Sir William Crossflane

Sir William Crossflane is a knight and First Officer serving under Knight-Tribune Raine Smythe, and her oldest friend. He is white-haired with immaculately groomed sideburns and the bearing of a career Imperial officer. He is killed by the Cielcin prince Aranata during the collapse of the summit negotiations.

Crossflane is openly hostile toward Hadrian from their first meeting, addressing him as "boy" until sharply corrected, and dismisses Valka as a witch. His undisguised contempt during the Cielcin negotiations is translated aloud by a slave girl, inflaming Aranata and raising tensions throughout the talks. He participates in strategic discussions and eventually declares the negotiations useless after Aranata refuses to release the prisoner Tanaran.

When the summit collapses into violence, Crossflane steps between Kharn Sagara and Smythe and draws his phase disruptor, ordering Kharn to stand down; Kharn seizes him and hurls him away. He is captured by the Cielcin, battered and bleeding, and found kneeling beside the wounded Smythe. When Aranata moves to execute another soldier, Crossflane scrambles to his feet and offers himself in the soldier's place, declaring he will not stand by while his men are butchered. Aranata kills him on the spot.