No 12969, Tuesday 23 Jun 2020, Afterdark

Solution to 27A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS
1   It’s a mistake to be airborne drunk, flying over a territory primarily (10) ABERRATION {AIRBORNE+A+Te...y}*
6   Books, arrests a rabblerouser primarily for sarcasm (4) BARB {B}{A}{Ra...r}{B}
10 Harry, old army officer's heartless chief of town (4,5) LORD MAYOR {OLD+ARMY}*{Of...eR}

11 Communication’s about to retreat and go to the back and cover (5) LAYER (-re)LAY(+re<=}ER
12 University matches after work; left to chances (13) OPPORTUNITIES {UNI}{TIES}<=>{OP}{PORT}
14 One run getting past point; England’s top score gets closer (5) NEARS {A}{R} after {N}{E} and {Sc..e}
15 50% scheme on spectacles; loot primarily to dupe student (9) SCHOOLKID {SCHeme}{OO}{Loot}{KID}
17 Sen is upset on glass vials not having class in tests (9) ENSAMPLES {SEN*}{AMPuLES}
21 Small capital provided to take a genre of movie (3-2) SCI-FI {S}{C}{IF}{1}
22 A scam; it’s a wonder perhaps to mastermind (7,6) PYRAMID SCHEME {PYRAMID}{SCHEME}
24 Exhausted don takes whiskey at close (5) WEARY {WEAR}{w...eY}
25 A shot without substance, right before stump and across (9) ASTRADDLE {A}{ShoT}{R}{ADDLE}
26 Verity? No, virtual reality to make a mythical beast (4) YETI vErITY*
27 School is in delight to get uniform (10) ?O?S?S?E?T (Addendum - CONSISTENT {CON{S}{IS}TENT}- See comments))

DOWN
1   Say, Garfield Sobers is everything; complete player, no joking (3-7) ALL-ROUNDER {ALL}{ROUND}{playER}
2   Perhaps English are open in a way, barring upper class at central Essex (9) EUROPEANS {ARE+OPEN}* over {U} and {esSex}
3   Comments on characters (7) REMARKS {RE}{MARKS}
4   Hawkers around the periphery of roadway face trials (7) TRYOUTS {T{Ro...aY}OUTS}
5   Perversely bad orgies arranged at hotel (7) OGREISH {ORGIES*}{H}
7   A ship skirts bay, crossing a gulf (5) ABYSS {A}{SS} over {BaY}
8   Lock new shed (4) BARN {BAR}{N}
9   A little bear, first seen in Ohio is one that suffers from pigmentation issue (6) ALBINO {A}{Li...e}{Bear}{IN}{O}
13 Careful consideration to be given to commercial; point on right is missing (10) ADVISEMENT ADVertISEMENT
16 Geek fined perhaps on border (5-4) KNIFE-EDGE*
18 Persecute shop by end of day on writing (6) MARTYR {MART}{daY}{R}
19 Placing order on new album is a pain in the back (7) LUMBAGO {ALBUM*}{GO}
20 Pacifies border state at meetings (7) SEDATES {StatE}{DATES}
21 Ali gets disciplined in college/school after some silly overtures at gatherings (7) SOCIALS {C}{ALI*}{S} after {Some}{Ov...s}
22 Factory worker is behind power and money (5) PLANT {ANT}<=>{P}{L}
23 Ottawa youth arrested outside (4) AWAY [T]

Reference List
Book =B, About = RE, Work = OP, Run = R, Point = N, England = E, Spectacles = OO, Class = U, Small = S, Capital = C, Right = R or RT, Upper class = U, On = RE, Hotel = H, Ship = SS, New = N, Point = E, Writing = R, Order = GO, College = C, School = S, Power = P, Money = L

Dr RKE's TalePiece

George Munro’s father had been MARTYRED in the Third Carnatic war. As a SCHOOLKID, he had been taken back to England by his mother, mainly to protect his ALBINO skin from getting burnt in the heat of India. Even when AWAY in England, the young George, was dreaming of career OPPORTUNITIES back in the land of his birth. He was an ALL ROUNDER, excelling in cricket and horse riding as much as in studies.

George Munro returned as an agent of the British East India Company in 1793 to Chandanagore, where his WEARY father had laid down his life 30 years ago fighting the French.  George Munro, though an EUROPEAN, (unusually for his times), had a kind heart that went out for the coloured. He was one of those few in the Company, who walked the KNIFE EDGE of being loyal to the masters and also being compassionate to his subjects. He earned at the same time excellent REMARKS from the Governor of Madras and the affection of the natives.    His elevation as the LORD MAYOR of Madras city in 1805, at the young age of 45 was not seen as any ABERRATION.

As Lord Mayor, he was also responsible for dispensing justice to Indians, as the established Madras court only TRied OUT disputes between the white men. In this capacity, a case that came in for his ADVISEMENT appeared quite unusual. The allegation by one Karuppusamy, a  farmer, was that his BARN was repeatedly raided every night and grain stolen. He blamed his neighbour, Vellaiyan, for the theft. Vellaiyan pleaded that he was innocent. George Munro set out solo to investigate. He was ASTRADDLE his horse that evening riding 30 miles to the village near Conjeevaram. Going round the barn, he found a gaping hole in the BARBed picket around it. He left his horse at a distance and AFTER DARK, he lay in wait for the perpetrator, unseen in LAYERs of dark clothing, hidden by the PLANTS around, unmindful of the LUMBAGO, caused by crouching for long.

In the dead of the night, an OGREISH figure appeared made its way through the hole in the picket and was about to get away with a sac full of grain, when the strong arm of the Mayor, gripped its hand. Munro tore off the mask of the thief. Lo and behold, it was Karuppusamy himself! It was revealed that he was doing this to settle scores with Vellaiyan, whom he suspected was in a clandestine affair with his wife. Karuppusamy had naively SCHEMEd of framing Vellaiyan for the theft.  The kind hearted Munro, called the three of them the next morning, gave them sage counsel, warned them and let them off. CONSISTENT dispensations of justice in this manner earned him the sobriquet “vellai dorai”, the Lord who is white in the skin and at heart.

Note: This tale is entirely fiction