*cough* The Colonel and Jaime were out hunting when they were attacked by...someone (locals?) and the Colonel was badly injured. He sent Jaime back to the colony for help, but when help got there, he was gone. What actually happened was that he was taken prisoner and eventually rescued by a wandering trader/missionary from a rival country (Home not being the only empire out there) and eventually, through some complicated procedure, got traded back Home.

I think he's pissed at Lady Lucy. It's a little up in the air regarding that point.

Well, for one thing, penal colony, so they're all, "Oh, the criminals can take care of themselves!", and the colony's just started. And I think the ship with all the records may have sunk. Or something. And it's in a dangerous part of the world and there are other countries out there with colonies in the general area; the colony may or may not actually have some contact with them, though more as an independent nation than as a Home colony.