No 13344, Saturday 04 Sep 2021, Lightning

 ACROSS

1 Leader departs, full of lies, and having no mercy(8) RUTHLESS {tRUTHLESS}
5 Emphasis on account with penny(6) ACCENT {AC}{CENT}
9 Main arch redesigned by one running the show(8) CHAIRMAN {MAIN+ARCH*}
10 Bachelor free beside a lake at wedding feast(6) BRIDAL {B}{RID}{A}{L}
12 Glue, drawing aid curtailed(5) PASTE {PASTEl}
13 New, odd urn destroyed in Australia perhaps(4,5) DOWN UNDER {NEW+ODD+URN*}
14 Plot is average, closing early in small room(6) PARCEL {PAR}{CELl}
16 One’s choice of words lost at spell test(7) DICTION {DICTatION}
19 Boiling water with hesitation in a two tier pot(7) STEAMER {STEAM}{ER}
21 Emperor and leaders of country are endlessly shuffling army responsibilities(6) CAESAR (Acrostic)
23 Repairing main tunnel without one cancellation of contract(9) ANNULMENT {MAiN+TUNNEL*}
25 Bring together company and engineer(5) UNITE {UNIT}{E}
26 Dog for one rotating thin plate(6) ANIMAL {(-l)ANIMA(+L)}
27 Outlet at residence — place to get beer, say(8) TAPHOUSE {TAP}{HOUSE}
28 Reverberates with energy, adding routine tasks right away(6) ECHOES {E}{CHOrES}
29 Wandering free, lass is daring(8) FEARLESS {FREE+LASS*}

DOWN

1 Instructions about long story sent up(6) RECIPE {RE}{EPIC<=}
2 Interpret broadcast, startle a nationalist(9) TRANSLATE {STARTLE+A+N*}
3 Huge beer king took up(5) LARGE {LA(+R)GE(-r)}
4 Disgraceful action in view at lake up north(7) SCANDAL {SCAN}{DAL}
6 Vehicle first bought by dad’s brother — a gem(9) CARBUNCLE {CAR}{Bought}{UNCLE}
7 Leaderless change editor brought to conclusion(5) ENDED {bEND}{ED}
8 Available for rent, managed to get in free and easy(8) TOLERANT {TO LE{RAN}T}
11 Newton exiting had to be due(4) OWED {OWnED}
15 Style of “iPhone” arrived with large cover(5,4) CAMEL CASE {CAME}{L} {CASE}
17 Main tune I need to change soon(2,1,6) IN A MINUTE {MAIN+TUNE+I*}
18 Free to go about these days on an adventure(8) ESCAPADE {ESCAP{AD}E}
20 Free licence withheld for dance music(4) REEL (T)
21 Restrain old teetotaller breaking into small house(7) COTTAGE {C{O}{TT}AGE}
22 Break depression(6) RECESS (DD)
24 New number cut short — let out a cry(5) NEIGH {N}{EIGHt}
25 Escort powerless drug dealer(5) USHER {pUSHER}

Reference List

Account=AC, Penny=Cent, Bachelor=B, Lake=L, Hesitation=Er, One=I, Engineer=E, Energy=E, Right=R

About=Re, Nationalist=N, King=R, Editor=Ed, Newton=N, Large=L, These days=AD, Old=O, Teetotaller=TT, New=N, Power=P

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Reference list word, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Opposite indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous