Richard Sedgewick

Foreman **Richard Sedgewick** was the leader of the Aiden's Prospect Agricultural Commune and captain of the *Triumph*, before being taken into custody aboard the *Avalon* Platform.

## Biography

In the years leading up to the departure of the Avalon Expedition Fleet through Edric's Gate towards CDC-41-Gamma, Foreman Sedgewick lead the agricultural commune on Cardeus I in the Cardeus Brink System through the growing famine.

Around this time, Sedgewick began to believe that the Avalon Exploratory Initiative, who were constructing Edric's Gate and preparing an expedition through it, was a secret project by a cabal of elites to flee the Tantalus Cluster, leaving the majority of the population behind as they escaped to a "Verdant Paradise" on the other side of the Gate.

Sedgewick began radicalising his followers. Eventually, he convinced his commune to sell their land and effects, using the money to buy an old orbital transport called the *Triumph*, which the commune began converting for transport of around 50 families of people and 50 heads of cattle.

As the *Avalon* and her fleet began to depart through Edric's Gate, Sedgewick rallied his people aboard the *Triumph*, before sending the ship flying towards the gate so that they would be sent through it with the rest of the fleet. Upon arrival in the nebula, the *Triumph* found itself alone, and Sedgewick ordered the vessel to begin looking for the rest of the fleet.

After two months of travel, the *Triumph* re-established contact with the *Avalon* and her flotilla, wherein Sedgewick immediately began demanding provisions from the expedition. When his demands weren't met quick enough, he started a fleet-wide broadcast, attempting to "reveal the truth" about the expedition's true purpose.

When provisions still weren't being delivered to his liking, Sedgewick took Midshipman Bankole and a team of *Avalon* Engineers hostage. In response, the *Avalon* dispatched Tamara 'Meds' Melari and Mathias Croft of the *Guinevere* to the vessel, wherein the successfully managed to arrest Sedgewick with no loss of life.

Following this, Sedgewick was placed into custody of the CMC Garrison aboard the *Avalon* platform. After the Avalon Expedition Fleet moved to The Greenhouse, Sedgewick was put into punitive labour, harvesting the agricultural bounty the planet offered.

When a fleet of Advari Lightships were on approach to the *Avalon*, Captain Bridget Volkova offered up the *Triumph's* reactor to destroy the Return Gate, in exchange for Sedgewick being transferred along with her crew to the *Kestrel*, so he could stand trial appropriately back in Tantalus.

However, before the *Kestrel* could make its transit through the return gate, its was attacked by a swarm of Advari Fliers, destroying the ship with all hands, including Sedgewick.

## Personality

Richard Sedgewick was a manipulative, dictatorial figure, who used the promise of a "verdant paradise" - that he had no proof existed - to convince at least 150 people to sell their entire livelihoods, purchase a faulty vessel in his name, and illegally chase an international expedition through the largest drift gate ever designed.

He was shown to be very insecure and unstable, perhaps even to the point of narcissism - as he felt his grip slipping on his followers, for example, he became enraged, hitting objects around his bridge out of frustration, raising his voice, and ultimately nearly killing a hostage in the process. He was also brash and impatient, shown after he almost immediately takes hostages as the relief he demanded arrives.

## Relationships

### Aiden's Prospect Settlers

Whilst most of the Aiden's Prospect colonists looked up to Sedgewick as a leader who lead them through hard times, after Sedgewick's public outburst and attempted execution of a prospect, public opinion turned against Sedgewick.

### Avalon Expedition Fleet

Despite his efforts to show himself as a "saviour", the members of the expedition fleet quickly come to regard Sedgewick as anything from a frustrating annoyance to a dangerous menace who harmed some of their own. Many appear happy after he is taken into custody.

## Trivia

* When the episode was initially conceived, Sedgewick's name had not yet been settled upon, leading to crew christening him with the temporary name "dickweed". His final name continues this trend - Richard is often shortened to "Dick", *Sedge* is a niche term for "weed" (as in garden weeds), and *wick* is a euphemistic term for "penis." Put together, and his name could be read as "Dick Dickweed."
* Sedgewick is portrayed by *The Sojourn's* own sound designer Kennedy Phillips. According to Daniel Orrett, Kennedy went through the same auditioning process as all other voice acting candidates, winning out over around 350 other auditions.

## References

1. ↑ *Forlorn Hope*
2. ↑ "*The Promised Land*"