trying to bring the crew of Liberator together or even turning to Jenna for comfort after Gan's death, Blake went off to brood on a planet on the verge of self-destructing. Travis made an even worse decision, choosing to remain on Servalan's leash, even though he'd broken his ties with Space Command. So I decided to write a story where Jenna gets fed up with Blake's neglect and reluctantly leaves Liberator to return to free trading. During a run-in with a pursuit squadron, she crosses paths with Travis who's on the run from Servalan and Space Command. Together they make short work of the squadron, then reluctantly team up to escape the planet where their ships have crash landed. Though initially wary of one another, Travis and Jenna discover that they make a good team, and after a series of adventures, find themselves on the way to Star One to stop Blake's obsessive plan to destroy the Federation's Computer Control system. After spotting the Andromedan Fleet, their mission becomes even more urgent. I also wrote a series of shorter stories delving into Travis's past and the events that made him into the driven engine of vengeance that we saw in episodes like "Seek, Locate, Destroy" and "Weapon". Together these stories tell a story of loss, betrayal and ultimately redemption.

Other Stories in the "On Wings of Eagles" Series

I. Spiralling Down, Out of Control

A. The Oath – The aftermath of Travis’s first encounter with Blake, as his life is saved by Maryatt and Kiera. (in Zen and the Art of Rebellion #3)

B. Agent of Ruin – While undergoing his cybernetic rebuild, Travis teaches a course at the FSA, encountering Cadet Del Tarrant. Servalan and Carnell begin to exert their influence on Travis’s mind. (in Southern Seven #11)

C. Shattered Reflections – Takes place between “Orac” and “Weapon” as Travis tries to redeem himself by saving Maryatt’s family, and Carnell’s conditioning of his memory begins to erode. (in Gambit #13)

Interlude

Snowblind – Trapped inside a glacier by an avalanche, Travis and Blake discover that they have more in common than they once believed. (in Gambit #14)

II. Out of the Darkness, Into the Light

A. Necessary Sacrifices (in Roads Not Taken)

B. The Best Revenge – Travis has to prove to the Enclave that he’s good enough to be a Free Trader Captain... and Jenna’s bondmate. Later, on an important trade mission, Travis and Jenna encounter Blake and the crew of Liberator as they’re caught up in Servalan’s scheme to seize control of the Federation. (in Gambit #10)

C. Queen’s Gambit – Travis and Jenna are trying to succeed as Free Traders, but Servalan kidnaps Travis, planning to use him to destroy the Enclave and the Federation. Blake and Liberator come to the rescue, but while Servalan’s and Carnell’s prisoner, Travis discovers some very dark things about his past. (in Gambit #11)

III. On a Wing and a Prayer

A. Picking up the Pieces – Jenna and Travis assume custody of a 16 year old apprentice pilot who carries their genes. Meanwhile, Travis is having flashbacks of memories of before he joined Space Command and Jenna finally learns the truth behind one the darkest episodes in Travis’s career—the massacre on Zircaster/Auros. (in Gambit #12)

B. Rest Cure – Travis has a narrow escape from an accident on the loading docks. Jenna’s uncle, First Captain of Clan Stannis declares that they both need a break and orders them to take a two-week vacation. (in Avon's Seven #1)

C. Legacies – Travis travels to Zircaster/Auros with Blake and Liberator. Both of them are hoping to make peace with the past, Blake for the damage caused by his attack on Star One and Travis to find out if any of his family survived the massacre that he ordered.

IV. Sheltering Wings

A. Contagion – submitted to Susan Batho’s Chronicles.

Author notes these are were written: "Hardcore," "Expeditionary Force, "Ceremonies"

Reactions and Reviews

Jenna/Travis - the pairing you never knew you wanted. Lots of stuff everywhere on the Fanlore page about how good this is, so I was expecting it to be good - and it is good. It's not... unsympathetic to Blake, but it's very very not sympathetic to him either (and he gets a lot of his nice moments in Star One taken away from him or reframed as being non-heroic, which I obviously think is a shame). But - a very good Jenna, competent, no-nonsense etc, and a believable Travis being able to work with other people. Interestingly the same plot-device with Avon (a limiter thingy made him act that way - i.e. series 4 is not Avon's fault, but Servalan's) makes me want to scream and throw things. It seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to say about Travis, particularly because a) we see Servalan using him in similar sorts of way and b) the author of this fic shows Travis being able to work with not-Blake (i.e. Jenna) but still being a bit bad before the limiter is removed. So - anyway, the whole thing really works. Big restaging of Star One after the initial partnership section - which works well. Would read the other two in this series - though would prefer to read more PGP where Blake and Avon make plans and share bedrooms with each other...