Galimina could probably Assist, but +10 isn't going to be good enough. Hannabel doesn't recognise the readings either.
Sure. His title, Master of Ordnance, means he was an officer in charge of an artillery regiment. That means he probably never saw much direct action, but did need to have very good communication and diplomatic skills, as he would have been frequently responsible for dealing with other regiments. He probably has a baseline level of competence himself, but he clearly made a lot of friends amongst said other regiments. Quite apart from many of his guests being retired Guard, many of his household are *also* retired Guard, including the majority of his security staff and his personal bodyguard. Her name is Lt. Millicent Svard, formerly of Valhalla, and it's a well known story that she was her regiment's duelling champion for most of her career.