No 13669, Saturday 24 Sep 2022, Avtaar

ACROSS

1   Free, like the character of Dasaratha in the Ramayana, maybe? (6) PAROLE {PA ROLE}

4   Headdress irked star, eh? (5,3) STRAW HAT {STAR}*{WHAT}

9   Training in stylish, small two-wheelers (6)  MOPEDS {MO{PE}D}{S}

10 Riot-control device exploded - Bang! Out near London's East End (5,3) BATON GUN {BANG+OUT}*{l...oN}

11 Online travel portal? (7,7) RAILWAY STATION [CD]

13 "Lake of the Boundless Valley" - fantastic hit on the way up (4-6) HALF-VOLLEY {L+OF+tHe+VALLEY}*

14 Fine, fermented drink made from cashew or coconut (4) FENI*

16 Champion wins maiden crown (4) ACME {AC{M}E}

18 Amidst breaks, cycling coach bonds (10) RESTRAINTS {REST{(-t)RAIN(+t)T}S}

21 Lock assemblies that are ready-to-use? (7,7) TURNKEY SYSTEMS [C&DD]

23 Barred point in pass (8) EXCEPTED {EXCE{PT}ED}

24 Hiding love, mother's starting to torment revolutionary (6) MAOIST {MA}{0}{IS}{To...t}

25 Fine head of solicitors, through slogging and legwork, finally became adviser to the Queen (4,4) TOOK SILK {TO{OK}{So...s}IL}{l...rK}

26 Even characters in Boeing gladly ceded land that was divided in the 1940s (6) BENGAL {BoEiNg+GlAdLy}

DOWN

1   "Apple in Post Office" by Avtaar (4) POME {PO}{ME}

2   For the audience, Nadal is a great artist (7) RAPHAEL (~rafael) 

3   Girlfriend flirted overtly skipping right behind young man (4-4) LADY-LOVE {OVErtLY}*<=>{LAD}

5   Playing tennis? Try attacking lobs, to start with, for a short while (11) TRANSIENTLY {TENNIS+TRY+At...g+Lobs}*

6   Decapod alien groups having no feet (6) APODAL [T]

7   Fellow admitting Azed's original crossword is torment (7) HAGRIDE {H{Azed}{GRID}E}

8   The hotel lost Mrs Reagan and Mrs Sinatra's possessions (9) TENANCIES {ThE}{NANCIES}

12 Path across river with fountain outside Vatican seems good but is not adequate (3,4,4) ALL VERY WELL {ALL{V}E{R}Y}{WELL}

13 Almost fully breathe out and take pulse (9) HEARTBEAT {BREATHe}*{EAT}

15 Louisiana and Tennessee dons - like Corleone, perhaps? (4,4) LAST NAME {L}{AS}{T}{NAME} (Addendum - {LA}{S{TN}AME} - See comments)

17 Land is turned out in dry wind, south of Missouri (7) MOROCCO {siROCCO}<=>{MO}

19 Freezing Emergency Room avoided by Count (7) NUMBING NUMBerING

20 Pesky, mischievous son chats online (6) SKYPES {PESKY}*{S}

22 ... and others turned up dead (2,2) ET AL LATE<=

Reference List

Eh = WHAT, Training = PE, Stylish = MOD, Small = S, Lake = L, Champion = ACE, Maiden = M, Breaks = REDSTS, Coach = TRAIN, Point = PT, Pass = EXCEED, Love =0, Mother's = MA'S, Fine = OK, Slogging = TOIL

Post Office = PO< Avtaar = ME, Right = RT, Young man = LAD, Fellow = HE, Crossword = GRID, Hotel = H, Path = ALLEY, River = R, Fountain = WELL, Vatican = V, Take = EAT, Louisiana = LA. Teneessee = TN, Like = SAME, Missouri = MO, Emergency Room = ER, Count = NUMBERING, Son = S, Dead = LATE

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