The Khan of Vijayanagara's armoured train, dubbed by some as the Khan Express pulled into the station at Kingsgate. It was five minutes to one on the morning of the 8th day of Dey in the year 1386 and the Khan and his train were preciscely one day behind schedule.
This delay was almost entirely due to the security sweep that was being conducted along the entire length of the line between Islus and Kingsgate. No one was really sure whether the security measures had been put in place in response to intelligence of a specific threat or whether it was another instance of the Babkhan trained security apparatus going into overdrive with its habitual state of paranoia.
Disembarkation went smoothly, bar the usual bureaucratic muddles and delays, and the Khan was soon on his way to the hotel to which he and his retinue had been allocated. Luxurious may have been pitching it a bit high but it would do.
There was however one unfortunate incident which marred to occassion. For which it is best to refer to the narrative provided in the official report:
Afterwards a helpful soul with too much time on his hands drew a representation of the incident as he felt that the narrative as it was written was a little too bald.1. At 0110hrs as disembarkation of the main part including the Khan was completed a single figure, unusually tall, slender, six foot five with fair hair approached the Khan's command carriage. The Khan was standing on the platform with Muqtada al-Osmani when the approaching individual was spotted by Agha Mohammed Kashani, of the Khan's security detail, who shouted a challenge to the suspected hostile contact. The suspected hostile contact was dressed in olive drab fatiques, ex-Imperial Army surplus stocks, webbing, combat boots and a blue woollen hat. The suspect was armed with a single round bolt action rifle of an obsolete commercially available variety.
2. In response to the challenge the individual raised his rifle and pointed it at the head of Agha Kashani. Immediately Agha Kashani raised his weapon in response. He was joined by three other members of the Khan's security detail; Agha Rakesh Asadollah, Agha Mohammed Hashemi, Agha Mohammed Kashani and Agha Bahram Kharrazi. Agha Asadollah ordered the suspect to lay down his arms and surrender. This the suspect declined to do.
3. Challenged by Agha Hashemi to state his reason for being on the platform the suspect replied that he was a private security contractor in the employ of the railway company. As the suspect refused to lower his weapon in order to show his ID, his explanation was not believed.
4. Screened by his retinue and other personnel from the Security Detachment the Khan was led safely from the station at 0122hrs to resume his intended journey to the hotel.
5. The stand off continued with local law militiamen arriving on the scene.
6. At 0134hrs Agha Asadollah remarked that the purpose of the suspect wearing a blue woollen hat inside the station might be to conceal the tell tale signs of Elfinshi heritage.
7. At 0135hrs the suspect was terminated with extreme prejudice by the four members of the Khan's Security Detail there present.
8. Discussions with local authorities as to the nature of the incident are still ongoing.
9. The hypothesis of Agha Asadollah was disproven upon a close examination of the terminated suspect's ears.
One consequence of this shooting was that the Goruhân Isulus was ordered to cease its searches along the railway line and proceed post haste to Kingsgate to ensure the continued safety of the Khan. This the Goruhân Isulus promptly did - with Sir Glyniwy's battalion having a ten second head start.
